New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-09
single congregation which, under other circumstances,
may be widely II not universally necessary.

aims to dot AS it Is profoundly inscnsble OF the
evil features and often more evil accessories OF the
modern system OF revivalsm 1t ought hardly to be
necessary TO say that does not propose to borrow
or revive these. AS it is equally sensible Of what
may call the distinctive traditions OF this Church
traditions, let me say, which, however ridiculed or
travested have been, profoundly believe, a large
cement of her strength and glory, and which no In,
,e.nseht man VIII dlsesteem-traditlons WHICH Dlnu
her 10 reverence. to ritual order, to the resoute re-
srint OF the vagaFies OF individuaiism in worship 70
The systematic teaching OF the young and to the
"hoe sSAcme OF Christian nurture as tne true loe
Oh the Churchs life and growth-as, say, tls society
equally sensible OF the Church traditions In regard
70 all these things, 1t is not here, need hardly say
70 scout or undervalue them. But IL Is mere W
which are typically and prominently represented IN
what we call the sequence Of the Christian, as dis
conspicuous features which stand substantially lot
Just what we stand for. In other words, Advent
henty that the ordinary crust Of an ordinary life must
DC broken up, and again, by that which forces
a nSS in upon i with calls that are sharp personal
and sermons which deal with sin, and spiritual in
sensbility and alienated and sense-loylng HE
=, ASH Wednesday We have lost the sackcloth and
clnders out of our lfe-though should think that,
tsSS at some Of those silly souls Of both sexes
holstery and tailor-made hppery would ache for
sachcloh and the cnders out of life but ceranly
VIC nave not come to diSesteem what Ash wednesday
ana all the rest Of the thirty nine days that follow
IL sJand lori There Is no honest and earnest soul
honest with itself and earnest toward GOd-that does
f oI cry out sometimes, at any rate, for something
from without to upon the dull, dead, mOn0t0ny
OF its indulgences and It's sotness and with stern
hand to shake it free from the unuterabe pettness
and selfseekng OF which It's life Is so full. Go into
some great hall where throng Of hungry eyed people
are waiting for some new voice to stir and thrill
curiosity and the unoccupied speculation and the
eoclesastcal rounderdom that contributes so largely
to al such assemblages, there stll remains vast
multitude OF people who are hungry for the word OF
Of %S NO win 9ne repe if sSv e SF
can ilnd-what alas, they so rarely find behind all
TINS this very human mannersm or seconseiousness,
GOD when an earnest soul is caught up with an
Apostle Of old, and speaks as with tones not Of
earth to that in us which is deepest apd most
&c This want, say, the Church: even
practically remains in this connection Is the question
whether that order adequately and sufficiently sup
As to that think there need be no serious question.
II the Church of which you and are ministers, for In
only to class undoubtedly this society is an
pertinence and our presence here all anachronism.
And 1t is idle to deny that there are a great many
serious and devOu people who secretly persuaded,
though they may be reluctant openly to admit it, that
This Is 1t is said that young clergyman who
went to his bishop permission to service not
In the prayer-book In mission hall, was mot with
an injunction 70 cOnfne himself strictly to the order
Of morning and evening prayers, set forth by the
But. sir said the stripping, 81 never reach the
$50 much the worse for the pcope' answered the
bishop, a., and ! have not IL smallest doubt that he
doubt that really godly and honest per
s suaded that there were human beings who could not
"vente" and the "Benedctus," they could only be
dismissed to that larger hope in which most certainly
he himself did not believe.
A MESSAGE OF LIFE AND GRACE.
But the conditions of the mission hall becoming
more and more-God be thanked for the conditions
Of many Of congregations and Of that constantly
increasing fringe Of interested people who are,
far positive Craftsmanship is concerned in the
court OF the Gentilcs." These looking to the
Church not alone for reverent worship, but first for
message of life and grace. Tired men and discour-
aged and guilty men, people who, weary and
heavy laden. now as Of old, are waiting till clear
and persuasive voice shall bid them come" all
these you could have found here this morning and
everywhere else that an altar Is reared and men are
called TO pray. And If you say that such quickenin9
and decisive words lave referred to what they
ought to hear from those who set over them in
holy things and what in the happy experience Of
many to whom speak this evening, they do hear,
that estimating the gifts of the ministry IL exists
in day highly please, there still remains
paTOchia system for fresh voice for that gift which
all great preachers have, OF direct and personal ad
chief value, for those personal contacts when are
after all the most potent force in any ministry even
as they are the rarest and most difficult to achieve
And Just here | ask your attention to passage in
the annual report of this society of especial pernency
and significance. Everywhere" ii says We hear the
same story We did not reach many outsme' Dut our
own people have been greatly blessed Men and women
who have been content WIN qnet' I2nSld dScnarge
dreamed that the words thyscli and them that
CArist-hsye been awakened to sense Of their own
responsibility TO God and have consecrated themselves
Of paramount and preelninent importance! We are
living in time when It i the dream OF reformer s
moral to heal the evils of the time by dealing with
men and women Ell masse IN y are TO be housed
and fed in crowds and taught TO vote Py Gom o
and made cody by the excitement ana huAAaS Oh
religious meeting or gospel drill Or rostr.rt
acy since neye the World began for it Substitutes the
coercive power Of Official mechanism for the personal
,ayes OF eS for the solitary
Grafton of individual gifts And the worst OF such
substitution Is that it falls in so entirely Win our
meeting and hear an imprisoned appeal and note us
effect upon Others, and feel ourselves something Of
the pleasurabe experience OF quckened pulses u ana
excited emotions ana we go away ana trr say Mnd
must do great deal of good on tho contrary, there
is smallest certainty in such case OF any good
It all depends %6a upon %na what sep s
indeed upon the individual resolution Of those
e o largely ss uSon % es brought to
bear upon one so awakened from without. II IS per,
sOnal Interest and unweaed sOlcitude and individual
pleading and teaching. and warning, that under God
make OF awakened people steadfast Christian disciples,
and nothing else will make them SO; and 1t Is that
II does not undervae the Of religious excitement,
but it rates them at their true worth II does dot dis
Baptist but il follows that message with something
more and more personal, precisely as he followed his.
TRUE METHODS OF THE TRUE MISSIONARY.
Is there anything In the New Testament moro
eternaly significant as indicating the true methods Of
tine true missionary than the second Of the two verses
which have read TO you First Repent ye!' " Re
pent vel" "Repent yet" and then tears and clamor
and passion7 No. no! Then reformation Of conduct,
the righting Of wrongs, the telling Of the truth the
ennobng OF the life. Do violence TO man, neither
accuse any falsely. and be content with your wages
We are some Of us very much afraid OF a system OF
spiritual direction and II IL Is 10 degenerate into the
day concerning which, II any OF Is enamOred Of IT,
advise him 10 read Mr.. Cope's remarkable book TO
Rome and Backr) We may we'll be afraid Of il. But
there Is a place IN the spiritual life Of the Church for
the guidance. personal Individual particular by their
Instructed and experienced brethren OF the young, the
inexperienced, the doubling, the convert, the
stranger in our gates,7 which. than all other