A preacher pays a poor compliment to his brain when he tries to attract
public attention, as a _preacher_, with fine clothes. A dancing master
can vie with him in that line, whether the fine clothes are paid for
or not. In the same way the preacher that must have a gorgeous temple,
like Romanists and pagans, to attract the people and draw them out,
and his choir of singers and organ, to discourse music for the saints,
pays a poor compliment to his brain and his ability as a preacher,
and a poorer compliment to the worshippers who have to be thus _drawn
out_. It is virtually a surrender to the world, and an acknowledgement
on the part of the preacher, that he has no confidence in the gospel,
or his ability to preach to attract the attention of the people, draw
them out, or turn them to God when they are drawn out. The church
that resorts to such artifices to draw the people out, virtually
acknowledges that she has no influence to _draw_ the people out; that
the preacher has no influence to _draw_ them out; that _their_ gospel
and worship have no power to _draw_ them out; but they have found out
what will _draw_ them out. A fine temple of show, extravagance and
folly; a popular choir, an organ, ice cream, strawberry festivals,
musical concerts, church fairs, etc., etc. These will draw. Certainly
they will. But what becomes of the preacher, the gospel, the worship
and the church? What becomes of Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, and
all that is divine?
Christ had not “where to lay his head.” What does that prove? Not
that his followers should not have where to lay their heads, or that
preachers should not; but, if following him and serving him should
reduce them to such destitution that they would not have where to lay
their heads, they should bear it patiently and not murmur, remembering
that their Lord and Master had not where to lay his head.
“Christ traveled on foot and preached.” What does that prove—that
preachers must _always_ travel on foot? Not at all. The Lord did not
always travel on foot. What then? That a preacher should travel on
foot if need be. We have traveled on foot to preach and would do it
again before we would give up preaching. We, therefore, take the cars,
steamboat, stage, private conveyance, any means most convenient.