Preach “First Principles.”
There is no telling the evils that have arisen in some old congregations, from preachers assuming that their audiences knew all about what are usually called first principles, and not preaching them. In this way, they never get their audiences to understand the principles of the gospel at all. They preach to their half-sleeping audiences, not hearers, some little, exhortatory sermon, of twenty-five or thirty minutes, and not a syllable is recollected two days. The people are thankful that the sermon was short, and the preacher thankful that “service” is over. In this way the gospel has literally been shut out of some churches, and year after year passes without any thing like a clear development of the gospel, and neither the church nor the regular hearers understand the gospel, or know the difference between the gospel and something else. This also gives rise to textuary preaching and preaching a sermon “to develop a single thought.” We heard of one preacher who delivered a sermon on the text, “And there shall be no night there.” The wording was soft as a summer breeze and as harmless as a butterfly. Now, we must say that we abominate this as mere trash. We want good, sound, solid and manly preaching, containing principles and practical instruction, that will make an audience think and feel, and that to some purpose. Let us advocate the cause, maintain and defend it, with zeal, earnestness and power. Unfold the great principles of the faith, spread them out and let the world see them, and see at the same time that we intend they shall prevail. The principles are self-evidently right, and there is no reason why any man should be ashamed of them, or afraid to advocate them. They can be carried through the world, and we have the men and ability, and, the Lord helping us, we shall spread them throughout the land.