2. The natural temperament of speakers governs in a
asure the kind of eloquence in which they may excel. Sons of thunder and sons of consolation have each their mission; but for either to attempt the office or adopt the style of the Other is to hazard failure.
Nevertheless, mere natural endowments are insufficient to insure success without studious self-cultivation; whereas laborious efforts in right line- tend to the highly successful development of ordinary tali nts. An instance in point is that of Thomas Guthrie, the distin- guished preacher of the free Church of Scotland, than whom no man ever wielded the power of illustration more i ff< i tively. ^ et, a- shown in hi.- biography, that power was acquired by diligent and continuous effort alter hi- entrance into mature ministerial lite, and as a result of personal experiences < om being him ol its im- portance.
:;. Successful pulpit address demand- a wise choice of subjects, the \ i\ id presentation of thought, and the use of language adapted to the comprehension of hearers. The character and influence ol the Christian pulpit have at times been greatly lowered by the introduction of improper topic- topic- either trivial in themselves or out of harmony with the spirit and truths of the I iospeL But even when the themes of discussion have been ap- propriate, the peculiar and more important objects of preaching have often been neutralized by languid ut-
PULPIT ELOQUENCE
785
PULSE
terances, or by styles of expression ill adapted to the comprehension of the hearers addressed. The expres- sion of the apostle Paul, "In the Church I had rather speak live words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue" (1 Cor. xiv, 19), eluci- dates an important principle of all true eloquence. No matter how eloquent a man may be in his own estima- tion, if others fail to comprehend him his efforts will be to them either an enigma, or at best a vain show. In short, all genuine pulpit eloquence must be in har- mony with those principles of human nature on which the success of secular eloquence depends. It was criti- cally and justly shown by lord Brougham that the tri- umphs in eloquence secured by Demosthenes were won by his " handling in succession a variety of topics all calculated to strike his audience." So the successful proclamation of the Gospel depends largely upon the ca- pacity of its preachers to present in striking forms, and in proper succession, the great truths of God's Word and providence.
4. The higher degrees of pulpit eloquence are not at- tained apart from deep religious feeling on the part of preachers. Men who are secular in their lives and low in the grade of their religious opinions and experience neither choose the themes that strike the deep chords of the human soul, nor are capable of treating them in the most affecting and moving manner. Whereas men who have a profound sense of the divine presence and authority, who have a vivid conception of the realities of eternity, the value of immortal souls, and the power of Christ as the Saviour of the perishing, they, and they only, have the proper moral basis for effective, and hence, in the most important sense, eloquent religious address to their fellow-men. " Out of the fulness of the heart the mouth speaketh." When, therefore, the heart is full of God's truth and love, it gives forth its sentiments in impressive utterances, and makes objec- tive to others the eloquent feelings that glow within it. When the emotions of the speaker are not enlisted— in other words, when subjective eloquence is wanting on his part — the objective results of eloquence cannot be produced in the minds and hearts of hearers.
5. The higher effects of eloquence depend largely upon accessories favorable both to speakers and hearers. It is not sufficient that an orator realize in himself the qualities and conditions essential to eloquence. He also has need of all available agencies as helps in the task of transferring his thoughts and emotions to others. His first requisite is language, as a common medium for the expression and reception of thought. But the force of the best language may be greatly weakened by indistinct articulation, by feeble utterance, by uncouth gestures, and other faults of delivery. On the other hand, it may be greatly intensified by a corresponding- physical expression, in which not only the tongue ad- dresses the ear, but the eye, the countenance, the atti- tudes, and the action of an earnest speaker fix the gaze of his auditors and concentrate the magnetism of his presence and purposes upon the perception and sympa- thy of his hearers. That the full effect of such an ad- dress may be realized, the auditors need to be comforta- bly placed, and within easy range of his voice, since any form of discomfort, or any effort to understand, dis- tracts their attention and weakens the impression they will receive. When, in circumstances like these, the thoughts and emotions of an eloquent man flow into the souls and kindle the emotions of a mass of hearers, their presence, in turn, reacts upon him, quickening his men- tal powers, and rousing his sensibilities to a degree un- attainable in other circumstances. This mutuality of emotion rises with the increase of numbers and the unity of sentiment that pervades the mass. It may be said, therefore, that when speakers are equal to their task, large audiences are important, if not essential, to the higher effects of eloquence. Favorable expectancy on the part of hearers is also another condition greatlv