1.G 13. Homely Illustrations

Homely Illustrations.

You must not be afraid to illustrate truths in an undignified manner. Young gentlemen, where you cannot help yourselves, you have a right to be dignified; but this cant and talk about dignity is the most shabby and miserable pretence of pride and of an artificial culture. There is nothing so dignified as a man in earnest. It is that which approves itself to the moral consciousness of every hearer.

If, besides that, you are naturally graceful and handsome, and your thoughts flow in a certain high order, so much the better; but if they do not, and you assume the pretence of it, and put on the mask of these things without having the inward soul, you are base.

Now, in respect to truth, do not be ashamed to explain it by homely illustrations. Do not be ashamed to talk to the miller about his mill, or to the ploughman about his plough, and about the grubs that are under it, and about every part of it.

If you are going to be a master in your business, you must know about all these things yourself.

Having eyes, you must see; having ears, you must hear; and having a heart, you must understand. A minister ought to be the best informed man on o the face of the earth. He ought to see everything, inquire about everything, and be interested in every thing. You may ask, “ Shall I treasure up illustrations? “ Yes; if that is your way, you may do so; if not, you will very soon find it out. You must know what is the best method for yourself.

You cannot pattern on anybody else. Imitations are always poor stuff. You must find out the thing meant for you, and then do the best you can. You must be faithful in the place where God put you, and for which you are equipped. A minister is not a man to know books alone. He must know books, and study them profoundly. You must be conversant with the thoughts and deeds of the noble minds of every age of the world. There is much for you in history and in libraries, in the discourse of your equals, in the conversation of scholarly men. But this fact ought you not to overlook nor to neglect, that you are God’s shepherds, for the sheep and for the lambs as well. You ought to know about the woman’s spinning-wheel, about the weaver’s loom and every part of it. You ought to know about the gardener’s thoughts, his ambitions and feelings.

You ought to know what is done in the barn, in the cellar, in the vineyard, and everywhere. You ought to know and understand a naturalist’s enthusiasm when he finds a new flower or a new bug, that ecstasy is almost like a heaven of heavens to the apocalyptic John! You must study men, women, and children, their weaknesses and their strong sides.

You must live among men, and be sentient and conscious of what they are, and what they think about. And when you come to preach, it is for you to draw an illustration in the range where your hearers live, whether it be high or low; and you must change them continually, providing now for some, and now for others. But they must always be on a level with your audience, so that they will surge back and draw your hearers to you.

You must bring people to yourself, and not wait for them to come. As well might a new bucket of white oak, newly hooped, the very best bucket to be had, expect that water shall come up from the well to its level, while it simply hangs over the well-curb; it must go down to the water and bring it up. You must go down to your people. There must be a place where your yarn is joined on to their yarn, and it must be joined in one common thread.