THE PEOPLE and THE PULPIT.

Kumara Times, Issue 2748, 13 July 1885, Page 2

THE PEOPLE and THE PULPIT.

SERMON BY THE REV. GEORGE HAY. In St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, yesterday evening, the Rev. George Hay conducted divine service, taking his farewell of the congregation of Kumara. He took as his text 11. Thess. 3rd chap. 2nd verse —"That we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men." At the outset he gave a brief sketch of the gospel idea of a true preacher. 1. He has always one great master theme—" The Word of the Lord." 2. He has ever one glorious aim—" That the word may have free course and be glorified ;" and 3rd, That the true gospel preacher frequently meets with opposition from those whom he seeks to benefit, from whom every true preacher prays to be delivered. Having thus indicated the notion of a true preacher, the reverend gentleman then proceeded to deal with what he more especially announced as the subject of his discourse "The unreasonableness of people in relation to the true preacher," which he treated under the following •heads : in relation to their minister who expect from him perfection in character. 2. The men are unreasonable who expect their minister to be always presenting those subjects which are agreeable to their own notions, and suitable to their particular state of mind. 3. The men are unreasonable towards their minister who suppose that he will be equally acceptable to all classes. 4. The men are unreasonable towards their minister who imagine that they can derive good from his preaching, irrespective of their own effort. 5. The men are unreasonable towards their minister who complain of the real authority which he wields. 6. The men are unreasonable towards their minister who receive his spiritual services without a proper secular acknowledgment. 7. The men are unreasonable towards their minister who expect him to be very successful while they are continually counteracting his influence. In exposition of these propositions the preacher spoke as follows :—Thez'e is a generation belonging to most churches pure in their own eyes, who display far more anxiety about their minister's conduct than they do about their own. Hence a burst of indignation, a humourous expression, a hearty laugh, a genial natural manner and taste are regarded as unbecoming in their minister ; leading the man of strong natural impulses in the ministry, either hypocritically to conceal his true nature or to have his piety denied by these people. These people know the whole circle of gospel truth who never spent a week in their life in reading the Bible. Yet they, forsooth, know all : they speak as if their little plummet had sounded the depths of metaphysical divinity. Hence when the minister pronounces an idea not in accordance with their idea, they denounce it as no gospel. These men forget that uniformity of thought would be a curse to the race, and would reduce the world to stagnation and death. There are not a few men in most congregations who look with jealous eye upon the growth of the authority of their minister. They would bring down their minister to a level with the people. They would do away with every badge of office, and keep his income down that his power may not rise. Let me say to you that you cannot destroy the authority of a true preacher, however much you may wish or try. Because it is the authority springing from superior mental and moral attributes. It is the authority of influence of the greater brain and nobler heart. This is the only authority he cares about, and that he wilt have as long as mind is mind. There are some men who receive targe services from their minister, and who make him little or no return. For a paltry pound or two per annum he must preach to them thrice a week, pay them frequent pastoral visits, or else they set up a howl against him. This is a point on which it is time to speak out. It appears to me that in all small towns in New Zealand the Ministers are only half supported, through the inconsideration and meanness of the people. I hold it to be the duty of every church to keep their minister's mind free from all secular anxieties, and thus enable him to move with a free and blithesome spirit in all the departments of ministerial usefulness. We hear a great deal about the minstry for the age. I hold that a church, in order to diffuse Christianity over the race, should in connection with the religious life be more masculine in thought, more thorough in knowledge, more natural in demeanour, more cheerful in spirit, more honourable in conduct, move jubilant in life th.m the world. But do we find it so I I think not. Judging from the literature of both, thQ

world seems to have the, advantage m viaourof thinking, in variety of mtel - gence, in naturalness of expression, in lonourableness of feeling and in amiability of spirit; and, if so > **" «Y *£ at the little influence of the church. For Snorance will never command the respect oHntelligence ; affectation will not command the respect of usefulness; the sTmbre and will repel the cheerful instincts of the heart Brethren, this subject has been forced on my attention by my knowledge of the Story of some churches in New Zealand. There are unreasonable men in connection with not a few congregations who are thwarting the purposes and wounding the hits of g ministers. It is time heir conduct should be exposed, and the young warned against their pernicious influence.