Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-02-14
GrNERAL GRANTS WIDOW.
rhn prencher and His Books.

rho Christian Adyocate-Dr Lanerty'J
The difference in preachers is sometimes
the length Of book-sheives. One man IS
supplied by the brains of the great thlnk-
ers. the other by his own single mind.
picked library is "a caisson OF ammunition.
Best volumes are "a presage OF success
and surety for valued sermons
Every parsonage ought to have library
belonging to TIA hundred solid books,
if no more. Tho Church would
clear" a large per cent. on the pun
chase bv the power in the pulpit. II does
not pay the employer to permit skilled
artisan TO work with inferior tools. y
French prisoner wrought out with a
pocket-knife a miniature mosque from the
bones of the beef brought MN t9r ms
mess. fl took him five years. IL he had
had the lathe. chisei, pumice-stOne Of the
shops he could have finished atner edltlce
I'm fraction of the time and with MIMI
mum of labor.
As a general rule, the delivery of a ser
mon-the marksmanship--ls the telling
thing. The book OF Whitiield's dis
courses is bore. Their perusal Will make
a SAINT yawn. When uttered Chesterfield
sprang to his feet, and mob OF lO,OOO
howled in terror of perdl.ion.
A minister may tax himself to WEAKNESS
during the week delving with scant aid of
gADtrt- NJ Ills HtiNhOiis Il lN b'N NRhAFN
Toe drawn TO the arrows head on Sunday.
The faded mind totters. The waverlng
sights carry wide of The mark. Why not
husband his powers for steadylng, speed
ing, feathering the shaft! 49,
When one sermon dId duty around the
large circuit or district. there was month
for the mining, smelling, ana casting
the ore for another. The minister must
nowadays 90 grded with rows OF SER
mons. speeches. and lectures.
And the present age demands training
in voice, gesture, features, not thought OF
in bygone days. The average preacher
fifty years AGO had excrcscences in pulpit
bahaViOr. bellOWlngs, eccentrlcltleS fata!
to accep,ability IN this good year of grace.
Ii may be the congregations have grown
too critical, yet to win some" the pull
piteer must not offend against the rules OF
polite life.
Collect literature on your vocation II
future salary must be mOrtgaged, use IT
literally and honestly, 50 ~ TO redeem the
time for the study and practice OF the de
livery of "a sermon. Cicero, Caesar. every
Roman who expected to influence Senate,
court. OF mob by speech, gave laborous
DAYS 10 training in utterance under the
best masters. Catch mp the man who ylO-
lates every rule Of delivery and hand him
over 10 a specialist IN rhetoric. In amonth
he would be endurable. III a half year city
churches would ASK for HIM"
Beecher spoke as If he had mush in his
mouth, and certain words he could not
pronounce. lie betook himself to drill
sergeant In articulation. Out OF the sput-
terings came melody clearness, and force.
Was there ever such swollen common
place as Mafiitt's sermons? Was there
ever a preacher that charmed so well?
Sturgeon hired experts TO ferret book
a. L III . 20
sermons OF every age for apt thoughts, TO
scout through Libraries for edged wit. On
Saturdays he selected out Of the sheaves
OF spears stacked around hun the arrows
that would ly true from his crossbow.
la the meanwhile was there voice IN
England that so bewitched the ear. or a
manner so fitted for the pulpit?