Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-11-16

smart man? man of talents ? a popular
preacher? This has become universal,
from the arlstocratlc city congregation,
with its salary of two or three thousand
year, down to the feeble society with its
stipend oftwo or three hundred. Indeed,
the feeber the church, the more unwiI-
llngness is often manifested to take up
with sound, pious, faithful minister ofor-
binary talents This feeling is doing i'm
mense mischief both among wealthy and
feeble congregations but more especially
the latter. have few things to say to
small churches and feeble congregations
on the subject. am not about to detract
an iota from the smart men Would to
God all the Lords prophets were ten times
more gifted, provided that they were all
a little more pIous than smart. But then
here are evils connected with having one
of our present race of smart men ofwhich
feeble churches little dream. Wealthy
congregations can afford to bear these
evils perhaps, because they must have
great men at all events though some of
them are dying under their popular
preachers. But feeble churches should
look we'll to this matter. For
|. Many who pass for smart men, are
more snowy than sound-more brilliant
than deep. They can let off few SER
mons and speeches wonderfully well, and
then their pond is out.
2. Smart men are often more learned
than pious, and by their levity, and world
Iy conformity, and want of spirituality,
spoil all their Sabbath minstrations
8. If your preacher is smart man,
very possibly you will be proud of him,
and will worship your preacher more
than God; and then God will blast both
him and you.
4. If you obtain a smart man, most
probably he will be ambitious, and soon
think, that such talents as he possesses
ought not to lie confined to such humble
sphere
5. If your minister is smart man, and
has the reputation of it abroad, then the
larger churches and colleges will most
probably entice him away. He will have
call upon call, till at last he becomes sat-
isfed that the providence Of God calls him
to leave. And then
6. You Will find that having once had
a smart man, YOU will not be willing to
take up with any thing less than just such
smart man again. | know small
church that is now dying from this cause
1t has had one or two smart men, ndthey
have broken away suddenly; and aow
this church is not willing to take up with
any thing much less than Dr.: Beecher.
I. Many of our smart men, q grieve
to say i;) do not preach the gospel plain
", pungently, fully. They sacrifice sound
doctrine and faithful dealing to popuarl-
ty. They wreath the sword ofthe spirit
with so many rhetorical flowers that it
does not "pierce even to the dividing as
sundcr ofsoul and spirit" This sacrifice
ing at the shrine of popular applause is
killing The orthodoxy and piety of many
congregations. The poor leave the church
because they are not fed. And when
Gods poor leave church for such, or for
any cause, orthodoxy and piety will soon
follow.
8. Smart menmake churches fastidious.
Likec children fed on condiments, they have
no relish for sound, wholesome instruc-
ton. Their gospel must come to them
through a richer tube. They spum at
the "sincere milk of the word" unless it
is dealt out with silver spoon highly or
namented, and from a silver bowl set round
with gems and briIliants. No preacher
is popular with them, whose ministrations
enlighten their understanding, mortifv
their vanity, humble their pride, correct
their bad tempers, reprove their 10th, ex-
alt their Savior, and make them forget the
preacher in their love and admiration OF
his Master. But minister is sure to be
very popular with them, respecting whom
they can say, "What a fine speaker"
"what fine voice." what beautiful fig
ures, ''what eloquent sentences" what
striking illustrations" "what correc,
taste" "what powerful reasoning" in
short, "what acharning man and preach
er he is! y" Thus the man is loved
praised and followed, instead of his divine
Master. 0 how some of these smart men,
swollen by the breath of human hattery,
will shrivel up, when they come before
the judgment seat Feeble churches
can you afford to have a smart man!
! PAUL