The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-11-11
OUR FIRST Duty REV.
Mr.. KR0M'S SUBJECT.
Eloquent and Practical Sermon
Preached at Morning Service in
Beneficent congregational Church

Al the morning service in the Beneh-
cent Congregational Church sunday a
large congregation listened TO an elo-
aueni and practical discourse on "our
First Duty" by the pastor Rev Asbury
T. Krom. His text was:
Ecclesiastes $40. Nv hstsoever my
hand findeth TO do. do n with thy
might" Rev Mr.. Krom said:
There Is perhaps no man I'm this coun-
try whose words are heard and read With
more interest than those of President
Eliot OF Harvard
This applies not only TO his atterances
upon the subject OF education. bat Ia the
statements made from time to time upon
social political .pd religious matters.
Upon the subj ct OF religion his words
are weighed by thoughtful men ard
women because they are confident that
he speaks not as partisan but as man
with unprejudiced conviction.
On last Monday he spoke before the
meeting Of the Methodist preachers In
Boston Among other things he is report
ed to have spoken az follows.
81 consider the forms OF Christian ac
tivity. AS | see them I'm the various
churches the activities seem too intel
lectual and emotional ON the part OF the
preacher. and 10 call too little for the
work of the recipient OF the preaching
hear all kinds OF preaching from the Jew
10 the Roman Catholic. In all these
kinds of preaching | am not called on TO
work. The minister Is and am taking
Il In. ] fnd II does me no good 10 get my
emotions stirred up unless can do
something about IL all"
His remarks called forth "A significant
reply IL was answered The church is
steadily capturing the world. IL H. going
forward and shattering the old system
of Buddhism and grinding into dust the
system OF Confucius and all the books OF
India"
AS MAN IN THE PEW.
There are certain salient points here
that need IA b. e-aetea- president eliot Is
speaking as a man In the pew and voices
the feeling of thousands OF men and
women I'm our Christian churches. His
words are especially instructive TO min
listers. IL we could have on Monday morn
ing a laymen's meeting In our church.
representing the various churches OF this
city. where laymen might speak and
clergymen listen II would he exceedingly
profitable In every respect.
But there Is more TO be noted. Not only
does he voice the feelings OF men and
women who are anxious TO do something
or who ought to do something and find
nothing TO do. but he points out the dan
ger OF having our emotions stirred on
Sunday and nothing coming from 1t. Az
ter time the emotions themselves grow
tired OF being deceived. The result Is
lukewarmness, coldness death.
Religion is not warm. sympathetic
feeling. It is warm sympathetic action.
Furthermore without this action the min
lister is robbed OF the opportunity for his
best service In the pulpit. No small part
OF the poor preaching today Is due TO a
lack OF innate ability coupled with a
want OF hard. stern application. But II
tof
young man dies early as preacher be-
cause he Is called upon to minister 10 the
dead.
little more than year ago J was
asked 20 deliver an address before the
Autumnai conference of the Rhode ISL
and Congregational ministers. ! took oc-
cacion TO point out some OF the weak
nesses and frailities OF the cloth un-
derstood that was rather severely crit
fcised In certain quarters for my pains.
This was encouraging. When the patient
fiinchss tho doctor can feel certain that
ne has touched the seat OF the disease.
OFFICE OF THE PREACHER.
Ii was suggested ir that paper that the
office OF the preacher was TO gather mp
the scattered threads OF the week-a-day
experience and weave them into some or
der. But suppose there are no expert
ences Suppose that nothing vital is
done. A sermon. like house that l.
built on the sand. will, not stand. Emo
tional preaching without action Is fatal
20 the hearers. intellectual preaching
without action on the part OF the hearers
IL an empty void.
There is yet a third remark to be made
and that In relation 10 the reply that was
made TO the criticism OF President Eliot.
IL was said that Christianity was shat
tcring the old system OF Buddhism and