Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-05-23

nation TO thousands OF readers, their
impression OF the services TO be the
impression adopted by multitudes.
They are connecting links between a
sermon. or song. or prayer. and this
great population that tramp UP and
down the streets day by day and year
by year with their sorrows uncomfort-
ed and their sins unpardoned oh, the
hundreds OF thousands OF people in
our cities who never attend churches!
Our citses are not so much preached to
by ministers OF religion as by reporters.
Put all journalists into our prayers
and sermons. OF all the hundred thou
sand sermons preached today there
VIII not be three preached to iournal-
lists and probably not one. Or all the
prayers offered for classes OF men in
Vulnerable the prayers offered for the
most potential class will be so few and
rare that they will be thought a
preachers idiosyncrasy. There are
many Journalists in our church mem
serships, but this world will never be
brought to God until some revival Of
religion sweeps over the land and takes
into the kingdom Of God all editors,
reporters, compositors, pressmen and
newsboys. And If you have not faith
enough to pray for that and toll for
that you had better get out of our
ranks and join the other side, for YOU
are the unbelievers who make the
wheels OF the Lords chariot drag heav-
lily. The great final battle between
truth and error, the Armageddon, |
think, will not be fought with swords
and shells and guns, but with pens
quiH pens, steel pens. gold pens, foun-
tain pens, and before that the pens
must be converted The most divinely
nonOred weapon OF the past has been
the pen, and the most divinely honored
weapon Of the future will be the pen;
prophets pen and evangelists pen and
apostles pen, followed by editors pen
and authors pen and reporters pen.
COD save the peni The wings OF the
Apocalyptic angel will be the printed
page The printing press will roll
ahead Of Christ's chariot to clear the
way.
God and the Printing PresL
All things are possible with God, and
my faith is up until nothing in the way
or religious victory would surprise me-
All the newspaper printing presses Of
the earth are going to be the Lord s,
and telegraph and telephone and type
VIII yet announce nations horn in a
day The first book ever printed was
the Bible, by Faust and his son-in-law,
Schoeffer, in AGO, and that consecra-
ton of type TO the Holy Scriptures was
a prophecy OF the great mission Of
printing for the evangelization of all
the nations. The father of the Amer
lean printing press was a clergyman,
Rev. Jesse Glover, and that was
prophecy OF the religious use that the
gospel ministry in this country were to
make of the types.
Again, we shall see the secular press
as mightier reinforcement OF religion
and the pulpit by making our religious
utterances more interesting and spir-
tied, and then the press will reproduce
years ago a journalist said thing that
has kept me ever since thinking Are
you going to give us any points to-
day." What do you mean" | asked
He said, Il mean by that anything that
will be striking enough to be remem-
bered." Then / said to myself. What
right have we in the pulpits and Sun
day schools TO take the time OF the peo-
pie IL We have nothing to say that is
memorable" David did not have any
difficulty in remembering Nathan's
thrust, Thou art the man." nor Felix
in remembering Paul's point blank ut
terance on righteousness, temperance
and judgment TO come, nor the English
king any difficulty in remembering
what the court preacher said wheu.
during the sermon against sin. the
preacher threw his handkerchief into
the kings pew to indicate whom he
meant
The Church and the Press.
Now, as you all have something to
do with the newspaper press, either in
issuing paper or in reading IT, either
as producers or patrons, either as SELL
ers or purchasers of the printed sheet,
propose on the Lords day a treaty to
be signed between the church and the
printing press, a treaty to be ratified
by millions OF good people IL we right
ly fashion it, a treaty promising that
We will help each other in our work of
trying TO illumine and felicitate the
world, We by voice, you by pen, We by
speaking only that which Is worth
printing. you by printing only that
which is fit to speak. You help us,
and we will help you. Side by side be
these two potent agencies until the
judgment day, when we must both be
scrutinized for our work. healthful or
blasting The two worst off men in
that day will be the minister OF relig-
ion and the editor IL they wasted their
opportunity. Both of rs are the en-