The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-10-05
WEDNESDAY EVENING.

WEDNESDAY, EVENING.
Despite the threatening weather a
large congregation assembled at 1880
to hear the addresses announced for
the evening. After selection by the
choir, Rev. F. M. Yates, of Dixon,
read part of Isaiah w. and offered
prayer. DIR. Stocking presented the
claims of Lombard University in an
able manner. He referred to the in
terest he has always felt in the uni
versity and claimed that such an in
stitution must be growth; it cannot
spring into existence all at once.
The university has in the past been
fortunate in the men who have stood
at the head-in it's Board of Trustees.
This board needs hearty support, the
influence and sympathy of every Uni
versalist, man and woman, in this
Convention. He mentioned the va
rious Presidents and paid fine trib-
ute to DR.. White and spoke in warm
terms of the work of DR.. Standish.
And with words of hope for the work
under the new President, DR.. G. E
Nash, he felt that with the hearty
support and influence of the Conven-
ton, it might go on with its progress
sive development till it should stand
second to none.
Rev. Frank McAlpine was the next
speaker who gave the splendid ad-
dress printed on the second page on
''The True Attractiveness of the
Church"-an address worthy of any
church or people. He was followed
by DR.. Crane in another address,
which for cogency and force was
rarely equalled. This was on the topic
"The Preaching Required by the
Age" 1t was delivered extempora-
neously, but the following abstract
of the leading points will give an idea
of its main drift. 1t was highly COM
mended as a needed word for the
| times.
The Preaching for Our Age.
| preaching for our Age, the subject Civ
en- me-" said DR.. Crane, implies some.
thing peculiar about this age. Some of
these peculiar things are: III 1t is "a scien-
tific age. By this we mean not only that
science has made vast improvement, as
is evidenced by the change in single
department, that of electricity. and the
fact that text book of ten years ago is
practically valueless, but that the age
has certain scientific trend. Science
tries to find out the facts of things
| Higher criticism is the science which
tries to find out the facts about the
Bible. Thus the age is carrying this
| spirit of investigation into all the depart
ments of life. Then it is an age of in
vention. There is great invention in all
directions. A large percentage of the
capital invested in the country is wasted
every year, owing to the changes neces
cry. There never was a time when
scientific principles were applied as in
this. Then it is an age of intense mater.
ialsm, of absorption in the things of the
world. 1t is socialistic age. Men are
studying social questions as never be-
| fore.
Zone other popularity is that it is an
age of doubt. The old doctrines are
doubted-our doctrines are doubted.
Many people doubt even the existence
of their own souls. You can't see stars
if you look always on the ground. You
can't see heaven if you always look the
other way. Then it is the age of the
environment. Men all have their eyes
turned out instead of in. They expect
to reform men and make them good by
changing their environment. You can't
make the world better by making the
environment all right. AS one has said,
much of our church work even is fussy
activity. What is then the preaching
for our age? 1t is not lecturing; not
scientific essays. Preaching is an effort
to do three things enlighten the mind
stir the heart and move the will. This
is the preaching for our age and all
ages. The wonderful thing about
Jesus's preaching is that it is adapted to
all men of all ages; it is SO because it
was addressed to man as man. The men
of today are like the men of Judea 1000
years ago. We sin, as they sinned; we
have the same sorrows as they had. We
are preaching to souls just as they were
in the Sayiour's time. The real condition
is the same; the new woman is just like
the old woman who used to sit in the
corner and knit stockings for us-the
same woman by nature and at heart
"You know sometimes a girl plays
Home. Sweet Home with variations,
so often that finally the variations are
all there is and the tune has been
dropped out. That is the danger Of
preaching to suit all these various states
and conditions. BY and by We have
lost the Gospel in the variations. l do
not believe in newspaper sermons. read
ing the newspapers to find themes