The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-01-01

be an opportunity higher. deeper.
grander than that offered to news
paper evangelism. name it and guide
us to It. that we may see its altara, its
pillars. its domes. its inflnitudei
Again. notice there is room for a
| religious paper thoroughly humani-
tartan. The simple fact is the major
ity of the human race have not enough
to eat or wear. The majority of the
human race are in trouble. How to
multiply loaves of bread and increase
the fuel and heal the wounds and shell
ter the homeless, are questions that
Christ met equally as soon as he did
spiritual necessities. The first heart
to respond to the cry of sufferers from
drought. or food. or earthquake, or
cruelty. should be the Christian heart.
Therefore. let the pages of religious
journalism spread out the story of all
such woes, and collect relief. and dis
burse aims oil around our suffering
world.
Again. / notice that there Is an espe.
cial mission for religious journal
truthfully optimistic. The most op-
timistic book know is the Bible. and
its most impressive authors were all
optimists. David was on optimist
Paul On optimist. st. John an optimist.
Our blessed Lord IN optimist. I can
not look upon q desert but am by the
Old Book reminded that it will "blos.
som like ss the rose" I cannot In q
neuagerie look upon lion and q
leopard but 1 am reminded that "a lit.
tie child shall lead them" 1 cannot
see q collection of gems in jewelers.
window without thinking OF Heaven
aflash and ablaze and incarnadiued
and empurpled with all manner of
precious stones. cannot hear O
trumpet but I think of that one
which shall wake the dead. All
the ages of time, bounded on one
side by the paradise in which Adam
and Eve walked. and on the other
side by the paradise which st. John
saw in apocalyptic vision. The Scrip
lures optimistic and their authors OPP
timistic, all religious newspapers oug ht
to be optimistic Not only should ell
ministers and ell religious editors have
their hearts right. but their liver
right. The world has enough trouble
of Its own, without our giving them
an extra dose in the shape of religion.
This world is going to be saved, and If
you do not believe 1t you are an infidel.
None of US want to get on board a
train. which. instead of reaching the
depot, is surely going down the EN-.
bank ment. All aboard for the millen-
mum! For the most part. in a religi-
Gus journal. let the editorials be cheer
full aud the pictures cheerful. II in
one column there be q ghastly wood
cut of the famine-stricken in India,
In the next column have list of con-
tributions for alleviations of the
suffering, or picture of a ship
carrying bresdstuffs- If In one column
thare be the death Of an old minister
of the gospel whom we cannot spare.
In the next put the name of some
young Elisha who can wear the man
tie of Elijah. If some evil of society
is depicted in one column, in the next
show the gospel machinery that is to
drive it back into the perdition from
which it ascended. More aud more sun
shine let there be in religious Journal
Ism. II anyone has anything gloomy
to say, let him say 1t to himself If he
must write it, let him not send 1t to
editorial rooms, but put 1t Ia, the
pigeon-hols of his own desk for
his heirs and assigns to read it fur
ther on. for probably they can stand 1t
better than we. once gave 81 to hear
Jenny Lind sing; never will give
cent to hear a man groan- Up with
the blinds and throw back the shut
ters and let the morning light come
in! There Is not so much religion in
the dampness of a cellar as in the
breath of an apple orchard ia blossom
week. What victory David got over
himself when he closed the Psalms
with six chapters of Praise ye the
Lord" saying II over and over again.
until, in any other book, 1t would have
become monotonous If In our diaries,
and our family records, and our reli-
gious newspapers we would write two
honest catalogues, the one catalogue
of blessings, and the other a catalogue
of troubles, the former would be Ave
times larger than the latter.
Pray for the religious newspapers of
America, because OF the fact that, II
they have the right spirit. each one
does as much good as i've, or SO. or 200
churches What are the 500 or 5000
people making up Sabbath audience
compared with the 10000, or $4,000, or
300, 900 that the religious Journal ad-
dresses? Such journals are pulpits
that preach day and night. They
reach people in their quletude, when
their attention is not distracted, as in
church, by the lue millinery that ap-
peals to the eye, OF the rustic of attire
that attracts the ear. 1t will always
be our duty aud our privilege not to
forsake the assembling of ourselves to-
Eether, but / believe the consecrated
printing press is the chief agency un-
der God to save the world.
Pray also for the religious newspa-
pers of America, that they may resist
the temptation TO become scerb. harsh
and damnatory of those who think diff
ferently from themselves In all de-
nominations there are disappointed
people who put mean things In re-
ligious newspapers about ministers and
other prominent Christian workers
Unsuccessful men and women never
like successful men and women. There
are editors and reporters who, instead
of writing with ink. dip their pens In
oil of vitriol or laupblack. When o
religious newspaper does lie it beats
all secular journalism In contempti.
bility. That only Is O helpful news
paper which, ss we fold 1t up after
reading, leaves Us in q mood to pray
for oil men, and In o spirit that wishes
prosperity for all Christian workers,
whether they work our way or some
other way.
Pray also for religious journalism.
that 1t may be alert-not abreast OF
the times, but ahead of the times. In
this day, when by eablegram we seem
to get from Europe news five hours
before It starts, we do not want In our
religious columns information scis-
sored out of an old newspaper, or IN.
formation sent by means of a letter
which comes to us through the dead
letter post office because 1t was misdi.
rscted. The secular newspaper gives
the secular news, and does not pretend
to give its religious meaning. The
religious press ought to put all the
events of the day in companies, regi-
ments and brigades, and show us in
what direction that divinely disci-
plined host is marching, and let US
know what victories for God and
righteousness they will win. The Chris
tianized printing press is to do In our
time on large scale what the batter.
ing ram was Ia olden times on g small
er scale. The old war machine was
sta,t fiYnhsr hunu he chains to q beam