The morning news., 1892-02-21
LETTERS TO PREAoHa aRs.
BY zEKE JOHNSON.
No. 4.

An old preacher named Paul once wrote
some letters to young preac her named Tim
othy. OF course you know where to find them.
They contain some very excellent advice for
preachers, especially young preachers He
tells him to "be an example to believers In
word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit,
in faith, in purify l. Tim. iv., Il. As to
the manner OF preaching he said. "And tie
servant OF the Lord must not strive, Tor be
contentiousl, but be gentle toward all, fit to
teach, patient under evil In meeknesS cor
recting the opposers. perhaps God may give
them change Of mind in order to knowl-
edge Of the truth" Literal translation of
II. Tim. IL, "a, 25, by Wilson, The Same
old preacher wrote letter TO another young
preacher named Titus, and to him he said
with reference to the manner and matter Of
his preaching: "As to all things exhibiting
thyself pattern of good works, uncorrupt-
edness in the teaching, seriousness. Sound
speech not to be condemned, 10 that he that
Is OF the opposition may be ashamed having
nothing evil to say concerning u.s." viii.
sons translation. Titus H.. 7.S
The above quotations are excellent advice
for preachers, and l think this good time
to repeat, for the reason that some preach
ers seem not to have read it in some time
II my children were TO use such language
as some preachers use in preaching, should
reprove them, and IL 1t was repeated
would correct them. 1t is shocking as well
as abusive. or course 81 should be re-
buked and sinners reproved, but the man
ner in which this is done et4rmines its
value. IL you make man angry by abus-
ing him, your influence for good with that
man is gone; your influence with his friends
IS gone; and since the angles aud lines of
friendship are as numerous as the people in
every community, it necessarily follows
that as soon as the abusive preacher crosses
all these lines his influence for good is gone.
and he must 20 or be sent elsewhere II
| requires neither character, sense nor re-
iiglon to abuse people. and of all
men preachers should seek the power
20 lead and control men by moral
suasion. The pulpit is the last place for
slang, abuse, vituperation, personalities or
low wit. The road from the saloon and
hrothel to the pulpit is growing surprisingly
short these times. Would it not be better
for the proper authorities to lengtheu it a
little? A sermon without character be-
hind it has very little force. verify be
lieve that almost any intelligent drunkard
in Georgia could "swear OFF, aud by taking
proper steps get ordained and be in the pull
pit in twenty days, a full hedged preacher IN
denouncing sinners" especially drunkards
and rumsellers. If this thing is not stopped
folks may begin to think they enter the
ministry because they are ''out of Job" A
man should study his Bible, at least dsy
or two so as to learn something to preach.
and how to preach 1t.
Another matter is political preaching
The gospel is not communistic, but cosEn0.
Politan. 1t seeks to unite ali men under the
same just principles and induce them TO
practice the Same pure virtues; hence toe
the partisan preacher who arrays one class
OF people against another is a con:nunistic
and ant-gospel preacher. The preacher
should plead the cause of the needy and
the oppressed, but this does not imply that
he must abuse the oppressor, or become a
disturber OF the peaceful relations of 80
ciety. The preachers office and work is 10
use moral suasion to induce men TO d. right
toward their fellows. II this fails the
preacher can do no more. God has other
agencies with which he can and does redress
the wrongs of the oppressed, for no
calls his warriors as we'll as his
preachers, but these are not the
same, nor can they exchange places. Never
before in the history of America has there
been greater need that preachers unGer-
stand and practice these principles than
now, when society seems ready to rend it.
self along the lines of individual ana class
interests. No matter whlc side a preacher
takes in party strife, his influence with the
opposition is gone and he suffers as n minis
ter. How wise and how careful preachers
should Q!
Next | will write to church members, and
l desire a host of readers. Preachers do
not tell you what l shall tell you.