Morning journal and courier., 1885-04-10
LYMAN BEECHRR COURSE.


 in Minfsters,'-Exact Seeing and Ve-
 racIty in she Use of Language.
 Dr. Burton gave his last lecture to the theological students yesterday afternoon in the Marquand chapel. The subject of the lecture was "veraeity in Ministers" The clerical class are among the most honest of men, sometimes honest to simplicity Though they have many temptations to be inveracious, they usually speak and act as though they expected to die before night They have many advantages to uprightness; their vocation sets them in good moral at mosphere; they have an assured social posi- ton; they need not practice insincerities; they are looked up to as authorities, and are not men hired by the day. Then, too, there are many disadvantages. There are many forms in which they may lie, if they want to. In their desire to do good they may use exaggerated language cater quotations that they do not themselves believe in and enjoy
 The interest of the preacher should be in the individual members of his congregation, not Tn his congregation as mass Among them there is daily call for pastoral effu- S1N0n6SS. SOASo4uOHoAJ, LO 10 iA'A0SNA " SS inveracious; if he accepts, he becomes pro- fessional, which is terrible word.
 The pastor is invited to be more orthodox than he really is; consequently he becomes hypocritical This country is as tolerant of dissent as any country, but there is mist of distrust and growing coolness.
 A little piety goes a great way, and great deal of piety goes a great ways further; therefore, the preacher is tempted to furnish more piety than he really has and to act be yoad himself. This is the situation of the devil wearing his nets and the stua- ton is anxious one.
 Average honesty is not enough for the minister; straight walking is the mere shell of honesty, and the man of God is not man of God unless he shows truth in the inward parts Veracity is the supreme intention to see and describe things as they are. What one sees he may report well but he may see false ". As Professor Phelps said in his lecture the other day, 'How rare it is that one sees d thing as it really is."
 The preacher is under moral obligations to see well and give an accurate description. Seeing things as they are IS the | DeSlnn1nR OI NofdClGy oou 10AAPOo uS oo cause he wants to be bright and honest.
 Veracity in the use of language is the usual way in which the term is applied. There must be a close fit between the language and the seeing accurately, and this close fit is a source of great joy to the moral man. It ex- hilarates him like play of electric currents. It is immoral to sling wofds-they were not made to be used in that way, but they have meaning of their own and -who uses them is bound to get that meaning.
 How far can we quote scripture rhetorical ly rather than exactly? In the former there is no depth, but in the latter, with it's exact ness and veracity the use of language, carries us to pathological and exegetical study Americans get great deal of meaning from the Bible, but Greek or He brew can get-a great deal more. English cannot give the whole marrow of the Greek and Hebrew. The embodied is the unem- bodied characteristically expressed and the depth of thought in the Greek cannot be ex- pressed in English.
 Veracity shows itself in the avoidance of over-statement, which arise from an over concentration on the object which the speak 1T is trying to express. Contemplating in an unsystemati. way is the curse of preaching. Formulation is the setting of boundaries to a thing and that, therefore, is usually exagger- ated as the thought is over-concentrated. The difference between great and little man is that the latter takes a scrap >of the truth and harps upon that scraps while the former expounds the truth, one phase at a time, covering the whole in it's relations, and not being limited to one aspect of the truth. The recoil in exaggeration must be guarded against and affected moderation IS to be de- spised, as it is put on, and false indifferent ism is mingling of untruth, fullness in word and action, and belongs to the domain of feebleness and insincerity. Between an exaggeration of strength and exaggeration of weakness, between the "Hercules" and E'Nancy," there can be little hesitation. MT. Burton's final ''contributioD to the enlight- enment" of his audience was recipe somewhat as follows: As ministers, be sub stantially what you ought to be, and 1t will follow that there will be no exaggera- tion and hypocrisy. If one is substantially orthodox religious and resolved to save ev- eryone under his charge, he is safer from all kinds of excessive action and speech. Not that everyone should have the goodness that one in a thousand has, but that everyone should have good average of goodness, and on that base his ministry. The students heal tily applauded Dr. Burton at the close ot his lecture. Next week on Thursday and Friday afternoons Dr. William M. Taylor will lecture in the chapel.
 The Young Mems Christian AssOcia- tion-Announc
 The second bi-monthly meeting of the as sociation will be held next Monday evening, April 13, at 8 o'clock. After the business has been transacted short miscellaneous programme will be rendered and an address will be made by MT. W. E. Colley, secretary of the association at Bridgeport, Conn. Every member is requested to attend.
 Next Thursday evening every member of the board will be wanted at the board meet ing, as very important business will be brought before the meeting and delegates appointed for the international convention to be held at Atlanta, Ga., May 1913. Let every director who reads this consider him. self engaged for next Thursday night.
 There are now in Connecticut twelve gene ral and assistant secretaries employed in the work for young men and very soon another field will be opened for a secretary. The association of this State have done a better work than ever before.
 What the Y. M. c. A. wants: ], ,500 mem bers, 200 consecrated willing workers, a building of their own where young men can have home, the support of all interested in the salvation of the young men of this city, books for the library and many other things which the secretary will be glad to mention to anybody interested enough to inquire.
 Every young man who reads these notes