FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121  
122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   >>   >|  
pit there almost as rotund, and bright, and buoyant as Dr. Parker himself. I know not how the Sunday service succeeds, but the Thursday morning service is wonderfully well filled. In this busy age it is scarcely credible that in the busiest part of London, and at the busiest hour of the day, a chapel as large as the Poultry can be crowded, and is regularly crowded, with merchants and men of business and others. Yet such is the case, and Dr. Parker has succeeded in an attempt which, until he tried it, certainly seemed hazardous in the extreme. If the Doctor seems a little bombastic, it may well be forgiven him under these circumstances, especially when we remember that no preacher can succeed in convincing others that he is worth hearing till he has become firmly convinced of that fact himself. A modest man I fear is out of place anywhere, but most of all so in the pulpit. It was in wisdom that Dr. Parker was selected for his post. I should think he is a preacher pre-eminently adapted to the young. Judged not by what he has done, but by years, the Doctor is almost a young man himself. There is youthful vigour in his full round face, in his small dark eyes; and certainly there is no small store of youthful enthusiasm in his heart. In his black hair and beard there is no suggestive tinge of grey. If he has passed through and left the golden portals of youth behind, it can only be but recently that he has done so, and there is still in him somewhat of its grace and glory. In another respect also the choice of Dr. Parker was appropriate. The Poultry Chapel is in the very heart of London; the chances were that most of the young men present--and, I might add, of the old ones too--were more or less engaged in some secular avocations. In like manner, so the writer has always understood, the Doctor's youthful years were passed. Hence it came to pass the old Poultry Chapel is in a flourishing state. The Doctor seemed in his right place, and, if we may judge from appearances, the people seemed to think so. MR. LYNCH'S THURSDAY EVENINGS. In a great city like London there are many sources of pleasure completely overlooked. If people complain that life is dull--that it is monotonous--that it presents to them few objects of interest or attraction--I fancy they have chiefly themselves to blame. No man or woman either with heart or head need lead a barren life either in the country or in town. There is alway
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121  
122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Doctor

 

Parker

 

London

 

youthful

 

Poultry

 
preacher
 

Chapel

 

people

 

passed

 
busiest

service

 
crowded
 

recently

 

secular

 

avocations

 

engaged

 

portals

 

chances

 

respect

 

choice


present

 

presents

 

monotonous

 

objects

 

complain

 

barren

 

pleasure

 

completely

 

overlooked

 

interest


chiefly

 
attraction
 

sources

 

flourishing

 

writer

 
understood
 

appearances

 

country

 

EVENINGS

 

THURSDAY


golden

 

manner

 

eminently

 

succeeded

 

attempt

 

regularly

 
merchants
 

business

 

forgiven

 

circumstances