We showed from the pulpit, fully thirty years ago, that the answer of Peter to the three thousand on Pentecost, was not the same as the answer of Ananias, to Saul, of Tarsus, and the answer to Saul was not the same as the answer of Paul, to the Philippian jailer, and gave the reason for the difference. But that was not a difference between _then_ and _now_, but difference in view of the difference in the conditions of persons at the _same time_. The same difference is observed now, by all intelligent preachers, where they find the difference in the conditions of persons. If a man is a believer, they do not command him to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” If he has repented, they do not command him to repent. Or, if he has been immersed, they do not command him to be immersed; but to go on and unite with others who have been immersed into Christ, and observe all things, whatever the Lord has commanded. But attention to this is no difference between _then_ and _now_, nor did the preacher, thirty years ago, fail to observe this difference, any more than now. On the contrary, the preachers then generally understood this better than the preachers do now. We noticed the articles in question, carefully, to see the difference in the condition of things _now_, demanding the different treatment, but in vain; we did not see it. The plain state of the case is, that there is no _general difference_, and we now need the _same gospel_, presented in the _same manner_, as they needed then. Preaching always did take better effect, when presented in a pleasant manner, than when presented in an abrupt and repulsive manner. This we knew thirty years ago, as well as we know it now. All that can be truthfully said about this, opens the way for no change—no _new departure_. Whatever was then true in this respect, is true now. A good and acceptable _manner_ in presenting the gospel was appreciated then as much as it is now, and was of precisely the same value. It was understood then as well as it is now, that every improvement in manner had its value, and more attention was given to the _matter_ then, than now. There was then more sound preaching and teaching, than there is now, and less that was unsound.