ssage
is still his as it was theirs. The divine example, too, is before him
every time he harks back to his Master's presence. In that great day
of sorrow when He spake to the disciples of His early departure, He,
seeing their grief, said, "In My Father's house are many mansions ....
I go to prepare a place for you." _Preach Heaven_! This very day
there are hearts breaking for the story!

To cheer the souls of men by the use of this, or any other material,
and in any legitimate way we can--to this must our preaching be
absolutely and resolutely bent. To make brighter the lives of men; to
take out of the future its dark dreads and fears and to fill it with
beckoning blessings; to make the sanctuary a place of healing, a house
of bread, a rock of cooling streams; to make of every service a season
of refreshing--for all this are we responsible to the King who sent us
out to His suffering children. The message He entrusted to us contains
the sufficiency for it all!

But more, we repeat, than the mere letter of the message is needed.
The best of words may be so spoken as to bring but small assistance to
such as hear. Again we say that the preacher must, himself, live in
the comfort and courage he preaches to others, or else there will be
somewhat in his voice that will spoil it all. The word and also the
_tone_! "The tone" must be the tone of absolute realisation and
assurance. Pronounced in any other accent the words of the Gospel of
joy sound impossible; the blessings they promise seem dim and far away;
the fact of providence becomes a mere theory; the future harvest of
holy sowing a pious but foolish hope; the sweet fields of Eden a fair
but airy dream. Nothing is colder than perfunctory, official,
professional consolation and encouragement. When fear whispers
"Courage!" the chattering of his teeth makes our terror worse!

So, once again, the preacher's success and effectiveness are found
largely to depend upon his own heart's condition. The message will
carry little more cheer than the messenger can pour into it out of the
stored up happiness and confidence of his own breast. In the cheer of
God must he abide who would scatter a little comfort among his fellow
men!

BOOK III

THE MESSAGE:--

ITS FORM AND DELIVERANCE

THEORY OF BOOK III.

We have spoken of the Effective Preacher and of the Effective Message,
but this Message must have Effective Form and Expression in order to
command th