How Preachers Preach.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 9, 5 October 1907, Page 11

How Preachers Preach.

-4 A WELLINGTON SYMPOSIUM, The Rov. Thomas Tait, of St. Paul's ■Presbyterian Church, Ghristchurcli, who impressed his Kent Terrace congregations last Sunday as fa master of the art of pulpit delivery, stated to a reporter that he never knows what his sermon will be' about until an hour befofo ho goes to church. This rather startling admission has suggested a series of short interviews, designed to show how Wellington preachers preach. Archbishop Redwood. Archbishop Redwood, an enquirer learned, if ho intends to preach a specially important sermon likes to write down the entire deliverance, so as to fix it firmly in his mind. Ho never takes his written sermon into the pulpit; often ho may depart from the letter of it, but tho impression in the mind is firmer and more definite if tho sermon has been written first. From a conversation with the Vicar-General, the Rev. T. O'Slica, it appears that this is a very common practice of Roman Catholic preachers, very few of whom'over road a sermon. The only. instance of sermons being' read in that Church which has come within tho Vicar-General's experience is in tho caso of Cardinal Moron, who, sometimes, but not habitually, reads his sermons. The Roman Catholic clergy, who are very busy men, ponder their sermons as much as possible in tho intervals of weekly labour. , Trio Rev. T. H. Sprott. " I am not equal to that," said tho Rev. T. 11. Sprott, laughing, in reference to tho one hour's- preparation feat. To Mr. Sprott was delegated by the Bishop the responsibility of an Anglican statement. This minister explained that ho never uses'notes, but occasionallly reads a sermon. Tiio Rov. Dr. Cibb. "I like my subject to bo simmering in my mind the whole week," observed the Rov. Dr. Gibb, "and tho earlier in tho week I begin to think about its general lines tho better is the sermon likely to, be. There'are, of course, times when a .man's mind is red-hot-with a subject, and ho can then express himself without that previous deliberation which . is generally not only desirable; but even essential, to success. But, speaking generally, tho more careful tho preparation the moro likoly is tho result to bo successful, though I admit that thoro may bo a very groat deal of valuablo preparation of an indirect character. If a man in his roading has always his pulpit in his eye, that has an important relation to tho matter. My ■method is' to write everything, and then so to familiarise myself with tho manuscript that, while it is there in tho pulpit beforo mo, giving steadiness of utterance and closeness of sequence, I am independent of it in the actual delivery. If a man is to bo a spiritual force, it scenis to mo that he must brood over his themes: they must sink into his own soul." ' The Rov. P. W. Fairoloush. Tho Rev. P. W. Fairclough (Methodist) thought that the amount of preparation needful for a sermon all. depended on a man's ago and reading habits. With a suggostivo subject one might do with half an hour's preparation as well as with a week's. Careful preparation led, no doubt, to a more dignified phrasing, but thoro was always danger of incurring stiffness. " It is thought to bb tho best thing," Mr. Fairclough addedj "to prepare one of.the two sermons very carefully, and let tho other be as nearly extemporary as pcssiblo, in this way keeping up both habits of mind. As a general rule, a man's morning sermon, which ho preaches to a small number of thoughtful people, is his" best. The ovening service attracts moro people, and it is moro advortised, but usually -the sermon is inferior to that given in the.morning." As a general rule, Mr. Fairclough docs his direct preparation cither on Saturday night or Sunday morning. "Yes, luso notes," lie added, "though sometimes youmay have a sort of pocket-pistol that goes off oasily- without assistance." T'la.Rc'y. J. J. North. Tho Rev. J. J. North (Baptist) said:—"l begin to think about my sermon as sooii as ever I can, and let it soak into my mind. The subject is present with me during the week, and ideas gather round it. If I feci it sufficiently—and one. cannot always feel with., tho same intensity—the preaching of it is ono of tho greatest joys in life." Mr. North allows himself a few short notos,which ho contrives to read without a microscope. The Rev. J. Rood Classen. The Rev. J. Reed Gl.isson (Congregationalist) also weighs his subject all tho week, though ho may not put a word on paper until Sunday. Sometimes, whon long previous thought has been given to a subject, the actual sermon on that subject may be struck olf with a hot ranidity. Mr. Glasson states that fifteen years' reading and speaking, went to tho making of-his sermon on. tho Nov/ Theology last Sunday. Ho doc? not write his sermons, but, in his own phrase, ho likes "to see the course clear." His notes, sketching 'the main points'with ink, black and red, and underlinings, are prominent as Braille type. , Miss Harriet Chichele Plowdcn, of Folkestone, Kent, England, whose estate has been valued for probata at .£21,29(1, bequeathed the original manuscript of Beethoven's First Sonata for violin, and niano and Mozart's ten quartettes to the British Museum. James Messing, a Glasgow labourer, loft, estate which has been valued for probata at .£lOls 2s. lid. His deposits with the St. Luke's Roman Catholic Mission' Savings Bank amounted io ,£OOB lis. lid., ami in the Glasgow Savings Bank •to .£l7l lSs.,whilc he held 200 Preference shares in the Imperial Tobncco Company (Limited), valued at £252 10s. Not a single vote was recorded at a recent election at Greenfield. Massachusetts, tho entire population bavins Ron? fc n circus in an "adjoining villagc.'Evon the presiding officer was.u'table to poll, owing Io the absence of his assistants. The depth is announced at Wnnwo, near Berlin, of Ilcrr Hermann Ende. architect, and ex-president of the Berlin Acndcmv of Arts. Hcrr Ende designed mnnv of the principal public buildings in" Berlin and various important, national buildings erected by the Japanese Government in Tokio. The Ilvlton Castle estate, which stand,", on the north bank of the Wear,. about two miles west of'the boundary of Sunderland, Durham, England, com'prising about 20,000 ncres. lias been sold ti the Wearmouth Coal Company. The castlo was' built during the fifteenth century. •An excited debato took place recently at the Blackburn, Lancashire, Guardinns' meeting on a proposal to make able-bodied paupers-break thirty liund.vdweight. of stone daily. Mr Median said two well-fed guardians had failed fi do the work set for two inmates, ono il whom was one-eyed and the other h oked simple. If ever there was nn emancipation idea that needed to be promulgated (says an exchange) it is tho wholesome doctrine of refusing to grow old. When you hear middle-aged men talking of getting old, just advance this doctrine— that a man is as old as lie thinks, and that he should keep up with the present'day thought and look forward to years of usefulness.