The preacher's analytical perception will measure to it its harmony, its strength, and its beauty, in the use to which he subjects it. Indeed, every sentence he utters, will be tinged with beauty, and glow with the charms of truth, or appear aimless and obscure, as a correct Bible analysis energizes and strengthens the visions of his own mind, or as a want of it leaves his vision obtuse and confused. On the severity and clearness of this analysis of thought-of truths in the lower sciences-depends the power of any lecture upon them. Without it the lecturer may clothe his thoughts in the most refined and splendid imagery of words; by the gorgeous display of language, he may dazzle and please his audience, but he will fail to chain or instruct them. God has committed to the gospel ministry the great science of redemption by price and by power. It is theirs to develope to the world the mighty science of God's moral government. In sounding its analytical depths; in evolving the profound mysteries of such a scheme, to a lost, benighted, and deluded world, with a view to its recovery to God-how important, how indispensable, is clear, unerring, and unmistakeable analysis! To grasp the whole of that stupendous science is not within the power of any man. It can only be contemplated in its parts. By a clear exhibition of its parts-distinct, while harmonious-and by that alone, is the mind lifted up, enlarged, and enabled, with propriety and advantage, to contemplate the great whole. The truth-revealed claims of the Godhead can only reach and command men as analysis gives them the distinct and the concrete features of Bible truths. The great plan of redemption-that wonderful scheme of man's recovery to his filial subjection to, and heirship of God-can only reach, and charm, and move, and win us, as a correct analysis enables us to contemplate its distinct, but yet harmonious parts or truths. If either their individual, or their harmonious completeness is wanting in our comprehension, we shall neither be charmed nor benefited by its exhibition. How, then, is it possible for a preacher to exhibit the moral beauty, or the commanding appropriateness of the great whole by an exhibition of its parts, without himself possessing a clear and distinct analysis of those parts, and as parts of the whole ? How can he give that which he does not possess? How can he impress upon his hearers the beauty and force of discrimination, when his own mind does not discriminate? How can he reflect sunshine upon others, when he himself dwells in a thick cloud? The oft-made remark, "that such a man is a clear thinker, but has no gift to communicate his thoughts to others," is an assumption. To know that fact you must be omniscient. If he express no clear thoughts, how do you know that he has them? No, no; the truth is that his thoughts are muddy. The trouble is, a confused vision within-a want of clear discriminating power, or habit, in himself. A thought clearly conceived within will get out in some way. It will leap from mind to mind. It will make words, or it will energize the most broken and meagre into those of the most commanding beauty and eloquence. Co-aback, a Chinaman, who had been converted to Christ, being asked how he felt towards Christians who had sent him the gospel, in labouring for words, in which to express his appreciation of their kindness, his full heart, throbbing for utterance, leaped out in such a manner as to thrill hearts with sympathy, "I want to die for them!" The idea of unmeasured gratitude was his. The analysis of the matter combined in that idea was clear in his mind, and it was omnipotent to command. That answer in beauty and in power is unsurpassed anywhere. Nothing can be more obvious than that clear Scriptural analysis is indispensable to the intelligent preaching of the Bible. And, I may add, with great propriety, that clear analysis of Bible truths on the part of the preacher, will ordinarily command the means of utterance, so as to charm and instruct his audience. If the preacher be learned, and has the command of words for ample illustration, so much the better. His preaching will then be truth dressed in the habiliment of fine speech. But even without this, if clear analysis of truth is grasped by the preacher's own mind, it will get out, shorn, it may be, of the appropriate drapery of words, but not of its intrinsic beauty. The naked gold of truth, with its unadorned but massive wealth-its substantial and fadeless lustre, may fall with resistless power and richness upon the waiting assembly. People are seldom slow to hail, or to feel even, the forked, jagged thunderbolt of thought. But preaching has a practical object to accomplish worthy of its high commission. It is to bring the truths of the gospel, by their individual completeness and harmonious oneness, to bear directly upon the hearts and consciences of men. Oh! it is not to speak about so long! It is not to elaborate words so arranged, and so varied as to exhibit their prismatic beauty! Oh, no, no. It is to come with a message from the Eternal God to dying men. A sermon-an evangelical sermon -is a message from God. No address deserves the name of a sermon, which does not present some Bible truth, and that so analyzed, so separated from the mass of truth, as to be recognized in its own distinct dimensions; and, at the same time, so harmonized with all other truth-the gospel-so redolent of Christ who is the truth, and so presented as to combine in it all the authority of God, and his revealed will, enforcing its demand for absolute submission to its authority; demanding that men should accept it as the wealth of the soul, and as the authoritative guide of life. A sermon, that which deserves the name of a sermon, never fails to make a demand upon the hearer. It is a message to be delivered, not among the people, but to the people. To be a sermon, it must be the exhibition of some Bible truth in its abstract completeness and in its concrete relations; bring the hearer into contact with God, with Christ, and with the imperative claims of the gospel of the Son of God. N. C. Biography. REV. D. MANY of our readers will still remember the visit, some fifteen or twenty years ago, of the Rev. Dr. Tyng, and his touching, spiritual speeches in the Metropolis. The deceased was his son, as fine a youth as ever trod American soil. He was all zeal, intelligence, and charity, -too much so for some of his ecclesiastical connexions. In the course of last year we gave elsewhere part of his noble speech at the Congregational Union, in New York, little thinking that he was so soon to be called away from amongst us. Surveying a threshing machine in operation in the fields, his arm was torn from his body! The following is an extract from the sermon of his father, on the occasion of his death : Early on Monday morning, after a feeble and wasteful night, he said to his mother, who was bathing his limbs, "Dear mother, you are nursing my poor, torn, and wounded body; but angels will guard and nurse my torn and suffering soul." At nine o'clock, I perceived him sinking away rapidly, and when his wife and myself were alone by him, I announced to him my conviction that the glorious end was rapidly ap A. TYNG. proaching. He had cherished strong hopes of recovery, in the impression that his work could not have been completed, and he had yet much to do. Yet he had previously, early on this morning, delivered up all his earthly concerns into my hands, and said with sweet composure, "Father, will you take charge of them all for me?" and when I answered him in the affirmative, "Now, father, I will think of them no more. He received the annunciation of his approaching death with the utmost calmness and delight, replying, "My father dear, I dearly love you all; but I had rather be with Jesus than with my dearest ones on earth. Lay me straight in the bed, father, and cover me up, and let me wait my Father's time." We arranged his bed as well as was possible, and he lay in quietness in it for a little while. His friends and family were gathered immediately around his bed, as I announced to them the certainty of his approaching departure. We watched his blessed and animated countenance in its repose. During this interval he spoke occasionally in brief remarks to those around him, which need have no place here. But at this moment one testimony was given, which has been referred to already in the public prints, and though I should not have introduced it to the public myself (for I esteem such brief addresses as beyond the right of public knowledge), yet it is my duty, it having been proclaimed, to repeat it correctly. When his beloved and faithful physician had returned from a short absence from the house, a little before ten o'clock, he said to him, "Doctor, my friends have given me up; they say I am dying. Is that your opinion?" The doctor, after a few moments' examination, answered him in the affirmative. "Then," said he, "doctor, I have loved you much as a friend; I long to love you as a brother in Jesus Christ. I cannot repay the obligations I am under to you, unless I am permitted to bring you to a Saviour's feet. Let me entreat you now to come to Jesus, that you may be to me for ever a dear brother in Christ, and that you may be far more useful than I have ever been." He was presently asked if he had any message to send to his brethren in the ministry, or to his congregation. He answered us, "Not now; I am too much exhausted." Again he reposed for a few moments, and then opened his eyes with a very elevated expression, and said in a loud and very distinct voice, "Now, father, I am ready. Tell them, 'Let us all stand up for Jesus-let us all stand in Christ Jesus in prayer-accepted in Christ, having no other claims than his righteousness, that Christ may be glorified in us for ever."" He again sank in repose and quiet for a season, and then again he raised his eyes and voice, and said, in equal distinctness, "Now, father, I want to send a message to my church. I love that church; I love the principles on which it has been founded; I want to see those principles established in the church; I want to see men gathered into the church on those principles, such as shall be saved. I wish my people to go on vigorously and unitedly, and establish that church for the glory of Christ for ever." Much exhausted by such effort, he sank at these intervals into perfect quietness; and then again he suddenly aroused, and said to us, "Sing! sing! can you not sing?" We hesitatedsaw it was impossible, when he himself struck the words, "Rock of Ages, cleft for me," and we followed him. We sung together the first two verses of that hymn; but he could sing no more-no more could we; sorrow silenced us all. In reference to his own death, he said, "I wish to say in regard to this dispensation, I am perfectly satisfied-I have not one fault to find with it. I say it emphatically, I have not one fault to find with it. I desire only that it may be abundantly sanctified to us all." His beautiful private personal address to his wife, and two addresses to his family, and particularly to his little children, who were severally brought to him, and to whom he gave separately a father's parting kiss and blessing, these were all so spiritual, so sweet, so solemn, that they can never be effaced from the memory of those who heard and saw the remarkable scene. Soon after this his mind began to wander he had an hour of imaginary contest. He seemed at last to pass it, and I said to him, as he lay down, relaxed and prostrate, "My dear son, have you been surrounded by enemies ?" "Yes, father." "But," said I, "Jesus was with you, darling." "Oh, yes, certainly." "And are you now at rest?" "Yes, perfectly." "Is the prospect bright before your eyes?" "Oh, yes, it is glorious." But the power of life was now fast going, and he seemed no longer conscious of our presence. I aroused him again, and asked him, "Do you see me, my dear son ?" "No." "Do you hear me?" "No." "Do you not know your father's voice ?" "No." His wife made the same attempts, but with no other result. I then said, "My darling son, do you know Jesus?" "Oh, yes," said he, in a voice of wonderful strength and deliberation; "Oh, yes! I know Jesus!-I have a steadfast trust in Jesus-a calm and steadfast trust." This was, perhaps, within an hour of his departure. After this he could say no more connectedly, yet one halfhour afterwards, perhaps, I thought he might still be conscious to my voice, and I asked him, "Are you happy, my dear son?" He answered me very distinctly, "Oh, perfectly, perfectly!" How strange! They were the very words with which his sainted mother closed her testimony to me, six-andtwenty years before, within five minutes of her death. From that moment he gently sobbed away his life, like an infant who had fallen asleep in crying. His sobs became fainter and fainter, until the last one gently passed, and all was quietness and rest. British Missions. In presenting the complete list of contributions, by collections or otherwise, to the three Societies included in the general designation of "British Missions," for the year ending April 30th last, the Committees of these several Institutions would not be faithful to the trust devolved on them did they not express the disappointment which has long been felt that this facile method for rendering the aid required has been adopted by so few of the Churches of the Denomination. These Missions are specially and emphatically our own. They are designed to promote the spread of evangelical truth in connexion with the distinctive principles of Congregational church polity, and have been conducted with varied success for many years at Home, in Ireland, and the Colonies. It is not for foreigners they care, but for our countrymen, or our fellow-subjects throughout the wide extent of the British Empire. No zeal, however ardent, and no liberality, however abundant, in seeking the conversion of the heathen, can excuse, much less justify, the neglect of caring for our "kindred according to the flesh." It was by considerations like these that the now sainted Algernon Wells was influenced when he suggested the plan of simultaneous collections on the last Sabbath of October, for the three British Missions Societies. The plan was cordially approved, especially as it was not likely to interfere with the support rendered to other important objects. It was not intended to supersede existing auxiliaries or associations in support of either Society, but was designed to be subsidiary to all. It was hoped that a collection for these three distinct and important Institutions, would, without difficulty, be made by most of the churches throughout the land, which, together with the support previously rendered, would enable the Committees to conduct their affairs without anxiety, and with growing success. These expectations have not been realized. DURING THE LAST YEAR, 240 CHURCHES ONLY RESPONDED TO THE APPEAL! To many of these the acknowledgments of the Committees are due for the generous support they have rendered by their collections, regularly remitted from the commencement of the plan to the present time. Some also have advantageously instituted Congregational Associations, dividing the proceeds according to the preference which may be felt for either of the Societies. The question may be asked, Why have not a greater number united in an effort which some regard as a sacred duty? It will be difficult to reply to such an inquiry. Some churches are actively engaged in endeavours to evangelize their own vicinity, or are putting forth their utmost energies for the county in which they are situated. But if this be admitted as an excuse for the little support which they are able to give to the Home Missionary Society, have they no care, do they feel no interest, for down-trodden, Popish Ireland, or for their countrymen who have gone forth to people the distant Colonies of the empire? With all earnestness, and with sincere respect, the Committees of all three Societies would once more appeal to the Pastors and Deacons of the Churches, seriously, prayerfully, to consider the matter. It may be stated that there are, perhaps, not fewer than a thousand churches from which during the past year, no contribution was received by either Society. If it be supposed that a third, or even half, of these can with difficulty meet local claims, and may therefore be excused for the apparent neglect, there will still remain five hundred from which some indication of the concern they feel for this great and holy cause should have been manifested. The Committees would very earnestly entreat all who may peruse these lines to consider what they can do to wipe away the reproach which must attach to such as might have united in this "work of faith and labour of love," but neglected to do so. Is it too much to hope that every church in the entire denomination will, for this year at least, make a collection, or otherwise assist these Societies? They all need a special effort to replenish their exhausted exchequer. The Home Missionary Society is in great embarrassment; the Irish Evangelical must confine its operations to its present comparatively contracted scale, unless its resources are greatly augmented; and the Colonial must obtain larger contributions, or turn a deaf ear to the cry, "Come over and help us," that is borne to it by almost every breeze that blows. It is in the power of the British Churches, by a united and general effort, to meet these pressing necessities. Let every congregation do something, and the British Missions' Collections for 1858 will exceed those of any previous year, will be worthy of the denomination,-will relieve the intense anxieties of the Committees, and will be the means of conveying the glad tidings of salvation to multitudes of our fellow-subjects at Home, in Ireland, and the Colonies. COLLECTIONS FOR BRITISH MISSIONS, ON LORD'S DAY, OCTOBER 25TH, 1857, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, UP TO APRIL 30TH, 1858. |