The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1901-03-15

But whatever it's form it should, at
least, be equal to the best current
literature of the day. The more COM
plete the literary work, the more per-
feet it must be to express the message
of divine inspiration.
People of little real spiritual culture
Imagine that extemporaneous preach
ing, is more directly from the heart,
and therefore more spiritual, and
powerful for good. There is much
no doubt in this deluSive error. The
man who speaks ofhand, or without
generalization, utters what comes into
his mind, out of his ordinary conscious
ness, under the inspira tion of the pres
ent occasion, or temporary state in
which he finds himself. The occasion
may excite his emotion and let loose his
own peculiar personal experiences, and
he may therefore appeal directly to
the feelings and personal experiences of
his hearers, and the effect may
be very marked and satisfactory
to all concerned, for the time
being. But as rule such preach
ing must be superficial and the
effect transient. The appeal is for
most part to the physical conscious
A4SoCs Il Y 10 hoU lOOOO1ldO1C w Old1h1
that any real preacher can do his deep
est, most spiritual thinking, on the
spur of the moment, as he stands be-
fore his congregation. Men who
preach in that manner often confess
that they do not know what they are
going to say, nor how they are likely
to express it; and sometimes do not re-
aliZe what they have said when they
stop. And, many times, their hearers
are as much in the doubt and tangle of
their talk as the speaker.
There is a good deal of talking
in the ,pulpit9 which is very
cheap; and it goes for all it is worth
because Of its presumption. If the
pulpit has degenerated and lost it's
power it is by reason of this degrade
tion of the sermon.
The sermon is not complete until it
has been uttered. Now that it has
been written, how shall it be deliver
ed? 1t is divine message which comes
through the spiritual consciousness of
the preacher, and has been wrought
into form and embodied for the express
purpose of appealing to the spiritual
consciousness of the nearer. The de-
livery Of it should therefore be consis-
tent with, and adequate to the occa-
sion, and the Importance of it. 1t
should also be consistent with the SOL
emn contents of the message, adapted
to it's form as work of art, and in har-
mony with the careful, prayerful work
of its preparation.
Ofatory, in the popular sense of the
word, has no place in the preaching of
the Gospel. The sermon is in no sense
an grafton. Tricks of voice, attitudes
and gestures have no part in the work
of the pulpit. They belong rather to
the clap-trap of the demagogue and the
amusement bureau. Even figures of
speech must be used with caution, and
Illustrations may obscure, confuse and
distort the truth more than they de-
fine or enforce it.
The chief thing in the delivery of
the sermon is the economy and power
of attention. The personal presence
of the preacher counts only as to his
apprehension, and faithful presenta-
tion of the truth from his own spirit
seriousness of the hearer. The physi-
cal man drops out of sight, and is hid
den behind the living word. Face and
form, pose and gesture only hinder the
spiritual attention of the devout re-
ceiver of the truth. Elocution can add
little to the divine significance of the
sermon. The best hearers often close
their eyes and do not behold the
preacher, preferring to receive the
word directly by the ear alone. Spir-
itual things must be diScerned by the
spirit.
The psychology of attention requires
that the word should be expressed as
directly as possible, the spiritual con-
seriousness of the preacher to the Spir-
itual consciousness of the listener with
the least intolerance or diversion. His
message having been carefully prepar-
ed he should have no further anxiety
about its form, but must concentrate
all his powers to impress it upon the
spiritual consciousness ,of his congre-
cation. To this end the most effectual
preaching is the most careful and in
tense reading. The message being
spiritual it appeals to the spiritual ma
ture. The less appeal there is to the
physical nature the better so that the
truth of the divine love is brought
home to the heart, mind and will.
Preaching from memory is declama-
ton. The effort to retain and recall
the message and it's details of prepara-
ton is mechanical, and belongs main
ly to the physical consciousness. The
mental processes of the preacher ap-
peal directly to the physical conscious
ness of the nearer. The effort to rec
ollect causes distrust, strained atten-
tion, and even anxiety in the mind of
the listener. There is thereby a loss
of power to present the truth on the
part OF OF the speaker, and a CORE