The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-06-10
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
A STRONG DISCOURSE ENTITLED,
"WaAT CHURCH OWES CHILDREN"
The Rev. Howard Neiish Talks Whole
somely on the Promise OF Zeeharish
to His Discouraged Countrymcn -
Mans Thirst For righteousness.

strong sermon preached by the Rev. How
ard Mehsh, rector of the Church of the
Holy Trinity. \ number OF requests for
It's publication have been received and II is
herewith given. The text was from Zecha-
yiah Viii5: The streets of the city shall
he full of boys and girls playing IN the
streets thereof" Mr. Mehsh said
Zechsriah gave tins promise as a word Of
encouragement 20 has discouraged country
men when on their return from their exile
they were trying ia the face of enemies
and great obstacles 10 rebuild Jerusalem.
The time will surely come. he hade them
believe, when the city shall stand once
more on Mount Zion N all ats former
strength and splendor. blessed with that
greatest OF all lte's benedlcuons-ehlldren
az play. "'he streets OF the city shall be
full OF boys and glr.s playing IN the streets
thereof"
One of the wonderful stories which our
last census told was the phenomenal
growth OF the American city. Briefly, the
story Is this: While the population OF the
country IN the nineteenth century was
multiplying itself fifteen times the popu-
lation Of the cities and towns was multi
plying itself $50 times. Whereas the popu-
lation of the farming community has been
multiplied by two IN fifty years, shat OF
cities has been multiplied by ten; IN 1890
one man In every twenty-five lived IN
The tremendous concentration OF men,
women and children IN our cities II one OF
the most significant and startling facts OF
our times.
The city is built The prophets promise
has been fulhlled-the streets are full of
boys and girls. But what fulillmentl
They are playing IN our streets because we
have built our cities IN such a way that
there Is no ether place for them 10 play.
In our tenement districts especially the
houses stand so closely together that there
Is scarcely space for light and air 10 enter
rooms, not to mention courts, back yards,
play grounds and small parks. Within
short walk of where we are to-day are
hundreds OF families living IN one or two
small rooms to family, rooms often
gloomy at midday. Oh course, the chll-
drcn are in the streets.
And what places the streets are for these
little ones! Look over the pages OF our
papers day b. day with the children IN
mind and you read the sad story of tins
little child crushed by a car, of that one
manned for life by some wagon. Go into
the ChIldren's Court and see boys OF
twelve and fourteen arrested Tor crimes
which would send men TO the penitentiary
for a long period of years. Between the
crowded tenements and these injuries,
deaths and crimes, there is the relation OF
cause and effect The tenements drive the
boys into the streets. and there they arc
forbidden by the police and prevented by
traffic to play games which kept me and
my boy friends from going TO the devil.
No! / don't mean that insinuation The
good God won't let the devil have those
boys. They may become impcrtlnent
criminals, and die like the hardened thief
on the cross. but conditions shaped them,
and God will give them, IN my heart OF
hearts, believe, new chance to become
like Him IN thai new city, Jerusalen,
which is not built by mems hands. And
yet true 10 Is that Ia our cities boys who
are denied the healthy amusements of boy
life drift into the crap games and form
street gangs which terrify neighborhOods
and brutalize boys and turn the spirit of
mischief into the demon of crime. Jacob
fSis has told US that between the tenement
and the pententiary lie has found beaten
path Travelled by the feet of hundreds OF
our boys every year.
IL is about this somewhat new and very
serious situation of the children of our
streets that l want you to think with me
this morning.
IL is often said, as an argument agninst
the church assuming this responsibility,
that the church's one mission is to preach
the gospel, and ] want TO say at the start
that the purpose OF the church has never
been more correctly defined. The gospel
Is the message OF the EoOu llulUps lUdb
God cares for men, that God is love. Once
let man accept that message and let 1t
sink into his soul that 1t becomes the prln'
ciple of his life, and even though he lives
in a badly ven ilated house in a crowded
district, surrounded by evil influences, yet
he will be good citizen, son, father, hus-
band and friend. Yes and once let land
lord receive the gospel In hls heart and he
will transform his tenement into decent
oh linz al T. i'm ha n
come. For the gospel Of the Son of God ~
the regencratlng power IN the world which
makes all things new. To preach It clear
~, with conservation and power, IS the su-
preme, all important, never-to be forgotten
mission OF the church OF Christ.
But how IS the gospel to be preached in
our crowded cities to-day! IL IS az i'm
portant TO know the way as the destna-
tion when one IL trying TO reach a definite
point IN the world Some men fancy that
the city needs nothing more than u coun-
try yillage-a preacher and bulldlng-to
have the gospel preached with power.
There was famous test case Of that
preaching on the East Side in Manhattan.
A man OF ability determined 20 preach the
gospel every Sunday and do nothing else,
believing that people would come as they
did before the city became what IL is to-
day. After several years he gave up the
work as 4 proved failure lie was a John
the Baptist crying IN the city wilderness,
but unlike Johns experience the people
did not come out 20 listen 10 the voice.
And believe II ~ because they were wait
ing for the Christ. Not the voice IN the
wilderness, but the man 10 go about doing
good, healing, strengthening, encouraging,
inspiring. Sermons, services and prayer
meetings are preaching the gospel aud do
good. Many OF us could not live without
them. But they do not monOpolize preach
ing the gospel. Did Jesus do nothing bat
preach and teach? The church needs 20
learn anew the message OF the incarnation,
the truth thatlife Is impaired only through
a life We are Christs body. May we
prove IL by going as He went, into the
highways and back alleys, doing good
bringing hope 20 the discouraged, lifting
up the fallen, taking little children into
our arms, and 80 assuring them az Christ |
assured the world that love rcigns en-
throned above this world Of PAIN, sorrow
and hardship. When tie church u a man
Hesitation OF Christ among men, az Jesus
was Of God, not merely by speaking and
singing and communion, but By living, |
working, helping IN the world the gospel |
OF Christ will be truly preached.
let me specify. One man may stand IN |
a pulpit by telling Of Gods love, give hope |
10 some poor mother who - almost in de- |
spair over her boy Another man, AMI |
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 90 doing give hope % the |
mother whose boy goes there. Both preach |
the gospel Of hope, one in words and the |
other IN deeds. a preacher gives a strong |
sermon against the saloon and his hearers |
say he - preaching the gospel. A man |
starts q cooking class whore women learn |
% make food % Wholesome that thor hus- |
bands and sons do not longer have the de |
4 70 Or nrtrL Arn not IntL r-r1a z Llnl. ihn |