Publication date
7/15/07
Volume
28
Number
14
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1907/14/1907-14-1.html
 
 
VOL. 
XXVIII 
ALLEGHENY, 
P 
A., 
JULY 
15, 
1907 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No. 
14 
"Tms 
ONE 
THING 
I 
DO" 
The 
Methodist 
RevtCw 
gives 
a 
report 
of 
a 
sermon 
by 
Rev. 
C. 
E. 
Jefferson 
as 
follows: 
, 
'N 
0 
other 
man 
can 
wander 
so 
easily 
from 
his 
province 
as 
the 
preacher. 
The 
fences 
are 
low, 
and 
if 
he 
steps 
over 
them 
no 
one 
but 
God 
will 
speak 
to 
him 
about 
his 
indiscretion. 
Every 
man 
in 
the 
community 
except 
the 
preacher 
is 
bound 
with 
hoops 
of 
steel 
to 
the 
task 
which 
heaven 
has 
assigned 
him. 
The 
physician 
must 
practice 
medicine 
and 
keep 
close 
to 
his 
patients, 
the 
lawyer 
must 
practice 
law 
and 
keep 
close 
to 
his 
clients, 
the 
editor 
must 
gather 
news 
and 
keep 
close 
to 
his 
subscribers, 
the 
teacher 
must 
teach 
and 
keep 
close 
to 
his 
pupils, 
the 
banker 
must 
keep 
close 
to 
his 
money, 
the 
business 
man 
must 
be 
loyal 
to 
his 
business; 
but 
the 
preacher 
can 
leave 
his 
work 
and 
flit 
like 
a 
bee 
from 
field 
to 
field, 
gathering 
nectar 
from 
a 
thQusand 
flowers, 
and 
he 
himself 
may 
think 
he 
is 
making 
honey 
when 
in 
fact 
he 
is 
only 
buzzing." 
The 
"buzzing" 
preachers 
who 
are 
moved 
to 
treat 
all 
manner 
of 
"magazine" 
subjects 
because,. 
of 
the 
prevalent 
conviction 
that 
the 
preacher 
should 
be 
"a 
social 
agitator, 
a 
political 
reformer, 
a 
man 
who 
stands 
before 
the 
community 
as 
the 
sworn 
antagonist 
of 
every 
form 
of 
social 
wrong," 
are 
reminded 
that 
their 
day 
furnishes 
a 
social 
environment 
differ­ 
ent 
only 
in 
matter, 
and 
not 
in 
manner, 
from 
the 
day 
of 
Christ's 
preaching. 
' 
'The 
people 
of 
his 
day 
wanted 
him 
to 
do 
every­ 
thing," 
says 
Dr. 
Jefferson. 
"That 
was 
their 
conception 
of 
the 
Messiah." 
Further: 
"The 
air 
was 
filled 
with 
questions, 
political, 
social, 
eco­ 
nomic, 
e~clesiastical, 
but 
he 
refused 
to 
touch 
them, 
so 
eager 
was 
he 
to 
say 
just 
one 
more 
word 
about 
God. 
Evils 
lifted 
their 
hoary 
heads 
on 
every 
side--slavery, 
Roman 
tyranny, 
the 
Social 
evil, 
false 
customs, 
economic 
tragedies-but 
he 
never 
htted 
a 
hand 
to 
strike 
them. 
So 
narrow 
was 
he, 
so 
blind 
was 
he! 
Men 
were 
hot 
in 
their 
discussion 
of 
problems. 
No 
age 
ever 
had 
more 
problems 
than 
his. 
But 
to 
him 
there 
was 
only 
one 
fundamental 
problem, 
and 
that 
was 
the 
problem 
of 
sin 
and 
he 
had 
time 
for 
the 
discussion 
of 
none 
other. 
The 
est~angement 
of 
the 
heart 
from 
God-that 
to 
him 
was 
the 
root 
of 
all 
tragedies. 
A 
will 
fixed 
in 
rebellion 
against 
the 
good 
Father-that 
was 
the 
fountain 
of 
all 
the 
world's 
woes. 
All 
problems 
of 
all 
kinds 
got 
their 
complications 
from 
the 
estranged 
heart, 
and 
all 
tragedies 
got 
their 
blackness 
from 
the 
mind 
that 
had 
become 
darkened 
by 
going 
away 
from 
God, 
and 
he 
had 
nothing 
to 
say 
about 
secondary 
problems 
and 
sub­ 
ordinate 
evils 
because 
his 
eyes 
were 
fixed 
on 
the 
one 
plague­ 
spot 
of 
humanity-a 
will 
disobedient 
to 
the 
good. 
God.. 
S.uch 
a 
line 
of 
action 
on 
his 
part 
was 
of 
course 
dlsappolDtmg. 
It 
was 
even 
exasperating. 
The 
intellectual 
people 
of 
his 
day 
had 
no 
use 
for 
him. 
Men 
of 
acumen 
and 
large 
mental 
grasp 
smiled 
at 
the 
poor 
peasant 
telling 
people 
little 
stories 
about 
God. 
Men 
of 
patriotic 
fervor! 
alive 
to 
th? 
ne~ds 
of 
~he 
day, 
sneered 
at 
him 
because 
he 
dId 
not 
fall 
m 
WIth 
theIr 
plans 
and 
adopt 
their 
panaceas. 
To 
all 
practi~al 
men 
'Yho 
believed 
in 
grappling 
with 
problems 
and 
suggestmg 
solutIons 
he 
~as 
a 
visionary, 
a 
fool. 
It 
did 
seem 
visionary, 
so 
much 
talkmg 
about 
God. 
"The 
German 
Strauss 
is 
offended 
because 
Jesus 
allows 
the 
life 
of 
the 
family 
to 
fall 
into 
the 
background, 
is 
neutr~l 
toward 
the 
state 
rejects 
property, 
and 
passes 
all 
the 
psthetIe 
intents 
of 
the 
~orld 
unnoticed. 
John 
Stuart 
Mill 
declares 
his 
Gospel 
is 
not 
su:ffici~nt 
as 
a 
rule 
of 
action,. 
a~d 
must 
be 
supplemented 
by 
instructIons 
drawn 
from 
non·Chrl~tIan 
source~. 
The 
Italian 
Mazzini 
thinks 
his 
heart 
was 
all 
rIght, 
but 
hIS 
intellect 
deficient 
because 
he 
took 
no 
interest 
in 
the 
great 
ideals 
of 
political 
liberty 
and 
national 
progress 
which 
made 
the 
nineteenth 
century 
glorious." 
Christ 
consciously 
and 
stedfastly 
limited 
the 
field 
of 
his 
activity 
says 
Dr. 
Jefferson, 
and 
so 
was 
able 
to 
say 
at 
last, 
"I 
hav~ 
finished 
the 
work 
which 
thou 
gavest 
me 
to 
do." 
If 
he 
carved 
out 
his 
work 
with 
such 
clean-cut 
edges, 
the 
writer 
remarks 
it 
may 
be 
that 
his 
example 
was 
designed 
"to 
save 
us 
frorr: 
the 
tragedy 
of 
attempting 
things 
to 
which 
we 
have 
not 
been 
called." 
We 
read: 
"Do 
you 
not 
think 
that 
the 
name 
of 
God 
wou~d 
be 
more 
glorious 
in 
the 
hearts 
of 
men 
today, 
and 
the 
kIngdom 
of 
heaven 
would 
have 
wider 
limits 
on 
the 
earth, 
if 
all 
who 
have 
been 
ordained 
to 
T 
reach 
the 
Gospel 
had 
only 
been 
willing 
to 
confine 
themselves 
to 
the 
one 
task 
assigned 
them' 
I 
like 
to 
think 
that 
a 
preacher 
should 
talk 
differently 
from 
any 
other 
man 
in 
the 
community; 
that 
a 
sermon 
should 
be 
unlike 
any 
other 
discourse 
known 
among 
men. 
I 
like 
to 
think 
that 
a 
Christian 
church 
should 
be 
different 
in 
atmosphere 
from 
!lny 
other 
building 
built 
by 
man. 
PUblic 
worship, 
so 
I 
think, 
ought 
to 
have 
a 
different 
tone 
from 
the 
tone 
of 
society 
or 
the 
street. 
On 
going 
into 
the 
house 
of 
God 
one 
should 
know 
at 
once 
that 
it 
is 
not 
a 
lecture-hall, 
a 
reform-club 
meeting­ 
place, 
a 
professor's 
class-room, 
a 
newspaper 
office, 
the 
rendez­ 
vous 
of 
a 
literary 
or 
musical 
society. 
There 
ought 
to 
be 
in 
the 
air 
a 
mystical 
something 
which 
awes 
the 
heart 
and 
impels 
it 
to 
look 
upward. 
There 
ought 
to 
be 
something 
there 
which 
makes 
one 
feel 
like 
saying, 
'This 
is 
none 
other 
than 
the 
house 
of 
God; 
this 
is 
the 
gate 
of 
heaven.' 
And 
it 
is 
the 
preacher 
who 
must 
be 
foremost 
in 
creating 
this 
atmosphere." 
The 
Monitor 
(Rom. 
Cath., 
Newark, 
N. 
J.), 
in 
commenting 
on 
the 
lament 
constantly 
appearing 
in 
Protestant 
journals 
over 
the 
dearth 
in 
church 
attendance, 
observes 
somewhat 
similarly: 
"Perhaps 
the 
spiritual 
leaders 
of 
our 
separated 
brethren 
make 
a 
mistake 
in 
striving 
too 
much 
after 
novelty. 
Perhaps 
the 
people, 
especially 
the 
men 
part, 
may 
prefer 
the 
teachings 
drawn 
from 
the 
everlasting 
and 
inexhaustible 
Gospel 
of 
Christ; 
the 
daily 
papers 
can 
supply 
all 
necessary 
comment 
and 
critic­ 
ism 
on 
passing 
events. 
Sincerity 
is 
a 
much 
better 
heart-mover 
than 
sensationalism, 
and 
the 
true 
preacher 
will 
impart 
to 
his 
hearers 
the 
thoughts 
and 
ideals 
and 
resolves 
that 
move 
him­ 
self. 
'If 
you 
wish 
me 
to 
weep, 
you 
yourself 
must 
shed 
tears.' 
, 
'Two 
generations 
ago 
one 
of 
the 
most 
peaceful 
and 
Chris 
tian 
parishes 
in 
Ireland, 
and 
that 
is 
saying 
a 
good 
deal, 
was 
a 
village 
near 
Mitchellstown, 
County 
Cork. 
The 
aged 
pastor 
had 
been 
in 
charge 
for 
over 
half 
a 
century, 
and 
he 
was 
never 
known 
to 
preach 
but 
the 
same 
sermon 
in 
all 
that 
time. 
Every 
Sunday, 
after 
the 
Gospel, 
he 
turned 
to 
his 
people 
and 
said 
solemnly 
to 
them, 
in 
the 
old 
Gaelic, 
'Brethren, 
avoid 
the 
evil 
and 
do 
the 
good.' 
This 
fact 
is 
historical, 
and 
it 
is 
also 
historical 
that 
this 
parish 
was 
called 
the 
parish 
of 
saints, 
where 
a 
lawyer 
would 
starve, 
a 
judge 
throw 
up 
his 
position 
in 
sheer 
disgust, 
and 
a 
jail 
collapse 
through 
dry 
rot." 
SEEKING 
COVER 
OF 
THE 
MOUNTAINS 
We 
have 
called 
attention 
to 
the 
statement 
of 
Scripture 
that 
in 
the 
day 
of 
the 
Lord 
the 
rich 
and 
great 
and 
might,. 
will 
foresee 
the 
impending 
trouble 
and 
seek 
protection 
from 
the 
stronger 
institutions. 
A 
poor 
translation 
says 
that 
they 
will 
call 
on 
the 
rocks 
and 
mountains 
to 
fall 
on 
them 
to 
hide 
them, 
whereas 
the 
thought 
is 
that 
they 
will 
request 
of 
these 
symbolic 
rocks, 
etc., 
hiding, 
covering, 
protection 
from 
the 
storm 
of 
trouble 
brewing. 
We 
have 
already 
noted 
that 
Croker, 
Astor, 
Carnegie 
and 
other 
wealthy 
men 
sought 
the 
security 
of 
Great 
Britain 
as 
greater 
than 
that 
of 
the 
United 
States, 
and 
removed 
their 
residences 
thither. 
We 
now 
note 
a 
different 
move 
by 
the 
millionaire 
J. 
Pierrepont 
Morgan. 
He 
is 
far-sighted 
and 
seek~ 
a 
different 
rock 
or 
mountain 
to 
cover 
him. 
For 
a 
long 
time 
a 
Protestant 
he 
recently 
joined 
the 
Roman 
Catholic 
Church 
in 
a 
manner 
so 
public 
as 
to 
advertise 
him 
a 
Catholic 
all 
the 
world 
over. 
Newspaper 
reports 
say 
that 
he 
presented 
about 
one 
million 
dollars 
to 
the 
Catholic 
Church 
and 
then 
received 
the 
Pope's 
public 
blessing 
and 
an 
amulet 
which 
the 
pontift 
took 
from 
his 
own 
neck 
and 
fastened 
about 
the 
neck 
of 
Mr. 
Morgan. 
In 
the 
case 
of 
so 
astute 
a 
financier 
as 
he, 
the 
public 
is 
justified 
in 
supposing 
that 
he 
must 
have 
associated 
financhl 
matters 
with 
the 
religious. 
It 
is 
not, 
therefore, 
far-fetchea 
to 
suppose 
that 
the 
gentleman 
sees 
the 
trOUble 
coming, 
and 
concludes 
that 
his 
vast 
interests 
will 
be 
safest 
if 
allied 
with 
the 
largest 
religious 
system 
of 
Christendom, 
and 
the 
one 
whose 
millions 
most 
thoroughly 
obey 
the 
voice 
of 
the 
leaders. 
Nor 
will 
it 
surprise 
us 
if 
other 
wealthy 
men 
see 
the 
situation 
in 
the 
same 
light, 
and 
flee 
to 
the 
same 
mountain. 
SURPASSING 
SKILL 
OF 
THE 
ANCIENTS 
"We 
are 
losing 
all 
our 
secrets 
in 
this 
shabby 
age," 
an 
architect 
said. 
"If 
we 
keep 
on 
the 
time 
will 
come 
when 
we'll 
be 
able 
to 
do 
nothing 
well. 
I'Take, 
for 
instance, 
steel. 
We 
claim 
to 
make 
good 
steel, 
yet 
the 
blades 
the 
Saracens 
turned 
out 
hundreds 
of 
years 
ago 
would 
cut 
one 
of 
our 
own 
blades 
in 
two 
like 
butter. 
, 
'Take 
ink. 
Our 
modern 
ink 
fades 
in 
five 
or 
ten 
years 
rust 
color, 
yet 
the 
ink 
of 
mediaeval 
manuscripts 
is 
as 
black 
and 
bright 
today 
as 
it 
was 
700 
years 
ago. 
, 
'Take 
dyes. 
The 
beautifUl 
blues 
and 
reds 
and 
greens 
of 
antique 
oriental 
rugs 
have 
all 
been 
lost, 
while 
in 
Egyptian 
tombs 
we 
find 
fabrics 
dyed 
thousands 
of 
years 
ago 
that 
re­ 
main 
today 
brighter 
and 
purer 
in 
hue 
than 
any 
of 
our 
modern 
fabrics. 
"Take 
my 
specialty, 
buildings. 
We 
can't 
build 
as 
the 
ancients 
did. 
The 
secret 
of 
their 
mortar 
and 
cement 
is 
lost 
[40251 
Vov. XXVIII ALLEGHENY, PA., JULY 15, 1907 No. 14 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER “THIS ONE THING I DO’’ The Methodist Review gives a report of a sermon by Rev. C. E. Jefferson as follows: ‘‘No other man can wander so easily from his province as the preacher. The fences are low, and if he steps over them no one but God will speak to him about his indiscretion. Every man in the community except the preacher is bound with hoops of steel to the task which heaven has assigned him. The physician must practice medicine and keep close to his patients, the lawyer must practice law and keep close to his clients, the editor must gather news and keep close to his subscribers, the teacher must teach and keep close to his pupils, the banker must keep close to his money, the business man must be loyal to his business; but the preacher can leave his work and flit like a bee from field to field, gathering nectar from a thousand flowers, and he himself may think he is making honey when in fact he is only buzzing.’’ The ‘‘buzzing’’ preachers who are moved to treat all manner of ‘‘magazine’’ subjects because of the prevalent conviction that the preacher should be ‘‘a social agitator, a political reformer, a man who stands before the community as the sworn antagonist of every form of social wrong,’’ are reminded that their day furnishes a social environment different only in matter, and not in manner, from the day of Christ’s preaching. ‘‘The people of his day wanted him to do everything,’’ says Dr, Jefferson. ‘‘That was their conception of the Messiah.’’? Further: ‘¢The air was filled with questions, political, social, economic, ecclesiastical, but he refused to touch them, so eager was he to say just one more word about God. Evils lifted their hoary heads on every side—slavery, Roman tyranny, the Social evil, false customs, economie tragedies—but he never htted a hand to strike them. So narrow was he, so blind was he! Men were hot in their discussion of problems. No age ever had more problems than his. But to him there was only one fundamental problem, and that was the problem of sin, and he had time for the discussion of none other. The estrangement of the heart from God—that to him was the root of all tragedies. A will fixed in rebellion against the good Father—that was the fountain of all the world’s woes. All problems of all kinds got their complications from the estranged heart, and all tragedies got their blackness from the mind that had become darkened by going away from God, and he had nothing to say about secondary problems and subordinate evils because his eyes were fixed on the one plaguespot of humanity—a will disobedient to the good God. Such a line of action on his part was of course disappointing. It was even exasperating. The intellectual people of his day had no use for him. Men of acumen and large mental grasp smiled at the poor peasant telling people little stories about God. Men of patriotic fervor, alive to the needs of the day, sneered at him because he did not fall in with their plans and adopt their panaceas. To all practical men who believed in grappling with problems and suggesting solutions he was a visionary, a fool. It did seem visionary, so much talking about God. ‘The German Strauss is offended because Jesus allows the life of the family to fall into the background, is neutral toward the state, rejects property, and passes all the esthetic intents of the world unnoticed. John Stuart Mill declares his Gospel is not sufficient as a rule of action, and must be supplemented by instructions drawn from non-Christian sources. The Italian Mazzini thinks his heart was all right, but his intellect deficient because he took no interest in the great ideals of political liberty and national progress which made the nineteenth century glorious.’’ . Christ consciously and ste@fastly limited the field of his activity, says Dr. Jefferson, and so was able to say at last, ‘‘T have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.’’ If he carved out hig work with such clean-cut edges, the writer remarks, it may be that his example was designed ‘‘to save us from the tragedy of attempting things to which we have not been called.’? We read: “‘Do you not think that the name of God would be more glorious in the hearts of men today, and the kingdom of heaven would have wider limits on the earth, if all who have been ordained to 1reach the Gospel had only been willing to confine themselves to the one task assigned them? I like to think that a preacher should talk differently from any other man in the community; that a sermon should be unlike any other discourse known among men. I like to think that a Christian church should be different in atmosphere from any other building built by man. Public worship, so I think, [4025] ought to have a different tone from the tone of society or the street. On going into the house of God one should know at once that it is not a lecture-hall, a reform-club meetingplace, a professor’s class-room, a newspaper office, the rendezvous of a literary or musical society. There ought to be in the air a mystical something which awes the heart and impels it to look upward. There ought to be something there which makes one feel like saying, ‘This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.’ And it is the preacher who must be foremost in creating this atmosphere.’’ The Monitor (Rom. Cath., Newark, N. J.), in commenting on the lament constantly appearing in Protestant journals over the dearth in church attendance, observes somewhat similarly: ‘*Perhaps the spiritual leaders of our separated brethren make a mistake in striving too much after novelty. Perhaps the people, especially the men part, may prefer the teachings drawn from the everlasting and inexhaustible Gospel of Christ; the daily papers can supply all necessary comment and criticism on passing events. Sincerity is a much better heart-mover than sensationalism, and the true preacher will impart to his hearers the thoughts and ideals and resolves that move himself. ‘If you wish me to weep, you yourself must shed tears.’ ‘‘Two generations ago one of the most peaceful and Chris tian parishes in Ireland, and that is saying a good deal, was a village near Mitchellstown, County Cork. The aged pastor had been in charge for over half a century, and he was never known to preach but the same sermon in all] that time. Every Sunday, after the Gospel, he turned to his people and said solemnly to them, in the old Gaelic, ‘Brethren, avoid the evil and do the good.’ This fact is historical, and it is also historical that this parish was called the parish of saints, where a lawyer would starve, a judge throw up his position in sheer disgust, and a jail collapse through dry rot.’’ SEEKING COVER OF THE MOUNTAINS We have called attention to the statement of Scripture that in the day of the Lord the rich and great and mighty will foresee the impending trouble and seek protection from the stronger institutions. A poor translation says that they will call on the rocks and mountains to fall on them to hide them, whereas the thought is that they will request of these symbolic rocks, ete., hiding, covering, protection from the storm of trouble brewing. We have already noted that Croker, Astor, Carnegie and other wealthy men sought the security of Great Britain as greater than that of the United States, and removed their residences thither. We now note a different move by the millionaire J. Pierrepont Morgan. He is far-sighted and seeks a different rock or mountain to cover him. For a long time a Protestant he recently joined the Roman Catholic Church in a manner so public as to advertise him a Catholic all the world over. Newspaper reports say that he presented about one million dollars to the Catholic Church and then received the Pope’s public blessing and an amulet which the pontiff took from his own neck and fastened about the neck of Mr. Morgan. In the case of so astute a financier as he, the public is justified in supposing that he must have associated financial matters with the religious. It is not, therefore, far-fetchea to suppose that the gentleman sees the trouble coming, and concludes that his vast interests will be safest if allied with the largest religious system of Christendom, and the one whose millions most thoroughly obey the voice of the leaders. Nor will it surprise us if other wealthy men see the situation in the same light, and flee to the same mountain. SURPASSING SKILL OF THE ANCIENTS ‘*We are losing all our secrets in this shabby age,’’ an architect said. ‘‘If we keep on the time will come when we’ll be able to do nothing well. ‘«Take, for instance, steel. We claim to make good steel, yet the blades the Saracens turned out hundreds of years ago would cut one of our own blades in two like butter. ‘‘Take ink. Our modern ink fades in five or ten years rust color, yet the ink of mediaeval manuscripts is as black and bright today as it was 700 years ago. ‘«Make dyes. The beautiful blues and reds and greens of antique oriental rugs have all been lost, while in Egyptian tombs we find fabrics dyed thousands of years ago that remain today brighter and purer in hue than any of our modern fabrics. ‘“‘Take my specialty, buildings. We can’t build as the ancients did. The secret of their mortar and cement is lost (211-212)

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