Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1882-04-15
LONG SERMONS.

We clip the sensible letter which TO-.
lows, by S. e. Hi!yer. l.. l.. ID from
an exchange--the IL. H.. of Richmond.
Va. We ask Tor it the careful perus;
OF Il certain class OF iault-tinders, who
are becoming quite numerous in our
city:
1t has been said, very often, that long
sermons are III bad taste, and otherwise
| oblectIonaoie, and, therefore, should be
! avoided. This is accepted us oracular.
Wei, long sermon Sometimes deserves
To be condemned III the light OF judlcious
criticism. Ii II is long because of ex.
cessive dlttusenesS, or Oil account of use
less reiterutluns of the same thought, or
| on account OF an unnecessary t,iiuute-
ness OF detail, or perhaps ON account OF
all these combined, then we offer no
apology Tor its length. We give it up
freely to the tender mercies OF critics
and fault finders
But when sermon is founded upon
| an important subject. when its points
| are weii AIKEN, anu these are elaborated
Just enough 10 give TO each its iull effect,
with no excessive diffuseness, Or reiter-
| atIonS, or m!nuteness OF detnii-then,
| IL 1t should require fifty or sixty min
| utes TO hrlug II III u !uii and perfect close
| the preacher shou q be allowed 10 finish
| II without tile lear oi violating the de
| mands OF good taste or the proprieties
| Oh the occasion. In nine cases out of
ten, such Il sermon, compressed into
thirty minutes, WOul,i be ruined. There
M tnS f,r lat,
| whe her Il sermon Is too long, Is, not
the time requi: ed for lis delivery, but
the nature OIL the subject and The quality
o: the discourse. Hence, criticism upon
this subject should be carefully discrim-
NATIVE.
The hue and cry against long sermons
arises more iieque.,Iiy from IL want OF
interest than iIom fatigue. On Sab.
bath morning, in al easant auditorium,
congregation of people in goo d health,
on comfortable pcws, are Mt tutigueu
with L sermon because it is nearly an
hour long; but il any are latisucd. il is
because they are n.t Interested. An.
THIS may be their own fault and not the
preacher's
Il lavurite witiciSm. which has been
often quoted. 'dcsigned to set ,Ir the
loiiJ oi iohg sermons, is this: Ii :,
preacher c.nuot s,iiile oil in forty min
ates, he ot- hi IL conclude thu he has a
Dau luger, OF else he is holing IN the
wrong place. Ills iniy do inr wit, but
not lof argument. Suppose the preach
er uoes strike oil'' III forty inmates,
ouS mt he not 10 he allowed ten or fifteen
hihutes more 10 pump it up? This
would seem to follow from Il lair inter-
nrelaLlon ol the figure. 1t NAV be
granted that Il dry sermon. .Iorty minutes
long, Is loag enough; nay, thirty min
utes. i'll that case, would be u better
limit. But u sermon tisty be Interesting
from us very beginning, and continue
SO 10 the end. Shall We cut down sucb
sermon 10 twenty or tnirly minutes
by AN III htr;ry rule. dictated tor the
most part uT The ca! lll iu,Itfercuce of
human nature To religious L.ulhp
think not. And | really think ,b,,
preachers owe ii to themselves. but .s
pec'aiiy /" 'he Cause which they repre-
sent to resist, In Il pruLe:;t way, the IN
iiuence ot the present opposition 10 50
called long sermons.
IL may enforce this conclusion, to look
at the pi eseEi state OF our congregations.
Is useless To deny II. there Is among
! them Il prevalent unbeIiei ~ hich is fear
fui to contemplate. The utterances of
modern scien,e have been interpreted
ny many Is adverse to revealed rcli.
glon. Agnos icism, Atheism, Materi
a!lsnn, ami. lat but not least. IIumapi.
t:liahi>m, lave ali ii ied to becIoud
even the thoughtful no earnest inquirer
! Win perp eXitJ and doubt Indeed.
5 me church members are sadly dis