Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1875-05-05

times, and while he clasps the Bible
with one hand, the other should be
upon the public pulse. Not, however,
as a journalist too often does, to bring
himself down to its condition, and
cater to the demand of the hour, how
ever sickly and morbid; but that,
acquainting himself with its Auctua-
tons and its necessities, he may wisely
administer the needed remedy for its
infirmities.
1t is not little amusing in times of
great national excitement and even
peril, to hear our REGULAR y-grooved
minister go on placidly delivering a
sermon to which no one pretends to
listen, upon theme as widely remote
as possible from mems present needs
and distress, as if the restless, passion
ate, hungering throng before him
were but so many rag babies. The
crowd had come together hoping for
crumbs Of comfort, and they have had
given them instead the husks of some
old scholastic dogma.
The cry of pain is hushed when the
minister enters the sick roomthe game of
chance is hidden away as he approach
es the sharp bargain is put aside
that his health may be inquired after,
and so it very often happens that no
one knows less of human nature than
he who ought to know most, who
ought to have laid aside his profession
and mingled as man among men,
that he might appeal to their hearts,
and not to an audience whom he pre-.
sumptively considers ex act counter
parts of himself.
The successful preacher understands
humanity, its needs, its desires, its
joys, and its sorrows for without
this, though his soul may be aglow
with Divine inspiration, 1t will only
touch those hearts which are already
enkindled by the same holy flame
Decades, and even centuries, have
gone by since we were told that "the
children of this world are wiser in
their generation than the children Of
light )" and still, with this gentle adj
monition constantly before us, the
same truth holds as good to-day as
eighteen hundred years ago, when it
was first spoken.
Why do we leave our churches cold,
gloomy, unattractive, while places OF
worldly amusement are always warm,
light, inviting Why do we stumble
along in the dark, forbidding passage
which leads to the room set apart for
the prayermeetings. while the en-
trance to the theater is open, bright,
Is there anything wrong in the use
Of light, that in the city we confine
ourselves to a burner Or two for an
evening meeting, while in the coun.
try single kerosene lamp is all that
is deemed requisite ! 1t is only the
very good and conscientious who will
leave their homes filled with light,
warmth, music, cheer, for the dull,
damp, depressing atmosphere of the
church lecture-room. And yet the
Older members wonder why the young
people do not "come out to meeting :
they wonder why brother A and B,
always so ready to spend a pleasant,
social evening, stay persistently away
from the prayer-meeting.
In all other matters we understand
these points, we learn quickly the
reason why people do not patronize
us in mercantile pursuits. In this
thing alone do we lay aside all COM
nonsense views, and attribute every
deficiency to some spiritual cause
In church edlfce recently erected in
Brooklyn, we were delighted to notice
as first and foremost among its many
attractions the one OF light. Not alone
in the interior, but upon the exterior
the bright and beautiful illumination
seems to say, "Come ! there is JOY
and comfort and peace within here
is thy spiritual home-welcome to
all !" How often have we seemed to
hear voice as we have passed the
cold, dim, clustered seclusion of many
another church, saying "Only the good
are welcome here; they will come any
way they do not need light or heat. =
Again, in reference to that church
of which we have already spoken, and
which, apparently, possesses every es-
sential requisite, the congregation is
dropping away one by one because
the society is so heavily encountered
with debt. Two sermons out of every