WE are glad to observe a bold protest against the growing worship of the poet Burns on the part of many Scotsmen at home and abroad, some of them even professing to stand high in the Christian world. The temptation to this is quite intelligible, and it is quite in keeping with that dangerous mixture of right and wrong, truth and falsehood, which forms one of the singular features of the present time, “Having a form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof.” Of course it is impossible to deny the immense talent of Burns, but a man deserves no praise for the mere possession of talent. The great question is, and must be, now and hereafter, how has this talent, which is a great gift from God, been employed? And if little more can be said, in the language of another, of any man’s talents, than that “God gave the use and the Devil the application,” the man is only the more criminal. We have read Mr. Ferguson’s sermon on the subject of Burns with great pleasure, and we cordially tender him our thanks for his manly protest against what is becoming little better than a modern worship of Bacchus. Admitting that Burns wrote many beautiful things (and we scarcely think Mr. Ferguson always does him full justice in this respect), the evil of his verses immensely preponderated over the good; and the influence of his writings has been, upon the whole, extremely pernicious to
* This is a notice of the Rev. Fergus Ferguson’s sermon on the “Worship of Burns,” which appeared in the “Watchword” (March, 1869). It is interesting in view of statements made recently in connection with the controversy which appeared in the Northern papers to note that the “Watchword” was edited by Dr. Begg.
—The Editor.
Scotland. Of course Mr. Ferguson has met with much abuse for his courage and faithfulness, but he knows that no man can be of the least public service in the cause of Christ and truth who is not prepared for this. “Marvel not if the world hate you.” “Woe unto you when all men speak well of you.” The great pity is, that there are so few ministers in the present day, possessed of faith and nerve enough to brave the tide and denounce public wickedness. This is one reason why the pulpit has lost its power, in so far as it has really lost it. We most cordially thank Mr. Ferguson, and commend his sermon.