Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1904-06-16

spair over her boy. Another man. am
mated by Gods love, may furnish a club
room where young men may spend their
evenings apart from the dangers of the sa-
loon, and by so doing give hope to the
mother whose boy goes there. Both preach
tne gospel OF hope, one IN words and the
other in deeds. A preacher gives strong
sermon against the saloon and his hearers
say ne is preaching the gospel. A man
starts a. cooking class where women learn
to make food SO wholesome that their hus-
bands and sons do not longer have the de-
gospel OF the more abundant life? You
see what this means. The church ia
preaching the good tidings Of love through
every agency which gives hope to men, and
makes the1l feel their brotherhood amons
men and the Fatherhood in God
shirked responsibility for this kind OF
preaching, the kind that is effective IN our
crowded districts. 1t is one of the saddest
chapters in the history of Christianity
Churches among our tenements, with few
splendid exceptions, have sold out and
bers leaving their poorer members as sheep
without a shepherd in the "city wilder
ness" One will hunt far before finding a
more un-C Christian spectacle than the exc
dus OF the Christian churches from the ten
ement districts where the harvest is ready
the rich to the suburbs and the failure of
the poor to contribute literally. So the
poor are blamed for the church's infdelity
The church ought to be on the firing line
where the need is greatest. Instead it is
too often found in the rear, caring for the
wounded, no doubt, and occasionally urg-
ing back the frightened or forward the
stragglers. The crowded districts where
the streets are full of bo: and girls are
the church's responsibility. To betake it.
self to the suburbs and leave these children.
in the streets, saloons and tenements is to-
said about such one that it is better that
a milestone were hanged about his neck
and he was drowned in the depth of the
sea.
The second thing want 20 think about
this morning with you is the church's 0p-
portunity to help the children Of our
streets.
This opportunity is only limited by the
number of men and women who are will
ing to take real interest in the cnlidrenx
and by the space you have to use. Give
these children chance to get out of the
streets and away from the bad influences
into a wholesome environment Of real
warm-blooded people and good books and
amusements and fun giving .recreationa
and they will come to the church in n
stampede. Their hunger for ennobling
friendships is one of the most pathetic
things l have found in my ministry, and
also one of the most inspiring. :
| Oh! the splendid opportunity for you all
| to fulfill your responsibility for these boys
and girls of our streets is here. In the
boys clubs is the chance for You young
men to preach the gospel to Our lads, not
| by speaking sermons, but by manifestlng
| to them through your manly sympathp
fulness, your honor and your uprightnesE
the Christ you love and follow. Chrisss
may be preached to these boys with the
boxing gloves, and the fencing foiis, the~
! carpenters tools and the football Teams
with more power than by sermons from n
pulpit. In the sewing school is the chance
| for you young women to preach Christ not
by words of religion, but by your beautiful
friendship for the little girls who come: IN
eager to receive that which their homes
are unable to give them. In the Sunday
school is the chance for, you young mem,
gather once a week little group about
you and lead them through the wonderful:
story OF Him who came to earth to be cur
servant and yet was King Eternal, and
then through the alchemy of the influence
of your life. move them to love honesty,
Nor win admit the older peoples chance
to preach the living Christ. There comes
| before me the picture of scene in mems
club in a certain parish house where a
professor Of political economy met In N
perfectly nat1Ta1 way a brakeman on the.
see that great labor problem more clearly,
and had more of the Christ tolerance than
ever before. And know of women who
have found through the Girls Friendly So
ciety the chance to preach the living Chris*
SO effectively that girls have risen up and
called them blessed among women"
The few hours given to such work in n
single year seem very powerless beside the
powers of darkness which walk our streets
both day and night, week in and week out
in vacations as in working or school days
But, thank God, mans life is not am
and environments. In every soul is the
thirst for righteousness which can be
aroused by bringing it face to face with a
righteous life. There is contagion N
goodness as there is in badness. Arouse.
those dormant faculties in every soul, and
all the influences of house and street
This is the opportunity of the church to-
day in our crowded cities. By meeting IL
the church will lind, what every individual
who has so met opportunity finds, that 81
gets by giving and has 6rmer hold than
ever on the realities of truth and life
Cali such service what you. will-thougaa
. personally hate the. trite phrase institx-
tional, for / am pleading for work alto
gether personal, the touch of life on life
, but you must believe that the church
which assumes this responsibility ard
: meets this opportunity is following the sx-
ample of the Master. When Christ caruz
a. to earth to lift men up to God He took tEe
form of common man. He might, WE
!, say, have gathered the Jewish nation iIrazn
some great plain and revealed His missisAz
in the sight of all with such glory that xaa
!, must bow the knee before Him. He migks
have come with angels straight from heav-
!, | en- and swept men irresistibly into {kz
: train. What He did resemb.ed neither as
:. these, bat PORTS the way for us to follow
q He was among men as a servant. By Has
. life, Of service, now with sermons, ne1.
: | with deeds, but always with a life spread
!, : ing a contagion of love, courage, hope
. manliness, sincerity, He, the servant. 81
= | profoundly touched the hearts of men s1rzx
= men have risen up and crowned Him k.xss
: Of Kings and Lord of Lords.
!. Our Responsibility.
b "Others sin cgainst us and with us asai
e in spite of us, but none can sin for us
e Whenever that is done we have to dc q
|, ourselves" 1t were well for the wenl
G ones of earth, yea, and some who couza
l..