New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-18
PULPIT SKETCHES.
DIR. J. " LUDLOW, OF THE WESTMINSTER
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, BROOKLYN

MOnrOep place and hnl0ust., with Perfepout, rnaen
and JoralemoD Sta for it, mixHeting therongf1re..
I he uptown movement ofvBSi day .outhward,
following the lines Of Clinton and Henry Its. down
gentle slope for !, mile until it gathered up
for pause ia the region of First aud Second places
The travel aad traffic way for this Colonization "a,
COurt-st., conveniently bounding il the eat Dol.
loving the impulse OF a speculative gravitation taat
seemed az spontaneous and legitimate milCalteg
mile Of attractive residences grew up outside within
1he trade lines with only here and there church edi
flee Of generous dimensions 20 interrupt The archtee
tIral monotony In this south Brooklyn rsZion may
be found not many blocks apart, Christs Episcopal
Church another of imposing proportions whore tho
Rev Mr Hubbard odicates a great Baptist church IN
sombre Gothic with its supplementary buiidings the
hare and roomv South Congregational Church. under
the no.torate OF DIR LYMAN; a Methodist church "
singular completeness, and IN the midst ia" West
minister Presbyterian Church, where DR.. Ludlow a
pastor
ARCHITECTS TO BLAME FOR POOR PREAcuNG.
Leaving the cars AZ Courtst and Firstplace We pa .
along wide, commanding street, half rural half
urban tempting bits of lawn and garden betting the
sidewalks With gmpses here and there Of dainty gar
dening and restfl atmosphere Of comfort and refine
ment and at the northwest Of Clinton a. reach
this. quiet solid brown stone ediice 10 grim half
reluctant Gothic style. The front "a broad and with
the bunted undevel0ped at the l. want
ing IN elevation symmetry. The interior proportions
fail tn realize the idea Of Gothic perspective with it,
lOng-drawn aiscs, for the length and breadth arc
nearly equal while it wants the social. inviting faniii-
arity of auditorium or parliament bouse. where
spet and hearcr meet at the finest adVantaSe Tho
ceiling il in the Moresqnc Byzantine spirit, and IA
designed in three parallel semcircular vautlngs the
central much broader and CHER than the others IL -
lef unheped in its chilly naked pasterng aud would
lind much relief IL a delicate warmth of color The
walls and columns tresc0ed In welstnded designs,
dados and panengs rarely ecclesiastical o, eccleso-
logical in feeling, but graceful and artistic IN the geH-
eral effect
The narrow arched recess designed for the pulpit has
been, aflerthOught. filled by the organ which
OyercanOples the pulpit and platform Al me icet 81
the preacher sits the Organis az his keyboard mmed
aty below the pulpit and the qIarteto ~ careful aud
conscientious singers ocedpy portion d the 'front.' pew
and stand facing the people during the anthems aud
hymns. The architects could hardly have ds Used
chamber prolific of intrusive and perplexing
echoes and these ingenious gentlemeh, who have dab
bled in quasi Gothic perseyerhsy for the last hfty
years il may be fairly charged Igely answeIabe
for the alleged neectgeness and feebleness Of u3deih
preaching, for they have flashed their glazing ba1Ony
Of great windows full IN the preacher eyes ard
at the same time banketed and buheted his speech
with their muttering echoes and reverberauons
THE SCHOLAR IN THE Pulpit.
Happy DIR. Ludlow is not the evangelist 70 ground
his arms even under such insidious assault and
the organ in which Le stands empowered cannot
shake his nerve \ slight, delicate figure, without
hint of feebeness he enters from the esry door the
call Of the voluntary and ascends the steps TO the pal
pit with quiet, decisive step and tranquil sefcon
tanned presence. Without gown. his trock coat -
buttoHed high the chest The features are spare,
the complexion is wanting in glow as the preacher
spent too many hours in his library the face Is
HIT brnadens uuckfv m the TEMPLES into a brow and
brain Overarge for the BODY that sustalns and sup
ports them. II is the face of scholar an deust with
poetic outlook yet not mystic or visionary, and 70
wears a gravity Of one full Of purpose with ready
Intelligence for it9 execution. mastache shadows
the lips and gives emphasis 10 the facial expression.
Tbs first word challenges attention, which the
preacher holds to the end The utter aBee y c1nn-y
Deliberate incisve vet natural enough and the dell
cate vet manly more of the baritone voice penetat"'
the echoes and with cleaner precision of articulation
especially in the closing elements Of his words would
place at every member of the large congregation
There il nain .erviec with eieoided favor OF ritual
istc feeling, however IN the pastor There Is 10 ooo-
quialisn IN the devotional prelude and exercises
There il, rather, quaint Od-time Difference and
soemnity Of diom Of the unconscious pressure oi
due dgnlties and proprcties here are two or three
concerted pieces which the choir delivers Will iutelh-
gence. and the congregation ons m the hymns without
however, developing ia" npre.si'entsr OF Not nln
Gus and stirring choral. The lesson from the Gospel
Is read in scholarly way, with breadth IT preston
and the insight of a revereut student
HOW TIE SERMON 4 DELIVERED.
The preacher culls a group Of clauses from h1lfA
dozen verses and from these generalizes o. subject
rather than textual or oxpository discourse I'D ed
the severe limitations of textUa analysis and c'sb0rs
ton would hamper aud cripple The preacher for he
plainly is used 10 ample sea room and like vide
range for his evousions Yet singriarly enough while
he is both dseursya and inventive il the treatment %
his theme h. IL from temperament and culture precise
compact and proyident IN his idiom. deeply
densad and heavily charged word and phr'se- yet
ctoirelv and with spare hand. thar YOU have nos
got all of the thoughts until you are SURE n the last
word If the sentence. and even tru many lurking SIX
uiicaueee and decacics of expression hutter beyond
reach during the busy delivery. And this delivery is
cherae terstic. Every word D. emphatic whether euI-
pbasiLed or not for the thought tails into clean crisp
coinage If sententio,s form. almost verbal yct
without mannersm or monotony for you VII MT catch
the same thought Us echo again IN the sli4e DIS
course And after each II these there Is Az u, olun-
t4ry deliberaiiOn or slowing up rather as N t1u
preacher was int rr0gating samplug the quality %
his work than inviting or giving way Tor popular re-
view
And the people literally and silently hang these
utterauces not ia quest of recreation or mere enct
ton, but as # something ezcepl9nh aud oi deeply
persopal signifcanca were 10 stake and not word
must yet astrav The attention Is serious, aud every
eve rests the preacher, who seems neither 70 sunni
late nor magnetic the people neither 10 kndlc W.
ftncirs Ire their enthusiasm but 20 draw them in
q closer relation with himself through the moral de-
Examinations and the quick, sure raAcaton 81 symPt-
thetic conscienccs And plain. searching aud fear
le,s things are and then said which elsewhere
from another mans lips might provoke resentment on
exasperate. eXcoriate tie sensitive, but here hey iu
without bitterness or BRUISES. Tor there u great tl
.deruess with tlis sharp fidelity
Dr.. LCDLow's INrLCENcE OVER IT'S ArDir>c-.
The people eutern the discourse -erfc4ir AID
often that deep unconscious hush which 0ut'ocs The
most clamorous applause witnesses tho sway OF The
preacher over their hearts the expressive silence
Of course there IL soaring, nothing mmuituous'
nothing dramatic or stimulating IN such preaching. IL
Is all the while steadily the plane Of human life b.
wants shortcomings opportunities, emergencies crises
and po.ibifes Of divine and superhumau truth IN IT,
mi1istratious Of publication and reinforcement AID
Illumination He works from the centre ~ hi subject
toward the practical conclusions which enspbere H.
and .o il never Car from his nearer or A crrni The
pre- cher IS not pietst. neither is he doEmat-t
There are dreams aud visions now aud then, aAi
alnnpscs of outlying yi,as Of thought and feeling 0lt
they are bathed III atmosphere of sober SENSE aud
healthy congruity There are figure and iuf - ION a.
every step bpi they are decorative stec bni