Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1888-02-03
Howl WRITE NY SERMON, :,

Il
The beginning 81 this Confession lnust
bear striking resemblance 10 the cole
DRAFTED lecture that everybody h,,s heard
about on srhe Snakea OF Ireiand,--
"1hcre are no snakes IN Irsidnd.y am
asked to tell the readers OF this masazino
how wi1tc my serinons and the first
point that I mus, set down Is the fact that
4 10 not wri.s them al ALL
For the first three years of my preach
ing wrote every word with the utmost
care, for the simple, but sufficient, reason
that / could not get courage TO ATTEMPT
anything else. But in those d,lys,-as
ever since,-I WIS firmly persuaded that
the best results OF preaching could be at
tanned by speaking, and not by recalling.
The lecturer, the lawyer, the campaiyi,
speaker, the member OF Congress, all
these would lose half their power should
they attempt TO read their addresses.
This is universally admitted. And Ihaye
never seen any good reason for surprising
that human nature is essentially different
on Sunday from what it is ON the other
six days Of the week: An address is not
an essay; and though it does not read so
we'll in print, il may still produce 4 greater
and better effect OH the audience MT tho
time. And that which is to be delivered
10 an audience is like cannon ball--it
IS TO be judged by the execution it docs
when discharged, not by an examination
of its quality afterwards If one can COM
binc both qualities in sermon, all the
better; but the chiefthing is i.s immediate
effect on the hearers
Holding this faith, determined to-
translate it into works. My first attempts
were not encouraging. My audience, my
vile, and my own disgust were all against
me. But l had little OF the nnrtyr
spirit in nc, and was willing not only 10
suffer myself, but SO see the audience suf-
fer too for principle. Besides rcmem-
bercd how it was told OF the old DR. Tying,
"A famous spenkcr,-that he said he
learned TO speak "by spelling SIX par
ishcs." remembered also that Dr.. Alex
andcr, OF Princeton, had said that the
way to teach young man to preach was
the same as that by which YOU teach
puppy to swim-"pitch him IN" So
kept on.
Tor twelve Year, now,-though nv
sermons have all been pub:lshcd,-very
few OF them have been written. They
are published from shorthand reports.
And generally no part OF them is ever
written. l am often asked if write anil
commit my sermons 10 memory This Il
something l never did in my lilo. 1t
seems to mo that one who docs this is in
danger OF appearing M il ho were speak
ing a piece" And, besides, unless one
has better verbal memory than have,
il would he an intolcrablc drudgcry In
most cases / write nothing, not even n
plan or sketch. It bothcrs me to have
my attention diverted by all effort to re-
member something that has been written
down. prefer everything ON paper, or
nothing.
My method is first to he suro in nv o,cr.
mind that have something to say that
Is important that people should hear.
This conviction is the basis of earnestness.
cannot look an audience in the face
without 1t. Here, OF course, l may be
mistaken, but must do my best.
decide OH my subject as carly in tho
week M possible. Then, without much
worry over the matter, let my mind
play about it Mt odd moments,-in inter
walls OF reading, study, parish work, or ON
the street. 1t acts like a magnet, and
draws all Sorts of things to itself Tho
mind seems to work sub-consciously,
sometimes the whole scheme will emerge
into consciousness complete and ready
But gIvo some definite time to earnest
and hard thought on the subject each
day,-by preference in the morning, when
l am freshest.
Ia thinking it ont pay no attention to
words. But think out my line of
thought until have it completely in
land. want 1t 30 lnul If al earthquake
should come i'll the middle OF the sermon
could climb up OIL the ruins after it WAS
over and continue the sermon al the point
where lett of. l SAID l have very
poor verbal memory; but ii line Of
Thought Is logical, If one point naturally
follows another, can remember this and
keep to it through an hour or two OF
speaking
In my opinion, the most essential quail
ity about either writing or speaking is
what will call movement. If one is in
deal earnest after Some definite end, and
~ seen to be in motion toward that end,
it is human nature to BIO interested in
seeing whether he gets there. But YOU get
tired OF watching even gorgcously-
formed soldier, il he Is only marking
time
My last word, then, to both speaker and
writer is this Have some important end
in view; take the str;,ightcst e. e., the
most Logically road that leads to il; ana
then go.-u. J.. Sarge, in The lir.icr."
"nonven Lies about Us in Our Iufanoy."