The Topeka state journal., 1905-08-26


and to say: Repent for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand.-Matthew All.
The Chicago Tribune has been max
ing study of the topics discussed by
Chicago clergymen in their pulpits,
and it has discovered a tendency
among them to preach on "live topics.
1t also concludes that those who do
preach on 'Iive topics" draw the best
audiences. and that the old doctrinal
sermon is becoming obsolete.
The Central Christian Advocate of
Kansas City, a Methodist paper, is in
clined to decry this tendency to preach
on '1ive topics" or at least to give
forth a warning concerning it. 1t
evidently fears that the interest in the
''live topic" will detract from the in
terest in the lesson that should ac-
company it.
Both the Tribune and the Advocate
are partially right and partially wrong.
The most successful preacher of today
must deal with "live TOPICS" but it
does not follow that the doctrinal SER
mon has lost its interest. 1t depends
upon the doctrine. The old-style dry
sermon dealing with some form of
man-made creed, and drawing it's
illustrations from sources in which the
hearers have little interest, is a thing
of the past, but the right kind of a
doctrinal sermon is a thing of great
life and force.
The modern preacher must deal
with ''live TOPICS The Great Preach
er did it. He drew his lessons from
the sower in the field, the barren fig
tree, the prodigal son, and other OBJ
jects which would interest his hearers.
And the doctrine that must be
preached is the doctrine preached by
the Great Preacher himseIf-the faith
erhood of God, the brotherhood of
man, the precepts of the Golden Rule
and the Sermon on the Mount. AS
long as preachers stick close to this
sort of doctrine and illustrate it
with ''live topics" their sermons will
not lack interest.
But the "Iive topic" without the
doctrine will not hold the people.
Why? Because it will be insincere. 1t
cannot help it, and the people will find
it out Preaching to be sincere must
preach repentance; its object must be
to make men better; it must make
them sorry for their wrong doing and
determine them to do better. And if
it does that it is in accordance with
the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Men may scoff at the pretensions of
hypocriticaI Christians, but they have
never scoffed at the character OF
Christ. They may ridicule man-made
creeds, but they will always respect the
teachings of Jesus.
| That is why, when modern preach
ers utilize "live topics to illustrate the
lessons taught by the Great Preacher
their sermons draw better than the
old prosy style. When a modern min
ister talks of the trusts or other gov.
ernmental problems, the Taggart case
the great disasters that occur from
time to time. or any of the othel
numerous topics recorded in the daily
press, with which the people are
familiar-when a modern minister
talks of ary of these and measure,
them by the standards set by Jesu:
Christ he is sure to have hearing.
But the object of it all must be tn.
same as that which Jesus had, the sal
walton of men. 1t must be repentance
to make men better. Otherwise
men will sooner or later detect the
false note in it. and they will not onl,
cease to listen to the preacher, bu
| they will despiSe him.