Sermon to the Young by the late Dr Kennedy.—We have pleasure in printing in this issue a sermon to the young by this renowned preacher. We have heard so often of the sublime heights to which Dr Kennedy often carried his entranced hearers that it came as a delightful surprise to read in his own careful penmanship this beautiful sermon. The simplicity of the diction, the arresting and captivating illustrations used to drive home the message, and the warm-hearted pleading with the young as he appealed to them to make choice of Christ in the days of their youth must have made a great impression on those who heard the sermon. We pray and hope that, under the blessing of God’s Holy Spirit, the discourse will be blessed, not only to our young readers, but also to many who are still standing idle in the market place, though for them the day is far spent.
Castle of Wartburg.—“The announcement,” says “The Presbyterian” (Philadelphia), “that the ancient castle of Wartburg is falling into decay, must be a disturbing report, not to the Lutheran Church alone, but to Protestants everywhere. It is well-known history that after the Diet of Worms, where Luther actually refused longer to submit to the decisions of the Pope, and determined to throw himself whole-heartedly into the strong current that was taking Bible-lovers away from Rome, that to Wartburg he was carried as a captive by his friends, and held in seclusion to save him from the wrath of the Pope’s emissaries. Here in 1521 he made his historic translation of the Scriptures into the German tongue, and by this great achievement there immortalized the old castle. It was here that Luther insisted that Satan appeared in his dark, repulsive shadow near his table; and the ink-stains on the wall long marked the place where his strong aim with the bottle was intended to drive forth the ugly visitor. The great work of Wycliffe in England preceded Luther, and doubtless encouraged his stupendous enterprise, but no other single event was so effective in securing an intelligent Reformation as the translation of the Bible by Luther.”
Marshal Feng.—The following information in reference to Marshal Feng’s reported accession to the Bolshevik ranks will be of interest to our readers. In a letter his former chaplain, Dr Goforth, says:—”The Marshal assures us he is as loyal to his Lord as of old. My fear is that with the avowed purpose of sweeping away all his enemies, Chinese and foreign, he will not have time nor place for his Lord. He thinks he has benefited by his stay in Russia. I take the opposite view, believing that his Christian life has been harmed. General Chang Chih-chiang has earnestly urged him to re-establish Christianity in the army on the same high level as in the days when the Lord of Hosts signally prospered them. There is hope in the fact that the Marshal seems moved by the suggestion.” In a letter to “The Globe” (Toronto), Dr Goforth writes:—”We fear that with the great thought and time he [Feng] is putting in the reorganisation of his army of 150,000 men, he can’t find much time for Bible study and prayer. While in Russia they kept him from the true state of things. They pointed to the hundreds of churches in Moscow as proof that they were not anti-Christian, as their enemies affirm. I doubt whether he got any insight into their infidel efforts. He only saw through their eyes and heard through their ears the things which might make a favourable impression. His visit there has done him no good. The Soviet has given him a decided anti-British turn. In time he will find out how he has been deceived by the Bolsheviks. . . Only fervent, believing prayer in the Holy Ghost can save the situation in the army.”
The Independent Labour Party and Religious Instruction in the Schools.—This wing of the Labour Party is not lacking in energy. Unfortunately some of its activities are manifestly anti-religious. This comes out very clearly in the demand of the Glasgow City Branch of the party, who propose to add to their Education policy “that the teaching of religion be abolished in all schools.” It is a bad and wicked policy on the part of any organisation to rob the children of instruction in the religion of Jesus Christ. If more sound religious instruction were given to the children in our day schools in the great truths of the Gospel it would do them more good than the smattering of geometry, French, etc., on which so much useless effort in so many cases is spent. What is wrong with religion when the I.L.P. wish it abolished from the schools? Is it detrimental to the progress of the full programme of the party? We believe easy answers could be given to these questions. This demand is in line with the I.L.P.’s policy of holding all its important meetings on the Lord’s Day. If it is out to smash the cause of Christ it may find, as other arrogant institutions found, that the Lord’s cause is “an anvil on which many a hammer was broken.”
The late Mr Forbes Moncrieff.—We regret, owing to pressure on our space, we were not able to make reference to the passing away of Mr Forbes Moncrieff, C.A., in our last issue. Mr Moncrieff, who had reached the age of 80 years, wielded a facile pen, which was used in the defence of scriptural doctrines and practices. His numerous leaflets and booklets in support of Protestant evangelical truth and in defence of purity of worship were largely circulated and highly appreciated. He at various times sent articles to our Magazine dealing with these subjects. He was specially gifted in writing for the young, and his regular New-Year Addresses became a stated institution. Mr Moncrieff took a great interest also in the Waldensian Mission. He was a member of Edinburgh Original Secession Church. His death is a loss to the cause of evangelical religion in Scotland.