The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-06-27
READING.
POOR HEARING.

T have heard much formerly and lately, land
at oil times, about poor preaching, so that l
have not doubted there is such thing In the
world But have wondered something has
not been said about poor hearing. believe
there is a reality too. And as believe more
has been said about poor preaching than
poor hearing, will cast mite into the lat
ter scale, thinking that if the pulpit feels the
lash. the pews ought to at least near the
snapper.
l. Drowsy hearing is poor hearing. You
shall have a case, rather and see for yourself
what YOU think of it. Enter into tale to
your friend, that deeply interests your heart.
While in the hot haste of your own interest,
you hear your friend gapping, and soon after
be snores. What kind of hearing do you call
that? In sorrow soy 1t, there 1s not little
OF just such hearing about those days IN the
sanctuary; and if you do not call that poor
hearing you can help yourself to any appella.
tion for 1t you like better. If you were IN
these men in the ark, hearing after their
fashion, YOU would soon take vengeance on
the thing, by some suitable epithet, II you
did not on the perpetrators.
2. Attention with the eyes only, Is poor
hearing, that is, they give their eyes to the
speaker, but their thoughts and 1mag1natlons
are pilgrimagIng the whole creation. The
natural eye is in the right direction, but the
mental is in the wrong. ~ go, sir, but Went
not" However, half q loaf Is better than
no bread. Even looking at the preacher is
better than nothing.-For If he has the eye
he can but hope he has the ear.
8. Captious hearing is very poor hearing.
Some people always hayetheir net spread for
the worst fish that swim. They seldom catch
any other. They think they are excellent
fishermen. And so they are in their way.
Successful they most certainly are. II the
preacher falters anywhere, the keen eye sees
1.-THE acute ear hears it; the well trained
memory retains it, and the tongue Is set on
fire to let others know what rich specimen
their course presents of poor hearing.
4. Hearing for other people IS q pird OF tne
same feather. II am thankful the Squire Is
here to hear that and Miss P. may take that,
and think the colonel will hear the whistling
of that shot, and if Mrs. Bubbletongue IS not
uuieted now" etc. 1t is a comfortable thing
to get the mind so trained that, unwounded
ourselves, we MAY look about US and see
where the preachers artillery takes effect
But If this is not one Of the ways OF Offering
"the sacrifice of fools" in the house OF GOD,
Will take meekly any mans rebuke VINO VIII
point out my mistake. But one thing. about
It shall not take back for anybody, .,that
this is poor. very poor hearing.
s. Prayerless hearing is so also. Let the
husbandman cast his seed upon unsoftened
ground. and who would commend such hus-
bandry?-And what thankless soil Is the
unsoftened human heart. Cast the good seed
of the word upon it and it would be nothing
but madness to look for harvest. But
humble, fervent prayerdoes wonders with the
heart. 1t waters the ridges thereof, it settles
the burrows thereof; 1t makes 1t soft as with
showers" Prayer opens the heart so that
the great sun of Righteousness can penetrate
it. But oh, prayerless heart is shut up
heart, and prayerless hearing Is poor hearing.
It follows!
/. That poor preaching is not the only poor
thing to be found in the sanctuary.
2. The subject sheds some light on the ori-
gin of poor preaching. Poor hearing does
not account for all of it, but that it does for
no small amount Of it, defy any man TO
deny. Were there pew reform there would
be pulpit reform. Let the hearers escheW
all drowsiness. fix their eyes in deep and
solemn attention on the speaker, be captious
OF caviling no longer, hear In downright
honest earnestness each one for himself, and
do all this in the spirit of humble and feryent
PRAYER both for themselves and the preacher,
and If they would not then hear excellent
preaching, from that same preacher, too, l
will sit down submissively in the shame Of
nv mistake And II that preacher under so
delightful reform in his congregation. does
not get new and powerful impulse to good
preaching. yea the very best In his power.
then let another take his b.shopric. and all
the people shall say, Amen!