it
ever come to pass that the preacher lose interest in those before whom
he stands, and this has been known to occur, there will remain small
reason to listen to him for preaching of the sort we most desire. May
it not be possible that "the sermon-box" is responsible for much of the
dulness we deplore. Whitefield, it is said, used to contend that a man
could preach the same discourse forty-nine times with ever-increasing
effect. There may be some who have not this power, but who faithfully
toil to prove the truth of the dictum. It was such a good sermon and
went so well when we preached it the first few times, the while our
hearts were fired by the truth it taught. So we whispered to ourselves
as we turned over the contents of that precious box. Other days had
come, other circumstances, other people, other needs and other views,
but forth came the well-worn and faded manuscript once again. A
baptism of holy madness in which every preacher should make a fire of
all his sermons dry enough to burn might not be a bad thing for the
Church and the world. Such a baptism may, perhaps, be too great a
thing to pray for; such a sacrifice as it would involve, may possibly
be too much to ask--and some sermons _are_ worth preaching over and
over again, even long after Whitefield's maximum has been exceeded.
Still there is a dangerous temptation in the possession of hoarded
sermons from which we will do well to pray to be delivered. To that
petition thousands in all the churches would be glad to say Amen!

CHAPTER II.

On Transparency.

There is one quality of such vital importance to the effectiveness of
our sermons as to merit more than passing mention, and that is the
quality of lucidity. The business of the preacher is to make his
meaning understood, to make his audience see what he sees, understand
what he understands. It is laid upon him as a special instruction to
present the truth with such plainness that "a wayfaring man, though a
fool, need not err therein." Failing here, he fails badly. It is
possible, perhaps, to excite a hearer's admiration without clearness.
There is to be found in some men a curious liking for being puzzled;
and they will credit with high talent and deep learning him who is able
thoroughly to mystify them. We have more than once heard a man
described as "far learned" because of a style in which polysyllables,
not always correctly chosen, did duty for thought, as polysyllables
o