The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1860-08-10
DIR. J. W. ALEXANDER ON PREACHING.

DIR. J. w. ALEXANDER ON PREACHING.
We take from the Presbyterian the fol-
lowing extract from letter of the late DR..
Alexander, to a relative and friend who
wrs in the first year of his pastorate. The
letter bears date March %, ls47. 1t is
especially commended TO tho perusal of
young ministers and theological students
Let me, as somewhat your senior, most
earnestly exhort you to acquire and main
tain, not merely an interest, but an enthu-
siasm in your profession. 1t is the lack Of
; this which causes so many ministers to turn
aside with the chief energies of their minds
to collateral pursuits, and others, who avoid
this fault, to arrive very speedily at the
maximum oftheir ministerial Stature. The
totus IN Ills is nowhere more important !;
and | sometimes fancy it is not characteris-
tic Of our young preachers. Especially
would urge upon you the cultivation of a
temper which shall make you, every day in
the week, regard your discourscs as the
chief affair of your life. All great preach.
| ers have done so. This will mako your
sermons the genuine efflux of Interested
feeling Among your three weekly ser.
mons, | hope you will have one of the ex-
pcsitory sort. l have just finished the IIe-
brcws in series ofsixtytwo lectures. No
exercise has ever given me more pleasure,
and none has been more tolerated by nv
hearers. have studied the passages ex-
cgctically, but have taken no notes with
me.
While am glad that you write one SER
mon week, I am not SO clear that you
ought to read it. 'Haud inerpertus loquor.
practice reading, once in three times from
long habit; but if were to do the thing
over again, and were at your stage, would
never take line Of manuscript into the
pulpit. Pardon mo when add, that you
will find greater advantage in treating all
the great points rs soon and as often as pos
sible. By this I mean to oppose disposi-
ton which las led many, including myself
to pass by those topics which are frequen-
tly discussed. For the same reason would
prefer the trite texts; from the necessity Of
the case they must be the mos. important
ones. I made a special examination Of
hundreds Of texts in order, preached on by
| Wesley, Whiteficld and Robert Hall, and
found that, with a few exceptions, they were
all of the most hackneyed sort. It is a
great saving of time, and tends to method
and good preaching, to read little theology
every week on subjects to be used in SER
mons. My poor experience goes to this
point, that the best sermons are pondered
long, and then written as fast as possible.
above all, my dear friend, seek to preach
sermons which flow out naturally from
full heart: nothing SO fills4he mind with
material as depth of present experience.
Viewing the subject even in purely rhetori-
cal light, believe half an hour of prayer
is better than day of study. The very
|sglow sets the, thoughts moving Hence j,
isgood to pray over discourse to God be.
fore one breaches it to the people. Visit,
ing every week among truly pious parishi.
oners, is very suggestive Of preaching mat
ter. M'Cheyne used to 60 to sick and dy.
ing evening to get his feelings adjusted. ]
recommend you to finish all your prepara
tions by Friday night a