Morning journal and courier., 1890-03-29
DIR. JOHN HALL LECTURES

Before the Divinity Students at Mar
Quand ChapeI-"The Abuse Of the
Pulpit, Considered In YesteFday's
Lecture-SugEestive Remarks From
a Rich Experience.
Rev. DR.. John Hall Of New York delivered
his second lecture in Msrquand chapel yes
ter1ay before the divinity students on the
Abuse of the Pulpit. After making rapid,
running resume of the preceding days leo
ture, he said: Anything that comes in and
initiates against the effectiveness of the pull
pit is certainly an abuse, though it may be
to the preacher unintentional.
Human nature is looking for sun-spots
rather than sunlight. A little mistake has
persistsncy that is remarkable. People never
forget them. ea~
Let one minister's son, for instance, get the
least prominence for misbehaviour and 1t
will live longer than the misdemeanor of q
hundred of his companions. The same is
doubly true with reference to the minister
himself.
/. Do not be impracticable. Preach so that
when the truth reaches your hearers they
will say that it is the word of God; I will
heed it. We must try to SO teach the truth
that 1t will be applicable to everyone. One
of the remedies is to preach to yourself.
An eminent divine said that he prepared
his sermons by studying his Bible, himself
and his people. There are two kinds of SER
the two and you will have the most practical
sermon.
g. Don't be unnatural Some men try to
initiate others, but unfortunately they often
copy, not their logic, but their faults. Don't
discard rhetoric and elocution. Cultivate
them. Let every tree bring forth fruit after
Its kind. Be yourself.
3. Levity is decided abuse. 1t is . mis-
take that Mr.. Spurgeon gained popularity BY
levity. If had wit might use 1t, but wit
is very different from levity.
There is this good about wit-that 1t
shows people that our religion does not make
| Christians sad. We open our service with
invocation for Gods presence. How can We
# we are frivolousa It receives no sanction
from the greatest preachers-Christ, Paul
and Peter. Be sincere and earnest.
A. Don't be too learned in the pulpit. You
can take the results of your learning, but not
| the processes through which you passed in
| reaching it. An English minister was accus-
| toned to go into close exegstied exposition
| of his Greek or Hebrew text. When he had
| finished this introduction his audience was
| disconnected.
g. 1t is mistake to be too controversial.
When want to remind my people that they
are Protestants I do not combat the
Roman Catholic doctrines. 1 present the
positive side of the doctrine OF the reformers.
The positive presentation of truth is the
strongest If should want to preach against
| spiritualism would take the instance of
Saul and the witch of Endor and without
combating the false ideas would build up
| what is true in the supernatural.
The truth will be it's own champion against
error.
(6) There is the mistake of being too
vague. Don't tell people to do good, to re-
pent. without telling them how. You can
tell your people of the attributes of God,
but you must tell them their proper relation
to these attributes. The spirit of the times
likes these generslities, but we cannot afford
| to pander to the taste of the times. We
must be specific. We must commend our
selves to mems consciences and not to their
tastes. Howe By presenting the truth-the
word of God, which Is the sword of the
spirit.