86 The Fundamentals Revision Committee—he was unusually eloquent, and he was having a most successful ministerial career. Indeed, he was the most popular preacher in Detroit, if not in -Michigan, having large audiences on Sundays, with people seated in the aisles and upon the pulpit stairs of his church, and with his listeners hanging upon his words. One week day, at this period, he sat in his study, preparing one of his sermons for the following Sunday, when a voice seemed to say to him: “James Inglis, whom are you preaching?” Mr. Inglis was startled, but he answered: “I am preaching good theology.” But the Voice seemed to reply: “I did not ask you what you are preaching, but whom are you preaching ?” My uncle answered: “I am preaching the Gospel.” But the Voice again replied: “I did not ask you what you are preaching; I asked you whom are you preaching?” Mr. Inglis sat silent and with bowed head for a long time before he again replied. When he did, he raised his head and said: “O God, I am preaching James Inglis!” And then he added: “Hence forth I will preach no one but Christ, and Him crucified!” Then my uncle arose, opened the chest in his study w;hich con tained his eloquent sermons and deliberately put them one by one info the fire which was burning in his study stove. From that time on he turned his back upon every temptation to be oratorical and popular, preached simply and exposition- ally, and gave himself in life and words to set forth Jesus Christ before men. Later he became the editor of two widely read religious papers, and the teacher in the Scripture of such men as Dr. Brooks of St. Louis, Dr. Erdman of Phila delphia, Dr. Gordon of Boston, and Mr. Moody of North- field. He died in 1872; but his name is still held in reverent and grateful remembrance by many of the most spiritual of God’s saints in America and Europe. Mr. Inglis was by nature a man of proud and ambitious dispositionbut it is manifest that it became true in his life that for him to live was Christ.
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