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moral causes; that "tho' ministers of justice and power fail, justice and power do not fail."

Humanity feeds this higher life. The pity of men for suffering, the sympathy which runs from heart to heart, the affections of the home, the assertions of friendship, the depths of forgiveness-these are but the uncoverings of the heart of God. Nature is a source of life; from her we learn of awful forces that move on mighty business; of "fire and hail, ice and vapor, stormy wind fulfilling his word;" of depths in the divine nature, into which human thought may not penetrate; of love and care for little things; a Providence which impartially feeds the raven and the little child, forgetting none and favoring none.

Art, too, tells of life. Longfellow told Mary Anderson to let no day go by without reading a beautiful poem, hearing a beautiful song, looking at a beautiful picture. And art has always nourished a full and varied life. To live completely we must go as Christ did, to the source, God; must mingle with humanity; must read history; must know nature.

This is the idea of life which inspires our work and worship. It is good to live. Life is worth living. It is a good world; not old and worn out, but new and just beginning its higher development; and to-day is the best day of life. One may wake every morning and think of each question as an open one. The world belongs to God; the great essentials-air, light and water-can not be alienated. Old abuses are dying out. "I beheld a new heaven and a new earth." How easily we forget the disagreeable things of last year. A good man can not remember that he ever had any trouble. Even sorrow fades away in a glorified memory and pains become pearls. No one has ever been able seriously to harm the world or interfere with its order. There is room for all; food for all; work for all. Each

new-born child comes clothed with authority. He has come to his own. God loves the strong beat of the heart; the assertive will; the generous impulse; the artists' creations; the laugh and leap of boys; the young man rejoicing in his youth; the mother playing with her child; young lovers; students that keep watch by night; wise men that follow stars; poets that know "the secret of a weed's plain heart;" business stretching out its iron arms. God loves life; the song-life of Burns; the hero-worshipping Carlyle; the white-souled Emerson; the nature-loving Wordsworth; Dickens, who sympathized with men and saw the heart of them; Lamb, gentle and laughing. God loves children—all children, from the Babe of Bethlehem to the lowest.

Now, it is the idea of the Christian life, and the relation of the love of God toward it, that this church is built to represent and exists to carry out. Building it has been but putting brick and wood around an idea. Life precedes organization; before the body is the soul. Around this idea the walls of our church have risen. We have sought to make it cheerful, simple, burdening no one beyond ability. We have sought to build it quietly, "without sound of hammer." It is to be a meeting-house; a place where people meet. We meet with each other like the "handful of Jerusalem, so strangely assorted, of court lady, army officer, wayside beggar, and forgiven sinner." We do not know each others' opinions, philosophies, beliefs; but we agree to live the life of Christ and let God settle the differences. It is a place for worship. We come, burdened with care, with forebodings, sorrows. We sing, and pray and talk. Here will come the merchant, tired with talking about values; the teacher, the artisan, the young man, pressing his way into the crowded business. or profession; young women, choosing the better part. It must be to all such a place of life. It must inspire

to loftier ideals, urge to nobler motives, disclose wiser methods. It must be a place of weekly renewal of sympathies and affections; a guard against the deadening influences of the world on its material side. It is a building not too good for daily use-for use in the practical business of life. We have written over it: "The gates of it shall not be shut by day."

The church was once the town meeting-house; the cannon that protected the village was mounted on the top of it; school meetings were held in it. In East Montpelier, Vermont, to-day, the election is held in the Church. We of Indianapolis are forced to enter the chute and vote in a saloon. Surely, voting in a Church is better. So we have built this for use-for everything that helps man. It is the home of our children who are to grow up to think of it as a joyful place. we will seek them, not sorrowing, but will be about their Father's business. It is the home of the stranger, the young man in the store, or office, or shop; the business man stopping here over Sunday. We have built it for all sorts and conditions of men. It is our house of work, as well as our home. Here we have business to do- our Father's business. We are to bring life to others.

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This is one thing I notice as I go about the streets, how few of the people I meet show in their faces that they enjoy life. Each one seems to have missed something of that fullness where each faculty takes its place in the economy of God and does the thing it was meant to do, singing as it works. The children grow up ignorant, are early put to work; become mere moneymaking machines, or machines for others to make money out of. They know little of the laws of thought, of health, of order, of courtesy. They get into difficulties, strike against the laws and fall back bruised, wondering what it means. I know that they do not mean

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to do wrong; they are as sheep without a shepherd. think of the many boys and girls who begin life's work without life's strength. They are compelled to labor on the lowest planes. They have no practical knowledge and the doors of opportunity are closed because they do not know the right word.

There is a dreariness in the life of the average man and woman - monotonous-full of thankless days. "They toil, and toil; a toil that reaps no end but neverending toil and endless woe." When they stop working they are too tired to read, too tired to rest. They go to the saloon, or to gossip. No bright, cheerful places are open to them. I think of the young men in this city who came here to make their fortunes. They have small salaries, can just get along. They are in cheap boarding houses. They have no friends and soon cease to go to church. They miss the country air, for they are shut up all day in dark offices and dusty factories. When evening comes, there is nowhere to go. How many nights I have sat in billiard saloons, because, in all the great city of Chicago I knew no one outside of business. They have good purposes, generous and right impulses, but no friend to say "come."

I am familiar with the life of the poor in this city. Of anything more wretched I can not conceive. Most of them live so close to the line of actual want that a week out of work, or a month's sickness, brings hunger and cold, or debt. Now, to all these a fuller, happier life is possible. Nature is kind. Lying dormant in these souls are capacities for art, music, intelligence, skill, success. Here lies our work. This church can take these people and supply, in a measure, the missing conditions. Something may be done to draw out the undeveloped life. We have long gathered little children into day school and Sunday-school, but we must carry them further. We must gather them into industrial schools;

must plan entertainments for them; must teach them the meanings of things; must cause them to wonder; must draw boys in from the streets because we can give them better times. We must offer opportunities to the young by which they shall get a better education; open up to them the treasures of literature; bring them into contact with the great minds of the past; make them acquainted with the heroes of the world. We must offer entertainments which shall make the tired laugh and wonder; teach them wiser ways of living. I want to teach the poor that their best friend is the Christ, and that all good is "In His Name."

This whole matter lies clearly defined in my mind. I know exactly the line which I shall urge this Church to take. It is that of educational Christianity. I would make of this Church a "people's college." What Peter Cooper did in a large way, we must undertake in a small way. The Rose Polytechnic Institute gives industrial education to our most advanced young men, but who thinks of the boys and girls at the critical age between twelve and fifteen? Our schools teach the "three R's," but who teaches the practical things of life; the laws of pure living; of good books; of nature; of courteous manners? This Church is to give itself to this work. Opening schools of sewing, or industry; classes in drawing, design, music, language; instituting talks on literature and science; arranging lectures, concerts, exhibitions; meeting weekly in religious, social and friendly ways; the rich and the poor meeting together, the Lord the maker of them all; while through all, like the simple original melody running through varied music, is the thought of loyalty and love to Jesus Christ.

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