New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-28
PREACHERS WORTH HEARING
xXXyII.
ND 9 !. THOMPSON. OF KANSAS CITY

oon,e who worship IN the rouf'n avenue
NS,.ar,an Church listen week aIor "een " o'o
now commissioner TO the .cners, ns,en'oy
" pnn,dophla and was the Modera'o1 =. 10
&c" so a, tho morning by the Rev. Dr. Charles
was supp % Kansas City, Mo-. the present
l. No.. % the General Assembly, and In the evening
M"us - nr George T. Hays, an ex-Mouerator'
ps .sr.l Assembly is to meet In this on"r0n AeA'
year. .rs,s,ad IN the services by the
- rr pe,d one of the secretaries Oh the Meehouist
- ., Missions. The Moderator mas SHOWN NM
bOsia 80 an excellent executive officer When DIR.
cosby nominated him on the opening uaS nc Sa,u 'nS'
erOSvs had voice that could be heard through
pf' w.,s was good deal to promise when the
.ne - .,eston IS taken into account. But 10 has
hAN " - Dr Thompson has a clear, ringing
IT,, ,,,b a remarkable powe OF infonatlon' varying
AZ conversational tone 20 the decided. ana az
s1AtIv ironlcal. Again, as he describes systems
'o or tells Of their place In history ne READS
VI 49, nm, distinctly pansiDg at the close, then
isp'-,.' ,srbaps, @And what does this teach us ~
ansrcr 10 the question shows how fuly ne has
hS az HE subject before committing 1t to paper
mas'siv ,,. &C Moderator Dr. Thompson is also
1"as,,ve as preacher and NEST agreeable In social
life. ,,-....ur nan u-o,.o-r from,
w - no.,t Of view lie was born near Allen
-, penn. about forty-eight years ago. HIS boy
- davs we're passed in Wisconsin, and he went 10
c.rrou College. Wisconsin, graduating in 1858. He
- on,sred Princeton Seminary, having determined
% .,usy for the ministry where he spent two years,
s.,.t, his seminary course at the Northwestern one,
~. Nc Sormck Seminary in Chicago He was gradu-
"a IN 1861. and his first charge was at the little
-, % Tunean Wis, the next at Jonesville. His
s-~e,tv church was the First Church Of Cincinnati.
ON which he went the First Church Of Chicago.
No became one Of the editors n The Chicago Interior
,etweep the years 15T47 but resumed pastoral work
,n Pittsburg His last five years have been passed
as nasor of the Second Church Of Kansas City, where
no Is In charge at present. although he stu continues
N he an editor Of " The Interior He IS OF medium
tn,gbt with sandy hair and side whiskers
CONFESSION AND AN APPEAL
Dr Tboupsons subject was "A Confession and
an Apueals bis text being And the foolish said unto
The wise Give us Of your oil, for our lamps are gone
Outs The sermon was substantially as follows;
Tho general idea underlying this parable is instant prepa
,aton FOR the coming of the King The bridegroom Is
coming to take Bride unto Himself only those whose
lamps are trimmed and burning with Him to the
feast II is noble exhortation TO fidelity ana uugehce.
His coming will sudden and unexpected only those
who are found ready can The door viii BIO shut
PRAYERS will then be in vain 1t Is ms purpose 10 con-
v vaur attention on the confession appeal found in
the text When the cry heard The bridegroom
couethH all sought the lamps whose brightness was TO
Hight up the festa procession The foolish virgins iouhd
their lamps empty. They had lamps, DuS NO OIL 1hel
they turned for help TO their comrades: tive US OF
your OIL lamps have gone out" The'answer was
II cannot be done. Our oil cannot light your steps
The procession went without them and the door was
shut
me plain idea foce Of the is this; Every
ran make his preparation to meet his Lord
He can't depend his company. nor on the form or
fact his lamp his religion, natural capaby or equip
msnt He have the living oil Of divine life or
hore will light for his seeing, entrance 70 the
feast have often heard from human lips this confession
In personal form, Our lamp has gone out" But as
listen the meaning Of the religious history OF ths wond
there pathetic voices down the reach OF ages
ALARM confessions from religious teachers
and systems voices full OF the spirits melancholy and
eternlty's despair. Let listen 10 them this morning
Let us learn thankful confidence in our light ty the
that to from unused temples and a
ing affairs and systems the world around con-
LESSONS which, when put into a word saying Our
light gone out" confessions in which perhaps there
Is at least mute appeal: Give us your ouT This Is
the day when sceptcism is loudly wuhted ~ nhas d
ready hearing 1t is said young people are sometimes
ready from the old paths to the gtering prizes
that sceptcism offer. Whatever our creed or
lack one ready confess that there Is time
when the world every path peculiarly open TO sue
advance. The prizes are many There Is needed
only an enthusiasm of humanity to carry I pro-
nose to that enthusiasm which from hope
OF life. from the inspiration Of graf thoughts Is
conspcuousy absent in historic form Of unbeef ana
use the word unbeef broadly 10 any form Of doe
trne that is hostile Christianity high thoughts that
tend to hopeful living the condition OF place in the
worlds bright march toward success in this world as any
other win endeavor in this respect TO show the failure
Of systems and unbeef Their lamp is gone out
There Is no light them and that by their confession
TIE FAILURE OF BUDDHISM AND MAHoMET-
ANIsM.
Dr. Thompson began with Buddhism, first, because
II holds under its sway more of the earthS millions
than any other SYSTEM and, secondly because it has
recently been vauntel as peculiarly full Of valuable
light Reference made to Mr. Arnold's i" Light
of ASIA telling how Gautama sought to redeem the
world, saying -,.,,- -. .-.
That shall teach compassion unto men,
Abating this accursed food of woe"
1autamas life struggle was then pictured, and the
end of mans sad dark path, which he left for his
followers, Nirvana.
Blessed Nirvana-snless sdrless rest. The change
that never changes"
Nrvana is the end and what is Nirvsna-the goal and
heaven Buddhist philosophy In the judgment Of
the best Hndoo critics Nrvana is extinction. The out
Of the Buddhist philosophy is plainly this: Death
ends ALL and let it come for the all is only rredee-
able misery" Behold the taproot Of pessimism Life
not worth living In place but India could such
doctrine have nOprshed For life the burning sands
OF Hindesan under cruel askmasters such burden
that humiliation would be welcomed boon. They
the people who could into the spirit Of Byron
cynical lines:
Count Ger the joys thy days have seen,
Count Ger the hours from sorrow free.
And know whatever thou hast been,
'Twere something better 70 be-
And The Outcome OF IL ALL Goodwin Smith says. Is
that It has stepped misery in sort Of spiritual Lethe
but II has produced no effort no society, civilization
church except collection OF monasteries rled
with dleness a dull trance" Strange is It not that
third OF the human should embrace such doc
trnei know Of hut two explanations is the misery
OF life In India which makes escape desra bic, and
the other is the personal influence Of its founder
DR.. Thompson next took UP Mahometanism, that
system that has, next TO Buddhism held the largest
number of people under its evil eye" It's confession
also read, the doctrine Of its friends being
the unity and sovereignty of God But the preaching
OF Mahomet was In vain. His theology was the same
as that by which Moses lifted Israel of bondage
but it failed The sudden change Of the prophet
from preaching a doctrine to welding a sword was
then discussed, and next the chapter Of blood and
horror which followed his change Of purpose Two
confessions here. The preachers reach for sword
Is most tremendous confession of the hopelessness
OF an idea. The second confession Of Mahometanism
Is In It's fruits.
THE CONFESSIONS OF MODERN SCEPrICIsM
Let call your attention 10 the confessions Of
modern scepcisn 1t started out generations ago
IN France Germany England 10 enghten the world IL
claims be the apostle OF light and light is pleasant
Let US zee cheer IL brings. The wings OF MOD
ern sceptlcsm Pantheism and Moterialsm. The