o.

As it is, coming fresh from Chester, and accustomed to hear
congregations, in that city and in the country round, reading the
responses aloud throughout the service with earnestness, and reverence, I
was painfully struck by the silence in this church. I had before grown
so accustomed to it that I did not perceive it, just as one grows
accustomed to a great many things which ought not to be, till one forgets
that, however usual they may be, wrong they are, and ought to be amended.

Now, it is always best to begin at the root of a matter. So to begin at
the root of this. Why do we come to church at all?

Some will say, to hear the sermon. That is often too true. Some folks
do come to church to hear a man get up and preach, just as they go to a
concert to hear a man get up and sing, to amuse and interest them for
half-an-hour. Some go to hear sermons, doubtless, in order that they may
learn from them. But are there not, especially in these days of cheap
printing, books of devotion, tracts, sermons, printed, which contain
better preaching than any which they are likely to hear in church? If
TEACHING is all that they come to church for, they can get that in plenty
at home. Moreover, nine people out of ten who come to church need no
teaching at all. They know already, just as well as the preacher, what
is right and what is wrong; they know their duty; they know how to do it.
And if they do not intend to do it, all the talking in the world (as far
as I have seen) will not make them do it. Moreover, if the teaching in
the sermon be what we come to church for, why have we prayer-books full
of prayers, thanksgivings, psalms, and so forth, which are not sermons at
all? What is the use of the service, as we call it, if the sermon is the
only or even the principal object for which we come? I trust there are
many of you here who agree with me so fully, that you would come
regularly to church, as I should, even if there were no sermon, knowing
that God preaches to every man, in the depths of his own heart and
conscience, far more solemn and startling sermons than any mortal man can
utter.

Others will answer that they come to church to say their prayers. Well:
that is a wiser answer than the last. But if that be all, why can they
not say their prayers at home? God is everywhere. God is all-seeing,
all-hearing, about our path and about our bed, and spying out all our
ways. Is H