, 1925-02-10

on four great -corherstones - the
home. tho school. the factory and the
church. We touch the foundations OF
this our city when we ask the ques.
don, Shall We Close the Casper
churches?" .
Speaking first of the Church al a
Place Of Worship. he declared wor-
ship to be the highest function OF
which human nature is capable. 1t
is a necessity to the life of the soul.
OF course there are those who deny
the existence o. the soul and cheer
fully live the life OF an animal. They
no higher estimate OF them
selves and their children than they
put on their dogs IT horses. They
have deliberately shut God out OF
their lives and they grove! down In
the dungeons OF a stark material
ism. But II man is moro than a prize
sheep, or a well-bred dog. II he Is
a being akin to God. this is all wrong
and for ever disastrous. Man needs
the open window and the eternal
outlook. He needs communion with
God his creator. Close the churches
and you cut off this great essential
to the life OF the soul.
The church Ia also tho House of
Comfort. Weary after a week o: the
world, there nre thousands Of bur.
dened men and women who come to
the church to find a refuge from
crowding care and gain strength for
the burdens that wait ahead. The
hard-driven editor Of a great city
paper was asked why he went to
church every Sunday and replied.
"I'd go crazy II / didn't" The church
stands in the midst of h ceaseless
turmoil ready to comfort and serve
all bleeding bruised and lonely hearts
Like her master she exists mo to be
ministered unto, but to minister"
To men harrassed with business
cares. to women worried with family
troubles. to youths perplexed with
many trials. to all who mourn and
need comfort. to all who are home
less and need sheltering love, to all
who are burdened with sin and need
a taviour, the church of Jesus
reaches out . hand of welcome, and
cries Come with US and we will do
thee good" Can this city of ours
afford % despise such an invitation
and do without such q wealth of com
fort7
The church Is also the inspira-
ton and builder of noble character.
The home is built to shelter the fam
lily. The school Is reared to train the
intellect. The factory Is built to sup
ply the material needs OF the body.
But tho Christian church Is the only
institution thai exists to cultivate
the character that is based on love
It Is the sunreme oharacter-making
institution IL the world. the only or
ganization under the sun doing bust
ness for God exclusively.
Look at the church as a social in
nuence. Take the longest look ACROSS
human history. and tho deepest look
into human nature and you will see
that the Christian church has been
tho mishtiest agency on Garth for
the realization Of human progress.
I know you can bring up a Of
arguments that would apparently
prove the opposite. but It is quite
possible to damn any human i~nstitu-
ton by tho simple process of mag
nifyinJ It's faults and completely L.
noring It's virtues and triumphs. By
such a process schools. homes. gov
eminent. and. even democracy. itself
car be condemned as failures and
worthless to tho community, The
gospel which has everywhere
brought light and liberty and In
creaslng civilization has been depend.
ent on the church for It's proclama.
ton throughout the world. II the
church had planted 40 thoughts OF
love and Justice no seeds Of purity
in the heart asnd minds of the com
mon people In every land to which
she has come. where would cur
boasted civilization be today? Was
Daniel Webster talking nonsense
when he flung down this challenge
to all opponents OF the Christian
church: Where have the springs of
civilization been found gushing save
In the track of the Christian minis.
try?"
What would Casper be today II
1t had no church?"-ask the preach
er. and quoting the letters OF some
who declared they do not go to
church. although they think the
n very necessary thing. he
said. L wonder II those men. very
prominent In the life OF our city
been stopped to think what
would happen to Casper II all other
followed their example,"
Then followed a vivid portrayal OF
churchiess Casper which gripped
and thrilled his audience into a
silence. Tn a vision / saw
tho city OF Casper close the doors OF
It's churches. and declare the Sunday
a secular holiday, without any wor-
ship of God or religious culture. And
the preachers left town. and the con-
gregations disbanded, and the church
buildings were sold. One OF them be-
n garage and another Il sale.
room and another a dance hall and
q store, while the others
takon down to make way for
apartment blocks INK office build
Then ] saw the Sundays come
and go without any gathering Of the
people for worship. and the picture
shows were stu more crowded and
tho highway was denser with cars
than ever before. and the multitude
in their unrestrained free
dom. Ths children thronged the
and theaters. for there were
no more Sunony schools to tell them
OF Jesus or teach them TO sing the
hymns. And 1 heard no
sound or Coapei song or sacred nm.