The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-24
ST. Marks CHURCH.

THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY or LITER,RY
MEN--sRRNoN BIZ REv. J. n. RYLANCE,
d. d
The Rev. J. Il. Rylance. D. D., preached In 81
Marks Church on the "Christisn Ministry Of Literary
Men" He chose for his text tho eleventh verse OF
the twelfth chapter or Eccl0siastes:-"rhs words OF
the wise are a. goads and nails fastened Dy the
masters Of assembly" This, hs said. one Of a
series OF reflections contained IN The books OF Eccle
sastcs and Proverbs In which books the author
sumes The title OF preacher or teacher OF wisdom
The books were rather 10 be called Solomonic than
writings OF Solomon, for they consist OF proverbs SGT
10 order The passage IN tue lext would serve we
thcme which WAS suggested by The recent loss Of
one whom We have learned 20 look upon as great
aud good man. There Is a ministry which IS wider
than OF IN ecclesiastical ORDERS and 10 tns
ministry bcoug those who search the heavens, those
anayzc matter and those who dsineats with pen or
brush the beautiful. Every good and every perfect
Natural giila Among these divine gifts Of the spirit
may surely be caused the genius which works IN
literature. How poor would hie be without books
Thanks 10 the genius and toll oil past generations those
blessings are common, and the very sftocncs OF our
literary wealth leads some TO dIseslcsm them but the
influence Of u library wonderful thing. Some
has sad, 81 mn disposed to say grace on twenty other
occasions than eating my dinner" Why have We no
form OF grace tor booksf There should be form 10
say before Milton snd another before Shakespeare
But not only are the more serious forms OF literature
boons TO mankiud; lighter literature Is bless
tho lighter forma How many weary hours hnvs
they made happy, especially with those whose
lot III llfo 10 hard and whose opportunities OF
happiness levi For thcm the ART oil reaa-
Ing mas unlocked treasury. Many devout people
a horror OF what tney call fiction. am not IN
sensible evils OF tue bascr kind oil ncaon, but
let discriminate. The greatest authors oil hcton
cause OF morality and religion.
There IL pure Gospel IN Dickens writings than
In ninctenths OF our printed sermons. HIS sketches
Of character aud lie are Always friendly 10 virtue.
He has done much toward the improvement OF man
ners the correction OF abuses aud making religion
desirable IN common life. ThiuK also OF the service
rendered to society by his composr VINO dashed the
professional prophets feared or neglected TO do was
wrought by literary effort. Well mignt Wordsworth
writo TO hrs friend
High IS calling. friend
OF all literature poetry Is the highest form and the
most potent the cultivated thought ana feeling
tho world IL speaks most directly 10 tho fceling
and ncarI What would English literature be- without
change would there boil II u namo seldom heard
from the pulpit, but tho name of Shakespeare viii
have honor long as his tongue shall De spoken.
forget tho objections to theatrical representa-
tons or tho bcmisnes In his work. but when lie ~
compared with those VINO followed bIm ana the spirit
Of his are considered these faults appear sunni.
There ~ an immense interval, OF course, between
Snakes pears and Mr. Bryant, but Mr.. Bryant wrote
some things which the world will not readily let die.
| think he WAS not wholly poet else he would
hardly have given much oil ms lilo W the drudgcry
OF journalism. though IN using that word do u ~
guarded sense. 1 nm well aware oil the lofty aim OF
Journalism.
Dr. Ryisnco then spoke at some length OF Mr. Bry.
ants ondnsss nature and SAID that he consider ed
thai no was largely iniebisd to wordsworth. HIS
gzsd highly, and said thoy wero works that would nos
Deri