Like Dr. McLaren, Dr. Whyte, of Free St. George's, Edinburgh, has
a great command of beautiful and striking illustrations. "He is
the most wonderful preacher in Scotland," declared an enthusiastic
Scot to me on one occasion. "Mr. Gladstone used often to hear him,
and Lord Rosebery does now." Dr. Whyte makes great use of the
imagination in his discourses and employs frequent gestures, but
graceful, emphatic and always to suit the action to the word and
the word to the action. "One illustration," said a gentleman, "I
remember some time ago. Dr. Whyte was preaching about tribulation,
and he showed that the word came from _tribulum_, which is a Latin
name for a roller or sledge for thrashing out corn, and in the same
way tribulation sifted men as wheat." How like a platitude this may
sound when summarised down to a line; but the point is that the idea
of the beneficial purpose of tribulation had been so firmly fixed in
the hearer's mind that he remembered it, and perchance in some dark
hour it had been to him a "cup of strength in some great agony."
Is not that, after all, one of the great aims and one of the great
tests of good speaking--to fix some idea, some truth firmly in the
hearer's mind so that it is never forgotten?
As a robust, manly preacher few, if any, we suspect, can surpass
Dean Hole of Rochester. He has a tall, commanding presence--he is
over six feet high--a bright, animated countenance, and a most
genial manner. When some years ago he held the living of Caunton,
Notts, he used to journey periodically to Liverpool, where his
midday addresses to commercial men were most successful and
exercised great influence. He does not employ much gesture, but his
fine voice, sparkling eye and manly, straightforward utterances,
based on reason and logic, always command deep attention.
[Illustration: DR. WHYTE.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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