BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF 1S91 ^^sc^•( A/fl Cornell University Library BV4211 .S61 Lectures of preaching, delivered before olin 3 1924 029 356 437 Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://archive.org/details/cu31924029356437 I^ECTURES ON f^llEACHING, DELIVERED BEFORE THE THEOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT (H YALE COLLEGE. BY MATTHEW SIMPSON, D.D., LL.D. A Bishop in thb Mkthodist Episcopal Church. XEIV YORK: HUNT &' EATON. CINCINNA TI: CRANSTON &= STOVVE. 5 Copyright 1879, bj NELSON & PHILUIHti New York. PREFACE ' I "HESE Lectures have not been prepared as a "^ treatise on homiletics, or on the pastoral office. The " Lyman-Beecher Lectureship " in Yale College was founded to supplement the regular course of in- struction in Theology with the suggestions of those actively engaged in ministerial work ; and hence its range is limited, and the work of the Lecturer par- takes largely of personal experience and observations. The writer has been, during their preparation and delivery, so constantly pressed with ecclesiastical duties, that he has had little time to seek authorities or to cultivate elegance of style. He designed the Lectures to be the simple expression of his experi- ence and observations through a somewhat extended ministry, and in their form suited rather tn the ear than to the library. As they have been extensively circulated through the religious press, from phono- graphic reports, as well as from his manuscript, he has not judged it proper to alter the style, or to 4 Preface. change expressions which were intended for the lecture-room rather than for the published volume. The Lectures are now submitted not only to the Classes which heard them, but to all Students for the Ministry; and, also, to the laity of the Churches, who are the friends of the Pulpit. If they shall prove in some degree beneficial to young Ministers in stimulating them to a more earnest devotion to their holy work, and to the acquisition of greater power and usefulness, the writer will feel that his labor has not been in vain. Philadelphia, January 24, 1879. CONTENTS — »»♦ — • Gbotukk Paab I. The Nature AND Work OF THE Christian Ministry. 7 II. The Call to the Ministry 38 III. The Preacher Personally 67 IV. Indirect Preparation for the Pulpit 97 V. The Preparation of a Sermon 130 VI. The Delivery of A Sermon 166 VII. Ministerial Power 198 VIII. The Influence of the Pastorate on the Pulpit.. . 236 IX. Collateral and Miscellaneous Work 262 X. Is the Modern Pulpit a Failure? 297 LECTURES ON PREACHING. LECTURE I. THE NATURE AND WORK OF THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. HOW natural is it for a speaker to wish to say something before he begins ! Hence, young gentlemen, I may be indulged in a few preliminary words. First of all, I desire to express my high estimate of the practical wisdom and catholic spirit which in- fluenced the founder of this Chair. It is, so far as I know, the first endowment of a lectureship wholly devoted to preaching. Homiletics and pastoral the- ology, including preaching, have long been embraced in the curriculum of the theological seminary ; but this Chair singles out the one department of preach- ing, and devotes special attention to it. This is an index which shows the movement of Christian mind, and which, also, points to the future exaltation of pleaching. Being the grand agency by which God has determined to save them that believe, it is the most important instrumentality ever committed to man ; and if so, deserves more attention than would belong to a mere department of sacred rhetoric. 8 Lectures on Preaching. I have no doubt that, while it may be imperfectly filled — while some of us may add but little, if any thing, to the accumulated stores of knowledge, or be successful in presenting stronger motives to young ministers — yet there will be thoughts and sugges- tions uttered from time to time from this Chair, which shall awaken increasing interest among candidates for the ministry, and among Christians generally. Ihen the catholicity of spirit which made the plat- form so broad that " a minister of the Gospel of any evangelical denomination " might stand upon it, will command the approbation of the Christian world. The corporation of Yale College and its theological faculty have manifested the same enlarged and lib- eral spirit in selecting ministers of various Churches, and have drawn on the Old World as well as on the New. The utterances which have been already made from this desk by distinguished and talented speak- ers have not only reached the hearts of those classes which heard them, but have gone forth through the press, and have influenced hundreds of candidates to higher aspirations and to more thorough conse- cration. I desire, also, to acknowledge specially the courtesy o'' the corporation and theological faculty in extend- ing to me the invitation to occupy this Chair for the present term. Yet I do not understand the compli- ment to be so much personal, as an expression of their continued purpose to invite ministers from va- Introductory. 9 nous denominations, and from different sections of the country. Had this invitation been one of or- dinary character, I should have promptly declined. My ecclesiastical duties are so constant and so press- ing, as to leave me but little time for preparing lect- ures; and the demands for labor are so numerous and so varied, that my strength is taxed to the utmost. I wished, however, to respond to this manifestation of Christian courtesy, and to aid in showing to the world that Protestant Christendom is essentially one — that while we do not wholly agree, we know at the same time how to differ and yet how to love. Besides, I found my Methodism somewhat at stake. One of your professors, whom I profoundly honor, suggested that, though busily occupied, I could at least find time to " tell my experience." So I, who am of Western birth and education, and a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, am here to address you, who are chiefly sons of New England, and Congregationalists m creed and Church polity. Verily the world moves ! A hundred years ago this would have been an im- possibility. A few years since a distinguished journalist* pub- lished a book entitled, " What I Know about Farm- ing." I am not sure that his success in that line would lead many to follow his footsteps, yet I have thought that the lecturer in this Chair might not in- aptly term his utterances, "What I Know about * Horace Greeley. 10 Lectures on Preachtng. Preaching;" for he is not to lecture systematically on homiletics, nor on the pastoral office — a work well performed by your regular professors — but to supple- ment their teachings by his own experience, and by gleanings from the way-side. Thus I meet you to-day in the hall of one of the oldest and noblest institutions of the land, and in the presence of men of mind and of might. Yet let us forget the presence of these sages, and the smiles of beauty around us, and address ourselves as fellow- students to the lesson of the hour ; for such we are. We differ in age, but are one in aim and in heart. You have pursued your academic and collegiate training, and are now interested in theological investigations. Your earnest thought is turned toward the future ; and the inquiry is. How can you most successfully preach the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ .-' How rapidly the years pass away! It seems to me scarce- ly more than yesterday since, as a young man, I was asking myself the same question. I remember how the future opened before me, and what a responsi- bility pressed upon my heart as I thought of stand- ing in the sacred desk and preaching to my fellow- men. Vast as the work seemed to me then, it has grown upon me in magnitude. Each succeeding year I behold in clearer light the importance and re- sponsibility of the sacred office. I recognize to-day the immense vastness of the work, and my inade- quacy to treat it as its importance demands ; or even Importance of Preaching. 1 1 to picture before you that ideal which has for years beckoned me forward, but which I have never been able to attain. I am consoled, however, by the thought that you have other instructors at whose feet you reverently sit, and who will say to you in fitting language that which I may leave unsaid. If I may even chance to vary from their teachings, or, Arminian as I am, to utter something heterodox, it may but serve to stir your thoughts, and to afford your professors an excellent opportunity to add va- riety to their lectures by exposing my fallacies, or by proving the unsoundness of my views. Preaching is the chief work, but not the only work, of a Christian minister. He organizes Churches, leads the public devotions of the people, administers the ordinances, and superintends important move- ments both within and without his own congrega- tion. Yet all these works bear a distinct relation to his office as a preacher ; they either issue from it, or are auxiliary to it. St. Paul magnified the office of the preacher above all other departments of Church work when he said to the Corinthians : " Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel." The first great requisite to the success of the J oung minister is, as I think, a proper appreciation of the character of the wonderful work upon which he is entering, especially in its nature, duties, and responsiliility. Only to a few prominent points can we now refer. 12 Lecturks on Preaching. First, hi its origin it is ordained of God. Other professions arise out of human wants, or are essen- tial to human comforts. They vary according to the circumstances or the progress of humanity. The teacher is required to educate childhood and youth. The tailor, the shoemaker, and the hatter are essen- tial to our convenience and health. The physician is needed wherever sickness prevails, the surgeon where- ever accidents occur. The profession of the attor- ney, unknown in savage lands, is demanded where laws become complicated, and where interests be- come conflicting. Christian preaching arises, not so much from a perceived necessity, as from God's special ordination. So true is this, that where preaching is unknown or neglected, the demand for it is not so strong as where it is generally established and regularly maintained. Yet in all ages, where there has been worship there has been a ministry. The religious idea of the race prompts to worship, and in times of emergency or in seasons of distress to make oiferings to some superior power. These offerings are made through persons in some way selected and set apart for this purpose. Savages have their incantations, their sacrifices, and their priests. The Indians of our Western wilds have their medicine-men, who not only heal the body, but profess to hold communion with the Unseen. The Chinese have their Joss-houses and their priests, even though their prayers may be written on paper Pagan Worship. 13 or painted on wood, and whirled round by machinery. Ancient history, in its earliest outlines, finds priests among the Egyptians, and soothsayers among the Babylonians. Phoenicia, Greece, and Rome had their deities, their temples, their oracles, and their offici- ating priests. They slew sacrifices, inspected the entrails, and divined the will of the gods. They were so closely connected with all the movements of the nation that assemblies were convened or broken up, war was begun or terminated, great enterprises set on foot or abandoned, as the augurs interpreted the omens or signs which they had seen. In all these cases the ceremonial was almost every thing, the instruction next to nothing. Yet among the ancients there were mysteries in various systems, which included both ceremonies and doctrines. The teachings were for the few who wished to learn, and • hence received the name of w/jcj/^rj/— which St. Paul transferred into the Christian writings — the word not meaning, as I think, secrecy, or what is difficult of understanding, but a system of religion, or a doctrine in that system. The priests, to a certain extent, instructed the people, and were also defenders of the poor and oppressed. The altar was a place of refuge, where the offender sought safety, and placed himself under the protection of the deity. Those who ministered at temples or altars were invested, in the estimation of the people, with a peculiar sanctity, and were supposed to hold communion with the i4 Lectures on Preaching, gods. Both in the temples and at the oracles women served as well as men. The vestal virgins were esteemed sacred, and crimes on their part, or offenses against them, were most severely punished ; yet the sanctity with which they were regarded was soriiothing wholly apart from a pure and high morality. In India the priestly caste is highly esteemed ; they are the students, the writers, and teachers. How the ideas of sacrifices and priesthood arose we need not now inquire. The fact stands out that always and every- where there were officiating ministers, and that so- ciety regarded them with veneration and awe. From Scripture history we learn that the offering of sacrifices was at least as old as the time of Abel, his offering having been in some manner visibly ac- cepted of God. Religious instruction was also given by public teachers. We are informed by St. Jude that " Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophe- sied." This prophesying anciently embraced not only visions of the future, but instruction in religious duties. We are also informed that Noah was a preacher of righteousness, and that, coming out of the ark, he offered sacrifices. The various families and nations of the earth, descending from him, may thus have received both these ideas. The direct and authoritative establishment of the ministry is found in the Jewish system. A whole tribe was set apart for the performance of its various functions ; a specific family was selected for its ho Jewish Priesthood. 15 Her duties. These priests read to the people, in their large convocations, from the book of the law ; but the principal part of their work was a ceremonial connected with the tabernacle and the temple. The Christian minister is not, however, a successor of the Jewish priests, so far as their offering of sacrificee is concerned. In that respect the law was " a shadow of good things to come ;" and Christ has come. He " is the end of " that " law for righteous- ness to every one that believeth." The ceremonial law must needs have been performed to make the Jew a righteous man. Our Saviour said to John the Bap- tist : " Thus it becoraeth us to fulfill all righteous- ness." That righteousness which came by the cere- monial law is now supplanted by faith in Christ. You, young gentlemen, are not to be priests. The one, eternal, all-sufficient sacrifice has been offered by our " great High-priest that has passed into the heavens." Instead of priests, he has given to his Church " apostles, evangelists, pastors, and teachers." The Christian ministry of to-day more nearly resem- bles the prophets, who were selected by the direct will of God, without reference to tribe or family, to warn, to admonish, and to instruct, as well as to tell what should be in the coming years. To these proph- ets Christ himself is likened. Moses said : " The Lord thy God shall raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of tliy brethren, like unto me." And in the Epistle to the Hebrews it is said : " God, who i6 Lectures on Preaching. at sundry times and in divers manners spake in lime past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son." In this speak- ing sense you are to be prophets rather than priests. The divine appointment of the Christian ministry is specifically set forth in the New Testament. Christ selected his twelve apostles. He had called them in- dividually to follow him ; he had gathered them around him for instruction ; but their sending forth was a public, solemn act. He had retired into a mountain ; all night he had been in prayer ; and when it was day he called his disciples around him, and out of them he chose twelve, whom he sent abroad to preach the Gospel and to heal all manner of diseases. Christ represents himself as sent into the world to preach. He says : " I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also ; for therefore am I sent." And he quoted as applicable to himself the well-known prophecy of Isaiah :" The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor." In his inimitable prayer he says of his disciples : "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world." Among his last words were those of the great commission : " Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." In enter- ing into the ministry, then, you ally yourselves with God himself ; you take upon you an office which he himself has specifically ordained. The Preacher, a Herald. 17 Secondly, The greatness of the ministerial office ij also seen from the nature of its work. This is illus- trated by comparing it to various earthly offices and duties. The word " preach," in its primary significa- tion, means to proclaim. Kerux, a herald, was an officer carrying and announcing a message, and was usually sent by a king, or by a commanding officer in the army. His message was short, and was given without explanations or reasons. So John the Bap- tist simply proclaimed : " Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand ! " In the same way Christ en- tered on his own ministry ; and when the disciples were first sent forth, the simple message he gave them was, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The man was a herald or preacher, no matter what the character of the tidings which he bore. Jonah was sent to the Ninevites, and his brief message was : " Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." So, also, Nehemiah was accused of appointing preachers to proclaim himself king. As the Gospel was unfolded, this idea of a herald was enlarged by making it the bearer of good tidings ; and, instead of heralding, we have evangelizing. In- stead of Christ saying as he did to his disciples at first, " Go heralding," we have in the great commis- sion, " Go discipling." You are sent forth not only Xa cry — not only to cry, " All flesh is grass ;" but to cry also, " The word of the Lord endureth forever." Your office is not to speak of yourselves, not to speak 2 1 8 Lectures on Preaching. words which the wisest men have uttered, but to speak the message which God has given. This mes- sage of glad tidings he has put in writing. It ha.s been printed. We have it in our hands. It is made "plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it," The office of an embassador is one of the liighesl that can be filled by a citizen. He bears a message from his Government — a message to which he may not add, and from which he must not subtract. His words are the words of the nation ; his person is se- cured by the power of the nation ; he represents in person the honor and dignity of the nation. The grander and stronger the Government, the greater is the embassador. What, then, must be an embassa- dor for Christ .'' If you enter on this office, you are embassadors sent by Christ to represent him, and to utter his words to all the people. He is pledged to care for you, and to protect you ; and you are not to think of yourselves as your own, but as belonging to Christ. You are to take his words and utter them in the ears of the people, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. The preacher is represented as a watchman. " I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalera !" The Lord said to Ezekiel : " Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me." The watchman guards the city ; the liveo of the people are in his hands ; his post is one of in- The Preacher, a Watchman. 19 finite moment. Your office is to watch against en«t- i mies, against dangers. It requires a firm purpose, a sleepless eye. Often on the ocean I have gone »o the prow of the vessel and looked out into the dar*^- ness of the night. I ever found a watchman there- - not one moment from his post — his eye gazing f»r over the sea, where he might discern at the greatest distance, and at the earliest moment, any cause of possible danger. The lives of the crew and passen- gers were in his hands. The mist might come dovn heavily, the wind might blow furiously, the storiD rage incessantly, but still on and ever the watchmrn looks out in the one direction. The whales may spout in multitudes around the vessel, or the whole sea behind may be in a phosphorescent glow, but he heeds them not. His one great duty is to look ahead. So you are watchmen ; you are on the ship ; the vessel may be running toward shore ; there may be breakers ahead, and you are to sound the alarm ! False teachers may be around you ; the literature of the day may be corrupting ; you may find infidel ideas spread among your people ; the youth may be in dag- ger of being ensnared and led astray. You are God's \ commissioned watchmen, to guard them from danger. This very naturally leads us to think of the mini.s- Iry as a work. It is so in all its forms, from begin- ning to end, from youth to age. " If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work." Jesus said to his disciples : " Work while it is called to- 20 Lectures on Preaching. day." Paul and Barnabas were " separated for the work " whereunto they were called. We are " work- ers together with God." This work is compared sometimes to a vineyard, in which the minister is to bear the burden and heat of the day. St. Paul speaks (if him as a " husbandman that laboreth," and he directed Timothy to be " a workman." He also said : " Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in word and doctrine." And again : " The laborer is worthy of his reward." Christ says : " Pray ye, there- fore, the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest." No labor is heavier than that of the harvest field, especially as performed in ancient times. Some of us who are older remem- ber well the severity of the labor, when we bent all day over the leaning grain in the rays of the hot sun. The field was large, the grain was caught handful by handful while the sickle reaped, and night came only to give a short rest to gather strength for the next day. Such is your work. " Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest." The field is already white. That field is the world ; you are the reapers ; the grain is ripe and ready to perish. ■'Fie that reapeth receiveth wages." Some of the grain is falling, and the plaintive voice is on the breeze, " The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and I am not saved." If you have ever looked at the ministry as a life of ease, either abandon the The Minister, a Servant. 21 thought, or at once abandon the ministry. It is a busy hive, with no room for drones. There is work in the; pulpit, and work out of the pulpit ; work in the study, and work out of the study; work pub- licly- and work privately. Paul worked, preaching ind warning the people from house to house, by night and by day. Of the disciples it is said : " Daily, in the temple and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus." St. Augustine says : " Nothing in this life is more difficult, laborious, and dangerous than the life of a presbyter." Luther says : " The labors of a minister exhaust the very marrow from the bones, and hasten forward old age and death." Of the man who hid his talent it is said: "Thou wicked and slothful servant." Sloth- fulness is represented as the height of wickedness. Men may afford to take their ease in other callings ; they may rest in the heat of the day, or take shelter from the storm, but the minister must not, dare not, rest. Nor will there ever be invented moral mow- ing-machines to take the place of the old-fashioned sickles of the pulpit. The minister not only labors, but he serves. The word minister signifies a servant. It once had not the honor and dignity which today is attached to it St Paul repeatedly calls himself " a servant of Jesus Christ," or, as you well know, young gentlemen, a slave. When he alluded to his preaching he said : "We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the 22 Lectures on Preaching. Lord ; and ourselves your servants for ( hrist's sake.' Christ set us an example by girding himself and washing his disciples' feet. He arrayed himself in the garb of a servant. " He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments ; and took a towel, and girded himself After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded." It is added : " So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you ? Ye call me Master and Lord : and ye say well ; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet ; ye also ought to wash one an- other's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his I^rd ; neither is he that is sent greater than he that 6*nt him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if )£ do them." We cannot mistake such a lesson as tais. Our work is a service; the poorest and the vrcakest have claims upon us. We are also informed that the way to true greatness is through service — ' He that will be the greatest among you, let him be (fle servant of all." We have also the example of Christ in his general service to humanity. He says : " The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister." We find him " always doing good." He comforted The Ministry, a Service. 23 the sorrowing, poured sight upon the blind, opened the deaf ears, and raised the sick from beds of afflic- tion. He passed by no form of degradation, no loath- someness of disease. He touched the poor outcast leper, and made him clean. What a busy life of serv- ice did Jesus lead ! On foot he traveled over the hills and valleys of Palestine. He preached in the temple and in the synagogues ; on the mountain-side and by the shore of the sea ; to vast congregations and to single individuals. He taught the multitudes all day, and spent parts of the night on the mount- ain-side in prayer ; talked to his disciples while they walked, until, hungry, they plucked the heads of wheat to eat. Weary he sat down at the well ot Ja- cob, and yet, in his weariness, spoke those words of life that still thrill the world. That sublime utter- ance, " God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth," is still ring- ing thi'ough the earth. He was never too weary to do good. The service we owe is the service, first, of body, soul, and spirit to God, which the apostle declares a reasonable service — consecrated to God, devoted per- petually to him, as a sacrifice, slain, and yet living. Then we owe a service to humanity. As Christ gave himself to the service of the world, so he dedicates all who are consecrated to him to a like service. That service is, teaching the children, comforting the sorrowing relieving the pour and wretched, following 24 Lectures on Preaching. the wanderer, reclaiming the prodigal, bringing home the outcast, lifting up the downtrodden, removing burdens from the oppressed, visiting the prisorier, substituting smiles for frowns, and blessings foi curses. It is to purify, elevate, and ennoble society evefy-where. There is not a human being within the sphere of his influence to whom he is not a debtor. St. Paul says : " I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians ; both to the wise, and to the un- wise." This obligation rests upon us, because we are stewards of the manifold grace of God. He has given js the knowledge of the truth, the experience of grace ; not for ourselves alone, b"t for others. The steward who embezzles for himself the money intrust- ed to his care to be paid to others is no more guilty than the minister who, receiving gifts of grace for all around him, fails to bestow those gifts upon those for whom they were designed. The ground of your working for men is not their deserts ; you teach them not because they deserve to be taught, but because God has given you his truth, and has sent you to save them. You are never to turn away from any one because he neglects you, misrepresents you, or maltreats you. The worse t'je man is, the more imperative is the duty to try f,o save him ; the nearer he is to ruin, the more intense should be your effort to rescue him, Christ stooped from heaven to save men ; and the minister must stoop to rescue the lowest of the low So, as a good house- The Minister, a Builder. 25 holder, you are to bring out of the treasury things both new and old, and to offer a wedding-garment to every guest, that he may sit down to the table when the Master shall appear. The Church of God is represented under the figure 0' a temple. We are builders. The foundation is composed of the prophets and apostles, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone. Slowly, yet surely, the edifice rises ; member after member is joined into its rising structure, as living stones. Some of the materials we place in that building are as gold and silver and precious stones — educated, trained, polished. Christlike. But in our haste and indolence we are liable to introduce others, which are like wood, hay, and stubble. They will not stand the day of God's examination. The great Architect casts them away, and our labor is lost. We ourselves, if so happy as to be in that grand edifice, shall be tried as by fire. You are shepherds set by the Lord Jesus to watch over the flock which he has purchased with his own blood. You are to rescue and bring back any wan- dering sheep. You are soldiers in the army of Christ, .T.arshaled under the Captain of our salvation. The snemies are around ; the contest thickens ; you are commanded to go forward. Where the battle rages hottest, there is the post of honor. How constantly should the arms be ready, that the word of command may be obeyed ! And yet, how prone are we to 26 Lkctures on Preaching. lag behind, and to wish for hours of safety and oi ease. Thirdly, T/te transcendent greatness of the ministr) is seen in the results to be achieved. As i teacher, the mlnistei- takes the word of God to instruct the inulti- •■ude ; but his teaching far surpasses in its scope the teachings of the schools. Tlieir field is limited this is infinite. It reaches from eternity to eternity. Its glance is over.all matter, and it treats of angels and of God. The professors in college, the lecturers in universities, are well satisfied when they have impart- ed the truth clearly, and when their students compre- hend it ; but at that point the teaching of the minis- ter is but begun. The raw recruit in the array understands the word of command, and knows what is to be done, but fails to perform correctly or grace- fully. The young lady at her piano knows the notes, understands the keys of her instrument, perceives what keys ought to be touched ; but untrained fingers fail to bring out the music. The minister may teach his audience the doctrine of repentance, may explain its nature and mode, and still his work is but begun. He is not merely to teach his audience how to repent, but to bring them to repentance ; not to teacli merely the nature of prayer, but to bring his congregation tc pray. He is not merely to present the cross of Christ, but to lead the people to its foot. He is not merely to tell of the forgiveness of sin, and of the conscious joy of redeeming love, but to bring his Results of Preaching. 27 sympathizing hearers into the full enjoyment ot those glorious blessings, How transcendently glorious, and yet how difficult, the work of the preacher ! He stands before an audience of hundreds of souls. They are of every possible grade. Some are Chris- tians of partial maturity ; some are babes in Christ ; some are thoughtful inquirers ; some are unawakened sinners ; some are hardened scoffers ; some are pro- fessed infidels ; some are moral and honest in their outward lives ; others are intemperate, profane, lust- ful, or covetous. To that assembly he presents the Lord Jesus Christ. He holds up before them, as though he saw him, the blessed Saviour, as if present before them. He exhibits him in his majesty and in his condescension, in his purity and in his compas- sion, in his omnipotence and in the boundlessness of his love. He cries : "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world 1 " " Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth !" As he holds this divine Saviour before the eyes of his con- gregation, and bears witness of his power, they see and feel, repent and believe. The heart which at first says, " Depth of mercy ! can there be Mercy still reserved for me ? " looking at this holy vision, feels a glorious change, a I d exultingly cries out, " God is love ! I know, I feel : Jesus weeps, and loves me stiU^" 28 Lectures on Preaching,, His precious promise is fulfilled : " And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me." Your work, young gentlemen, is to take that multi- tudinous assemblage of variant characters, circum- stances, and habits, and bring them into the image of Christ. Those weak, imperfect, impure, and sinful beings must be transformed into the likeness of the glorious Saviour. Your work is expressed in the language of the apostle : •' Whom we preach, warning every man, teaching every man in all wisdom ; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." And again: "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." What a sublime picture is here presented ! The making every man to stand in the stature of Christ — not faintly, not partially, but in the fullness of Christ. This is the unity of Christianity. I lis grand purpose is "to gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him." The transformation is a glorious one, for " we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the S^.rit of the Lord." This exhibition of Christ before the eyes and hearts of the multitude, that all may see and repent, believe and enjoy, is Christian preaching. It is the word of God presented by one divinely com- missioned, and so accompanied by the power of the spiritual Transformation, 2g Holy Spirit that men are transformed from sinners to saints. Can this be done ? It was done by the apostles. We have the same word ; we are men of like passions ; we have the same accompanying Spirit ; men need the same transformation. Is the congregation like rough blocks from the quarry, from which the beautiful image is to be freed by the tool of the sculptor ? Are they like wild trees, whose useless branches must be cut off, and whose supera- bundant twigs must be pruned ? God has given us the instrument : " The word of God is quick and pow- erful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creat- ure that is not manifest in his sight," Nor can that word fail ; for " as the • rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but wa- tereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater : so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth : it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." No marvel that the evangelical prophet, in exultation at the glorious thought, exclaims : " For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace : the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands. Instead 30 Lectures on Preaching. of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree ; and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign which shall not be cut off." What an exhibition of the --e- newing power of the Gospel ! Earth's curse was, that it should bring forth thorns and thistles. Bu' when man is regenerated that curse seems to pass away ; when the Gospel, under the preaching of true Christian preachers, shall have filled the whole earth, then, indeed, will there be a new heaven and a new earth. Until that time we must preach on. Nor must we be diverted from our work by any suggestion that society cannot be reformed, or that the Lord Jesus will come visibly to cut off the wicked and to reign as a temporal king. I have respect for good men who teach this doctrine, but none for the doc- trine itself. Analyzed, it shows a lack of faith in the power of God's word ; a spirit of indolence, that is unwilling to face calmly and patiently the thought of long ages of toil and sacrifice ; a spirit of vengeance, that calls for fire to come down from heaven. They think it easier to kill men than to convert them. Fourthly, This preaching is to be a perpetual agency. Other systems may change, other plans may fail ; but this never. It is the sovereign decree of the Almighty God, that by preaching the Gospel of his Son men shall be saved. To the Jew this preaching was a stumbling-block. It took from him all his splendid ceremonials. His temple was no longer the Greek Philosophy. 3f exclusively holy place. Jerusalem was no longer to be the central home of God's people ; tht Jewish race was no longer the peculiar people of God. The whole earth was to be a worshiping temple. Walls of par- tition were to be broken down, all races to be brought on one platform, and all humanity to become kings and priests to God. No wonder it was to him a stum- bling-block. But to the Greek — the lover of wisdom and philosophy — the man devoted to science — it was foolishness. To such minds it is foolishness still. The Greek remembered the glorious record of his nation for centuries previous — a record of poets, painters, sculptors, historians, statesmen, and war- riors. To him his nation was the center of knowl- edge and civilization. Athens was the concentration of the refinement, culture, and mental power of the world. It had ruled in other days by its learning more than by its arms. To him the highest attain- ment of humanity was the knowledge of art, litera- ture, and science. The pencil of Apelles, the chisel of Praxiteles, the oratory of Demosthenes, the academic teachings of Plato, the practical philosophy of Soc- rates, the keen logic of Aristotle, the histories of Herodotus and Thucydides, the poetry of Homer and Euripides, the statesmanship of Pericles, and the military deeds of Miltiades, were the glory of the nation. Their books, academies, and temples were the honor of the land. These were the marks of their civilization, and the indices of their future glory. 32 Lectures on Preaching. To be told that all this was insignificant ; that the onlv way to triumph over the passions and impulses of the heart, the only ascent to the favor of God, and to fu- ture grandeur and glory, was to come from telling the story of a crucified Saviour ; that by exhibiting before the minds of the people one who was a Jew by birth, but who said he was the Son of God — one of pure, spotless life, and yet crucified between thieves- buried in a tomb guarded by Roman soldiers, and yet who rose the third day, lived on earth for a time, and then ascended to heaven — earth's whole aspect would be changed : to be told that belief in him was the only way by which humanity could gain purity, happiness, and a higher civilization, can we wonder that they said, " It is foolishness ? " Men of science say so to- day ; and yet by that preaching, which they call " fool- ishness," it is God's eternal and immutable purpose to save them that believe. It has so saved in the past ; it is saving still. It has been the light of our civilization, and its beams are scattering the darkness of the world. Some tell us that society has changed ; that the pulpit has lost its power ; that men will no longer be attracted. But every now and then a preacher inses who attracts the multitude, and rivets their attention upon the truth. Such men are given to us to show the possibilities of the pulpit, and to point to a time when, instead of decreasing, it shall accomplish grander results. Some tell us that the press bus superseded the pulpit ; that men need no longer be Pulpit Power. 33 hearers, because they are readers. The Bible is in their hands ; and if they need expositions or explana- tions, they have the works of great commentators. Why should they hear sermons, or listen to preach- ers of little experience, and of only average menta strength and culture .' But they forget the human element : the power of man over his fellow-men ; the force derived from experience ; the visible embodi- ment of ideal truth. Preaching is not merely, as I have said, the delivery of the message, but the de- livery of the message by a man who professes to have felt its power, and who testifies to its truth in his own experience. The preacher not only pro- claims the truth, but stands as a personal witness of its saving power. In other matters men rely on the same influences. What political party would go into an excited canvass relying merely on articles from the press .■' The press is, indeed, a valuable auxiliary. It reports the strong thoughts of the clear thinkers ; but every party must have its conventions, its evening meetings, its stump speakers. Without these it fails. What would the temperance reformation be without these speakers, who themselves have been reformed ? What would Murphy's influence be through the press alone 1 It is the man who was a drunkard re- duced to wretchedness, and who was in jail when the word of God found him, recovered him, and elevated him, that they crowd to hear. When that man stands before an audience, tells the story of his fall, his sor- 3 34 Lectures on Preaching. row, his wretchedness, and then of his repentance, his reformation, his triumph over appetite, and his happiness, the hearts of men are stirred, and many a captive spirit longs for liberty. Who cares to read the lectures of a Gough ? And yet, though he tells the same story over and over, the largest edifices are crowded almost beyond endurance to hear him Wendell Phillips has been for more than thirty years hunting for " the lost arts ; " the synopsis of his lecture has been published over and over again ; and yet those who have read and those who have heard him hasten to hear him again. The words of Shak- speare, which are in almost every library, yet, ut- tered by men of dramatic power, draw to the theater crowds for sometimes a hundred successive nights. It is the man, who embodies and impersonates the ideas, whicb they wish to see and hear. Some things never grow old. The songs our mothers sung to us in childhood are still the sweetest music to our ears. " Now I lay me down to sleep " was the evening prayer of Quincy Adams, when in the presidential chair. The very men who denounce the pulpit as a failure, and declare it to be superseded, are them- selves unwilling to trust the press alone. The no- torious Ingersoll, who denounces Christianity and denies the being of a God, is unwilling to trust to his writings, but eagerly mounts the platform to address the people. Thus he " steals," not " the livery," but the agency, " of heaven, to serve the devil in." Eras- Preaching Perpetual. 35 mus says : " The devil is a preacher ; he preached to E;ve, and seduced the human race." Christian preaching shall never fail. The great Commander uttered his orders of march centuries ago. He never changes his plans, and will not be defeated. His ascending orders were, " Go preach ! " and these stand good until he come again. Into what an illustrious company does the young minister enter ! When Isaiah beheld them in vision he ex- claimed : " How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that pub- lisheth peace ; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation ; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth ! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice ; with the voice together shall they sing : for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion." The long line of preachers extends in unbroken succession from Christ himself to the present hour. A line, did I say } More than a line — a pyramid of which he is the apex, which, each succeeding year, rises in altitude and widens in its base, and will rise, and will widen, until it covers all lands, and the living preacher shall be seen and heard by every child of Adam on the globe. It is an unbroken succession — not by the ordinations of men, nor by the hands of men, nor by the will of men, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a holy fellowship, a glorious asso- ciation. It has had its spots. All have been men of like passions with us. Some entered the ministry •(6 Lectures on Preaching. vvithout a divine call ; others have been overborne by 1/assion. Some "concerning the faith have made sliip wreck, of whom is Hymeneus and Alexaniler ;" '"Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present M'orld." Peter denied his Master, and Judas be- Ijayed him. Men have disgraced themselves, and I ifought reproach upon the office ; but it still lives and strengthens, because Christ lives with it, and has determined that it shall stand. He walks among the candlesticks, and holds the stars in his right hand. Lastly, Pause a moment to think of yotir responsibil- ity. You enter this holy brotherhood ; you take upon you holy vows ; you perform sacred functions. If you faithfully proclaim the Saviour; if you skill- fully handle the two-edged sword ; if you wisely pierce between the sinner and his sins ; if you earnestly exhibit the Lord Jesus in all his beauty ; if you live for this one work alone ; if you study, pray, preach, 2,nd visit, to make all men like Christ, then your reward will be glorious. The promise is : " They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firma- ment ; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever." Star may differ from st.ar in glory, but all shall be radiant with the light of Jehovah's face. But should you handle the word of God deceitfully ; should you, as embassadors, for- get God's message, and tell your own words ; should you forget the Majesty which sent you, and court the applause of the people to whom you are sent ; should Ministerial Responsibility. 37 you woo their smiles or court their favor, neglecting