NEW BOOKS FOR 10/ Messrs. LILE & FAWCETT will forward a Parcel containing the following New Books upon receipt of Postal S. d. 3 6 NEW YEAR'S By T. VORES 4 0 3 6 Cry of Children from Brickyards of England. By GEORGE SMITH The Good Shepherd and His Flock Golden Hours Vol. 1882 Whitefield Magazine Vol. 1882 Music-Lost and Found Advertisements should be sent to LILE & FAWCETT, Advertisement Agents, Ludgate Circus, London, E.C. £1 10 0 THE ABOVE PARCEL FOR 10|- to As this is a very rare offer, we urge intending purchasers order at once to prevent disappointment. Orders will be executed in rotation as they are received. Cheques and P.O.O. payable to LILE & FAWCETT, Publishers LUDGATE CIRCUS, LONDON, E.C. LILE & FAWCETT, Printers, Ludgate Circus and Salisbury Square, E.C. THE LOCAL PREACHER'S TREASURY. Edited by JOHN BATE, Author of "Cyclopædia of Moral and Religious Truths," CONTENTS. PREPARATION AND PREACHING THE MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN HEART MOUNT HOREB "SELF-CONTRADICTIONS OF THE BIBLE" MORAL CONTRASTS.-No. II., Light and Darkness, THE AIM OF CHRISTIAN LIFE. A Sermon. MATERIALS FOR SERMONS : Good and Faithful Servant Christ's Compassion for Sinners The Plague of Sin 97 103 105 109 112 114 126 - 127 - 128 - 129 · 130 · 132 135 SEED-THOUGHTS ON TEXTS PREACHERS EXCHANGING VIEWS A PROTESTANT NON-CREDO LONDON: PUBLISHED for the PROPRIETORS; T. WOOLMER, 2, CASTLE STREET, CITY ROAD, E.C., AND R. FENWICK, 6, SUTTON ST., COMMERCIAL RD., E. MAY BE ORDERED OF ANY BOOKSELLER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. All Literary Communications for the LOCAL PREACHER'S TREASURY to be addressed to the Editor, St Neots, Hunts.; all Advertisements to Messrs Lile and Fawcett, Ludgate Circus, London, E.C., and all books for review to 2, Castlestreet, City-road, London, E.C.. Letters have been received from the Revs. J. R. Gregory, A. E. Hutchinson, L. Tyerman, T. Baine, G. S. Bowes, B.A., and J. Cuthbertson. N.B.-A portion of the profits of the LOCAL PREACHER'S TREASURY will be given to "The Local Preachers' Mutual Aid Association" and a portion to the Worn-out Ministers' Funds in the various Methodist denominations. Every subscriber is earnestly requested to assist in the circulation of this TREASURY. A copy of Influence of Mind on Mind is offered, post-free, for the best Essay on PRAYER MEETINGS; also for the best Outline, with illustrations, on Ps. xxxii., 1. Persons who write for THE LOCAL PREACHERS' TREASURY must bear in mind the object that it contemplates; must write clearly, pointedly, evangelically, forcibly, and briefly. We want marrow and fatness, which will feed the hearts and intellects of the brethren, and help to make them" valiant for the truth." Subscribers are informed that the edges of the TREASURY are uncut, with a view to allow a better margin to the volume when bound. It is no saving to the Publisher for them to be uncut. THE LATEST AND BEST WORK OF THE EDITOR. INFLUENCE OF MIND ON MIND. "Characterised by much depth of thought, expressed, however, in language of nnmistakable clearness. It is an interesting, learned, and wise book, far more interesting than its title would lead some to suppose."-The Christian. A thoroughly instructive work, written in a clear and attractive style. It is full of life, and contains specimens of rich, full, and vigorous writing."-Sword and Trowel. "A more interesting book we have rarely met with. Mr. Bate's style is clear, and strong, and racy; thoroughly good English, such as Englishmen dearly love. His heartiness is delightfully infectious. Every sentence throbs with life, and forms a link of vital connection between himself and his readers.”—Primitive Methodist Magazine, Amongst the testimonials accompanying this volume is a letter from Mr. John Bright, who says: 'I have read some portion of it and intend to read it all. There is much in it that interests me.' If one of the most practical statesmen of the age thinks these 700 pages worth reading, it can hardly be doubted that their contents are more than usually good; and we think that those who begin to read the book will not willing y lay it aside till they have completed its pernsal."London Quarterly Review. "Its clearness and freshness of style, and the telling facts and illustrations with which it abounds, make it attractive alike to the general reader and the student. Dealing as it does with subjects of supreme importance, and pervaded as it is by a high tone of earnestness and riety, we predict for it, sooner or later, a very wide circulation."-Methodist Recorder. "We know of no book like this in width of range and variety of subject, and we trust it may be read with intelligent interest by large circles of thoughtful people."- Watchman. This is, on the whole, decidedly the best production of Mr. Bate's busy intellect and fluent pen. It were superfluous to say that Mr. Bate writes nothing against the truth,' but all for the truth,' and the truth in its simplicity and vitality. His threefold division of his theme-Influence of Human Mind on Human Mind, of Divine Mind on Human Mind, of Human Mind on the Divine Mind-has more in it of helpful and elevating suggestiveness than many a pretentious volume. This is a very healthy, readable, edifying book."-Wesleyan Methodist Magazine 46 There are 700 pages in this volume, and not one that we would wish left out; for it is seldom, indeed, that a work so original, important, instructive, and useful comes into our hands. Mr. Bate has produced several excellent works aforetime; this however, excelleth them all."-Methodist New Connexion Magazine. N.B.-Subscribers (only) to THE LOCAL PREACHER'S TREASURY may have the above work at HALF-PRICE cash (Postal Parcel conveyance, 6d. extra), by applying to the Wesleyan Book Room, or to Mr. Thompson, Bookseller, Market Square, St. Neots. 97 THE Local Preacher's Treasury. PREPARATION AND PREACHING. The substance of a Paper read before the Wesleyan Methodist Local Preachers' Meeting, Douglas, December, 1883. Published at the request of that meeting. BY THE REV. J. ROBINSON GREGORY. IT must be understood from the first that the subject is not of my own choosing. It is by your desire that I have written and now read this paper. A preacher talking about preaching cannot but feel with some pain the force of the suggestion: "In any work setting forth a standard of excellence, the individual. should not appear, lest the imperfection of his single endeavour should detract from the standard held up for imitation."* This paper cannot be anonymous; but I must ask you to forget, while you consider it, the person of the writer. Our judgment as to the best methods of Preparation and Preaching will necessarily be determined by our conception of the true nature and objects of Preaching. Preaching is teaching, says Ruskin, in a well-known passage. Probably, most of us here would demur to the sufficiency of this definition. We might say, rather, Preaching is proclaiming -proclaiming the good news of God. We may with advantage combine the two definitions. We have a message from God, and it is our business to speak it so as to arrest men's attention, and to secure, so far as possible, their obedience to it. We have a revelation which it is our duty to make as clear as we can, and to apply to the present needs of those who listen to us. Commonly, we divide our congregation into two classes -those who are within, and those who are without the Church of Christ. The former require food for their spiritual growth, instruction in righteousness; the latter to be awakened, alarmed, persuaded. Of course, believers need sometimes to be stimulated, and unbelievers to be informed, but in the main the distinction just named holds good. "Papers on Preaching," by the Rev. G. J. Davies. Third Edition, pp. viii., ix. Preaching, then, is both proclaiming and teaching. Alike in teaching and in proclaiming, we take a text. The first thing to settle is the relation between the text and the sermon. The text must be no mere ornamental prefix to the sermon, the one should be organically connected with the other. Treatises on Homiletics mention various methods of treating a text and composing a sermon. Speaking practically, and somewhat roughly, they all range themselves under two comprehensive heads. You may expound the text itself and enforce the doctrine it contains; or, you may deal with your text as indicating some subject or topic. In either case it is imperatively necessary that we ascertain what the text means. The opposite course is disrespectful to the Bible, and approaches perilously near to handling the Word of God deceitfully. It is on the one hand misleading to our congregations, and on the other insulting to their intelligence. The Revised Version (so far as the New Testament is concerned, and, in due time, so far as the Old Testament is concerned) leaves us almost without excuse for errors of rendering. Wesley's "Notes"-which every Local Preacher is supposed to possess-will go far to save us from false doctrine, and any good English commentary* will furnish us with all needful preliminary explanations. Usually the preceding and following context affords the most trustworthy key to the exegesis of our texts. We may not wrench a text from its inspired connection and show it as a disjointed fragment rather than as the harmonious whole the Holy Spirit fashioned it. It is not necessary that we exhibit to our auditors the process by which we have arrived at our interpretation; but we should be careful to adhere to the spirit as well as the letter of the selected text. If, then, I may venture to offer any advice at this point, it would be: deal fairly with your texts. Do not twist and torture them, like victims on the rack, until they utter any sound you may wish to extort from them. Let them give their witness freely and impartially. And do not treat them carelessly, as though the particular form in which they enshrine truth were unimportant and did not proceed from the * I have been asked repeatedly to name an English commentary which our Local Preachers and Sunday-school Teachers may consult with safety and profit. Perhaps on the New Testament, Dr. Whedon's will be found the most trustworthy and useful. Ellicott's "New Testament for English Readers" is, in its cheapest form, somewhat more expensive; its expositions are of unequal value, and here and there it is more or less Churchy. The "Popular Commentary" published by T. & T. Clarke is, as at present issued, more costly still. It contains much good, and some masterly, work, but it is disfigured in many places by Scotch Calvinism. On the Old Testament Í know nothing that meets the requirements of a reasonable price. handiness, plainness, and doctrinal trustworthiness. On the whole, possibly the "Portable Commentary may be the most helpful. The" Old Testament for English Readers," so far as I have seen it, is markedly inferior to the New. We sadly want a Methodist commentary, prepared on a similar plan to those edited by Ellicott, Schaff, &c.; different books being assigned to different Methodist ministers. |