Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-02-07
IN MARQuAnD CHAPEL.

DR.. Behrends, Third Lecture In the
Lyman Bsecher Series ON Preaching
"A Large and Highly Interested
Audience.
Not many more could have assembled in
Marquand chapel than did SO yesterday
afternoon in attendance upon the third leo
ture in the Lyman -Beecher course on
Preaching. The theme considered was the
personal element in preaching. Before be.
ginning upon the lecture, DR.. Behrends
answered written questions which had been
previously handed him. 20
In beginning the. lecture, DR.. Behrsnds
said know myself" was short sentences
which contained tho best practical Greek
Weldon. To know oneself IL indispensable,
because it is what preaeher Ia in himself
that he influences his hearers. II II not the
word, but the thought expressed that IL Of
value; for language ID the vehicle of thought
and thought is the action Of vigorous
mind. The soul must be consciously alive,
for we preach to influence men, and to this
end the soul must come In contact with
soul. Audiences are mora responsive than
sympathetic, and at their best they wait to
be moved. Audiences are cold and it is hard
for them to overcome 1t, even If they are not
hostile.
The nearer 10 not and ought not to be ex-
pected to yield in advance. Preaching is an
athletic contest. The preachers soul must
be the captain of the hearers soul and he
should speak with the authority of personal
conviction, and not with self-assertion. In
dividuslity and personality are not equival-
Tents, the latter is the essential, the permen-
emit. The gospel must be in it as well of
water untouched by draught, and quenching
he IF ofhare rnfnfakpv nf fen Vaara
will prove this.
The eloquent doctor now proposed to
make three-fold application of the personal
element in preaching, namely that of physi.
cal culture, devotional spirit and rhetorical
culture.
The physical culture of preacher is an
essential. In college days athletics crowd
upon the class room. But, on the other
hand, q good physical body is not sign of
strong mental capacity, nor is a small
body the necessary bearer of an incapable
mind. The proverb, "a sound mind In .
sound body" needs some qualifications, for
there are many qualifications.
It is your business to understand your
body as it is to understand your soul. Christ
came to save both and We will do we'll not to
fall below him. You cannot change your
of your eyes or hair, but you can put your
piety into mortal flesh. You can eat, drink
and sleep to the glory of God.
1t is the moral element in physical culture
that must be considered. It Is impossible to
neglect the body without suffering in mental
sanity and physical powers. The personal
integrity must extend its sovereignty over the
province of the body and guard it from need
less waste.
@enuineness is the beauty of all speech
The Christian man should be gentleman
and the Christian preacher should not con.
duct the services of the church in Q slovenly
manner DR.. Behrends illustrated his point
here by telling of an Irishman whom he once
heard of who was Protestant church mem
ber. This man had such . high ideal Of
good manners that he never conducted fam
lily prayers without putting on his coat
Therefore, the personal habits and dress of 9
minister should have their due consideration
not that man should be dude and over
dress, but he should be neatly attired. When
DR.. Behrends was in Germany last
summer, he attended some of the lectures In
| the university at Berlin. One of the great
scholars was lily dressed and uncouth, his
hair disshevelled and his linen not attended
to-; but another of the professors, no less
| than Prof. Weir's, was we'll attired and II
| not only scholar, but a gentleman and q
scholar. DR.. Behrends went on to council
| the young men to be natural, observing that
outward dsourum which the circumstances
TeQulIo. AL tuo pIopIActieo suouAu tAht
care of themselves because of the culture Of
the heart. And this is also evident In the
| form of worship.
There is no duty for q minister so arduoui
a. that of prayer, whether at the bedside OF
| in the pulpit. He soon finds that prepara-
| ton is needful, and he may either use ole
forms of prayer hallowed by long usage and
and which have become lituraical, or he MAY
| write them out and learn them. Both Of
these mthods are used. To prepare fol
prayer you must feel your own needs, ani
| you must realize the needs of the people, fol
| you must represent the congregation on tn,
| Sabbath day. There are the sick, and tn,
burdened, and the mourning. jesus Gays
"When thou prayest enter into thy closet
and when thou hast shut the door pray t
thy father, which is In secret" This Is tn
law Of all prayer, and every man finds Coz
where Augustine found him, and that i
within himself, SO retreat within self.
| All treatises on preaching reduce them
selves to this and teach the clearness AMI
rectitude of self knowledge, In other word
"be yourself" This Is the easiest said bu
the hardest done: DIR. Bshrends was ono
talking with DR.. Storrs after q sermon of tn
latter when he said to DR.. StoIrs that b.
never conld write . sermon like that, ant
then remarked that man must be hinself
Then DR.. Storrs remarked that "a man ha
| got to work like sixty to be himself"
No man has mastered logic or rhetoric til
he has mastered himself. "Know myself
cempsls you to be philosopher and psy cho
| logist, and ethics are the handmaids of man
| understanding of himself. The minister i
| charged with not knowing "man," and u
| far as there is any truth in it, 1t 10 bscaus'
the preacher does not know himself. II
know selt is to know every other man, TO
the human nature In every other man is lik
that specimen Of human nature which VI
carry about with yourself.
A preacher of the gospel has no bushes
to bring his philosophical spsculations ant
doubts into the pulpit. Do not feed you
flock on green apples. Wait until they ar
ripe and then they will not hurt them
Preach what you know. Remember, pra
you, "if any man wills to do Gods will b
shall know Of his teaching"
The next lecture will be this afternoon at
O'Clock; snbjeot, "Ths Ethical Element Ii
Peaching."
Died In Florida.
Mrs.. Hooker, wife Of Rev. William Z
Hooker of the Episcopal church in Ply
mouth, Conn.,, died of a severe attack of l
grippe in Florida this week.