, 1879-10-11
JOHN PLSGGHMAN's TALK:
PLAIN ADVICE FOR PLAIN PEOPLE
BY c. II. SPURGEuN.
On Religious Crumb,er..

man Who knows nothing His ignorance is
the mother of his impudencc, and the nurse
Of bis obstinacy and though he does not
know b from bulls foot, he settles matters
as II all wisdom We're at his fingers enls-t!re
Pope himself Is no more Infaliible Hea-
him talk after he has been at meeting aud
heard sermon, and YOU will know how 70
pull good man to pieces ii you never knew
1t before. He sees faults where there are
none, and II there he a few things amisS he
makes every mouse into an elephant AL
though You might pat all his vii into an egg
sEell, he weighs the sermon III the balances
of his couceit with all the airs of bred-and-
born solomon, and If it be up TO his stand
ard, he lays on his praise with 4 trowel but
ii it be not to his TASTE he gr0wls and barks
and snaps at 1t like 4 dog at hedgehog.
Wise men III this world are like trees III
hedge, there is only here and there one aud
when these rare men talk together upon
discourse, it is good for the ears to hear
them bat the Dragging wiSeacres | an
speaking of are vainiy pulled up by their
iieshlv minds, and their qubbling Is as sense
less As the cackle Of geese on a common.
Nothing comes ont OF sack but what was
in it, aad as their bag is empty they shake
nothing hut wind "ur of IL IL IS very likely
that neither ministers nor their sermons are
pvriec'-the best garden may have few
weeds III 1t, the cleaneSt corn may have some
chatf-but ctvilers cavIl at anything or moth
ing, and find fault Tor the sake of showing
off their deep knowledge; sooner than let
their tongues have holiday, they would
Complain that the grass is not 4 nice shade of
blue. and say that the sky would have looked
neater il it had been whitcwaSheI.
One trihr of these lshmaeiIteS Is made up
OF hIgh-tyIIg icnoramuSeS who are very
mighty about the doctrine Of a sermon-here
they are IS decisive aS Sledge- hammers and
as certain ss death. He who knows nothing
Is confident III everything; hence they are
bull headed beyond measure. Every clock,
aud even the sun-di.ai, must be set according
to their watches: and the slightest difference
from their opinion, proves man tn be rot
ten at heart Venture to argue with them,
and their little pot bulS over in quick style:
ask them for reason, and you might rs well
90 to a sand PIT for sugar. They have bot
tied 10 the saa Of truth, and carry 1t IN their
waistcoat pockets; they have measured heav-
ems line of grace, and have tied a knot Ill a
SiTlb3 dI li!t tAdtl vi tiNSbAhS ioNN
and as for the things which angels long to
know, they have seen them ali as boys see
sights III pecp-show at Our tar Having
sold their GindeSty and become wiser than
their teachers, they ride very high horse,
and lamp uyer all iive-harred gates of Bible
texts which teach doctrines contrary to their
Toti"iis. When this mischie: happens 70
cnod men, it Is a great pity Tor sIch sweet
pots nf ointment to be spoiled by flies, yet
oae learns to bear with them just as | do
with old Violet, iar he is a rare Old horse,
thGuch he does not set his ears back and
throw oat h!S l"r ~ tl:i.cS. Bdt there Is =
l,c!l hsa..ias let ahaat, ..!.o are ali sting
and 10 honry al wHip ard Ii" l.ay; al
grunt and un bacon. These do nothing but
r,,ii f;"m mcrui9g i" night al all who c.smn"t
see through their s,'ectacieS. Il they would
bat mix up hanitI! o! good iiv!ng with all
their L,;s;iyls of boH.ee, it would be more
i,araLie; bat 40, they don't care for such
legality; men 81 So;iad Us they are esat be
expected Ia te good 1T anything else they
are the eavcniy watcir-G"ss /" suard the
hcgse Of the Lord from those thieves and
rohhers vino don't preach Sound doctrine,
and if they do worry the sheen, or steal
rabbit or tw" by the sly. who wonld have
the heart to blame them The Lords daGr
people as they call themselves. have enough
to DO to keep their doctrine sound /; and If
Their manners are cracked, who can wonder,
no man can See tu everything at once. These
are the moleS that want catching IN many OF
our pastures, not fer their own sakes. for
there is not sweet mouthful In them, but
for the sake os the meadows which they
spoil | would not find half fanlt with
their doctrine, If IL We're not for their spirit,
but vinegar Is sweet to It, and crabs are his
in cnrnparison 1t must lie very high doc
trine that is too high for me, but must have
high experience and high practice with 1t, or
il turns nay stomach. However, | have sand
nv saw. and must leave the subject, or some
body will ask me, - What have you to do
with Bradshaw $ windmill"
Sometimes il is the way the preacher
speaks which is hauled over the Goals, and
here again is . fine field for fault-hunting.
for every bean has is black, and every man
: as his failing Imever knew good horse
which had not some odd habit or other, and
never vet saw a minister worth his salt who
had not some crutchet or nddlty. now. these
are the bits of cheese which cavIlers smell
out and nihbie at; this man Is too SLOW, and
another too fast. the first Is too nowery, and
the second is too duh. Dear me, If all Gods
creatures were judged in this way, we should
wiring the doves neck Tor being too tame,
shoot the robins for eating spiders, kill the
COWS for swinging their tails, and the hens
for not giving us milk. When man wants
10 beat a dog. he can soon find stick and
At this rate any fool may have something to
saw against the best minister ID England.
As To A preachers manner If there be but
,laiu speaking. none should cavil at it be-
cause it wants polish, for if thing is good
and earnestly spoken. 1t cannot sound much !
,miss. No man should use bad language in |
the pulpit-and all language is bad which |
common people cannot make head or tail OF |
but rodly, sober, decent, plain words, |
none should carp at A countryman is as |
xarm in fustian as a king in velvet, and |
ruth is as comfortable in homely words as |
n fine speech. As TO the way Of dlshing up /
he meat. hungry men leave that to the cook,
,nlv let the meat be sweet and substantial |
4 hearers were better, sermons would be bet
,er When men say they can't hear, | rec /
,mmepd them to buy horn, and remember 4
he old saving. There's none so deaf as
hose who VIII Eol uS4s- " ttti
:n.akers get down-hearted because OF hard,
,pkipd remarks. | generally tell them of the
,ld man and his boy and his ass, and what
anne of trying to please everybody. No
,;rer ever suited all ears. Where whIms
,rd fanc;es sit in the scat of Judgment,
,,,,S oninion is only so much wind, there
or. take no more notice of it than OF the
End wbistling through keyhole.
have heard men find fault with discourse
or what was not in it; no matter how well
he snbiect in hand was brought out, there
rss w another subject about which nothing
ras said. and so all was wrong: which Is as
sasonable as finding fault with my plough
na because it does not dibble the holes for
he ne beans, or abusing a good eorn.held be-
anse there are no turnips in 1t. Does any
nan look for every truth in one sermon
IS As. well look for every dish at one meal. and
all at joint of beef because there are Meth
= bacon. nor veal, nor green peas. nor pars-
,;ns on the table. Suppose sermon IS not
III Of comfort TO the saint. yet If 1t warn