, 1877-04-22
DUTY HERE AND Nn7u

When Brother MooDr Was about n ,..-
Chicago, at the close Of his toilsome an, :"
full campaign, ha thought 6t to deliver !.
course upon the question Of the s,.o.,
Advent Of CHRIST. Curiosity drew thouu,t
to the Tabernacle to hear the opinions nv.
this mooted point Of the famous lsy.sy:,eS
ist. He announced his belief in the ~, ~
ness Of that expected event, quoted lihp,b
the scriptura1 texts which seem to tsror nj
an idea, assured the good people p..x,,
that this thought was the inspiration Of !;
labors, rs it had been that Of the sinp;p, y
Mr.. P. P. BLISS, and bade them watch ast
and morning, for the personal, IL
b1e coming Of their Lord It was stss
ing somewhat the implied engasenn,
of union services, to be SURF :,
Mr.. MooDr to introduce into th.
such q topic. It used to be cusso..u7
hang up printed notices in noon-dsy prs,,s.
meetings having soma such cautionuY -
tence MS this: Controverted Topics r.
bidden." This, before the War, WIS hsu1
hint to Ahoitionists not to speak OF %,
about slavery in these meetings taIso +
sured ardent Baptist brethren that, whiha
that common ground, they must rest1,
their zeal for immersion and their anfpsa,
to "infant sprinklng." Presbyter;.us a
3tethodists were likewise instructed hs
that, Us belligerent ironclads ara not a1ova
to exchange broadsides in neutral pot b
they must not have battle over Caiyiaaa
in q union prayer-meeting. One scsz
suppose that if o similar noies hi
been hung up in the Tabernacle i
would have led Brother MOODY to supua
q sermon on the "Secoud Advent" xtia
is about as ' controverted " topic s. COL
well be selected. What those responaN.
for the meeting would have said, il, u|hI
quently, DR.. GIBSON, or Dr.. THPAs1, orb
EyARrs had asked to be heard in behlH d
the views generally entertained on thatma
by the churches which had united in ia Il.
7ival efforts, we do not know. Tha reqaa
would have placed them in an awkward p
sition. Nor can we be sure what would i'm
been said by some of the Jealous "vorkas'
had one Of the ministers named taken th.tx :
tho unannounced topic Of sermon IN d.
Tabernacle. We fear that he would ks,
been charged Indignantly with intz'dusns
" controverted topics" 1t would hare bta
q curious accusation, in the Circumstance
would it not?
But Fortunately everybody was goaa1
tured and accommodating, and so no ofeaa |
was taken when Brother MOODY, IN thar
tcrest Of one of his pet ideas, violhedh
own rules. It was seen TINT he ssas
he had testimony to bear on this pal1
anil could not depart till be hsd bo'nsa
The shortest way out was to let him haEa@
say, as a kind Of privileged character 10
had earned right to be little disosasn:
The West goes for free speech gensfh
And so tho good man gave bis reasons ~
that the personal coming
CHRIST was the next event to be hooked w.
md that each sain. should 60 to bedHas'
thinking that quite probably it would oaa
before morning, md should 1lse II ~
with m expectation that Il eosl
AXE place during the day. Hence be ns'@
he necessity Of literal watchfnlneae
light living, Of continuous Christian ho'
md Of the immediate conversion u ~
wicked. He thought his theory to ~
,ecial}y valuable, because OF its impress"
less and good tendency. -:
It does not become US, as secular jou1,
sts, to argue disputed question Of hah- !
Interpretation, and SO We refer to the n4l
N general grounds Of common sense me-
y. To those so regarding tbs sub1ecA -
.1oopT's argument, drawn from the ea~ I
endency Of his theory, did not appear "! /
1tspractica1 impresa1eue,st - !:
argely reduced by the assertion ot hls pa -.
hat this was the very view held .! ~ !;
lpostlcs and primitive Christians e'en's, 's !:
undrea years ago, who had similarly !'1 " !:
i, night aud morning, for the secoDa
cnt of Christ. When eighteen cen'a''e -. /
ontinual disappointment are added - ~ T. !:
,ct tlnt the view in question Is oni3 !:
utcd theory, which is denied bY w.. .h. ]:
1o ablcst biblical critics, even B.':a< ~ !: [
[ooDr's ardor and sincerity fail to ms.' ~ !: /
Len impressive. Certainly it is hafa - !
hat it has to boast over the adn's1sa :. ( (
T the certainty Of death, crelong, IN W.. :us /:
: every man, and Of its perpetual lau-' ]: !
here would seem to ba no a11San'ae {
an uncertainty for cei'a /:
or even any gain in adding the i0tms; ,:; s
10 latter: We seriously doubt tue fsps !:
I'd moral value of any doctnna " +
rgely diverts attention from inc - s
ork of life, in its daiiy perto*man /!
1ty in its various relations, to e' k
ying into the future, OF morbid =, r :. /
r startling events. The grand th@ !,
sue in this world is character; ana &
r must work itself out, with W. :, 4
IMAM or superhuman helps, IN the ~ y, Z
a permanent principle Of ddehey II 1
d man. in conscientiously. lnee''n e. {
d hourly obligations. Duty here ~ y. 4
the prime object of concern. and IN I
It go far astray who makes That ne B
his life. It is both Biblical ana II Is B
Brother MooDY is such sensible =. 5
quick to see what is practical, .:;to {
mt to furnish him with an Old aner,o 1oo &
,ditate upon and to use- haS ~ &
IS the famous ssdark day" in -. Z
md. when. for some unknown ar &