Morning journal and courier., 1882-01-13
Lyman Beecher Lectures.
President Robinson of Brown Univers

President Robinson of Brown University
 at Marquand Chapel.
 President Robinson, of Brown University, delivered the first of his course of lectures on preaching before the Yale Theological Seminary yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock. There was large audience, the chapel being filled to overfowing and seats placed in the aises being occupied The main body of the house was, as usual, designated as reserved by cord stretched around, and was ticketed 'for students only" while the side seats on one side of the hall were similarly reserved and ticketed ''for clergymen only" The other side seats were almost entirely occu- pied by ladies' Clergymen of many differ ent denominations were present. President Porter of Yale and number of noted Yale professors sat in the vicinity of the lecture desk. A hymn, ''Oh for thousand tongues to sing" was sung spiritedly by the students, after which Professor George B.. Day presented the lecturer, President Robin son of Brown University, and for many years pastor of one of the leading churches in Cincinnati. President Robinson is gen. tleman tall erect and commanding sinewy and
 
 fine intellectual face, indicating an alert, wig orous thinker, and withal, though his hair is whitened by time and intellectual toll, he looks every inch the religious spiritual leader and earnest theologian. He has long occu- pied the position of one of the leading mon in the Baptist denomination in this country. He said in opening that 'it may be taken for 4ol o% In, of +Lok we are all agreed on what is meant by preach ing. It is as one of the established offices of our holy religion" The speakers subject would be "The Place for Preaching in the Economy of Christianity The speak CT glanced for moment ta the aim of the Christian religion Its aim was to make God known to man, and to make men known to themselves-alive to the dangers, duties and the alternatives of their destination. That aim was clearly | manifest in the life, deeds and words of him ! who gave our religion it's name, spirit and l methods. Christ gave to men the commis- sion to preach. True religious guides and preachers existed before Christ Preachers were needed in the nature of men and in the association and constitution of human so- clety. Physicians were required for the body, and there was the memorable necessity for lawyers. Man in like manner has his ininity of possibilities and his eternal destiny Religious teachers were therefore ne- cessity of their existence They were an inexorable necessity of human nature and human society. The preachers sole duty did not end with the conversion of souls, but in the broadest conceivable sense his duty was to labor to make men rounded com plete, harmonious, symmetrical men in their spiritual natures. It is not uncommon for men nowadays to decry the plain plodding Christian pastor who makes it his business to collect church of which every man and wo- man shall be pastor, laboring for the spir- itual welfare of all around them. The world is not where it was when Christianity was first introduced. The largest part of the business of a minister was to build up and instruct; not simply to rescue men from per dition, but to strive to bring man up to the ideal of his being and constant unyielding obedience to the moral law.
 Take up the Saturday morning paper and read its announcement of religious services There are three classes, one announcing that ''mass will be celebrated" at such an hour another that there will be morning and eyen- ing prayers Q third that there will be preaching. There are three great types of worship in these times. One is propitiatory; another persuasive the third turns upon the sermon. One says the vestments preach,
 
 The danger is in substituting the symbol for the essence. All the grand divisions of the Christian world do recognize the necessity of living Christian preacher. We need him first as persuasive power, for his personal presence. The speaker beautifully illus trated this point. There was the subtle in- auence and magnetism of the personal pres ence, effective in 8 multitude of ways in helping the truth to mems hearts. But did not Thomas Carlyle distinguish himself in assaults upon preaching? According to Carlyle the pen was the mighty power which sWayed generations and nations, and the grand university of all was books. Grant ed that books are grand in the extent of their influence. I know the value of the si- lent reflection upon what one has read. But there is the value one gets from a living pres ence. Sir Robert Peel, when worsted before Parliament in corn law repeal times, adjourn ed his efforts till he had filled the people with lectures on the subject by his chosen men. One says the London Tunes rules But what with all the able editorials, the able pamphlets, the vigorous political cam paign is not urged till the orators are sent forth to sway the people, and a living pres ence presents the case
 Religion is better understood today than ever before. This point the speaker ex- plained in eloquent words, Illustrating by
 
 to the new lights and their doctrines. in which Yale College and Connecticut were once interested and referring to these in illustra- tion, of what had been said of the upbuild- ing of religious knowledge. He referred to Grotius and Edwards and Moses Stuart and Dr. Taylor in this connection.
 Changes for more correct views were lik- ened to the spring which works along under ground in the dark until at last it finds an outlet and energes and runs down into the valley, bringing verdure and fertility in it's track. Again the preacher was needed in order to the building up of individual Chris tlan character. This growth was of necessity a gradual growth. That Christian who dc does o,! not grow is decaying Again in it's progress Say what we will, civiliza- tion is advancing, and in the last fifty years more so than in six centuries of former times Other sentiments of the lecture are also outlined as follows: It is sometimes said that one of Jonathan Edwards sermons would awake the world if preached now. The speaker held differently. The times gies had arisen. The grandest of the old sermons of Puritan days would not meet the case to-day The preachers great need for success was in casting aside self and being absorbed in the work of the master. The Holy Spirit was poured out once for all and 1t IS 1n the church and in Christians. The lecture was one of rare power and beauty and commanded the closest attention.
 TRIBUTE.
 The speaker in closing paid beautiful tribute to the late Rev. Dr. Bacon. cannot conclude, he said, without allusion to one whose presence added dignity to these as- semblies, whose kind face, lit with devotion and sympathy, lent inspiration to these lec- lures. Few men in this century have better understood the relations between the living voice and the success of the truth, or had a higher or more sensible conception of it's aid in the office of the Christian ministry than Rev. Dr. Leonard Bacon. Full well and long for more than generation had he illustrated the influence of the life and power of the living preacher. Full well he spent his life, life drawn out to good old age, beautifed by the spirit of charity, a gentle humor, sanctifed wit and conscious dignity of the position of the preacher. He is not here to- day, but member of the assembly which 1 never breaks up and which may it be ours to join when the master calls.
 Prof. Day made announcement that Presi- dent Robfnson's lecture to-day would begin at 2 o'clock and not at 3-the usual hour.