805 gant and intolerable language, with the fundamental facts mixed and perverted, making premises to fit conclusions. He may, and usually is, overwhelmed by a jeremiad going to show that all the world is in a deplorable and utterly hopeless state, steadily proceeding from bad to worse, with its utter ruin immi nent and no present indication that con ditions will ever he better. He will very seldom hear a sermon that fills him with Christian courage and hope, and sends him forth to fight his battles with a strong heart; a simple, earnest preach ing of the Gospel. “ This is why the Church is failing in its mission to reveal true ana undefiled religion in all its wonderful strength, and its power to give mankind the will- to triumph over evil and sin. This is why so many clergymen are only making that darker which was dark enough be fore, taking away the crutch from the cripple, making him hopeless who had but little hope, losing their opportuni ties, wasting their strength and failing' to afford that helpful service to human ity which it expects from them; and this is the way the honest layman, well-dis posed toward the Church and its min isters, thinks in his heart, even If he does not so express himself in words.’ ” • .¿1&. AN UNUSUAL NOISE It is said of Andrew Jackson that while he was connected with the army, an officer complained to him that some soldiers were making a great noise in a tent: “ What are they doing?” asked the general. “ They are praying now, but have been singing,” was the reply. "Ana is Chat a crime?” asked Jackson with emphasis. “ The articles of war,” the officer said, “ order punishment for any unusual noise.” “ God forbid!” replied Jackson, with much feeling, “ that pray ing should be an unusual noise in any camp,” and advised the officer to join them.
THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S Northwestern Miller to discuss a theme not usually found within the Jurisdic tion of trade journalism— the apparent inability of clergymen, the accepted rep resentatives of the Church and religion, to realize their opportunities of help ful, constructive service during this period of the world’s history. “ In short and in brief, a very large number of clergymen have ceased to preach the simple, most comforting and altogether helpful and encouraging Gos pel of the Master, and, like camp-fol lowers, are going after the uncertain and chaotic mass into the swamps of con fused ideals, of uncertain aims, of de jection, hopelessness and despair, in stead of leading it with firm, confident and assured direction, such as their re ligion justifies and indeed commands, to more solid and enduring ground. The pity of it is that they are wholly un conscious that this is true. “ Hence it is that he who goes to church hoping to find an uplifting and encouraging impulse, based upon spiri tual authority, expounded by a supposed expert, himself firmly intrenched in his faith, so often gains nothing in strength or definite constructive ability by the experience, and comes away more de spondent, discouraged and hopeless than he was before he went, realizing that, if the blind lead the blind, the ditch is the only possible objective for both. “ He may listen to a sermon dealing with the problems of politics, usually viewed from a narrow and partisan or a wholly impracticable standpoint. He may hear a discourse in support, finan cially, of some local, nation-wide or world-wide movement attempting to raise an enormous sum of money. He may hear a dissertation concerning the possibility of supernatural communica tion which is an insult to his common sense and intelligence. He may be fav ored with a denunciation of existing in stitutions expressed in the most extrava-
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