Smyrna times., 1872-09-25
Modern Preaching.

AAOOO4A L AOCVO114ASt
We cannot more forcibly illustrate the differ
ence between ancient and modern preaching I
than by imagining the translation of preacher Q
Of fifty years ago to a modern pulpit. The dry t
and formal essays, the long hOmilles, the dog |
matism and controversy that then formed the !
staple of public religious teaching would be
to-day altogether unsatisfactory in the hearing,
and unfruitful in the result Experience has
proved that Christians are more rarely made by {;
arguments addressed to the reason than by
motives addressed to the heart. The reliable
and satisfactory evidences Of Christianity are
| found less in the sacred records than IN It's
transformations of character and its inspirations
Of life Though thousand Strausses and
Renans were at work endeavoring to under
mine the historical basis of the Christian
scheme, their efforts would prove nugatOry
when met by the practical results of that
scheme in reforming character, in substituting |
| benevOlence for selhshnesS as the dominant |
motive IN human commerce, In sustaining the |
heart in trial. in comforting 1t in sickness, and
supporting it in dissolution. With the results |
of Christianity before him and in him, the
Christian may confidently say to all his enemies:
: IF lie can do all this, then lie is better
than all your truth, for your truth docs not
) pretend to do it and If our lie is better III
1 every possible legitimate result than your
truth, then your truth Is proved to be lie,
and our lie is the truth" The argument Is
not only fair but is unanswerable, and saves
n world of trouble. Of all short methods"
+ with infdeity, this is the shortest. 1t is like
n the argument Of design in proving the existence
). of an intelligent first cause. The man who
: ignores or denies it, is either incapable OF rea-
e son or vciousy perverse.
l. So the modern preacher breaches more and
e argues less. lie declares, promulgates, ex-
r. plains advises exhorts, appeals. lie does
~ tb ,bic Instead of raunr.linu (hrjS-
e tanity solely as a scheme Of belief aud faith,
$ and thus becoming the narrow expOunder OF a
creed, he brOadenS into a critic and cultlvatOT
50 Of human motive and character. We do not
Of assert that modern preaching is entirely re-
i leased from its old narrowness. There are still
be too many who heat over the old BROTH and
n ladle it out in the old way which they learned
es in the seminary. This preaching Of Jesus
$, Christ" is still to multitudes the preaching o.
no a scheme Of religion, the explanation OF a plan
the promulg CATION of dogmafa. But these men
ur except in the most Ignorant and unpr0gresslv
lit communities, preach to empty walls, or con
sly temptuous audiences. The man who preache
Christ the most effectively and acceptably, i
an these days, is he who tries all motive an
nd character and life by the divine standard, whC
nd applies the divine life to the every day life
ne the world, and whose grand endeavOr is not S
ng much to save men as to make them wort
ent saving He denounces wrong in public an
or private life; he exposes and reproves the sin
to of society; he applies and urges the motive
so to purity, sobriety, honesty, charity, and goo
'Op neighbOrhOOd; he shows men to themselve
es- and then shows them the mode by which the
elr may correct themselves. In all this he NEE
llly with wonderful acceptance, and. most tr
the quenty III direct proportion to his falhlulneS
IRA This, after all, is the = in o. talk men wi
ere ing to hear, even if it condemns them. A
ere truth relating to the faults OF character and lit
sad If presented iu Christian spirit, by man vi
red assumes nothing for himself and who Uev
nee loses sight of his own weakness and
the brotherhood with the erring masses whom
the addresses, is received gladly.
( OF The world has come to the cOmprehensi
lren of the fact that, after all that may be said
emn dOgmatic Christianity, character is the I'll
result at which its author aimed. The a
and end Of christianity is to make men bett,
AM and in making them better TO secure their saft
tion and happiness in this world and the world
the come. The Christianity which narrOws
rash sympathies of man. and binds him to lis sc
am which makes the Christian name of sma
ac- significance to him than the name of his par
on Of which thinks more OF sOundness OF belief II
thou soundness of character, is the meanest kind
am Christianity, and belongs to the old and G
oSts, grown time. 1t sav0rs OF schools and DO
the and tradition. The human element in it ?
make dominates over the divine. The typical M
ID of ern preacher mingles with men. He goes
r his the world of business-into its cares its tri
en- | it's great temptations, its Overreachings,
allied dangers and disasters-and learns the chara
said and needs of the men he meets there. He
cious III the humble dwelling Of the laborer,
NJ reads the wants of the humanity he finds th
re is In workshops, in social assemblies, in schO
lana among men, women, and children, where
only they live, or meet for labor or for pleasure
y the presence is familiar. Human life is the bool
and reads preparatory to his pulpit labors,
as it without the faithful reading of this book
npre- has no fitting preparation tor his task
alton matter how much preacher knows OF
divine lite, if he has not an equal knowle
of the human, his message will be barren
No. The great mistake of the modern preach
AL in not keeping up with the secular though
mong his time. 1t is quite as essential to
r. the pledInei ~ N"o" VIVA. iAe" ~ %'o VII h'iNtns "
into preachers are at hoT:e in the curren: pros
smb. of science, and too many of them look &C
All upon it, as upon something necessarily inin
AE to the system of religion to which they
o;ah' '' committed their lives. They apparC
IT, forget that their Indifference or oppOsi
, ono' o wins only contempt for themselves and
Ian he ~ Scnelnc. ineie ale Jew l%y'len % uJVoi %
n;no scheme which is afraid Of scientific truth
''"O any scheme which does not gladly welC
every new realm won to the grand dOmai
human knowledge-is unworthy of confdt
owing An unressoning loyalty to old interpreta
J mar of revealed truth is weakness of the p
er, at that becomes practically reproach to G
at 26; tianity itself If the God of nature unden
at 27; disputes the God of revelation as the pres
second interprets him, let him give up his interp
It 81 ton gladly, and receive the correction as
Talma, the mouth of God himself. 1t is only in
young, way that he can maintain his hold upon hi,
oethe, and win honor to the religion he tries to
All truth is divine, and the mode of utter
ol-oos . khar A
he re- denies a truth snoken TO him bv the G
uncut nature is as truly and culpably an inidel
against he were TO deny a plainIv snoken truth O
ner or Rible-.J n HolLrnd u, Ncrjbner' &
dI September.
uckles, When Boston man tries to wind his '
lshion- with door kew he is only little ecce
.omin0 rLav H.. ,oil x,h;,L.,, tboro Ca