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Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 88, 15 April 1899, Page 5

' Our London correspondent, writes:— 'The story sermon of the order of 'What Would Jesus Do?' (of. which three different forms are now piled high otftfie :b6ok stalls) is -the latest development of religious sensationalism imported from, the Spates,, and seems."ta :be■ catching on with Evangelicals aftd Noneoftformists amongst the less .educated classes. At a chapel in North,. London. I s^Wr one advertised for- Sunday evening,, 'The Conversion of', the, Jews: - What W;ould, Jesus Do ?' I once before heard an extraordinary discourse on , : the ; same subject^ SO;I felt., curio.us • • and /went; 'The preacher's narrative ; was simplicity itself. A young Christian hero, wishing to convert the Jews, asks ;himself, 'What Would, Jesus Do with; Itegard tp the Chosen^ People in this Year of Grace?' Some may think the question a little difficult to:, unswer, but no doubts perturbed our heroi He decided that Christ would have .'stormed the enemy' .in their own homes and 'wrestled with them-bravely', (a. proposition from which to begin with I entirely, dissentedj), • and -.then he went on to describe ~the young man's experiences. The. 'conduct of the Jews under th^-circuxnstances struck me as admirable. ''.Wi%-»'"few exceptions they were • represented .as receiving- -the -Apostle "Civilly. and willingly,' entering dii "involved; theological discussion "■■ • with" ■■ him: in ; Avhtch he floored them utterly, bombarding' theto with texts till they accepted sa'New Testament (as if every* Jew didn't know it by heart), and he departed in triumph. 'But, of course, all was not smooth water. ■ A flinty-hearted city financier, .into* whose sanctum the; fearless Apostle: penetrated, promptly, ordered him out and told him to mind his own business.. A money lender, whose 'hands blazed with- jewels' behaved even worse, for when.he discovered his visitor had n6t come- on, business; r"]ie 'swore horribly.' But worst of all was a, Jew conducting a' vaguely specified 'vile trade' who carried ■ otit. the' up-to-date notion, of stoning by 'easting rotten eggs' at his would-be 'benefactor. I'm aahaimed to confess soon.after thiis: point I lost interest in the address, Ibttt. the y.6ung maii's adventures continued:for \ solid three-quarters of ah hour. Qn the whole the story-sermon as a device did not extort my approval \ Its chief attraction lies in its piquancy and the knowledge that the paraon can easily throw in objectionable allusions, etc., which could never obtain in a: sermon.