Year: 1879

lead the way to repudiation was to put Christ to an
open shame.


SENTIMENT AND sESsATToSALIsM.


1t was the glory of the doctrinal preaching OF the
past generation that its aim was conscience. II its
error was metaphysics. its motive was to forge .
mighty lever to work upon men, andit produced
its effect. AT the present time there was
q. great deal of sentiment in religion.
amount of moral teaching that could be only ad-
dressed to the imagination 1t had not the strength
but had all the weakness of the past heologies No
fault was TO be found with sentiment in religion,
unless II was of the dusive kind that accomplishes
no good in men. 1t might throw iridescent hues
upon the imagination, yet man might sit thou
sand years under such preaching and it would have
no more power to strengthen his good impulses than
ful thing to shine lovers when they were walking
and talking in the evening, but it would be poor
business to read by its light. Sentiment in religion
has right to live. but when it is the dominant ele-
ment it can do no good. it only pleases.


Sensationalism was another feature OF modern
religion. Much of the sensationalism attributed to
the pulpit was really created in the newspapers 1t
was quite in the power of reporter to sit in con-
gregation and when a preacher in the glow Of his
subject forgot his grammar and struck out right and
left to take notes of just those fervd odd extrava
CANT or humorous utterances which strike most
print the next morning. 1t was as II a man had
picked up beetle and had presented it as speci-
men of summer in North America. 1t was not
the breadth of the discourse. its direction
or its power that was given. It was easy
to pull ont plum here and p%m
and set laughing. Who the sensationalist? !?
II was not the man who was msrepresented, but the
man who misrepresented him. There was not unfre-
quenty another variety OF sensationalsm into which
the preacher was forced by the pews. That man was
orthodox who attracted great many listeners and
rather weak brother who could not raise the wind
Something must be done to pay the interest on the
debt and the running expenses. In this case who
the sensationalist-the pastor the people? or
it both of them together? On the other hand.
and matter from those outside of the
Church. The true test was not IN the ex
terror 1t was question OF bringing Forward the me
FORMS Let the preacher take such means to lift his
people to higher plane shall be agreed upon be-
tween them 1t was no other business 1t was an
impertinence in any community to go into a church
and dictate to the minister what he should preach
Woe to that system of preaching which attempted to
run all sorts Of men out of one little hole man
had right to differ from his fellow men. But while
individuality was permissible in the pulpit the sem
sational in religion must not be confounded with
what was vital. The preaching that only awakened
transient pleasure was bad, if it were exciting
were dull. drowsy and efcte 1t was mis-
chievous to excite the deep feelings OF congregation
On the other hand there in great many pulpits
more irregularity than in grave You would just
expect the dead hands to move about and fst
cuff. or all the hereses in this world none was Ike
death in mans life What men needed was vigor-
Gus help and the courage to do right.


MANLY CHRISTIANITY.


Manly preaching was always popular. Even when
mems consciences don't reach the standard of duty,
they still like to see the ideal held up before Them
They know that they passing on to
death and judgment, and there is chord in
every heart that will respond to the earnest
ness and fidelity of every teacher. The Church
could not live and present low Tone 1t must stand
before the world upon a ground whore it can invite
the challenge and scrutiny of every man. If those
who far from the house Of God wereweighed and
found to be better than those who were within the
sanctuary what would be its end The public
tment of the Church should make morality the basis
of confidence and create law which would raise the
tone of honor. No man had any right to belong to
the Church who did not mean to rise from height to
height in that respect. Godliness that did not pro-
ducc manliness was q sin and shame.