New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-08

ana a
yon in weakness and fear much trembling" with
auepvope light and day with tcars" Mark this ono
sferet OF the Apostles power-hc always felt hs OWL
weakness, and he always saw the pathetic speo.s o I
work He trensJod; Inc feared he wept he tfaVailed
birth Ye how few suspected the existence OF such
expeienoes 50 bold that he could stand alone 80 rcso
lutte that neither bonds nor affections could move
him; yet was he heart-broken as q n, ut
lster Of the cross Of Christ. Paul did not
as If he were superior to It and could do It without
strain or effort IL wns everinore above hint en
nausted and Knocked the mean sntieiences OF human
resourceit scOched and consumed him IKE an altar,
fire Who" SAID he, Is sufficient Tor these THINKS
many tears" Who could argue hke Paul, whose every
word struck ike a batterfngram, yet who could cry
useful work may be done with logic but
without pa,hos can never get that special ana Dde
scrbabo influence which touches all hearts, speaks all
languages aud sheds the light OF hope upon all lives.
Pahos not, indeed onesided. There Is pathos OF
laughter well as pathOs OF toars-tnere u cody
laughter easily enough dstinguishaDe from the merri-
ment OF fools. Argument applied with pathos means
mastery the world overs argument without pathos may
burn up i'll weeds, but produce gardens OF
love ipess or Edens Of delight We must have the dew
Looking then AZ the substance the manner, and the
spirit Of PauPs preaching, CONTEND IN answer 70 inc
portion as we return TO Apostolic doctrine and method
WIN preaching he adapted To al the great neocs,
am not violating spirit OF honest charity in ex-
pressing the belief that the time Is al mana wnen th
preaching OF Christ cruci1ed without tie wisdom 1T
mere words and with much trembling and pathos Will
be- the only original preaching In some quarters
have Christ but not Christ crucined character IN
history Int not sacrifice for sins or mediator be-
tween God and man. When Peter mentioned the name
of Clrst to The Sanhedrm he set an example 10 all
preachers evermore-" Jesus Christ OF Nazareth whom
ye cruei1ed"that Is the full style ana tue OF the
Savior Rnnous mistakes may arise of it's abbreva
ton We have now to De very definite IN the statement
OF His name because many false Chrsts have gone out
into the world-creatures Of the imagination. specters
seen in troubled dreams painted things made 10 order
and sold for price. Let us In so foul markepace re-
member that the name OF the lnnnte savior, COO inc
Son. is JesusJesus Cnrist-Jesus Christ OF Nazareth
Jesus Christ OF Nazareth whom every man has crucl-
aed by his own great sin
This call TO reproduce the substance the manner and
the spIit OF apostolic preaching Is not call to nar
might on hearing the range of Paups preaching, sug-
"Preach Christ crucedD he might exclairn why that
NAV he done IN a sermon or two % such are the mis-
takes OF ignorance and vanity The matres and abest
men in the CHRISTIAN ministry will testify with tears Of
delight and thankfuness that the gracious mystery OF
redemption by the Cross has ever more grown Deore the
vision Of their reverence and love until it has
Allied ali things with it's mournfa its holy and infinite
gOsy They will testify further that the Cross OF CHRIST
the Christ OF is the only key which can open
the secrets Of human history Apart from that Cross
confusion without hope-a wild fierce nght ending IN
cried and redeemng Christ to preach wastes his little
strength within the narrowest limits, though he may
men; he can never speak thentO their agones their
heir hepessness their DUMP ana vehement
aspirations His mouth ID nlied WIN inockDg ana MS
words are instruments Of cruelty AS Tor ms prayers
they birds with broken Wings tormented by their
own Impotence testifyng TO the presence OF an instinct
but never reaching the gates OF the Seest thou
not oh student Of God. that the great dear and sad
cross is everywhere and II thy course as teacher be
determued BY any other meridian, thou shalt ne as
thief among men, aud at last be damned as slayer OF
sousi History will show that the preachers who have
taken the deepest hold OF human life have been most
faithful to the OF Christi Others have had their
ward for divers gifts and excelleDces; yet beyond
momentary applause they have had but little lien upon
Tle love and hankfuness OF human hearts The preach
ing of Jesus Christ crucfed has always elected the
greatest answers those who have heard It. These
answers have confirmed the divinity Of the doctrines
and set the seal Of heaven upon the preachers purpose
hne haun laCD An.
swers of penitence, OF loyalty, Of service, grief
on account of sin, devotion TO the Redeemer's
a healing OF the disease teaching OF the ignorant,
and tndespang prayer for those who are out Of the
wav What results have attended preaching OF oppo
site kndf Pedantry, sc0lism sell-worship, theology
without religion, a temple without GOd-these we
have found together with gentity cold as DEATH and
sefabsorption cruel as the grave put nowhere have
we discovered the gng sacrifice and the gody self
denial which born OF the atonement OF Goa me SON.
Fathfuness the apostolic doctrine and method Will
save preacher from all the narrowness OF mere de-
nomnatiOnalisn in the exercise OF ms ministry and
from AN other narrowness OF thought and sympathy.
DenOmiuatIOna properly understood ana wisely adj
ministered has excellent uses yet we cannot have
too ttle of IL in the Christian pulpit In the pulpit
should hear the universal language OF Gods love to
and sectarianisnt. The wise pastor VIII have his
classes Tor private instruction in many points
of secondary and relative importance, but his
pulpit will be sacred TO the proclamation Of the eternal
truth which needs in all places and at all times.
THIS brings to point which should be treated with
delicate discrimination The preachers Ups need not be
sealed upon called questions OF the day yet in
IN
f,l nv the xpostion OF great principles than by be-
coming special pleader or sinking into mere debater.
on the other hand. allowance must he made for OF
exceptional gs and peculiar influence. There MN.
listers various denominations IN whom we glorfy Ged,
aud for whom never cease 70 thank HIM,
who are specially qualified TO discuss secular question
iu the course OF a religious service such men must
ever be q law unto themselves l have no reference
how remote soever, to them when urgently advise
those who younger than myse 10 refrain while In
the pulpit from the discussion or all parocha. secular,
political and other temporary questions. Tney Will find
enough DO without discussing such topics In leading
puohc worship IN expoIhoing me scriptures ana In
and want, the finest powers Of the most brilliant
preacher may be exhausted.
to express. In 50 exercising our ministry there is
danger that We speak very loudly and eoquently to
who never hear us The Young preacher reads the last
number Of scientific review and instantly sits down
the composition OF sermon which is to destroy the
logical position OF the reviewers yet alas for the vigOr
OF the preacher aud the dignity OF the whole situation
NOT man IN the assembly ever heard Of
the article, and the reviewer himself is una
ware Of the very existence Of the preacher
Possibly too, the people may unfortunately remember
the objection when they have forgotten the answer
thus the preacher may become tue ally OF the skeptic
That some people may be pleased with the Kind Of
preaching which addressed TO the day" is far from
imnrobabe seeing that 1t sngs the conscience
t never condescends to enter the region Of moral dis
es prosress q which The contestants deToey
strike at hOth2S r. aud MT ,rGDv with mag
in the statement that in listening 10 some preachers
deservedy conspicuous and influential It may be, one
receives the Impression that there is an eager though
invisible auditory before them, whose enc object is 70
give the lie at the end OF every sentence and 10
convict them of lunacy the construction of every
argument This is supposed TO be the preaching the
dayw The fact 10 that IN such cases the
preacher is rather replying TO the books
which he has been reading during the
week than leyotng himself to the treatment OF the
actual experience represented by his congregation.
am far enough from denying that notice should be paid
10 current criticism upon Christian doctrine, but quite
far asserting that such notice should be paid
from the pulpit. Written, attacks are best met
by written deienses and even were 1t not
so in literary point OF view, 1t is GER
tainy honorable TO meet an enemy
on MS own ground than 10 fire upon him from the secu
rty privileged position. More than this: the Chris
tan pulpit turned into medium for the advertisement
of unchristian books is fragrant violation OF public
stewardship Preachers have enough TO do without de-
grading sanctuary ratio AN arena or er drfe debate
"Tke heed therefore unto yourselves, ana 10 all the
flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you over
seers 10 feed the Church Of God which he hath
rnrcnased with his own blood" That the gospel is
hum Ia nnv Let %