Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-02-02

earth TO be done for young men in our
large or smaller cities, next to getting
young man to publicly confess his
love for the Saviour. Indeed, I may
GO farther. Perhaps the second work
is even more important than the first,
Tor III q young man who has once con-
fessed his lo!e for Christ does not con-
tinue to live very close to Christ he is
very apt to be drawn aside by tempta-
lions and his last condition be worse
than the first. Let me sketch the story
OF young man coming into large
city. L use this illustration because
the work OF the Young Mems Christian
association always has been and al
ways will be chiefly among the young
fellows who, like George Williams,
come to live In large city with no
home but a boarding house, and no
friends but those they are compelled to
make among strangers.
This average young man is the son Of
Christian parents. All his past life has
been surrounded by Christian infiu-
ences; but, like most young men living
in the smaller towns or on the farm, he
wants to get into the center OF things.
He goes to New York. Chicago, phila-
delphia, San Francisco or Los Angeles.
At first he Is dazed or dazzled by the
noise and the hustle. The houses look
to him as though they were reaching
to the sky. The streets are SO crowd
ed with electric cars and tramways
and automobiles and shooting auto
cycles that he 10 afraid to cross them.
Then the crowdsi The people seem to
be everywhere. They push him, they
jolt him. they growl at him, they do
everything but speak kindly to him.
Everybody seems to be in such a hur-
~. The people are running for the
ferryboats, and they are running for
the elevated trains, and they are run
ming for the bridge cars. They are run
ming everywhere.
The Sense of Lon eIiness.
AT first the young mans time is TAX
en- up with watching the different
sights. He acts just as he did when his
father first took him to a county fair.
Then there comes over him an awful
sense Of loneliness. Like David, he
seems to cry out, no man careth for
my soul" He goes to church the first
Sunday. He says to himself, "Now, II
1 so to church / will meet some nice
people" But he finds the average city
church just as different from the coun.
try church as the tall, stiff, unbending
and inhospitable city home is different
from his fathers genial, open door
farmhouse. No one speaks to him at
church. Then the lonely Monday night
and the lonely Tuesday night and the
lonely Wednesday night and the lonely
Thursday night and the lonely Friday
night and the lonely Saturday night!
BE wants to be good, but what is be &c
do? Yet all this time sin Is everywhere
reckoning: Come, brother, come and
drink with me. Come and laugh with
me. Come and make merry with me-
Plenty OF church services on the Sab
bath day, but what is he to do during
all the rest Of the week? Mark this:
The young men Of the city will not be
saved for Christ by two sermons
preached on the Sabbath day. They
must have a Christian home. They
must have place where they can &c
and meet Christian people. II the
Christian churches in the past had been
run on the line OF the Institutional
church, there would have been no need
OF n Young Mems Christian associa.
ton. But as they have not been SO run
there have been thousands and tens OF
thousands or young men saved fol
Christ through the influence of the
Young Mems Christian associations
Now, how does the Young Mems Chris
tian association offer to the young men
d Christian home?
Work for the day Is done. Monday
night is here. The young man is eating
his dinner at the boarding house. The
boarders are about to separate. "Where
are you going tonightr' asks one OF
the boys OF another boaraer. "Down
to the Young Mems Christian associa.
tion," Is the answer. "whatr' says the
questioner. DO you go there? What
do you do tiiere2" "Oh," saws this
friend, that depends. Some nights ]
sit and read in the library. Sometimes
1 bowl and play games with the boys
Sometimes / work in the gymnasium
Sometimes we have lectures. There Is
always something to do. BY the way
Mr.. So-and-so, won't you come and
be my guest tonight" he turns and
says to the new boarder ''I want you
to meet some of the boys. Then. IL
you like. I wish you would JOIN u.s.
Then the young mans eyes take on a
look OF great anxiety rs he says. 'You
must spend ysnr evenings somewhero
and in doing somst ching. You cannot
spend them better tnan c1Dwn at the
association. with US" What is the use
OF my carrying the Trust atiot, any fur
Their? Do you not see ttiiftt Where the
average church WORK .stops the Young
Mems Christian association work be-
gins? With the long arm OF loving
tenderness 1t reaches out and encircles
that boys neck and heart. Tt says to
him: Young man, come and spend
your leisure hours with US. Come and
read. Come and play. Come and meet
pleasant companions, the same kind of
Christian boys you used to meet in
your fathers home" And as sin beckons
In one direction the young man in his
lonely bedroom sees the Young Mems
Christian association reckoning In the
other direction. 1 say, thank God that
we have this noble association as a
great Christian home, fighting the
temptations Of sin on their own ground.
But the purpose Of the Y. NJ. G. A.
Is greater than those we have already
described. 1t tries to bring young men
to Christ. 1t surrounds the young men
OF great city with the protecting In
huence OF Christian home. 1t has
also an intellectual as well as q fun
loving atmosphere. No sooner does a
young man enter Its walls than he IS
inspired with holy purpose OF increns-
ing his mental and physical capabilities