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

The Kind OF Pre- achers TO Take with
the Masses-FaiIure of the Modern
Pulpff TO Exert It's legitimate
Moral Power-Defects of the system
Of modern Pseaching-Does moi
Keen pace with current Events
Manuscript Reading Is not Preach
tns-DiaIeeiic Nonsense evout
Medioerity in the Pulpit. $3.50
The REGISTER recently published sD
article clipped from the Cincinnati
Commercial about the evangelist, Rev.
Hammond, and his method of preaching
and the success attending his evangelical
labors. The exceptional successes OF such
men as Hammond and Moody suggest
the inquiry, why is it that such Slight
moral power and popular interest are ex-
cited by modern preschingI Does the
pulpit, in itself considered, exert the
power which its commanding position
iustifes? The reply must be 81 unhesi-
tating and emphatic negatEe. The
pulpit is omnipresent among the people.
its batteries cover with their evangel-
zeal fire almost every point OF
the moral field of the world.
They stand On basis OF Divine authority.
They are manned by men who are mostly
trained expressly for their position, and
who avowedly enter upon 1t with the
sniri; OF .elf-sacrlfce, Of moral herolsm,
and, II need be, OF martyrdom. They
have one-seventh, ard generally more, OF
the time 0! the people In which TO utter
their appeals. These appeals take hold
upon MI the great sollcltudes OF lie,
death and eternity. The moral constitu-
ton OF man instinctively recognizes
them. Under such circumstances and
with such theatre OF eloquence and IN
flence one would suppose that its sub
lime. lis universal and ever reiterated ap-
pe.Is would resoupd like trumpets from
Htar"u through ration; that 1t would
don!sate over and cast down all pubic
evil influences; that il would exhibit u
heroic example OF self.conscious strength
and independence of public Pre]u'
uice; that lis verdict uttered
on any public question which
involved moral relations would be ire
8 staolv decisive, and that It's thunders
would bca. down AID dispel oppression,
w.r. irtemIersuce. the rife corruptlons OF
business. OF t.sniot.sbIe, and even OF poll
teal lite; thai i. would, Ill line, do what
its great founder expressly designed 1t
should do morally renovate man kind.
But II does 10. do 50. The modern pui.
pit does not WELD its legitimate moral
power; it is deficient in popular interest;
It contributes little of intrinsic value to
Literature. fit were not for the occa-
sonsl development of It's power IN the
work OF such men AS Whitfield, Ham
moud or Moody, we would have no Illus
trstIon Of what can be accomplished.
When we see what can be done, and
how little is done is it not question OF
such importance as 10 invite pubic DIS
cussiOn and criticism.
ONE DEFECT Of MODERN PREACHING
may be found in the fact that the pulpit
fails TO apply sufficiently to current
events, and TO common life, the great
evangelical principles which are Its
habitual theme. Our preachers, or =
majority of them, devote too much OF
their time 10 the metaphysical, dogmatlc,
and stragetic management OF the church.
What is wanted is more specific appll-
cation of the moral standard which
evangelism implies to common life, and
to the current cveSts, and even the pubhc
questions OF the day. The evangelical
pulpi: is forever relterstlng elementary
t-ulhs-it defines them, and urges them;
but fails IN the iargeness of their appllcs-
ton. Religion, primarily n personal
MISTER, becomes exclusively so. The
religious lie OF the individual Is
defined oil into ssnctIticati0n that
pertains 10 tho church altar, the
the yestry, or it may be even to the moral
pathology of his own emotions.
And hence it is that our congrega-
tiors sleep so soundly under what is
called orthodox preaching. They know
when the subject is announced what the
tenor of the discourse will be; It's spirltu-
a,iza,ions or Congratulations have be-
come commonplace To most OF them.
And hence, slao, is it that the preaching
OF these high truth: have so little practl-
cal effect beyond the mere personal lin
Ils referred 10.
The kind ct preachers these times de-
maud are such men as Hammond and
Moody, who hold up, with q high and
energetic hand, these great lights o;
trulh; bat not 10 shed their quick
cuing ilum.uations merely within
lhe surrounding altar, but out, lar
on. upon al lite. They do not confne
themselves exclusively 20 the reading OF
books of divinity, thus fixing themselves
merely 20 bo critics o. the Bile, but pos
sa.S an understar ding of the actual state
oI society, and can apply the teachings
at the sacred word TO the circumstances
O! the age, and 20 the hearts ana habits
of the living men and women in the con-
grecation before them. Theirs is the
true preaching of Christianity. Their
ministry IS that which goes out upon the
mountain side, repeating traditional lies
and teaching the lowlest charlues-thaL
which is found ut the weddinL of Cana,
cDnsecrating harmless testivity-which
goes amid the people IN the streets, over
whelming their hypocritIcal teachers
with the fercest lenunciation-sppe
in the temple, overturning the
tables of the Interchangeable
fund IN the field feeding the
hungry multitude not only with
tie bread OF lfa. but "iood convenient
for them" such WAS Christ us teach.
o. and such tns application OF true
Christianity TO the world.
rne man whose ministry gives It such
an application will never lack hearers;
ne Will be Interesting; ne will he pow
c-iul; he will keep the minds and con
sciences OF men astir; ne will have both
friends ard enemies, and both will alike
sustain him in the consciousness that he
is not living In vain.
ANOTHER DEFECT IN MoDERN PREACH-
ING
Is the substitution vi rsajiIig Tor preGch-
ma. The habit with So many preachers
OF this day, and especially of American
preachers, OF reading sermons from man
uscript, professional hablt
"Coldly correct, critically dull"
!; ,,t ,,.s1rL,,J. II = an iutOlrrabI Der-