The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-07-07
PREDICTING.

The first thing in preaching is to have
something to say. There is never any
difficulty about speaking when man has
distinct idea in his mind to which he
wishes to give expression The first
thing the preacher perceives with dis
tinctness is that there are human beings
around him in great peril. He does not
need to tell them of this in an abstract
essay or a scientific discourse. There is
no use in beginning with evolution. -
The first proposition then is A LOST
WoRLD-a subject calculated surely to
secure earnestness, simplicity, and direct
ness of treatment. And yet how many
founder over the theme, and fail to rivet
the attention of their hearers. Why is
this? 1t does not require an eloquent
man to inform you that the boat contain
ing your wife and children is filling with
water All that is necessary is for the
messenger to know the fact to be true
and to have real desire to render assist
ance. What the preacher needs to be eff
tective here, is to be convinced and to haze
sympathy. The more plainly he delivers
his message the better.
The second declaration he has to make
is that there is REMEDY.
Now the true preacher is a regenerate
man. He has passed from death unto
life. He has been the subject of a mir.
ucLe.
As preacher his business is to testitl
NOT to declaim He has had an expe-
rience Of his own which is the most re-
markable thing that occurs in this world
and the more distinctly he can present
himself before others, either in his daily
walk or his conversation as the subject
of that experience, the more he will i'm
press them. He is to stand before the
world as an evidence. He is to show the
REALTY of the change from death unto
life. The more thorough the change
which has occurred in him, the more dis
tinct will be his perceptions of spiritual
truth. A man of profound spiritual ex-
perience will not have to hunt for his
facts in discoursing of spiritual things
He does not need the learning of the
books to find something to say; he de-
scrlbes what he knows of his personal
knowledge. He speaks of what he has
seen. " Which things also we speak, not
IN the words which man s wisdom teach
eth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth
comparing things spiritual with spiritual. "
The teacher of the preacheris the Holy
Ghost.
Robert Hall was a splendid man, and
a true mana devout Christian but as
we once before remarked in this paper,
it is stated of him by George Muller that
his magnificent discourses did not result
in conversions. He probably expected too
much from his own powers.
The preaching of the preacher, we
would remark in the second place, is not
all done in the pulpit; it is the man s
recognized character in the community
that constitutes large part of his preach
ing. If his words are feeble, the people
will value even such words from one
whose upright and manly character they
respect, and whose sincerity and sympa-
thy they have proved. If, in addition
to being an upright and good man, they
are compelled to recognize also that he
is an eminently holy man, they will re-
caiva ipetrt1otioy fro,,, -: -
an intellectual man but as from a man
who, they are quick to perceive, has
walked with God, and testifes Of thing.
which he has seen and handled.
Prof. Huxley cannot say anything o.
value from the pulpit; his biological
knowledge is Of no more use there thar
the knowledge Of 6nancier or grocer
very inferior person in point Of infor-