Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-05-27
PREVENTION VS.. CURE
ENERGY AND MONEY WASTED
BY OBSOLETE METHODS
CHURCH SHOULD HOLD CHILDREN
Points from a Practical Sermon by
Rev. Charles H. Sanders OF the
Congregational Church

Congregational Church
"a people who think long enough will
find the truth" said Rev. Chas. H.
Sanders at the Congregational church
Sunday morning. eve must let the
light come and ever more light.
''The modern period has this quality
lit thinks. And to the modern student
of history one of the amazing and al
fecting things in the worlds progress
is the waste of life, energy and resource
We find that the stress has been put
upon reformation rather than evolution.
To cure has been our great concern
with scarcely thought of preventing.
Our stock has been restoratives rather
than preventatives.
''But by slow service we have at last
arrived at the point where we can see
the folly of waiting until the evil is
done before attacking it. We are
learning that it is the part of economy
and justice to forestall the evil and
prevent the waste of life, energy and
resource. The impression is becoming
general everywhere the world is
turning to prevention instead OF cure;
'forestalment rather than eradication;
education instead of redemption; up
building instead of rebuilding; informa-
ton rather than reformation. The
omen is favorable and significant. God
fulflIs and expresses himself in many
ways today, and Not through Eastern
windows only, when morning comes,
comes in the light. With this larger
submittance to the flood of Gods light,
it has dawned upon us that prevention
is the true order of progress and cure
its last resource and its most expensive
one.
s'With the coming of Christianity it's
great work was redemption and cure.
The world was sick to the dying point.
So jealous and effective was the early
church in this task of saving from de-
generating conditions, that it was at
once credited with having divine and
supernatural force. The formula of
action has scarcely changed in principle
down to the present day To suggest
that Christianity might be informing
and cultural as we'll as reclaiming and
reformative was to arouse strong sus-
picions of heretical mind
''The first prophets to sound note
of warning were impressed with the
great waste going on in the religious
world: the well-meant but misapplied
energies, the power and resource found
in wrong channels. They faced prob
lens too serious to be disregarded in
the religious mind the splendid man
hood and always attractive young man
hood and womanhood out of sympathy
with the Church's intent, and this be-
cause the Church was letting the child
alone until he grew up and had devel-
oped these inclinations, and had often
fallen and formed vicious habits. They
wisely asked why neglect the child until
he has fallen before saving him? Why
not hold him from the beginning? Why
not make a speciality of his case? Why
not spend more time and means in
studving his case and nurturing him
rightly? Why not keep him for Christ
and highest service? Prevent his down
fall; put the energy of the Church on
rearing him for God instead of waiting
until he has fallen.
1.-The first and greatest mission of