One hundred illustrated sermons

Front matter

yiK, ermons

^oo^ xO^^ c>

5*-^ '

Preface

The twofold purpose of preaching I apprehend to be that of imparting instruction in truth and righteousness, and in inducing the people to exemplify the teaching they have received by the performance of deeds of love and mercy, and in building up Christian character by cultivating all the nobler attributes of the soul — and that style of preaching is best that accomplishes these purposes best.

Illustrative preaching has always appealed to the popular mind. George Whitefield would not have stirred the people as he did if he had only offered them doctrine and dogma. Rowland Hill would have had comparatively little success if it had not been for his aptness and originality in illustrating his sermons. Spurgeon's epigramatical sayings and "Feathers for Arrows" assisted him greatly in gaining and holding the attention of the thousands to whom he preached. Moody without his anecdotes would have been in a large measure shorn of his power to attract and hold the multitudes that every where greeted him. Gough's magical temperance addresses, that so moved and moulded the masses, if it had not been for the wealth of illustration from real life — both humerous and pathetic — that he poured into them, would have lacked half their charm and half their power.

There was One of old, ''who spake as never man spake," of whom it is recorded that "the common people heard him gladly" and he inculcated great truths and taught revolutionizing doctrines by the use of homely

PREFACE. 5 illustrations. His matchless parables were concerning a grain of mustard seed, buried treasury, a lost coin, new cloth on an old garment, wheat and tares, a barren fig tree, lilies of the field — illustrations that the orthodox Rabbis would have considered below their dignity to use in giving instruction to the people were employed by this Masterful Teacher to set forth clearly great principles never before so fully revealed and elucidated to the world.

Dr. Guthrie, than whom there is no better authority, for he demonstrated in actual practice what he affirms, said, "Illustrative preaching is intended as well for the unlearned as for the learned, for converting the unlettered poor, whose souls are as precious in God's sight as

those of philosophers and kings A story in a

sermon, like a float, keeps it from sinking ; like a nail, fastens it in the mind ; like the feathers of an arrow, makes it strike ; and like the barb makes it stick."

As for these "Illustrated Sermons" — if the title may properly be given to them — some of which were written while I was serving as chaplain of the Nineteenth Legislative Assembly of Arizona and others since, I only express a hope that at least a few grains of wheat may be found among the chaff. The only claim that is made for them is that they are original.

The more than three score poets — many of whom are of national reputation — who have so kindly contributed especially to this volume have placed the author and the many appreciative readers of their verses under great obligations to them.

The Author.