This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 edition. Excerpt: ...if it did, one does not make conversation, but bears it--just as an apple-tree bears apples--crabs or bell-flowers, --each after its kind. From the Christian who considers his tongue his tool, "Good Lord deliver us!" To him, preaching is sloid--and liable to be something worse. Such mechanics weight the gospel ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 edition. Excerpt: ...if it did, one does not make conversation, but bears it--just as an apple-tree bears apples--crabs or bell-flowers, --each after its kind. From the Christian who considers his tongue his tool, "Good Lord deliver us!" To him, preaching is sloid--and liable to be something worse. Such mechanics weight the gospel sadly, not more in the pulpit than the pew, but it is more noticeable there. Poor Moses had a touch of the foolishness--or wickedness, but escaped it at the outset. But the heresy has persisted to this day, and your spouter waits for no burning bush, takes off no shoe, listens for no voice, but' advertises the Almighty that "Here is a talker, if you please," and without waiting for any answer, strikes out with his "tool" after the world, the flesh, and the board of trustees. And rich widows and other earnest and affluent people take up poor boys who talk, and robbing them of the divine providence of a chance to struggle up to robust manhood in the church or elsewhere, educate (?) them by charity, and launch them, flabby but eloquent, into an individual Babel, to repeat the old history, in monologue. I do not disparage natural or acquired grace of speech; far from it! But I do say that facility of language ought not to be counted a sign of fitness for the ministry. I believe that no very fluent man or woman has ever proven to be morally great, and I also believe that no young man should be encouraged to go in for the ministry at the charges of somebody else. Parents ought to educate their children as well as they can, but leave them absolute freedom of choice as to professions. And childless people or rich people ought to be alert for opportunities to help the poor; but those who are tempted to pick up bright boys and make preachers, ought to...
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