"English Church Music."

Mr. Editor:

I think perhaps the notice on "English Church Music" in the Sept. number of THE HOMILETIC REVIEW is rather misleading. I was educated in an English Cathedral city, and can bear witness to the fact that good music, conducted by men like Dr. Stainer of St. Paul's, or Dr. Longhurst of Canterbury, always secures large congregations. There are plenty of parish churches in Cathedral cities, and Churchmen generally attend their own church in the morning, but in the afternoon service the congregation at the Cathedral will always be large. Let any one go to St. Paul's, London, on a Sunday afternoon and see the immense crowd gathered there. It is a well-known fact that the Cathedral worship has gained enormously of late years; but surely not at the expense of the "public purse," else it would be in the Chancellor's Budget. The State but protects through the Ecclesiastical Commissioners the money derived from the sale of the Church lands. Vide also the immense sums of money which have to be deposited by Churchmen in the hands of the Government to be held in trust before a new Bishopric is founded.

ANGLO-CANADIAN.

We are glad to be corrected by our correspondent. Our reference, however, was solely to the cathedral worship as it comes into competition with that of the parish and dissenting churches conducted at the same hours. Our experience may have been unfortunate; for, while we have joined the crowd at St. Paul's and elsewhere in the afternoon, when other churches were closed, we have also attended morning service in English cathedrals when the choir performers outnumbered the listeners, while churches of all denominations in the neighborhood were thronged. We were amazed to find that "sense-melting music" and the short Sermonwhich we had imagined to be demanded by the multitude-attracted so few auditors. The fact is, that nothing in art -whether it be musical, architectural, or rhetorical-is ever so popular as the simple gospel preaching. Few people who do not go to church because of heart-hunger, will go regularly from any other motive.

We used the words, "public purse," in speaking of the support of cathedral worship, to indicate a distinction be

tween funds collected from the individual worshipers and those either appropriated by Government to-day, or derived from past grants from the Crown. We made the point, that the musical treat in the cathedral did not "draw" as might be expected, notwithstanding it was paid for without expense to the attendants. The ideas on this subject of those living west of the Atlantic and south of the St. Lawrence may be somewhat confused; for very many among us would regard "money derived from the sale of church lands," which were, perhaps, originally dona tions from the Government, and are still protected by the secular authority, as belonging to the public purse. The news from across the water indicates that this is a growing notion in the land of Ethelbert and Henry VIII.

The Old Sermon Again.

Mr. Editor:

Allow me to add a word to your very judicious remarks in the recent article, "Dare to Repeat."

The question is often asked, How long does it take ordinarily for a good sermon to evaporate from the memory of the hearer? We reply that a really good sermon is apt to always adhere— or rather inhere-to the mind of a good listener-that is, the sentiment awakened, the impression produced, will be lasting. But an old sermon can safely be repeated, even challenging the recollection of the audience, whenever through circumstances it awakens a different sentiment or fits some diverse emergency in the mind of the hearer; that is, whenever it can be made to hit him in a different place. For example, the writer once preached a sermon which was requested for publication as being especially pertinent and having stirred the community; yet almost the identical words had been uttered by him from the same desk within two years, and without exciting the least comment. The different reception of the discourse was due entirely to the different cir

cumstances of its delivery. It was a closely Scriptural lesson upon patience in adversity, and had originally been prepared as one of a course upon the Christian graces. At that time there was no special burden upon the hearts of the people. But afterwards a terrible affliction fell upon the community. Hard times were followed by a season of unusual mortality. The preacher looked upon the representatives of many stricken homes. The thoughts which at first merely flitted through the intelligence of the audience now found lodgment in susceptible hearts. At first the Scripture precepts, with which the sermon abounded, were like prescriptions read from a medical journal: the second time they came as balm applied to real wounds.

A sermon from the words, "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve,” was revived with similar good effect, and apparently without recognition, on the eve of an exciting election; the engrossment of the popular thought affording a fresh and timely occasion for setting forth the authority of the absolute right and true as paramount to any and all other claims upon the suffrages of men. When Black Friday's gloom floated from Wall Street over the country, a neighboring minister laid aside the sermon he was preparing and wrote a new introduction for an old discourse on "Buy the truth and sell it not."

I give this hint to my younger brethren. One-half of the impressiveness of a discourse is in the circumstances of its delivery; and whenever an old sermon can be made to produce a new impression, it is no longer old, but new, in the best sense of the word.

CLERICUS.

[The remarks of our correspondent above suggest the habit of a prominent clergyman, who selects for his evening sermon the outline of one he has previously given his people at a morning service. During a part of Saturday he reads and rereads the old manuscript, memorizes its best thoughts-not its words-and endeavors to fill his mind with the glow of the sentiment. Sun

day afternoon, after an hour's refreshing sleep, he meditates upon the old theme, drops out any thought which does not seem strongly relevant, adds any illustrations which come to him with fresh force from recent occurrences or his own recent reading. By the time he is ready to enter the pulpit Sunday evening he has practically a new sermon in his mind; the old has been so changed that, if a hearer sat with the manuscript before him, he would scarcely recognize and would not be able to follow it. The preacher has not "warmed over an old dish," but only taken some of the old leaven for a new baking.

Some have the habit of rewriting their old sermons; but we think the above-mentioned way is the better. We know of no plan for the cultivation of power in speaking without manuscript more practical than this. The preacher has the confidence which comes from knowing that his sermon is relatively a good one: his memory is not burdened with hastily crammed matter; and, feeling at home with his subject, he will be apt to feel more at home with his audience.]

The Use of "That."

I read Mr. Ayer's paper on "That," published in the March number of HOMILETIC REVIEW, with much interest. There is a good point he could have added to those he made-that of the opening phrase of the Lord's Prayer. The Greek is Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοις οὐρανοις—Father of us the (one) in the heavens. Now, the o is the point in question. It is sometimes translated which art, and sometimes who art; and both are manifestly wrong. It is in the Greek idiom the one being (in the heavens); and the meaning clearly is that art. The opening phrase, then, should be "Our Father that art in the heavens." The theology is widely different, as will be seen at a glance from that of "Our Father which (or who) art in the heavens." The that specifies which one of the fathers is addressed-namely, the one in

many

Magnify the Office of Preaching. VARIED and onerous are the duties of the Christian ministry. As a pastor, as an organizer and executive head of the activities of his church, and as a member of an ecclesiastical system and of general society, there are claims upon him, pressing for practical recognition. He cannot, without injury to his own good name and the cause which his office represents, ignore one of them. But they are not equally important, and must not be allowed to trench on his chief calling, which is, to preach the Word. This is his characteristic, paramount service. This is the special "high calling" to which he is ordained of God. The Christian ministry was instituted with chief reference to preaching the Gospel. Christ himself preached in city and country wherever He went. The apostles went forth in obedience to His command, "to preach the gospel to every creature." Preaching has been the chief instrument in advancing the kingdom of heaven, in every age of the Christian Church. Pastoral visitation, the printed page, the ordinances and sacraments, private instruction, and other agencies, are all important in their place, as auxiliaries; but they cannot take the place of preaching in the work to be done to secure the world's conversion. God

lays the stress on preaching: God has always specially honored preaching, and will continue to honor it till the end of time. It can never be superseded in the nature of the case. And every minister should magnify to the utmost this transcendent calling. Everything else which pertains to his office should be held to be subordinate; and all his plans, studies, gifts, aspirations and acquisitions, should be directed to this supreme end-how to preach the gospel of the grace of God so as to make it most effective on the hearts and lives of He should read, study, pray and strive for the mastery in this service. He should cultivate the feeling that the pulpit is the throne of his power, and concentrate on it all his energies. He should regard the hour spent in preaching as the harvest hour of the week. He should husband every moment, and make all his reading and study and preparation of the week tell emphatically on his Sabbath ministrations of the everlasting gospel.

men.

Leaders, Not Drivers.

Some pastors seem sometimes to forget that they are to be leaders, rather than drivers, of the churches which they are serving. They assume an authority which is in direct contravention to that which is accorded them by the New

Testament law, as set forth in the Pauline Epistles and illustrated in the practice of Christ and His apostles. Hence any pastor who makes a practice of using coercive measures in attempting to carry out his purposes and plans, relative to the affairs of the church, pursues a course which is both antiChristian and extra-scriptural. Besides, it is far from being politic; for, sooner or later, the self-respecting and influential members of the church, to say nothing of others, will rebel against such an unwarranted use of pastoral power, thus producing a conflict which must be disastrous to the interests of the church and damaging to the cause of Christ in general. More than this, such a pastor very soon makes himself odious to hose who do not belong to his church, and, at the same time, alienates himself from the friendship and fellowship of the greater part, if not the whole, of the church. And then, as a matter of course, his usefulness, in that charge, is practically ended. In these days of enlightenment and religious freedom people generally are swift to resent anything which savors of a tyrannical use of official position and power, even though it emanate from a pastor. The Romish priesthood have ever insisted upon the privilege of ruling their parishioners in a dictatorial manner, and they do not hesitate to employ very harsh measures to secure acquiescence in their wishes and commands. But every intelligent Protestant who has a clear discernment of the spirit and genius of Christianity revolts against the arrogant use of ministerial authority. Yet, we may believe that every true Christian is willing to be prudently led, by worthy pastors, into the adoption of such means and measures as may conduce to the prosperity of the church. Pastors can, by a wise and winning gentility, lead their people to do almost anything that offers promise of contributing to their spiritual as well as material welfare. Certainly, if a pastor cannot lead his flock, he may be sure that he cannot drive them; for, in nine cases out of ten, people will be led rather than driven. And

in order to lead our flocks properly we need to possess the spirit of Christ, in large measure, and pray much for a clear understanding of the conditions of the fields upon which we are engaged and the wants of our people.

"Preach the Word."

This was Paul's charge to Timothy; and it is a charge which applies with as great force to every minister of Christ to-day. It would be a good thing to have these words printed, in large letters, and hung up directly before the eyes of every preacher in his study. They would be a constant reminder that his chief business is to herald the Word of God rather than the opinions of men. If this charge were faithfully obeyed by every one who claims to be Christ's minister, there would be far less said in the pulpit about what councils have decreed, and what denominational creeds and standards declare. I do not inveigh against all decisions of councils and declarations of creeds; but I protest against giving such things the prominence which they, too often, receive in pulpit ministrations. Instead of prayerfully studying to know just what God has intended to convey to us, in the Bible, there is, many times, an effort to make the Bible substantiate purely human conceptions of truth. All of our theories of truth should be candidly submitted to the Word of God, in its entirety, for a decision of the truthfulness or falsity of our theories. If anything must suffer any apparent defeat, let it be our opinions and predilections rather than God's Word. Let nothing stand in the way of our preaching the pure Word. It were better for us to sacrifice every desire to ventilate our pet notions of doctrine and fanciful interpretations of the Scriptures, than that our preaching should be without gracious effect. Men are not saved through the preaching of human opinions of Divine truth; nor are they delivered from sin by the mere history of Divine truth. Neither are Christians spiritually refreshed and edified, to any marked extent, by essays about the Word. It is the plain, undi

luted Word of God, proclaimed with an unction from the Holy Spirit, that converts the soul and then builds it up in wholesome life and Divine vigor and Christly sympathy. What the people need is not elaborate disquisitions upon social problems and sanitary lawsthese belong to the forum-but the Word of God, preached in simplicity and with all fidelity, is the paramount need of the hour. Preach the Word, and God will bless both the Word and the preacher.

Exquisitely Finished.

The spiritual effect of a sermon may be weakened, if not spoiled, by undue attention to literary finish and merit. Some preachers lay out their strength on the style and expression of their sermon rather than on the thought, the argument, the spiritual power, the rousing appeal to the conscience, which they get into them. The poets are quoted quite as often as the Scriptures. The atmosphere of the pulpit is made

more classical than Christian. Plain, scriptural, earnest, forcible preaching is sacrificed to mere literary beauty and effect. This is a great mistake, Christ's preaching was simple, direct, pungent, in the language and form of common life. So with the early preachers of the Gospel. So with the Reformers and with all the great preachers who have reached the hearts of the people. Says the late Dr. George Shepard, one of the most able and effective preachers of the past generation: "Rounded periods rarely prick. Whoever sits down to make a very beautiful sermon, assuredly will make a very useless one. Occasionally there comes forth such a sermon, elaborated most deliciously. Every sentence has a flower; every line is music; and everybody is charmed. He is to ther as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; they hear his words, but they do them not. This is the character and end of all such preaching, splendid and powerless."

Revival Service.

AS THE HEART IS, SO IS THE EAR. Take heed how ye hear.-Luke viii: 18. I. Prejudice cried, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46.)

II. Bigotry exclaimed, "He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?" 'John x: 20.)

III. Candor affirmed, "One thing I know, whereas I was blind," etc. (John ix: 25.)

IV. Wonder acknowledged, "Never man spake like this man." (John vii: 46.) V. Conviction inquired, "Is not this the Christ?" (John iv: 20.)

VI. Faith prayed, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." (Luke xxiii: 42.)

APPLICATION.-"If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: . . . the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." (John xii: 47, 48.)

PEACE OF THE SAINT AND OF THE SINNER. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and who hath broken down, etc.— Eph. ii: 14.

I. The saint says, "He is our peace, who hath made both one;" therefore I am free from disquietude as to my pardon, my acceptance with God, my welfare in this world, and my prospects in the next.

II. The sinner says, He is not my peace, therefore I am fearful in not having the favor of God, the forgiveness of sin, and the indwelling Spirit. My peace is not on a rock, but on shifting sand; it is not storm-proof, nor death-bed-proof, nor damnation-proof. "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked."

WHERE IS HE? Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he ?-John vii: 11. I. Is He in your worshiping assembly on