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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 26

Olympian Thunderbolts

Olympian Thunderbolts.

The sixteenth preacher from Victoria—The Rev. Mr. Hardy, of Kilmore—appeared in the pulpit of the First Church, on the forenoon of Sabbath, 17th May, 1874. He is a young man of middle stature, spare build, dark-brown hair, with whiskers and moustachios, and of a florid complexion. He read a portion of psalm 118, verse 24, beginning : "This is the clay God made," etc., which the congregation sang. Prayer was then offered up by the minister. His voice is somewhat squeaking, and his attitude comparatively sedate; albeit there is a tremulous waving of the head. After devotion, he rend Isaiah, 52nd chapter (the former half) with a running commentary thereon, by way of a flourish of trumpets, with outstretched hands and a shrieking voice. Again, he read the latter half of chapter I. of the first epistle to the Corinthians. Then, he read a portion of Psalm 25, beginning, "To thee I lift my soul," &c. Then we had another prayer—but not the usual parrot prayer. He has the genuine Puritanic devotional tone of voice. The rev. gentlemen selected his text from Romans, chap. 16 : "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." There is no text in Scripture so hackneyed as this. It is the stock-in-trade of all would-be imitators of Paul. It is no disparagement to Mr. Hardie, to say that nothing original was said on that topic. Originality here is impossible. However, the usual platitudes on the Roman Empire in its social, political, intellectual, moral and religious condition at that time, were commendably and laconically set forth. Paul's conduct under those circumstances was, of course, eulogised, and quotations from his writings freely indulged in. His obligations to Greek and Jew and Roman, were specified, and a parade of his sufferings in his missionary labors was set before the congregation, almost in his own words, and by way of an exordium. Then the sermon—properly so-called—was judiciously, if not learnedly, distributed under two orthodox heads.

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I. Paul's glorying in the Gospel of Christ. This Gospel is the ground of sinful man's justification, by faith before God. It was miraculously revealed to the great Apostle by the Saviour himself. Its fundamental principles, the redemption of the soul, the Divine substitution, the duty of Faith, and the inspiration of Hope, were amply set forth and proved by texts, embodying the salient events of the Gospel, from the Incarnation to the final ascension of the Redeemer of mankind; and also the consequent personal salvation of both soul and body, re-united and crowned with glory, honor, and immortality in the spotless Paradise of God. Unconsciously, he pointed cut how Paul would have been heartily ashamed of the hateful tenets of Antinomianism. By the way, there are two congregations in Dunedin strongly tinged with these odious tenets of grace superseding personal holiness. It is, as a dogma, as disparaging to Christ, as Arminianism, taught in Methodist and certain Presbyterian Churches, is derogatory from the omniscience of the Deity. Paul, too, would have been cordially ashamed of the moderatism of our Episcopal Churches, and also of that Church which travesties the memory and doctrines of the Scottish Reformer. So much for this digression.

II. We come now to Paul's Reasons for not being ashamed of the Gospel. It is the Power of God, divinely revealed to man for his soul's salvation. It is God's peculiar instrument for human regeneration. It is the omnipotent panacea for all ills. Paul prepared and seasoned the soil for the reception of this Divine seed. He broke up the fallow ground of the human heart. The Gospel is pre-eminently fitted for all classes—Jews and Gentiles. It exercises, like the sun in the firmament, its beneficent influences upon all shades of sinners. It is calculated to make them new creatures, fellow-citizens of the City of God—as Augustine phrases it. The preacher closed his excellent sermon with a rousing practical application to the consciences of his hearers. He energetically asked, "What is your attitude to this glorious Gospel? What is your personal relation to it? How do you look upon Him, whom your sins have nailed to the cross? Have you washed away your sins in this divine fountain? Are you ashamed of the Gospel? Do you set your affections on the things that are above?" The baseness of being ashamed of the Cross was depicted in rhetorical figures of speech, accompanied with appropriate bodily gestures. The hands were elevated aloft while the preacher importuned the people not to be ashamed of the glorious Gospel of Christ. A portion of the 30th psalm, beginning "Lord, I will thee extol," &c., was then read by the minister, and by the congregation. Then the preacher prayed fervently. Again, a portion of Paraphrase 54 was sung : "I'm not ashamed to own my Lord," &c. Finally, in the Whitfieldian attitude of uplifted hands, the minister pronounced the benediction.

The day was intensely cold. Many seats were empty. The preacher's shrieking voice died often away in an unintelligible monotone amid the echoes of the building. He is, however, a page 3 promising young man. Originally a cooper to trade, socially, but not financially, he raised himself to the ministry, and was assistant pastor to the Cowgate congregation, Edinburgh. Paul himself was a tent-maker, and in these colonies would have realised handsome wages—and even affluence at such a lucrative and thriving trade. A deafness in one of his ears prevents him from modulating his voice according to the capacity of the church. At present, he is located in the picturesque town of Kilmore—37 miles north of Melbourne, on the Sydney road. His present church is not so large as the hall in the rear of the First Church; but he has another little charge at Broadford, a few miles further forward on the Sydney road. Twelve years ago, we sojourned for three months in Kilmore. The town has not increased since that time; indeed, it has decreased. But yet there are, for a population of about 1200 souls, six churches, of which two are Presbyterian. But Kilmore is the ceutre of a splendid agricultural district, so that the farmers and their families worship in the town. There are, also, ten public houses. We believe the Rev. Mr. Hardie has received a call to one of the Presbyterian churches of Emerald Hill—one of the fourteen populous suburbs of Melbourne.

Presbyterianism flourishes well everywhere but in Otago—where, however, it ought to fill the land. There is ample room in Dunedin for other two large churches, with earnest and intelligent ministers. The First Church should take action, and apply to the Established Church of Scotland for a good pastor, and guarantee him £1000 a-year by way of stipend.

The seventeenth preacher from Victoria—the Rev. F. W. M. Wilson from Camperdown—delivered his inaugural sermon in the First Church, Dunedin, on Sabbath, 14th June, 1874. He is a tall, dark-haired, whiskered and moustachioed, and dignified looking man. He gracefully ascended the glorious pulpit, sat down a few moments, and then rose reverentially, and read the First Psalm: "That man hath perfect blessedness who walketh not astray in counsel of ungodly men," &c. Thereafter he read the 3rd chapter of Malachi, and also the 16th chapter of Matthew's Gospel—thus bringing the close of the Old Dispensation into juxtaposition with the beginning of the New.

In prayer he has a dignified and even judicial deportment. His articulation is clear, without being loud, and very intelligible. In devotion, his posture is erect and solemn, and sedate. The hands are firmly clasped over the Sacred Oracles, and there is no motion of the head. His attitude resembles that of the presiding Judge at the Titchborne trial. Each petition is weighty in expression and fraught with wisdom. His phraseology is exceedingly appropriate. After prayer the congregation sang a portion of Paraphrase 26, beginning thus—

Ho! ye that thirst, approach the spring,
where living waters flow; &c.

Again, he recited, with a beautiful introduction, the Lord's prayer. page 4 The rev. gentleman selected his text from Matthew's Gospel, chap, xvi., v. 26 : "For what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" With a sermon on this text, the Rev. Dr. Begg opened the First Church. Like Dr. Begg, Mr Wilson sets the highest value upon the soul. The question propounded in the text is most important and practical. In the eyes of the world, it would appear that men place small value upon their souls. They throw it away, like the prodigal, on the pleasures and vanities of life. They prefer the temporal to the spiritual—the present to the future; God and religion are disregarded in their pursuit of wealth, fame, esteem, honour and pleasure. They look on religion as casting a gloom over life. They hope, however, to attend to its concerns at a future and convenient season, before death. But how differently God regards the soul, may be learned from the fact of his Eternal Son having left the throne of his glory, descended to this sinful world, and made atonement for the guilt incurred by the sinful sons of men. Compared to the value of the soul, the world is only as a mite floating in the sun-beam. The redemption of men is eternal proof of God's appreciation of the immortal soul. It is, therefore, possible for a man to lose his soul. This the sinner feels, and therefore, for his own peace's sake he studies to forget God, Judgment, and Eternity, or ignores the Gospel, or takes refuge in scepticism for a while—being immersed in the perishing things and pursuits of life. But let him do his best, still his efforts are unavailing; for he cannot shake off the fears of a guilty and awakened conscience. It is possible for a man to gain his soul; for it is already lost, by reason of the Fall. Our case is very different from that of Adam. He was created in a state of innocence, holiness and happiness. But we are plunged into a condition of sin, misery and infelicity. By Divine grace, however, we may be redeemed; there is hope of recovery, and Eternal life is freely offered to us in the Gospel. If we will not accept of the overtures of grace, we shall be finally, eternally, and irretrievably ruined.

This solemn truth was grandly illustrated by means of parables, anecdotes, and stories collected from the gibbet, the sinking and burning ship, the besieged city, the Pilgrim's Progress, from the history of Dives and Lazarus, and from Esau's conduct in relation to his birthright. The minister contracted the unseen with the seen world, and showed the folly of sacrificing the former for the evanescent pleasures, riches, positions, and fleeting honors of the latter. The deplorable and defenceless state of the worldling before the Great White Throne at the final Judgment was eloquently painted in graphic language. The world and all its treasures, when weighed in the balance of Heaven, are light as air compared with the salvation of the soul. The recollection of the vanities of life, so far from giving the condemned soul any sense of pleasure, will be gall and wormwood to it. Worldly wisdom and nobility avail not then. The gifts of the world and of Fortune will then be seen in their true colors. The preacher urged his hearers not to page 5 allow the world to come into competition with the salvation of their souls from sin, misery, and eternal death. It is a great delusion to invert the Order of Grace—aye, and of Nature, too to seek first this world, which is as unstable as "rainbow's lovely form, evanishing amid the storm." It is dangerous to postpone, even for a day, the business connected with the soul's salvation. It is foolish to postpone spiritual for worldly good. What begins in worldliness cannot end in heavenliness. Why not reform now? Future reformation will be far more difficult, even should life be prolonged. Hut can reformation blot out the past? Sin must be punished, justice must be executed upon the sinner. Oh! but "God is merciful!" Such a plea in the mouth of the wicked is very fallacious. It is fraught with false notions of God. All sinners are condemned already. They are in prison waiting the day of execution. God is only merciful to such as fear, love, and obey him, and approach him through the great Mediator. Out of Christ, he is a consuming fire. You refuse to repent now, and God will most justly despise your prayer for mercy when it is too late to seek it. Suppose you gained the whole world, and neglected the great concerns of eternity; what then? If the soul is lost, all is gone; therefore, if your possessions distract your thoughts from religion, sell them at once, and accept the terms of grace freely offered to you in the ever glorious Gospel.

At the close of his sermon, the preacher offered up a grand prayer, and then read another portion of the 26th Paraphrase, which was sung by the great congregation,—

Seek ye the Lord, while yet His ear
Is open to your call;
While offered mercy still is near,
Before His footstool fall.

Let sinners quit their evil ways.
Their evil thoughts forego;
And God, when they to Him return,
Returning grace will show," &c.

After this sacred service of praise, the preacher made sundry congregational announcements, and finally pronounced the benediction.

As Admiral Duncan, on June 11, 1797, when he first came in sight of the Dutch fleet off Camperdown, gallantly and bravely bore down upon them, and totally defeated, the enemies of his country, and was accordingly elevated to the peerage with the title of Viscount Duncan of Camperdown, and rewarded with an annual pension of £3000 by the Parliament of England : even so, on the 11th of June, 1874, when the minister of Camperdown first surveyed the Dunedin congregation from his lofty pedestal, he eloquently directed a steady shower of Gospel fire at the heads of the subjects of Mammon, and the apostate rebels of the King of Heaven. Accordingly, let the congregation elevate the minister of Camperdown to the pulpit of the First Church, and bestow upon him an annual stipend of £1000. Verily, they cannot do better for their own spiritual interests, and for the salvation of their souls from the all-devouring jaws of materialism and death.