Cyclopedia of Sermon Outline

Front matter

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CYCLOPEDIA OF SERMON OUTLINES

Rev. AQUILLA WEBB, D.D., LL.D.

Introduction

By Rev. CHarLEs L. Goopett, D.D.

Secretary, Commission on Evangelism and Life Service of The Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America

It is a fine thing to have one’s table loaded with gastronomic delicacies but this produces no nourishment for the partaker unless he is able to digest and assimilate the food. Dr. Webb has loaded the table for us here with that which, if properly assimilated, will greatly nourish one’s intellectual and spiritual life, but in order to do that it must be thoroughly digested by him who would be nourished thereby.

One cannot become a helpful preacher by simply repeating the words of great men. The message must become as truly a part of his own thought-life as it was of the life of the man who passed its thoughts to him.

There is a story of a young preacher who repeated one of Beecher’s sermons to his little mountain congregation. Beecher himself had dropped in unknown to the preacher. After the sermon had been delivered by the preacher as one of his own, Mr. Beecher went up and complimented him on the sermon.

“May I ask you how long it takes you to get up such a sermon?”

“Oh, I can produce one like that inside of three hours.”

“That is most remarkable. It took me more than three months to prepare that sermon.”

“What! Is this Mr. Beecher! I want to say to you that I am never ashamed to preach one of your sermons.”

Let us never forget that the words are only the form through which the flame must flow!

Here are the great men of a past generation—Beecher, Brooks, Simpson, Spurgeon, Parker and McLaren, and here are Inge, Watkinson, Jones, Dawson, Horton, and others whose voices are still sending a great message to this world.

Here are both wisdom and spiritual passion which will quicken the mind and heart of those who seek to become enlightened and inspired. The truth is presented from different view points. Much

Vil vill INTRODUCTION that is said must be read, marked, learned and inwardly digested. Study, ruminate, and note well all that is implied.

Dr. Webb has made available the treasures of a hundred volumes and every pastor and layman will be greatly enriched thereby. What would have been impossible to the meagre purse of the average pastor is here available and within his means.

This book should help to give better preaching to the average congregation. Catch the spirit, then let the spirit which is within thee voice the message as a living thing.

When the fire burns low, when the mind is slow and the heart stolid, a message from these prophets of God will kindle the fire to a flame and the heart will burn once more with the prophetic flame. Get your inspiration where those men found theirs and so do not forget as you mount the pulpit steps that the question trembling upon the lips of the people is this—the same that a king asked a prophet of old—Is there any message from the Lord?

CELE:

Foreword

The Apostle Paul in his letter to Timothy says, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

In this manner the message of reconciliation was and is to be carried on from generation to generation. The minister, true to his calling, is an ambassador and under the most solemn obligation to represent faithfully the government he represents. God has no new message to communicate to the world. In times past He spake unto our fathers by the prophets but in these last days he has spoken unto us by His Son. This conclusive revelation was transmitted to the apostles and has come down through the ages to us. The long and noble line of ministers furnishes the evidence of their fidelity to this trust.

The mere outline of messages delivered to their people by these men of God are presented in this volume for the consideration of those who have been called to continue the line of succession.

The evidence of the Divine blessing upon the labour of these worthy men is an all-sufficient reason why we should commit to others what they have committed to us.

In the compilation of these outlines the writer has received a wealth of suggestion that he gladly puts in the possession of his fellow workers in the sincere hope that their ministry may be thereby enriched.

AQUILLA WEBB.

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