The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-09-20

teach young men the theory of preach
ing and then on Sunday go into the pull
pit and with the thunder and light
ming of Christian eloquence show them
how. What would you think of fac
ulty of unsuccessful merchants to
train young merchants or faculty Of
unsuccessful lawyers to train young
lawyers? 1t is often the case that
theological seminares cut a man and
clip him and square him and mold him
and bore him and twist him until all
the individual is gone out of him and
he is only poor copy of a man who
was elected to a professorate because
he could not preach. We want less
deadwood in the theological semi
naries and more flaming evangels.
At meeting of the general assem-
bly, of the Presbyterian church of the
United States clergyman accus-
toned on the Sabbath to preach to
an audience of 200 or 300 people, in an
audience room that could hold 1,500,
was appointed to preach a sermon on
how to reach the masses. ! am told
the incongruity was too much for the
risibilities of many of the clergy in
the audience. Now, young man
coming out from such bedwarfng in
huences, how can he enter into the
wants and the woes and the sympa-
thies of the people who want on the
Lords day a practical Gospel that
will help them all the week and help
them forever?
Young ministers are told they must
preach Christ and Him crucified. Yes,
but not as an abstraction. Many
minister has preached Christ and
Him crucified in such a way that he
preached an audience of 500 down to
200, and from 200 to 100, and from 100
to so, and from 20 to 20. and on down
until there was little left save the
sexton, who was paid to stay until
the service was over and lock up.
There is "A greas deai OF cant about
Christ and Him crucfied. 1t is not
Christ and Him crucified as an abb
straction, but as an Omnipotent SYM
pathy applied to all the wants and
woes of our immortal nature-a
Christ who will help MS in every do
nestle social, financial. political, ma
tional struggle-a Christ for the par
lor, a Christ for the nursery, a Christ
for the kitchen, n Christ for the barn,
a Christ for the street, a Christ for
the store, n Chris for the banking
house, Christ for the factory,
Christ for the congressional assem-
bly,, n Christ for the courtroom,
Christ for every trial and every emer-
gency and ever perturbation.
II is often the case that the diff
ficulty begins clear back in the home
circle with misapprehenson as to
which child ought to be consecrated
to the ministry. John is a keen, bright
boy. He is good at a bargain. When
he trades al school. he always gets
the best Of 1t. Make him a merchant.
He will soon gather a fortune and go
right up to take his place among the
commercial princes. George has
great cerebral development. Phreno-
logically, language is large. Make
him lawyer. He viii argue his way
to the front, and he will take his
place among the Mansfields and the
Storys. Henry has large girth at
the chest and is military in his step
and bearing. Send him to West Point.
We shall see him yet brigadier gen
eral. William is fond of sketching
ships, and he knows as much about
vessel as an old sailor Make him a
shipbuilder. The vessel that he builds
will successfully wrestle with the
Caribbean whirlwind. Aleck is not
very well. He has never had very
good digestion. Since that last ma
larial attack his spleen is enlarged.
He has a morbid way of looking at
things. He will sit for hours look
ing at one figure in the carpet. His
manners are so mild, so soft, so gen
tie, so affectionate, so Heavenly, and
he cries easily. Make him a minister.
Now, my friends. that is n great mis-
take. If you want to consecrate one
of your sons to the Gospel ministry,
take the one widest awake, the
brawniest, the most brilliant, the
most irresistible. the most potent. \
tremendous :. ork o pens before a pro-
fession whose one object is TO lift
the nations toward God and prepare
them for Heaven.
All, my friends, churches will be
largely attended just in proportion
as we ministers can meet their
wants, meet their sufferings, meet
their bereavements and meet their
sympathes. If there be a church
with small help, small audience, medi
um help, medium audience; large
help, large audience. If there be a
family IN city and three depots oi
bread and one depot has 100 loaves
and another 500 loaves and another
depot 10000 loaves, the depot that
has 100 loaves will have applicants
the depot that has 500 loaves will
have far more applicants, the depot
that has 10000 ioaves will have
throngs, throngs, throngs.
Oh. my brethren in the Christian
ministry, we must somehow get oul
shoulders under the burden of the
people on the Lords day and give
them good stout nft, and we can dc
it. We have it all our own way. 1t il
- ,,,aot nit,y ~ with thp HOOr plani