Milford chronicle., 1903-02-13

} come out Of him and enter no more In
to himw 1t is not the pulpit that /
dead; it is the pew which refuses t
speak and therefore has lost its powe
to listen.
Wesley and The Dumb Pew.
John Wesley, one of the greatest mel
who ever lived, no matter how you tax,
him, realized, and profoundly realized
that a dumb pew invariably meant al
ineffective pulpit and a dead church
What did he do? John Wesley, by di
vine inspiration, made his pulpit one
Of the mightiest thrones of the ages
when he kindled the pew into articu-
late life. John Wesley also harnessed
) TO the pulpit the power of Christian
song. He started his brother Charles
writing hymns. He gave those hymns
to the people, the common people, and,
like David, he cried: praise We the
Lord; praise We the Lord from the
heavensl Both young men and maid
ems, old men and children, let them
praise the name of the Lordw Then
John Wesley took the old Bible, the Bi-
bic of Martin Luther. He took that
Bible out of the chancel and the clOis-
ter. He gave it to the people, the COM
mon people. He said to them as Paul
said unto young Timothy "Preach the
word Be instant in season, out of sea
son. Reprove, rebulle, exhort" Then
John Wesley placed his hands upon the
cOmmonest of men in ordination He
took the cObbler from off his stool, the
miner from the dark caverns of the
earth, the farmer from the field and
the clerk from the store. He said unto
these men who had been studying the
word of Cod Brethren, you do not
need a theological training. Preach
Jesus Christ; preach; everywhere
preach. preach. Dreachp'
The older denominations of England .
at that time sneered at the Wesleyans.
In derisiOn they called them "AIetho-
dists' because they did everything IN
methOdically. What was the result?
Was Wesley's a foolish plan? Oh, no.
When Charles Wesley started the peo-
pie singing instead of relegating that
duty to a trained choir, as many of our
churches do today; when John Wesley
started his people praying and pleading
in the barns, in the homes on the street
corners, Charles and John Wesley, by
the power of the pew, reused all Eng ,
land for Christ. And today the great 1
est danger of the Methodist church is {
that she is developing too much an in {
lellectual pulpit instead of a pleading, ,
praying, testifying pew. John Wesley &
believed in that pew; John Wesley, by +
he grace of God, compelled that pew +
o speak. Oh, thou deaf and dumb a
'pirit of the church pew, in the name O
If Christ l command thee to come out Il
md be gone into everlasting darkness! u
The caverns of the black inferno alone n
ire suited to thy withering and blast o
ng and accursed silence. Let the sill
'er tongue of Christian testimony here t
fter speak from the pew. This plea, s
Ii, Christian women, is spoken to you q
S well as to your brother Y
Would that the tongue of the dumb Y
pirit of Christian testimony might be O
nloosed and begin to speak for Christ d
the homes! l am not now alluding o.
the Christian testimony which ought il
} be heard among our children by our il
wn freside. | am referring to the p'
ord Of gospel invitation. which should W
2 addressed to the sinful and goddess sy
0mes in the midst of every Christian ia
50