Newspaper Page Text
September 15, 1909. THE
women and children. The order and attention
are remarkable. In fifteen years
we have never seen anything like it in
street work. Disorderly children in
Brownsville make it necessary to have
a policeman there. But in Manhattan
we have no need for an officer. The
crowd gathers quickly, and listens with
eager interest for over an hour to three
or four addresses, in English and Ger
man. In
both places a quiet work of conviction
is going on, and men are being led
to real inquiry about Jesus and the way
of salvation. One atheistic Jew, full of
debate and gainsaying a few months
ago, says now that he believes, and he
and others are constantly studying the
New Testament. Another Jew told one
of our workers that he was about to
commit suicide, but was arrested by our
street meeting. He later followed the
worker to another meeting, and professd
to take Christ as his Savioui.
After the street meeting a second
meeting is held in a hall, and is often
most encouraging by reason of tne order
and deep interest shown. Short
messages are given, followed by questions,
which often give a chance for
very direct nersonal dealine and Dlain
handling of the truth. Here are some
sample questions: "What proofs have
you that Jesus is th& Messiah"? "Is the
blood of Jesus of sacrificial character"?
"How could God be just in taking an innocent
person to suffer for the guilty"?
Instead of closing the work during the
hot season we are going right on. This
is the time for reaching the crowds.
God has given us a force large enough,
to do this without undue strain. We
propose to have no break, God willing,,
in the street work until cold weather
compels us to stop. Last year we continued
the open-air work till the middle
of December.
The Lord is revealing His hand in
this new work by many answers to prayer.
One precious token is the following:
Three new workers recently offered
themselves to us, a man and his
wife, and a student just out of a Bible
school. All three use the German which
is so important, and all are self-supporting.
This makes now a force of seven
men and women in our work who use
German readily, and others are at hand
to be emnloved when the Lord wills it.
But before any large advance is possible
we must secure a hall under our
own control. Our work is hampered by
our having only a church basement for
meetings. We need a hall where we
can have a reading room and daily meetings
for men, with work for women and
children, which is not possible now.
In November, 1908, we opened a
school for training workers for the Jewish
field. We held this work to be furiVnental
to true advancement in the
Irk of evangelizing the Jews of our
Id. A home is greatly needed for this
v_ Ihonl and an a eentar fnr tha whnla
>tork. We have a building In view
lilch is Ideal for the purpose. It will
1st $450,000 but by rental of extra
| lomg will provide an income of some
/
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOUTI
^2,000 yearly, which makes this property
very desirable. We have nearly $4,000
given and jfledged for the purchase.
We appeal to our readers for prayer.
When God works in answer to prayer, as
He is doing with us, that is the time
for more prayer. The way is open before
us for a wide development of gospel
work. We crave prayer for divine wisdom
in this enlargement. We want to
see the definite results in the work, and
so our hearts yearn and burn after souls,
that they may be led to Christ. We ask
earnest prayer for God's blessing on his
work. Brethren, pray for us and for
the Jews with whom we deal.
63 Central Place, Brooklyn, N. Y.
BOOKS ABOUT PREACHING AND
PREACHERS.
It is said that the distinguished Dr. Dale,
of Birmingham used to read every book
about preaching he'could get hold of.
Not many of us can hope to come up to
the record of that eminent English divine.
But if preaching be the great and
difficult business we believe it to be, we
should be supremely ambitious to improve
our talents, and endeavor to master
the principle of this most important
and sacred art. One way to do this is
to read the best that has been written
on the subject in the way of treatises on
homiletics and pastoral theology. A still
' better way is to read the lives of the
B>vui. uiuqui o ul imipu eiuqueniT, aim
to learn of them. Since biography is the
most interesting department of literature,
as Dr. Johnson said, nothing should
so appeal to us ministers as the lives of
the great preachers of the world. As a
clerical tonic we recommend the reading
of at least one book on homiletics, and
one such biography a year.
I have recently found such a course
very helpful, and commend it to my
brethren. It included:
1 ."The Christian Minister and His Duties,"
by Principal Dykes. This is a
very sound scholarly and spiritual treatise
on the work of the minister by a
mnntpr in Tarn ol Fir nvlrna nAooaoo?o
mmm W> MV<i * . lyj nco J/UOOVOOCO
unusual qualifications for writing suclj
a book, since to the experience of a long
and brilliant pastorate he has added that
of years of teaching in Westminster college,
Cambridge. It is a scientific treatise,
covering the whole compass of the
preacher's duty. At the same time it is
very practical and inspiring.
2. "The Cure of Souls," by lan MacLaren.
As this is an old and well known
work, (being the Yale lectures on preaching
for 1896) we shall not dwell upon it.
It is very readable and suggestive. Its
intense seriousness is relieved by many
little touches of graceful humor and gentle
sarcasm, which Impart a literary
flavor to it. The book has stood the test
of time, because based upon a knowledge
of his age and of human life. It is largely
autobiographical. Dr. Watson excelled
as a pastor.
3. This fact was demonstrated by reading
it in connection with Dr. W. R. Nicoll's
"Ian MacLaren, the Life of John
Watson." I believe any minister will be
a better man, and a more faithful ser*
? *
i. 15
vant of Christ for reading this book. It
is needless to say that the literary work
is well done. Dr. Nicoll's name guarantees
that. We have been deeply impressed
by Dr. Watson's many sided humanness,
his high sense of honor, his loyalty
to duty, and his loving devotion to the
Master. He was before all, and above
all, a minister of Jesus Christ. His life
and his preaching were centered in
Christ, whom he loved with a mvstlo'a
tenderness, and preached with a master's
strength. He will live in history as the
author of "Beside the Bonnie Brier
Bush." But with him literature was only
a by-product, his main business was to
preach the evangel of Jesus, and to serve
the Church of Christ. All of his rich and
varied gifts were humbly laid at the feet
of his Lord.
Of these three books, Dr. Dykes' is the
most satisfactory to one who wishes a
scientific treatise on practical theology.
But I believe you will get more profit,
pleasure and inspiration from the "Life
of Ian MacLaren."
Washington, N. C H. B. Searight.
FAMILY PRAYER.
I know there are many families in
which there is not any worship either
night or morning. Many, too, in which
there is no blessing asked before meals.
This often results from diffidence on the
part of the head of the family. This
ought not to be. There are many books
on prayer and forms of prayer that could
he used. It may be better to read a
prayer than to have no gathering of the
family for worship. I am not, nor have
I ever been, an advocate for worship of
that kind.
I believe there is a very simple way in
which worship can be held night and
morning that can be made very beneficial.
I believe the best thing is to use
the Lord's prayer. This is always appro
pnate. it may be done either by father
or mother, or the prayer may be repeated
by all the family.
My idea is for the father to call his
family together read a short portion of
scripture and then for them to kneel and
for him to repeat the Lord's prayer, or
they may repeat it in concert. I prefer
that he should repeat it alone. I believe
that if he will do this he will soon learn
that he, with that, will be able to add
petitions such as will make it both a
pleasure and profit to himself and family.
The best time for this is when the
family are all ai the table. Make the
service short and it will soon become a
pleasure.
I have known some families, where it
was the custom for each member to repeat
a verse of scripture before each
meal. If this is acquired, causing the
children to memorize a verse for each
meal, and not repeat the same verse, a
vast amount of scripture will be learned
in that way. I have known the Shorter
Catechism to be learned in that way.
Can not our ministers induce the heads
of families in their churches or in vacant
churches, they may visit, to especially
try the plan first suggested.
Statesville, N. CJ W. W. M.