Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1908-05-21

system of truths by which he hoped Il
do his work, Mr.. Metzger replied that hs
recognized the courtesy OF the question
on account of his peculiar position, but
could not frame a creed which would bs
satisfactory to many students of theolo.
gy. He believed, he said, in Jesus
Christ; that the practice of Christianity il
more important than its verbal profess
sion; that it should dominate the life
every day in the week and not be con-
fined to the observance of Sunday wor-
ship; that the minister should be more q
prophet than priest, and should stand
before the people to lead them, to make
their lives devoted and consecrated to
what is holy.
In reply to third query from the mod
orator as to the activities OF the church.
Mr. Metzger gave it as his opinion that
they must vary with location. All
churches cannot work in the same way,
but each must be governed by the COM
munity in which it works. 1t must
reach every side of men and women and
make their lives better, make them more
honest, their homes more pure, the play
Of boys and girls clean and right. 1t is
not the place of the church to censure,
but to stand where Jesus did, to inspire.
The church must measure up to its oppor-
tunities to lead men God-ward, to make
them play and play right. That is the
highest expression of faith, greater than
any verbal testimony. Revelation is not
confined to Holy Scripture, but is written
in the hearts of men.
Rev. Mr.. Sweet put question in re-
gard to conversion and received the an
swer that conversion is not confined to
any one method. When a man is con-
verified suddenly to the truth, he may ex-
perience great change, but most of us
come gradually to the truth through
teaching and the environment of Chris
tian home, and so grow in grace and a
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ.
The installation service in the evening
was largely attended. 1t was preceded by
the minutes of the council, read by the
scribe, Rev. j. B. Sargent of Mortified,
who announced that the members had ex-
pressed commentator Of Mr.. Metzger
and his work and had voted unanimously
to proceed with the installation.
A beautiful voluntary was played by
the organist, Miss Edith Marcott, and a
chorus choir of q dozen voices sang the
hymns and anthems of the service, which
included an exquisitely rendered duet by
Miss NJ. Blanche Sparhawk and Miss Sa-
rah Chedel Rev. w. /. Chalmers of Riv-
erhead, L. l., offered the invocation, and
Rev. d. II. Strong of Williamstown read
the Scripture lesson.
The sermon OF the occasion was de-
ivered by President Buckham, who took
his text from Revelation 11:15-"The
kingdoms of this, world are become the
Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ,
and He shall reign forever and ever"
The kingdom of God is not an empire but
a sovereignty. Who does not know that
the one irrepressible instinct of the soul
is to know God and to be at peace with
him. God has in every heart an advocate
who will not suffer Him to be set aside.
'sIf they will not have this Man to reign
over them,' He reigns over them never
theless.
Many early Christians, believing the
end of all things to be close at hand,
Withdrew themselves from life and neg
lected the things of the world. We learn
this from Apostolic injunctions as to pro-
viding for their own households. What
they failed to do was on account of the
novelty of their situation, but to canon
ize them for it, to look upon them as
furnishing models Of Christian life is abb
Suru. some men now lack sympathy
with those activities that make up the
bulk of human life. Some think they
are too good to take any part in politics.
To be Christian in their minds is to
have certain feelings and to do certain
devotional acts.
Men have their worldly and devout
faces, their profane and religious lam
guages. They separate what should be
compliments of each other, and make re-
ligion something formal, something to be
done once in a week. From this it is but
a step to doing ones religion by proxy or
TO purchasing it. Now turn to the New
Testament. The true solution of the
question is not subserviency to the
world, not hostility, not compromise,
but appropriation Of the world. This is
Christ's relation to it and the relation OF
all who are Christ's. He was to possess
the world, not only all the men in it, but
all the life of it. He was not to rule in
the church, while another power rules the
world. Secular life and religious life are
to be blended in one, with the Spirit ami
mating all. We are not to be like the
miner who works in the bowels of the
earth and comes up Sunday for breath