Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1869-07-29
&eading tur the Sabtath,
ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
DEEP PREACHING.

~@AAo
pit exercises of certain class of ministers
of the Gospel are designated.' In most
cases, it is impossible to get any intelligent
idea from the expression. In some m
stances, those who use it, seem to refer to
the subject, to which their attention was
called; at ether times, reference seems to
to be had to the manner in which the subject
was treated. So far as observation throws
any light on this subject, "deep preaching
and deep preachers may be placed in the
catalogue of those things, by which men
are stultifed. In ninety-nine cases out of
every hundred, it will be found, that deep
preachers are those who quote French,
Latin, or some unknown language in their
pulpit exercises, by which the common
people are deceived, and led to give the IT,
tie of learned men to some pcdantic ranter.
This is one Of the ways by which some men
are honored with D. D. Deep preachers
are very frequently those who deal in vague
and unpreftable specularions about things,
which God, in his wisdom, has seen fit to
reveal very little either in his. word, Or
works. Hence we might expect the con-
gregations to which this class of "deep
preachers" minister, to grow in skepticism,
and increase in doubts, but to have little
piety. Some times, ''deep preachers are
those who have the peculiar gift of dark
ening counsel by words without meaning.
This class of "deep preachers has the gift
of obscuring we'll developed subjects. .Ev,
cry subject, even the plainest, becomes
wrapped up in darkness and doubt, so soon
as they touch it; and the mist, which they
throw around the plain teachings of the
Bible, not unfrcquently, receives the high
sounding appellation of logical arguments.
There is a principle, which any one can
test for himself, it is this. An individual
can tell what he knows in such manner
that any one can understand him. When
ever an individual says, II know so and
so; but cannot tell it," such an indi.
vidual is simply mistaken. He only knows
in part. His words are stammering, be-
cause his knowledge is not accurate.-
Deep preachers make deep preaching; and
both could most proftably, for the cause of
true religion, be dispensed with. Deep
preaching is no preaching at all and the
history of the church proves, that it has
done no good.
1t is strange, that the most of men mea-
sure the mental powers of those, with. whom
they come in contact, by the jargon which
they utter. The man who is bold enoug gh
to declare, he has been to Heaven, can get
hearers and. disciples III any country; but
the man who breaches Christ and him cru
Gifted, is not often lauded. Joe Smith at
tracted greater crowds, and had more adj
mirers, than Christ himself Mormonism,
with all its foolish absurdities, has spread
beyond a parallel in history. Popularity
is no test of usefulness neither is it test
of intellect; much less is it test of purity,
nor will it ever be test of these things, 30
long as men love darkness rather than
light.
Men do not need deep preaching. The
sinner does not need it, for he is ignorant.
The saint does not need it, for he is but a
babe in Christ Jesus. The school teacher,
who would talk Latin to his English pupils,
might gain reputation, but most assured
ly, not for common sense. The preacher
of the Gospel, who quotes Latin, or uses
technical words and phrases to plain con-
gregation, may be learned; but he will
never have>the satisfaction of making his
hearers wise, and deveutly pious.
INFIDEL COLLEGES.
The cause of religion has subject of re-
joicing. in the fact that throughou the
whole Christian world, institutions of learn
ing are established, for educating the youth,
In our country every Christian denomina-
tion has a college under its entire, control.
The avowed object of these denominational
institutions is to instll the Christian relig-
ion in the youth of our country. Every
body knows this, and every body expect
the Bible to be expounded in these institu-
tions. All of these denominational semi
naries have sectarian purposes to accom-
plish, but still there is no ll-feeling pro-
duced by them. The supporters Of one
delight in the prosperity of all of the 9TH
ers. But where are the infdel colleges :?
Who knows of such'a place? Where is it
located? Who is its president? If there
is such place in the world I never heard
of it. There is not such an institution in
America, except Girard College be claimed
as in6del. Why is this, are there no inf
dels in our country? Yes, there are many.
Every little country village can boast of
being the home of some one, who SCOTS at
the Bible, and snccrs at Gods people
laughs at their Inconsistencies, and de-
lights to magnify their faults. These ini-
dels rcproach ministers of the Gospel as
ignorant, and professed christians as stu
pidly crcdulous. But where is the evidence
.r tbo ,ocu1ior noccaSaion of