Southern Argus., 1839-06-18

PULPIT ORATIRY AND PULPIT ELo-
QuENcE.-Wniie we give the clergymen OF
our country credit for as much talent as is
possessed by any body Of men Of equal
number in the republic, we must acknow.
ledge that preachers are too generally de.
ficient in some very essential requisites to
usefulness. A great poi"t in which many
clergymen neglect their education is in eo
cution. They apl ear to fancy that SO long
as the doctrines they preach are pund, il
is no consequence in what kind of an IN.
graceful mander they are read from the
pulpit. Tney proceed through their dis.
courses in monotonous, ,unvared, uninvit.
ing tonc-and send forth just that even
current of sleepy sound which must exert
soporiic influence over their hearers.
Then they wonder that people can sleep
while they have an opportunity to listen 10
what has kept the preacher awake more
than ono weary night perhaps, in the com.
position. Such do not consider that the
people who compose Their audience are
those who mix six days in the week in the
busy, working day W .rId-tlat they are
used to continual excitement and hustle.
Seat them in the cool, quiet church, in the
dim religious light of the shaded or paint
ed windows, and the s'i,er quiet Of the
place. with all the awe that it may inspire,
gives of itself a prediSposition To slumber.
Then let stiff, figure stand upon the desk,
and without any visible evidence of life or
animation except such an occasional me.
chanical motion as weathervane has
moved By zcpi yr--let th' figure aforesaid
commence 10 speak. and proceed slowly to
del yer himself in humming tone, aS if he
were sort of vocal half hour gloss, must
go on at an even pace to run out at the end
of the proper time measure of a sermon
Think you any man in the habit of hearing
and seeing live people, can keep awake
under the mniSt v OF such dead and alive
preacher? The thing is next to imp 'sible
The auditor may faSren his eyes upon tht
speaker with the most desperate intention
10 keep awake. As he looks TO the pulpit
the preacher turns his fading, sleepy yisiUr
to stump--the pulpit and the pleache
merge into an object Of indistinct outlint
-the eyes "f the martyr to mo1otony q
length close altogether,and while he slnm
bers he dreams, from the tone Of the voice
still heard. that fly IS buzzing in his ear
That is all he can remember o. the sermon
Is this preaching Was it the way, think
you gentlemen, that the apostles 'turnet
the world upside down. as the coppersmiil
charged them with doing
Avoiding the sleepy extreme, SOM
preachers go to the other, and bawl them
selves hoarse. Every sentence is shot a
you, as.from swivel, or the words r,.ttl
out like gravel thrown against glass. Yol
are kept in continual pain lest the ma
should conclude ny blowing his lungs ou
at his mouth, OF bursting blood vessel q
least. The upholsterer meanwhile re
ioices to see the pulpit cushion whacked, q
il the speaker were in league with tn
trade TO make business; and the hool
binder expects to see his treacherouS wof
DESTROYED, and the leaves of the Bible 81
| drift 10 float down uppn the heads Of II
congregation. No reasonable man ca
witness such q display Of windmill an
voc al gymnastics without disgust, and tt
speaker who should have his attention ar
; confidence is an object of annoy fro
whicli he rejoiees to be delivered as Il
preacher reaches Amsn.-NeD 70
} Dispatch