Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-24
IS MY SON SAFE?
A COMMON QUERY
IT IS ASKED IN LOS ANGELES
BY THOUSANDS DAILY
Rev. Or, Northrop breaches Sermon to
Young Men-Never SO Many Up
lifting Advantages as
To-day

of the First Baptist church, known as
"The Young Mans PASTOR yesterday
was on rs the Young Man safe?" from
2 Samuel 1929.
THAT question is all the moro serious
and vital when it drops from the lips
of a father or mother" said Or. North
rop. "The philosopher and the poet
and the preacher may ask 1t and show
deep concern for the youth of his time,
but when one near and dear inquiries as
to the moral aud spiritual condition of
darling IL inca MS quite another thing.
''It was critical hour In the life OF
David when he looked out upon n bat-
tlefeld; IL was not because he was
anxious to know how it turned, or what
OF the vctc~y or defeat, but how was
it with his own flesh and blood? He did
not think for a moment about his own
dynasty or crown, but what OF my own
darling boy? Is it well with him ?'' Is
he safe? Is Absolom. my son, spared?
And that is the most interesting In
terro.-ation today in 10000 homes in Los
Angeles, Is my son safe"
No Reaon for Badness
"The environments of our day and
century for the upbuilding of character
are in many respects not the best for
young men; on the other hand, there
was never a time in the history of the
world when there were so many moral,
intellectual and uplifting advantages
FOR youth as there are today. There
seems to be no reason under the sun
why young man with these golden,
blood-bought and Christ-bought priv
ileses should go to the bad.
"An ambitious, promising youth has
today a thousand hands extended TO
him now IN ol1a n half pentIlrV ago
Let a lad once speak the word about
his hopes and plans for the fu uture, |
care not now lowly or humble or poor
he is there are scores of philanthropy
lists and Christians who are ready to
lend him hand
ITO be sure there are as many evil
influences and devlish forces at work
to lead him the other way; there are
temptations by the thousand OH every
side to sidetrack and destroy Fascina-
tions, attra ctions. amusements, Lords
day-breaking charms to draw thousands
into sin and Wickedness.
Drug Our Latent Forces
"Theaters and circuses under the
guse Of angels of light, with soothing
and yet poisoning opiates, drug and
put to sleep the latent and mighty
forces within the soul of our youth.
Gambling, drunkenness. with greed
for gold are rife right and left to damn
our most promising young men,
"Thievery, lying, graft and de-
bauchery, and dens of vice with open
doors seven days in the week, are at the
command of your growing sons.
1.-The hauntS, too, of strange women
allure and infatuate and ruin. Madly,
eagerly, blindly they chase these tempt
ing bauble3 until in their passionate
downward flight they do not hesitate to
seek aid with fraud, dishonesty, false
hood and bribery.
Whatever may be the causes of these
downfalls, whether the Intoxicating
bowl, the consuming fire Of lust or the
seductions of money making, the ter
rible work is going on under the shadow
of our 200 houses of worship and hun
dreds of public schools.
The Problem
THE problem and question before us,
then In all it's grave concern, is: Is
the young man safe?'
Il believe with the right home fell
lowships, with a good atmosphere of
cheer, and love and prayer around the
family altar. with the wholesome in
fuence of the church and the Y. M.
C. A., the average American young
man is safe.
There is no good reason why he
should go the way of all transgressors.
II like to see the moral and religious
and Intellectual evolution Of a hopeful
young man, 1 like to be one to take
him by the hand and put him on his
feet am delighted above all things
to see him lifted up above the mre
and clay and filth, to have new song
put in his mouth, even the song of free
grace and undying love.
II call to mind a certain young man
whose early surroundings were of the
worst type. / refer to Jesse James, jr.,
of Kansas City. Mo.
Jesse James Jr's. Case
Il picked up a Boston paper the other
day and saw something that made my
nerves tingle with joy; that this young
fellow had steadily and surely gained
first place in a class Of thirty-seven
law Students.
II know the young man we'll. 1 have
been in with him at different times,
and congra tulated him more than once
in his firm resolve to regain lost
honors to redeem the name of his own
father; that name which became known
world wide as one Of the greatest out
laws of the last century; a name that
everybody feared in the central west.
And so this young man in the process
of time, and through kind Providence
and a mothers prayers and the good
cheer and encouragement of many
Kansas city business men, has been
able to rise above his environment and
stand at last upon rock that will keep
him safely above all the storms and
blasts of temptation that now afflict
modern life in the great city
IF there is young man who reads
this sermon l bid him to rise likewise
by the help OF God and the prayers OF
a sainted mother and overcome the
evils of the city, and at last come off
more than conqueror through Christ
Jesus.
Nothing but Divine power and the
saving blood of Jesus of Calvary will
save young man and build for him a
sure foundation. The young men of
Greater Los Angeles today are indeed
safe if they are facing the future under
the Inspiration and leadership of Jesus
Christ, the Savior of men,
-
Republicans, Take NOtIcel
Tho srrea@ register closes with Sam