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ESTABLISHED 1821.
The Christian Index.
Published Every Thursday, Cor. Ivy St.
and Edgewood Ave.
J. C. McMICHAEL. Profkiktoil
Organ of the Baptist Denomination in
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“The people in the country,’’ said a
Baptist minister not long since, “are so
poor that they cannot be Christians.”
Strange, then, that one of the signs of
the Messiah should have been: “To the
poor the gospel is preached.” Why not
preach the gospel to those whom it can
not make “rich in faith,” “rich toward
God?" But there are no such classes.
The people in the country can be Chris
tians, and some of the best Christians
are found among the poorest of them.
That very minister’s name stands high
on the list, though like Moses in many a
better respect, he is like him also in
this that, as regards the matter before
us, “he spake unadversedly with his
lips.”
From a single Episcopal church in
England recently, “twenty-seven men
and women spontaneously and simulta
neously offered themselves for foreign
mission work.” How strikingly and
strangely a fact like this contrasts w ith
the paucity of foreign missionaries from
the 1733 Baptist churches and 147,317
Baptists of Georgia! Docs it not look
almost as if our hearts are not at all en
listed in the glorious work of the evan
gelization ol the world? Let us pray
the Lord to put away this shame from
us. We ought to “covet earnestly” a
larger share in the triumphs crowning
the labor for i lie conquest of the nations
in their Redeemer’s behalf and in their
own, for these two are one. Dr. Dennis,
in his new book, “Foreign Missions
After a Centnry” says that the conver
sions in the Protestant, Evangelical
mission fields in 18112 numbered at least
100,000, nearly 2,000 every week, more
than 280 every day. Alas, how slight a
pait of these results can be traced to
labors and prayers and gifts of ours!
Shall we not do more for time to come?
That magnificent work, the new
“Standard Dictionary,” the first volume
of which is now in course ol distribu
tion by the Funk and \\ agnails to., N.
Y., defines an “Anabaptist” as “one of
those who insist on adult Baptism only,”
etc. Pray, now, what is "adult bap
tism?” The Dictionary itself gives us
no help towaid the answer of this ques
tion. We find no definition of the term
under the word “baptism” or under the
word “adult.’’ The term strikes us as
misleading and inadmissible, as it at
least seems to imply that the title to
baptism is suspended on “adulthood”
(one of this Diction ry’s word’s) as a
necessary condition, in thaVadulthood”
is a qualifying condition ami confers the
title to baptism,-two things on which
nobody ot Christians ever yet “insist
ed.” Those who require faith as pre
requisite to the reception ol the ordi
nance could not without flagrant con
travention of their own distictive, vital
principle, refuse the ordinance to the
Phebe Bartlett whose wonderful expe
rience of grace is recounted by the Ehler
President Edwards, on account ot her
tender age; and no one surely will speak
of “adulthood” as unwrapping its
mantle of dignity around this little girl
just four years old. Besides; we note
that the Dictionary gives no place to the
term “believei’s baptism,’’though this is
as legitimate information as the terms
“infant baptism” and “adult baptism. ’
and does not lack for reputable use in
Baptist literature. Well, nothing is
more than imperfectly perfect.
There is much suggestiveness in the
following paragraph written from Eng
land to the,New York Examiner by
Bev. R. Shindler. We hope it may in
crease our reliance on the old Baptist
Bible facts and our zeal for its mainte
nance and diffusion:
“The Baptist body in Great Britain is
not making rapid strides. Notwith
standing the large increase in some of
the London, and in a few of the provin
vial, churches, the progress is not at all
commensurate with the increase of pop
ulation. The cause of this we do not
profess to determine. Certainly is it
not because the terms of membership
are too stringent, for they are lax rather
than rigid. Nor is it by reason of apathy
on the part of either pastors or people,
for, as a rule, there never was greater
activity. New schemes have been and
are being tried, and all kinds of novel at
tractions are being freely used; Nor is
it the poverty of the body as compared
with other denominations, for never
was there so much money among its
members. Nor is it to any large extent
the want of liberality, for some of its
wealthy constituents are free and
princely in their gifts to the cause.
The reason must be sought elsewhere
than in these things. But it is only
saying what none can question when we
affirm that the grertest progress has
been made where the good old gospel in
its simplicity, such as our fathers loved,
has been fully and freely proclaimed,
and little heed been given to novelties,
whether in doctrine (or methods of
work, that success has been greatest.”
Roman Catholics evidently dominate
the city o f Chicago as Catholics fill the
following offices in that city: mayor,
chief of police, chief of the fire depart
ment, postmaster, State’s attorney, clerk
of Circuit Court, clerk Probate Court,
clerk of Superior Court, a number of
judges forty-five out of sixty-eight
aidermen,9o per cent of the Police force,
80 per cent of the members of the fire
department, 67 per cent of the school
eachers.
The Moody Meetings in Washington
City are largely attended and good re
sults are expected.
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
FROM FLORIDA.
CHORDS AND DISCORDS.
We have had a touch of weather,
in fact several touches, even unto
a grip and hold-fast for some time.
We’ve been keeping count, we
have had rain every Lord’s day
this year save one.
We can’t adopt the lofty senti
ment of the poet, who said,
“First it blew;
Then it sn<-w
And then it thew,”
but we can say “It rains, it pours,
it blows, its cold stormy weather,”
and perhaps next day after the cold
we have August heat and swelter
in our coolness ; by the bye, our
ladies sometimes “come out” in
white muslins one day and in
heavy wraps and flannels the next.
’Notwithstanding all this, the
farmer is putting in full time.
Much preparation has gone for
ward and prospects for early and
large plantings are encouraging.
Oats are uncommonly fine and
far advanced, the oranges are
blooming, gardens are inviting,
the plowman fieldward plods his
weary way and we think the hard
est and worst of the hard times are
past. Oranges rule low, but the
crop is larger than first expected.
One good Baptist brother in Hills
boro county realized $500,00 an
acre on five acres. Is not that
better than corn, cotton, or any
thing? lam satisfied that Florida
is a “fine cane-break country” for
poor men and those of moderate
means.
Was a woman ever unequal to
an emergency, “Are they not al
ways
FERTILE IN EXPEDIENTS?
It was at the monthly meeting
of the N—Mission Society. In
order to liven up things and at the
same time increase the revenues
for Foreign Missions, a good sister
proposed “That each member bring
at the next meeting, as an offering
one cent for each year she had
lived.” After interrogations, ex
planations, discussions, et cetera, it
was agreed to, said the mover,
pleased with her success: “And
now I will have to give about fifty
five cents.” “Fifty-five cents in
deed,” said her sister in the flesh,
who was sitttng by—“ Yes you’ll
not get off with fifty-five cents, I’ll
assure you.” “And how much
pray you, will you have to bring,”
said the first speaker. The sister
replied, when she was informed
that ‘twould’nt do, “you can’t play
off in that way here.” A general
discussion followed.
pected difficulty. A Gordian knot.
How to Untie it? It wasn’t untied
at all, but the revenues will be
augmented all the same. A box is
to be provided, each one will de
posit her pennies or coin “palm
downward,” after all have con
tributed the total will be ascer
tained and no one will be the wiser
as to natal days. See?
When will good men learn to
give up
POST-MORTEM DEVISES
and distribute their estates during
life and see the fruits of their toils
go whithersoever they will them
to go? Constantly we read of the
will of some beneficent devisee be
ing dragged into the courts by ob
scure, insignificant, unworthy
heirs of remote kindship and con
tested in order that benevolent and
educational institutions may be
robbed of bequests.
If men could give their money
out right, execute their own wills
and see the good work inaugurated,
how much better for themselves
and all concerned.
In his most valuable biography
of Dr. Boyce, Dr. Broadus .shows
how, when the Baptist ..Seminary
at Louisville was threatened with
ruin, after so many tears, prayers
and years of toil upon the part of
its friends, how Senator Joseph E.
Brown, of Atlanta, came forward
nobly, and “planked down” SSO,
000. It was an epoch in the his
tory of the Institution, and the
donor still lives to see the. great
good his gift is accomplishing. No
legatees cm ever get that $50,000.
The reading public remembers
sadly that Hon. Sam J. Tilden’s
magnificent bequest of five million
to found a free library and build
ings for New York City was lost
to all intents and purposes by in
consequential heirs at law, lawyers
and courts, but if Mr. Tilden had
taken time to erect the buildings
and open the library! if he only
had! Daniel Hand, ol Connecticut,
willed to the American Missionary
Association half million of dollars.
For three years this matter has
been hung up in the courts, the end
no one knpws.
Mr. Kellogg, of Montpeiler, Vt.
gave by will $300,000 for a public
library and died. The city was to
have received $300,000, but after
litigation is glad to compromise
with $45,000. Is not the lesson
clear? To give while we live, see
it at work for God and humanity.
The sad news comes to us down
here, that the will of Mr. Sampson,
of North Adams, Mass., is being
contested by remote kin. Maybe
all his million of beneficient be
buests will be lost, among them the
$70,000 bequeathed to our Stetson
University. How heirs can make
up their minds to break wills [and
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. MARCH 1. 1894.
appropriate property that the
I owners never wanted them to have
and never dreamed of their get
ting is beyonu my ken. Is it an
other case of “Love of money be
ing a root of all evil?”
DASHES
Your “Jottings” by the way, are
unusually bright and interesting
reading. The sermon by pastor
O’Kelley of Griflin must do much
good. Rumor whispeis that sev
eral other churches down here will
soon be vacant. I am not suffi
ciently sure to say, but hear that
South Carolina is after one of our
very best men. You robbed us of
Gardner, so far his place seems not
to have been filled. Success to
you. Flotsam Jetsam. ’
For the Christian Indbx.
AN INTERCHANGE OF VIEWS WITH
A "HOLINESS” MAN THAT
ACTUALLY OCCURRED.
In the following I will make H.
represent my opponent and I my
self.
H. “You Baptists and others
who oppose us treat Christ with
great injustice, by limiting his
power, when you say, that he is
not able—through prayer and faith
in him—to root out from us all “in
bred-sin”—depravity—and there
by make our hearts or nature per
fectly pure in an absolute or un
limited sense. Let us appeal to
the law and testimony :See 1 John
1 :o, If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all un
righteousness.” Here we have
positive Scriptural proof that a
man can be cleansed of all unrigh
teousness. And I believe further
more, that it is quite possible for a
man to live entirely free from sin.
In other words, to attain to per
sonal Christian perfection in this
life.”
I. We do not limit the power
of Christ, that was done by his
Father in the agreement on cove
nant entered into by the persons
composing the trinity for the re
demption of the human race. The
offices and specific work for Christ
and the Holy Spirit were assigned
to them by the Father, the Sov
ereign of the universe, and they
have no inclination or authority to
go beyond the circle of duty that
God prescribed. It is not a ques
tion of power, but a question of
what Christ is authorized to do in
the great scheme of redemptiod.
Again, in 1 John 1 :q, you have
quoted a passage that is mainly re
lied on by your fraternity to prove
that a man may have thorough con
fession of sins and faith in Christ
the depravity born in him entirely
rooted out during this life. The
strong point in our argument is the
phrase : “cleanse us from all un
righteousness.” John here has no
reference to the depravity born in
us. “Unrighteousness” is the act
ual transgression of God’s law, and
nothing else is sin.
I also object to the phrase “in
bred-sin ;” it is misleading and in
correct . To be born with depraved
hearts is no sin, unless we allow
such hearts to develop wicked
thoughts and acts. We can no
more help the former than we can
help being born with two hands
and feet. We cannot get rid of
this natural “moral taint” during
this life, and its removal is not
promised until we are resurrected
and made perfect as Christ is per
fect. We are not instructed to
pray for its removal, but for grace
to control it, and help us to live
the life of a Christian in despite
of it.
The natural depravity in man’s
heart[may be linkened to the nest of
serpent’s eggs, representing not a
single species but the whole genus
of serpents. If these eggs [are al
lowed to hatch, the offspring will
embrace the whole catalogue of
sins, to wit, slander, hatred, envy,
malice, drunkenness, swearing,
lusts, etc.
Now the specific work of our re
ligion, aided by the Divine Spirit,
is to keep these viperous eggs from
hatching out : and if they do, to
keep them in just as [puny a con
dition as possible, that we may be
able to live the lives of consistent
upright Christians.
Here is the great battle field—
where the converted soul and un
converted flesh wage war against
each other. The poet truthfully
says, “I must fight if I would
reign increase my courage Lord.”
Now, if we could get rid of this
natural depravity during this life,
our probation would immediately
end, for thereafter, there would be
no reasonable ground upon which
probation could be based; and that
is not all, we could no longer de
pend upon the merit of Christ for
final salvation ; for we would be
fully qualified to keep the whole
law by our personal obedience ; and
if morally qualified to that extent,
we would be required to do it in
every jot and tittle. Our proba
tion then would hinge upon law
and not Christ.
1 John goes on to say, “If any
man sin we have an advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ, the righ
teous But if a man could
by any means, get all of the natu
ral depravity born in him, rooted
out, and his heart made perfectly
pure, and then sinned after that,
upon ’ what ground could Christ
plead for him? Will you please
tell me?
And to prove that a man can
live entirely from sin in this life,
you also quote part of the 9th v., 1
John 3rd chapter. “Whosoever is
born of God doth not commit sin.”
Why don’t you give John a fair
showing? He didn’t consider it
necessary to be all the time quali
fying his expressions. Now if you
make John contradict himseff, you
rule him entirely out as reliable
authority. Turn ba*.k to hi:, first
chapter where he qu difies h.mself,
and you will see whnt his real posi
tion is. Bv. “If W'3 say we have
no sin, we deceive 'ourselves and
the truth is not in u<.” Remember
that he was address) ig Christians,
and the verb “have’’is in tl e pres
ent tense ;as much as to say. though
Ido not know all of the houghts
and acts of your lives, I know that
you are not living entirely free
from sin; for that is impossible
with mortal man : al.d if you say
you are —the truth is not in you.
He says again, 10th v. “If we say
we have not sinned, we make him
a liar, and his word s not in us.”
All that is necessary to say on this
passage is, that “have sinned” is in
the perfect tense and embraces
past time up to the nresent. As
much as to say, yoi are sinners
now.
But I can no longer dwell upon
points without being too lengthy.
If parents could get rid of the de
pravity born in them, their off
spring after that would have hearts
perfectly pure. Children inherit
their depravity from their parents,
and if the latter were rid of it,
where would the children get it
from? Please answer.
And moreover, they would be
placed under the law of works for
salvation and not the law of grace ,
and would be debarred from plead
ing the merit of Christ for the blot
ting out of their sins ; and in that
case they would be saved upon a
plan contrary to the gospel, if
saved at all. But no such scheme
has been provided. There is no
salvation in the law. James says,
chap. 2 :io, “For whosoever shall
keep the whole law, and yet offend
in one point, he is guilty of all.”
And Paul says, Gai 3:21. “If
there had been a law given which
could have given life, verily righ
teousness should have been by
law.” But no such "'ivL is given.
.Again says Paul, I€ojL‘J3 :20. “By
[the deeds of the law i left shall no
flesh be justified in his sight.” And
why? Because the law requires
perfect obedience to all its require
ments, but the best Christian be
ing falls infinitely short of meas
uring up to the divine standard.
As to the second blessing, there
is no Scriptural authority for it
whatever. Show the Scriptural
proof and it will suffice. We some
times hear you remark : “I have
at last obtained full salvation.”
What do you mean? “Well when
I was converted or regenerated, I
obtained the first half salvation ;
and when I obtained the “second
blessing”—that is, got rid of all the
depravity born in me, I obtained
the other half—and so now I have
full salvation —glory to God!”
J. Well a man with only half
salvation is fit neither for heaven
nor hell, and if he should die while
in that moral state —where would
he go?
11. “I will talk with you again
some other time. lam in a hurry
now—good morning.
Judson W. Oliphant.
Matthews, Ga.
THE AMERICAN INDIANS-
W. B. m’GARITY.
Where is the boy who does not
like to read about the Indians?
Part of the money we give to
Home Missions goes to Indian Ter
ritory and supports our preachers
out there. We ought to send them
the gospel because we drove them
from their homes and took their
lands. Forty years ago the Indians
were driven from east of the Mis
sissippi River before they had
learned the rudements of civiliza
tion. They naturally became very
hostile to the white man and his
religion ; so much so that in the
Creek nation, missionaries were
forbidden entrance and the natives
who accepted Christ were put to
death.
Since that time a marvellous
change has taken place. We find
in the territory one hundred and
eighty-nine ordained native preach
ers, sixty-six Sunday-schools, thirty
six hundred teachers and scholars,
about three hundred Churches, and
thirteen thousand baptized believ
ers. All this has been done in forty
years. The gospel has had no
greater triumph anywhere in the
world during the same period.
Yet a large bod}’ of our “Native
heathen,” have no true idea about
God and are as superstitious and as
far from correct ideas about Christ
and his work as the most benighted
heathen in Asia.
Read the Imdex,
THE SABBATH WAS MADE FOR
MAN, NOT MAN FOR THE SAB
BATH- MATT. 12:8. MABK
2:27, LUKE 6 :5-
BY HON. J. G. m’CALL.
In a recent issue of the Index ap
peared an article on the Sabbath —
Sunday—Lord’s day.
The w .ir sought to show that
a Sabbath of rest followed six days
of labor, and that the Creator set
the example of resting from his
work of creation —which by special
arrangement followed the six pro
ceeding days of labor—not so much
for the sake of rest, but for another
and more important reason. The
Creator needed no rest.
It was shown that the Sabbath
was no special day, that there was
no difference between the 7th day
and other days, and there was not
so much the Sabbath as a Sabbath.
That the physical part of God’s
creation needed rest and not so
much on any special day as on one
seventh of our time; that rest fol
lowed labor, and not vice versa.
That it was absolutely necessary
for man to rest one-seventh of his
time ; that this necessity existed be
fore the fall, and gave birth to the
fourth command of the Mosaic
decalogue ; that a refusal to rest
one-seventh of our time was a
malum in see, as much as a malum
prohibitum.
We desire now to note, that
when the Jews were organized
into a theocratic form of govern
ment, that they, the Jews, had re
ceived from God, directions as to
how they should keep and observe
the fourth command. That the
Jewish observance of the Sabbath
was never enjoined upon the Gen
tile, and that when Christ came, he
changed the mode and spirit of ob
serving it. Fie was a Jew; he
kept the law perfectly, not so much
however in mode as in spirit and
truth. And when he sought to
teach the truthful observance of
the fourth command, the Phari
sees charged upon him the viola
tion of the law.
They understood the Sabbath
was to be glorified ; that men were
to be the instruments of magnify
ing the day ; that human suffering
must yield, must be endureu, rather
than to violate the mode of the ob
servance of the Sabbath.
This was their mistake, and
hence the needed change in the
observance of the Sabbath.
Our text declares “the Sabbath
for man.” The Saviour dia not
became indignant at the presump
tion and audacity of the Pharisees,
but condecend to argue the sub
ject of their charge upon him, and
proves from Jewish history that he
had not violated the spirit of their
law.
David had eaten the shewbread.
That the priests had entered
the temple on the Sabbath and
were blameless. He assured them
that one greater than the temple
was there.
The Pharisees recognized the
force of the Saviour’s argument:
the right to depart from the letter
of the law in cases of necessity.
David and those with him were
hungry and they ate the shewbread
to sustain life in its normal and
just demands.
Again he says : If ye had known
what this means —I will have mercy
and not sacrifice —ye would not
have condemned the guiltless.
Many of the Pharisees were learned
Scribes ; they had studied the law
and understood something of its
literal meaning, but alas! pro
foundly ignorant of its far reach
ing and spiritual significance.
Christ had not violated the spirit
and intent of the law. Their law
was given to men for man’s good.
They had misconstrued law and
failed to interpret the author’s de
sign in the law of the Sabbath.
The great Creator had given us the
benefit of his example of simply
resting after six days of labor.
That much labor demanded one day
of rest, and that is just all there is
in the whole history of the subject.
“The Son of man is Lord even
of the Sabbath day.” The word
Lord signifies master; the words
lord and master implies authority
and power. Jesus Christ assumed,
as he had a right to do, not only
the mode of aprroaching God in
worship from the use of altars and
the sacrifice of bleeding animals to
a simple approach to him rn the
prayer of faith far away from tem
ple and altar alike
Sabbatarians will say very good,
but by what authority was the first
day of the week substituted for the
seventh ?
That is the question, we say very
good, we will see next time.
Quitman, Ga.
WONDERFUL AND LONG SERIES OF
ARTICLES-
LET EVERYBODY HEAD THIS.
Dear Index :—I demand ample
space in your great paper to pub
lish a series of articles on a vital
question that has long agitated the
minds of generations. The time
has come for this matter to be
finally settled and I believe that I am
the man to perform the wonderful
feat.
The question is: “What is the
difference between Tweedledum
and Tweedledee? ” This has been
discussed and repeated forages and
yet here it is before us with all its
accumulated perplexities of centu
ries. Some have sought to cut the
matter short by saying that the
difference was only the difference
between dum and dee, and that
dum is a latin adverb of time and
that dee is a latin preposition and
hence it only amounts to the differ
ence between these parts of speech.
But that cannot be true for the
final syllable in Tweedledee has a
double e and the latin preposition
is only de with one e. This settles
that point.
The only way to fix this matter
is by long and tedious discussion,
and a full and elaborate analysis
ana this shall be my plan. Hence
I wish to discuss, elaborate, analyze
each word in all its details and thus
exhibit it in all its parts in perfect
conspicuity. I wish to name some
of the points for discussion, but I
want to state that other issues will
arise in the development that will
necessitate many additional articles
and will fill more space in the
Christian Index.
1 propose first to consider “Twee
dledum” in (1) its perpendicularity.
(2) Its Horizontal Bearings. (3)
Its Internal Dependence. (4) Its
Exaggerated Tendency to Obscu
rity. (5) Its suavity. (6) Its Met
aphysical Obtuseness. (7) It®
Algebraic Mysteries. (8) Its Pon
derous Detonations. (9) Its Un
known Secretions concerning its
true syntax. (10) Its Etymological
Quintescence of Shaded Energies.
(11) Its Consequential Inwardness
in its Embryotic Hypothesis. (12)
Its Bombastic State of Exotics.
And now I come to the consider
ation and elaboration of Tweedle
dee in (1) Its Serio-comical and
Emphatic Deteriorations under
Hydraulic Condescension. (2) Its
Sensational Pensiveness under the
Oppressive Attitude of Multiplied
Concoctions. (3) Its Fabulous
Relations to Interior Extremities.
(4) It c ’ T orticultural Trend to In
cubatic . ith Proper Atmospheric
Flystatus. (5) Its Abstruse Con
ceptions under Voluminous Con
currences. (6) Its Capillary De
tractions into the Unlimited Cos
mos. (7) Its Salient Concentra
tion upon Oceanic Problems in
Heavenly Visions. (8) Its Exces
sive Torpidnetes in Elatorailun and
Diagnosis. (9) Its Proneness to
Interment in Non-penetrated Ten
ebrosity.
I must add a few on the mutual
relations of the words, one to an
other, as (1) the mathematical as
pect, as x square plus 2 p x equal
to the square of the difference be
tween the two words. (2) The
profound instincts of the ebullitions
from the mutual dependencies of
the emotional preponderences. (3)
The internal theory of each verbal
extraneous limitation. These ex
traordinary points will give just
two dozen articles of two to four
columns each and in the full dis
cussion at least as more will natur
ally be eradicated, and thus for one
year I can till your paper with my
cogitations, opinions, dogmas and
theories. And moreover, it will
furnish me an excellent opportuni
ty to refute all enemies and strike
at heresy, for until this mighty
question is settled, rank and vicious
heresy must stalk abroad in the
earth, and spread its venom among
all nations. Settle this now and
forever and all will ;be peace and
sunshine. I shall seek to uproot
all heresy, for I count all heretics
of evil intent who do not agree
with me in all details of our belief
and unbelief. So I look for the
rapid destruction of heresy and the
gathering to their fathers of a
huge heap of unsaved heretics.
John Thomas Jones.
P. S.—l expect to provoke great
controversy and arouse many
mighty adversaries but I will be
ready for them. J. T. J.
THREE REQUISITES TO EFFECTIVE
PREACHING.
BY REV. G. W. GARDNER, D. D.
It is much easier to tell how a
thing should be done than it is to
do it. Many of us have observed
that the editor of any country
newspaper can direct farmers, with
unerring certainty, as to the very
best methods for conducting their
farming operations. And yet there
is not one In a hundred of these
knights of the quill who can put
his own admirable advice into
practice. Some years ago, the best
paper on farming, and the one
which secured the prize from an
agricultural fair, was written by a
man who was a complete failure as
a farmer. He knew the requisites,
but he did not know how to use
them. He could plan, but he could
not execute. And so of preaching.
Many of us know how it ought to
be done. There are men in the
pew who on no account could be
induced to open their mouths in
the assembly of the saints, and yet,
VOL. 71—NO. 9.
they know just how the gospel
should be preached, and they are
not slow either in pointing out the
defects which detract from the ef
fectiveness of preaching, and in
suggesting remedies tor overcom
ing them. Indeed, I do suspect
the pew often feels, that if the pul
pit would only stand aside, it could
do it as it should be done.
Ah! Who feels more than the
true gospel preacher the presence
of difficulties which meet him on
every hand and which detract from
the power and effectiveness of
his preaching? He knows that as
the rays of light are effected by
the color of the glass through
which they pass, so may the pure
and blessed gospel be effected by
the medium through which it
passes, and fail, on that account, to
reflect its true spirit and power.
Hence, over and over again and
again, the question forcesitself up
on the conscientious preacher, How
shall I preach so as to present the
gospel with spirit and power?
There are three prime requisites.
1. Simplicity.— Simplicity in
the man, both in his manner and
his message. No man will ever be
an effective gospel preacher who
does not study simplicity. There
is a beauty and attractiveness
abdut it of which many, who have
never considered the subject, ever
dreamed. Not only does it con
tain these elements, but it has in it
spirit and power- The most effec
tive men the world has ever known,
the greatest and the wisest have
been men who were simple in
manner, and who labored to so ex
press themselves as to be under
stood by the common people. The
man who is too exalted to study
this art will not only darken coun
sel with words, but he will evi
dently fail to reach hearts which
are most in need of gospel truths.
We might all sit daily at the feet
of Jesus, and learn from him the
attractiveness, the power and the
beauty of simplicity. What an ex
ample John A. Broadus, scholar,
learned exegete, theologian, author,
and the greatest preachers of the
age, furnishes of the power of
simplicity! You hear him, he
grasps not only your intellect, but
he takes hold of your throbbing
heart, and pours red hot gospel
truths into your very intellectual
and spiritual being, and you are
enabled to go for many days in the
strength which you have received.
But it takes a great man to be as
simple and childlike as Dr. Broadus,
xr.a“v>.of n® ir«. .fail’”. n
the matter of simplicity. Let.,us
not despair, however ; for we may
make progress if we shall only try.
Failure to comprehend the mean
ing of the preacher is one reason
for so much preaching going for
nothing. It is as a sounding brass
and a tinkling cymbal. Mr. Emer
son tells us that a venerable and
pious lady said to her grandchild,
just recovering from sickness, “Now
you must be thankful.” He adds,
“But the poor little child did not
know —could not guess the mean
ing of thankful, and was afraid to
ask. So her excellent instruction
was lost upon the child.” So it is
with much of the instruction given
from the pulpit. And it is a sin
and a shame that it is so.
2. Unction.—This, I guess, is
what the fathers called “liberty in
preaching.” Worcester defines
unction as, “that which excites
piety and devotion, that which
melts to devotion ; emotion.” This
is the thing which a preacher must
unite with his simplicity. They
are the Siamese twins. Separate
them and there is death to effect
iveness. A man may be a fine ex
egete, explaining the Scriptures
with great clearness; but, if he has
not unction, his preaching will
lack spirit and power. We have
all heard men preach who were
skillful in the arrangement of their
discourses, as literary productions
they were admirable, yea, more,
they were brimful of gospel truth ;
but the man lacked unction, and so
his otherwise admirable produc
tion fell still-born upon an un
moved audience. There was a
chill about it which made [one feel
like drawing his cloak about him
lest he freeze to death.
But give a man unction, and he
will preach in such away as to
assure the people that there is heart
and soul behind the message; a
soul red hot with love for Christ
and for men. There is a power in
unction which can be atoned for
by no other excellencies. If you
have it not, you may talk pious and
cry, but the people will sleep or
shiver, according as each one may
feel inclined, and there is no rem
edy for it. We who try to preach
know how unction helps us. It
lifts us up, and enables us to carry
the people sometimes to the point
where we experience feelings
which the poor human heart can
never express in words.
3. Earnestness.—We love earn
estness at no place more than we
do in the pulpit. A man may be
tame at any other place with hope
of toleration ; but he must not ex
pect people to tolerate tameness in
the pulpit. Have simplicity and
unction, with which combine earn-
(Continued on Bth page.)