The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1900-09-03


nations working together for the cause of
the Lord.
All Tor the Lord
Suppose the armies in China were to
disagree and that the soldiers of the ma
tons should fight one another then would
the missionaries and the ministers of the
nations have been tortured to death. But
they worked together and the walled city
was conquered and the Christians rescued.
1t is a magnificent thing to see all the
churches of the Lord working hand in
hand for the Lord, Better had we say that
if the church of Jesus Christ had done its
duty a thousand years ago every city in
the world would have had it's Young Mems
Christian Association. The association is
rot an indication that the church of Jesus
Christ has failed to do its duty, but that
the church of Jesus Ohist is awakening to
its duty. 1t is only within the last half
century that the church has learned that
athletics and recreation are not inimical
to Christianity but that when athletics
give health and physical strength they are
aiding in Christianity. healthy body
gives healthy spirit.
Physical Strength
I'VE have come to believe the American
army and navy invincible, and who knows
but their success is due to the development
of their physical strength? Teach the
young men to care for their bodies and
you give generation by generation
stronger race of men. Not one young man
in ten in this State has the
chance to school of higher
learning, and four-ffths of the boys
have to go to work at the time they
should be in school. The Young Mems
Christian Association provides the oppor-
tunity for them to learn and to improve
their physical condition. 1t is an oppor-
tunity you cannot afford to overlook, for
who knows what leaders of men will come
from amongst you? One of the best signs
of the times is that the young men have
commenced to work for Christ, and no in
stitution is of more importance in teach
ing them how to work for Him than the
Young Mems Christian Association.
Young Men Ambitious
1.-The association makes the young men
ambitious to develop their mental powers.
When you build Young Mems Christian
Association temple it is not to be rescue
or a hospital but it is the clear mountain
spring to keep them from having to be
rescued. 1t is not to rescue men that have
fallen, but to keep men from falling. 1t
is a great thing for city to have a hos
pital, but a greater thing to have clean
streets and pure water to keep the people
from being sick. 1t is a great thing to
have a rescue mission, but greater thing
to prevent young men from falling.
The Value of Hall
ut cost more in Mobile and here in Bir-
mngham, too, 1 am sure, to hang one
man than to run the Young Mems Christ
ian Association year. Four or five years
ago it was a hard matter to raise $1,000 for
the association, and at the end of each
year there was gloom among the direc-
tors. We built home for the association
at cost of nearly 100000 and last year
the cost of running it was about 100000, but
we raised over $4,000 This year we will
have an income of over $4,000 and the ex-
penses will not exceed $1,000. No institu-
ton in that city figures as much in the
public mind as the Young Mems Christ
ian Association. The citizens there con-
tributed $4,000 towards the building and
1t is worth every cent of that amount to
L
a good thing to have the people to come
to the directors and say they would like to
help, but it is much better for them to
help and say nothing. Sentiment is pref
ty, but it is better to act. You damage
your character when you say the city
ought to have such building, and then
fail to do anything towards securing one"
At the conclusion of Mr.. Hartes address
Miss Brewer and Mrs E. G. Chandler each
sang a solo, the choir gave a selection and
then DR.. Gray stated that the promises
had been given that no collection would
be taken up, for which he was sorry, as
he believed in acting while the people were
in the mood for doing something. How
ever, no contributions were called for.
After few closing remarks on the nee
essity for Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation building in the city. DR.. Gray re-
quested Dr. L. s. Hardley to dismiss the
congregation with benediction.