POLITICS IN THE PULPIT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1654, 5 September 1887, Page 3

POLITICS IN THE PULPIT

The Rev D. MoNicoll preached an able ■ermon at tie Wesleyan Church last night to s> large congregation. In his opening prayer, the rev gentleman implored that divine wisdom might bo imparted to •lectori during the forthcoming contest?, and that the candidates might bo men of whom the country would not be ashamed, men of whom Christ would not be Mbamed, and also prayed that the " right men would come |to the front; 1 The ■ermon was based on the text — " The kingdoms of this world are become the Kiogdems'of;our Lord, and of His Christ." Thought this passage referred to a time jet to come, there were tome slight indiostlons of hew religion had an effeot upon tbe customs and formß cf our legislators. The prayers which preceded the business of our Howies of Parliament was one illustration, though It was possible that, immediately afttr the prayer was offered a very unrighteous law might be passed, and he would much prefer that oar senators would pray m their homes. In referring to the recognition of the Almighty In legal forms Mr McNlcoll exhibited the deeds of the Wetleyan Church property, and In passing, stated he felt no disgrace In showing tbe document, as the church was now out of debt. This deed commenced with the phrase — "Victoria by the grace of God " and concluded with the words— " m the year of ( ur Lord." When the oath was administered Id coaits of law, the Bible was kissed a recognition, he felt, of the klngthtp of Jesus. Tbe Ideal etage referred to m the text had, however, not yet arrived, although m England and her colonies it was partly illustrated. There was, however, still too much class legislation, snd tbe poor man did not quite poesess the tame privileges as the rioh. By this be meant that, m many oases, men of limited means were prevented from taking their grievances to the highest courts ef tbe land on account of the cost Involved, and this was a state of things which should be rectified. In regard to redress at law tbe poor ougbtjto be placed on th« same footing as their rloher neighbors. Patty politics, log-rolling and echemlng for j ■elfish ends showed that the world was a mixed world — there was not yet universal allegiance to Christ's Kingdom. Tbe reason of this was, became all politicians »re not Christians, though it was not absolutely necessary for the good of tbe State that our own senators should be Christian men. Our representatives to Parliament were m a sense, our delegates ; and giving us an illustration an Imaginary cace, supposing nine-tenths of the electors were Christian men and their representative formed one of the other tenth which was not Christian, if he did not carry out tbe wishes of the majority; be would have to retire. One of England's prominent statesmen had once been asked what policy he wss going to pursue, and replied — " I am waiting to Bee what my masters want," ceferrfng, of course, to his constituents. If the electors wero all followers of the Lord Jesus Christ no immoral, designing man would find a seat m the Assembly, but if the majority of voters were bad men, then they might expect the representative to be doubly bad. The idea that Christian men should not meddle with politics had exploded, and he (Mr McNicoll), as a minister of the Grapel bad a duty to perform, bat though ho held as strong views as any of his congregation fn the matter of politics, it would not be . prudent for him to urge those views His advice was, however : — Record your vote, and vote for the man you think Is the best man. If you negleot this, your conscience will lath you, and you will suffer also m another way. A deal is said about hard times, and the iqaaoderfng of publlo moDey. If Christian colonists do not exercise their privilege at election times will it be strange if members of tbe House are prodigal with the funds, or that those at the helm will atcer widely? Fxtravagance m politics, or m churches, too, for that matter, will bring penalties with it. In concluding his sermon, the above of which is but an outline, Mr MoNicoll said that if the Kingdoms of this world were to become the Kingdoms Of Jesus, tbe people themielves must belong to him, and reminded them of the Saviour's own words — " Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." When all men experienced this new wish, every vote given would be helping to forge a link m the obaln (hit was to bind the devil, and he, the presober, believed m no other millenium than this, where all men should love God with all their heart, and every man love bis nelghboi as bjtnielf .