The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-07-07
SENDING
THE NEWS
To HEAVEN
SOME PREACHERS TRY TO
TELL GOD WHAT THE
WORLD is Do
ING.
They Forget That God Knows
All Things, Searches All
Hearts, and Does Not
Need News.

vices should be always fmperson-
al. The most successful preach
erS are those who can thunder
against wrong in such abstract
ways that every member of the
congregation can pick out some
other as mark of the preacher
righteous wrath. Naming names,
or SO clearly indicating individ-
uals as to brand them in the eyes
of the congregation, would not
be charity, even in a sermon.
The negro preacher who an
nounced that he had detected a
member of his congregation in
chicken stealing, and threatened
to hurl a missile at him, did
not need to- be more specific.
When, with the missile in hand,
he struck the attitude for hurting
it. that brother in front pew,
who ducked, named himself
Neither was this christian char
ity in the strictest sense OF the
word. But it had in it more of
the essence of charity then
would be in quality of sermon
which would designate, clearly
enough for the general identified
ton, any member OF the congre-
CATION as being guilty OF deadly
sins.
To grow personal in a prayer
is not only uncharitable but is
highly ridiculous. A prayer is
heard by, but not addressed to
those present. It is spoken to
one, who, knowing all things and
searching all hearts may safely
be assumed to have advance
knowledge of any shortcoming
OF any member of any flock. If
one OF the brethren in congre-
CATION looking for evidence OF a
brothers guilt shall happen to
find it. he may he sure the Lord
knew it first. Wherefore that
member Of a church. who ask
ed: ooh. Lord. help tire official
board OF this church to deliver
us from the black-hearted demon
i'm our mlidst who now seeks to
celebrate the second anniversary
OF his advent in this church, !"
was so far as Omniscience was
concerned. going to wholly un-
necessary trouble for purposes of
identification. If there is black
hearted demon in that congrega-
ticn, the fact was known to di-
vinitv before ever it was known
to him who pretended to be tell
ing the Lord something he didn't
know. The result of his wholly
useless gosSiping was that the
only member Of the congregation
who was about to celebrate the
second anniversary OF his con-
nection with the church walked
to the front at the conclusion OF
the service and called the repor-
ter to the Throne Of Grace liar.
The reporter reported with a
blow in the face which was NOT
returned. a fact seeming TO indi-
cate that the black hearted de-
mon has more OF the Christian
grace OF humility than has the
advisor of the Lord.
A just human view OF such a
situation as this was handed
down by the Supreme court OF
New York a year or two ago. A
self-righteous husband had, at
family prayer. fallen into the
habit OF relating to higN1 heaven
what he called his wife's faults
and weaknesses and imploring
Divine forgiveness for her sins
and a better understanding OF
her duty. Exasperated beyond
endurances at last the poor wo-
man one morning seized the fam
ilv Bible and hurled it at his head
and he sued for divorce. TIE
wife filed cross bill in which
this humiliation in the presence
of their children was set out.
The court in granting the wife
a decree. witt, liberal alirmony,
pointed out what it called the
/ or,or.,,nitu Of the husbands on