Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 81:323 (Jul 1924)
Article: Snags And Sandbars In The Preacher’s Progress Or Pulpit Embarrassments
Author: Christopher G. Hazard

BSac 81:322 (April 1924) p. 305

Snags And Sandbars In The Preacher’s Progress Or Pulpit Embarrassments

Christopher G. Hazard

Embarrassments are not peculiar to the pulpit. They have introduced themselves to every man upon many painful and puckering occasions. All the way from parlor to pulpit expression has been throttled by them and speak-able things have become unspeakable. The lover has forgotten his declaration, the actor his part, the lecturer his illustration, and all have sympathized with that victim of embarrassments who was hailed as he sought to slink away from the scene of his collapse by a well-meaning parishioner with “Good morning, Dominie, aren’t you well? You didn’t seem to have much liberty this morning, your thoughts seemd a little bound.” “Yes, they were,” was the answer, “half calf.” It would seem that there is a traitor in every man, ready upon the demand of some contemptible circumstance to deliver him up in the likeness of a pigmy. Embarrassments have dimmed brilliance, chilled eloquence, turned a stream of thought into ice, brought on an army of commonplace, straggling, platitudinal Tupperisms. They have compelled many a man to stand and deliver his poorest when he had his best with him. They have proved a source of the bitterest mortification and the deepest discouragement to

“The best,
The wisest and the loveliest.”

Helpless and pitiable as a noble ship in the mud, a full-powered and full-freighted man, ashore on the bank of embarrassment, must wait for another tide.

Common to all men and waiting thickest upon great occasions, embarrassments are specially the liability of the minister of truth and fond of his society in the pulpit. Probably the enemy of all good conceives himself here

BSac 81:322 (April 1924) p. 306

chiefly attacked and thus becomes as active in causing the wielder of the sword of the Spirit to trip himself up over the scabbard of surroundings as he is elsewhere in interrupting secret prayer. Certainly there are many foggy days in pulpit weather, and there is much disappointment in pulpit experience, and there are many limitations upon pulpit power.

It has pleased God to make the pulpit a preeminent place. It is as much above surrounding institutions as a lighthouse is above the adjacent country. It has a peculiar work, has maintained, and will maintain to the end of time a peculiar power. Its triumphs are as appropriate to this age as to any other. While men are literally burdened in these days by literature of the highest and most various character, it still pleases God to save believers by the foolishness of preaching. The pulpit should now count itself relieved of much that is well undertaken by other agencies and apply itself wit...