Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-06-12
George Mcdonald IS d Minister.
BY SAMUEL W. DUFFIELD.

/ UtOT sc ACDUidlu i.S d MluISlCl.
By SAMUEL W. DUFFIELD.
It is not often that we hear real
and true man telling in public his real
an true thouy yhts. Still less often do
we hear that preacher who absolutely
forgets the professional conventicnality
which clothes discourse in buckram.
And it is open to serious inquiry,
whether even the regulation form of
the sermon itself may not at times
hinder the truth.
We have gradually emancipated our
selves from the unnatural pulpit and
the elually unnatural square pews-
from the written and monotonous dis
course (call it, rather, theological es-
say)- from the absurdly eeclesiastic
garb-and, l trust also, from very
much else in sacerdotalism. The mes
senger of Christ to-day must be man
and speak to men. dealing fairly and
houorably with difficulties. and hot
skulking behind breastworks of dogma,
or shooting from riae-pits Of human
opinion. TO him, there is only one
Mediator between God and man. He
prays TO the only true God. He ex
poets the witness Of the spirit. And
more and more do these things make
plain those great keynotes Of Christi
anity: This is the work of God,
that ye believe on Him whom He hath
sent )" and that other, The world
passeth away, and the lust thereof;
but he that doeth the will Of God
abileth forever
George McDonald's entire theology
is involved in those two principles.
Whatever has been or may be said Of
minor v.eHs-views which the author
of score Of volumes must needs have
presented in abundance-no one can
possibly doubt this His latest large
work, wv ilfred Cumbermede," crystal
izes into story the problems Of to-
day, and this desire to know and do the
will of God is his solution of them all
After six years Of waiting, with
nothing to look at meanwhile than a
Birmingham photograph, Ga good one,
however, and the original OF the por-
trait in .Scrtdner's 4pouthjy), l found
myself face to face with the actual man,
He has blue and somewhat dreamy
eye an eye az times nrover'ed, if the
expression is proper in slch de-
scrlption-and the moment you see
him, you feel both the greatness and
the humility of our nature. This is
the preacher whom you and l are to
hear. and we will take the minister 5
privilege, and sit by his side en- the
platform.
1t is a rainy, unpleasant and chilly
right, although the calendar marks it
as the both Of April, in this year Of
grace 1873. [ do not know what he
will tlke for his thene he is in friend )
church, and at full liberty, and he is
we'll aware that he Will have thorough
appreciation from an audience long ac-
Quainted with his scattered thoughts
Above the Bible which he is opening
upon the desk Of the bright and coy
little study, hangs a marvellous photo
graph Christ attended by angels after
the temptation And I think, as |
glance at it, o. this sick and weary
man, So stroug Ia spirit, and who, like
his master, goes about doing good.
Ii finds his Scri pture; the organ be-
yings to shake the house with its mel
low thunder; We pass through door
and twelve hundred faces are turned
upon this new and strange preacher OF
the truth.
wish yoa could have heard that
Ninth of Jeremiah as he read it. How
the voice walled like the voice of the
weeping prophet! How the long hair,
the full beard, the weird appearance of
the reader, harmoliized with the words,
as in that manner OF semi-intoning, SO
familiar to many Of us, he lamcnted
over the daughter Of Coils people,
whose slain are in the streets
Sometimes it is pleasant to know the
hymns as we'll as the chapter. These
kylhns for tonight are in the Songs
foI the Sanctuary (of which he begs
and receives copy before he leaves
Ann Arbor). They are 2Oo, 9e2 and
1859, and their tunes are ''York "
(written, he says, by JOAN Milton's
rather), and the exquisite melodies,
"Jcvett," an ''Bernar ;" Then the
prayer, and then the sermon. Over in
d quiet corner, with a friendly gas-jet
to give him light, sits capital phono-
grapher, young man Of more than
ordinary taste and judgement, But
DR.. Mcdonald is ignorant of all this
You aud | only = and perhaps dozen
of those nearest in the audience will
be able t, tell how these coming quota
tions are SO very accurate.
lie leans over the desk. scans the
upturned faces single moment, and
then, in quiet, earnest, questioning
voice, he begins:
Can it be, friends, that the Infinite
Life cares what we are about now? Is
it anything % Him who sitteth on the
circle Of the heavens, who holdeth the
waters in the hollow of his hand, what
the though inside you and me is about
now"
| wish | could give the wko}e SER