William Lindsay Alexander. III.
William Lindsay Alexander was to be ordained to the ministry at North College Street Congregational Church, Edinburgh, on February5th 1835, but his ministry in that place began on 1st January of that year. He was officially ordained on February 5th.
The North College Street Church was an historic one, and they met in a plain stone chapel without ornamentation. The Church membership included some of Edinburgh's most distinguished men, but Alexander was without respect of persons. He set himself to be the most loyal minister in all Edinburgh. God had brought him into the ministry, not man, and so he would give God his best.
William Lindsay Alexander laid down two rules for himself as he entered the ministry, and they bear repeating. First he resolved that he would not attempt to 'make great sermons.' That would be a waste of his time and energy. He would be a simple expositor of the Scriptures, not a great orator. Second, he resolved never to have 'an hour to spare'. He systematically organised his time so as to make the best use of it for God. He adhered to these rules through all his life.
Although he had resolved not to try to make 'fine sermons', this did not mean he skimped preparation. Quite the reverse; instead of agonising over words and expressions, he agonised in making careful and exact exegesis of his text. At the same time he had to guard against merely giving a commentary on the text. He identified one or more key themes - usually just one - in the text, and centred the whole sermon on this.
Like DR. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in the 20th Century, W.L. Alexander believed very strongly in expository preaching. He believed that only expository preaching could awaken and maintain the interest of a congregation throughout a ministry of any length. If he had felt compelled to be a mere preacher on 'subjects', or topics, he would never have been able to stay in the ministry. He shrank at the thought of the 'mental drugery' involved in selecting a topic, then hunting for a text to attach to it. No, he thought, only the full power and variety, freshness and enduring interest and importance of the whole Word of God could possibly sustain him. He noted that there were two sorts of preachers, those who made their hearers say, "what a man!" and those who made their hearers say, "What a Gospel!" His aim was the latter.
Like many men, Alexander started out writing his sermons out in full , but later abandonded the practice and wrote out only notes. From 1850 onwards he wrote out most of his morning sermon, and delivered his evening discourse extempore.
He rose rapidly to popularity, and North College Street Chapel was soon filled with people from all parts of the city. The effects of this we shall, God willing, see next time.
The North College Street Church was an historic one, and they met in a plain stone chapel without ornamentation. The Church membership included some of Edinburgh's most distinguished men, but Alexander was without respect of persons. He set himself to be the most loyal minister in all Edinburgh. God had brought him into the ministry, not man, and so he would give God his best.
William Lindsay Alexander laid down two rules for himself as he entered the ministry, and they bear repeating. First he resolved that he would not attempt to 'make great sermons.' That would be a waste of his time and energy. He would be a simple expositor of the Scriptures, not a great orator. Second, he resolved never to have 'an hour to spare'. He systematically organised his time so as to make the best use of it for God. He adhered to these rules through all his life.
Although he had resolved not to try to make 'fine sermons', this did not mean he skimped preparation. Quite the reverse; instead of agonising over words and expressions, he agonised in making careful and exact exegesis of his text. At the same time he had to guard against merely giving a commentary on the text. He identified one or more key themes - usually just one - in the text, and centred the whole sermon on this.
Like DR. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in the 20th Century, W.L. Alexander believed very strongly in expository preaching. He believed that only expository preaching could awaken and maintain the interest of a congregation throughout a ministry of any length. If he had felt compelled to be a mere preacher on 'subjects', or topics, he would never have been able to stay in the ministry. He shrank at the thought of the 'mental drugery' involved in selecting a topic, then hunting for a text to attach to it. No, he thought, only the full power and variety, freshness and enduring interest and importance of the whole Word of God could possibly sustain him. He noted that there were two sorts of preachers, those who made their hearers say, "what a man!" and those who made their hearers say, "What a Gospel!" His aim was the latter.
Like many men, Alexander started out writing his sermons out in full , but later abandonded the practice and wrote out only notes. From 1850 onwards he wrote out most of his morning sermon, and delivered his evening discourse extempore.
He rose rapidly to popularity, and North College Street Chapel was soon filled with people from all parts of the city. The effects of this we shall, God willing, see next time.
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