The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1880-02-05
wlcHrrA,s CLUTCHES.
AGILITY or THKIR PAsroRs-PoRTIoS OF
SEnW0x. k4

ABILITY OF IHE1R EA8IO8S-xOBl1ON "
6ERN0x.
The writer takes pleasure, now and then,
in visiting the different churches in this city,
srstefnlly and hunbly gathering the glitter
ing grains Of gold, but declining to burden
himself with that other substance usually
seen IN IL company ere it passes through the
retner's furnace.
Wfchfta's churches, with their melodious
bells. prest Mt very respectable appearance.
The Queen of the Valley has every reason to
be proud Of her churches, and Of the liberal
citizens that built them. We know Of no
other town Of wichita's age and size that can
boast an equal number Of like dimensions Of
non-mortxaged edi6ces Of worship. The
name Of
has become proyerbial in the great Arksnsas
Valley for her prosperity and the liberal sent
iments inspiring her citizens. Her six
churches with their spires pointing to the
skies, aud her magnificent Turner'S Open
House are lasting monuments and best prove
the truth Of al that has been said.
In listening to the sermons preached by ell
oquent lips in these tabernacles of faith, We
are impressed with the earnesfness and zeal
Of the speakers and their beautiful senti-
ments. 1t Is from one Of these churches,
however. that we return always in an espe-
cial grafifed mood Of mind. We have had
the good fortune, in our time, to listen to
many nne pulpit Grafton, not in this coun-
try only, but also in Germany, France and
England. We ought to know therefore OF
what We speak. and have no hesitancy, in
deed, in pronouncing the pastor of this
church fully equal to any we ever heard. as
far as power Of diction or force OF logic are
concerned. The aphorisms are inspiringly
grand and beautiful; the words are delivered
in peculiarly happy and impressive manner,
the flow Of ideas is spontaneous aud have q
harmonizlng effect.
THE SUBJECTS CHOSEN
Are invariably Of q happier nature than is
usually won't OF sermons. and the nearer IL
made to feel. in almost every sentence, that
God is God, less OF vengeance than Of love. |
Promises Of forgiveness and salvation. are |
much more freely in the mouth of this speak |
or, than are threats of eternal damnation and |
hell. The listener imagines he hears the |
sounds Of living waters: voices there are. |
greeting the sin-sick soul. reckoning on to |
another world. To those that have not heard |
we would say. go and hear and go and hear |
again! For one, the writer is glad TO have |
found the place at last, where he can go and |
not feel obliged to take a too liberal amount |
Of chat along with the wheat he came to get.
The per centum OF error presented In his dis
courses by this speaker is indeed so small that
we deem them worthy of being republshed
entire.
WE CONGRATULATE THE CHURCH
in question upon their choice of "A pastor and
predict for them an increasing congregation.
On coming home one evening from one of
these meetings, we were fain to believe with
the esteemed pastor: 'The chief end of the
earthly life of man should be to benefit his
fclow-inan. To speak Of living for the glory
of God without having in our minds the ben
eft Of our brOther-man, almost amounts to
blasphemy. 1t is somewhat vague term,
this speaking Of living for the glory of one
..ineffably glorious" We fail to readily I'M
derstand how man eau live to the glory Of
God, in metaphysical sense; but when We
are told, man must live for the benefit Of his
ieliOw-man. then We know and understand,
no matter to what denomination we do be-
long. There can be no true worship. no true
praise ascending TO God, unless il be in the
{ rin of thought, word or action. which is
to another being. The basis of
morality is to strive to insure the greatest
good to the greatest number. \ man is truly
moral when he so lives that he does benefit
the largest number whom he ran benefit he
is truly immoral when he Injuries the largest
number God has given into his power to in
lure. 1t does not matter whether the action
is sanctioned by custom or by law; it matters
entirely a. to whether, at this hour, the &C.
ton will exercise Il beneficial or deteriment-
Al effect upon society. Laws continually
change; olden institutions crumble into dust;
new forms of legislation are required. As
loon as the need is fully made known the
supply comes. The very heavens open and
pour down their treasures. The object OF
eur life undoubtedly is that we shall be made
perfectly happy. Let us take the golden rule
and make it the rule Of our life There is no
possible way in which individual happiness
can be obtained except by giving out to 9th
ers, in order to make them happy. We may
make mistakes hrough ignorance; We may
iail to complete everything we undertake.
iut II our aspiration, our intention. our mo-
tive is pure. we need not fear the result
This. in few words. is the substance of
the sermon we last heard. and As we say
Goodnight. turning to seek weil-earned re-
pose, We are thinking it all over again.
G. y. Z. +.
WICHITA, February l. 1880. g