Morning journal and courier., 1890-01-25
AT mAaauAND onAeHL.

pr. BehrenAss Second Lecture on
 Preaching.
 pr. Behrends' lecture was listened to by as large gathering as could comfortably get into Marquand chapel. It was one of the finest discourses that has ever been given in the Lyman Beecher lectures and was greatly appreciated by the students, as was shown by their applause at It's close. No report of the address can do 1t justice. To-day's was the second lecture on the Philosophy of Preaching. Dr. Behrends began by show ing that no preaching stands alone, for ell move along the same lines. There Is one law for the metropolis and for the country, and, furthermore, generations are inter. looked. There is an evolution and march In which preaching has its appointed place. Some time was taken by the lecturer to show the prominence and power of preaching in Old Testament days, especially in the time of Samuel when preaching was . revival of that in tho times of Moses. Then Dr.. Behrends dwelt on the philosophg of proph- scy, after which he entered upon considera. tion of the positive statement of tho philoso- phy of preaching.
 There is no better definition of the theory of preaching than the one advanced by the frst incumbent of this lectureship, which was that of "reconstructive manhood" On this theory one Is helped to build up moral manhood. Preaching must not ignore the present earthly life; 1t must encourage moral life. We preach too often with reference to the future, while faith and repentance have been regarded as evidence here of the con- dition of the soul hereafter. Morality, piety and purity are of no account apart from Christianity. There Is too much truth In the charge % that we Hs see seek sor..f.Sr to save The hope of heaven does not make moral life, and the preacher's vocation must deal with the life this side of the grave, and the future will be fearless. So then the theory of Gre. constructed manhood" is the best to go on. At this point the lecturer took up three lines of reflection which confirmed the theory ad- ture of the> Bible suggests that the effect of preaching Is to end at death. And in the second place that preaching is a divinely ap. pointed agency is found in the compara- tive silence of holy scripture on life beyond the grave. The future life is not the great burden of the Bible. There is no men. tion of 1t in the Pentsteuch, only ono refer ence in Job, which is very vague. and in Palms and Prophets all references to the fu- SuL0 uI0 uI0 Va8u0s 1b ID uOt tlI W0 COnAo " the New Testsment, to the record of the resurrection of Christ, that we come to visions of the future. We preach and we exhort with our eye on the grave. Here thu doctor gave the scriptural theory o the preachers vocation. He showed tha the burden of the gospel was in Christ recon ciling the world to himself, and that re demption is an historical fact. He brough out the fact that "now is the accepted time, and showed how eternity is pressed int each flying moment. Our duty is to sav' men in their mortal bodies. Dr. Behrend said that he had "no time for the discussion which disturbs the peace of our missionar! boards" We may well leave the dead witt God and be glad to do SO; the living million
 are with us and on our hands and hearts The immediate object of preaching is tn conversion of men.
 The next lecture by Dr. Behrends will oc cur one week from next Thursday, as mex
 Thursday is the day of prayer for colleges. |