Author: H. D. M. Spence

Publisher:

Published: 2015-07-19

Total Pages: 512

ISBN-13: 9781331754565

Excerpt from A Homiletic and Illustrative Treasury of Religious Thought, Vol. 2: Being a New Edition of "Thirty Thousand Thoughts"; Or, Twenty Thousand Choice Extracts, Selected From the Works of All the Great Writers, Ancient and Modern With Copious Indices The Second Volume contains another instalment of the scheme explained in the former Preface. The suggestions made for its improvement, whether privately or publicly in the press, have been thankfully received and carefully weighed. Nothing, however, has been said, or has occurred to the editors themselves, to render it necessary to alter the lines upon which the work was originally based. Indeed, it is no little satisfaction to find how, without producing a sense of sameness, the general principles which guided the construction of the sections in the first volume, readily adapt themselves to the others. One point, not emphasized in the Preface to the first volume, requires to be specially noted, as some unforeseen misapprehension has, in one or two quarters, strangely originated, and furnished an opportunity to critics to break a friendly lance. The sections which comprise each volume are complete in themselves they might have been separately printed and formed perfectly distinct books; and some of them, such as that of the Lord's Prayer, might furnish expository treatises, as complete as any existing work upon the subject. These sections have each their Classified List, and, where necessary, their separate Alphabetical Index. The sections themselves are related to a general comprehensive plan, but for obvious reasons they are not printed in logical sequence. As some persons may not feel disposed to purchase all the volumes, it was naturally felt that variety of reading would by such be welcomed. And besides, in order that the work might be thoroughly executed, the sections, as they in the course of things became completed, were prepared for the press. The experience of Editors of works split up into departments, is invariable. Certain sections take longer to prepare than others: in a large staff, some contributors are sure, by unavoidable or unforeseen circumstances, to be hindered; fresh matter of an important character, and to be used upon a particular subject, may be in process only of publication; or extracts of special interest, and valuable to a particular heading, may require immense research to ferret out, through the want of classification of modern theological and Biblical literature, which has grown during the last thirty years to an almost incredible if not alarming extent. We have often been inclined to compare the maturing of the various sections to the ripening of fruits, which have their different seasons, some in early summer, and some in the late autumn and during the winter, and even then in their due courses subject to delay, and uncertain as to the exact date of their actual ripening. But to put the matter in a very practical form upon this point: The gain for purposes of study, had the sections themselves been arranged in strictly logical order, is almost infinitesimal and ideal, and can be readily compensated for by a tabular form in the last volume, while the advantages from a general readers point of view, were real and considerable. Finally, the method adopted is rendered imperatively necessary, owing to the public demand for expedition. There is one other subject of a very different character which, on account of some of the reviews of the former volume, seems to require a brief notice. There lurk in some minds of a certain mould, antecedent objections to every new aid for learning, and a kind of morbid sensitiveness as to whether a royal road to knowledge, if possible, is desirable. With persons of such views, the question always presents itself in one special aspect, namely - Ought not the students to furnish his own tools? Should not a preacher cull for himself his own illustrations? Does a preacher deserve to h..