The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-12

threadbare by repetition, but shows his
hearers wherein they fail to come up to
Scripture requirements in their actions and
thoughts, as we'll as in their conduct to their
fellow-men. II preaching charity sermon,
he would not confiue himself to a frequent
repetition of the Scriptural assurance
that she who giveth to the poor lendeth to
the Lord, but would reach the pockets of his
hearers by showing them wherein it is their
duty to give of their abundance to their suffer
ing fellow-creatures cheorfully and ungrudg-
ingly. He would appeal to their hearts and
understandings, az we'll as to their duty as
processing Christians. When the press uu-
dertakes a charitable work it is generally IA ore
successful than the pulpit because it presents
the points of the case in more practical
light, and depends on appealing to the hu-
maniiy and sympathy of its readers for suffer
ing fellow. man.
Some eleven years since we had the plea
sute of listening to Mr.. Spurgeon, forming
one of a congregation of eleven thousand. 1t
was an ordinary occasion, and to this day we
can remember many points of his interesting
and practical discourse. He had then been
preaching in London for ten years, and for
eleven years since he has been holding forth
twice every Sunday to congregations of ten
thousand, the building being thronged
to overflow. If he was sensational
preacher the novelty would have worn itself
out long ago, and the vast edifce which has
been erected for him would have been
failure. But there is no tagging in the
desire to hear him. The vices and sins
(which do so easily beset u.s. are handled
without fear of giving offense and his listen
ers feel that at least portion of his dis
course is directed especially at their indivi-
dual follies. In the thousand other churches
of London one can always find abundance of
vacant seats, but the ten thousand seats of
Mr.. Surgeons tabernacle are always filled,
and the doors closed on hundreds of others
seeking admission long before the hour for
commencing service.
Nor will it do for any one in this country to
say that MIR. Beecher is sensationalist He
has at times meddled with matters not strictly
within the province of the pulpit, and has
committed some errors, but no minister has
a more devout or devoted congregation He
exercises q wide. spread influence over the
hearts and minds of the people, not only in
New York and Brooklyn, but throughout the
country. Everything that emanates from his
pen is eagerly perused, and he recognizes
the power of the press and part of its mis-
sion to be the inculcation of sound moral
principles and the correction of vice and i'm
morality. He is not satisfied with merely
expoundipg the Scriptures, but discusses the
incidents and events of the day. not only in
the pulpit, but with his pen, and seems never
to rest from his labors.
The venerable Joseph Gales, few years
before his death, declared that an editor
''should never write unless he has something
to write about"-unless 'what he has to say
will interest and instruct his readers" AS a
general thing editors try to follow his advice,
though they may not always be able to attain
! the point of securing the attention and ear
nest thought of those whom they address,
They, however, nearly always write with this
object in view. Can the same be said of our
clergymeni Could not most of their hearers sit
down ntheir libraries and read oldsermons on
the same texts, more vigorous, earnest, and
applicable to the present day, even though
they may have been delivered a century ago
| A clergyman has whole week to prepare his
sermon, and one would think that he ought
always to have something brilliant and in
structive, as well as entertaining TO present
to his congregation. The editor has to write
one or two articles day, and to make up the
subjects on the spur of the moment, without
time for preparation or research.
He cannot shut himself up in
his study, and revise and improve tomorrow
what he has written to-day. The first portion
of the editors article is often in type before
he has completed the last pages and it is
! frequently the case that he has not even an
opportunity to see the proof sheets. Thus
the minister has the decided advantage, and
| II ne pre8cneS q Qull ana unlntereStlnR SER
mona sermon that will not give his congre-
cation something to think about after they
have returned to their homes-why, we
rather think he has mistaken his calling.
In neither MIR. Beecher's nor Mr.. Spurgeon s
churches are there any pageants or ceremo-
malls, which some at the present day think
necessary in Protestant churches to get up a
sensation among the people, The services
are of the simplest character, and the attrac-
ton consists altogether in an effort on the
part of these divines to please the ear and the
heart, and improve the understanding, rather
than to dazzle the eye. They flock to their
churches to hear what is said, and not
to see what is done. They expect to
| be enlightened, edited and instructed,
and neither to be dazzled by brilliant
rhetoric nor amused by tinkling ceremonials
There are no old sermons revamped at these
churches. Their discourses are original,
fresh, earnest, and sparkling. They, like the
editor, never reproduce the labor of previous
years, and put ''old wine in new bottles.
Would that we had few such live teachers
of the people in Baltimore! Our churches
are, many of them, sadly in want of a ''sen-
sation" of this Misunderstanding to draw
the people beyond the mere formal duty OF
Ctatfandino ctatad Yraaohino