The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-06-29
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
A STRONG DISCOURSE ENTITLED.
WHAT CHURCH OWES CHILDREN"

WHAT CHURCH OWES CHILDREN"
The Rev. Howard Melish Talks Whole
somely on the Promise of Zecharial,
to His Discouraged Countrymen -
Mans Thirst For Righteousness.
BROOKLYN, n. Y.-"What the Church
Owes the Children" was the subject of a
strong sermon preached by the Rev. How
ard Melish, rector Of the Church OF the
Holy Trinity. A number of requests Tor
! its publication nave been received and it is
herewith given. The text was from Zecha.
riah Wits: THE streets of the city shall
be full of boys and girls playing in the
! streets thereof" Mr.. Melish said:
Zechar;ah gave this promise as a word OF
encouragement to his discouraged country
men when on their return from their exile
they were trying in the face Of enemies
and great obstacles to rebuild Jerusalem.
The time will surely come, he babe them
believe, when the city shall stand once
more on Mount Zion N all its former
strength and splendor, blessed with that
greatest of all life's OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
at play. '"he streets of the city shall be
full of boys and girls playing in the streets
thereof"
One of the wonderful stories which cur
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
ply:ng itself $50 times. Whereas the popu-
, lation of the farming community has been
multiplied by two in fifty years, that OF
cities has been multiplied by ten; in lSOO
one man in every twenty-five lived IN a
city. To-day it is one man in every three.
The tremendous concentration OF men,
women and children in our cities ls one OF
the most significant and startling facts OF
our times.
The city is built! The prophets promise
las been fulflled-the streets are full OF
bows and girls. But what a fulfllment!
They are playing in our streets because we
have built our cities in such a way that
there is no ether place for them to play.
In our tenement districts especially the
houses stand 80 closely together that there
is scarcely space for light and air to enter
rooms, not to mention courts, back yards,
play grounds and small parks. Within a
short walk of where We are to-day are
hundreds Of families living in one or two
small rooms to a family, rooms often
gloomy at midday. VI course, the chill
dren 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 this
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 for 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, are
forbidden by the police and prevented by
traffic to play games which kept me and
my boy friends from going to the devil.
No! l don't mean that insinuation. The
good God won't let the devil have those
bows. They may become lmpertlnent
criminals, and die like the hardened thief
on the cross. but conditions shaped them,
and God will give them, in my heart OF
hearts, l believe, a new chance to become
like Him in tha; new city, Jerusalem,
which is not built by mems hands. And
yet true it is that in 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
InIScIlSl MILO luG SllIO Va - ~
Riis has told us that between the tenement
ard the penitentiary h. has found a besten
path, Travelled by the feet Of hundreds OF
| our boys every year.
1t 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.
1t is often said, as an argument against
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 good tidings that
God cares for Ilen, that God is love: Once
let a man accept that message and let 1t
sink into his soul that it becomes the prln-
ciple of his life, and even though he lives
in a badly ven Hated house in a crowded
! district, surrounded by evil influences, yet
he will be a good citizen, son, father, bus
band and friend. Yes, and once let a land
lord receive the gospel in his heart and ne
will transform his tenement into decent
abiding places if it CTS him hall his In
come. For the gospel Of the Son Of God IS
the regencrating power in the world which
| makes all things new. To preach 1t clear
", with CONSIDERATION and power, IS the ST.
preme, all important, Acknowledgements
mission Of the church of Christ.
But how IS the gospel to be preached IN
our crowded cities to-day? 1t Is as I'M
/ portant to know the way as the destina-
ton when one is trying to reach a dehnl
point in the world. Some men fancy that
the city needs nothing more than q coun-
! try viilage-a preacher and a bnlldlng-to
have the gospel preached with power.
There was a famous test case OF that
preaching on the East Side in Manhattan.
A man OF ability determined to preach the
gospel every Sunday and do nothing else,
believing that people would come as they
did before the city became what 1t 10 to-
day. After several years he gave up the
work as a proved failure. He was a John
the Baptist crying in the city wilderness,
but unlike Johns experience the people
did not come out to listen to the voice.
And l believe it is because they were wait
ing for the Christ. Not the voice IN the
wilderness, but the man to so about dong
good, healing, strengthening, encouraging,
inspiring. Sermons, services and prayer
meetings are preaching the gospel and do
good. Many Of us could not live without
them. But they do not m~onopolize preach
ing the gospel. Did Jesus do nothing but
preach and teach? The church needs TO
learn anew the message Of the incarnation,
the truth thatlif is impaired only through
a life. We arc Christ;s body. May we
prove it by going, as He went, into the
highways and back alleys, doing good,
bringing hope to the discouraged, lifting
up the fallen, taking little children into
cur arms, and so assuring them AS Christ
assured the world that love reigns en-
throned above this world of pain, sorrow
and hardship. When the church is q man
Hesitation of Christ among men. as 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
q pulpit by telling of Gods love, give hope
to some moor mother who is almost in de-