The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-12-29

Lusl part of man; but he forgets that the
man is not very easy OF ac-
cess, and must be approached through the
sensas, and affections, and imagination.
q Whitfield is supposed to be the great
est pulpit orator OF modern ages. we
havea few wretched remains OF his ser
mons vet they are sufficient to show the
truthof all traditions respecting his elo-
ouence, that he defed artificial restraint
in the pulpit, and poured his soul OUT
spontaneously, lrrepressibly, upon tne
people, often using language and gestures
which would stsrtle and utterly dumb
found the staid and self-reverent dignity
of the modern desk. Look around US
where we may, and we find that The
most interesting preschers-most inter-
estiur to the masses-are those who SUD-
stitute IN place OF the stereotyped man
nerism OF the pulpit, their own naturai
charactis.lCs. Even If some OF THESE
characteristics are defects, yet by beng
personal rather than functional, by their
naturaineSs they take hold on the inter
est OF the people, and by securing that
thew sature attention and effect.
l believe that reason Tor The modern
pulpit inefficiency in this respect Is TO be
found in the clerical education, or rather
,liseGucl! ~ It tie Al nes. Clerical edu-
cation l. 10 Pr.uiu..ean, 1t turns out
too many poor results. The candidate
for the ministry, under the present sys-
tenn, is drawn through scholaslic pro-
prolonged elementary studies, lnen
one or two years preparation lor
college. four years at coliege
and three years under the rigors OF
technical divinity at theological school
"a process from out OF which he comes
intellectually attenuated and rlgld De-
yond recovery. Hence is adopted that
style which might be denominsted acad-
emlc lecturing; u sermon is only IN IN
tellectusl task, dry literary exhioltioh
in the wrong place, TO wrong spectators
and performed in subsection to most SER
vile usages and intolersble mannerlsIls'
And until clergymen Danish this style
throw it to the winds-:heir preaching is
In vain.
Ii the pulpit is TO be invested with It's
legitimate freedom and power, then the
practices of Whitfield, Hall and Moody
must be adopted in breaking down It's
Iactidious restraints, banishing Its techni-
csIitles and casting away lie scrolls.
Why, there is something ludicrous IN
even the thought OF Christ on the Mount,
Peter at Pentecost, or Paul on Mars
Hill, preaching from manuscript. Ihey
did not even preach from pulpit. Iney
knew nothing about "frstly," secondly
or thirdly" they were too intent on
their practical design to trltle with dla-
lectic nonsense. When the pulpit as
sumes its proper position and exerts It's
legitimate power, people will go to
church, not to sleep under intellectual
projections, but to hear fervent, prActl.
cal, home directed addresses respecting
their duties, applied to their common
wants, to current events-to the commu-
nity to the individual to the times.
Ii there be another defect, 1t is in the
want OF care in selecting young men Tor
the ministry. Plety is too often taken as
the guarantee of every other requisite,
and 1t Is melancholy to see with Whist
eagerness devout medlocrity, If not in
teriority, is pressed into this highest
sphere of human responsibility.
G. II. NJ.
Dammorc, W. Va, Dec, y, 1877.