The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-01-18
PULPIT AND PEW.
news EXTRACTS or INTEREST
TO CHURCH PEOPLE.

-. sn,.c. Messenger HAS an Abidtnk
cs,oa.,es. Of the Divlae Presence
..,,on.,,.m or Positive Religion
,y,,ehs-poctrire OF Immortality
.,hr,s, was real preacher. called ano
uoln,ed OF the Holy Ghost. Tbs IL Is w"'
o,.,es the difference, more than learning
,ore than logic. and more than scholar
min between the true Gospel heralds and
he false. Gods chosen messenger has an
abiding consciousness Of the divine pres
snce. The Holy Spirit is in him, upon him.
,cd about him as an eyer-encompassing
,oltx. Under these influences be has quick
.,ed in soul, awakened in heart, aud with
.ar,lllng thoughts, bold and impassioned
sords. and earnest. enthusiastic manner,
a sends she truth deep down into the souls
men. The true preacher has deep and
,,,;ckenlng sense Of the responsibility on
ia work. lie has pure, solid, Christian
character, strong, innuenuai panho9o'
lie is a rlodel man, full, noble, broad. liz
Is the embodiment oil the Iuth 10
,,,man form. The word Is In his
,eart as a living experience, glowing
entbusiasis, an intense reality. Filled with
he power OF the Holy Spirit he takes SO
much Of the living word as has become
oart OF his spiritual life and with 1t strikes
AZ the hearts and c0nscicnces OF men
strikes until the truth burns down into the
,lepths OF their souls. The true preacher
1as nower over men. lie may not be pro-
found scholar; IL he is, 80 much the better;
hut he has great religious vitality, ne mas
living spiritual power within him, ana IN
der It's influence his audiences sven anu nls
church grows. lie has deep sympathy lot
men. lie studies them that be may adapi
himself to them. lie knows the reasoner,
and presents 20 him the ruin IN cieaI, CAIN
logic. lie has the power Of imagination 70
vrasp high aud glowing conceptions Of the
truth and 10 present invisible things as
though they were visible. He breaches the
invisible Christ as aB everything, ever
present Saviour. He has the Christ power
in his soul. lie has the power OF Invention
which requires sOul-absOrption, and soul
ABSORPTION Is the greatest power that man
can exercise over thought Christ, the
only perfect model, who spoke as never
man spake, delivered the spontaneous utter
ances of his great mind and heart. Inc true
creature is endued with power, spiritual
and invisible. The power Of Gods Spirit
IN all its majesty is ready % work through
the preachers words, Thoughts, tongue
ewes. soul, mind and heart for the salvation
III souls. The powers OF darkness must bt
oyertbrown and the nations brought 20 God
and the pulpit, with Its power OF head
he art and life. must be, as IL ever has been
the mightiest Of all agencies i'm accomplish
ing the grand wOrk.-Rey. ID. 5. Boden
hamer, in the Cumberland Presbyteri IN Re
view.
ali
In the course Of well-remembered dis
cussion. few years ago, Mr.. Fredoricl
Harrison described agn0sticism (if we ma
venture 70 put the comparison in our owl
words) as a sort Of neutral belt, which tn
mind must inevitably cross in its passag
from the older dOgmatism to the final RI
Ieion of humanity. Criticism in the thing
of faith, is mostly negatiVe-Or, at mildest
correctiye-of beliefs founded on imperfec
eyid. nee. The process of IL is what w
call ratiOnalism; and those who recall tn
dread In which that name was held by th
religious minds of halt century ago, u
comparison 10 the calmness with which
10 commonly admitted now, have key 3
the nature and extent OF the revolution W
have been passing through. The critical o
acknowledging process, then, has done II
perfect work when it has brought tn
mind 10 that balanced and neutral pos
ton, as TO all matters Of pure speculation
religious or even philosophical, which W
are agreed In calling agnOstic. And, b
general con cent again, this is the pOsltl0
reached, in substance, by a very large nun
Der OF those whose native afinities al
wholly with religious, and not with non-r
Iigious, modes of thought. SO that we flint
for example, Canon Fremantle, of II
Church of England, citing without rebui
the words Of a lecturer in divinity, WI
speaks OF "Christian agnostics," which q
says) "we must be content 70 be-" Nov
instead OF falling into alarm or despair
such n declaration as this, 10 has alwa,
been our opinion that we should accept
calmly, look 1t fairly in the face, and see
we can, exactly what IL means before "
can well Judge what we have 10 put in u
place OF IL. For we may take for granite
that we shall not be content TO stay Their
A position merely negative, merely critica
is surely one from which and effort TO me
the serious problems of human life mu
needs be vain and futile. MIR. Ha
risOn saws we must pass 10y
20 devote ourselves 10 what some call u
"worship," but what we should prefer
call the service of humanity. For ia
conviction or counsel OF his we have yel
great respect. But We are far from accep
ing il, for ourselves, as covering the who
ground. fOr-NnateNtT IL may De WI
creeds or systems which we would url
upon our fellow-men-we as individuals a
deeply conscious, at every critical mOmel
OF our lives. that we stand "face TO IA,
with the Eternal"; or. if we prefer Nj
Spencer's phrase, ''in the presence OF q
Eternal Force" from which all life proceed
or, IL we prefer the phrase Of Matthew A
mold, Of "the Eternal, not ourselves, Tn
makes for righteousness" Our first bus
ness, rs we feel at such a moment is
strand in true relation with that etenal fore
or EMBEDDING life; and this was from the b
ginning, is now, and ever will be the prop
business OF eligion.-Unitarian Review fC
January.