Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-01-14
Old Serm Ons.

81 once saw great mass of old faded SER
mons of good clergyman who was dead.
They were lying on the floor of an empty
room in house to let. l have little doubt
they were ultimately used for lighting fires.
You could not but think what great amount
Of labor had gone to producing these neglect
ed ulanuscriuts H. - ..1rata
them mad for many years held the charge of
considerable country parish. You could
not but think how the words written there
heartily spoken on Sunday i'll church, might
be remaining (some of them, in the memory
of generation of rustics who had grown up
under that instruction, and vino had doubt
less heard all the sermons several times
preached. And in that case you might hope
and believe that the celebrations remained not
merely in the memory, but DIETER still) in
the lives of the people of that quiet parish.
You could not but think of bright summer
morning, when the people came along leaiy
ways, and listened Ca little drowsily,) to that
faded sermon which, as you may see, was
preached on the oath day of June, 1917. You
thought of clear frosty winter day, braclng
and cheering, On which that other sermon did
duty; which appears to have been on
certain oath of December. But our calcula-
tons are usually wrong; and it is probable
that the June Sunday was cold and rainy, and
that the christmas time was damp and green
one. But how little trace remains of many
things? All the work of preparing that SER
mon, and committing it to memory; all the
anxiety of the Sunday morning; all the hearty
tones in which it was given; all the warmth
of heart it awakened in the people who lis
tened to it; all the volume of simple but tell
ing praise that preceded and followed it; have
left no more trace than that inscription OF
L. linn
away home by the various paths which lead
from the church door; imagine how the poor
little children in many homes were required
to give some account of the sermon, and
could not do it; think of the good old cler-
gyman going home from church, and having
quiet turn in his Garden; and of the sun go
ing down overe dwelling in the pastoral
district which see; and here is what
stands for all that-in faded ink, the date |
have already told you. And when clergy
man who is still living and preaching, turns
over his stock of sermons, andloOkS at the in
scripton at the end of each, which states the
churches and the dates at which each was
given, he cannot but feel how little yestige
remains of the circumstances in which it was
preached, and of the impression made by it.
There is nothing more completely forgot than
the average Sunday sermon Of even very
good preacher.
'sBut happy result follows. The preach
er can use his discourses, even in the same
church, good many times over. In about
four or five years all remembrance of SER
mon is gone, unless perhaps of its text, and of
some odd sentences here and there. | have
heard of a very excellent clergyman who
had charge of the same church for thirty
years. His stock of sermons lasted just three
years; so that in that period each was preach
ed ten times. Yet the people did not grumble
probably did not know. Here is an advan-
tage which the preacher has over other pro-
ducers and statesmen of thought. A man
who writes leading articles for newspapers, or
tales or essays for periodicals. must always go
on, producing what purports to be new. He
cannot republish an old article word for word,
as the preacher can reproduce an old sermon.
No doubt literary men do reproduce them
selves; it is the old material slightly rear
ranged and touched up. But it is their read
ers who feel this as an imposition and afllic-
ton; not the literary men who feel 1t a relief.
They fancy they are producing something
new; there is all the effort of fresh produc-
ton The reader feels it is the old thing, but
not so good. At least, it is not so fresh. 1t
seems but faint echo of the old days. But
the preacher, after suitable time is gone,
takes out the old sermon, and breaches it ex-
| actlv as it is. And if the sermon be fairly
! good, those who remember something of its
tone, are quite pleased to hear it again. The
person who likes it least, is probably the
preacher himself-if his mind and experience
be still growing. He feels he has got beyond
it, and grown out of sympathy with it. And
even besides this, he is aware of many de-
fects and flaws You look with great favor at
composition fresh from your mind; but, af-
ter the lapse of years, you regard it much
more coolly and more justly"