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WHY MEN DON’T ATTEND CHURCH
Subject of Rev. McBain’s Next Sermon-Last Sunday’s Sermon Was to Young Men
[People’s Press, 14 December 1909]
The subject of Rev. J.H. McBain’s sermon to be delivered in the Methodist church next Sunday will be, “Why men do not attend church.” Rev. Mr. McBain announced the subject in church last Sunday. “There seems to be an impression abroad,” said the reverend gentleman, “that a good many men do not attend church.” Mr. McBain asked the congregation to assist him in preparing the sermon. “You probably have heard of reasons given why men do not attend church,” he said, “and I would like you to send them to me during the week, either through the mail or tell them to me, and I shall be greatly obliged. I will treat the communications confidentially.”
Rev. Mr. McBain preached to young men last Sunday evening. The subject of his sermon was, “The Secret of a Successful Life,” illustrated by the life of David.
The minister said that knowledge was a great advantage. It was a crime for a young man to grow up in these times without knowledge, and if this were neglected it would be a source of regret in the days to come.
Hard labor was another essential. “If we are to become a success we must be willing to pay the price, and one essential condition of success is hard labor. There is genius, but genius alone would not give true success. Edison, for example, attained success by close application of study. He had gone without rest for 30 and 40 hours, and they do say, he even forgot his wedding day, and when the time came for him to be married he had to be hunted up and was found in his laboratory.”
Dissipation and luxurious living were other points Mr. McBain touched upon. “These are very prevalent at the present time and growing much more prevalent,” he said. “There are thousands of our young people jeopardizing their lives by that very thing. Late hours, midnight carnivals, luxury of the dance hall, wine suppers, card tables. All these things waste the energies of our young people and unfit them for life, upon which they have started out with very fair prospects of reaching the highest pinnacle of success. Their lives have been wrecked by intemperance and impurity.” The speaker referred to Antony, whose downfall was caused by sensuality and corruptness, and to others. He recalled the reference made to a number of business men reported in Dunn’s. They were set down as being prosperous, clever and prompt, with the additional information that they all drank. In a few years they all failed. He said a young man will never be selected for a position because his fingers are stained with tobacco or his breath smells of liquor. If Daniel were alive today he would not enter a bar-room or let the contents of a bar-room enter him. Nor would he smoke.
Moral back home was also necessary. The power to say no at the right time was a very good thing.
Mr. McBain concluded by stating that such splendid nobility of character as is manifested in David is not possible without faith in God.
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