The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-04-26
SPARKS THAT MAY KINDLE.
FROM DR.. JAMES ALExANDER's LETTERS.

Day by day do l quakerze about thes
things, priest hood, paraphernalia, pomps
But riches beget ceremony, as surely as dunI
begets weeds, and blue flowers among tn
wheat. Would the apostles know their Owl
children sometimes think, with Arnold
that Christ will throw all our existing
Church forms into the crucible, to produce 8
new form out of the molten mass.
0, how We neglect the ordinance of bap
tism treating children in the church, just
as if they were out of it. Ought we not
daily to say to our children, "YOu are
Christian children, you are Christ's, you
ought to think and feel and act as such. u
and on this plan being carried out, might We
not expect more early fruit of grace, than
by always keeping them looking forward to
point of time at which they shall have new
hearts, and join the Church, | am dis
tressed with long bar5S "a misgivipgs gsonthis
point.
Our theory of church-session is grand,
but O what a practice? II is made for a
church in high spiritual state, and this,
think is in its favor. One of my elders
makes up to every man, woman and child
who frequent the Church. He visits as
much as | do; knows every church member; /;
talks to every inquirer; goes often to every
house; and when point out any place, is
sure to be there within twenty-four hours.
This leads me to two practical reflections: ::
l. How important to have number of
young men in training for such an Office
2. How desirable for pastor 80 to labor, as
to leave the church in the best possible state
for his successor; in regard particularly to
the children, youth, family y-habits, &c.
Bible instances show US that God is con-
cerned in our private sorrows.
Some parents seemed to be cheered with a
continual confidence in regard to the saliva
ton of their children and l orn this comes
over me too, in my best hours.
After l am dead and gone, I feel sure our
cities will have large and elegant free church
es. l would not object to sumptuousness, if
it went to enrich and solace and elevate the
poor.
There i. great distinction between grief
and misery; how often are We profoundly
sorrowful, without being unhappy. Our
adorable Lord was "man of sorrows " and
(how beautiful y a brother of griefs;;" but
how remote from being miserable!
At times I am almost converted to the ex-
treme doctrine of "no controversy." We are
too anxious lest God should not maintain His
own truth. I cannot persuade myself that
the Church was meant to be always kept.in
hot water.
Never let the truth grow stale in your
mind that what we do for children, we do
for the best interests of man, in the most
hopeful way.
l never knew college life to hurt really
studious boy.
I am more and more pursuaded that the
practice of preaching on single text has
greatly impaired the influence of the pulpit.
Hortation seems to me the pulpit error of
the age which has emasculated the Church.
I heard my father preach yesterday on text
which I had handled few weeks previous,
to the same hearers l was never more
humbled, nor more struck with my own past
faults in this line. My discourse was all ap.
peal; has all argument, were bare, and quite
dialectic in places. My sermon was like a
fash in the pan, and his like a ball lodged,
lodged where to work afterwards.
The moral influence of the credit system
in business, strikes me as one Of the most ma
lign influences to which cur country is sub.
jected.
Preaching Christ is the best, hardest,
sweetest work, on this side of beholding Him.
~ C. Presbyterian.