The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1897-12-25

no apostolic power or miracles. Ma
poleop, in an address of seven minutes,
thrilled his army and thrilled Europe
Christs sermon on the mount-the
model sermon-was less than 1s min
utes long at ordinary mode of delivery.
It is not electricity scattered all over
the sky that strikes, but electricity
gathered into a thunderbolt and
hurled; and 1t Is not religious Sruth
scattered over, spread over a vast
reach of time, but religious truth
projected in compact form that flashes
light upon the soul and rives its indif-
ference.
But remark also that the coming
sermon of which speak will be a
popular sermon. There are those In
these times who speak of a popular
sermon rs though there must be some
thing wrong about 1t. AS these critics
are dull themselves, the world gets
the impression that a sermon Is good
In proportion as 1t Is stupid. Christ
was the most popular preacher the
world ever saw, and, considering the
small number of the worlds popula-
ton, had the largest audiences ever
gathered. He never preached any
where without making great sensa-
tion. People rushed out in the wilder
ness to hear him, reckless of their
physical necessities. So great was
their anxiety to hear Christ that, tax
ing no food with them, they would
have tainted and starved had not
Christ performed a miracle and fed
them. Why did so many people take
the truth ut Christ's hands? Because
they all understood 1t.
There are In so many theological
seminaries professors telling young
men how TO preach, themselves not
knowing how; and am told if young
man in some of our theological semi
naries says anything quaint, or thrill
ing, or unique. faculty and students
Ay at him, and set him right, and
straighten him out, and smooth him
down. and chop him off until he says
everything just as everybody else says
it. Oh, when the coming sermon of
the Christian church arrives, all the
churches of Christ in our great cities
will be thronged. The world wants
spiritual help. All who have buried
their dead want comfort. All know
themselves to be mortal and to be i'm
mortal, and they want to hear about
the great future.
We hear great deal of discussion
now all over the land about why peo-
pie do not go to church. Some say 1t
is because Christianity is dying out.
and because people do no believe in
the truth of Gods word, and all that.
They are false reasons. The reason Is
because our sermons are not interest
ing and practical, and sympathetic and
helpful Some one might as well tell
the whole truth on this subject,
and so l will tell it. The sermon
of the future-the gospel sermon to
come forth and shake the nations
and lift people out of darkness
will be a popular sermon just for the
simple reason that it will meet the
woes and the wants and the anxieties
of the people. There are In all our de-
nominations ecclesiastical mummies
sitting around to frown upon the fresh
young pulpits of America, to try to
awe them down, to cry out, "Tut, tut,
tutI sensational" They stand to-day,
preaching In churches that hold a
thousand people and there are hun
dred persons present, and If they can
not have the world saved in their way
it seems as if they do not want it
saved at all.
The sermon of the future will be an
awakening sermon. From altarrail
to the front doorstep, under that SER
mon an audience will get up and start
for Heaven. There will be in 1t many
a staccato passage. 1t will not be a
lullaby; it will be q battle-charge.
Men will drop their sins, for they will
feel the hot breath of pursuing re-
tribution on the back of their necks.
1t will be sermon sympathetic with
all the physical distresses as well as
the spiritual distresses of the world.
Christ not only preached, but he
healed paralysis, and he healed cpl.
lepsy, and he healed the dumb and the
blind and the ten lepers.
That sermon of the future will be an
everyday sermon, going right down
into every mans life, and it will teach
him how TO vote, how TO bargain, how
to plough, how to do any work, he is
called to, how to WELD u trowel and
pen and pencil and ,yardstick and
plane. And 1t will teach women how
to preside over their household and
how to educate their children, and how
to initiate Miriam and Esther and
Vashti, and Eunice, the mother of
Timothy; and Mary. the mother of
Christ; and those women who on north
ern and southern battle-fields were mis-
taken by the wounded for angels of
mercy fresh from the throne of God.
Do you exhort in prayer meetinge
Be short and be spirited. Do you
teach in Bible class? Though you
have to study every night, be inter
esting. Do you accost people on the
subject of religion in their homes or in
public places? Study adroitneSs and
use common sense. The most grace
full, the most beautiful thing on earth
Is the religion of Jesus Christ, and If
you awkwardly present 1t, 1t is defamas
tion. We must do our work rapidly
and we must do IL effectively. Soon
our time for work will be gone. a
diving Christian took out his watch,
and gave it to q friend and said:
Take that watch, have no, mora
use for 1t; time is ended for me
and eternity begins" Oh, my friends,
when our watch has licked away
for us for the last moment, and our
clock has struck for us the last hour,
may it be found we did our work well.
that we did It in the very best way
and whether we preached the gospe!
In pulpits, or taught Sabbath classes,
or administered to the sick as physi-
clans, or -bargained as merchants, or
pleaded the law as attorneys, or were
busy as artisans, or as husbandmen4
or as mechanics, or were like Marths
called to give a meal to hun
CRY Christ, or like Hannah to
make coat for prophet, or like De-
borah to rouse the courage of some
tlmid- Barak in the Lords conflict, we
did our work In such a way that 1t will
stand the test Of the Judgment. And