THE REV. DR MACLEOD.

Evening Star, Issue 6700, 7 September 1885, Page 3

THE REV. DR MACLEOD.

TO THK EDITOR. Sir,—This stately, solid, and sensible Celt, every Sabbath, from his own hired room, like Paul at Rome, preaches the Gospel to all who choose to resort thither without money and without price. This evening I went to hear him. There were between thirty and forty present. He expatiated upon this text: "If any man will do His will he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of Myself."—John vii., 17. He pointed out several parallelisms of this Divine idea—to wit, that religion depends upon the moral condition of the believer. A good man instinctively turns to Christ; a bad man necessarily turns away from the fountain of goodness. Thegodlyman ispredisposed to listen to Divine teaching. Hisheartspontaneouslygoes forth after God, as the hart after the waterbrook. Evil men, like the ancient Pharisees, will not believe in Christ, because they neither love, nor obey, nor fear God. Christ openly unveiled the secret of their unbelief. " Ye are of your father, the Devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do " Water never rises beyond its own source. A man's faith determines his action. Between a corrupt heart and Christ there can be no reciprocity of feelings. On the contrary, there is open hostility. This is illustrated by Paul under the figure of the sensual as opposed to the spiritual nature. Our _ personal experience proves this proposition. Love believes and hatred disbelieves. ToChiistianity woman owes her present state of moral elevation. To turn away from Christ is to sink into degradation. Dr. Macleod trembled for Tier fate, and pointed out the fruits of Freethought, Agnos ticism, Atheism, and Infidelity in the lives of modern and even living characters in England, France, Germany, America, and even New Zealand. Belief or unbelief produces good or bad characters as surely as the shadow follows the substance. From the multiplex analogies of Nature this was forcibly and clearly set forth. A healthy conscience responds to this. Dr Macleod dwelt upon this truth from a moral point; of

-view. From an intellectual aspect,' the same truth is clearly illustrated in F. \\., Robertson's great sermon, to wit, " ■> hy did the Jews Reject Clmst?" No mTltua| affinity between them and him. Nevertheless, wo, as well as they, are responsible to God for our belief. A good heart responds to the calls of religion; but a bad heart slums the light of God's presence. Not tho want of evidence turns men away from Christianity, but a bad life. The light of religion, like the sun in the firmament, shines all around our paths. The paltry pleas of the Freethinker will not avail before tho Divine Ear. There is an everlasting connection between character and faith. Holiness and faith react the one upon the other. God's children have experimental evidence of tho truth of their faith. Like Paul, each of them knows in whom he has believed. He is strong as a rock amid tho bilbws of infidelity. Though tho arrows of Free: thought darken the air, he feels quite secure and happy. None of them can come nigh to him. A thousand may fall the victims of unbelief around hiin, but his heart, is perfectly 'stablished upon the Rock of Ages. Dr Macleod's sermon was tho very marrow of truo theology, flis posture and dietion clearly proved tho sincerity of his doctrine and the piety and philanthropy of the man. He is a genuine Highlander, who will speak out the Gospel truth at all hazards.—l am> etc., J. G. S. Giunt. Dunedin, September 6.