Newspapers / North Carolina Christian Advocate … / Sept. 13, 1899, edition 1 / Page 1
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ESTABLISHED IN 18 . RALEIGH CHRISTIAN k OCATE. Ozsn of the North Carolina Confi 3. ' V-.-j 1 KI WEEKLY AT RAI.E , X. C. . ..-. nd-class matter iti the post-office at Raleigh. fr.'.c" ' " x. ivky. p. d., . . . editor. ih.'.'y '1. WATSON, Business Manager. temRS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Year, - $1-50. I Six Months, - .75 c Cash in Advance. of the gospel and wives of deceased r .,;..v;:i:ijj preachers in the North Carolina authorized agents, will receive the i.orut' --or 1 vv.':- '' 0 11 slows tlie tlate "P to which ': tion has been paid. Change in label ":rt-s is ordered changed, both old and :nut be given. " .e.,,;re money, be sure to state whether it is ; ,C,V (:r . .v subscription. i v- Utters and make all checks and monev -to the C RALEIGH CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE. EDITORIAL HYSTERIA AND HOMILETICS. Salomon lias said that there is "a time tp a::d a time to laugh.'" Ever since t,-. w the time of Jeremiah, and perhaps from ;r, hnnieiiiorial, preachers have cou riered weeping highly appropriate in their radpit ministrations. But "weep--reaehcrs" are going out of fashion. Whether this fact is due to the poverty , : the hortatory element of the sermons, c: :j atrophied tear ducts, or to the adverse criticisms of a gainsaying gener--;or hi "deponent saveth not." That there are times when the gravity of the heme and occasion demands a full exer- rse of easily excitable lachrymal glands, rets without saying. That the pulpit shoidd be made a Jeremiah's cave, or the e:r.:rch wailing place, as has been done at (livers times within our recollec- ticr.. we will never, we trust, be so tin- viw as to admit. It is perhaps best that the tribe of Jeremiah should decrease. The opposite operation might be better. We are not inclined to discuss this phase oi the abject. In this goodly section of the South, we hardly know what a ''laughing preacher" We have, it is true, some preachers ".ho at times during the sermon laugh, make their congregations laugh. We are satisfied in our minds that their tribe nculd decrease. But a preacher who in cessant, v :ni.inoiK v biiorh; drm no- his . Jr e '-called sermon is for us who are not up the latest wrinkles in religious fads, and fakes a vara az'is, which, interpreted, with all deference to --e fathered tribe, means " a most sorrv aiticle." R'rt he is here. We have been hearing ,: kiai all the week. The last we heard l "o.m he was in goodlv Greensboro. 'va.s astonishing the saints there with n cachinnatory feats extending through so-called sermon. The reports say uat ne is in the habit of describing the Errors of hell, and then touching the "lf-de tiring off in an explosion of laugh- a oe inougnt ot men going to neii Stills U'i fJtnuco Ih'im TJo oollc it Tf rticve. the ''holy laugh." He claims "J bt a Quaker. In Greensboro he filled Mfc UuaKc-r Church to overflowing. On fji'e r.xr-. f,Vf.r t,v,,-irir-ri wr "turned al; on account of lack of room." Ue are sorrv for the "laup-hino i-cacner. We are sorrv for those to .to is in the habit of ministering. f ,,v-rts, in His pulpit, no buffoonery, Khritq tjV bvQtpnVnl demonstrations hi ii- liac.v- vSuch things as the "holy and the "holy dance" are more 'lor.iatic of pprKml derano-emeut , - 1- "i.jcative oi-wealth in holiness. k-c- I aul, or any other man car " the hnrdfn rf Plirict'c TCincrrlom r -nr such antics ! After our observa , ' Jl sr.eii sporadic excrescences as have the f,i ,VtK)Ped in the last few years in orth State, we cannot honestly 0RGflM F THE NORTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE, M. E. CHURCH, SOUTH. expect to enjoy an immunity from the last nairied nuisance. We are afraid that it will spread, and that in a few months our Jeremiahs will in disgust leave the field to the laughing evangels. We cannot emphasize too strongly the necessity of every preacher having what is called "a concern for souls' Christ had it, and, when he spoke to dying men and women, His words throbbed with a mighty pathos. Paul had it, and his tense earnestness lives in his wonderful writings, and we can almost see the tear stains on the printed page. God gives His preachers places where the heart can break forth in blossom, and the face can wear the sunshine of smiles. But in the pulpit where eternities meet, and the im mortal soul looks into the face of des tiny, the issues are too grave to be ve neered with desecrating mirth. THE TRUE KNIGHTS. Whatever may be said of "end-of-the-century" life, we feel sure that it is not subject to the criticism that it is suf fering from dry rot. Activity in almost every department is so marked that events not only occur in almost kaleidoscopic variety, but are of such a nature as to quicken the most sluggish currents of the soul. The heroism of the Rough Riders last year, the gallant feats of some of our boys in the Philippines the daring of ob scure men and women in fire and flood are still sending the thrill through appre ciative hearts, and we are being taught in a gloriously objective way that we do not hae to pull down musty volumes from dust-covered shelves to read of heroes and heroines. They are with us. We have lately thought much of our chief heroes. They are not the men who carry guns under foreign skies, or brave death on ocean waves or amid tempests or fire. They are poor, obscure preach ers of the gospel who are doing picket duty foi Christ on the little dreary cir cuits and missions of our Conferences. Funston, swimming the river with a rope in his mouth under a murderous fire of bloodthirsty savages, dared death amid the huzzas of appreciative and heroic companions. But there is many a poor preacher who, practically alone, fights from Conference to Conference the bat tles of Jesus. Xo human applause ever greets his ear. He brushes up and cleans his well-worn clothes, goes up to Confer ence with his meagre collections, receives his appointment, returns to scenes of toil and struggle, until the great Captain calls him above, and angels sing for him the peans of praise which make the arches of Heaven ring. Bravest soldiers of the Cross, we send them a greeting. The self-sacrificing, patient wives are just as worthy of praise, and are as truly hero ines as their husbands are heroes. A BROCHURE IN BIOGRAPHY. Rev. J. P. Rodgers, of the Western North Carolina Conference, and present Principal of Pilot Mountain Academy, has favored us with a copy of his " Life of Rev. James Needham." The author, Prof. Rodgers, in the writing of this book let, had the advantage-of having a good subject, and the ability to treat it in plain, expressive English. Rev. James Needham was a remark able character. For several years before his death, he had the unique distinction of being the oldest preacher in the United States, if not in the world. On a beautiful Sabbath afternoon last fall we heard him preach a sermon of great spirit ual power to an overflowing congregation. The patriarch was bowed under the weight of nearly a hundred years. As we listened to his words of wisdom, we almost prayed that God would allow him to round out a life-century. When we learned that the chariot came for him just a few weeks this side of the hun dredth mile-post, we were almost tempted into a disappointment. His life, as por RALEIGH, N. C, SEPTEMBER 13, 1599. jtrayed by Prof. Rodgers, covers the he roic days of Methodism, and the author gives us not only the tout ensemble of a remarkable life, but many items which throw light on the history of Methodism in North Carolina. The booklet is in teresting, exhaustive, and valuable. We bespeak for it a place in the library of every Methodist in the two Conferences. Course of Events. ! i- I The newspapers and magazines are filled with articles on the trouble between i Great Britain and the Transvaal, or South ! African Republic. The trouble has ; reached an acute stage, ?nd may result in j a war of no mean consequence. It is j safe to say, perhaps, that not one out of ten understands the nature of the trouble. The press reports, while giving spe cific facts, are not calculated to make the situation clear to the general reader. We trust that we may succeed in our ; purpose to give in this column a general j and adequate understanding of the situa tion. II. Transvaal is a republic, whose citizens i are Boers, people of German descent, who speak a language called "taal" a mix- ture of Dutch and French. Paul Kruger, I called "Oom Paul", is President. The iVolksraed, or Parliament, consists of j I forty-four members, elected for four years, j The republic is not larg- in size. The Boers are greatly outm mbered by the Uitlanders, or foreigners, who are sub jects of Great Britain. The soil is fertile, and the climate healthful. III. The republic has not been in existence many years. About 1835 the Boers at Cape Colony (under British rule) became dissatisfied and "trekked" northward into what is now called Transvaal. After much trouble with the native tribes, the politi cal independence of this region under the name of the South African Republic was established and recognized by Great Brit ain. In 1876, Sir Theophilus Shepstone issued a proclamation annexing the Trans vaal. This resulted in a most bloody war, in which Great Britain was deci dedly worsted. In 18S1, the English Gov ernment restored the republic, and ac cording to the provisions of several later conventions, it is now under the suzerainty of Queen Victoria. The republic is in dependent, but Great Britain has a right to control the immediate relations with foreign powers. IV. For the last twenty-five years, the laws of the Transvaal have been getting harder and more selfish. No Uitlander enjoys the right of franchise, and conse quently he is denied the right of repre sentation. When it is remembered that the Uitlanders are largely in the ma jority, must teach their children the "taal" language, and pay nineteen-twentieths of the taxes, it is no wonder that Jameson a few years ago made his ill-starred raid in the attempt tc change this state of things. None of the abuses, so far, have been cor rected, and the situation is becoming in tolerable to the Uitlanders. V. Mr. Chamberlain lately issued a mani festo insisting that the Uitlanders must have a representation in the Transvaal o-overnment. He says that President Kruger promised as much in the 1884 con vention. This statement is not denied. Sir Alfred Milner, High Commissioner at Capetown, demands that one-fifth of the seats in the Valksraed be granted to the Uitlanders. President Kruger offers to accede to this demand, provided Great Britain renounce all claim to suzerainty. This Mr. Chamberlain refuses to do, claiming that Great Britain must possess some influence that will insure protection to her subjects in the Transvaal. He evidently suspects that O0111 Paul would not be willing to carry out his part of the bargain. VI. Such is the situation. Both sides are preparing for war. Unusual preparations are being made for a conflict, which is liable to come at any time. The issues would not be so grave if they could be confined to South Africa. But this would not be the case. The conflict would be on a larger scale, involving Germany and perhaps other powers. CHRISTIAN LIFE IN OUR COLLEGES. Probably no more significant fact could be stated concerning the institutions of higher learning of the United States and Canada than that there is in more than fi ve hundred of these institutions carefully organized Christian work for students by students. Of the agencies which have been used of God to develop and promote this work, none have been more potent for good than the conferences held each sum mer under the auspices of the Student Department of the International Com mittee of the Young Men's-Christian As sociations. The well-understood purpose of these gatherings is "to deepen the spiritual life of college men, to train them in organized Christian work among their fellow-students, and to open up the possibilities of Christian service which await them after graduation." The summer conference idea had its beginning in 1886, when Mr. Moody in vited the college leaders to Mount Her mon, Mass., for two weeks to be spent in Bible study and discussion of best meth ods of religious work among students. From this first gathering at Mount Her mon have grown the four summer con ferences now held each year in various parts of the student field of North Amer ica ; and not only these,-but the idea has spread to the organized Christian student movements in other lands, and similar summer conferences are now held by the college and University men of Great o Britain, Germany, Scandinavia, Switzer land, India, Ceylon, China, Japan, Aus tralia, and New Zelaand. The four conferences now held each summer for the aggressive Christian work ers in the colleges of Northfield, Mass., for Eastern students; at Asheville, N. C, for Southern students ; at Lke Geneva, Wis., for the college men of the Middle West ; and at Pacific Grove, Cal., for the men of the institutions of the Pacific slope. All of these summer conferences for the summer of 1889 have been held. At the four there was present a total of 1,191 students from 383 institutions. A more select body of young men it would be well-nigh impossible to get together. At Northfield there were 586 men, repre senting 145 institution; at Asheville there were 156 men from 68 institutions ; at Lake Geneva, 376 men from 158 insti tutions; and at Pacific Grove, 73 men from 12 colleges. Hardly an important college or university of North America was without its representative at one of these summer conferences, while a large number of the leading professional, tech nical, and theological schools had dele gates present, showing the significance and extent of the student Christian move ment in North America. Each of the four conferences followed the same general plan. Each lasted ten days, the dates being: Pacific Grove, May 19-28; Asheville and Lake Geneva, June 16-25; an(i Northfield, June 30, July 9. At each the mornings were given to Bible study, to study of association meth ods and problems, and to platform ad dresses; the afternoons to recreation; and the evenings to life work talks and to delegation meetings. The plan followed proved, as in others years, to be effective as well as comprehensive. The earlier addresses of the conferences in each case were searching and vigorous, dealing with the temptations and difficulties, in tellectual and other, which beset the student. Thus the men were prepared for the more constructive and inspiring talks of the later days of the gatherings. The hours of Bible study each day led the men to the source of spiritual truth, and taught them scholarly, yet devotional and practical, methods of searching for that truth, preparing them both for the continuation of their own spiritual culti vation and for leading classes in Bible study during the coming year. The missionary institutes and the association New Series. Vol. 1, No. 30. conferences each day brought out in clear relief the methods that have proved to be most practical in actual religious work among college students. The life work talks each evening gave the men a broad conception of the present oppor tunities for definite Christian service throughout the world, the demand for workers, and the kind of workers needed. Principles and helps in deciding one's life work were carefully outlined during these twilight outlook meetings, and the claims of home and foreign missions, the miuistry, and the association general secretaryship upon Christian college men were presented. Such continuous and careful consideration on the part of the delegates of ways of developing and in tensifying their own lives, of applying those lives most helpfully in promoting the best spiritual results among the men of their various institutions, and finally of applying those same lives later toward meeting a world's need, could not but transform character. It has been so in other years, and it was so this this year. C. H. Fahs, in New York Advocate. TILL THE STARS APPEAR. The work of Christ must be carried through to the end, till the stars appear. Sometimes we grow weary in our out ward ministry. We would fain rest; we desire at the least a long reprieve from toil. It may be, and will be, if we live long enough, the will of God that we should change the form of our labor; but it is never his will that we should cease to be his servants. The time comes when it is well that we should withdraw , our selves from some burden; but we must be sure that it is his release of kindness, and not the release of our own impa tience. Are we this day cumbered with much serving? Are things very ill with us? Let us take heed in such hours. May it be true that we have fainted for lack of seeking the Divine cordial which would have kept us busy? In middle life especially the heart sinks sometimes at the call of new duties which rise in evitably out of the old, and which we shrink from, and yet know that we should face. But our business is to sow in tears, and to work with the sweat of our brows. If it is otherwise with us, we are not in the true following of the Master; never unless as each day closes we go tired to sleep, knowing that we have done what we could. No part of the work must be abandoned while we can do the old ser vice to God and man. It is permissible to change the fashion of our work, though this should be done deliberately; but we must always look with jealousy upon idleness as something to which we have no right. As time goes on, there will be less work for us in a manner, and yet there will be work, and it may be work of a higher though less visible sort. We must go on. Most of us will de best to go on in the old fashion, even accepting new tasks as they come, and waiting not too early for the starlight. If we are touched by some sudden treachery, assailed by some great tempta tion, struck at sorely in the field of bat tle, we must lift our eyes to the hills from whence our help cometh, and achieve the triumph of continuance. Our rest will come, and it is not very far away, much nearer, indeed, than we often think, and it will be the noble rest of the sons of God, the rest which is not inaction, not sloth, not torpor, but the happy harmony of all the faculties in the service that is followed by no weariness. Says one writer : "The heavenly rest is an idea which inspires the soul, as unlike the idea of rest which mockers at the faith re proach as the soft swiftness with which the earth spins on its axis so soft that it seems to sleep ; as unlike the same earth, if we could fancy, motiorjless, stranded, like a hulk on the sea beach of eternity. And that is an idea which only those can conceive and live by and long for who have toiled and fought with ardor, courage, and faith for years. The British Weekly. More dear in the sight of God and his ano-els than any other conquest is the j O - A j conquest of self, which each man, with the help of heaven, can secure for him self. Dean Stanley. It was said of one that as he prayed he spoke as if God was near, and talked with him so really and confidingly that those who wrere beside him found them selves almost looking around to see where; God was. Taylor.
North Carolina Christian Advocate (Greensboro, N.C.)
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Sept. 13, 1899, edition 1
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