The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-09-27

profoSSorat S--mon Hike AddisonAlex-
ander, who could during the week
teach young men tho theoryof preach
.ag :n. then on Sunday go into the pnl
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? It Is often the case that
theological sclninaries cut 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
ho is only II poor copy Of a man who
was elected to IL profcssorate because
he could not preach. We want less
deadwood in tho theological eeni-
naries and more flaming cvangels.
At q mocting Of the general assem-
bly, Of the Pre- shytcrian church Of tho
United States a clergyman accus-
toned OH the Sabbath to preach to
an audience Of 200 or 800 people, in an
audience room that could hold 1900,
was appointed to preach sermon on
how to reach the masses. am told
the incongruity was too much for tho
risibilitics Of many Of the clergy in
tho audience. Now, q young man
coming out from such bcdwarfng in
flucnces, how can he enter into the
wants and tho woes and the sympa-
thics Of the people who want on tho
Lords day u practical Gospel that
will help them all the week and help
them forever?
Young ministers are told they must
preach Christ and Him crucitcd. Yes,
but not as an abstraction. Many q
minister has preached Christ and
Him crucifcd in such a way that he
preached an audience OF 600 down to
200, and from 200 to 100, ond from 100
to SO, and from 20 to 20, and OH down
until there was littlo left savo tho
sexton, who was paid to stay until
the service was over and lock up.
There is a greao da;,l of cant about
Christ and Him orucificd. 1t is not
Christ and Him crucificd as an abb
stractlon, but as nm Omnipotent sym
pathy applied to all tho wants end
woes OF our immortal nature-a
Christ who will help us In every do
mestic, social, financial, political, ma
ior, Christ Tor the nursery, u Christ
for the ktchcn, Christ for the barn,
q Christ for the street, Christ for
tho storo, q Chris. for tho banking
house, q Christ for tho factory, q
Christ for the conerc ssionnl assem-
bly,, Christ for tho courtroom, q
Christ for every trial and every cmer-
gcncy and ever perturbation.
1t is often tho case that tho DIFF
iiculty begins olear back in the homo
circle with misappre oDslon as to
which child ought TO be consecrated
to tho ministry. John is q keen, bright
boy. Ho is good at q bargain. When
he trados at school, he always gets
the bost Of it. Make him merchant.
He will soon gather n 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 Will argue his way
to tho front, and he will tako his
place among tho Manshelds 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 sec him yet brigador gen
eral. William Is fond Of skotching
ships, and he knows as much about
vessel as IA old sailor. Make him q
shipbuildcr. This vessel that he builds
will successfully wrestle with tho
Caribbean whirlwipd. Aleoll IS not
very we'll, Hc has mover had very
good digestion. Since that last ma
larial attack his spleen is enlarged.
10 has morbid way Of looking ut
things. He will sit for hours look
ing at one figure in the carpet. Els
manners are SO mild, so soft, SO gen
tie, SO a1sctlonato, SO Heavenly, and
he cries easily. Make him minister.
Now, my friends, that Is a great mis-
take. II you want to co1secratc ono
Of your sons to tho Gospel ministry,
take the one widest awake, the
brawniest, tho most brilliant, the
most Irresistible, the most potent. A
tremendous work )ens before pro-
fcssion whose one object is to lift
the nations toward God and prepare
them fer Heaven.
All, my friends, churches will be
largely attended just in proportion
as we ministers can meet their
wants, meet their suTcrings, mcot
their bcrcnvcmcnts and meet their
sympathics. If there ba church
with small help, small audience, medi-
um help, medium audiences; largo
help, large audience. If there be Is
family IN city and three depots Of
bread aud one depot has 100 loayes
and another 500 loayes and another
depot 10000 loayes, the depot that
has 100 loaves will have applicants,
the depot that has 500 lonvcs Will
have far more applicants, tho depot
that has 10000 ioeves will have
throngs, throngs, throngs.
Oh, my brethren III the Chris tian
ministry, we must somehow get our
shoulders under the burden Of the
people on tho Lords day and give
them q good stout nft, and we can do
1t. Wo havo 1t all our own way. It Is
q great pity If with the floor clear
and no interruption, we cannot dur
ing the course of an hour get our
hymn or our prayer or our sermon
under such momentum we can, by the
help Of God, lift tho people, body,
mind and soul, clear out Of their sins,
temptations and troubles.
We must make our churches mag
nets to draw tho people thoreunto, SO
that man will feel unensy if he does
not 60 to church, saying: II wish
had gone this morning. I wondcr If
I can't dress yetaand get therc in
time. 1t Is II o'clock; now they are
singing. 1t Is half past II; now they
arc preaching. ] wonder when the