Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1841-04-07
RELIGIOUS MISCELLANY.
SECRET OF MINISTERIAL POWER.
BIZ Req. Dr.. Griffin.


By Req. Dr.. Griffin.
would recommend it to you, my
brother, to battle your soul in Bakers
"Saint's Rest" and to be much in prayer,
and make yourself deeply acquainted with
the Scriptures. You are kind enough to
ask after my course. | believe that an
earl Y commencement and pursuit Of a syS-
tematic study of the Bible, in connection
with Il long course of revivals Of religion
in which | was permitted to be engaged,
and an habitual aim, in my ordinary SER
mons, to reach the conscience, and the
heart at every stroke, and the habit of
striking out, as correct my sermons for
a new exhibition of them, every clause
and word which is not subservient to this
end, may be numbered among the most
eflcacious means of forming my present
manner of preaching, such as it is. Per-
haps the most powerful circumstance, not
yet mentioned, was entering upon the
large congregation Of Newark, calling for
constant and imprisoned preaching, and
for continual visiting. made a bad i'm
provempnt under these advantages; but |
ain far from thinking with YOU, my dear
sir, that man can not be a good preacher
and pastor with a great congregation. A
great congregation, as rOuSing to great
exertions, is the best field for the forma-
ton of such a character. You can never
satisfy any people by visiting. The best
way to approach it, is perhaps to show
the people, by systematic course, that
YOU visit all you can. Besides YOUR So
cial visits and visits to the sick, | would
set apart one day in week to strictly
, 9arochial visits, to be short, and right 10
the point, and to be closed with PRAYER
Make the appointment beforehand, and let
, all know the course.
s AS to the manner of preaching, the
e object of every stroke ought to be to dc
4 good rather than to gain popularity. Tha
will make Us the most divineIy eloquent
) The little pretlinesses Of thought and ex
: preston, which the love of popularity car
I produce, are nothing to the great anc
overwhelming thoughts which flow from
. a mind solemnly impressed with divine
> things, ard earnestly DESTROYS to impress
|: them upon others. Here we may ain
d high. [ doubt the lawfulness of any 9th
er high aim in minister of Christ. DR.
Witherspoon used to advise his pupils t.
u write out one good sermon a week, an(
l. let the rest take care Of themselves Yot
l. can not, in your situation, write but one
81 would recommend it to YOU to extern
porize in the week, TO preach from a skel
i eton in the morning Of the Sabbath, AM
le from notes in the afternoon. From you
c. account of your fondness for beIIes-lettre
ana poetry, and aversion to metaphysics
- | should apprehend that the side on whc
% you are to guard, is a tendency 10 sprigh
sc illness, without sufficient weight and pen
II etrating force. You have fine imaoir
l. alton, and flu taste to regulate it. Us
both of them, as nature dictates, wthou
d. effort; but let all your effort be to fill you
OF pages with the weight and solemnitY {
ut divine truth. Under each head labor t
e. get out that precise view of truth Whic
you had in your most solemn hour O
your knees.-Letter TO a friend.
e. New ENGLAND PILGRIMs.-The pi
grim was wonderful man; and remarI
r able, among other things, for the pIat
which religion, as we'll as science, cccu
u pied in his affections. In his eve. rel
lie gion was the primary consideration. Or
0t- Of the first edIfices that rose in the wilde
do ness where he stationed himself was Il
49, house Of God: near to it the schooI-hous
lat the academy, and the college, Arour
er- the house of God, as nucleus, the vi
nit lage was gathered; and from that, as
"a radiating point, extended itself into tt
surrounding wastes. From that point tt
cat forests disappeared: around that point II
fu light of the sun was let down to the ear
1e that had not for centuries felt its beams,
ar dense had been the shades of the int
-, min7ble wilderness. Religion was Il
:" primary thing-primary in each hous
ais, each school, each settlement, each cit
ian each civil institution. The pilgrim h
ne no higher aim than to promote Il, he h
no plan which did not contemplate its pt
zen petuity and extension as far as his d
on sceudants might go. Such was the fe'
D. ing when, more than 200 years since, t
80. great forest trembIed first under the a
0'e of the foreigner, and new laws and nj
all institutions began in the western world.
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lists MI S SION 4 K 7.