Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1881-02-02
For the Smyrna Times.
Magic Lanterns for the Pulpit.
BY REV. T. o. AYRRs.

There is class of men,-yes, men not
Wcmen-who are very hard to get interes.
ted in sermon. They are usually rich, or
at least above real want. They are in what
other people call easy circumstances. Or
they are political aspirants-who have joinea
church for the purpose of making capital, po
litical capital, out of religion. They care
little or nothing for the church, and look
upon it about as they do money left at a
grogshop, namely: as a means for making
votes. have frequently seen these men
in churches and at camp meetings, and
have watched them while | have been
preaching, and also while other ministers
have been preaching. Think can tell
about how they act
l. They look at the minister when be
reads his text; then seem to fall into the
conviction that there is a thread cut or
their after parts, and that they will screw
themselves through the pew So they begin
to turn and twist and screw.
2. They will rub the side of their fac.
with their hand, then yawn and stretch ou
their feet.
3. The next movement will be to draw
up their feet and screw around so as t.
face window, cut of which they will gaz,
| for time.
| 4. Another turn of the screw and thu
eyes are turned aloft and the ceiling is sx
aminsd. Now if it happens that the cell
ing is frsscoeG and the flowers are very CAV
then our pillow saint finds rich field fo
exploration.
| 5. But as one extreme is ALWAYS followed
by another extreme, our deyotes comes t,
a sudden conclusion to see if the floor O
that church is carpeted so down goes hi
head and he falls to examining the carpet
1t the floor is bare, then he looks at tn,
grain in the wood, counts the joints, esti
mates the size of the house and counts u,
the cost of that floor. And so sums tn
tine away till "mestin is over" and tn
people gone home.
Well, how about the sermon? Did th
scrswjack like it? No, he did not like il
The fact of the business is, all the goo,
preachers are dead and gone and the pref
ent lot are a sorry act, at best. Til
preachers don't preach like they did whel
our Ecrswjack was pGru in his first Low
and honest in his dealings and simple i
his desires. 40 what great preachers the
had in olden times" eur friend exclaine
And we reply, ayes in 'oldsn time
when you were honest and simple. hsarteS
lin oldsn times before you left your fri
love and baek.slid and joined the Z" Pres
gang" and went for the loavss and fishe
But why did not our friend enjoy the Sc
J mon? We answer,
l. He had lost his religion, and had Il
taste for spiritual things. So he could NJ
enjoy the spiritual parts of the sermon.
.. He had not enough sense to enab
) him to comprehend the logical and arg
mentativs parts of the'sermon.
3. He had not enough culture to enab
him to appreciate the esthetical part of tt
} discourse.
4. His education was so limited that
could not follow the preacher into Il
! field of literature. Consequently he d.
f not and could not enjoy the sermon
Now, what is to be done for such mar
We answer, put Magic Lantern on Il
, pulpit and show him pretty pictures, an
f put shert, pointed lectures in as the sho
. moves along.