Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-03-03
ExTEMPORE PREACHING.
TErom the Independent.

hIl
The habit of reading from the pulpit tends
not only to make the delivery dull, but to make
the preaching metaphysical. II a sermon is
full Of hair-splltting, it is certain to have been
written word for word beforehand. If it is to
contain whole body Of divinity, accurately
stated, If must, Of course, be nicely fashioned
generally ought to be) on some plain. homely.
and vital truth of the Gospel why should il
be written1 The pen oftenest breaches TO
the head; the tongue to the heart. A lady
lately said to us, in speaking of distinguishe
clergyman, who had made himself bond.
slave TO manuscript, [" He has a great faculty
soT preSenns Tegio9 on Ga OF peopie This
ologians. But, if he had been less addicted TO
discussing theological distinctions, and more
addicted to emphasizing practical religious du.
ties, be might have made himself an excellent
extemporaneous preacher. If Paul himself
had tried TO put into his sermons all the theol-
ogy which he reserved for his Epistles, he, too,
though the chief Of the apostles, would have
been reduced to a manuscript. suffered sec
ond thorn in the flesh, and become in "his
speech" still more "contemptible." Imagine
Christ delivering his Sermon on the Mount
hom bundle OF papyrus
Many OF our theological seminaries seem 10
forget That their studt nts are to become, not
merely theologians, but orators The chill of
the seminary has quenched the natural fire out
OF the tongue of many a young man who
might have been speaker. but who be-
comes only reader. A minister said to us,
mournfully, 81 charge upon the semi
nary where 1 was trained the entire
crushing out OF all nv early tendencies 10 ex-
tempoIaneous speech" Now and then strong
man, in spite Of such early training, achieves
signal success in revolving against his
manuscript-as, for instance, the Rev. DIR.
Storrs, OF Brooklyn, whose recent practice of
extemporaneous preaching is the delight of his
congregation. But most ministers are never
able to leave their seminary. 1t follows them,
clings to them. and governs them through life
They throw OFF the woke, but the stiff neck re-
mains. II Is happy day when minister gets
rid of his manuscript as when a church gets rid
OF its debt.
A lawyer does not read, but speaks. WHY
then should not a minister speak, not read! l.
sermon piece of closer reasoning than law
argument! On the contrary, the majority of
sermons, considered as efforts of reasoning.
are not equal to the majority of law
arguments. If a lawyer can get along without
Writing, certainly minister ought to do the
same. Where is the faultl 1t is not IN
the minister's avocauon; it is not in his
constitution; 1T is simply in his training
TO belong, in a reasonable degree, TO every
man who feels within himself strong predis-
position toward either the pulpit or the bar
The difference between a young lawyer and
young clergyman is this the one fans his ma
tive spark by speaking; the other smothers it
by reading. Let young minister whose temp
tafion rs toward manuscripts tumble and arm
full of them into his study fire. They will
brighten his eyes with a sparkle that viii flash
new lustre upon all his Subsequent preaching
The devil is fond of writer sermons, but
tremblts at the living voice.