Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-04-26

sermons. L loaded 1T, and bang!-
there was smoke, report, but
nothing fell; and sos il. 1was again
and again. l recollect one, day in
the fields my father pointed out IL
little red squirrel, and said to me,
"Henry, would you like to shoot
him?" l trembled all over, but l
said, Eyes" He got down Oh his
knee, put the gun across a rail, and
said: "Hcnry, keep perfectly cool,
perfectly cool; take aim" And |
did, and l fired, and over went the
squirrel, and he didn't come back
again, either. That was the first
thing l ever hit; and l felt an inch
taller, as a boy that had killed u
squirrel and knew how to aim a
gun. had preached two years and
half ut Lawrenceburg, in Indiana,
land some sporadic sermons before
that, when l went to indianapolis.
While there l was very much dis
contented. / had been discontented
for two years. l had expected that
there would be general public
interest, and especially in the week
before the communion season. In
the west we had protractcd meet
ings, and the people would come
up to high point of feeling; but l
never could get them beyond that.
They would come down again, and
there would be no conversions. |
sent for DR.. Stowe to come down
and help me; but he would not
come, for be thought it better for
me to bear the yoke mcse!t.. When
| had lived at Indianapolis the first
year, / said: "Therc was a reason
why, when the apostles preached,
they succeeded, and | will find it
out if it is to be found out" took
every single instance in the Record
where l could find one of their
sermons, and anaIyzed it and asked
myself; "What were the circum-
stances, who were the people, what
did he do?'' and I studied the SER
mons until l got this idea: That the
apostles were accustomed first to
feel for a ground on which the
people and they stood together
common ground where they could
meet. Then they heaped up large
number OF the particulars OF knowl-
edge that belonged to everybody;
and when they had got that knowl-
edge, which everybody would admit
placed in a proper form beforethcir
minds, then they brought it to bear
upon them with all their excited
heart and feeling. That was the
first definite idea Of taking aim that
l had in my mind. "Now," said |,
81 will make a sermon So" | re-
member it just as we'll as if it were
yesterday. First, I sketched out
the things we all know. "You all
know you are living in world
perishing under your feet. You all
know that time is extremely uncer.
tain; that you don't know whether
you will live another month or week,
You all know that your destiny, in
the life that is to come, depends
upon the character you are forming
in this lifc," until had about 70, ty
Of them. When I had got through
that, l turned round and brought il
to bear upon them with all my
might; and there were seventeen
men awakened under that sermon
l never felt SO triumphant in IN.
life. l cried all the way home.
said to myself: "Now know how
to preach" But l could not make
another sermon for month thai
was good for anything. I had used
all my powder and shot on that one
But, for the first time in my life,
got the idea of taking aim. | soor
added to it the idea Of analyzing the
people I was preaching to, and sc
taking aim for specialties. O
course that came gradually and
later, with growing knowledge and
experience. Young man, when yor
get parish, don't be discouraged
for the first ten years, no matter
how poor your work. There is NJ
trade that requires SO long apprcn
ticeship as preaching; and yet there
is no trade in which they admit ;
man SO soon, or in which he learns
SO fast. 1t is easier to study law
and become successful practitioner
it is easier to study medicine and
become a successful practitioner, than
it is to study the human soul al
through-to knowi it's living folms
and to know the way of talking tc
it, and coming into sympathy will
it. To make theltruths of God and
the Divine influences a part of your
daily, enthusiastic experience, and
to bring to hear out Of your treasury
what is needed here or needed there
that requires great deal of cx-
perience, and a great deal of study