Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-06-24

SnauoW OF the naltWav cnurcn OF
large city. General Iawton said in
reference to the regular soldier. These
are not heroes: they are only regulars"
Thse young men and young women
are our regulars. There Is nothing he
role shout them. There is none of the
/ in converting cannibals. but they are
near to us. and they have an eternal
future before them.
What That Church Needs.
The halfway church" must have the
best of music. the best of preaching,
the best Of church organization. 1t
also must have money to alleviate such
poverty and suffering as may exist
among its worshipers 1t must be
bread TO the hungry and medicine to
the sick: fire and clothes to the naked.
and rent for the homeless as well as
administer the Bread of Life" for all.
1t literally must be all things to all
men. For the Bible commandment
distinctly and emphatically says that
we should do good unto all men, es-
pecially unto the household of faith"
And here the household of faith"
means the members Of your own
church.
what do you mean by that?" says
some one To me. ''Is the halfway
church to become bureau of char
tiles: With it are you going to bride
men and women to come TO church
If ,-a,, .Jn yau will only roa.b MANS
stomachs and develop their mercenary
spirit and not their hearts" oh, no. 1
would not bride men to become Chris
tianS. But ! would take care OF them
If they are members of the halfway
churches" and have been tripped up by
misfortune. And. furthermore. my
brother. if you cannot teach Christian
men that the best friends they have
ON earth in time of distress are the
members of their own churches. those
men will after awhile cease to revere
the church. and perhaps. in time cease
to love Jesus Christ himself
II the church of the Lord Jesus Christ
will not look after its members. who
will? Here. for instance. is that farm
er's boy about whom we were talking.
He goes To business one stormy winter
day without his rubbers. He takes
cold: pneumonia sets in. What is to
become of him? He has no friends.
He eats in little restaurant FIVE
blocks from his boarding house. Shall
he he hustled off to the county hospital?
Shall he have no one to write to his
mother and father, miles away? Here
is Il poor widow struggling TO he broth
err. father and mother TO her three
little girls. Sunday comes around. and
there are 10 decent shoes in the house
and no proper clothing Shall that
widowed mother not have those shoes
provided: Here is young husband
taken sick. You call at the house and
the wife meets you ut the door with
shawl about her shoulders 1t is
freezing cold in that room. What is
the matter: Coal is so ton. No
credit. The salary of that young man
is stopped. Has not the halfway
church a mission in every one of those
homes: tell you it has. and. further
more, l tell you that where there is one
case of poverty which should be ale
Waited in the boulevard church there
are fifty-aye, a hundred-cascs of dis
tress under the shadow of the half
way church" Christ told the Phari-
see to go and be good Samaritan to
the Jew who had fallen among the
thieves Christ also tells the half
way church 10 be practical financial
helper on its Jericho road.
Must Always BE Open.
The halfway church" must have
consecrated leaders too. 1t must have
outside financial aid. 1t must also
have church building which is open
every night of the week Monday,
Tuesday. Wednesday, Thursday. Fri
day and Saturday us well us Sunday.
1t must appeal to its people through
their social as well as their spiritual
natures. Two preaching services on II
Sunday, midweek prayer meeting
and short hour for Sunday school
will not be the work of Il halfway
church" Four weekly sessions of
prayer and praise service cannot sue
cessfully cope with saloon and billiard
and dance halls and low variety thea
tiers which compete with the vim and
the vitals of halfway church's" par
ish.
The way church should be conduct
ed for the boarding house element is
entirely different from how one should
be conducted for residential district
Of IA boulevard. Let us compare them.
How are you. Mr. So-and-so: Where
are you going tonight:" l greet you
thus in the electric car on your way
home from business. oh" you say,
II am going home. l am going to
spend the happiest part of my daily
existence with my family. | am going
to spend an evening ut home with my
wife and children. Come up and take
dinner with me-" Yes, ! WILL" l an
swer. We alight from the car on u
fine street. You say How are you"
to almost every one you meet Here
all the neighbors know each other. A
dear wife grcets you at the door. Your
children come romping through the hall