Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-11-23
From the New York Tribune, November g.
BEECHER ON "PREACHING."
A Lecture TO Theological Students-He
Tells Them how to Become Good Preach

Henry Ward Beecher delivered lecture on
Preaching to the students of the Theologi-
cal Seminary, at No University Place, last
evening. Many others of both sexes were
present to hear the lecture, which was given In
Mr.. Beecher's best vein. After narrating, his
own first experience in preaching, he said -
Young gentlemen-When you have received
all the instructions that can be given you here,
you will find that there is that which cannot be
impaired in the lecture-room. There is that
which has got to be learned by trying. Preach
ing is trade, and must be learned as such.--
You would suppose that a man who would at
tempt to make watch without having learned
the watchmaker's business would have poor
success, or to command fleet never having
learned navigation or naval drill. 1t the man
should say, Il cannot do it, - it would not sur
prise you. If business requires SO high an or
der of talent, Or such special and well-drilled
knowledge, certainly preaching does; and yet
people suppose il is one of those things which
come as gift cf nature. Many Of its adapta-
tions do, but the business itself has got to be
leal ned, and never will be learned In the lee
ture ROOM Mr. Beecher here said that he
didn't t mean to undervalue theological preIimi-
nary study, that their whole after ministry
would feel the effect of their fidelity and thor
oughness here. II was vigorous student,
said he, in spots [laughterl, and look
Th & Iegfs iG sssy be U hoJ' hoa p99
through seminary again he would get all the
knowledge it would give He would gorge. If
you are weak you will be thrown out Of the
ministry and that won't hurt you If strong,
you will find the things you study here are not
the things that you will most need, though
they will give you impetus and be of the great
| est use to you. | say this because you will be
discouraged at first. You will feel as if you
| were all at sea. You don't understand how to
get hold of people This is the experience of
ten thousand men who had to creep before
| walking, and walk before running. 1t is your
own familiarity with work. little by little, year
| by year, your contact with human nature, that
is going to make you ministers. There are two
elements in every truly Christian ministry, the
| Divine and the Human. The grand instru-
ment the minister employs in his knowledge of
| divine truth, his knowledge of God in Christ
Jesus. Preaching is the utterance of the life
and soul of Christ in so far as you have been
able to take it into yours For hold that we
are but extensions of God, and that Christ
brought down into this world was the truest
| manhood expressed in the world, or ever will
| be. We are able to rep. oduce In ourselves, in
small degrees, the divine nature, and when a
man is filled with this spirit, and then brings it
to bear upon his feow-men, he is Christian
preacher The other element Is the human
element. You are employing all this knowl-
edge Of the Divine nature for the purpose Of
producing definite results upon the minds of
your fellow-men Here are two elements, then,
/ two main things Christian preacher ought to
know first. Christ, in him the hope of glory !;
and, second, Il could show myself accursed
for my brethrens sake" He must have a
feeling of intense sympathy, affection, yearning
| tom fuo oil Mr
Beecher said that his first criticism on much Of
the preaching now In vogue would be that it is
preaching about God. You rpust distinguish
between that part OF a minister life which is
lectureship and that part which is preaching
The preaching part of man is the heart power,
the kindling of enthusiasm by enthusiasm, love
by love. The chief instrument In your own
ministry is that subtle underlying element that
l fires up your consciousness; every single thing
you do, it is that sense of Christ in you
| Young gentlemen, ! give this as my testimony
to you If God has blessed my labor it has
been because have had fervent, growing,
intense personal love for Christ, and admira-
ton unspeakable It has been the handspring
of my ministry. Mr. Beecher then impressed
on his hearers the importance OF closet devo-
ton. IF we are to preach Christ we must our
selves be like him. He loved to do good, not
upon earth alone, but He lives forever, and
i sympathizes for others-acts Tor others. 1t is
! that which is moving the universe to-day. If,
therefore, man goes into the ministry, think
ing that he is the great engineer of the ma
. chine; that his whole business is to keep the
instrument all oiled and secured, he is not a
preacher-he is conductor laughter "a
freshman. Laughter 1T is better to be a
door7keeper, etc. The true preacher not only
has Heaven in his soul, but God in his head.
1 It issvery easy to baptize man s forehead, but
! to wash folks feet is very different, and minis
4 tiers that take to one extreme don't like the
: other. | Laughter. Christ says, Il am the
way as if He laid down and said, "Now,
walk on me; let me bear up your weakness.
This is very hard to vanity, very hard to pride,
but YOU must be servants for Christ's sake. 1t
is hard to everything but love- 70 love it is
natural, sweet omnipotent. MIR. Beecher then
criticised the mistakes Of people who graduate
from a seminary. They think they are all
: equipped when they leave. He thought the
:. most I'M portant chair In the seminary was that
. of the pastor of theology, and that should oc-
! cupy largely the last years of seminary life
T that IS. teaching men how to use what they
learn. A young minister must be like an en-
, gineer. the moment he sees man he must &C
. about him as he would about a fort, and SCI
where he can get in. Laughter He mus
lombard him at once Laughter. There