They want to
hear about the "Father's house" that has "many mansions," and about
Him who has "gone to prepare a place" for them.
They demand happiness in some form, if only in talk. If they do not
get it in the assurances of religion, who can blame them if they say:
"Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for to-morrow we die." For sure
enough they _do_ die to-morrow, so far as their world goes.
If you do not believe that religion means happiness, quit the pulpit
and raise potatoes. Potatoes feed the body at least. But unfaithful
words or speech of needless despair feed nothing at all. It is "east
wind." Put beauty, hope, joy, into your preaching, therefore. Make
your listeners thrill with gladness that they are Christians. Even the
men of the world have wisdom enough to make things profane as
attractive as possible.
Note, for example, that most successful books are hopeful books that
tell of the beautiful things of human life and character. Especially
is this true of novels, the most widely read of all books of transient
modern literature. The hero always wins--virtue always triumphs. There
are remarkable exceptions no doubt--but they are exceptions. Now and
then there are remarkable novels which scourge with the whips of the
Furies, as indeed most of Savonarola's sermons flagellated.
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