The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-08-10
A GREAT SERAON.
GREAT IN IT'S SIMPLICITY.
Earnestness is Fewer.

! Rev. J. E. Hutson in Religious Herald.
Having long desired to hear some
really great preacher preach really
great sermon, I, at last, lu a drea IN, !,
which seemed to be other than base
less fabric of the night, had n1y almost
despairing wish gratified.
Il saw it announced in a daily nar er
published in this city that preacher,
who was spoken Of rs "modarn Boan-
erges," was to preach III an open field
near the suburbs OF The city. I hasten
ed to the place, and found that the
preacher had just stood up on large
stone bulglns from the hillside, aid
was standing with his right hand
stretched forth, as if to say, "Be quie;,
and I will speak, In a few moments
10000 people grew hushed and $ /
emn.
The preachers opening sentence WAS
the text quoted by the late DR.. JeIa-
niah Bell Jater just before he passed
over the river of deatn The Lord
reigneth." This text, being the dyi11g
words OF one OF the grandess preachers
of the nineteenth century, at once Iaid
hold with "grappling hooks Of steel"
upon the hearts OF all, and Then follow
ed such sermon as | had not dreamed
to be possible.
The preacher made not more than
dozen gestures during the forty mln-
utes that he took to tell Us OF the GER
tainty, the power, the WISDOM, the just
ice, the mercy, aud the eternity OF Cots
reign, and not oftener did he raise bis
voice much above the pitch OF his
opening sentence. Three times he
emphasized a particular word by lower
ing his voice and pausing after it. Sew
eral times he threw out a short, preg
nant sentence, like Goods justice pre-
supposes his mercy" in tone which
rose above its predecessors as a ship
rides above the waves OF the sea. Once
he thundered forth a single word which
stood among all preceding and succeed
ing words as the Alps tower above the
meanest hills. He was vind1catlng
Gods justice in his go:ernment and
requirements of men, and said: "The
service OF God Is pleasant, but it Is
nore than that the service of God Is
wise, but it is more than that the SER
vice of God is polite, but it is more
than that ; the service Of God is hon
orabIe, but it is more than that; the
service of God is reasonable, but it Is
more than that more than all have
named. Hear it, 0 ye sons of men
! the service of God is RIGHT And te-'
cause it is right, self evidently right,
there is left no excuse for any who fail
to serve him" That one word FRIGHT"
as that preacher rang it out, still re-
| verberates through my soul, like what
have conceived OF the impression
which the trump of the last day Will
proauce. So loud, so solemn, SO pro-
tlougat, So thrilling it was, that every
lace seemed to lock an "Amen" to it.
And when one, an old, venerable-look
ing man, :sudibiy repeated the preach
er's text, it was caught up by one and
another uGtll the words, "The Lord
reigneth,' innrnured by thousand
voices, was like the surging OF the sea
When this mighty wave OF subduod
feeling had practically subsided the
preacher lifted his eyes to heaven
and said sThe Lord reigneth let
the earth rejoice. The Lord reigneth !!
let the people tremble. Amen" And
then. lifting his hands III beuediction,
he added "May the Lord reign nov,
henceiorth, and forever, III all oar
hearts. Amen, and amen !"
It remains to be said that there was
nothing new in the sermon. We have
all heard and read all that was advanc-
ed. But there was in the preachers
face and manner conscious auhassa-
dorship tor Christ which invest
ed what he said with divine tenderness
and authority. At times be seemed to
recede from view, and become "a yolce
crying in the wilderness" voice with
out body.
This vision has suggested to me that
all humor and sentimentalisn in the
pulpit are but wretched substitutes Ior
genuine earnestness. Nothing is more
contagious than earnestness, and GER
talnly it Is more congruous to the pull
pit than anything which conduces to
lsvity. The preacher who is dead in
earnest has no need to resort to the
"tricks of the stage" to hold the atten-
| ton of his hearers.
: Richmond, Va.
InvT Many golden opportunities
| uUDl. have been lost by those
who suffer from rheumatism. By
taking Rheumaclde now they will be
| norm, q nonflv and nOSifivaJv cl1reh