The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-06-18

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vacant of all aspects of the human
countenanoe, viz: laborious recollec-
ton.
" My own method" he says, has
been something after this sort: When
/ sit down to prepare for the pulpit, /
do not in the first instance make use
of pen. ink and paper. I only use a
small paper book for pencil jottings
of thoughts and expressions. Hav-
ing chosen my text, and found men
tally q satisfactory outline, l then try
to gather materials, ample materials,
under the different parts fit. I do not
for the present write (saye as to those
pencil iottings, more or fewer, of
thought and expression). but l preach
mentally to my congregation. La q
certain sense I do write, but the paper
or writing table is my mind. When
in the pulpit, after this kind of pre-
paration. | find first that In place OF
any lack ct oppression, have rather
to make q choice between diff
ferent modes of il that have oc-
CURED to me; and second, that it Is
no longer a mere exercise of memory,
but of memory, judgment, emotion,
association of ideas, all the faculties
OF the mind together. It's now Just
an easier aud more effective thinking,
arguing, expostulating, appealing, be-
seechinR, By the aid of the whole pre-
vious meditation of thoughts and ex-
pressions. Indeed, l am persuaded
that the best Of all modes of preach
ing would be an easy, fully prem d.
tated. earnest. direct converse or con-
versation with the hearers. And the
nearer we approximate our preaching
to such conversation the better. In
this way all possible room would be
given for pathos, poWer-yea. el0-
quence, in the only true sense Of that
word. But, repeat, whatever meth
| cd you take, let your preaching be d.
rect IN thought. In expression. il ut
teranee-your whole soul and your
eyes in immediate intercourse with
your hearers. John Livingstone
somewhere writes, i was more belped
in my preaching By the thirsty eyes oil
the people than by anything else "
BAPTIST YEAR BooK.-This publ.
cation by its statistics for 1870 which
are not quite asaccurate as the null
tiplication table. Indicates that sta
tistieal editor IS needed in the Office
of the Publication Society. Figures,
like guns. are very unreliable when
handled by unframed fingers. We
learn from the book that during the
last year the number Of associations
increased from 651 to 729. of church
es. from 1905 to 1913; of or.
dained ministers. from 1866, to
8.787;-s of baptism, from 60,T87
to T0.172, and of members, from
1.141 1888 TO 1,221, $40. Were the
| Free-wil Baptists, with there So 691
members; the Seventh Day Baptists,
with their Z, 1886 members; the Disci-
ples-Campbe llites-with their $780,
600 members (Y)s and the Winnebren.
narians. with their 80, 600 members, to
be counted IN the regular Baptists,
number of members would be the to-
tai 1876, 421. The Baptist member
ship Is largest in Georgia, where there
are ,478 churches, with an average of
40 members, and in Virginia, where
764 churches have 107, 584 members,
an average of $50 members. New
York has 100,502 members; Ken
lucky. 88,177; North Carolina, TO-
1863; Illinois, 59585; Massachusetts,,
80 831; and Rhode Island--the birth
place Of the denomination-9, ITO.
The Sunday Schools last year reported
1884, pupils. The eight General
Societies report $751s767 receipts.
The Foreign Missionary Society re-
ceived 1896, S68. and the Home Mis-
sion Society, $144, 032. The Baptist
Statistics in other parts of the world
are. canada, 1885; Europe. 256,628
mainly in England aud Wales;
Asia. Is, 640--mainly Karens; Africa,
1,215-mainly Liberians; the West
Indiep, 49, 44; and Australians, 2,410
making total Of 342, 282.