Sunday Column.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 10 May 1913, Page 4

Sunday Column.

« A TALK TO INDIVIDUALS

(By 0. F. Reitsiicr, Pastor,

Now York.)

A very attractive pastor aud efficient sermoniser tokl reentry of ft long talk with a noted man. He recounted his attitude towards poets and politicians enthusiastically. A

hearer asked the minister "What is his religious attitude?" Enthusiasm disappeared for this phase had been neglected.

A consecrated conference leader enjoyed the gratuitious services of tho expert physician of the home town for many months; A brother minister said, "Do you know the religions attitudo of Dr X.?" The enquirer hapened to know that tho doctor, though an avowed sceptic, was eager for religious light, and gladly opened up when addressed. , But the minister's pntient replied ! negatively. He ha diet his chance pass. Some months ago ; an intelligent druggist, about forty, whose •wife was n member of tho Methodist Church, and who had attended more or less regularly, was urged to make a personal profession. He replied : This subject has never been brought to me before so personally. T have never been talked to indi--1 vidually." I Hand-picked Fruit. i The general manager of a large corporation, in charge of seven stores, was mot in a business way. It was easy to sli pinto conversation about religion many times. Once this man had been an active member of the Church, but business j engrossment bad straved out the j life thrill. One opportune day the question of consecration and service was put direct. Two or three sleepIres nights followed for him. But the Master won, and be became out of the best Sunday School superintendents in bis citv.

A bright young dentist wfl sintroducod while I was supplying the pulpit i na large western city one Sunday. In a moment personal religion was the theme of conversation. Xo conclusion was reached. Two years after I returned to supply the same pulpit. Almost the first perso 11 to greet me was the young dentist, to tell of his happy conversion as the. result of our talk. He is eagerly active in his own church, but still finds time for work in a slum mission.

Recently it was my privilege to visit my first charge in a western city. At the close of the service a handsome six-foot young man crushed my hand ■with a grip of appreciation. His fitory came back to me. When he was a boy T had urged him to become a Cliristian. Rut h< referred. My last night as pastor of that church he surrendered with twenty-two others. His father declared he must leave home and bo disowned if ho became a Christian. Hut now he was ■willing to risk afl. The father drove him to self-fiuporc. lint gradually melbwed. Tho young man entered business with many salary increases and a brilliant commercial future ahead. His Lord railed. Christian work with onehalf present pay and a maximum ahead that was beneath the present income, opened. He meditated a week. Xow lie is boys' director in a Young Men's Christian Association.

Words Fitly Spoken. Bishop McCabe was once taken home through terrible rain in a cab. fie was much wearied from lecturing. Yet as he turned away he said to the driver, "Meet mo in Heaven." He immediately retired. Sixtey minutes later he was awakened by a knock at the door. It was the cab driver returned to give himself to Christ.

Two me nsat side by side at a political meeting in Madison Square Garden, New York City. One was a minister. Soon lie caught up eonvorsation with tho other. The fisher of men invited the stranger to an ice-cream soda. Gradually religion was brought into tho talk. The minister found the other man to he a college graduate with religious training, but utterly embittered ,and now an infidel. Every approach was closed and fortified. In the end, however, he promised to hear the minister in his own pulpit, merely n sa friendship favour. Thai event vras tho beginning of the end. Pie listened, meditated and yielded. He is now a Presbyterian minister in Michegan. At tho close of n morning service in Now York, a stalwart, clean-cut and competent gentleman, about thirty-five, turned to speak to me. He merely spoke kindly of the sermon. But that opened the way. "Are you a Christian?" camo to him at tho ond of a short conversation. It was not long heforc he -was at tho altar in an empty church and heaven's joy was on his face. T found that he was a policeman. In a few weeks he was made a nontenant. Soon afterwards a splendid promotion camo. He is now in charge of an important citv department, -which he. is filling with remarkable acceptahilitv.

A Natural Subject, it is easily to converse ahout religion if wc set ourselves at it. Wo must talk naturally as mothers do about their "babies, or fathers do about their sons. Everyone is in-

torested. The superior "bottcrthan thous" air rebuffs. But when even as ministers, \vc stand oil the same level with- them, as real humans needing help, wo will find a response. A brilliant pulpiteer ifc in demand in some quarters. lint a goo dgun and fino ammunition do not necessarily ensue a hunter. Ht must bring down the game. Beecher well said that he had found the sermon more resultful where one was the whole congregation.