The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1862-02-20
BIBLICAL SKETCHES.
BY g UNCLE WILLIAM"
SKETCH XXI.


Sin has its pleasures (; but they
nreonlg foraseasen, The ration
Al pleasures OF Christianity are
olevating and permanent. Let the
disinterested and thoughtful man
of God teach his people, by word
and deed, that God hates nothing
but sin. But he should be very
careful to distinguish, by his teach
ing, conduct, and conversation,
between what is in itself an evil !;
what might lead into temptation,
and what is really innocent, and
adapted to promote health, cheer
and happiness. Meetings
for mutual conversation, lectures
on amusing and interesting sub
jects, social tea meetings, reading
classes, circulating libraries, small
reading rooms, dorcaS and benefit
societies, and singing classes, are
among the things which might be
employed by the kind-hearted and
disinterested preacher, to promote
the cheeriulncss and happiness Of
the working classes. We admit
that considerable attention to these
things, would take up large por-
tion Of his time ; but in what other
way could he spend a part Of his
time better? We think that this
is the best way of thinning the
race-course, the Jail, the hulks, the
ale-house, and the gin shop. 1t is
not by abusing certain evils from
the pulpit, or through the medium
of the press, so much as creating a
taste for better things, that the
people can be induced to cease from
evil and learn to do well. The
people must be taught that it is
not, after all, in wealth, but in the
domestic, and other social bonds,
that true happiness, and real en-
joyment are to be found ..
The preachers for the people,
should be men of real talents, pop
ular preaching talents, and of great
plainness of speech: drones, dwarfs,
and small blocks Of ice, are not fit
to occupy a place where nothing
but the fire which penetratcs, the
element that melts, and the power
that moves the inmost soul, should
be seen and felt by the congrega-
ton. The early Calvinistic and
Arminian Methodist preachers,
were not men of critical learning,
but they were praying men and
Bible Christians; and they were
thrown upon the promise of God,
and the strength of their own ma
tive energies. They exercised un-
6cnding Jajth in the presence oI
their master in their labors, and
in the integrity and moral recti-
tude of their own motives, and
consequently they succeeded. Yes,
and all preachers who will go and
do likewise, will succeed. The
altered state Of society is no valid
argument against this assertion
But by popular preachers, we dc
not mean a race OF men, who have
been thoroughly drilled in the
n'ceties of theological phraseology
refining and defining erelything, IN,
til nothing is left for tile mJortu.
nate hearers to grasp, but small, and
to them, unmeaning technicaLities
1t is just possible to elevate alb.
stract doctrines into a greater i'm,
portance than spiritual Christian.
ity. 1t has been by this, and
similar methods of preaching, that
one set of doctrines has been incul.
Gated to the almost total exclusion
of the medication of all personal
and relative duties; and hence the
reason why we have SO many sects
and parties. .,.
The preachers for the people, to
be effective, all-powerful, and emf.
nently successful, must preach
what they have felt and lired
rather than what they have read
or studied. AS the food and all
of which we partake are the life Of
our blood, and as the 'lood is the