The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-14

Anger now mingled with Indignation aS
| the man shouted, 'Wha redeemed asF
The old divine, still In the same mild way,
reminded him, 1T was the Lord Jesus
Christ that redeemed you, John, and then
asked, further, "Wha sanctihed you, Johni'
Scott, now thoroughly aroused, roaTed
out, "WhA sanctlhed MEi' The clergy
man paused, looked at him calmly, and
said; 1T was the Holy Ghost that sanctihed
you, John Scott, n, indeed, 70 be sanctifed.
| Sit ye doom, my man, and learn your ques-
lions better the next time 70 como 70 tho
oatechizinRS The shepherd was never
able TO hold his head up In tho parish there
after. %.
One Of our authors clerical friends used
10 tell the story Of a shoemaker who In
formed bis minister that he was spiritually
| In bad way because he was not sure OF
bis title 10 the Kingdom Of Heaven, and
that he was physically bad because that
sweep, his landlord, had given him notice
TO quit, and he would have nowhere TO lay
his head The minister could only adj
wise him 10 lay his case before the Lord.
A week later the minister returned and
| found the shoemaker busy and merry.
THAT was gran advice ye gied me, Minis
ter said the man; i laid my case before
the Lord, as ye tell't mean moo the sweeps
deid.' From the regular Presbyterian
clergy, our author turns to the street
preachers, who have long figured among
the influences at work In the large towns
Of Scotland for arousing the lower Glasses
TO a sense Of their duties. The most effect
i've Of these itinerant eXhorters he has ever
listened to was q noted character In Edln-
burgh during the later years Of the last
half Of the nineteenth century. This man
used TO spend the forenoon and afternoon
Of every Sunday in fitting from church
TO church and listening TO the sermons, Of
each Of which, however, he would stay to
hear only a small portion. In the evening,
not only Of Sundays, but Of weekdays,
he would hold forth from a chair or barrel
outside the west gate Of st. Giles and gather
around him a crowd Of loafers from the
High street, who would interrupt him now
and then with ribald remarks, but who
often met with such a rebuke as turned
the laugh against them. On one occa-
sion this street preacher was depicting
to the people the terrors Of the day Of judg-
ment. Aye said he, some Of you that
mock me the day will be comm up TO me
then and sayin': Bobby, yen mind us,
we aye cam to hear ye.' But I'll no help ye.
Maybe yen think to cling on to my coat
tails, but I'll cheat ye there, for I'll put on
a jacket He was fond Of SMILES that
could bring home to the rough characters
around him the truths he sought to inn
press. He was once denouncing the in
gratitude Of man for all the benefits oon-
ferred onhlm by Providence. my friends,
he said, slook at the hens when they drink.
There's not ane o. them but LITE It's held
In thandulness, even for the water that Is
sac common. Oh, that we were a. hensl'
Many anecdotes about the somnolence
prevalent In Presbyterian churches, owing
partly TO the length and technicality OF
the sermons, and partly to the effect Of dx
days Of toll on many members of a conRre-
cation, have long been In circulation. We
are told that In one Scottish church the
preacher after Sunday service walked
through the hrkyard With one Of his farmer
parishioneTs and remarked 10 him, wasn't
it dreadful to hear the Laird Of Todholes
snoring 30 loud through the segmonp'
Perfectly fearful was the answer. sHe
waukened us a. Two or three genera
tons ago q similar incident was said TO have
occurred at Goban under the ministTatons
Of well known clergyman, who, IN the |
midst OF his sermon, stopped and called
out, Bailey Brown, ye mauna more sac
loud, for yen wHuken the Provost Now
and then a reproof from the pulpit has
drawn down on the minister q sarcastic
reply from the swakened sleeper, as In the |
case OF the drowsy farmer who was startled |
out Of his slumber by the minister calling |
on him to arouse himself by taking pinch |
Of SNUFF, and who blmted out; Put the |
snuff In the sermon, SIR
II has sometimes been made a matter Of |
reproach to the clergy Of the Scottish church |
that. although they spend more time over |
the preparation OF their sermons and place |
them on a higher intellectual level than |
IL common in the Anglican Communion, !
they fall short Of their brethren south Of |
the Tweed In the assiduty Of their vista !
ton Of their people. Our author points |
out that, where a parish extends over an |
area Of many square miles, 1t must OBJ |
viously be difficult for the minister to move |
freely and constantly among his parishion-
ers. 30 as 10 be in close touch with all Of |
them In their mundane as well as their
spiritual affairs. In such cases the minister
finds It necessary to arrange the time Of
bis visits, which are thus apt to become
somewhat formal ceremonies, announced
beforehand and prepared for by those 70
whom notice is given, For one reason or
another It is certain that the effect Of cleri-
cal infuenoe In Scotland may be distin-
Rhshed rather In the theological bent OF
the people than in their moral behavior.
Our author would not deny that the high
standard OF conduct held up In the pulpit,
and generally conformed 70 by the clergy
themselves, has not prevented the statistics
Of drunkenness and Megdmacy In Scotland
from attaining an menviable notoriety.
He adds however, that mo one can turn
over the pages Of the records Of kirk ses-
sions and presbyteries without obtaining
q deep impression Of the untiring earnest
ness and devotion with which the Church
has struggled against the two great ma
tional sins