Milford chronicle., 1905-06-23
Ca(naoe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee. D. D.


large city in the Union there is con
siderable population to whom this sci
mon peculiarly applies. The preache
voices their plea for the gospel, an,
urges that it be no longer rejected
The text IS Acts xvi. O. Come owe
into Macedonia, and help US"
Nearby MacedOnians! What do yOi
meanT says some one rs there any
class of people living near to me who
have not the gospel preached to them
as 1t ought to be preached? Why, near
ly all my life have been living In one
of our large cities. l have sat under
some Of the greatest preachers of the
world. Surely all those who live near
to me have the same kind of gospel
advantages | haye?" No, my friend,
you are wrong There are scores, and
hundreds. and thousands, and tens Of
thousands who lave not. Before get
through with my subject l hope to
prove TO you that my premise is true,
for today l am going to speak for the
most part to those who have lived near
ly all their lives in a large city.
Where did you go 10 church when
you first came to town? oh" you
say, Il used to worship in such and
such a street The great DR.. So-and-sO
preached there. But ! moved away,
and most Of my old neighbors moved
away long ago. The boarding house ele- |
ment crowded us out. The region where |
/ used to live is now filled with room |
ers.' Indeed! suppose very few
people are now living in your old |
street "Oh, no; quite the contrary" !
you answer. where there used to be
one family living In a house there are
now sometimes twenty or thirty peo-
pie. Light housekeeping in many in
stances has made each double room
house a whole family" Indeed! Then.
with the increased population swarm
Ing there, ! suppose your old church
is crowded to the doors. l suppose
your. old Sunday school is five times
larger than it used to be and the
church members have taken every pew.
No" you answer 4 only wish that
were true. I love that old church now
more than l have ever loved it. But y
the trouble is the wealthy people
moved away. Then old Or. So-and-so
got call to heaven. Then the people /,
who remained called a fine young man,
)ut he could not make the church 60.
He struggled on and on. They could -,
lot pay him a salary sufficient to live :
lpon and he had to leave. Now the :
I'D church has a very ordinary man in :
he pulpit. The seats are only a sixth .
ull. The whole work there seems to =
le at a standstill What is being done !
) done in the quicksands. One month !
he people are there and the next they n
re gone. l am afraid the old church II
geographically doomed" T,
Your old church's work geographical ei
Z doomed? What! Can such condi- e,
on exist at our very doors? There m
re thousands and hundreds Of thou Ii
lnds of a city's population swarming in
round those old churches. Shall all %
lr best church strongholds be turned cl
} secular uses? Such a condition 81
lust not exist. My theme today is a n,
all for help for what is termed the be
eserted church of the boarding house Sc
,giOns of a large city. 1 would make fe
plea not for the downtown church, IN
-hich is situated in the heart Of a w
lsiness center of a great city. have w
zen pastor Of such church as that in 70
and / know they can be
ade useful and prosperous If right
ethOds are adopted. I make not tb
ea for the church situated in the IN
sidentlal region. 1 have such a nc
lurch as that in the beautiful city Of III
Ds Angeles. If man does his work OH
ere, it is not difficult to gather in the va
miles. But | make a plea for the cl,
city church, the church IN
hich is not downtown nor uptown. be
cad for the church which is surround 70
by rOoming houses and by the SO
ardlng house element-the halfway Sh
urch," which is in a region cOngest-
with multitudes Of people who have bo
It the gospel preached to them as 1t eli
ght to be. I make plea for such tai
urch because l have been pastor of nv
e and l know Of the almost insur- dis
ountable obstacles which it has to ou
ercome. sc,
The "HaIfway Church. he
The halfway church" Of the large in
" to be a spiritual success must a
We, in the first place, an earnest band col
strong, ablebodied men and women we
10 for the churchs sake are ready to tar
lp the minister and fill the official we
sltions Of that church. It must have to
ed gospel veterans in its boards Of tai
lers, deacons and trustees. It must do
We able leaders in the Sunday school vii
10 know the Bible and are ready to roc
" by their classes under all condi- shi
MS 1t must have these men and tina
men, not as visitors, but as mem vii
RS in good and regular standing, ! d
10 are Identified with the church be- goC
lse there theysknow they can best shi
We their Lord and Master and there pat
y will-always be in their places. An
Why do put such an emphasis upon at
) plea for consecrated men and wo- ME
n in the official boards? A true CHI
Irch leader cannot be created in a n
'sor week OF a month or a year on
.Pmore than a lawyer. a doctor, an tlei