The Baptist headlight., 1893-11-01
For the BAPTIST HEADLIGHT.
THE IDEAL PREACHER.
BY F. C. LONG.

Very grave mistakes are often made re
garding the characteristics which enter into
the composition of the preacher. The crude
idea that prevails is to the effect that pertec-
ton consists In the usual swear and tear OF
ministerial garb." The new-fangled notion
of wearing the standing collar, fastened be
hind; the pretentious appearance OF being
wise, through the needless aid of gold spec
tacles; the selfish dignity, resulting from the
bold assumption of unconsciously stealing
and claiming college, or theological titles and
degrees, and the ability to pound out So
called theological lore and eloquence vary
ing with every pitch of the gamut, concom
tant with the usual Turkish bath OF odorlter-
GUS perspiration. Such is the common idea
of ''preacher."
We have the ''bum' in politics; the shyS-
ter in law; the quack in medicine; the hgure-
head in theology. There is the swearing
preacher, the lying preacher, the thievlng
preacher, the fighting preacher, the drinking
preacher. the card playing preacher. These
different classes of Gods servants appear on
regular occasions as newly made saints direct
from the spiritual laboratory of Divine per
fection; and would even dare compete with
Paul and perhaps, Christ, for supremacy IN
spiritual matters. Brethren, these things
ought not so to be-
The befo' de war; preacher is only
thing of history, and for such, there is no
great demand at this day and time. The tact
that importantly in his case did not hasten op-
portunity, an apology for his effort obtains,
and he is Justly accredited for results, how
ever tame or meagre. The latter-day
preacher, whose environments are somewhat
more congenial than were those of his prede-
cessors, finds no reasonable pretext for not
taking slime by the forelock'' and improv-
ing his opportunities. The people have about
''soured" on twain babblings," empty in
donations, and meaningless interpretations,
and the young man, aspiring for ministerial
honors who persists in following in the old
ruts, developing into the yelplng, bowling
preacher ~ will soon fizzle out with his
whangdoodIe, and will inevitably go to the
wall.
The boys and girls coming up from the
various colleges and high schools. will not
even now, listen to the sounding brass and
tinkling cymbaP theological harangues, so
common in our pulpits.
"Water will seek it's level" is principle
in natural science, and it is appropriately ap-
censed minister, who is not willing to pursue
a course of preparation, will never find him
self in the front rank. The pulpit product of
ignorance and the generous compound of hui
man self fconceit, whose greatest glory is to
contend against study, and to utilize his un-
grammatical sledge- hammer in battering
down the educated ministry, is just dangling
| somewhere from the end of rope, waiting
to be cut down, after which he will inadvert-
emily fall headlong into bitter obscurlty.
The masses want more light and less noise;
but, ''where ignorance is bliss, it's folly to be
wise"
The preacher of o-day-the ideal preacher
- is 10 be one who has the "devil daring" "
so to speak, to attack sin, and crime, in high
places. He must be constantly on the ag-
gressive; he must fight policy shops; he
must war against the liquor traffic; he must
contend for the truth; he must prove his char
acter by his walk, and not by his garb
| 1t is only the ''sawed-of and hammered
down. fellows who assume high sounding
titles. Men who merit degrees by study and
mental exertion are too modest to wear them;
while on the other hand, little learning
maketh some men fools. sd. DE- to theo-
logical graduate, means doctor of Divin-
ity;' when applied to a fellow who cannot
1 ulStlIl SulSn DclWCCH du FCID anu d
Hebrew noun. 1t may mean most anything;
for instance: "Divine Donkey" 1t would
be we'll, perhaps. for these pretentious schol-
ars to ''come down off the roost The
strangest thing too, about it, is that these
would be scholars are the very class who SO
bitterly fight an educated ministry, ''de-
facto." 1t appears that the brother in black
INDUCES in coloring just a little too high.
Take off the mask, dear brother, and be orig
inal.
The popularity of the gold spectacles in,
dicateS that within the last FIVE years about
ninety per cent of the clerical force has been
affected with something bordering on blind
ness. Every second or third man in the AS.
sociation or convention is either nearly blind
or owl-hke, wishes to appear wise, judging
from the increased size of his eyes. If some
men could be bought at their own estimate
their value would range up into the millions
The ideal preacher sees his way out with his
natural eyes; conscious too, of the fact that
his life is read in his conduct, and not in his
| wardrobe.
The ideal preacher is to be the polished
scholar, the refined gentlemen. the exemplary
Christian, the God-fearing Church man; mod
est, unassuming and social
A revolution in the pulpit is gradually de
veloping, and in spite OF the howls against ar
educated ministry, like the reformation, i
will come and sweep down all opposition be
fore 1t, in the twinkling of an eye So lei
it be.
Rosedale. Kansas.