The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-05-12
CLINTON, N G, THURSDAY MAY 12 1892

Raleigh, and preaching IL with srch
nncfsun that Scsxsn gyananr sc il reaches
Boston. Then comes call, and ia ne-
ccfnbcr. iss1. the crowds Of American
A;hsr are gathering 70 hear the nrw
voice. In lsSs New York wanted him,
and az the solicitation oE the Twenty.
third Street Baptist charrh BIO took
charge of that society. Very saon after
his arrival il ouigTew its church ac-
eomfnodations and had 20 avail itself Of
Association hall.
These barren outlines Of rapid success
can only he filled in by living color Mh,-a
we come 10 know tie man. And IL IL
personal contact with and a better
knowledge Of Mr.. Dixon which enable
me to estimate tho genuineness and the
promise of his work.
The first thing that wen mo. and
think viii win anybody who makes his
acquaintance, Is his ingrained. uncon.
scious and simple manliness-
Lot me add that 10 Is scholar.
and what Is better, student: that he
keeps abreast Of the best thoughts la
every intellectual field and watches the
panorama of events with untiring eye.
You cannot imagine what ''nowneSsN
this gives TO his sermons. When he tells
the ''old. old story" of divine love e
wears q contemporaneous interest. IL Is
no longer an historic statement. but
living force. energizing the speaker and
winning the listener. When he illus
trates the point Of discussion. il is from
the live issues of the honr, and you feel
that religion is not under a bushel, but
is inwrought with the destinies Of the
race and the fate Of nations.
That young spirit like his attracts
about him large concousses Of intelli-
gent young people is no. surprising.
They understand each other. They
want vital religion. Either religion
Is dramatic fact of the moment and
means character in action, or it is a
dead tradition. To feel what il is YOU
must Join the wide awake congregation
at Association hall.
A recent writer in n metropolitan
journal says that thiB is the largest
Protestant congregation in New York.
To me II was ut the first view one of the
most interesdng-there was so little
dead wood in it. 1t is possible TO have a
great audience room full, and most OF
the people in it empty. Assemblages of
hstless churchgoers are not rare sights
1t may be prosaic and uneventful duty
TO saunter to church. 1t may be q social
necessity or matter of flaccid curiosity
1t may be an ingrained habit or an in
heritance. Thousands of exemplary
people walk beaten track because 1t is
beaten.
Something of vital interest shone in
all these young faces. There was a
splendid robust unanimity when they
sang one of the old songs of Zion. The
earnest faces stirred one. The presence
of 80 much wide awake, intent human
ity was like an electric atmosphere.
thought then, and ] think now, that
the clarion call of this young preacher
that had sounded from the heights of
our immediate opportunities and called
this assemblage together, also woke up
in every young man that was present
some new echo of moral heroism down
deep in his own consciousness. And !
take the liberty of adding the very posi-
tive belief that such moral heroisln, with
constant example of work before it.
must manifest itself in O million minute
channels of actual life by an awakened
desire to be about the Masters work be-
fore the day is fled.
Late last autumn l spent day with
AIR. Dixon at his delightful little home
on Staten Island. ! shall long remem-
Der the charming hospitality of his
handsome wife and the romp had with
his almost equally handsome boy. II is
at such condolences that you find out the
heart of man. We sat there on the
eyrie where this young eagle had built
his nest, with the sea at our feet and
the pagodaed beaches of Long Island
floating liks gray, enchanted islands in
the opal waters. 1t was then he told
me of the work he had to do.
felt that this energizing young apos-
tie marked the renaissance of new Chris
tian endeavor and a new Christian So
cialism.
1t is very difficult to sum up the dis
tinctive oratorical qualities of Mr..
Dixon. Eloquence has many sides. But
it is proper to say that he is at this mo-
ment one of the conspicuous personal
factors in TIE progressive church move
ment. His industry is untiring, his pur-
pose unfiinching, and to his work he
brings all the interest and fascination Of
live apprehensions. a brilliant fancy and
rich vocabulary.
That you will ever feel the touch of
his personal magnetism in reading his
sermons must not be expected. He can
not interest the eye :snd speak with i'm
mediate contact on the printed page.
but yOu cannot read him without COM
ing abreast of the live row, and feeling
that the interests of religion fhrob in the
thoughts and events of the restless pres
ent, and you viii recognize the bravery
and manliness that have made his ser.
mons already an aggressive delight, for
they assailed private and public vices
fearlessly, and held up to open scorli
some of the skulking wrongs of life in
the metropolis so intrepidly that he
forced public attention to them.
should not be surprised to see Mr..
Dixon in another year IN a great city
temple, the center of a vast community
of practical working evangelists, him
self another Spurgeon or Parker. but
still the frank. manly and humble young
missionary Of the people.
NYM CRrKTE