The Recreations of a Country ParsonBoyd, Andrew Kennedy Hutchison
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The Recreations of a Country Parson
Boyd, Andrew Kennedy Hutchison
Clergy -- Anecdotes; Country life -- England; Rural clergy -- England
Mr. Caird's sermon preached at Crathie has been published by royal
command. It is no secret that the Queen arid Prince, after hearing
it, read it in manuscript, and expressed themselves no less impressed
in reading it by the soundness of its views, than they had been in
listening to it by its extraordinary eloquence. Our perusal of it
has strongly confirmed us in the views we have expressed as to the
share which Mr. Caird's manner has in producing the effect with
which his discourses tell upon any audience. The sermon is indeed
an admirable one; accurate, and sometimes original in thought:
illustrated with rare profusion of imagery, all in exquisite taste,
and expressed in words scarcely one of which could be allered
or displaced but for the worse. But Mr. Caird could not publish
his voice and manner, and in warning these, the sermon wants the
first, second, and third things which conduced to its effect when
delivered. In May, 1854, Mr. Caird preached this discourse in the
High Church, Edinburgh, before the Commissioner who represents
her Majesty at the meetings of the General Assembly of the Scotch
Church, and an exceedingly crowded and brilliant audience. Given
there, with all the fkill of the most accomplished actor, yet with
a simple earnestness which prevented the least suspicion of anything
like acting, the impression it produced is described as something
marvellous. Hard-headed Scotch lawyers, the last men in the world
to be carried into superlatives, declared that never till then did
they understand what effect could be produced by human speech. But
we confess that now we have these magic words to read quietly at
home, we find it something of a task to get through them. A volume
just published by Dr. Guthrie of Edinburgh, the greatest pulpit
orator of the 'Free Church,' contains many sermons much more likely
to interest a reader.
The sermon is from the text, 'Not slothful in business; fervent
in spirit, serving the Lord.' [Footnote: Romans xii. 11.] It sets
out thus:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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