Morning journal and courier., 1881-04-22
Lyman Beecher Lectures.

Rev. George Harris, of Providence, Ably
 Enlightens the The0lOgues on Biblical
 Preachfng-An Interesting Lecture.
 Yesterday afternoon at Marquand chapel Rev. George Harris of Providence, R. l., lectured to the theological students of Yale College, his subject being Biblical Preach ing" Beside the students present there were a number of city clergymen present who listened with deep interest to the able remarks of the speaker On being introduced the lecturer spoke in substance as follows "Comparison is often made between English and American preaching. The question is raised why American preaching is not more biblical. Whatever the difference may be the biblical preaching must be approved. I believe that the method of our preachers in regard to biblical preaching may be inn proved. All preaching is of course more or less biblical There is doctrinal preaching, philosophical and other kinds of preaching, but the kind of preaching most desired is that which includes biblical quality and flavor. The authority of the Bible is felt by the people. Minds of hearers must be led along from one thought to another and thon at the conclusion the impression is left that is not easily effaced. The preacher is a specialist and an exponent of divine truth, hence he speaks with authority. There is also direct interest in biblical preaching from the interest it awakens. An unfailing interest is awakened by the advancement of new thoughts from an old text. The mere | connection or thought lights up the shadow ! of an old truth The Bible in one sense is | familiar and in another sense unfamiliar. It depends entirely upon the manner with which the subject is presented. Let us remember ! that variety and proportion are best appre- l ciated by constant change of thought. Bibli- | cal preaching has endless variety. The preacher is to go back among the original \ forms and must hold up the facts in their | concrete and original form When a sermon on the atonement is preached numerous diff ! culties may arise, but the Garden of Geth- | semane and the gospels will ever have their | influence upon the listeners. If only preach l ing of facts were indulged in then there I would be variety and proportion. Men of | average ability become successful ministers
 when they are ministers of the Word. ,, We | turn to expository preaching, which is one | of the most important of the methods, which has for it's aim instruction. It puts | the process out of sight. It presents the progress of thought in it's principal features. |
 because exegesis is attempted. Exegesis
 is necessary to exposition, but is for | the study and not the pulpit It | is study from week to week. Let a preacher take up the parables ! which are more difficult of exposition, and | he will find himself the gainer thereby. | Retribution is not pleasant subject, per.
 haps, yet the preacher may find profit dis | coursing upon this subject. It is almost i'm. 1 possible to write an expository discourse To | excel in this style or preaching is not easy. Beside exposition there should be the bibli | cal sermon. To give biblical preaching the | quality and interest it requires, we must not
 be afraid of long text. The preacher should | cleave his text down to it's very vein and l thereby show its very beauty. If preaching | is to be biblical the text must not be ''pre text'' Biographical sermons are biblical l and common throughout New England. The \ passion of preachers to furnish illustrations | seems to carry them away from the scene | which furnishes them most abundantly. The | Bible furnishes all these sources in abun dance. A true and biblical sermon goes down to the truth and beauty of the teachingi of Gods word and administers truth to the hearers. If sufficient truth cannot bt | crowded into the miud to fill it error must ! enter and fill the space left vacant In gene I ral the gospels are fact of history and they | become a part of the mental history. The biblical preacher is not to be ignorant of the
 forms of skepticism, but to be familiar witt
 them SO that he may attack the enemy sue
 cessfully. The biblical preacher is in bu
 little danger of becoming insincere
 While biblical preaching borrows igh
 from all sources, yet it is an exponent O
 Gods word, and sincerity becomes his mos l notable quality. Biblical preaching induces
 sincerity. '"The word of God is quick an(
 powerful, and sharper than any two edged
 sword" So the preacher realizes these facts
 There is nothing like thorough knowledg'
 of the Bible which renders the preacher thor
 oughly familiar with the facts therein con
 tained. Biblical preaching induces biblica
 praying. Under the new dispensation ht
 who rightly divines the truth and rightly di
 vines the word of God is the successful
 preacher.
 On the conclusion of Rev. Mir. Harris lee
 ture he was warmly applauded by the stu | dents