Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-06-05
R eligiOus Intelligence.
From the New-Hayen Herald.
TOO MUCH PREACHING.

some people; but it is best for the truth to.
be known. After considerable observa-
ton and reflection, the firm conviction
has been forced upon the mind of the
writer, that both the churches and the
ministers in this Safe are suffering from
an excess of preaching. The ministers
are suffering. Cases Of throat and lung
complaints among the clergymen. arising
from too much public speaking, are con-
stantly multiplying. It is fact not gen.
orally known, yet strictly true, that no
small part of those who begin TO preach
the gospel, are obliged after time TO give
out from absolute inability to endure the
labor imposed upon them. The churches
should know these things. Men who
would be shocked with the thought of
using beast cruelty, make no scruple of
requiring Of minister that which is
most certainly shortening hisalife. The
only way of putting an end to this ruin
Gus state of things, is, tell the churches
! frankly, You do not consider; you do
not remember that your ministers are
men, and like other men, are destroyed
! by excessive labor AS general rule,
clergyman can not preach more than
twice on the Sabbath, without undermin-
ing his health, and laying the foundation
for an early death. Some may do il;
some haze done it; but most can not
Wesley's charge to his conferences was
the result of much practical wisdom
'tDon't let your preachers" said he,
"speak more than twice on the Sabbath |;
for, if you do, you will certainly destroy
them" Have not some of our congre-
cations been Internationally guilty of
destroying their pastors2*
The churches. also, are suffering from
too much preaching. The character OF
their piety, notwithstanding herevivals
which have blest our land, it is much to
be feared is declining from. year 10 year.
Indeed, how could it be otherwise With
three sermons on the Sabbath, they have
little or no time for thought and serious
meditation on what they have heard. To
use homely phrase, 'what goes In al
one ear goes out at the other" The
notion is becoming more and more prev
alent, that growth in grace is to be OBJ
tanned by hearing, not by thinking and
praying. Hence the increasing number
of thoughtLess Christians, of ignorant
Christians, of inconsistent Christians
The writer IS happy to find that he is
not alone in this opinion. A writer in
the Quarterly Christian Spectator fol
} February, 1888, whose preaching has
been eminently successful, remarks a:
follows: st is fact that revivals, ffteer
or twenty years ago, were signalized b,
a more awful sense of the character ant
presence of God, by more humbling view
of the depravity of the heart by NOR,
| joyful hopes of salvation, by deeper so
lemnity in the converts, and by much
e larger duration. 1t is equally true tha
our public meetings were then less fire
4 quent; there were not as many sermons
e Christians were urged to closet duties
e and felt that the kingdom of God comet
\ not with observation, but was With
: them. The anxious were told that Go
! was to be found in solitude. The resul
n was, that when there was a sermo
i preached, it was devoured with avidity
II and treasured up with fidelity"
e And so it should be now A sermo
h should be thought Of and talked abou
y till it is firmly impressed upon the memo
e ry, and made part of the minds furniture
IS How much might be done by every Chrl:
tian father to cultivate habits of anentio
a, in his children, and TO treasure up in thei
l minds store of correct sentiments, woul
IS he only make it settled practice to inte
lie rogate them on the Sabbath evening, upo
lie what they had heard during the day.
What an evident advantage, moreover,
s. himself to familiarize his mind with th
ut important truths to which he had listenet
of But all this is impossible. where tire
of services are held; for the greater part (
d the evening is mpIoyed in attending puI
lie lie worship, and the fatigue arising frol
he such an oReT-abundance of preachin
rs renders serious thot's, in common case
er out of the question. The family instes
is of having few important truths deepl
IN fixed in their minds, retire to rest wearit
On sIn this connection it viii be proper to quo
". an extract from the letter Of medical gentlema
n of considerable celebrity, upon the subject, viii
=. the writer has been permitted TO see
" "Pres. Dwight, who had powerful voice :
strong constitution, thought it unsafe for a
ed imam to preach three times day. If minis
ly will make the whole service of the forenoon a
-. afternoon not to exceed an hour and quart
l each, he may venture upon short evening y
he vice in small room. and easy to speak VI.
to have, however, observed one thing, ano th1l
he do not remember TO have known any PeIs
ar who has broken down his Strength oy severe
s' Dor in preaching, who has ever recovered IL
seems almost like suicide only that il u the res
d. of ignorance"