Year: 1879




In the great book Of books we read,
"The Lord God formed man of the dust OF
the ground, and breathed into his nostrls
the breath Of lie, and man became a
living soul" Orin other words the Supreme
being animated thought.


The thought was of being that should
be intermediate, not animal not Deity--but
Just between, indeed, both Deity ana ami
mal-the link between the upper and
lower world. The first act was to material
Ize a thought; that was done 10y forming
man of the dust Of the ground. The next
act was to animate that materialized
thought, and this was by "breathing into
his nostrilS the breath of life, and man
became a living soul" We should read
lees, animal life and spiritual life and man
became a living antmaL and living S9UL,
and this union of the two lives resulted in
Il man. and thus it was that God materializel
and animated his thought, and sent that
thought to walk before him while he
walked before the thought. This fact is
the indext to all of its class.


The artist must have Il thought to start
wth-and that thought must take on shape
and form. He must see it on the canvass
or in the stone before he makes mark,
otherwise he cannot put it there. If he
possess this prerequisite he can see an angel
IN his mind, and can put that angel OF,
canvass; or cut it out Of the cold dead
stone, and make il stand in our presence
and take hold upon our thoughts and lift
them beyond the blue above US.


With this prerequisite, he can make US
feel cold creep, in the torrid zone, hy paint
ing mountains Of ice there; or send a hot
sensation through our minds 10y painting
lakes of fire in the irigid zone. lie ma.
teriaizes thought. With this prerequisite,
the singer sends Us "SWecplng through the
gates, washed in the blood of the Lamb,
or as he calls to the sons of freedom to
awake to glory" we hear the cry of the
oppressed and rush 20 arms, and in oul
| feelings haste to the rescue.


| With this prerequisite. the elocutionist
cOmpelS Us to throw up our hats and cheer
on Sheridan, though he Is twenty mile:
away" With this prerequisite the orator
| lifts his audience to their feet, and send'
| their minds sailing away to the home lano
of his imagination. 1t was the possession
| of this power that enabled Munsey to hook
DR.. - up on his little finger and senC
| him " sailing away to the home Of the
stars" This power to conceive though
and materialize it, and animate it and senc





by the preacher of the gospel. He shoulc
so present truth that it can be seen, anC
will live and follow the people all day, am
wait at their bedside until they get up ir
the morning, and then go around Will
them through the day. The sermon shoul'
follow the boys and girls to school and lool
at them, and be umpire in their plays. /
should sit on the teachers desk and he'll
him. 1t should sit on the desk of tn
business man and tell him that the lahore
is worthy Of his hire. 1t should go int
the home of the cOvttous man and say unit
him, " Whatsoever ye would that me-
unto you do, do ye even so unto them
Thou shalt not coyet." 1t should go to tn
home of the poor and tell them to he God
poor and that he will never leave nor fol
sake them, as long as they pat their trus
in him. 1t should 20 to the sick room an
stand as a sweet consolation, comtOrte
in time of sickness and sorrow. 1t shoul
20 into the bar-room and tell the vender {
strong drink, that he should not put tn
bottle to his neighbor's lips. 1t should te
the man who is about to swallow the de
troyer of his soul, the robber of his famil,
the foe of God and all goodness that win
is a mocker, and that strong drink


raging, and that at least it will bite like
serpent and sting like an adder.


The sermon should put eyes in the weigh
and ears in the balance, and make I'll
merchant feel that the weights see him an
that the scales hear him. The sermO
should send honesty to take its seat befol
all men Justice should hold up her seal
in the market place. Charity should wal
with open hands, and hopes joyful eyes
seen in all places. The sermon should {
} home with the people, and live with ther
The preacher should put tongues in tree
sermons in stones, books in running brook
and good in everything; so that natu
and revelation, Gods unity, clasp ban
with Gods trinity, and join in showing M
the way to Heaven. May God breath up'
the valley of our minds and make the d


bones of our sermons living truths, al
send them to work through this world


sorrow and stretch forth hand of healir


and save the purchase of Christ,s blood.


TO. AYERS.