Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-10-23
1B0UGIFDL REMARKS
By Rev. Z. B. Graham Upon the Topic
"a Model Gospel Hearer.'
AT THE NORTH STREET NJ. E.
CHURCH LAST EVENING -
EVERY HEARER HAS A SPE-
CIAL RESPONSIBILITY LAID
UPON HIM - THE VARIOUS
CLASSES OF MODEL HEARERS.

ClAL RESPONSIBILITY LAID
UPON HIM - THE VARIOUS
CLASSES OF MODEL HEARERS.
At the North Street NJ. E. church,
last evening, the pastor, Rev. C. B.
Graham, delivered an interesting and
instructive sermon upon the theme, "A
model gospel .hearer," much to the ap-
probation of the large congregation in
attendance. His remarks in part were
as follows, the text being according to
Acts 1923:
This day throughout this land,
preachers and preaching have been dis
cussed by all classes and conditions of
people, but comparatively little has
been said about hearers as the hearing
OF the gospel. And especially is this
true when the difference in the number
OF preachers and hearers are contrast
ed. And yet, possibly no one will
question the fact that the hearing is
as important as the preaching and that
every hearer has a special responsible
ity laid upon him as we'll as the
preacher. Cornelius, whose language
for the emulation of all hearers of the
Truth in the public services.
"The Lord has in all time in some
way been known and worshipped by the
declaration of His word In the Ian
guage of Paul, the foolishness of
preaching not the preaching foolish
ness, has been the medium of saliva
ton.
1.-THE place of preaching should be
one of beauty, attraction and elegance.
There is no reason known to us why
the Lords earthly dwelling should be
less magnifeently constructed and fur
nished than were his first temples. Nor
should his house be less sacred and
holy than even the Holy of Holes of
King Solomon's temple. There are
many good people and far greater
number who are far from good, who
talk about the necessary changes in
the use of the church as though the
Almighty had changed and that human
nature had undergone a revolution I'M
forseen and unprovided for by Him.
And as result of such lack of faith,
faithfulness and conservation, efforts
are made to open the houses of God as
competitors of houses of amusement,
thus lowering the standard of reverence
and sacredness that must ever attend
Jehovahs shrines.
"The time of the public services,
~ 4 \,
propriate hour to meet the wants and
requirements of the worshippers,
should be promptly observed by every
lover of the truth. There are reasons
almost innumerable for this, but we
cannot dwell upon them.
1.-TWO reasons only we mention for
promptness. God should have a more
prompt service than we render for our
selves in business. Again, courtesy and
respect to our fellow man demands
that we respect them by preventing
them loss Of time by waiting for the
tardy.
'tThe preacher Is called Of God to
his holy calling as positively now as
ever in the worlds history. And never
was there a greater demand for con-
secrated ministry than now. The de-
gree of conservation of the ministry
has always been the thermometer Of
the spiritual life of the church.
ga lady once heard Rev. Ebenezer
Erskine preach but did not know him,
and was greatly benefited. She went
again and did not receive the help for
which she hoped, and she was frank
enough to tell him so. He remarked:
The first time you came to hear Christ,
the second to hear me-
"The classes of hearers are legion,
but some divines have classified the de-
fective hearers in a dozen general
classes such as the careless, stupid,
worldly, generous, forgetful, prejudced,
fault-inding, etc. These may be
studied from the words meaning ex-
pressing the class. We will call atten-
tion to the generous class, as penuri-
BUSINESS is more frequently condemned
than generosity. A colored preacher
once told his congregation that their
generosity would cause many of them
to lose their souls. They took him to
task by saying that he generally charg-
ed them with being stingy. He said
that they were too generous with his
sermons.
"The text recognizes Gods presence
in preaching, We are present before
God The model nearer will prepare
himself for hearing by self-denial and
prayer. The following classes of
model hearers were given by DR.. John
Hall while pastor in New York:
zone who has prayed for the preach
er, and for the Holy Spirits influence
on all the congregation, in the closet,
and, if head of the household, at the
family altar.
Zone who is punctually in his fixed
place in the church, so as to be recog-
nized by me from the pulpit, and with
his family beside him.
Zone who has a good Bible in his
pew, and who devoutly follows the
reading of Scripture, as hearing God
speaking to him.
"One who has his hymn book and
joins in the singing as earnestly as does
the leader of the music.
Zone who follows and in heart joins
in the thanksgiving, confession of sin,
and the prayer and intercession.
Zone who bears himself with rever-
ence of manner. suggesting devoutness
to those round about him.
"One who looks for the divine i'm