Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1882-02-17
AT MarGuand Chapel.

The Lyman Beecher Lectures-President
Robinson of Brown University.
Rev. DIR. Robinson president of Brown
University, delivered another of the lectures
in his course at the Yale Theological Semin
airy yesterday afternoon The lecture was
preceded by the singing of the hymn:
''Awake my soul, stretch every nerve.
And press with vigor on"
The lecture room was thronged, many of
the clergymen of this city and vicinity and
many ladies being present beside the mem
bers of the seminary; also President Porter
and many of the members of the seminary
faculty.
Professor Harris announced the closing
lecture of President Robinson would occur
this afternoon at O'clock
President Robinson in opening said that
various attempts had been made by writers
on homiletics with regard to the classifica-
ton of sermons under such heads as topical,
textual, expository, etc., but any serm on was
very apt to include matter coming under va
rious or all such subdivisions. A celebrated
author divided sermons into four classes
viz.
Sermons addressed to the understanding.
Sermons addressed to the passions.
Sermons addressed to the Will.
But here again the same difficulty appear
ed, and the subdivisions of sermons were apt
to interpenetrate or enter into any sermon
This difficulty the speaker illustrated. An
attempt to divorce, for instance, doctrlnal
from practical discourse was an attempt to
divorce what never should be separated.
doctrinai truth should take hold not only of
mans intellectual, but also of his moral ma
ture. We may distribute discourses into classes
as to the ends in view. A doctrinal sermon
may be strictly didactic-explanatory. You
may have argumentative sermons, you may
have polemieal, you may have in short what
may be called in a sermon the predominant
element. Among the clergy there are many
who hatter themselves that they are specially
fitted for certain class of sermons. One
may be polemical, another hortatory, another
expository, etc. Don't fall into the of
combining yourselves to one class of sermons.
Some of the best sermons have
been started from unexpected causes. Some,
college students fall into the error of think
ing themselves specially adapted to writing
one class of essays. They have been spec
tally praised for some essay and they repeat
efforts in the same line
If one finds disposition to cultivate one
particular style of composition, it is his bust
ness to cultivate other branches If one has
a distaste for close reasoning his business is
to cultivate close reasoning. What business
has man to go before an audience continu-
ally with precisely the same type CT sermons?
Severely logical sermons are diet congrega-
tions tire Of 1t is the business of the cler-
gyman to keep abreast of the best reading be
it poetry or novels But there will be favor
lite classes of sermons with ministers and
they get into groove. No matter if they are
preaching a sermon. on the gentleness of
Christ, they embark in the work with blaze
of trumpets and bugles, they go forth all on
fire like a general charging park of artil-
lery, OF as if bound to carry redoubt
There lis again a class who insist upon
writing every sentence rythmically, whatever
may be the subject of their discourse--per-
haps the evil of sin in the human heart, or
the most fundamental doctrine of the Chris |
tain faith; no matter what it is they must
step gently in smothest rhetoric, always in
inc mOSG u6llRltLul Cdu5uCSS, uoN6E dliOW1uS
themselves to be startled or their hearers to |
be startled. They meander along like clear |
flowing brook in the leafy month of June.
The speaker brilliantly illustrated further |
this branch of his subject, criticising scath- |
ingly and finely so-called expository sermons !
which were largely based upon vivid mag |
nation as to the facts.
There is such thing asound expository |
discourse but he who is to expound must |
put himself where the writer, whom he is
talking about, was, and fully understand the |
history connected with the subject, etc.
In our day we have too much preaching |
One sermon day in which man can thor
oughly handle subject and lift the horizon
of his hearers view that is good togsther
with in tho afternoon an expcsitory talk with
the people of the right sort.
Two kinds of sermons need special atten-
ton in our day. They may be called ethical
and casuistical discourses.
Multitudes of people in this day of null
tiplicity of trials are at their Wits end to
know how to act under certain circumstan-
ces. Cases of conscience must be discussed.
We have no confessional, and thank God we
have pone; but we do need something by