Morning journal and courier., 1886-03-06
LYMAN pEEoHER LECTURES.

LYMAN BEECHEH The Second fn the Course by Rev.
 pr. William M. Taylor, of New
 York, at she Yale Theolosicai
 School = Subject, "John Ano1-
 Large Audience and Much Interest.
 Dr. William M. Taylor delivered his lec- ture upon John Knox, the second in the Lyman Beecher course, in the Marquand chapel yesterday afternoon. The lecture room was crowded to overhowing. Many or the city pastors embraced the opportunity to hear MT. Taylor, as also many ladies. A sufficient space is allotted to the members or the seminary classes and the rest of the seats are open to visitors. MT. Taylor said that through John Knox the reformation was eff fected, and his influence is felt to-day. He inaugurated style for which preachers have since gone back to him 8 model. His his tory of the reformation holds its place to-day among the books of the Scottish peasant. Knox became preacher when he was forty two years of age. la 1522 we find him in the University of Glasgow, after which he entered the priesthood of the Roman Catho- lie church, where he remained until 1543. He refused to enter the ministry, though earnestly urged to do so: and it was only at a personal call from God through the pulpit before public assembly that he was led to take up the work which he laid down only with his life. He became 8 minister, not because he must be some thing, but because he could be nothing else without disobeying God. The pulpit was the throne of his peculiar and pre- eminent power to which his experi- ence in England and on the continent con- tributed From 1859 until his death he la bored in Scotland for most of the time pas tor of St. Giles church in Edinburgh, preaching two sermons on Sunday, and three others during the week. Only one specimen of his sermons remains, but in his letters to old parishioners we have enough to indicate how he prepared for the pulpit. He was 8 diligent student with knowledge of Greek. Hebrew he learned after he was fifty years old. The fruit of his study was never a full ly written sermon, as he usually preach ed from few notes on the margin of his Bible. His sermons were, however, carefully pre- meditated and were remembered with accu- 1acy, so that months afterwards he could give them almost word for word. The form of his discourses was expository; he fully ex- plained the meaning of the passage and then enforced the practical bearing upon the cir
 
 point out the similarity. He brought all his force to bear upon any evil which he saw; he recognized the explanation of the present in the old inspiration ot the past; always calling Ca fig fig and spade 8 spade," words which he was the first to use and which have been used ever since on both sides of the sea-
 His expositions were often consecutive, go- ing through whole books. Knox held fast to the deity, atenement and mediation of Christ, never putting himself before his master, and always making his hearers think more of him than of himself When he had opened his text he was moderate for half an hour, then his force kindled, and he went on with vehemence as though he would tear the very pulpit to pieces.
 By the ministry of Knox the entire face and future of Scotland was changed. It was the success of his life that made it possible for her to become what she is to-day. He had all his excellencies in exercise and was at his best when in the pulpit. Nowhere else was he so great in any particular as in the pulpit; he was great in them all. It was impossible for one to listen to him without antagonism or agreement. He was among the first to make and guide public opinion aright, doing what now is done by the preacher, the editor and the statesman. He was transparently honest, of unfinching boldness and great pa triotism. The three pre-eminent ways in which he affected Scotland were in his expo sition, vehemence of manner and unfiinching courage. There was in him no degen- erated apology for preacher which breaches the Bible and water and that mostly water. His exposition made the Bible the handbook of the people and the people nation of one book. His man ner was not merely an external thing-it was nothing short of a possession by the man of the spirit of his utterance; he spoke through hls entire personality. His courage was an inspiration to all the noblest ministers of Scotland He struck the key note and with him all that is best in the preaching of Scot land has been harmonious and true.
 The next lecture will be delivered on Thursday afternoon of next week at 3 o'clock.