The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-09-30
CHRIST AS A TEACHER.
From a Sermon by Rev. j. Ia
Harris, Boston, Mass.
Tho Secret OF jesus Popularity and the
success of His AIlnistry-Hls Nat
Rral and Attractive Way or
Presenting His Truths.
lHomiletic Monthly.I

unto MIN, RaDDl, we know Gnat InOu art a
teacher come from God; for no man can do
these miracles that Thou doest, except God
be with hlm.-John iil:2.
Now, the question very nat
urally arises, what was the secret Of His
popularity and the success of His minis
try l answer: His doctrines were of such
a character as to command the most pro-
found respect, and to make such impress
sions as the teachings of no other one ever
made. There seemed to be, in all that He
taught, peculiar fitness to the people, a
rem arkable adaptation to all classes OF
minds. His teachings awakened the con-
science, enlighted the understanding and
stirred the heart. There was, indeed, ac-
companying all His words and Heavenly
lessons a heart application. 1t was the
heart at which He aimed, and in which He
sought to enthrone Himself. His words,
though mild and tender, were earnest,
weighty and searching. While they fell
upon the ear and heart as gently as the
night-dews distil upon the sleeping earth,
they were startling and clothed with
power The general tone of our LORDS
preaching was that of infinite tenderness.
At the same time, fidelity and fearlessness
signally characterized all His conversation
and addresses. He reproved pride, and
envy, and prejudice-stripped the false
robe from the self-righteous Pharisee, and
tore the mask from the hypocrite. He did
not make His words to mean any less than
they do, nor did He offer any apology for
speaking them.
His principles were broad and generous,
having universal application to the ply S.
ical, social and spiritual wants of man.
And this, many of the more intelligent
and liberal-minded people, whose minds
had long been cramped by Jewish dogmas
and national animosities, couldmost SEN
sibly feel.
The style of our Lords address made
Him popular. There was nothing stiff nor
stilted about it, no extravaganza of
speech, no alfectation in His manner. His
very presence was a charm. Gentleness
and simplicity marked all that He said
and did. He that would teach and win the
people must speak as they speak. And in
this we see the wisdom and the success of
this great Teacher. He adapted His
words and His style equally to the Phari-
see and the Sadducees, to the scribe and
the priest, the lawyer and the doctor. So
the minister now, to be successful teach
er, must accommodate himself to the
minds, and even to the tastes, of the peo-
pie.
, One of the chief beauties of the Saviour's
preaching, as we'll as one of the clements
of its great strength, lay in the fact that
Ha haaufifullNy and aYtlry AoI
His subjects by figures, comparisons and
illustrations, drawn from common life. He
talked to the people about birds and fishes,
oxen and camels; fishermen and mer-
chantmen, shepherds and farmers, and
tax-gatherers, about corn, and wheat,
trees and vines, and flowers. He took a
lily growing in the simmer light, and what
an expression Of divine glory it became!
what lesson of Gods tender love and
watchful care it taughtl He saw the
bird flying through the air, and it became
at once n illustration of Divine Provi-
dence He took grain of mustard seed,
In which, as symbol, the whole King
dom Of God was involved. From the grasA
of the field He taught a lesson of mans
mortality and the brevity of human life.
Wherever He turned His eye He found
central truth, and brought out of it some
thing right before the people that they
could take hold of and apply to their own
lives and experience. And is not this the
power OF all effective preaching? 1t comes
home to the heart from realities. And this
is what the men to whom Jesus was
preaching needed, what they aoanted.
And the people want it nog. They care
but little for our beautiful essays, our
elaborate arguments, our ine-spun theo-
ries, our far-fetched illustr atoms, our
platitudes and foggy generalities. Men
care but little for abstract doctrines, for
the statement of mere logical propo-
sitions, for the building up of
sharp, intellectual theories. They will
60 to sleep while you are pre-
senting them. They prefer something
that comes straight home to them through
the avenues Of their business. This they
can all understand and feel. The shortest
way to many mems hearts is through their
store, or bank, or farm. In fact, we need
to mix religion with all our business. 1t
Is not something merely for the Sabbath
day, and for seasons Of affliction, but for
everyday use in our shops, stores and
offices.
And thus the Saviour taught. Religion
has, fear, with many, become too pro-
fessional-too much ystematized-too
much burdened with rules, and hung
about with theological and high sounding
terms, so that many people can not UNDER
stand 1t, can not get into its heart and
life; neither do they get it into their heart
and life. Now, Jesus ignored all this be-
wildering terminology, and simplifed re-
ligion, showing what it was by these
plain, home-like ustrations-presentin
it in its natural garb and beautiful
simplicity right alongside of every
mans heart, showing that 1t was
not some thing to be taught
only from the pulpit, and talked
about only on the Sabbath; but some thing
that men could carry into their every day
life, into the marts of business, as well as
into the sanctuary.
This plain preaching is al
ways the best. 1t does the most good.
AS 1t was in the days of Christ, so Is it
now; the people will hear it, and hear it
gladly. And the preacher who aims at
some lofty style above the reach of his
ordinary hearers will not only expose
himself to the criticism of the wise and
good, but he will forever thwart the very
purpose for which 1T is supposed he be-
came minister Of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus was popular as teacher because
he had no partialities. Teachers often
make distinctions among their pupils.
he, like the father, was no respecter of
persons. He looked at man as man. He
pierced through parentage, and rank, and
genius, on the one hand, and through
shame, and toll, and ignorance, and suf-
tering, and rags on the other, to the sim