The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-10-29
Sermons.

"a IVA
ton to be answered is whether another
kind is wanted, or if not that, whether it
is practicable. The Gospel can be preach
ed in variety of ways-as multiform in
conception and form as those pertaining
to the stump speech, the address, lecture
or finished grafton. 1t may be safely af-
irmed that all methods of sermon preach
ing-all decent methods we meap-have
their fitting place; the question, then, as
to the preaching, is not whether it con.
forms to ones especial idea or not but
whether it is rest adapted to the wants
of the people, having due regard to the
character of the preacher himself; for
Paul will preach one way, while Apollos
will employ different method each
has his peculiar gifts, which he must ex-
ercise in his own way. A case in point
is supplied by The Western Presbyterian,
which states that in an Iowa town
minister delivered scholarly religious
essays in the morning, and in the after
noon extempore discourses appealing more
to the conduct of life" Quite to his
surprise, he found that his evening dis
courses were preferred to his morning
sermons his audiences were larger, and
he heard more from these sermons than
from his morning discourses. And yet
when the subject was brought to his at
tention by one of his elders, he could only
reply that large part of his people at
tended only once on Sunday, and that,
too, in the morning-an entire college
Faculty were among these-from all
quarters he had heard expressions OF
satisfaction with the usual morning dis
course; and not only so, but when on
two occasions he had delivered an extern.
pore address, after the fashion of his even
ing discourses, he had been urged not to
depart from his usual practice of care
fully prepared manuscript sermon. He
had, in fact, two quite different audi
ences and as he had adapted his preach
ing to each, and as it would appear sue
cessfully so, he thought it best to con-
tinue the practice.
Very often the fact is lost sight of, that
there are different classes in many
churches, each demanding different SER
monte methods. We confess, that as be-
tween those who demand philosophical
sermons and fine literary efforts, and these
others who desire not mere platitudes,
but earnest utterances addressed to the
Individual on the conduct of the daily
life, our sympathies would naturally 90
out towards the latter class Still, the
former have claims, and how can they be
ignored? 1t is getting to be quite too
much the fashion to charge upon the few
the sins of the many. Thus, the post. Office
authorities are blamed for distributing
the mails on Sunday, and the railway
corporations are censured for running
their trains on Sunday, whereas what
ever blame rests in the premises rightly
lies at the door of the Christian people
who directly demand-or at least avail
themselves of-these facilities. In like
manner many supposed shortcomings OF
the pulpit are visited on the minister
which should rightly be lodged against
the pews. Very likely the Church OF
Laodicea had rather poor preaching, but
it was the whole Church, and not the
poor minister alone, that came under the
Angels censure. So to-day wherever
there is preaching which is cold and life
less, which tickles the fancy and please
the imagination yet never stirs the heart,
let it be understood that 80 long as the
people accept that preaching, whatever
may be the shortcomings of the minister
and often his worst failures are uncon-
scious ones-the real sin of an emascu-
lated Gospel lies at the pew doors, with
those who support such preaching, and
who often by their tacit acquiescene, if
not by their positive commentator, such
as What lovely sermonl' "What
beautiful sermonp "What finished
discourse a marvel of word paintingl"
ETC., receive thankfully what is offered
them, nor ask for anything better. No
doubt with all the grand preaching there
Is In this country-never more of it than
nowhere is surfeit Of mere intellec-
tual pulpit oratory and abstract DIS
course. But, censorious critic, before
condemning the clergy for their short
comings,-an we are neither disposed
to deny nor undervalue them-at least
answer the question, if you can "What
have l done, and what am l doing to
remedy the evil in my own church ?"
Tue present is an age Of hurry, of bust.
ness competition, of the worship Of Nam
mon, and the pursuit Of gain. Such
characteristics must affect the pews, and
find soft resting place on the cushioned
seats. There is always tendency to
equilibrium on the part of the pulpit and
the pews, and it is this balancing of the
see-saw which determines the spiritual
level of the people, and correspondingly
fixes the character of the preaching
meted out to them. - Christian at Work