The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-06-23

pulpit the simplicity and ~1ehaefhe9s "
Lat.mcr and Bunyau, and Il saFt 10 "
T. cntier. OF America preachers OF "hoii4
the country Was not WORTHY. @oHe
tho latter had been MS helpers anu
1rev HIM personally; all respected ana
most Of them reVercnced him. Inc u
rectne,s. the originality, the sImilicttE o.
this home-pun preaching was altei u
own heart. and Il was determined 10 no
small extent. the character CT the Amer
can pulpit It appealed boldly TO Inc TH>
of responsibility. 10 the aWakehed CoA
science. % that human love Which Whefe-
ever it exists responds promptly 70 eAe
declaration Of the love OF Cos IN Jesus
Christ; it appealed just a. boldis 70 ING
consciousness OF immortality. And great
were it. trlumphs.
The passing Of Calyini-m IN II more re-
pucnant forms was accomplished. 70 pe
.rre. bv the union OF influences. OF winch
the preaching OF Wesley and his Arnln-
iane va. only one. SO. too. the cXaltlng
81 the living Christ TO the throne OF mod
err religious society.
A. Hegel remarks, the great man ! Ne
who best embodie> the constructive spirit
Of hi, age. who best accords IN hl- &C
~tjyItieS with the forces that are shaping
the new epoch. And this i WeSleys
glory. He purified and elmpl1fed existing
thfology. he made 1t reconcIlable with
he ONLY conception of Coo tcnatle IN an
enlightened and sympathetic age. lie
came not with subtlctlcs OF cXcsesIs but
with the plain sense Of the New Iesta-
nent; not with paradoNes o. m~etaphyslc7
but with appeals of the eternal rove 81
God: and. instead of ethical pldtlludS9
and doctrinal opinions. he offered lie 70
the dead and JOY to the unhappy. re
urged not a maximum but a minimum
~credcudum and yet he sought Tor Inc
maximum OF spiritual power. This he OBJ
tanned rather by the dllgent proclama-
! ton and application OF a few cardinal
truths than by the exposition OF a perfect
" articulatcd theoretical system. Herein
Re disclosed his affinity with minds like
Newton: he made the doctrines OF SPIRIT
Ial energy is brief, rs simple, as produc-
tive, as Sir I-aac's principles Of motion
And the enthusiasm that alarmed am
oSaspcratcd his contcmpo1a ares = the
heart Of modern religion. From earnest
souls Of every type comes the cry, II
God has ever revealed himself 10 mortal
men, surely lie j. wiling 10 do 50 now
And the inward witness that Wesley Wa
: driven to proclaim under the open sky i
the boon OF a great multitude who are
.practicing the presence of Cod
Organized Methcdlom IS imposing IT
numbers, in wealth, IN machinery. IT
has developed differently III England and
in America. but wherever it Is powerful.
it displays It's characteristic genius; IN
~si~tencc upon immediate decision fol
/, Christ and upon the truths OF the Gospc
which arc vcrifiablc in human experience
aud productive Of divine life III men and
in communities. Whatever Wesley might
disapproye, he would delight to fine
among his descendants thousands who arc
answering Gibbons malignant indlctmen1
Of Christianity, as he did. by invoking ano
employing for the transformation OF 50
! ciety the energy that the historian ar
raigned as the destroyer OF the ancient
civilization. And this IS the mission 0
Methodism. The character Of the agl
requires that it be conceived gTandly anc
prosecuted divincly. Mcthodlsts Will for
felt the name they have made splendid
if they cannot devise methods equal tt
the emergencies and opportunities OF the1
development and environment. But t.
sacrifice blood to bulk, central energy t
pcripheral ~disploy. arc the temptation
that besct such colossal organizations
From these the renewed study Of Joh1
Wesley, of his IDEAS and his methods
may help TO deliver us.-The Congrega
tiOnalist.