cal point we have got to meet, and meet as Christians and with
Christian methods is, that there is a large class that cannot be appealed
to by the beauties of nature and the charms of literature, and the glory
of the starry heavens. Have we anything to do with these? Just as
indubitably as David's army had to do with the erring Absalom. And we have
got to deal gently with them too; not force them upon the procrustean bed
of our methods, and give them their choice of these or none. If the church
says to these unconverted, careless ones, "If you will not come to our
prayer meetings, if you will not listen to our sermons, we have done our
duty and cleared our skirts, and you may go on to perdition as fast as you
please," I say the church is awfully in error. Her skirts, are in that
event, soaked with the blood of ruined youth, and it cries aloud against
her from the ground.

What are we to do then? If the church has a duty to this class, has she
also means to discharge it? Is it in her power to make the city the best
place for irreligious as well as for pious youth? I say, yes. But she will
be obliged to enlarge her scheme of work. She must sanctify new forces to
this end, if she has to take them out of the devil's hand. She must
institute new attractions, under her own control, to draw youth within the
sphere of her influence, and to hold them when drawn. She must employ
forces with a view merely to restrain from worse influences, until she can
bring direct religious influences to bear. Without compromising principle
one iota, abstaining from the very appearance of evil, she is nevertheless
to press into her service everything that she can separate from low
associations, everything that will enhance her own social attractions,
everything which will amuse, interest, instruct, to keep these away from
the palaces of hell, and to draw them into contact with the influences of
the gospel. The wisdom of Christianity is shown in its dealing with men as
they are. In reaching them at their own level; and the church will best
show her wisdom by not trying to be wiser than her Lord. The mountain will
not go to Mahomet, and Mahomet must go to the mountain. We have a variety
of characters to deal with, and must use a variety of means. Gather such a
band of youth together, and preach to them that they ought to be satisfied
with the beauties of nature, or with books, or the like, and you simply
drive them the faster from religious influenc