Morning journal and courier., 1886-04-09
SPECIAL LECTURES AT YALE.

pr. Burton Lectures to the TheOlogi.
 cal Students Upon ssThe Legitimate
 Elements of Variety i'm the Public
 Services of the Church.''
 Rev. Dr. Burton, of Hartford, continued his lectures to the students of the Yale Theo- logical seminary yesterday afternoon. He spoke upon "The Legitimate Elements of Va riety in the Public Services of the Church. 1" Life has become more and more diversified we have more books, more theaters, operas and side-shows to attend more newborn ologies to study, and at the top of everything stands the modern invention of the newspapers, in which everything is massed, described, orna- mented and often illustrated with wood-cuts so that children cry for them. When the people of to-day are assembled in church they know the difference between dull ser vice and one full of life; they want all the di- versailles they ever heard of. The service, of course, should be made up of prayer, praise unsteady expressed, scripture readings and sermons, yet how can we get the diversity which people requires First, our bodies abhor fixed posture and it is best for the service that the posture be changed as it moves on. When singing it is better to rec ognize the change in the order of service by standing up, and when the choir sings it's piece you have to decide for yourself what to do; theoretically it is praising God, perhaps, and therefore you ought to stand up. Again, the minister can introduce certain reliefs by varying the voice, by versatility in gesture, etc. At any rate shun monotony, and do not make the service monotonous by your desire of unity in the service. Unity is not incompatible with variety and unity often verges into wearisome unity of a moral tone.
 There must be variety in sermons, but
 
 riety. Current topics of the day may furnish illustrations, but should not make up the body of the discourse. Above a1l be care ful not to make the sermon dull by preach ing upon a small assortment of truths. Do not be tied up to one subject and to one dis course. Christianity has it's major and its minor truths, but it is not necessary for 8 born sermon to advertise it's joints. Diver sifcation can be secured by various reading Above all, have contact at all points with that world of multifarious material massed in the Bible. Men could not be monotonous if they were versed in the universality of the Bible.
 Some cycle or system is necess ary; take the liberty of your order if that order is founded upon a biblical basis. The inform ation of the preacher must rest upon the Bible as a whole, not upon the Bible in spots.
 Prayers have more limited range of yer
 
 al and liturgical limitations and do the best you can, always aiming at prayerful spirit. Another question is, Low to escape same ness in the administration of ordinances and ceremonies. As to weddings most of the older and the younger couples, when they ! come to wedlock, desire to be married ac- cording to some service which older couples have found to be successful. Every wed. ding is so fresh in itself that it cannot be l made dull by repetition of the ceremony. The nature of ceremonies is to be repetitious. In 1 every infant baptism there must be an in fant-there is no chance for variety or origi. nality, but back of all is an unchangeable ! core of reality. We must give the cores oi reality more voluminous expression. It is l best not to extemporize on the spot, and not to manufacture ritual upon the desire fol originality. In closing Dr. Burton spoke strongly in favor of the establishment of g lectionary. The lecture which was to have been given this afternoon is postponed until Monday afternoon at o'clock, on account of the funeral of Professor Thacher.