2.00.05 - EXTRACTS CONCERNING THE PREACHER AND
EXTRACTS CONCERNING THE PREACHER AND THE MEETINGS In an article written by F. W. Smith, one of the editors of the Gospel Advocate, just after the close of the first Tabernacle meeting, conducted by Hardeman and Pullias, there is the following extract concerning the preacher:
N. B. Hardeman is a great preacher; and the beauty of it is, he does not seem to know the fact. Nature has done much for Hardeman in bestowing upon him an almost matchless voice, an exceedingly pleasing personality, a kindly disposition, with a good-natured smile that will win its way anywhere. He has all the elements of an orator, and, if he had been so disposed, could have gone to the top in the political world. but chose rather to consecrate his God-given powers to a better cause Hardeman knows the Bible, and is as true to the gospel as the needle to the pole, and shuns not to declare the whole counsel of God to saint and sinner. He carries in his preaching both sides of the great commission, and is neither afraid nor ashamed to preach, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." He uses the simplest illustrations, and the most ordinary mind can grasp the truth illustrated. This man of God is, beyond any question, a master of assemblies, and sways his audiences with an ease and grace of voice and manners that attracts and holds almost the breathless attention of his auditors.
About the same time S. H. Hall, in a description of the same meeting written for the Firm Foundation, said:
Since the revival at the Ryman Auditorium is now history, it will not be amiss to say something about it in a general way. First, the preaching This as our readers know, was done by N. B. Hardeman, of Henderson, Tenn. To say it was well done puts it mildly. There are three outstanding characteristics of Brother Hardeman as a man and preacher. First, his loyalty to the Book. If any man can stay closer to the Book than he, it would have to be one of the inspired men that wrote the Bible. The plain and simple conditions upon which Christ has promised to save were given fully, clearly, forcibly, and repeatedly. Then the simple worship of the New Testament church was also given in contradistinction to the many innovations that men have introduced. If ever any one closed a meeting and could say, as did Paul,"I testify unto you this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole coun
29 30 Extracts Concerning the Preacher, Etc. sel of God," that man is N. B. Hardeman. Second, his kindness. Here our brother is par excellent—not that he is kinder than his adherence to the teaching of our Lord. He seems to he as strong in one as in the other. The facts are, only those who adhere with the whole heart to the doctrine of Christ know how to be really kind. He stays with the Book because he loves the teaching of Christ, and this love for and loyalty to what Christ says seems to give him that kindness our Lord himself possessed. If one thing was said in all his thirty- nine addresses that had an unkind word or was uttered with an unkind expression on his face, we failed to see it and hear it. Third, his humility. Here is another outstanding characteristic. Not one time did he let anything emanate from him that had the merest shadow of egotism, conceit, or self-exaltation. To make a long story short, let me conclude by saying: Hardeman proved himself equal to the occasion in every sense of the word, adorned the doctrine be so earnestly and faithfully preached, and left those who stood nobly behind him satisfied in the highest degree. After the close of the second meeting, F. W. Smith again wrote an article for the Gospel Advocate, which is here quoted in full, because it contains many interesting things concerning the preacher, singer, and meeting in which the sermons in this volume were preached: The second meeting conducted in the Ryman Auditorium is now a matter of history and will long be remembered as one of the greatest meetings ever held in the State of Tennessee. In point of attendance, it was all that could be desired, the great building frequently being unable to accommodate the vast throngs eager and anxious to hear the word of God proclaimed and to enjoy the soul-stirring songs of devotion in which it seemed every one heartily engaged. There is no way of estimating the great good accomplished by this meeting; for, notwithstanding the immense audiences that assembled in the Ryman Auditorium, they constituted but a small part of the multiplied thousands who read the sermons as they were broadcasted by the daily papers. Never in the history of the South have so many people been reached by the plea for a return to the church of the New Testament in doctrine, discipline, practice, name, and worship. The "seed of the kingdom" has been sown in the soil of human hearts through what is termed the "secular press" that, in all probability, would never have had a correct idea of the simplicity of the gospel of Christ.
Brother Hardeman fully sustained, and even went beyond, his reputation as a preacher of the word, holding the vast audiences as if by magic throughout the entire series of meetings. As a rule, those who heard him once desired to hear him again and again, and thus they Extracts Concerning the Preacher, Etc. 31 kept coming till the close of the meeting, and it was estimated that seven thousand people were in attendance at the last two services.
Perhaps some who were not present are anxious to know of the "drawing power" that attracted and held with rapt attention such vast audiences for such a length of time. This can be summed up in few words—-vis: The Bible, the word of the living God, was the magnet that drew and held these people.
While N. B. Hardeman is a fluent speaker with a pleasing personality and a voice with a splendid reach, falling upon the vast audience as he did with anything other than the word of God. He at no time posed before his audience as an actor, seeking to attract the people to himself instead of to the message he was delivering, but every movement and his entire demeanor was characterized by the very essence of simplicity and humility. The people were deeply impressed with the feeling that the speaker was not relying upon himself, but upon the word of God. It is true that occasionally there were outbursts and flights of eloquence that lifted the audiences into realms sublime, but it was easy to see these were not studied efforts, the stock in trade of the professional actor. They were simply the spontaneous expressions of a soul on fire for the salvation of men.
Denominationalism, with all of its evils, was clearly and forcefully shown to be antichristian and wholly unauthorized by the word of God; while the church of the New Testament, in all of its features and simplicity, was presented with such clearness, supported by such an array of scripture quotations that even a child could not fail to comprehend it.
Brother Hardeman’s familiarity with both sacred and profane church history stands him well in hand in setting forth the truth relative to the church of the New Testament, and he handles the matter in such a way as to leave the denominations to fight it out with their own church historians 32 Extracts Concerning the Preacher, Etc.
What shall be said of Brother John T. Smith, who led the songs in this great meeting? Well, too much in praise could hardly be said; for he is a man of God, and a better leader of song could not have been procured for this meeting. For weeks before the meeting Brother Smith had been drilling numbers of Nashville’s best singers, and they, with many others, gave him a splendid support throughout the meeting. The leader has a splendid voice, and he opens his mouth wide so as to be distinctly heard above those who follow. The songs were well selected, not only from a spiritual and scriptural consideration, but they were token from among the old standard songs with which all were familiar.
Brethren Hardeman and Smith are comparatively young men, with the promise of many years of usefulness in the Master’s kingdom before them. Brother Smith is not only a singer of the gospel, but is one of the best preachers of it in the country.