The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1862-01-30
BIBLICAL SKETCHES.
BY " UNCLE WILLIAM"
SKETCH XIX.
DAL4O OII AIA'
THE PREACHERS FOR THE PEOPLE. |

If the reader think that we are
about to advocate splendid men,
and none but splendid men, as
preachers for the people, lie will
be greatly disappointed. Not that
We despise splendid talents; no
we admire them, when properly
employed, whether at the Bar, in
the Senate House, or in the Pulpit.
Splendid talents, like everything
else which is Gods gift, are in them
selves good; and when sanctifed
and rightly directed, they become
the best instruments made use of
by an overruling Providence to
promote the physical, social, and
moral elevation Of mankind. But
splendid preachers are y rare thing
IN this land of sermons; and We
are not sorry for it, seeing that the
Churches are ever ready to convert
these gifts Of God into q golden
calf, to which many of them pay
greater homage than they do to
the truth Of revelation. There are
not a few, Of all denominations,
who will travel many miles and
cheerfully spend their money, in
order to hear some great preacher;
while at home they will not sup
port the cause of God. We fear
that very few Of the Churches of
this country would be willing to
pay the travelling expenses of our
frst-ratc preachers, were they even
able and willing to preach a pcnte-
costal sermon. Whether it be right,
in the sight of God, to convert the
most sacred of all officers into a
kind Of mechanical apparatus for
extracting money from a people,
who, if they were influenced by
right motives, and a deep sense of
pers s)nal and relative responsibility,
would give as the Lord has COM
manded them, and give it cheer
fully, we leave it to Others to de-
termine. But we think that the
practice indicates a low state of
the religious life in the souls OF
those who give to the cause Of God
otherwise thaa as the performance
Of duty, which the earnestly
pious regard as their privilege.
The preachers who are in general
sought after to travel the length
and breadth Of the land, as a kind
of religious commercial beggars,
preach good sermons; and their
hearers are in general pleased with
them, though not always convert
ed by them. Paul was great
man, as well as great preacher ;
but he was something more-he
was great saint, a humble be-
lever; and his great aim was not
to get up sermons for special pur,
poses, but to use great plainness of
Gospel speech on all OCCASIONS, that
the faith of his hearers should not
stand in the wisdom of men, but
in the power of God.
An initiate and artificial clo-
quence is one thing; the demon
stration of the Spirit and of pow
err is quite another thing. The
master element in all good preach
ing is earnestness - the distin-
gushing characteristic of successful
preaching is simplicity; and the
basis of both is deep piety and true
humility Is it not a terrible fact,
that many flock to hear what is
called a great preacher, just as
people flock to the theatre TO
crafty their fancy? 81 do not
know how it is" said an eminent
minister Of the Free Church of
Scotland, to us some time back,
"that my people would go twenty
miles to hear what they call great
preacher; but many of them will
not go three hundred yards to unite
in prayer, and humble themselves
before the Lord"
We have no doubt from all that
we have seen in the ChurcI es, that
the practice on which we have now
animadverted, is destructive of real
pioty, and calculated to promote o