Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-09-21

the theological seminaries and NOR
flaming evangels. declare that a mai
who cannot preach himself canno
teach others how to preach.
Practical Gospel.
At meeting Of the general Assem-
bly, Of the Presbyterian church of tn,
United States clergyman accustomed
on the Sabbath to preach to an audi
ence Of two or three hundred people IL
an audience room that could hold 1,50(
was appointed to preach a sermon Oh
how TO reach the massesl / am TOLD
the lncongrulty was too much for the
rislbilities Of many Of the clergy In the
audience. Now, u young man coming
out from such bedwarfing influences
how can he enter into the wants and
the woes and the sympathies of 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 a
minister has preached Christ and him
crucified In such way that he preach
ed an audience Of 500 down to 200 and
from 200 to 100 and from 100 to so and
from 80 to 20 and on down until there
was but little left save the sexton, who
was paid to stay until the service was
over and lock upI There is a great deal
Of cant about Christ and him crucified.
1t is not Christ and him crucified as
an abstraction, but as an omnipotent
sympathy applied to all the wants and
who will help us in every domestic, So
cial, financial, political, national strug-
gle, Christ for the parlor, Christ for
the nursery. Christ for the kitchen, a
Christ for the barn, Christ for the
street, Christ for the store, Christ
for the banking house, Christ for the
factory, Christ for the congressional
assembly, Christ for the courtroom, q
Christ for every trial and every emer-
gency and every perturbation.
1t Is often the case that the difficulty
begins clear back In the homo circle.
with mlsapprshension as to which child
ought to be consecrated to the minis
try. John Is keen. bright boy. He
is good at bargain. When he trades
at school. he always gets the best OF IT.
Make him q merchant. He will soon
gather a fortune and go right up to
take his place among the commercial
princes. George has great cerebral de-
velopment Phrenologically. language
is large. Make him lawyer. He will
argue his way to the front. and he VIII
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. es-
pecially Of sketchlng ships. and he
knows as much about q vessel as an
old sailor. Make him q shipbuilder.
The vessel that he builds will success
fully wrestle with the Caribbean whirl-
wind. Alcck is not very well. He has
that last manIrrur al digestion. Since
He has a'fk-llls spleen is
looking at things. He will sit for hours
looking at one figure in the carpet. His
manners are so mid, so soft, so gentle,
30 affectlonate, so heavenly, and he
cries easily. Make him a minister.
Now, my friends, that Is great mis-
take. II you want TO consecrate one
Of your sons to the gospel ministry,
take the one widest awake, the brawn-
lest, the most brilliant, the most IRE
sistible, the most potent. A tremen-
dous work opens before profession
whose one object Is to lift the nations
toward God and prepare them for
heaven.
Ministerial Lasiness Denounced.
All. my friends, churches Will be
largely attended just In proportion as
we ministers can meet their wants,
meet their sufferings, meet their be-
and meet thei sympathies.
If there he a church with small help,
small audience: medium help, medium
audience: large help, large audience.
If there be a famine In a city and
three depots Of bread and one de-
Dot have a hundred ioaves and an
other depot FIVE hundred loayes and an
other depot ten thousand loayes, the
iepot that has hundred loaves will
have applicants, the depot that has five
hundred loaves will have far more ap-
plicants. the depot that has ten thou
sand loayes will have throngs, throngs,
Ihrongs.
oh. my brethren In the Christian
ministry, we must somehow get our
shoulder under the burden Of the peo-
pie on the Lords day and give them
good stout lift, and we can do it. We
have It all our own way. Ii Is great
pity II. with the floor clear and no In
we cannot during the cov-Se
of an hour get our hymn or our prayer
Or our sermon under such momentum
we can. by the help OF God. lift the
people, body. mind and soul, clear out
Of their sins, temptations and troubles.
| think that ministerial laziness often
vmptIes the church Of auditors. Hear
prs who arc intelligent through reading
and by active association
In business circles will not ON the Sab
bath sit and listen to platltudes. Hear
ers will not come to sermons when
have In them no important facts, no
no stirring power, no
adaptation. no FIRE. The pew will not
listen to the pulpit unless at least on
the subject that day under discussion,
the pulpit knows more than the pew.
Ministerial lazlness has cleared out
many churches. Such ministers saun-
ter around from parlor TO parior under
the name of pastoral visitation ana go
about through the village or
the city on errands Of complete moth
ngness and wrap their brains around
q cigar and smoke them up and then
on Saturday afternoon put few crude
.....ol4. +ooothor ond on Sunday