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T HE K I N G ' S BUS I NE S S 4. DON’T deal with an inquirer in a crowd. Get him alone. 5. DON’T hammer a man. Use the sword of the Spirit. 6. DON’T do all of the talking. Give your inquirer an opportunity. 7. DON’T he afraid of the face of any man; you represent the King of Kings. 8. DON’T believe all that men say. Men are liars and never more apt to lie than when arguing against the Scriptures. 9. DON’T get into ruts in your ap proach to men; be natural. 10. DON’T be discouraged at seem ing failure; the Word never fails. 11. DON’T put off until tomorrow what you should do today. 12. DON’T forget to pray while you work. —T. C. H. ¿¡Ok ife The Preacher’s Body One of the first things an intending preacher should do before he begins to build is to give his body a sound whipping, till he drives out the last vestige of laziness, sluggishness, and in ertness. He should rouse up his body to the apprehension that it has mighty work to do. He should teach it to stand erect, breathe correctly, move with easy vigor, and hold itself in proper attitude. Many a man kills his sermon before it is horn by the way he carries or drags his body up the pulpit steps and. through the opening services. The way we handle our bodies gives suggestion as to how we will handle our subjects, and while there are many exceptions, the rule is fairly reliable. Many men prepare their sermons with care, but do not prepare their bodies for delivering them. Often the eating of Saturday determines the preaching of Sabbath more than study or prayer. The great Dr. Durbin con sidered his afternoon siesta his final and necessary preparation for the evening
sermon; and Henry Ward Beecher con sidered,'a good Saturday night’s sleep the forerunner of a good Sunday morn ing’s sermon. Therefore he used the foods and exercises on Saturday that were favorable to sleep. By persistent, careful, wise discipline the body must be prepared for its part in Bermon pro duction. —Bible Magazine. usr m One Thing “ I have given up all desire of being ‘a nice preacher.’ It has become ter rible in my eyes to please men while we let them be damned. I long to be a plucker of ‘brands from the burning.’ Henceforth I will use great plainness, and aim at one thing.”^—-Thos. Collins. Know When You’re Done Mrs. Brown was at the back of the church waiting to have her baby chris tened. Baby was getting restless, so she beckoned the verger. “ Is the sermon nearly finished?” she whispered. “ No, mum,” replied the verger, “ an other half-hour of it yet. He’s only on his ‘lastly.’ ” “ But,” said Mrs. Brown, “ will it take him half an hour to get through his ‘lastly?’ ” “ No, mum,” was the demure reply, “ but there’s the ‘one more word and I’m done,’ and the ‘finally,’ and the ‘in conclusion’ to come yet. Don’t be im patient.” Many preachers have a failing for de ceiving their listeners in this way, evi dently thinking to thus encourage the people to stay a little longer. But peo ple do not relish these little tricks as a rule and it is a poor habit for a min ister to cultivate. It only emphasizes the length of the sermon and makes many people uneasy. Do not call at tention to time or the length of a mes sage.
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