Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1861-01-02
,1o1 4AI.---N0. 81
sleeping in Church.

Somebody tells an anecdote of cler.
gyman who was complimenting hard
working parishiouer on bis puuctuality
IN attending public worship "Oh, yes"
said the recipient of tue compliment, Il
am always glad when the day comes"
Tell me, my BROTHER" asked the cleT-
gyman. chow you feel when the blessed
1-y Vr rest arrives ! A. (said the
many it is a blessed day Of rest indeed.
When it comes, you see, / fxes myself
up lit, goes to church, leans back in
my pew, sticks my knees up shuts my
eyes, and thinks Of nothing at all
Although the clergyman was not
highly Aattered BY this remark Of his
simPlc-Dinded parishioner, it expressed
the full sense of rest after the labor and
should have been an indication to the
preacher, as it is to the whole body of
the ministry, not to bore their brethren
with dull dry, polemics, or with intri
cate doctrinal subjects, dividing the SER
mon formally into firstly, secondly, &c.
ard then subdiving it again, ending with
string Of reflections which are divided
and subdividcd, until The whole thing
becomes as monotonous as dreamy re.
citatve on minor key Or as vexatious
as the hum Of mosquitoes on drowsy
ear.
The styles Of sermonizing adopted by
the great body Of the ministry prcdis-
poses to sOmnolency, and that not to the
hard worked merely, but to others, We
all know how general the complaint is
of sleeping in church. g And yet the
same congregation that aunoys its prca
cher in this way, can keep awake fast
enough at lively lecture. at theatre,
at well.conducted discussion, at
IN danuo a. the small hours. The fact
in that it is not dlnl,-'o interest audi.
90, onces by the hour together, Ous~- 70 Ue
- needed by the pulpit, and lead them to
go,' reconsider the question whether the mo
Nv, Nv notopy Of public worship may not be
was amelioratcd; and, most important Of all,
ers whether the monotony of sermons may
ow' not be relieved How can men, who say
ave thev have message from en- high, who
o9o say they stand as ambassadors of God,
oul- who say that the word with which they
owl are charged affects the eternal interests
luii Of the world, expect to be believed when
SoI l| they speak it as tamely and as nncon
- ccrDedly as if they we're talking Of TIKI
) tn most commonplace things; when thei
per words come as unimpressively as th'
n.s' @ oozing of water from soggy log upon
this dull fire !
hing The Master, whose servants they CLAIM
h a to be, with divine knowledge Of huma
na' ! nature, did not engage in polemics, no
J' Joo1 mar his preaching by theological abstrac
more tiOns, but be spoke 10 parallels in whic
npa- were concentrated the simplicity an
s tor majesty of truth--majesty enough to oc
nun nun cupy the minds of the proudest intel
sself lects, SIMPLE enough to reach the uudel
goes standing of the weakest.
ally. What does the humble inquirer afte
e by truth know or care about the dispute
'L I0no meanings of disputed texts How is b
4 tho interested in the distinctions set up b
, left, infralapsarians and supralapsarians ?
gul- What beeds he of the questions tn
Oanc' divide Sects, and makes babel of Il
Lor Christian church He feels want
cuts the soul, and he looks 10 the minister
h his religion for food to fill that want, Al
detn- when he has found the comfort and pea
,ia i ,hO which he sought, you may ask him wh
n ser. assurance be has that he is 10 the rig
do as way, aud you will have his answer,
under plain and simple as was the answerw viii
WIN IN whispered peace to him.
hslute rsr, o a'sputA'e had resehed his
sked He placed hi. and upon his heart and sy anse
tcre,"
er. | 1t is the duluess of the pulpit whi
II the causes the churches to cry out, "N
curtin leauncss my lcanness !" aud it is VII
$ still some preacher comes along who dare:
ad run step out of the beaten path and wake
emony congregations to an interest in the D
Jane lie services, unknown in the Ordin
5 may iUn Of events, that makes the 81
churches cry out, 4" A revival /" W
tin out there would always be revivals of
ed dol. right and favorable kind; if the pu
in. would but keep itself revived aud Il
Gard. would be no need Of star preacher
stir up dull preachers, and set on
ARD. wooden preachers to their duty. s
modic awakeniugs, caused by mete
'7., nus preaching leave no permanent good
Q Iheo' less the pulpit is awakened for, v
rftV 10 khnxr ka-a ,DoeeoI ns-.w. a .noosso-