The Life of Christian Consecration : Sermons Preached at Leicester.
By Alexander Mackennal, B.A. (Hodder and Stoughton.)—The writer of these sermons is a man who would deprecate anything like eulogy of them. In one very striking sermon, on" Faith and Self-Complacency," he says How hard it is to offer a simple thanksgiving and an earnest prayer after applause." We may venture, however, to express a hope that this volume may be very widely road and attentively studied. Attentive studying, it requires, for without that its full meaning may be missed. There is in his teaching such a com- plete absence of self-assertion and pretension to originality, that a careless reader might easily suppose that Mr. Mackennal has nothing particular to say. There is no combatting of obnoxious dogmas in those sermons, yet after the reading of them many such dogmas reappear to us altogether transformed, or else dis- appear quietly from the view. The leading idea of these sermons may be found, we think, in the following quotation, from a sermon with the title, "The Christian Life a Revelation ":—" God has begotten us,' says James, 'that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.' In the character he has formed in us we may see the style and quality of redeemed manhood, in the influences by which he sways us, the influences which the world shall obey ; and in the energy with which he works in us, the energy that shall transform the world." We have not space even to point out the various ways in which that conviction is worked out, but must give one quotation, which certainly contains wholesome doctrine for these times :—" Look at war, that crime which has arrogated to itself the title 'splendid.' There have been neces- sary wars, and until the gospel and spirit of Christ govern Christian men and Christian countries, there will be circumstances rendering war inevitable again. But reflect how the war-spirit is fostered in a country. Multitudes who talk of national honour and a people's courage would be silenced at once by a law of compulsory enlistment ; they do not intend to fight, but to send others to be Blain and wounded, a small addition to the income-tax being all their contribution to the war. Among our newspapers are some which will sound the call to arms for trade reasons, or because of the private interests of their pro- prietors; and some will chatter for war because they have not the courage to oppose a popular cry, or the patience to await the issue of negotiation. Reflect also on the crowd of speculators, preparing to supply the Army with adulterated coffee or putrid meat But then, there are no such things as splendid sins. The story of trans- gression is one of meanness." We had never beard of Mr. Mackennal before the publication of this volume, and therefore have an unex- pected pleasure in meeting wtih a teacher of men so impressive and inspiriting.
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