The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-10
REECHER.

"
..Preac6ing" to the students Of the Theologi-
cal Seminary, in New York, the other even
ING Many others of both sexes were present
TO hear the lecture, which was given in Mr..
Beecher's best vein. After nnrrating his own
first experience in preaching, he said:-Young
gentlemen when you have received all the
instruction 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.
Preaching is q trade, and must be learned as
such. You would suppose that man who
would attempt to make watch without hav-
ing learned the watchmakers business would
have poor success, or to command q feet
never having learned navigation or naval
drill. If the man should say, 81 cannot do
it." it would not surprise you. If business
requires so high an order of talent, or such
special and well-drilled knowledge, certainly
preaching does; and yet people suppose it is
one of those things which comes as a gift of
nature. Many of its adaptations do, but the
business itself has got to be learned, and
never will be learned in the lecture-room.
MIR. Beecher here said that he didn't mean
to undervalue theological preliminary study
that their whole after ministry would feel
the effect of their fidelity and thoroughness
here. 'I was q vigorous student, said he,
"-in spots (laughter), and l look back
with regret to every one of those spots that
l didn't cultivate" If he had to go through
a seminary again, he would get all the know
ledge 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. L 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 expe-
rience 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 Chris
tian ministry, the Divine and the Human.
The grand instrument the minister employs
is his knowledge of divine truth, his know
ledge 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
reproduce in ourselves, in small degrees, the
divine nature, and when q man is filed with
this spirit and then brings it to bear
upon his fellow-men, he is Christian
element. You are employing all this know
ledge of the Divine nature for the purpose
of producing definite results upon the minds
of your fellow-men. Here are two elements
two main things Christian preacher ought
to know:-First, Christ in Him the hope of
glory; and second, 81 could show myself ac-
cursed for my brethren's sake" lie must
have feeling of intense sympathy, affection,
yearning towards men. These are the two
elements. Mr.. Beecher said that his first
criticism on much of the preaching now in
vogue would be that it is q preaching about
god. You must distinguish between that
part of minister's life which is lectureship
and that part which is preaching. The preach
ing part of man is the heart power, the kind
ling of enthusiasm by enthusiasm, love by
love. The chief instrument of your own
ministry is that subtle underlying element
that 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 l have had a
fervent, growing, intense personal love
for Christ, and admiration unspeak-
able. 1t has been the handspring
of my ministry. Mr.. Beecher then impressed
on his hearers the Importance of closet devo-
tion. If we are to preach Christ we must
be ourselves like HiOO He loved to do good,
not upon earth alone, but He lives forever,
and sympathiZes for others-acts for others.
1t is that which is moving the universe to-
day. If, therefore, man goes into the min
istry, thinking that he is the great engineer
of the machine, that his whole business is to
keep the instrument all oiled and secured, he
is not preacher-he is conductor Qaugh-
terra freshman. Oaughter.) 'It is better
to be doorkeeper," etc. The true preacher
not only has heaven in his soul, but God in
his head. 1t is very easy to baptize mans
forehead but to wash folks feet is very diff
ferent, and ministers that take to one extreme
don't like the other Gaughter.) Chris
says, II am the way" as if He laid down and
said, ''Now, walk on me; let me bea1
mp your weakness" This is very hard tC
vanity, very hard to pride, but you must be
servants for Christ's sake. 1t is hard to
everything but love. To love it is natural
sweet, omnipotent. Mr.. Beecher then criti
cized the mistakes of people who graduate
from seminary. They think they are al
equipped when they leave He thought the
most important chair in the seminary was
that of the pastor of theology, and thai
should occupy largely the last years of semi
nary life, that is, teaching men how to use
what they learn. young minister must bt
like an engineer, the moment he sees O mar
he must go about him as he would about {
fort, and see where he can get in. daughter.
He must lombard him at once. DAUGHTER
There are comparatively but few ministers
that sort out their congregation. Some be
heve In Divine sovereignty, and they preacl
in gross, andR let God retail it in His proyi
dence. (Here the students testified their an
probation by prolonged laughter Mr.
Beeeher then told them how he made his ow1
sermons. They are always made on typica
he l~,ND g. II