fe history of the soul--but
they are wrapped around in cobwebs and the complications of a technical
system, frozen into sterility; and they have no more meaning and no
more appeal to the audience at whom they are thrown in such profusion
than the details of the performance of the Mosaic ritual, or the
genealogies of the legendary heroes of the Hebrew Bible. We want
neither edifying lessons drawn from the wanderings of Israel or the
Book of Joshua; nor brilliant 'word-painting' of some of the scenes
described in the Bible with a more appealing eloquence; nor the
exposition of the machinery of schemes of salvation once real from
which the life has departed; but some message concerning the things of
the spirit, delivered in simplicity and humility and sincerity to men
who would fain be simple and humble and sincere." These are weighty
words, and many a preacher might do worse than take them seriously to
heart. Such an event might mean the blessing of many who have so far
been mystified rather than edified. Mr. Masterman represents, we are
sure, multitudes who could add proof to his words from frequent
experience; he speaks, also, for many more who, because of similar
experience, come no more to the house of the Lord.

But the difficulty does not always arise from the preacher's
terminology alone. It is possible to fall into the fault of
_over-condensation_ in our preaching. Highly concentrated foods are
proverbially hard of digestion, and the same may be true of highly
concentrated sermons. "Words packed with profoundest meanings" are apt
to pass over the mind carrying much of their meaning with them
undiscovered. A "highly sententious style" may have some of the
qualities of a thunder shower, in which the rain falls so fast as to be
of little use in watering the thirsty ground, over which it courses
unabsorbed to join the brook down yonder in the vale. The maxim
"_multum in parvo_" may be an admirable one for an author whose book
will lie in the reader's hand the while he has time to grasp the full
significance of every well-filled sentence. By a public speaker,
however, packing may easily be overdone; and here is one of the dangers
of the written sermon as compared with one in which the preacher,
having gathered together his knowledge and his thought upon a matter,
leaves the choice of words to the hour of delivery. A little wise
prolixity may be necessary to the speaker. A little repetition; the
putting of