St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-06-26
Gbe Californian.
PREA CHING FROM THE HEART.

ilOHOICu Dis ulSlliiSuiSLOd iuSli u
ments III the conversion of souls
who, by their prayers and preaching
if ! may so express myself, brought
down God from heaven to dwell
among men, not las a wayfarIng
man that turneth aside to tarry for
a night" but as an abiding friend
were men who preached from expert
ence. Such was the apostle Paul.
The religion he taught was a religion
with which he was experimentally
acquainted. He knew what it was
to be dead in trespasses and sins,
exposed to eternal death, and to be
translated from the kingdom OF
satan into the kingdom of Christ.
Such was the great Protestant re
former of the sixteenth century,
Martin Luther, of whom it was said,
every word he uttered was thun-
derbolt." Why was the preaching of
DIR. Jonathan Edwards (who was
called by DR. Chalmers the prince
of divines") instinct with life and
power? 1t was because it went
forth from a soul quickened by an
experimental knowledge of divine
truth. 1t came through his heart
like Il stream of life from the Spirit
of God. Hence, when he was preach
ing on one occasion in Enfield, Conn,
and was portraying the condition of
sinners in the hands of the angry
God. they instinctively caught hold
of the pillars of the house to keep
from falling into instant perdition.
The main power of Whitcfeld's and
= 1.aT IN
experience of Gods word. 1t was
the deep feeling within, bursting
forth in every glance OF the eye and
motion of the finger, which carried
conviction to the hearts of thou
sands. Such was the preaching of
Flavcl, Baxter and q host of Puritan
divines of whom the world was not
worthy. Such was the preaching of
PaysOn, NettletOn, Finney and others
| might name. whom God has made
instruments in turning many to
righteousness. who will ''shine as the
brightness of the armament, and as
the stars forever and ever"
By the divine blessing, this preach
ing from the heart, or experience,
connected with ordinary attain
ments, has exertcd a mighty infu-
ence for the conversion of souls. a
plain, unlettered preacher, delivering
the simple truth of God in earnest,
can do more iii pcrsuading sinners to
repent, than the most learned preach
er on earth who cndeaVOrS to mani
fest an interest which his soul has
never experienced. Said John Bun
yam, Il preached what | felt, what |
smartinglv did feel, even that under
which my poor soul did groan and
tremble with establishment" This
was the secret of the thinkers clo-
qucnce," for which the profound
Owen was willing to exchange all
his learning Here we see one grand
source of the preachers power and
success. 1t is the word of God in the
heart, an earnest conviction of its
truth, and its infinite importance.
He is the only true Christian orator
whose heart thrObs with emotion,
and whose Ii Ups are touched with the
Spirit of God. However skilful he
may be in his attempts to set off the
truth with glittcring toys, with fig
ures of rhetoric and arts of elOcutiOn,
if the mouth speaketh not out of the
abundance of the heart, he is a dead
preacher, speaking to dead sinners
the truth of the living God. There is
so much power in the express
sion of sincere earnest feeling, that
even if mans sentiments are er-
roneous, they will excite interest, for
they flow from his heart; but if he
has the truth on his side, he will ar
rest the attention, he will get hold of
the conscience Men see that he is in
earnest. His looks, his gestures, the
tones of his voice, no less than his
words, Indicate the deep feeling with
in. Call him an enthusiast or a mad
man, he regards 1t not. Eternal
themes tremcndouS solemnities-
are alive upon his tongue. He is en-
trusted with message from God to
guilty men, and SO long as the doors
of heaven are open, and the voice of
mercy invites to the path of life, he
must sound the gospel trumpet
From soul warmed by the Divine
Spirit, words of weight and fire
arouse the slumbering conscience
Men go home dissatisfied with them
selves. Fools who came to laugh
remain to pray. An JUNCTION attends
the truth. The convicting influence
Then it is that the ARROWS of the
Almighty are sharp in the hearts of
the Kings enemies"
True, no preaching will produce
any saving effect without the accom-
panying influence of the Holy Spirit
The eIoquence of an angel with burn
ing zeal, kindled III the immediate
presence of God, would not be suffi-
cient to Subdue the Obdurate heart
of man, and the treasure of the gospel
is committed to earthern vessels,
that the cXcellency of the power
may be of God and not of man.
but the preaching which God or
dinarily blesses Is that which comes
from the heart. O that there was
more of such preachingl If minis
tiers, if lay preachers, if all who are
called to deliver Gods message to
their fcllowmen knew more as mat
tiers of experience, the lost condition
of men, their exposure while under
the cOndemning sentence of Gods
law, the dreadfulneSs of that wrath
which is revealed from heaven against
the tranSgreSSOr, the greatness of
Gods love, the bleSsedness of com
munion with Him, and all the great
and eternal truths of his word; if
they felt and preached these realities
in all their solemnity and force, then
we should expect to hear of revivals
of religion throughout the land
REV DR. Josiah Tyler in the South
e.ru CouOreJa tiouaIiSt
CARE OF ANIMALS IN SUMNER.
The American Humane asSOcia ton
presents the following suggestions