1.G 08. Modes of Presenting Argument

Modes of Presenting Argument.

Then there is another thing. You are to carry the thoughts in your sermon as the air or theme is carried in some musical compositions. Certain of the finest chorals will have the air carried through out, sometimes by the soprano, sometimes by the contralto, sometimes by the tenor, and sometimes by the bass. So with your argument; it must be borne by different parts of your sermon. Some times it must l)o put forward by an illustration, sometimes by an appeal to the feelings, sometimes by a process of reasoning, and sometimes by the imagination. Your argument is not to be all one stereotyped expression of thought.

Frequently a speaker will make a statement, and then laboriously lay out the track from that statement clear over to the next point, thus using up precious time. But there is such a thing as striking at once to a man’s conscience by bounding over the whole logical process, abbreviating both space and time, and gaining conviction.

What do you want? You do not want an argument for the sake of an argument. You do not want a sermon that is as perfect a machine as a machine can be, unless it does something. You want the people; and the shortest and surest way to get them is the best way. When you are preaching a sermon which has been prepared with a great deal of care, and are laying down the truth with forcible arguments, you will often find that you are losing your hold on the attention of your people by continuing in that direction. But coming to a for tunate point, strike out an illustration which arouses and interests them leave the track of your ar gument, and never mind what becomes of your elaborate sermon, and you will see the heavy and uninterested eyes lighting up again. “ But,” you say, “ that will make my sermon unsymmetrieal.”

Well, were you called to preach for the sake of the salvation of sermons? Just follow the stream, and use the bait they are biting at, and take no heed of your sermon.

You will find it almost impossible to carry for ward the demonstration of a truth in one straight course and yet make it real to a general audience.

You must vary your method constantly, and at the same time through it all you can carry the burden of your discourse so that it shall be made clear to the whole of your audience. An argument may as well go forward by illustration as by abstract statement; sometimes it will go better.