Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-01-30

was great lest they should display the
ignorance Of which they are quite con-
soious. Such pulpit performances do
not rise to the level OF first class vau-
devtlle even. 1t is not even entertain
ing to sensible people, much less effec-
tive for bringing men to God. This
sort of thing has been thoroughly "trieo
OUT during the last few years by
certain preacher in London, who attract
ed much attention for a time by the
fact that he was the successor of the
great Joseph Parker; and his effort
has been an utter failure. More recent
knowledging and lamenting the fu-
tility Of his liberal league" He
is a man Of some gifts, and If he
had been as consecrated as Campbell
Morgan he might have been as
useful; but he has lost his chance to
do much good, and has wasted pre-
cious years in a type of pulpit folly
that has been often tried by far strong
er men with the same wretched results
We have had enough Of pretty serv-
ices and effeminate ritualism, and We
products poured forth upon waiting con-
gregations from the choir loft. Such
things can never hold and save strong
men.
We have had enough of busy-body
charity, tabulating statistically all the
sore toes of the community and potter
ing around with patent poultices for all
bodily ills, while never having a care
for the sin-sick souls of their fellow
men,. Our broken-hearted race can no.
be healed with an application of Shin
plasters."
Surely we have had more than enough
of meetings, assemblies, conferences,
and conventions, with their glowing ar
ray Of offices and officers, including
executive committees. with financial
functions, and secretaries to secure half
rates over railways and wise return
tickets. 1t is quite true that when we
abandon this superstition of ecclesias-
teal machinery so many machinists,
who have been living on comfortable
salaries, may lose their occupations that
for a season they will glut the labour
market with a surplus of unemployed
experts; but perhaps we can depend
upon our professional philanthropists to
take care of them until they can find
some really useful employment. At any
rate, we must get rid of much of this
cumbersome and numbering machinery
even If we have to pension these machin-
lists, who will with the abandonment
of the machines lose lucrative Jobs. 1t
will be better to put them on pensions
than to be bothered with them longer;
for they achieve next to nothing them
selves and delude multitudes into believ-
ing that some grist has been ground
to feed a hungry world because the
wheels of a petty piece of gabble-engin-
cry have been made to revolve rapidly
and smoothly before their eyes.
Nothing can Substitute with mankind
an experimental knowledge of God, and
this knowledge can be impaired by no
other means than the fervent preaching
of the gospel with the power of the Holy
Ghost sent down from heaven. Back to
that we must come, and 1t is time we
had begun to return to 1t. BY that
means Martin Luther reformed Ger
many and lifted all Europe to a new
level Of life. BY it John Knox saved
Scotland in his day, and by it the Yves
leys renewed the religious life Of Eng
land in their times. No other prescrip-
ton has ever been found effective for re-
deeming men and bringing them back
to God, and no other will work any
permanent and satisfying good in our
land and time. But it is not easy OF
application. Upon the part of preachers
and churches it involves fasting and
prayer sprung from a profound and 1iv-
ing faith in the forces of the spiritual
world. No Elisha can carry on work
!
| jah fall upon him with a double por-
ton Of the prophetic spirit; and no
such endowment will fall on any man
except upon one with an e.-e to per-
ceive the spiritual world into from
which the prophets of the former ages
have drawn their strength and to which
at the close of their careers they have
assembled. eff thou see me when I am
taken from thee. it shall be so unto
thee; but If not, it shall not be So.
So said Elijah to Elisha when the lat
ter asked the former that a double por-
ton of his prophetic JUNCTION might
come upon him; and the words are full
of meaning for the prophets OF the
present day. Have they any eyes for
| looking into the world of the spirit? II
not, how can they hope to exert spiritual
powers?