440
ment
--some
ago
-
|
|
an
of
to
he
#
[June 13, 1904.
هنا
him to take a greater
interest in the affairs of the next world, and RO have started this association. Well, as you desire to do this outside worldling good, you wish him to come here. You do not want to scare him away or your influence for good will be curtailed and your monetary position will become strain- ed.
Do you mind my giving you a few ideas on this point? They may not accord with the opinions of some, but they are made in Food part, I hope they will
as received. Don't try and force religion down people's throats too strongly at the start. Good it is, and so is water; but you don't want Get your always to be drinking water.
them shake themselves and let into the ranks their natural proclivities incline Some will gravitate towards athletics, i them to.
some to more active religions observances, some to your library and intellectual enjoyment, and 80 on. We have lit le intellectual life here, and the Odd Volumes Society, which is the only organized body devoting itself in that particular direction, has been kept alive by Mr. Pollock. A literary and debating society might be a useful thing for this body to inaugurate, and if you develop your institution at all points the religious side of it will naturally benefit.
¦
|
|
1
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
of the rich in Fourth Avenue and for the poor be a demand will be encouraged and planned for. in the Bowery. The work of the Association in A gymnasium would be a great boon if some the East received its first great impetus philanthropist will provide us with one. As to in 1888, when Mr. McConnaughy was sent to the intellectual work, a gentleman said to me Madras. That city has now the finest Associa- the other day that if we could do anything to tion building in the Orient. From year to year awaken the intellectual life of the place we new fields have been entered, and flourishing should be doing good work, and this is
what Associations are now at work in Calcutta, just
we plan
to and hope
do. will be Bombay. Colombo, Tokyo. Tientsin, Shanghai To this end educational classes and other Eastern cities as well as in Hongkong. formed in such subjects as French, GermİRAD Four and a half years ago it was my privilege Chinese, or whatever there may be a demand to come here for the purpose of organising for. It may be interesting to note here that Association work. On carefully studying the during the past three months we have had a field it seemed wise to work along the lines class for the study of colloquial Chinese which of least resistance. and the result is
an a has been attended on average by 15
men It was conducted by the Rev. flourishing Chinese Association which has now students. 240 members, and which during the past William Bridie and a Chinese teacher, and eight months has had an enrolment of 250 Western methods of teaching were adopted. in its evening educational classes. Plans We fully expect to resume this class again There will also be are being made for organising a College after the hot weather. Association among the Chinese students, and popular lectures on science, art and literature only a few weeks ago we received a petition from and questions of the day. A literary society Hunghom signed by 105 names, mostly workmen, and debating club and a camera club will also asking for organisation among the 10,000 young have their place in the intellectual development, men there. I mention these facts not only to while there is also a reading-room well equipped tell you what is being done in other directions with most of the best muguzines and papers of but to illustrate the adaptability of this or Great Britain and North America. We ganisation. But to come to that phase of the intend to have organisation here, and work with which we are immediately concerned shall leave no stone unturned to have it. this evening-I mean the European depart- which will command the respect and support
men of us have been looking for- of the business
the community ward to this event for a long time. Five and to which no man need ever feel ashamed;
almost to come.
We the
want this problem seemed years
place impossible of solution. But nothing is impos-for the development of all-round men, and sible to those who have faith, and our gathering surely no higher purpose than this is conceit here to-night is an evidence of this. Those who able? We are most of us acquainted with the believe in the need for and the possibility of fierce temptations which assail men in the this institution are more than rewarded to East. We want to help men to overcome them. night. Thes rooms -126 members will to-ni ht We want to strengthen the weak, to unite them take possession of them and this opening with the strong, and to help develop a sentiment reception graced by your Excellency's pres in favour of clean, manly, trod-like manhood. ence, are some of the tangible results of faith (Applause.) followed by wors. This has been brought Mrs. GORDON than sang a much-appreciated about not through the efforts of any one indivi- song. dual. but by co-operation. His Excellency Hon. GERSHOM STEWART said: -Your Ex- from the first has given this work his heartiestcellency, my Lord Bishop, ladies and gentlemen approval and support. and his presence here This is the first time that I have ever taken a to-night is another endorsement of it. Most leading part in anything approaching a religious of the leading business men have given function. I admit I was somewhat in evidence at practical evidence of their interest in the move my christening--and at my marriage I occupied a ment, and their willingness to give it a fair test prominent although entirely subordinate position.
members themselves are while among the
(laughter.) As far as my recollection serves me those who with faith, enthusiasm and per-on both of those occasions I felt nervous and un- sonal effort have stood together with the comfortable, and when they were over I returned vision of an European department before them. with relief to my customary seclusion. I coufess and now the vision has been transformed into a to a recurrence of a similar feeling to-night, but reality. I should like to mention some names. my position here, however, has been so clearly but most of us will know who these men are. defined for me by the General Secretary, that I As a result of the united efforts of those whom feel less diffidence than I might otherwise do I have referred to we stand to-night in this under the circumstances. in addressing an beautiful building, which you have seen for audience such as this upon an occasion like the yourselves, of a fully organised Young Men's present. When Mr. Southam asked me to say Christian Association. We realise that there something at the opening of this institution are many problems yet to be solved, but we now I said No. I am not good enough." "Oh," said stand ready to endeavour to carry out the he, with a beaming smile. that is the very Jurpose of the Young Men's
Christian reason we want you; we want to have people of Association. And what is this purpose: To all sorts." As therefore I cannot be accused of put it briefly it is this--the all-round assuming a claim to a sanctity I do not possess, development of men. With this ទទ our I have attended to-night to give what support. purpose the neglect of any one side of men's can to an institute which contains very great pos nature means failure in the purpose. We sibilities for good. I feel it a great honour to be realise that some associations have failed because asked to do so. and I think you have begun well they have neglected to consider the whole man. by opening your gates to both sheep and goats. The carrying out of this purpose therefore If you are to do great good you must cater for involves religious, social, physical and intellectual both, and us the representative of the latter I work. To take first of all the religious-we hope that you will always maintain a similar consider this of paramount importance and the attitude. The manager of the Young Men's rock upon which our work is founded. It is the Christian Association will always have to display secret of success. We plan to have attractive considerable tact in discriminating as to who weekly meetings. Bible classes and wholesome shall and who shall not be admitted into an manly companionship of Christian men. association such as this, and as to what sort of
recreations are to Attendance at these meetings and classes of amusements
be course is absolutely voluntary. No man need encouraged amongst its members. I hope fear that he is going to have religion pushed when you are in doubt as to the proper down his throat. We trust that there will be course to pursue and the pros and cons are about no namby-pambyism, and our conception of a equal, that you will always incline the balance more religious man is that of a clean, square man mea- towards liberality and openness than towards suring up in some degree to the Divine Man. exclusiveness. I suppose I am here as represent Then as to social work, we are planning to have ing in a measure that unknown quantity called ** At homes with popular talks, receptions and the man-in-the street. and I know that you indoor games. There is a billiard-table and want to get as many of the outside public as musicals, and also in this connection furnish possible inside your institution. The man-in ed bed-rooms and a dining-room. In other words, the-street is often credited with more wisdom we want to make this place a home for those than he has got, just as he is often debited with away from home. It is scarcely necessary for more iniquity than can be justly put to his me to mention the physical work because it is account. That he takes a great interest obvious. Swimming, tennis, cycling, football or in the affairs of this world his daily any other outdoor sports for which there may avocations show. I take it that you want
and
I
¦
|
|
נו
be at you
{1
to
I am old enough to remember the great work done in England by Messrs. Moody and Sankey and can testify to the great influence for good. brought into England by those two eminent But I think their influence would have men. been even greater if their efforts had not at times en marred by the sometimes tactless and ill-chosen advocacy of some of their followers wh constituted themselves amtear mission- aries. I remember quite well the risks one ran of being attacked in the most unexpected manner in all sorts of places by earnest hut aggressive people, in the train. or at a cricket match for instance. One might be suddenly addressed by an entire stranger with a remark such as.
Young man, are you saved?“
It gave one a most uncomfortable shock, and one felt was something wrong in the that there perfectly innocent occupation of the mo- revivalist should ment, especially if the
who looked fierce-looking person with a threatening eye which seemed we both die in five minutes Say ** If
but you are all right am
going We will not enter into straight to Hell!'
to whether the controversial subject as errors of this short life are to be met with eternal punishment in the next. but it was not fair to say, to say the least of it, and often defeated the very object these good people had in view. Is it not possible these ill-chosen exhortations arose from a lack of humility? Of all the Christian virtues humility appears to me to be the rarest. It somehow is a virtue few. which seems to recommend itself to very Amongst the particular section of the great country to which I belong I never remember meeting any individual dis inguished for it. In fact if I meet a real humble-minded Scotchman I shall certainly be anxious as to the state of Whatever the cause, it is a his general hea th. virtue of a rare order, and yet we as Christians have ample cause to indulge in it when we reflect that in 1900, when Christian and non- Christian troops came shoulder to shoulder in North China, the non-Christian troops were distinguished far beyond all others for mercy forbearance. The religious tempera- and ment is not evenly distributed; it is natural- some natures ly much more developed in than in others, just as the intellectual and physical capacity of man is different that of another. Now the strongly from
you; but religious you have always if you wish to get in the others.
the start. Don't try them too high at let a youngster think that he must go to a religious service because he comes here. Leave him alone and he will take part all right when he feels drawn towards it. Besides, some are more sensitive than others, and to parade the secrets of the heart to the public is to some natures intolerable. Besides, you want the place to be self-supporting, and you don't want to frighten anyone away. You will be handi- teetotal capped by the fact that this is a institution. I think you might consider the advisability of making it also a ready-money club. Chits are a relic of old days when folks had to carry lumps of silver. They have served
one
with
don't