The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-12-22

tions are often completely unknown, or
ganizes series of meetings in the near
est crossroads school house. Then there
ds certain amount Of interest through
the countryside, q spasmodic awaken
ing of half-forgotten instincts, and the
meetings are attended more or less
faithfully according TO the strength OF
the preachers personality or his skill
In aroussng the emotions of his hearers.
Sometimes conversions are reported or
souls are said to have been saved. The
preacher, after a time, goes on his way,
the public meetings cease, and the COM
munity relapses into its ordinary habits
and ways. II is sad TO observe that.
generally speaking, the converted or
saved persons revert, like the rest, 10
their former standards Of life and prac-
tice. They have had no duties of a re
ligi0us nature impressed upon them, no
rule of personal devotion has been set
before them, and family prayers are not
introduced. The conversion thus stands
by itself, and is sometimes appealed 70
long afterwards as giving the assurance
of heavenly bliss
''IJhe season which commentaries
the coming Of the Son Of Man is one of
holy memory and of glorious hope"
says the New York Outlook. 1T is also
one of sober warning, When the Son Of
Man cometh, shall he find faith? This
question, which Jesus asked, is as fit
for this time as for that time. At that
time the Son of Man had come at a
critical period for the Jewish church
and state, to put truth and earnestness
in place of tradition and policy, justice
and mercy in place of tithe-paying and
8. I1,,-
the time of her deliverer He found no
faith, and she found no redemption.
The Christian church has dwelt upon
this fatal mistake of the Jewish church
in singular forgetfulness of the warning
il gave to the Christian ages, warning
accentuated by Jesus question. That
question, Shall he find faith?' evidently
expresses a presentiment that the ex-
perieuce of the Son of Man in that time
would be repeated in after time. The
thoughtful reader of church history
must confess that the presentimenE has
been verified. AS Elijah came again, so
Jesus said, in John the Baptist, and
they knew him not so the Son Of Man
has come from age to age in Christ
filed men, only to experience the faith
less rejection which he met in Judea."
II player - pidNlACdl Illu6
Bible represents it to be, and that it is
seen to be in the ten thousand ways in
(which ii accomplishes things Of the
Lords doing that are marvellous in our
eyes" says the Chicago Advance
(Cong), how diligently should We
study its nature. seek TO understand the
conditions of its successful exercise,
and cultivate that divine skill, that
pious deftneSs. and heroic faith and
by which we come to an habit
ual confidence that we shall be both
heard and answered. Above all things
we have need to guard against making
it something which it is not, 50 that it
shall become to us a merely formal sub
jectiye, and sentimental affair Of the
smallest practical utility. If prayer is
conceived as a dumb-bell exercise, or
the doing of a merciful deed as when
one leads his horse ITO the watering
place. or the cultivation Of religious de-
sires by ceremonies of worship, or any
other of the many things which the car
nal mind inventS as a substitute for the
read matter. il becomes practically
worthless and often invites the scorn of
men. One of the suresp signs of relig-
ious declension appears in mental re-
hgious ideas, and the church is in a
sorry state when the common mind Is
not clear as TO what is meant by the
of righteous man that
avadleth much in its working"
PHan6