Year: 1879

Of why church pews are empty, and il


the main we are compelled to say tha


We agree with it. That congregation


are getting smaller cannot he doubte


by those who have given the subjec


ordinary attention. That there is de


cadence of spirituality in the churche


must be apparent not only to the paste


Of a congregation but to the congrega


tion itself. Something must be tn


matter, what is it? Some may say tn


pastor either breaches too long or to-


short, too loud or too low, and tha


there is no spiritual feeling in his Ser


mons. We need not 20 to New York


Philadelphia or Chicago to find empty


psws in churches and general dullnesi


prevailing, as they exist in this city


and those who ought to fill them are


not found generally tramping the


streets or focking to public houses.


They are found very eften doing at


home in there parlors, reading light


literature, gossipping upon trade or


talking about the results Of the cleo


tions, and the prospects for the next


Presidency. Preachers have for long


time been looking this thing in the


face and they have endeavored in


the face of all these discourage


ments to preach doctrinal Fer


mons and delivered long dry theo-


logical essays on some imaginary hid


den mystery that but few care any


thing about, and while they are wading


through pile Of manuscript and prac-


ticing the rising and falling infections


Of the voice, the sleepers, not hearers,


have made themselves comfortable as


possible in corner of a pew until


awakened by the announcement of the


next hymn, or by the hustle of the few


who may arise or kneel to engage in


the closing prayer. OF course this is


not applicable to all preachers, perhaps


not to a majority of them, but i. is


plainly evident that in far too manv


cases worship with them is but task.
and they go about their work as a hired


servant, determined to do as little as.
they can for the wages they receive.
This insincerity on the part ofpreachers
has led to a spiritual dearth in the
churches, which the faithful ministers,
for we are glad to say there are many,
have failed to overcome. Both ministers
and people have shut their eyes too


long to the picture which We have


drawn, and now that they are begin


ming to open them they find that it is


difficult matter to regain the ground


which has been lost. There are other


causes which have led to this decline


in pulpit influence, and the fault can


be traced to the people as we'll as to the


pastor. Our excellent contemporary TO


which we have already referred, thinks


that amongst other causes, is the effort


of Protestant churches where rituaism
has been abandoned, to make church
nni,u xpitI | 4
ing, and that it therefore devolvss
upon the clerical fraternity to consider
wherein they fall short and by what
means they can command the attention
Of the people. Perhaps what is more
needed is sincerity of feeling and earn
estness of expression. The great ma
jority Of ministers when they preach
sonvey the impression that they are v
not quite sure about the truth of what D
hey utter, and go allow themselves
10 run along in the old ruts and
ire content to repeat theological
formulas, from which the potency "
las long since departed. The pulpit =,
leeds to be brought more into commu-
,ication and sympathy with the out 1t
ide world instead Of hiding i. away u
behind curtain Of ritualism which ''
lare not b. approached. There is q
lead of more assimilation between ~
'reacher and people, more real, warm u
learted genuine christian love and :"
and the preacher should
peak to his congregation as man to


lis fellow man instead Of holding him - -
elf 30 far above them on the 81 am
lolier than thou" principle. and read -
ng them theological essays on c0ctrinal '
distractions. Real earnest christianity II
instead of being hidden away behind =
he rusty ages of literature, is always %
resh and made 80 plain and easy to y"
,et at that wayfaring man, though o'
ool, need not go astray in endeavoring


o find it, and one of the greatest wants C
t the day is for ministers to practice it W
more than to indulge in learned disqui- i'd
itiOns which tend more to confuse than Il
o enlighten. People as general a,
hing are always ready and anx- Il
Gus to hear preaching Of the right a.
tind and they will appreciate preach. IL
,r though he be slow of tongue and Il
lacking in pulpit eloqusnce, if he is =,