The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1915-08-12
ness until The people Of the new town voted .lem

Oh pOlygalny.
Lot pitched his tent in Sodom and brought
up his family there and his wife and children
became infatuated with the social affairs of the
city, and the wckedness became so offensive
that God said to get out, 81 will destroy the
city," They started and his wife looked back
on the sinful recreations which she was leaving,
and turned to pillar of salt The lives of many
have become as salt with the SAVIOR gone on ac-
count of the sin and wickedness of a city.
Man is social being, and God intended that he
should not live life of mere solitude. 1t is
the duty of the city to build up such social fun
ctions that will be for the building up of a bet
ter character
g. Cities are scenes of luxury and vice.
The city is Satan's throne There are hours in
ones ministry when he longs to go back to the
country scenes of his boy-hood days. These
days are free from the contaminations of city
life. "Turn backward, turn backward We years
in your flight, and make me a child again just foi
tonight
"Christ beheld the city,
Let us observe:
l. 1t is our duty and obligation today to see
the city-Most men standing where Jesus did,
would only have seen the architecture and beau
ty of the city. They never would have thought
of looking into the status of human conditions
from humanitarian standpoint Many can
only see the city airs but never behold its moral
condition. Cities noted for specalities.
What is the speciality of our city!
1t is persons duty:
/. To look into the sin of his city-Therc
is theory abroad that it is better not To know
anything of the moral rottenness of community
That theory is born of man IS indisposition to
do his duty toward his city. Men do not like to
face the proposition OF cleaning up a city. 1t
might hurt their business
Have you noticed that the people who are
most opposed to Christian investigation of the
sums in the city are those who are personally
solicitous to see the sin continue!
9 1t is the citizens business to see some
thing of the suffering of his city.-Jesus went
to the infrmary in the city, the Pool of Bethesda
and helped the poor man that had lain there
thirty and eight years. Would you emulate his
his examplel 1t is not enough to act the part
of the good Samaritan, but to remove the thieves
that are destroying the inhabitants. Are we too
busy to be engaged in such a workl Then our
haste is our dishonor, our degradation
When the great Gladstone had all British
and Irish interests mt heart he could find time
to pray with wayward boys, and visit poor men
trying to reform them from drunkenness, and
read his Bible to the street sweep III the attic.
Surely men on whom press only the lesser brr!-
ems of private business, could give some time to
personal work for God and their fellows.
This is an unending work that all can find
something to do.
III. The christian who sees the city as
Christ saw it will sorrow over it.-He beheld and
wept over it. The city is not soul-less thing
1t is not house without inhabitants. 1t is not
body untenanted of spirit. 1t loves, it sins, it
suffers, it dies, it goes before God in judgement
For example the account of the destruction
of Sodom and Gomorrah, both of which were de-
stroyed because of their wickedness.
l. Christ wept because His city's sin had
not been forsaken.-How can the christian be
happy SO long as unholmess is supreme in his
city? Knox prayed, "Oh, God give me Scot
land or die" He listened then repeated twice.
Have Christians no such love for our beautiful
citiesl Will they give portion of their time to
the cleaning up and making better and more
wholesome the atmosphere for the bringing up
of our childrenl
2. Christ wept also because the SORROWS
of His city had not been relieved.-m every city
there are many of Gods children half hedged in
intellect, in hope, out of the nest of the church,
with their wings of faith bruised and broken.
Have we no time to help? Have we no obliga-
tion to restore them to their rightful place, to
save them from the horrors of Spiritual hunger
and dreadfui death2
Have we no obligation to God in this inter
est! 1t should beget in us spirit of sorow,
and weep over the city as Jesus did over Jer,lsa-
lem