The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-04-03

get practical knowledge. Other
wise you may get fine theories, but
you will, or are likely to have, small
success.
II. But again l commend the motto,
one at time, because it gives best
promise of success. 1t is difficult to
so frame a general appeal that the
individuals who need to shall feel,
"That means mel" Sometimes there
are those in the minister's audience
who say, "You preached to me today;
what you said hit me" but generally
they will be found to be those who
have already been quickened and are
open to conviction. Those whom
you want most to move are not affect
ed by your utterance. They do not
see the point in its application to their
needs. Indeed, they do not estimate
their shortcomings as you do, and
neglect of duty, which seems dreadful
to you, they are so accustomed to
that they do not think of it. Now the
only way to get such folks, and most
of those who need to be got are of
this sort, is to be personal and direct
with them. A friend of mine became
aware of quite serious fault in a
parishioner. He thought he would
assail the fault, in general way, in
his sermon one day, hoping, of course,
that the parishioner would hear and
apply the word spoken to her need.
He happened to walk with the lady
on the way from church. She had
heard his word and applied it,-but,
alas, to another person! The only
way to get most folks is to be per-
sonal with them. One would have
expected that David would have been
open and sensitive to any spiritual
appeal; but you remember that he
did not feel the application of Ma
than's parable at all until the prophet
turned to him and said, "Thou art
the mani"
Now that is what we must do. We
must go to these men and women
singly, and say to them plainly,
"Christ has claims upon you. The
extension of his cause needs you and
your effort. Come and join u.s." Do
ing this we shall surely be heard, and
oftener than we think, dare believe,
heard with favor, for men like to be
dealt with thus, and they are not gen.
orally, after all, so stubbornly adverse
to the truth as it is in Christ as we are
apt to think them. But it is not only
that so we are sure to be heard and
understood.
III. But, furthermore, this method
is to be approved because it gives
promise of the best success. The con-
vert whom you make in this way is
more likely to be thoroughly made;
and who does not feel that one person
thoroughly convinced of his need of
the life of Christ, and of his duty to
aid in the propagation of that life, is
a better acquisition to the church
than-no matter how many-whose
names are written upon its roll, but in
whose hearts its name is not written.
Why, think the one thing which
discourages the effort to get mem
bers into our churches more than
anything else, is, that in almost every
society, there is long list of names
which, spiritually, signifies nothing.
We are tempted to say, What does it
amount to after all? There is a great
sermon and general furry and ex-
element, and they come focking into
the church: the eloquent preacher is
gone, the excitement is over, and in
what are these folks better than they
were before? But in the churches
which have been built up quietly
whose members have been added one
by one through the personal influence
and appeal of those who have earlier
come to its life-in these churches,
though the membership may be
smaller, yet it is better, and in it we
may rejoice.
Furthermore, one person, thorough
ly converted, will help you get others.
l suppose you are familiar with the
story Of the preacher whose appoint
ment to preach in a country school
house fell on stormy Sunday, and
who, when he got there, found only
one man waiting to hear him. He
thought at first his pains would be
wasted if he should preach his SER
mon to so small an audience. But
he concluded to preach it. After
service the man went out without
speaking to the minister, and he
thought then that surely his word
was lost. But years after he met
that man who told him that that SER
mon was the means of converting
him, and that he had become min
L