The attendance varies from eighty to one hundred and eighty young men, who are thus brought into sympathy and acquaintance, and the gatherings are highly valued. The society is fully aware of the difficulty of its undertaking. "There are two difficulties in this matter," says its last report. "One is, to convince unsuitable men that streetpreaching is not their vocation; and the other is, to convince suitable men that they possess the needed qualifications, and so ought to use them with vigour. If more of the latter men would undertake the work, fewer of the former kind would continue to do it." This testimony is true; but sometimes it happens that the most unpromising material will ultimately yield the richest ore. The instructions given to open-air preachers are unexceptionable. They are advised to work together, and, as much as possible, regularly with the same group, of which there should be a leader, whose wisdom and piety mark him out for that purpose. They are desired not to speak outof-doors on controverted themes, but to expound those cardinal gospel truths upon which all evangelical Christians are agreed. The warmest Calvinist would hardly preach the doctrine of election in the streets, probably on the ground that it would be casting a scriptural pearl before swine; and yet we have heard of some very elect souls standing considerably within five miles of the Euston Road teaching most offensively the caricature of that doctrine, and warning men that, unless they were foreordained for salvation, they had been foredetermined for damnation. So, perhaps, a warning such as that given by the Open-air Mission is not altogether unneeded. Reverence in expression, and the avoidance of a trifling style of speech, are inculcated; and adaptation to the kind of audience is recommended. This latter point, indeed, is important, inasmuch as out-door congregations are not unlike in-door assemblies in regard to their diversities. "Do not attempt fine language or artificial manners; but speak in a natural tone, and explain, and persuade." The great fault of street preachers, perhaps, has been a want of condescension to explain what they mean: the theological terms of the study are not understood by the mixed audiences of the streets. Even the phrase "only believe" needs explanation: what are we to believe, and how? And the persuasive tone is more useful than the declamatory. If men's hearts are to be reached, their intellects must be persuaded; and to persuade it is not necessary to shout, but to reason: the reasoning faculties, not the lungs, are the needed weapons. "Shouting and ridiculous gestures" are, we are glad to see, in the index expurgatorius of the Open-air Mission. So also are services at late hours, vulgar tunes, and noisy singing, and resistance of the police; and the following instructions are equally wise:-Speak courteously, both in preaching and in speaking to individuals; (to which we would add, keep your temper, and be gentlemanly to opponents, retorting only in such ways as Mr. Gladstone did at Blackheath, and as Mr. Cobden did when addressing vast concourses of people. The half-playful and halfserious allusion to the obstreperous is the most effectual safeguard against abuse and interruption, and gives you a position of superiority which an ill-tempered reference will never win.) If a person wishes to debate, walk and talk with him, or arrange for a private conversation; for disputation in the streets brings evangelism into contempt. Say what you have to say as briefly as possible (a very difficult rule, almost as hard as the next): Give place to brethren who can speak better than yourself. (We do not know why this should be hard, either. We remember having something to do with organising some bands of street preachers at the Tabernacle, and found more young men willing to take second than first place, while some were proud to be permitted only to start the tunes or stand by the side of the speaker to give him confidence.) "Let your open-air work be as much as possible in connection with in-door services; and announce such services to your audiences, that you may follow up cases where hearers become interested in the truths of the gospel. Do not attempt to make open-air preaching so much a service of worship as an evangelistic effort to bring thoughtless and careless persons to give heed to the things of God. Never thrust tracts at persons, but offer them politely to all who may be willing to accept them. When the open-air service is finished, do not remain gossiping." Mr. Macgregor has written a penny pamphlet on the lessons to be derived from the work of fourteen years' services held in connection with this mission, in which certain facts are stated which should be known by our readers. He observes with truth, that whereas fifty years ago, the majorty in any assembly out of doors were scoffers or indifferent, now "those predominate who are willing to weigh the words of any man who speaks soberly, and who, by his tone and manner, shows that he is really in earnest." As a proof of this, it is mentioned that not one service in fifty is interrupted; not one in a hundred is stopped by opposition. Fair-play is only denied in the lowest haunts of Popery and crime, and from the former quarter there is less justice than from the latter. "If the people be willing," says Mr. Macgregor, "think how many there are of them! In the 338 public-houses of Marylebone, there were, one Sunday evening, twice as many persons as in the 49 chapels and churches of the district. Now where are all these when the churches, and chapels, and even the ginshops are closed? By the well-advised closing of the public-houses, the people are more than ever thrown into the streets on Sunday. They find a substitute for rum and gin by an increased consumption of fruit and shell-fish, and the sweetmeat-shops are driving a large and growing trade. But the talk and the news of the gin-palace are now suddenly wanting on the Sabbath; and thus again have the people more leisure to listen." The reports of the evangelists who preach in the metropolis are a proof of the value of the work. The places they occupy are prominent, and for the most part open thoroughfares. One auxiliary reports a number of conversions, and mentions the case of a notorious infidel lecturer, who had been brought to a knowledge of the truth through the instrumentality of members of the association; he is now a ragged school teacher, and intends as boldly to defend the faith, as formerly he had boldly denied it. The Royal Exchange offers an admirable and central position for these services; and they are made the more attractive by the occasional help rendered by our friend Mr. Orsman's well trained choral classes-for Golden Lane, has learned even to sing some of the choruses from the "Messiah." We find that the city missionary of the district superintends the meetings, and is assisted by ministers and laymen, five or six taking part each Sunday. Last year seventy persons-forty-one men and twenty-nine women-professed decision for Christ; during the season 175 addresses were given to an average congregation of 280 persons. Mr. George Holland, who carries on a mission work in George-yard, Whitechapel, writes:-"During the season we hold from 150 to 200 services. Our plan is to carry the Gospel into the courts, alleys, and back streets, as masses of the people who live there never leave there places of abode on the Lord's day. One of our stations is a large square court, where from twenty to thirty people sit at their windows, besides persons from the neighbouring lodging houses, who form a group of attentive hearers. Another station is a large court-way, where there is a large lodging house. Here the people bring out forms and stools and a few chairs, so that sometimes as many as fifty have been seated, while others stand around the preacher. A third station is the top of George Yard, where sometimes we have a crowd of two hundred persons. Including tract distributors about thirty people are engaged in this work. Some now engaged in preaching formerly lived in the neighbourhood. Among the converts two are now Scripture readers, a third is the superintendent of a large Sunday school. Others are heard of in distant lands engaged in preaching the gospel." This report is but a fair sample of others. But it is not alone in the metropolis that the Open-air Mission labours and stimulates others to labour. In many of the rural districts, among those who will not attend church, and dare not attend chapel, a good work is done. In some such parts of Surrey, we have known them to be greatly useful, and to be the means of awakening attention and concern among the poor. In large towns, and even in the two university cities, successful religious services have been conducted. Our space will not admit of lengthy quotation from the reports, but the following is so unique and admirable that we gladly give it. "I left Plymouth last August," writes Mr. Vicary, "in the yacht belonging to Colonel Onslow, it being placed at my disposal for Evangelistic purposes, by the Colonel, who accompanied me. We put into Fowey, Palruan, Falmouth, Newlyn, and Penzance. At each port we held large interesting open-air meetings when the weather was favourable; otherwise we preached in the chapels and Bethels. The Colonel spoke at most of the meetings. Our method of informing the inhabitants was to send round the crier, bidding him to call out, 'Good news! Good news!' and then name the time and place of meetings. Hundreds would flock together, and on several occasions many were broken down, weeping aloud in the open air. At Newlyn especially we had a glorious time. I took my stand near the beach on Wednesday afternoon at three o'clock. About one hundred and fifty fishermen and their wives assembled. The scene was most enchanting: as the beautiful Mount's Bay lay open in front, and the blue sky overhead, with the town of Penzance on my left, I was forcibly reminded of him who by Gennesareth's lake taught the people from a fisherman's boat." Speaking of Plymouth itself, Mr. Vicary says:-"My American organ has rendered me great service here during the summer-calling together congregations of hundreds in a very few moments, which, before my song is ended, have swelled up to a thousand. During my last tour I had an organette with me as being more portable." Special services are held at races, fairs, and other large gatherings. This work, it is admitted, is of a most trying nature. At Charlton Pleasure Fair, amidst the reign of universal hubbub, tracts were distributed by twenty missionaries, and addresses given as opportunity afforded. Preaching at races must be even worse-for the attendants at pleasure fairs are, however foolish and degraded, better to deal with than the blasphemous and vulgar men who are connected with the turf. The women who go for pleasure are often bitterly opposed to the preachers. One women is reported to have said that she hated to go to such places now, "for all pleasure was marred by a parcel of tub-thumpers," by which classical expression she meant the open-air preachers. She could go to no place, but they were sure to be there, and shoving tracts down people's throats. When people came out for pleasure they meant pleasure, and when they meant to be religious they went to church." "But," she cried, "such creatures as you are, with your tracts, mar everbody's pleasure. I hate the very sight of you; and if I had my way, I would have you, and all like you, locked up." "Horses are in my line," said one man to whom a tract had been offered, "I know of nothing but horses. I was brought up to it, I've lived in it, and I shall stick to it. That is your business, and this is mine. My wife goes to church, and I send my children to school; but I never go to church myself; it is not in my line." Thus this respectable looking and well-attired man manifested an ignorance about religion as gross as that of the lowest costermongers of Golden Lane and Whitechapel, who have the vague impression that religion was never designed for any" in their line." Perhaps the editorial note appended to a report of the races, in a certain local newspaper, gives evidence of much the same kind of ignorance-a note calling the preachers, "Pharisaical humbugs," with "indecent bills," and concluding thus :-"It is a pity these fellows are not made to earn a shilling a day more reputably; and it speaks well for the good-natured tolerance of those going to the races that they did not duck them in the adjacent ditches." Even, however, in this most uncongenial field, some good fruit has been gathered; and a testimony against sin and for righteousness has been delivered, which read in the light of the judgment to come will sufficiently justify the accused. It is only needful to add, that the income of this little society was only £722 last year, and that was £70 more than in any previous year; but that so much work would not be done at so small a cost, were it not for the liberal grants of tracts, &c., from societies, publishers, and individuals. We conclude with the following summary, for the year 1870-71:— No. of Auxiliaries ... ... ... Conferences held by the Mission, and its 12 ... 154 36 159 Races visited 77, fairs visited 48, other Tracts distributed (being 266,020 more than the previous year) ... ... 777,045 EDWARD LEACH. WE Of the Adornment of a Christian. BY KIRCHENPROPST CASPERS. "Jesus thy blood and righteousness ZINZENDORF. E may form some faint idea of the exceeding fairness of the believing soul, when we regard the beauties of nature. How beautiful is the blue vault of heaven! The sun gives it splendour by day, and the moon and the stars render it glorious by night. The Lord says: "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Matt. xiii. 43); and again: "They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever" (Dan. xii. 3). If the inanimate sun and stars are so fair, how glorious must be the living stars, the living suns, namely, the justified in heaven! The soul of the believer is already in possession of a beauty which resembles the beauty of our Jesus, though it remains veiled until Christ, who is our life, shall appear. Then shall we also be revealed "with him in glory" (Col. iii. 3, 4). All things in nature were created by the word of God (Gen. i. 1). But when he created man, he "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life" (Gen. ii. 7). God made with his hand no flower, no tree; the earth brought forth these at his command (Gen. i. 11). But he fashioned man with his own hand, and with his own Spirit he gave him life," and man became a living soul." Therefore, how much more beautiful must be the soul of man than are the trees and flowers of the field! For Jesus has washed away the sin of the fall with his own blood, and has not only restored the soul to what she was on the sixth day of creation, but has given her a resemblance to himself in his glory. The beauty of the soul is nought but power and divine life, is nothing less than Christ in his suffering beauty. This beauty is the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, as described in the Revelation of St. John: "What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And he said to me, These are they which have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Rev. vii. 13, 14). In heaven the righteousness of Jesus will become visible as the soul's ornament and robe of honour. "From the head even to the sole of the foot righteousness covers her." This glorious dress secures the soul from the anger and punishment of God, and gives her his grace and mercy. No angel ever appears so beautiful as does the forgiven child of God, clothed in the robe of Christ's righteousness. The angels have not the righteousness of the God-man; they have "The Footsteps of Christ." Translated from the German of A. Caspers, Church Provost and Chief Pastor at Husum. By Adelaide E. Rodham. Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 38, George Street. 1871. |