ve hearing. I have listened carefully to preachers of all
degrees and denominations, and some convictions have been burned in upon
my mind. Far above all, I have learned to believe in the great
importance of preaching--the effect it has on men's lives and thoughts;
their need of it; their pain and loss when it does not help and reach
them. I used to think that, if it did men good, they would speak more of
it. But they pay no compliments to their daily bread; yet it is the
staff of their life. If ministers knew the silent appreciation of
helpful preaching, they would work, if not harder, at least more
brightly and hopefully.... Preachers should remember that the large
silent part of their flock is only reached by preaching, and, therefore,
they should give their strength to it, and not to little meetings.
Suppose an average instance: Sunday morning attendance, 250. The
minister does not preach well; but he works hard during the week, and
has, Monday, Literary Society, 15; Tuesday, Young Ladies' Bible Class,
12; Wednesday, Prayer Meeting, 30; Thursday, Class for Servants, 8;
Friday, Class for Children, 15. All told, these do not represent more
than 50, leaving 200 reached only by preaching, and more or less
dissatisfied."--_Ex sapientis manuscripto penes me._

[6] "New Testament preaching dates from the day of Pentecost. Tongues of
fire rested on the assembled Church; and they began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. The word of God, the
testimony of Jesus, the gospel of our salvation, preached in tongues of
men of every race, was to be the form of power by which the kingdom of
God, in our dispensation, should spread abroad and prevail. But the
tongues were tongues of fire. This fire is, first of all, the Holy
Spirit, whose quick, pure and living presence it denotes. But then it is
intimated that the Holy Spirit was to prove Himself fire _in the speech
of men_. It is intimated that human minds, as they uttered themselves to
their fellows, and human speech in that utterance, were to prove capable
of taking fire, so as to brighten and burn with the truth and power of
God's Spirit. Such was the kind of preaching that was set a-going at
Pentecost, and by it the world was to be won. Other forms of influence
were not to be excluded, but this was to have the chief place. The word
of power, coming burning-hot out of the living mouth of a believing man,
is the leading form in which the Spirit's presence