Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-02-07
APrnlOn.

strange to each other up to this mo-
mentous hour,-why have you sum-
moned me hither? At very great dis
lance, indeed, let that great question be
repeated most respectfully. In this
city of your hsbitation, capital of the
"Old Dominion" and headquarters of
all affairs, do you demand another
POLITICIAN TO LEGIsLATE?
The Roman centurion needed CONVEX
sion rather than legislation. and so he
sent not to Caesar for additional troops,
or intenser edicts, but to an obscure
provincial artisan, beseeching spiritual
enlightenment. A man of absolute au.
thority himself, experience had taught
him that from inner sources alone could
he derive adequate relief. Legislation
cannot produce, but only protect, life.
liberty, and wealth. Laws are impo-
tent to originate reforms. Lords Of
great hearts and apostles of grand
principles must first ascend from the
common ranks to rule in civic halls, or
thence will surely descend in universal
blight that despOtism with brushes
personal worth. Self-help, root of all
genuine growth, is the best patronage,
creative of that energetic indiyidualism
which is the education Of the human
race. Public institutions may foster
class conditions, but the grace Of God
alone can everywhere enlighten, reno
yate, and save souls.
The only protection essential to the
glorious Gospel is that it may have free
course and be glorifed. 1t has the di-
vinest right to run swiftly, for 1t is
charged with pardon for the condemned,
vigor for the infirm, comfort for the
sad, and life to the dead. As racer
struggles towards a prize, and anti
dotes are dispatched to the victim of
poison, the preacher would hasten from
soul to soul. family to family, nation
to NATION, that the realized plan Of SAL
walton may become the bright mirror
of its Divine Authors mind. Well, if
legislative policy is not the primary de-
mand with you, is the prevailing desire
for fresh
PHILOSOPHER TO SPECULATE:
The functions of the Gospel ministry
is to teach-bringing out things both
new and old for which end did Christ's
servant come. Cornelius wanted the
presentation Of things not known be-
fore. 1t might be quite popular at
Cesarea to repeat what the people
already knew and believed, but it was
hardly necessary to send to Joppa for
that.
A strong tendency for the philo-
sophie and the habit of binding to-
gether all members Of discourse in
the golden chain of argument are
mental traits not incompatible with
genial humOr and radiant imagination
Purest waters flow over hardest gran
ite, and so tragic and comic qualities are
always most closely allied.
But every man in his own order.
Uniformity in ministerial gifts is a
glorious impossibility. No two seeds
on earth have the same outcome in
size, form, or expression neither do
two stars in heaven move with equal
speed, in identical spheres, or shine
with equal splendOr. AS in nature, so
in grace, stupid uniformity would re-
duce the world to stagnation and death
Therefore, if the pew is to be ennobled
in any respect, pray the Author Of inf
mite originality to render your preacher
habitually eccentric-that is, out of the
rut to the utmost degree.
Expect to hear something new at each
remove in probationary progress, and
eagerly endeavOr to assimilate the food
you receive, that you may grow thereby.
No scholar can profit by teacher I'M
less be ponders his lessons. Be both
intelligent and ardent, remembering
that emotions which are not reduced to
practice tend to obduracy. No preach
ing can be a substitute for your own
thinking. Copious materials may be
provided by another out Of which the
temple Of a noble character can be
formed, but you must build up your
selves in the most holy faith.
1t would appear that neither politics
nor ethics alone could meet the spirit
ual aspirations of the troubled centu-
Iion; and were frigid dogmatics felt to
be any more pertinent to the case? Did
he send for
PREACHER TO MANIPULATE?
Having discovered that his yearning
soul was a vine to be trained, and not a
block to be carved, did Cornelius well
come Peter to be either his dictator or
dupe:
The context is very suggestive. The
prospective interview was fittingly pre-
pared for on both sides. Note espe-
cially how the preacher was first en-
larged and then enlightened for official
action. Upon the housetop of tanner,
whose trade the jew hated, and in view
ola Gentle, race deyoutly despised, with
the infnitude Of sea beneath, the sky
above, the exclusive seciarian was told
that what the universal Father had
cleansed his disciple was not to shun as
unclean. AS pearl in its shell, oak
in an acorn, or angel in the savage, so,
latent in every son of humanity, was to
be recognized a child of God. How
we'll that, before actual acquaintance
ship, the child Of Shem and the child OF
Japbeth, with room for Ham in both OF
them, should have been brought into
the sympathetic equipoise Of one Gospel
for a common household, and that
Peters charity in particular was made
wide as the world!
Preaching is undoubtedly Divine in
stitution. but as yet not much perfec-
ton in the pulpit has appeared at the
outset. Primary excellence in this call
ing is the possibility and potency ofper-
petual progress, as the voice Of the So
cial heart. Great ideas may cry for
utterance through immature lips, whose
proprietor holds no private property
from Heaven, but eagerly desires to be
diffusiye, like light on earth. AS neces-
sity is laid on Q mathematician to
cipher, and on poet to sing, so he who
consciously holds the common heritage
Of souls is impelled to preach. Redemp-
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