he church and world to whom these words may be
most legitimately applied. Both Catholics and Protestants have been lovers
of their own selves," etc., "having a form of godliness, but denying the
power thereof." How often the sectish lords lament the deadness of their
congregations, and also grow weary of their own spiritless, formal prayers
and sermons.

Bishop Weaver of the United Brethren denomination uses the following
language, as quoted by a holiness periodical:

"_Power Versus Form._

"The pulpit ought to be a center of power. But is it? God said to Jonah,
'Preach the preaching I bid thee.' Jesus said, 'Preach the gospel.' Paul
said, 'Preach the Word.' Again he said, 'We preach Christ.' Philip
'preached Jesus.' All this means the selfsame thing. Christ is the soul of
the gospel as well as the substance of all doctrine. Much of the
preaching, reading or talking--whatever you please to call it--is Christless
and powerless. Of course, this is a refined age, and the people are away
up, but the devil can appear as refined as a saint. Nothing suits him
better than to get the preacher away from the gospel on to some fine topic
and then get some one to tell him (the preacher) that he made a fine
effort. The pulpit should proclaim the great, fundamental doctrines of the
Bible. But does it? The people are often treated to a well-written essay
or dissertation on some abstract question that does not contain an ounce
of pure gospel. There is neither lightning nor thunder in it. One reason
why Paul was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ was because it was the
power of God unto salvation. But it was no more the power of God unto
salvation then than it is now. It is the same eternal truth, yesterday,
to-day, and forever.

"In Hosea we read, 'Like people, like priest.' In Isaiah we read, 'As with
the people, so with the priest.' There is a great deal of harmony between
the pulpit and the pew. Everything goes along in an orderly manner. All
services must be short or the people can not stand them--short prayers,
short sermons, short everything. Oftentimes the service is gone through
with, and nothing in it but an out-and-out performance; no life, no
spirit, no power. Protestants often speak disparagingly of the ritualistic
services gone through with by the Roman Catholic church, but if you come
right down to it you will find about as much spirit and power in the one
as the other. The result is that scores and hundreds of men, an