The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-02-19
For THE CENTRAL PREsBYTER1AN.
Manners of the Pew,
No. Y.
Petersburg, 1868.

NO. X.
We come now to the manner of hear
ing the word. Christ says, "Take heed
hoaO We hear" The kind of attention
given to the preached word is of all i'm
portance. The issues involved concern
both worlds. The minister is the ambas-
sador of Christ, beseeching "you in
Christ's stead, be ye recOnciled to God. y
The ambassador carries with him the dig
nifty and the authority of his MASTER
Then it is Christ who speaks by the
mouth of his ministers. 1t is hardly ne
cessary to dwell upon the authority of
Christ to teach, or the weight of the mes
sage, or the pressing need of guidance
lest we all perish in sin.
stake heed hon ye hear" lest you be
like the wayside hearer. The fowls of
the air came and picked up the seed that
fell there, or rather, men hear the word,
and Satan comes and plucks it out of
their hearts. How many have just this
experience of preached Gospel?
stake heed hoaO ye hear," lest you be
like the stony ground hearers. "Some
fell on stony ground, and it straightway
sprang up, because it had no deepness of
earth" Many get superficial view Of
the truth, and proceed to good resolutions
and apparent reform, but when tempta-
ton and persecution arise because of the
word, they fall away. The root of the
matter is not in them.
stake heed ho,O ye hear," lest you be
counted with the thorny ground hearers.
"The thorns sprang up and choked it,
so that it brought forth no fruit. The
"cares of this world, and the deceitful-
ness of riches so fill the soul, and alb
sorb its very life, that the word of God
produces no valuable result on the heart
and life. 1t is impossible for good seed
to produce harvest in soil pre-occupied
with noxious and a stronger growth -
But for the power of God, the covetous
man nor the worldling would ever derive
any saving advantage from the preached
word.
"Tdke heed how ye hear,' that you
may bring forth fcuit, "some thirty, some
sixty, and some hundred fold"
There are some preachers to whom all
listen; such is the power and charm of
their oratory. But it is by no means
certain that the majority receive the good
from their ministrations that appearances
would lead us to expect. The words of
Ezekiel are well illustrated in cases of
this sort. "Thou art unto them as very
lovely song of one that hath pleasant
voice, and playeth we'll on an instrument ;
they hear thy words, but they do them
not" There is reason to fear that elo-
quence in the pulpit is valued by the
Church mainly for its power to fascinate
and please. The very minister also often
falls into the snare. There are some SER
mons also to which all listen well. The
more startling topics of the Christian re-
hgion awaken general interest and atten-
ton the moment they are propounded.-
Funeral discourses and occasional SER
mons are generally attended to with in-
terest. Also in times of revival and gen
eral awakening, people listen carefully to
any honest exhibition of Gods truth ;
and men wonder that they do not always
love preaching SO. At such times it is
easy to speak, easy to hear, easy to trea-
sure the truth in the heart, and easy to
practice it in our lives.
But on ordinary occasions there is a
fearful lack of relish for the simplicity of
Gospel truth, and often strange and in
surmountable difficulty in the way of the
preacher himself Some listen, some ap-
parently try to listen, some look at the
fashions, some look out of the windows,
some look at their watches, some count
the heads of the sermon, and wonder
when lastly will come, and are sorely dis,
appointed if the preacher, after that
closes with "two or three reflections. .
Some look at the slow turning leaves Of
the manuscript, and wonder how much
more remains; some yawn and cape a;
they restlessly change their position with
too noisy shutting of feet. Some nod
and even snore, and by a strange mistak,
conclude that the drowsiness belongs tt
the sermon and not to the hearer. l an