Class __ 
 
 Book 
 
 Copyright If 
 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 
 
HINTS 
 
 TO 
 
 SELF-EDUCATED MINISTERS, 
 
 INCLUDING 
 
 LOCAL PREACHERS, EXHORTERS, 
 
 AHD OTHER CHRISTIANS, 
 
 WHOSE DUTY IT MAT BE TO SPEAK MOBE OS LESS IN PUBLIC. 
 
 BY JAMES PORTER, D.D., 
 
 AUTHOR OP '* THE COMPENDIUM OP METHODISM, 11 "HELPS TO OPPICIAI 
 
 MEMBERS, 1 ' " REVIVALS OP RELIGION," " COMPREHENSIVE 
 
 HISTORY OP METHODISM," ETC. 
 
 WITH AN INTRODUCTION, 
 
 By BISHOP WILLIAM L. HAEEIS, D.D., LL.D., 
 
 OP THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 
 
 SEVENTH THOUSAND 
 
 New York: EATOfr & MAINS. 
 Cincinnati : JENNINGS & GRAHAM. 
 
URRARY of C 
 Twe Qm& 
 JUL 
 
 ccr 
 
 
 Enteied according to Act of Congress, in the year 1879. by 
 
 JAMES PORTER, D.D., 
 In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 
 
 Copyright, 1907, by 
 EATON & MAINS 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 This work has been written at the suggestion of 
 itinerant preachers, whose opportunities for prepara- 
 tory education were limited, and who claim that most 
 homiletical books are too scholastic and exacting to 
 accommodate their circumstances. They desire a 
 work in English that will be more simple and practi- 
 cal, covering the whole ground from actual experience, 
 and speaking kind and encouraging words to unfortu- 
 nate brothers who have not enjoyed many educational 
 privileges. We have tried to meet this demand, with 
 what success others must judge. 
 
 Then, seeing how little has been done for Local 
 Preachers, Exhorters, and other speakers in our 
 social meetings, we have ventured to push out into 
 this unoccupied field, and whisper words of cheer to 
 those who have rather been tolerated in their respec- 
 tive lines of action, than encouraged and stimulated to 
 higher achievements. We hope they will appreciate 
 our intentions. If it be their duty to speak at all in 
 
4 Preface. 
 
 public, they should be assisted to speak in the best 
 possible manner. And in order to do so, they need 
 to prepare for the work. 
 
 Meaning by self-educated ministers, all who have 
 not graduated from the schools in due form, my audi- 
 ence, so to speak, is a very large one, and affords 
 ground of hope that somebody will be benefited. I 
 have written as a Methodist, simply because I am one, 
 and have been accustomed to look at the subject from 
 this point of view ; but if others who are covered by 
 my title can endure our denominational terminology, 
 they may find something in the work that will be use- 
 ful to them. We commend it to the charitable for- 
 bearance of those who do not need it, and to the 
 prayerful attention of all who sympathize with its 
 
 objects. 
 
 The Author. 
 
C O N T E IT T S . 
 
 Chapter. Page. 
 
 I.— Of the Christian Ministry,— its Origin, 
 
 Objects and Supplies 15 
 
 § 1. Manner and Evidence of the Call to 
 
 it .. 20 
 
 § 2. True and False Standards 26 
 
 II. — Different Processes of Entering the 
 
 Ministry 31 
 
 III. — Knowledge Necessary to Ministers, with 
 
 Suggestions as to its Attainment 44 
 
 § The Beginning of Right Knowledge. ... 45 
 IV.— Of the Spirit, Purpose and Matter of 
 
 Preaching 70 
 
 § 1. Of What to Preach 77 
 
 § 2. Of the Selection of Texts 84 
 
 V. — Of the Construction and Composition of 
 
 Sermons 91 
 
 § 1. The Natural Order of Construction.. 95 
 
 § 2. The Composition of Sermons 104 
 
 §3. Sermons to be Tested 113 
 
6 Contents. 
 
 Chapter. Page. 
 
 VI.— Of the Delivery of Sermons, as to Dif- 
 ferent Methods and a Proper State 
 
 of Mind 115 
 
 § 1. Conditions of Sucessful Preaching. . . 126 
 
 § 2. A proper State of Mind , 127 
 
 VII. — Of the Delivery of Sermons, as to 
 
 Voice and Action 140 
 
 § Of Posture, — Gesture, — Countenance, etc. 149 
 VIII. — Suggestions with Regard to Other Pub- 
 lic Services 169 
 
 § Of Baptism, — Lord's Supper, etc 184 
 
 IX.— How to Conduct Prayer Meetings 194 
 
 § 1. Errors to be Avoided 194 
 
 § 2. How Prayer Meetings Should be 
 
 Conducted 202 
 
 X.— Duties and Difficulties of the Pastoral 
 
 Office 211 
 
 XL— Use to be Made of the Press 238 
 
 XII. — Of Exhorters, their Origin, Use and 
 
 Present Importance 252 
 
 XIII. — Of Local Preachers 263 
 
 XIV. — Of Other Christian Workers, who Pro- 
 pose to Speak More or Less in Public. 278 
 § The Mission of Woman in this Connec- 
 tion 285 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 1, The most solemn and important duties -which 
 any man can undertake, are involved in the office and 
 work of a minister of the Gospel. This will be clear, 
 if we only follow out the meaning of those titles by 
 which a minister is designated in the Holy Scriptures. 
 He is a " Watchman" a " Witness," a " Workman," 
 a " Teacher," a Pastor," an " Evangelist," a " Minister 
 of Christ," an " Ambassador for CJirist," a "Steward 
 of the Mysteries of God," and he is called by many 
 other appellations equally significant. While each one 
 of these titles may imply or suggest some peculiar 
 doctrine or truth of the plan of salvation, or some form 
 of ministerial activity, not implied or suggested by any 
 of the others, yet they are all full of great thoughts 
 concerning the weighty responsibilities of a minister 
 of the Gospel. To him is committed the wealth of 
 instrumentalities for the salvation of the world, and he 
 is bound to use them under the direction of Christ, 
 and as His servant and minister, for the redemption 
 and guidance of souls, and for the extension of His 
 kingdom among men. 
 
 2. Into this office no man may enter unbidden. 
 
8 Introduction. 
 
 "No man taketh this honor to himself but he that is 
 called of God as was Aaron." The Methodist Church 
 has from the first fully recognized the necessity of a 
 divine, as well as a human call and appointment to 
 the solemn office of the Christian ministry ; and, that 
 the human call rests for its propriety and authority, 
 upon the profession and proofs of the divine call, so 
 that in her economy it is not lawful for any man to 
 take upon himself the office of public preaching, or of 
 the administration of the holy sacraments in the con- 
 gregations, before he is divinely called to execute the 
 same, and that call has been recognized by the authori- 
 ties of the Church. In our ordination service, the 
 primary importance of God's own call is most fully 
 acknowledged, and it is made the very ground on 
 which the Church invests her ministers with her ac- 
 crediting commission. It is therefore improper and 
 misleading to class the holy ministry with law and 
 medicine, and speak of it as one of the learned profes- 
 sions. It is not a profession, but a vocation — not a 
 profession in the same sense as law and medicine are 
 professions ; and is a vocation in a sense in which they 
 are not vocations. It is not a pursuit, chosen from 
 among many equally open and equally obligatory, 
 but one accepted upon the persuasion and conviction 
 of a direct divine call to this sacred office. 
 
 3. It is the indispensable duty of him who is called 
 to the office and work of the Christian ministry to 
 avail himself of all possible helps and opportunities to 
 
Introduction. 9 
 
 prepare himself for the highest usefulness in his divine 
 calling. He must be a man of much and earnest 
 prayer ; of deep and constant piety. He must read 
 and study God's holy word, and such other books as 
 help to a knowledge of the same. The apostolic in- 
 junctions to Timothy were, "Give attendance to read- 
 ing," and " Study to show thyself approved unto God, 
 a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly 
 dividing the word or truth." This young minister 
 was commanded to read and study. These are neces- 
 sary, that the preacher may be thoroughly furnished 
 for his work. No study is too severe, no culture is 
 too high, no sweep of knowledge is too broad for him 
 who is to minister at the altar and preach the glorious 
 Gospel of the blessed God. Nevertheless, it was not 
 the theory of Christ nor of His apostles, neither was it 
 of John Wesley, nor of the Church which he founded, 
 that the culture of the schools constitutes a necessary 
 qualification for entrance into this holy office. There 
 was but one Paul in the college of apostles ; the others 
 were unlearned and ignorant men, in the sense in 
 which Luke says of Peter and John, that they were 
 such, that is, they had not been trained in the knowl- 
 edge and learning of the schools. Wesley acquired 
 the most profound and varied learning afforded by the 
 best university of his times, but the men whom he 
 sent out, and who set all England in a blaze, were not 
 trained in colleges or seminaries ; neither were those 
 who laid the foundations and reared the superstructure 
 
10 Introduction. 
 
 of Methodism in America. And yet these men were 
 not strangers to knowledge and culture. They knew 
 men, they knew books, they knew theology, they knew 
 literature, they knew science. They were diligent and 
 hard students their lives long. Their speech and their 
 preaching were not with enticing words of man's wis- 
 dom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power ; 
 the weapons of their warfare were not carnal, but 
 mighty through God to the pulling down of strong 
 holds. They were called and sent of God, and He 
 worked with them, confirming their words by signs 
 following, and gave to them a mouth and wisdom 
 which all their adversaries were not able to gainsay or 
 resist. 
 
 The amount of preparatory study which one called 
 to the ministry should accomplish before beginning 
 his work, may not be always the same, and must be 
 largely determined by the particular circumstances of 
 each case. If he is in his early manhood, with good 
 health, and can command the means to pay his bills, 
 without borrowing, let him by all means go to college. 
 But if his pecuniary affairs are in such condition that 
 he must borrow money to pay his expenses, and at 
 the end of his course, be overwhelmed with debts, the 
 case is not so clear that he ought to go to college at 
 all. His debts must soon be paid, and until paid they 
 will increase rather than diminish. If payment be 
 long delayed creditors will complain, and his reputa- 
 tion will suffer, his usefulness decline, and his com* 
 
Introduction. 11 
 
 fort depart. The income of a young minister, after 
 meeting necessary current demands, does not usually 
 afford a large margin to apply in cancelling old scores. 
 A thoughtful young man, who is in debt, seeing all 
 this, hesitates at the door of the conference, and fears 
 to enter, unless he can be assured of an appointment 
 to some field of labor, whose munificent liberality will 
 meet the necessities of his case. Such a field does not 
 readily offer to one of his years and experience, and, 
 failing of that, he either abandons the ministry alto- 
 gether, or postpones his entrance upon its duties, until, 
 by industrious toil in some employment or business 
 more remunerative in the money line than preaching 
 the Gospel, he can acquire sufficient means to pay his 
 debts. In this he does wisely, but whether he did 
 wisely in going into debt is quite another matter. It 
 is significant on this subject, that from the beginning 
 of the Church to the present hour, every minister on 
 entering an annual conference has been confronted 
 with the question, " Are you in debt ? " 
 
 In such a case it is surely better that the young man 
 forego his college training, however advantageous it 
 might be to him otherwise, and give himself at once in 
 faith and prayer to the work to which God has called 
 him ; and by hard study, diligence and devotion, ac- 
 quire in the ministry, what his peculiar circumstances 
 prevented him from acquiring before entering it. 
 Even then he will find before him a course of study 
 embracing literature, science, history, philosophy and 
 
12 Introduction. 
 
 theology requiring four years earnest study for its com- 
 pletion, and which, if thoroughly mastered, will pre- 
 pare him to stand before kings as an ambassador for 
 Christ. 
 
 4. The Hints to Ministers, found in this volume, will 
 be suggestive to any preacher however much he may 
 have learned elsewhere ; while they will be specially 
 valuable to such preachers as have not enjoyed the 
 opportunity of preliminary training in the schools. 
 The author has himself seen long service as a Methodist 
 preacher, and has travelled all the way along the path 
 he points out to others, so that his counsels are not 
 founded on mere theories and speculations, but on facts 
 and experiences. 
 
 5. This book will also -be helpful to the men com- 
 posing that large and useful body among us, — the local 
 preachers of our Church, of whom there are now more 
 than twelve thousand. The first Methodist sermon on 
 this continent was preached by a local preacher, and 
 before any of Mr. Wesley's missionaries reached Amer- 
 ica, at least three local preachers were here preach- 
 ing the Gospel and organizing Methodist societies. 
 From that day onward they have been a great power 
 in the evangelistic forces of the Church. From their 
 ranks all our ministers of whatever grade or celebrity 
 have come, while many who continued in the class of 
 local preachers, were not only useful in their calling, 
 but rose to distinction and eminence both in the pulpit 
 and on the platform. They will find in this book many 
 
Introduction. 13 
 
 important suggestions, concerning their reading and 
 studies, the method of preparing and delivering ser- 
 mons, the manner of conducting public worship, of 
 leading prayer meetings, and other religious services, 
 and in short, of doing almost everything that a preacher 
 may be called upon to do in his office. 
 
 6. But beyond all this, the author devotes a consid- 
 erable portion of these pages to the interests of the 
 exhorters, a very useful class of men for whose special \ 
 help nothing has been heretofore written. It is their 
 duty to hold public meetings for prayer and exhorta- 
 tion, and they will find many important suggestions 
 as to the best methods of preparing themselves for 
 their peculiar work, and concerning the manner of 
 fulfilling the duties of their office before the public 
 congregation. 
 
 7. Still further, this book contains an important 
 chapter designed for the more private, or non-official 
 members of the Church, whose duty it may be to speak 
 more or less in public. In this same chapter will be 
 found some valuable suggestions to Christian ladies. 
 
 In harmony with the sentiments and practice of 
 Methodism from the beginning, the author recognizes 
 the important mission of the women of the Church in 
 saving sinners and building up believers, and in many 
 ways promoting the general interests of Zion. 
 
 Where common practice little more than tolerates 
 their speaking when so inclined, he summons them to 
 
14 Introduction. 
 
 the discharge of high responsibilities, and gives them 
 valuable suggestions in relation to the work. 
 
 In a word, a proper use of these Hints must result 
 in great good to those for whom they were written, 
 and through them to the Church and to the world. 
 
 William L. Habbis. 
 
HINTS TO MINISTERS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 ON THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY — ITS ORIGI 
 
 OBJECTS AND SUPPLIES. 
 
 In attempting to decide upon the proper 
 course to be pursued with reference to any en- 
 terprise, it is necessary to know what are the 
 objects proposed. This is emphatically true 
 with regard to preparation for the Christian 
 ministry. Misapprehending its high and holy 
 purpose, many advices have been given to 
 candidates which savor more of human than 
 of divine wisdom, and hinder, rather than help 
 the cause they are intended to promote. 
 
 The Christian ministry derives its authority 
 from Jesus, who originated it, and not from 
 Moses or the prophets, or from John the Bap- 
 tist. It was a new device for the propagation 
 of the religion which He came to establish in 
 all the earth. 
 
 God had long since designated individual 
 
16 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 men, and classes of men for particular pur- 
 poses, but not for this. The principal business 
 of the ancient priests was to offer sacrifices ; 
 that of the prophets, to foretell future events ; 
 but that of Christian ministers is to preach the 
 Gospel, " the good news," in such a manner 
 as to command the acceptance of its benefits. 
 
 The commission under which they act reads 
 thus : " Go ye into all the world, and preach 
 the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth, 
 and is baptized, shall be saved ; but he that 
 believeth not shall be damned " (Mark xvi. 15, 
 16). Judaism was chiefly limited to a single 
 nation. Christianity extends its sympathies 
 and provisions alike to all nations, and to each 
 individual. It makes religion a personal busi- 
 ness, and the salvation of souls the grand ob- 
 ject of its ministers. They are to preach with 
 special reference to this result — not human 
 science or opinions, but the Gospel — not to 
 glorify themselves, or entertain the people, but 
 to make men see their lost condition, believe in 
 Jesus, and openly identify themselves with 
 Eim. 
 
 St. Paul, who was called to be an apostle, 
 understood the matter in this light. Speaking 
 
The Christian Ministry. 17 
 
 of Christy he says : " Whom we preach, warn- 
 ing every man, and teaching every man, in all 
 wisdom, that we may present every man per- 
 feet in Christ Jesus, whereunto I also labor, 
 striving according to His working which work- 
 eth in me mightily " (Col. i. 28, 29). And 
 again, "TSTow we are ambassadors for Christ ; 
 as though God did beseech you by us, we pray 
 you, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God" 
 (2 Cor. v. 20). 
 
 His ideal of the objects of the ministry, are 
 still further indicated in his letter to Titus, 
 wherein he says : " Who gave himself for us, 
 that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and 
 purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous 
 of good works. These things speak, and ex- 
 hort, and rebuke, with all authority " (chap, 
 ii. 14, 15). 
 
 Acting on this understanding of their com- 
 mission, the apostles " went forth and preached 
 everywhere, the Lord working with them, and 
 confirming the word with signs following " 
 (Mark xvi. 20). And it is a fact that men 
 who now preach the Gospel for this purpose, 
 who really desire and intend to save sinners, do 
 much the same thing, and with similar results. 
 
18 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 Failure in ministers often comes of diversion. 
 They lose sight of the proper object of preach- 
 ing, and seek to defend the Gospel, or discourse 
 prettily about it for general effect, rather than 
 preach it for individual faith and immediate 
 conversion. They forget that its best vindica- 
 tion and its highest charms are found in its 
 saving results. The clear casting out of one 
 devil by the power of the Spirit, converting one 
 flagrant sinner into an acknowledged saint, will 
 go further in defending it than many well 
 drawn arguments. Being the power of God 
 unto salvation, the Gospel, properly presented, 
 will demonstrate itself, and carry conviction 
 to hearts that no intellectual reasoning can 
 effect. The minister stands in Christ's stead 
 to seek the lost, and lead them to heaven. 
 " You have nothing else to do," says our dis- 
 cipline, "but to save souls. It is not your 
 business only to preach so many times, and to 
 take care of this or that society, but to save as 
 as many as you can ; to bring as many sinners 
 as you can to repentance, and with all your 
 powers to build them up in holiness " (HIT 111, 
 112). The more directly he comes to the work 
 the better will he be understood, and the more 
 
The Christian Ministry. 19 
 
 likely to succeed. To be wasting his oppor- 
 tunities on other subjects, such as are frequent- 
 ly announced from the pulpit, will only show 
 to his hearers that he is not speaking for God 
 or souls. Salvation, necessary, immediate, and 
 possible now to the perishing sinner, must be 
 the theme in which all his preachings, prayers 
 and tears centre, and to which they all tend. It 
 was for this that Christ died, and now inter- 
 cedes — that the Spirit strives, and all heaven 
 is anxious. If he be a true minister, his 
 thoughts, studies, and labors will be shaped 
 with reference to this grand object. He may 
 err in his judgment and methods, but his in- 
 tention will be to lead men to Christ. 
 
 The high spirituality and difficulty of this 
 work places it beyond the reach of ordinary 
 minds. Unconverted men, however highly 
 educated, have neither the heart or knowledge 
 necessary to its performance. They may be 
 well furnished on other subjects, and possess 
 interest, zeal and intelligence to press them 
 upon public attention ; but they cannot be 
 effective here. They are blind to the sinfulness 
 of sin, the danger of sinners, and the charms 
 of holiness. If they shall undertake the minis' 
 
20 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 try, it will be for " a piece of bread," or to 
 secure certain worldly advantages that it seems 
 to promise. Nor can men religiously inclined, 
 but without conscious love to God shed abroad 
 in their hearts, do much better. Jesus there- 
 fore selected from among his followers such as 
 were especially adapted to the work— converted 
 men. And he did not transfer to them the 
 right of appointing their successors. This 
 prerogative He still retains, and calls His min- 
 isters now as He does not call men to be 
 farmers, mechanics, merchants, or common 
 laborers. We hear nothing from Him about 
 the " priesthood of the people" explaining 
 away the specialty of this call. Though He re- 
 quires all His followers to let their light so shine 
 before men that they may see their good works 
 and glorify their Father which is in heaven, 
 He does not call all to preach. Paul, who had 
 personal experience on this subject, says, "No 
 man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that 
 was called of God, as was Aaron " (Heb. v. 4). 
 
 MANNER AND EVIDENCE OF THIS CALL. 
 
 As to the manner in which God calls men 
 into the ministry, we may not speak with much 
 
The Christian Ministry. 21 
 
 precision. He is sovereign, and appoints His 
 own representatives, to please Himself, irre- 
 spective of human arrangements ; but when 
 one is really called, those who are in sympathy 
 with the objects of the Gospel will be likely to 
 discover it. God may reveal it to them as He 
 revealed the call of Saul of Tarsus to Ananias 
 (Acts ix. 15). When He does so, it is proper 
 that the Church should manifest their acquies- 
 cence in it, and use their influence to insure 
 success. 
 
 In regard to the evidence of the call, there is 
 some diversity of opinion, with no inconsider- 
 able agreement. All who are called, we believe, 
 love God devoutly. They admire His charac- 
 ter, government, and plan of salvation, and de- 
 sire above all things else to please Him. They 
 feel deeply concerned to win men to Christ. 
 They cannot trifle lest they offend God, nor 
 neglect duty lest blood be found on their gar- 
 ments. They harmonize also in having their 
 attention directed to the duty of preaching, not 
 perhaps by men, but by the Spirit of God. It 
 may at first be only a vague impression, a kind 
 of waking dream, and may be treated as a 
 temptation, and banished as such. This was 
 
22 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 the case with many of the best men who now 
 stand in the holy place. They had no idea of 
 preaching when first converted. Still their 
 minds mysteriously lingered about the subject. 
 They would often start up as from a pleasant 
 reverie, and find themselves addressing an 
 imaginary congregation, perhaps hundreds of 
 miles away. But in spite of their unbelief, the 
 subject impressed them, until it had created 
 the conviction that God might be calling them 
 to the work, and finally that He had called 
 them, and they must not disobey on pain of 
 His displeasure. 
 
 Other Christians love God, and desire to do 
 good, but it is not usual for them to fancy that 
 they are called to preach, even when they pos- 
 sess marked qualifications. Much less are they 
 pressed with the duty to such an extent as to 
 feel condemned in neglecting it, and especially 
 to feel " woe is unto me, if I preach not the 
 Gospel." This is the experience of those only 
 whom the Lord calls. The call, then, is 
 evidenced by an inward impression or convic- 
 tion made upon the heart by the Holy Spirit. 
 
 But where one is really called, it will be 
 manifested by collateral evidence. Others will 
 
The Christian Ministry. 23 
 
 sometimes see it as well as himself, not always. 
 Then he may be placed in circumstances which 
 almost compel him to preach. Maxfield, Mr. 
 Wesley's first lay itinerant, arose to read the 
 Scriptures and exhort the people, when the 
 Spirit so helped his infirmities, that he preached 
 mightily, in spite of life-long prejudices, and 
 Lady Huntington, and Wesley himself were 
 obliged to admit that he was divinely called. 
 John Nelson, a stone mason by trade, going 
 home soon after his conversion, his neighbors 
 desired him to. give some account of his 
 strange experience, which he did, at first, sit- 
 ting in his own house. But some doubted. 
 This led him to prove his points from the 
 Scriptures. Directly, the house was too small 
 for the congregation that gathered to hear him, 
 and he stood at the door, and spoke so that 
 many were awakened and converted, and he 
 was made a preacher by public proclamation, 
 contrary to all known rules of church order, 
 and his own intentions. And he proved to be 
 an apostle indeed to many souls. Another 
 pious young man went to meeting to listen. 
 The preacher had not proceeded far when he 
 became confounded and took his seat. What 
 
24 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 can be done ? was the all-absorbing question. 
 At length our youthful friend stood up and 
 began to speak, when God so filled his mouth 
 with arguments, that preacher and people in- 
 sisted on his speaking again in the afternoon, 
 which he did with great effect. Thus what 
 these men had hardly thought of, was forced 
 upon them in such a way that they were con- 
 strained to say. "It is the Lord, let Him do 
 what seemeth Him good." 
 
 The case of Mr. Moody, whose fame is in all 
 the world, is another instance of the kind. He 
 did not think of preaching, and his church 
 friends, seeing his ignorance and awkwardness, 
 advised him not to speak in conference meet- 
 ings lest he should offend some of the brethren. 
 So he went into the streets and lanes, and 
 talked to the children and others, and after a 
 while, invited them into an old, forsaken room 
 which lie lighted with a tallow candle. But 
 God blessed his labors, and made him an ac- 
 knowledged preacher. Thousands attended 
 upon his ministry, and many were converted. 
 Methodism abounds in such cases, and has done 
 so from the beginning. 
 
 A clear understanding of divine things, a 
 
The Christian Ministry. 25 
 
 ready utterance, tact, and, especially, success 
 in doing good, have great weight in deciding 
 this question. " Fruit " is particularly con- 
 vincing. But it cannot be denied that men are 
 called to preach, in relation to whom, some of 
 these outward circumstances are wanting. In 
 such cases, however, the inward witness is cor- 
 respondingly strong. For instance, one young 
 man was so impressed that he must preach, 
 that he ventured to name the fact to his pastor, 
 who had no doubt that he was deceived, and 
 advised him to dismiss all thought of it. But 
 he could not rest, he must preach, and break- 
 ing through much opposition he did so, con- 
 vincing all who heard him that he was not de- 
 ceived. This was also true of another man 
 who stammered so intolerably that he could 
 hardly connect two words without faltering. 
 The idea of his preaching was utterly prepos- 
 terous. But his conviction was so deep and 
 distressing, it was proposed to give him a trial, 
 and an appointment was made for him, which 
 brought out a crowd to witness an expected 
 failure. But he went through triumphantly, 
 and became an eminent minister. God's ways 
 are not as man's ways on this subject. 
 
26 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 true and false standards. 
 
 Good men often erect a false standard of 
 ministerial qualifications. They require of all 
 what few only possess. Hence they can see no 
 call, where these qualifications do not exist ; 
 whereas it is no more necessary, especially un- 
 der our itinerant economy, that every man 
 should have all these endowments, than that 
 every teacher should know Spanish, and every 
 physician should be a dentist. The ministry 
 occupies a large field, which requires a great 
 variety of services, many of which are vastly 
 more practicable to plain, pious, common-sense 
 men, than to the more profound. In some 
 cases, education disqualifies men for the highest 
 usefulness among the masses, by creating a 
 mutual aversion between them. To exclude 
 from the ministry, therefore, all who have not 
 attained to a certain literary status, is to clog 
 the wheels of salvation, and doom a large por- 
 tion of mankind to continuance in moral dark- 
 ness. 
 
 Methodism owes much to its bold independ- 
 ence in this particular. God fortunately de- 
 livered John Wesley, its real founder, from some 
 
The Christian Ministry. 27 
 
 of his High Church notions at an early day, so 
 that he reluctantly accepted the ministerial 
 cooperation of uneducated men, who gave good 
 evidence of being moved by the Holy Ghost to 
 the work. His method of testing candidates, 
 which Methodists have wisely maintained, may 
 be inferred from the following questions : 
 
 1. Do they know God as a pardoning God ? 
 Have they the love of God abiding in them ? 
 Do they desire nothing but God ? And are 
 they holy in all manner of conversation ? 
 
 2. Have they gifts (as well as grace) for the 
 work ? Have they (in some tolerable degree) 
 a clear, sound understanding ; a right judgment 
 in the things of God ; a just conception of sal- 
 vation by faith? And has God given them 
 any degree of utterance ? Do they speak just- 
 ly, readily, clearly ? 
 
 3. Have they fruit ? Are any truly con- 
 vinced of sin, and converted to God by their 
 preaching ? 
 
 " So long as these three marks concur in any 
 one, we believe he is called of God to preach. 
 These we receive as sufficient proof that he is 
 moved by the Holy Ghost " (Dis., par. 99, 100). 
 
 Holding young men to these tests, we shall 
 
28 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 be likely to elevate the standard of ministerial 
 qualifications, and protect the office against the 
 admission of unsuitable candidates. 
 
 These evidences should be required in per- 
 petuity. Ministers have been known to lose 
 the spirit of the work after entering upon it, 
 and to become ineffective, and even worse. In 
 such cases they should return to their first love 
 or retire, though they may continue to be re- 
 spectable in character. It has been well said 
 that " the form or ceremony of preaching may 
 be taken up and laid aside as easily as other 
 forms ; but true preaching, the preaching that 
 Christ appointed, demands the power of an ac- 
 tive faith, a holy sympathy, and a conscious 
 mission from God" (Kidder's Homiletics, p. 
 33). No one should remain in the ministry a 
 day after he has lost the qualities which 
 evidenced his call to it, except where he is 
 earnestly seeking to have them restored. The 
 sooner he shall discover his utter incompetence, 
 obtain help from God, or leave the pulpit, the 
 better it will be for the Church. 
 
 This was clearly illustrated in the case of the 
 founder of Methodism. With abundant reli- 
 gion, such as it was, and a polished education, 
 
The Christian Ministry. 29 
 
 his ministry was a sad failure in spiritual re- 
 sults, until he was " born again/' and filled 
 with the Holy Ghost. 
 
 One of the greatest dangers of Methodists 
 lies just at this point. No amount of wealth 
 or learning, or popular favor, can save us from 
 ruin, without a divinely called and inspired 
 ministry. Our excellent doctrines and economy 
 are powerless for spiritual results, in the hands 
 of blind guides. 
 
 This suggests the wisdom of the long proba- 
 tion, to which we subject candidates. It is 
 none too long to find out whether they are 
 adapted to the work, which is its main object. 
 It indicates also the propriety of locating men 
 in full connection who render themselves un- 
 acceptable to the people, and are not wanted 
 because not useful. When a man has had a 
 fair chance to demonstrate his call, in the way 
 of " fruit," and fails to do it, he had better re- 
 tire, and apply himself to some other calling. 
 
 The Church cannot afford to carry along a 
 horde of incompetent young preachers. No 
 matter who they are, or how much they may 
 know, not meeting the demands of the cause, 
 they should be kindly dismissed, and their 
 
30 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 places filled with efficient men. It is a favor- 
 able sign of the times that some conferences 
 have lately undertaken to examine candidates 
 more carefully with regard to their adaptation 
 to the work. 
 
 These remarks are not designed to apply to 
 sick or aged ministers, who retain the Spirit, 
 though they are incompetent to do much ser- 
 vice. If they have fulfilled their part of the 
 contract involved in assuming the responsi- 
 bilities of the ministry, according to their 
 ability and opportunities, it would be unkind 
 to disfranchise them. Our policy rather pro- 
 vides for putting them on the retired list, and 
 treating them with sympathy. 
 
Entering the Ministry. 31 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 DIFFERENT PROCESSES OF ENTERING THE MIN- 
 ISTRY. 
 
 What course one should take, who is con- 
 templating the ministry with more or less 
 thoughtfulness ; and conviction that he is called 
 to the work, is a serious, and often a very per- 
 plexing question. This is owing to a variety 
 of circumstances : 
 
 1. To. the different opinions and practices 
 which prevail among the churches, some requir- 
 ing more, and others less preparation, while not 
 a few incline to begin at once and leave the 
 matter of preparation entirely to providential 
 direction. 
 
 2. To the different conditions in which men> 
 thus moved, are placed, involving age, liter- 
 ary attainments, the state of society, financial 
 embarrassments, opportunities for preparatory 
 training, etc. God seems not to have followed 
 any apparent rule, in calling men with regard 
 to these, or other circumstances. Some have 
 
32 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 been impressed with the duty in early youth, 
 and shaped their course accordingly. Others 
 did not even think of the matter as a possi- 
 bility, until they were far advanced in life, and 
 involved in business. Indeed they were open 
 enemies of all religion, but being mercifully 
 converted, felt that they must preach, though 
 wanting in preparation, and surrounded with 
 hindrances. 
 
 3. The conflicting advices given to candi- 
 dates, is another source of embarrassment, 
 some urging them to leave all and preach at 
 once, others recommending a partial or thorough 
 course of study, while many, equally sincere, 
 would have them drop the subject, as a sug- 
 gestion of the devil. 
 
 In this state of affairs, each one must settle 
 the question for himself, 1. As to whether he 
 ought to preach at all. 2. If so, whether he 
 should leave his present calling and give his 
 whole time to the work, or preach occasionally, 
 as opportunity may offer, and his business 
 allow. 3. In connection with what church. 
 4. Whether he should commence immediately, 
 or first seek to obtain an education. No one 
 else can settle it so well. He knows his own 
 
^Entering the Ministry. 33 
 
 convictions, affinities and circumstances, and 
 ought not to be inveigled into any line of pro- 
 cedure against his deliberate judgment, taking 
 everything into the account. He had better 
 be a good teacher, or exhorter, by following his 
 own convictions and adaptations, than to be- 
 come an inefficient preacher, by following the 
 opinions of others. 
 
 As a matter of fact, these different courses 
 have sometimes succeeded well, and not un- 
 frequently they have failed, so that some minds 
 have, at different times, approved and rejected 
 all of them. John Wesley knew of but one 
 door into the ministry at the commencement 
 of his spiritual career ; but in process of time, 
 God showed another, which he felt obliged to 
 recognize. Most of his helpers entered by this 
 door, and became travelling or local preachers, 
 as circumstances seemed to require. Methodism 
 was planted in America by two of the latter 
 class, namely, Philip Embury, in New York, 
 and Eobert Strawbridge, in Maryland, both 
 from Ireland. Capt. Webb, another of the 
 same rank, a stalwart Englishman, soon 
 joined them, and together they made a fair 
 
 beginning, before Mr. Wesley knew anything 
 3 
 
34 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 of the matter, proving the wisdom of the 
 order. 
 
 This has been the policy of Methodists gen- 
 erally, from the commencement, with some im- 
 provements. In the first place, they encourage 
 all young men of fair capacity to exercise their 
 gifts in speaking and prayer, so soon as they 
 are converted. Their six months' probation, 
 under proper tuition, gives them a pretty 
 correct knowledge of doctrine and discipline, 
 while their frequent public exercises improve 
 their gifts in speaking and prayer. Pursuing 
 this course a year or more, possibly five or ten 
 years, if found worthy, they are licensed to ex- 
 hort or preach. 
 
 But that they may not be advanced faster 
 than their capabilities justify, they are sub- 
 jected to a close examination at every stage of 
 their progress. 1. For license to exhort, and 
 annually afterwards, so long as they hold that 
 office. 2. For local preacher's license. 3. For 
 recommendation for admission on trial in the 
 annual conference. 4. Then they are examined 
 by the annual conference for admission, and 
 afterwards, for two years, on the prescribed 
 course of study, for deacon's orders. 5. Finally, 
 
Entering the Ministry. 35 
 
 they have to pass two other annual examina- 
 tions, for elder's orders, when, if their conduct, 
 labors, and examinations are satisfactory, they 
 are admitted to the full ministry. This gives 
 them a training in the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church of from five to twenty years from the 
 time of their conversion to their graduation to 
 elder's orders. They may accomplish it in foui 
 years from the date of their first license, or they 
 may linger along on the different stages of their 
 progress, and never reach that point. Some are 
 satisfied with the exhorter's license, and many 
 wisely continue in the local preacher's office 
 during life, and do good service, while others 
 advance to the itinerancy, and continue in it 
 to the end, or fall back into the local ranks. 
 
 In all these departments, many come short 
 of what is anticipated, while others exceed their 
 highest expectations. On the whole, the plan 
 has worked admirably, and seems well adapted 
 to the present time. As to those who have 
 small opportunities for preparatory study, it is 
 necessary, while those who take a more 
 thorough course, manage to obtain orders about 
 as soon as they are ready for full pastoral work. 
 
 But this showing is not complete without 
 
36 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 some further reference to the course of study 
 and examinations before mentioned. It in- 
 volves, 1. Personal religious experience, life and 
 habits. 2. A fair English education. 3. 
 Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. 4. General 
 and systematic theology. 5. Church Govern- 
 ment. 6. History, both civil and sacred. 7. 
 The Christian ministry, its origin and work. 
 8. General intelligence, sufficient, at least, to 
 place the several office bearers above the average 
 rank of those whom they are expected to serve, 
 particularly in relation to religion and morals. 
 (Dis., pp. 351-366.) 
 
 It will be observed that a knowledge of the 
 different languages taught in colleges and the- 
 ological seminaries, is not required. Nor is 
 it repudiated. Candidates are left to follow 
 their own judgment with regard to these and 
 some other branches of learning. We furnish 
 the colleges and seminaries for the most 
 thorough literary and theological training, but 
 do not make graduation from either a pre- 
 requisite to the ministry. 
 
 It is worthy of note, also, that we try our 
 candidates before we license them, instead of 
 educating them first and trying them afterwards, 
 
Entering the Ministry. 37 
 
 as is done by some other demonstrations. We 
 educate them in the work and among the peo- 
 ple, and not out of it ; for it specifically, and 
 not equally for any other calling, as is done in 
 the regular college course. We begin their ed- 
 ucation by training them to speak in public of 
 what they feel and believe, while they are seek- 
 ing to know more. They are not expected to 
 speak correctly or profoundly at the beginning, 
 but speaking and preaching as they proceed 
 with their studies, they learn the art of speak- 
 ing readily and forcibly. 
 
 . How this policy has succeeded in achieving 
 the objects of preaching need not be stated. 
 Our history is significant on this point. And 
 though our ministers have been characterized 
 as uneducated and incompetent by certain 
 clerical pretenders to superiority, they have 
 found little difficulty in entering the pastorate 
 of other denominations, without delay for 
 further literary attainments. 
 
 But some churches still insist on their old 
 plan of preparation, involving two or three 
 years in the academy, four in college and three 
 more in the theological seminary, with little 
 preaching until the last year, and not much 
 
38 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 even then. They wisely waive all this, how- 
 ever, when they find promising recruits from 
 other sects, and the more readily, because it so 
 often fails to produce the style of ministers 
 demanded by their people and work. 
 
 But this is nothing to us. All denomina- 
 tions are at liberty to follow their own con- 
 victions. However wise the policy, it is too 
 slow a process to meet our demands. The 
 Methodist churches of America need at least 
 one thousand fresh recruits annually to repair 
 the waste of disease and death in the conferences, 
 and supply the new fields which invite their 
 pastoral care, while our present facilities for so 
 complete preparation, furnish less than one- 
 quarter of that number. This deficiency is 
 made up by brethren of less opportunities, 
 many of whom seem not to suffer seriously for 
 the want of preparatory training, either in their 
 popularity or usefulness. Many of them could 
 not have gone through with this laborious and 
 expensive course, had they desired to do so, 
 while others did not deem it expedient. 
 
 Now, while we are not disposed to dictate to 
 any young man as to the particular course he 
 shall take with regard to entering the min- 
 
Entering the Ministry. 39 
 
 istry, we do solemnly advise all to act in view 
 of their responsibility to God and the judg- 
 ment of the great day. You have the different 
 theories and practices of the churches before 
 you. If God has called you to preach, He in- 
 tends that you shall succeed, and His will is 
 that you shape your course purely with refer- 
 ence to that result. 
 
 It is true, too, generally, we believe, that the 
 conviction of a divine call to preach embraces, 
 not only the main objects to be sought, but 
 something of the manner and connection of the 
 preaching. Jonah's call required him to go to 
 Nineveh, and proclaim a particular truth. The 
 work not being agreeable to hi3 taste, he 
 ventured to deviate from instructions so far as 
 to go to Tarshish. He followed his own pre- 
 ferences rather than God's command. So Paul 
 was called to be an apostle to the Gentiles, 
 and did not confer with flesh and blood. 
 Young men who feel moved to preach, ordi- 
 narily follow the arrangements of the denom- 
 ination which was instrumental in bringing 
 them to Christ. Some, however, take a differ- 
 ent course, too often, we are sorry to say, in the 
 direction of more worldly honor, less work, 
 
40 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 and better pay. And a few seem to feel called 
 upon to strike out independently, though the 
 reason for this course is seldom manifest. Our 
 settled belief is, that whatever the call may be, 
 it is best for a young man to follow it, in the 
 true interests of religion and the salvation of 
 men. If it shall prove to be a mistake, he can 
 change afterward. But in determining what 
 course he will take, with regard to preparation, 
 he should carefully select one which is not 
 calculated to abate his natural or spiritual 
 force, and tone him down to the dead 
 monotory of some artificial model. Duty and 
 utility should be his invariable guide. 
 
 If, after careful consideration and prayer, 
 you shall be satisfied that you can accomplish 
 more for God and the salvation of souls, by 
 entering the work at once, do so, trusting in 
 Divine Providence and your own indomitable 
 purpose. Let no ambitious or selfish motive 
 deter you. If it shall appear that a year or two, 
 more or less, devoted to preparatory study in 
 the schools will enhance your usefulness, and 
 your circumstances will admit of it, that is 
 probably the wiser course for you to adopt. 
 It will save you a great deal of hard work 
 
Entering the Ministry. 41 
 
 afterwards. The beginning of education is the 
 most difficult part of it. Once master the 
 rudiments, and learn how to study, and you 
 will have little to fear. But at all events, make 
 your selection in view of the grand objects of 
 the ministry, and your obligations to God, as 
 a called minister of the cross, independently 
 of worldly ambition. 
 
 Then, " Go, teach all nations/' says the 
 fervid Lacordaire ; " fear neither the difficulties 
 of foreign tongues, nor the differences of man- 
 ners, nor the power of secular governments. 
 Consult not the course of rivers nor the di- 
 rection of mountain ranges ; go straight on. 
 Go as the thunder of Him who sends you — as 
 the creative Word went, which carried life into 
 chaos — as the eagles go and the angels." {Pal- 
 pit Table Talk, p. 116.) 
 
 But do not let the fact that you have not 
 the means of prosecuting a thorough course of 
 study in the schools deter you from obeying 
 what you feel to be a divine call to preach. 
 The most learned preachers are not always the 
 most effective. While high culture has many 
 advantages, it does not insure success ; it has 
 some drawbacks, especially when applied to the 
 
42 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 commonality of society, with which the ministry 
 has chiefly to deal. Hence it is that men of 
 moderate attainments, both in Church and 
 State, often outstrip their literary superiors in 
 the race for popular favor and influence. 
 
 I refer to this point because so many hold 
 opposing views, and discourage all leanings 
 toward the ministry, without thorough educa- 
 tion, which is out of the reach of many pious 
 young men. The fathers said, "Go preach, 
 and study by the way," and it was under this 
 policy that they developed our most distinguish- 
 ed men, bishops, commentators, theologians 
 and preachers ; and filled the world with their 
 doctrine and measures. With these facts 
 before him, and especially with the vastly aug- 
 mented facilities of the present day for the ac- 
 quisition of knowledge, no young man, called 
 of God to the work of the ministry, should 
 hesitate to make the attempt, though it may 
 be impossible for him to spend much time in 
 the schools. 
 
 The call indicates capacity and adaptation, 
 already possessed, though not often realized ; or 
 to be conferred in obedience. No man can feel 
 more surprised or incompetent than did Moses 
 
Entering the Ministry. 43 
 
 when called to deliver his brethren from bon- 
 dage, yet he proved to be the right man for the 
 work. He tested his call, and found it to be of 
 God. So should every young man do who be- 
 lieves himself called to preach, by moving out 
 on the line of duty. If God does not help him 
 he will soon see his mistake, and retire to pri- 
 vate life. 
 
44 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 KNOWLEDGE NECESSARY TO THE MINISTRY, 
 WITH SUGGESTIONS AS TO ITS ATTAIN- 
 MENT. 
 
 Whatever differences of opinion may exist 
 among us with regard to preparation for the 
 ministry, there should be little doubt of the 
 importance of continuous study in it. The 
 drill of the schools ought to finish one's educa- 
 tion in some particulars, and it generally does so 5 
 we believe, but still it leaves enough to be 
 learned afterwards to require the closest applica- 
 tion. t Hence, those who regard their diplomas 
 as a release from further effort, soon become stale 
 and ineffective. Graduates, even, must study, 
 or fall short of reasonable expectations, while 
 brethren of less preparation, may, with proper 
 application, attain to enviable distinction. 
 
 To compass the curriculum indicated in the 
 last chapter, requires no little effort. But 
 that is only the beginning of necessary attain- 
 ments to one who proposes to devote his life to 
 ministerial and pastoral work. 
 
Knowledge Necessary to the Ministry. 45 
 
 Preachers must understand their business 
 to be successful. They are engaged in a great 
 work, involving many difficulties. It is not 
 enough for them to know God and his plan of 
 salvation, but they must know man, his aver- 
 sions and susceptibilities, and how to command 
 his attention and faith. 
 
 To expect that God will give them the re- 
 quisite information, without effort on their 
 part, is fanaticism. While they trust Him for 
 help, and the desired result, they should be 
 just as active in seeking to be efficient, as they 
 would be if everything depended on themselves. 
 
 THE BEGINNING OF RIGHT KNOWLEDGE. 
 
 The new birth brings light, and begets a 
 desire to know everything appertaining to it. 
 It at once gives the study of the divine charac- 
 ter and government, the duties, privileges and 
 religious possibilities of men, controlling in- 
 terest. And all the more so, as we may feel 
 moved to persuade others to become Christians. 
 Indeed, a proper call to the ministry, implies 
 a heart and mind for the work ; in other words,, 
 a spiritual fitness for it. 
 
46 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 It is noticeable , also, in tracing the history of 
 ministers, that the most successful of them 
 were characterized by thorough conviction of 
 sin. The Wesleys were terribly awakened, 
 and crucified themselves with many fastings, 
 prayers and self-denials, crying out of the depths, 
 when God put a new song into their mouths. 
 Whitefield was so distressed, when in prayer 
 for mercy, that the sweat dropped from his 
 face. "God only knows," he wrote, "how 
 many nights I have lain upon my bed groan- 
 ing under what I felt. Whole days and weeks 
 have I spent in lying prostrate on the ground 
 in silent or vocal prayer." Bishop Hedding, 
 though a moral young man, and so far religious 
 as to read a sermon on the Sabbath to the little 
 congregation where he lived, was at last over- 
 whelmed with anxiety, and earnestly sought 
 the Lord for weeks. The terrible conviction 
 of Saul of Tarsus too, laid the foundation of 
 his wonderful conversion and usefulness. No 
 subsequent education can atone for the ab- 
 sence of something of this experience. 
 
 It is equally true of most effective preachers, 
 that they had a happy conversion. This is 
 another desirable qualification for the work. 
 
Knowledge Necessary to the Ministry. 47 
 
 No knowledge of pardon, or the work of the 
 Spii-it on the heart, acquired by reading, hear- 
 ing or observation, can supersede the necessity 
 of a positive, personal experience of this sort. 
 Indeed, there can be no proper knowledge of 
 religion without it. Hence the prayer of the 
 backslidden Psalmist, " Kestore unto me the 
 joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me by Thy 
 free Spirit. Then will I teach transgressors 
 Thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto 
 Thee." (Psa. li. 12, 13.) 
 
 Many began to preach with this outfit before 
 they were formally licensed. God called them 
 first, and the Church afterwards. Their ex- 
 perience was a high endowment of itself, em- 
 bracing the fundamental elements of dogmatic, 
 experimental and practical theology. With 
 such a preparation, it was safe for them, and it 
 is safe for every man of good judgment and fair 
 intelligence to commence preaching in a social 
 and informal way. 
 
 But candidates must not stop here. God 
 helps those who seek to help themselves. They 
 must pray, think, read, study, and plan, to 
 know what to say, and how, when and where 
 to say it. Though Jesus said to His first min- 
 
48 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 isters, " When they deliver you up, take no 
 thought how or what ye shall speak : for it 
 shall be given you in that same hour what ye 
 shall speak/ 5 He did not mean to discourage 
 reasonable study, but to comfort them in view 
 of probable surprises, and emergencies, when 
 they would have no opportunity for prepara- 
 tion. He had already cautioned them to " be- 
 ware of men/ 5 and to "be wise as serpents and 
 harmless as doves.' 5 Ministers are forbidden to 
 worry, but commanded to work, and improve 
 all available means to render themselves effec- 
 tive. 
 
 It is not my purpose to point out a course 
 of study, but to offer a few suggestions on the 
 subject. 
 
 1. The Bible is the minister's text-book. 
 There can be no substitute for it. Candidates 
 for the ministry should read it through and 
 through, carefully and prayerfully, until they 
 understand its general scope and meaning, and 
 the object and drift of the several books. This 
 last point is considered of so much importance, 
 that some editions of the Bible contain an in- 
 troduction to each book, giving a brief statement 
 of its origin, objects, etc., which can but be 
 
Knowledge Necessary to the Ministry. 49 
 
 useful to most readers. (See Pronouncing Bible 
 issued at the Methodist Boole Concern.) 
 
 We advise, also, that you mark and commit 
 to memory, if possible, many of those passages 
 which bear directly on the object of your pres- 
 ent endeavors. 
 
 1. Because you can never memorize so easily 
 as when young and interested in the acquisition. 
 
 2. Because, being thus committed and 
 brought into use, they will never be forgotten. 
 
 3. Because, if you delay it until you become 
 encumbered with many duties, you will never 
 do it at all. 
 
 Furthermore, you should familiarize your- 
 selves with the historic facts, figures, parables 
 and similes of the Bible, not only for the 
 moral lessons inculcated by them, but to use 
 in illustration of practical duties and prin- 
 ciples. Illustrations from the Scriptures have 
 a double force, and, should always be employed 
 when they meet the demand of the occasion. 
 
 In a word, the Bible should occupy the first 
 place in a minister's studies. It not only has 
 the advantage of being authoritative, but it fur- 
 nishes many of the best and strongest expres- 
 sions of feeling, and of appeal, to be found on 
 4 
 
50 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 record. A preacher who has these at command, 
 with the state of mind they represent, can but 
 be interesting. 
 
 Besides, we recommend that you read the 
 same copy of the Bible as far as practicable. 
 Some minds are not well constructed for verbal 
 memory, yet they seldom forget the book in 
 which a favorite passage occurs, or its location 
 on the page. By using the same copy, there- 
 fore, you can more readily find what you want. 
 
 We deem it important, too, that you use a 
 Pronouncing Bible, that is, one in which all 
 the proper nouns are divided and accented in 
 the text in a way to show how they are to be 
 pronounced. It is very difficult to remember 
 the proper pronunciation of some of these 
 words. We have heard good scholars make 
 sad work with them. But you must not stum- 
 ble here, and you will not, if you follow this 
 advice, or read your lessons privately and verify 
 your pronunciation before you appear in pub- 
 lic. We knew one young minister who ruined 
 his reputation, and received a nickname by an 
 unfortunate mistake, in trying to pronounce 
 " Samothracia." 
 
 We have no hesitancy in suggesting, also, 
 
Knowledge Necessary to the Ministry. 51 
 
 that you should consult some good commentary 
 j ust so often as you need information as to the 
 meaning of Scripture. You will prefer one 
 written by a Christian man, of evangelical 
 Arminian sentiments. Some commentaries 
 really pervert the word of God in the interest 
 of an exploded creed, and are not profitable for 
 instruction, or correction in righteousness. And 
 others are of a rationalistic character, which 
 abound more in the fruits of a learned imagina- 
 tion, than in sound Gospel sense. They fur- 
 nish beautiful treatises on moral and religious 
 topics, which it may be well enough to read 
 when you get time, but what you want now is 
 the mind of the Spirit. Wesley's Notes, and 
 Clarke's and Benson's Commentaries have been 
 our standards, and are still exceedingly valua- 
 ble. Those being produced by Dr. Whedon 
 and his associates, furnish more commentary 
 and less extraneous matter in smaller compass. 
 A good Bible dictionary will also assist you. 
 Watson's will not meet your wants, it being 
 less a dictionary than a collection of able essays 
 on biblical and theological subjects. . Smith's 
 is quite complete. If too expensive for your 
 means, you had better, perhaps, purchase that 
 
52 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 of the American Tract Society, which is exceed- 
 ingly valuable and convenient, and is worth 
 more than it costs. 
 
 Webster's Unabridged Dictionary is almost 
 indispensable. It is surprising to see the 
 amount of biblical instruction it contains. 
 Popular as it is, comparatively few have 
 studied it sufficiently to appreciate its ampli- 
 tude. Hardly a subject can be named which 
 is not more or less illustrated in its broad and 
 well-packed pages. Its definitions of biblical 
 and theological words are comprehensive and 
 generally correct. 
 
 Cruden's or Bntterworth's Concordance 
 should be obtained at the earliest opportunity. 
 Also " Gaston's Collections," or some similar 
 work, presenting a wide range of subjects, and 
 quoting the Scriptures which relate to them. 
 Leaders, exhorters, and even preachers of long 
 experience, will find a small book of this 
 character, called " Seed Thoughts," compiled 
 by the late Rev. George C. Robinson, and 
 printed at our Book Concern, exceedingly con- 
 venient. It not only furnishes the most per- 
 tinent Scripture texts in support of various 
 doctrines and duties, but many of the best 
 
Knowledge Necessary to the Ministry. 53 
 
 sayings of great and good men. Then, it is of 
 such size and type, as to render it available on 
 all public occasions. 
 
 Though we think too much time is often 
 spent over the geography of Bible countries, a 
 small map on your table will help you in main- 
 taining your polarity. It is not essential to 
 salvation to know in what direction Jericho 
 lies from Jerusalem ; still, if you are going to 
 refer to Bible geography at all, as you will 
 sometimes be obliged to do, it is better to be 
 correct. 
 
 2. It is also important to read some good 
 system of theology, which is defined by Webster 
 to mean u The science of God and Divine 
 things, or the science which teaches the exis- 
 tence, character, and attributes of God, His 
 laws and government, the doctrines we are to 
 believe, and the duties we are to practice." 
 This brings you directly in contact with the 
 subjects that are to engross your life and labors, 
 and in which you feel a profound interest as 
 Christians. 
 
 The order of procedure in this department 
 must be largely determined by your necessities 
 and circumstances. You must study to teach, 
 
54 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 exhort, or preach immediately, not some years 
 hence ; what, and as duty may require. This 
 is according to the common sense which con- 
 trols in other pursuits. Some would set you 
 to studying Greek and Hebrew, but that is 
 simply ridiculous. Learn the simple, practical, 
 and indispensable things first, and leave others 
 until you get more time and talent. 
 
 Purchase the necessary books as fast as you 
 are able, one or two at a time, and read them. 
 But see that you get good ones, books that will 
 help you. Spurgeon says to workers with 
 slender apparatus, " Do not buy milk and 
 water, but get condensed milk, and put what 
 water you like to it yourself. Get much in 
 little. Prefer books which abound in what 
 James Hamilton used to call i Bibline,' or the 
 essence of books. You require accurate, con- 
 densed, reliable, standard books, and should 
 
 make sure that you get them Forego, 
 
 without regret, the many books which, like poor 
 Hodge's razors, of famous memory, are made to 
 sell, and do sell those who buy them." 
 
 In determining which are the best for you, 
 do not consult literary book worms, but the 
 most practical and successful ministers, who 
 
Knowledge Necessary to the Ministry. 55 
 
 commenced as you do, and had to learn as they 
 proceeded in their work. They have traversed 
 the ground, and can appreciate your difficul- 
 ties, and know what you need. 
 
 If you are unable to purchase, borrow. If 
 this is impracticable, read the few you have 
 and master them. A few solid works, well 
 studied, will benefit you more than many third- 
 rate ones, half read. Says Spurgeon, "In case 
 the famine of books should be sore in the land, 
 there is one book which you all have, and that 
 is your Bible ; and a minister with his Bible 
 is like David with his sling and stone, fully 
 equipped for the fray." 
 
 As you have occasion to repeat your sermons, 
 you ought to review your grounds, and appro- 
 priate any additional information which you 
 may have acquired. In this way you will 
 necessarily grow in knowledge, grace, and power 
 with God and men. But you should never re- 
 gard any preparation complete, except for the 
 present occasion. The state of your own mind, 
 and the condition of your hearers may never be 
 the same again. You will know more, and 
 need a wider sweep, or the people may be in 
 a different attitude, and require to be ap- 
 
56 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 proached in a different way to be reached and 
 moved. 
 
 But you should not restrict yourselves to par- 
 ticular doctrines and duties, but endeavor to com- 
 prehend them in their relations to each other, and 
 the grand whole of Christian theology. "Bin- 
 ney's Theological Compencl " of the evidences, 
 doctrines, morals, and institutions of Christian- 
 ity, is an excellent guide to beginners. It will 
 give you a pretty correct view of the subject, 
 and create an appetite for reading " Watson's 
 Institutes," " Knapp's Theology," or some 
 similar work that more fully explains it. 
 
 For the want of such a connected view, 
 preachers often run to extremes, representing 
 one doctrine in a manner to eclipse or destroy 
 another. Hence, some have magnified the 
 goodness of God to the exclusion of His justice, 
 human depravity, to the overthrow of human 
 liberty, and the merit of good works to the re- 
 jection of grace. The result is, their hearers 
 hardly know what to make of them. In one 
 discourse they seem to be Calvinists, in another, 
 Universalists, and then Methodists, or some- 
 thing else. The fact is, they hold to many 
 truths, but have no connected system of doc- 
 
Knoivledge Necessary to the Ministry. 57 
 
 trine to steady them under the excitements of 
 public discourse. And, as some distinguished 
 divines rather boast of their independence in 
 this respect, there is danger that this kind of 
 loose preaching will increase. 
 
 We especially advise that you avoid the vain 
 philosophies and speculations of men, which 
 are ever shifting like the sands of the ocean. 
 Many young men have nearly ruined their in- 
 fluence as preachers, by reading the skeptical 
 writings of learned, but unchristian men. 
 Their confidence in the truth as they first re- 
 ceived it, has become shaken, and they begin 
 to question the correctness of certain views and 
 practices, generally approved by Christians. 
 So, to furnish their people something new, they 
 open fire on the subject in the pulpit, conceding 
 some things and exploding others, but not 
 satisfying the hunger of the hearers for the 
 Gospel. Their concessions offend the more 
 pious portion of the Church, and their defences 
 fail to interest others, the enemy being too 
 metaphysical, or distant, to be dangerous. 
 Preachers naturally take into the pulpit 
 what they read, think and feel in the study. 
 But these things have no adaptation to ordi- 
 
58 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 nary congregations. They are not the Gospel, 
 and the people know little of them, and care 
 less. Nor are they particularly in the way of 
 their salvation. 
 
 It is desirable, however, that you read some 
 well- written history of doctrine. Young preach- 
 ers, who have been educated in correct senti- 
 ments, are frequently led astray by erroneous 
 ones. Failing to see their falsity, and wishing, 
 perhaps, to enjoy the credit of independence 
 and depth of thought, they entertain some 
 supposed novelty, to find out afterwards that it 
 was considered and exploded long before they 
 were born. Knapp's Theology is especially 
 useful in this particular, giving, as it does, the 
 history of almost every leading doctrine known 
 to the ages. 
 
 The writer's faith was once badly disturbed 
 by an ingenious work put into his youthful 
 hands, by a divinity student at Harvard. It 
 seemed to him both new and unanswerable, 
 and he dropped everything else to settle the 
 question involved. Turning to " Watson's 
 Institutes," which are admirably adapted to 
 such emergencies, he found deliverance at once. 
 The dangerous book was but the republication 
 
Knoivledge Necessary to the Ministry. 59 
 
 of an old heresy in a modern dress, designed to 
 sap the foundation of the Christian faith. 
 
 Experimental and practical theology are in- 
 timately connected, and involve a proper knowl- 
 edge of God, His character and disposition to- 
 ward nien, — His will, or system of government, 
 embracing redemption by Christ,— His promises 
 and threatenings, — what He proposes to do for 
 men in this world, and the world to come, and 
 what are our duties and the possibilities of im- 
 provement in fidelity, purity and destiny. 
 
 These, in a word, are the stirring themes of 
 the ministry, and the closer you keep to them, 
 the more likely will you be to interest the peo- 
 ple and do them good. The people care little 
 about theories that can be turned to no practi- 
 cal account. They desire to hear about God, 
 who He is, what are His purposes, how He feels 
 toward them, how they can be happy here, and 
 what are their chances for eternity. These are 
 the vital subjects ; the very Gospel you are 
 called to preach. They involve the facts that 
 brought you to Christ, and set you on fire with 
 love to God and good will to men. To think 
 of them, and trace their developments in the 
 Bible, in biographies and other books, reducing 
 
60 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 them to practice as far as may be, is the direct 
 way to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of 
 the truth, according to the words of Him that 
 hath called you, " If any man will do His will, 
 he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of 
 God." (John vii. 17.) 
 
 This suggests how it is that some young 
 ministers who began strong, are now weak and 
 ineffective; they have forsaken these burning 
 truths, and given themselves to abstractions. 
 If a minister will be successful he must live in 
 these themes, and let them live in him, and 
 shine out in his life. 
 
 3. You should study the language of the 
 people you are to serve. In going on a mission 
 to nations of other tongues, this is the first duty 
 imposed, and must not be disregarded at home. 
 Errors in speech are expected in beginners, and 
 are readily overlooked, but they are damaging 
 to preachers. A young man who intends to 
 speak in public, should learn to speak correctly. 
 English grammar, that is, its general principles, 
 may be easily acquired. Under a good private 
 teacher, a man of fair capacity may learn the 
 different parts of speech, their import and re- 
 lations in a few days, so as to speak and write 
 
Knowledge Necessary to the Ministry. 61 
 
 with tolerable correctness. This may seem a 
 little extravagant, nevertheless it is true, the 
 long and tedious course pursued in some of our 
 grammar schools to the contrary, notwithstand- 
 ing. And we make the declaration, because so 
 many young men live and die without this 
 knowledge from an over-estimate of the diffi- 
 culty of obtaining it. 
 
 Says Eev. John A. Broadus, D.D., LL.D., 
 " We have to learn the usage of language, and 
 grammars undertake to present this usage, in a 
 systematic and convenient form. They show us 
 our faults, and warn us when there is danger ; 
 they set us to observing language, and reflect- 
 ing upon it There are men among us 
 
 who have studied no such books, nor any other 
 language, and yet who speak and write English 
 with correctness, and even with force and 
 
 beauty Correct habits may be formed, 
 
 and right principles comprehended, without 
 books of grammar, but more rapidly and surely 
 with them, provided we use them only as helps, 
 and aim to go deeper than they carry us. As 
 to this whole matter of studying English 
 grammar, two practical errors widely prevail, 
 and greatly need to be corrected. Men who 
 
62 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 have been to college are apt to think they have 
 no need to study their own language at all, ancj 
 especially no need of consulting books on the 
 subject ; the latter part of this opinion being a 
 mistake, and the former a very great mistake. 
 On the other hand, men who have had fewer 
 educational advantages, are in danger of sup- 
 posing that without systematic instruction they 
 can do nothing to improve their style, or else, 
 that after studying a book or two on English 
 grammar, they have nothing more to do." 
 {Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, pp. 
 328, 329.) 
 
 But whatever course you may take with re- 
 gard to the study of grammar, you should al- 
 ways have a dictionary at hand, and consult it 
 with regard to the meaning and pronunciation 
 of words in all cases of ignorance or doubt, 
 whether they occur in reading or hearing. Care- 
 ful reading will also help you, and writing and 
 rewriting still more. 
 
 We early enjoyed the friendship of one of 
 the ablest fathers and purest writers of forty 
 years ago, a master in preaching and contro- 
 versy, who obtained high distinction in this way. 
 He wrote poorly at first, but submitting his 
 
Knowledge Necessary to the Ministry. 63 
 
 productions to a literary friend for correction, 
 he saw his errors and avoided them forever after. 
 
 This same divine sought assistance in another 
 direction. Having a friendly educated hearer 
 he enlisted him to note his pulpit errors, and 
 kindly report them to him. This revealed 
 some strange mistakes, which were soon cor- 
 rected. Thus, by walking with God, reading, 
 writing, conversation and prayer, he became a 
 mighty preacher, author and editor, and won 
 many a field in conflict with the highest liter- 
 ary talent of his age. 
 
 4. Other departments of education are im- 
 portant, and come readily within your reach. 
 Intellectual and moral philosophy relate es- 
 pecially to the mind and heart to be addressed ; 
 logic and rhetoric indicate the best methods of 
 moving them, while natural philosophy, chemis- 
 try, astronomy, etc., reveal the material works 
 of God, and furnish many apt illustrations of 
 spiritual truths. These subjects are now so 
 clearly developed in lectures and in books of 
 moderate size, that no young man, anxious to 
 learn, need remain long without a general un- 
 derstanding of the facts and principles they in- 
 volve. 
 
64 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 History furnishes another valuable source of 
 ministerial endowment, which comes within the 
 grasp oi all. Every young man who intend? 
 to occupy any useful position, should read some 
 brief history, at least, of his own country, and 
 of his own church, at a very early period in his 
 career. This will be likely to incline him to 
 go further, and compass other histories, ancient 
 and modern, that he may have a better idea of 
 the world which he seeks to reform. Compared 
 with novelistic books, and skeptical monthlies 
 of the day, this kind of reading is pure gold. 
 It will add something to your stock of knowl- 
 edge that may be usefully employed on many 
 occasions. 
 
 Christian biographies should not be ignored. 
 They reveal the dealings of God with men, and 
 the experiences of Christians in the different 
 conditions of life, and are profitable for instruc- 
 tion, and encouragement under trials. The best 
 expositions we have of many of the duties and 
 privileges of religious life, are found in this 
 class of books. They answer the purpose of 
 precedents and witnesses for the lawyer, and 
 reports of diseases and their treatment, for the 
 physician. 
 
Knowledge Necessary to the Ministry. 65 
 
 The study of human nature, in its various 
 phases, is indispensable, and demands close at- 
 tention. Candidates for medical practice, are 
 required to study man as well as medicine. 
 They need to understand his organism in a 
 healthy state, and as affected by different dis- 
 eases, in order to prescribe for him wisely in 
 sickness. To our apprehension it is equally 
 necessary for a minister to be acquainted with the 
 intellectual and moral nature to which he is to 
 apply spiritual remedies. Nay, more. People 
 are full ready enough to call a doctor when a 
 little ailing, and swallow his prescriptions with- 
 out hesitation, but they seldom call a minister 
 until they feel their condition to be terribly 
 alarming. His business is to call them, and 
 conquer them by argument and persuasion to 
 abandon their sins and accept of offered mercy. 
 How to approach them, so as to conciliate their 
 favor and command their attention, is often a 
 very nice question. One needs to become ac- 
 quainted with their prejudices, whims, weak- 
 nesses and susceptabilities, as well as their 
 strong points, or he may commit a fatal blun- 
 der in his first attempts to approach them. 
 
 Here is just where some of our ablest theo- 
 
66 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 logians are deficient. It is the secret of their 
 failure. They have seen human nature in its 
 better aspects in schools and colleges, and adapt 
 themselves and their labors to the few, and not 
 to the ?nasses, and wonder why their congrega- 
 tions are not larger and more interested. The 
 people know that they are not understood, or 
 much esteemed, and stay at home, or go else- 
 where. 
 
 A young minister may learn much on this 
 subject by looking into his own heart, and ask- 
 ing, if I were in the condition of this people, or 
 that person, what should I think ? How 
 should I want the minister to approach me ? 
 What kind of treatment or instruction would 
 be most likely to attract and win me ? " A 
 man who talks to himself," says Cecil, "will 
 find out what suits the heart of man." Also, 
 what puzzles and distracts the mind. All this 
 is to be avoided. It may wear the garb of 
 deep research, great accumen, and extensive 
 learning, but it is nothing to the mass of man- 
 kind. A minister will learn this by going 
 among the people with his eyes and ears open, 
 and drawing them out in conversation. 
 
 Much valuable information may be obtained, 
 
Knowledge Necessary to the Ministry. 67 
 
 too, by consultation with experts, in this de- 
 partment, who are to be found everywhere. 
 Also, by reading the operations of others, who 
 have displayed great power in the management 
 of men. If a man will think as he moves about 
 in society, and take notice of what he usually 
 sees and hears, and consider its import and 
 bearing, he cannot fail to become a master in 
 drawing men to himself, and to God, if he is 
 humble and determined enough to become a all 
 things to all men that he may save some." (1 
 Cor. ix. 22.) 
 
 " Suppose there should come up to one of our 
 great hospitals a young student, so poor, that 
 he could not purchase surgical books ; it would 
 certainly be a great detriment to him ; but if 
 he have the run of the hospital (and be allowed 
 to ask questions), if he saw the operations per- 
 formed, and watched cases from day to day, I 
 should not wonder but what he might turn out 
 as skillful a surgeon as his more favored com- 
 panions. His observation would show him 
 what books alone could not ; and as he stood 
 by to see the removal of a limb, the binding up 
 of a wound, or the tying up of an artery, he 
 might, at any rate, pick up enough of practical 
 
68 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 surgery to be of immense service to him. .... 
 A man who has had a sound practical experi- 
 ence, in the things of God himself, and watched 
 the hearts of his fellows, other things being 
 equal, will be a far more useful man than he 
 who knows only what he has read." — Spur- 
 geon. 
 
 Preachers should seek to know something 
 with regard to all subjects, and all branches of 
 business. It is not wise, as some seem to 
 think, to be ignorant of common things. A 
 popular country parson in New England lost 
 his place by asking one of his parishioners at 
 the tea table, "if he raised the oysters they 
 were eating, on his farm." They ought es- 
 pecially to be well informed on public interests, 
 so that if called to participate in their discus- 
 sion, they may maintain themselves and the 
 position they shall assume with honor. We 
 have known some to become entangled and 
 defeated by reason of their ignorance of parlia- 
 mentary order. Others have embarrassed 
 themselves and their people in church disci- 
 pline, for the want of a proper understanding of 
 our jurisprudence. These subjects are now so 
 fully developed in books, and are so easily com- 
 
Knowledge Necessary to the Ministry. 69 
 
 prehended, that there is no necessity for ignor- 
 ance in relation to them. 
 
 Young preachers should also learn to sing, for 
 two reasons, namely : 1. Singing is one of the 
 best methods of improving the voice, in volume 
 and sweetness. 2. Power to sing well, and 
 lead the singing in religious meetings, is an 
 endowment of the greatest usefulness. It is 
 the wand by which many ministers have worked 
 themselves up to the most desirable and effec- 
 tive pastoral positions. " If it should require," 
 says Dr. Broadus, "as much time and effort to 
 gain the power of singing church music at sight, 
 as to learn a modern language or a branch of 
 science, it would be fully as profitable, and 
 almost any man who is still young can learn 
 to sing moderately well, by judicious and per- 
 severing effort." (Ibid., p. 453.) 
 
70 Hints to Ministers 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 DF THE SPIRIT, PURPOSE AND MATTER OF 
 PREACHING, 
 
 The object of the Christian ministry, as before 
 stated, is substantially that which brought the 
 Saviour into the world, namely : that He might 
 redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Him- 
 self a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 
 (Titus ii. 14.) Therefore, any style of moral and 
 religious effort which is adapted to secure these 
 results comes legitimately within the range of 
 its duties. It is a stupendous mistake that 
 the preaching of set sermons is the only, or 
 principal work of ministers. It has led to 
 grievous errors, especially to the neglect of im- 
 perative duties, equally necessary to success. 
 
 Preachers are " ambassadors for Christ," 
 called to persuade men to be " reconciled to 
 God/' (2 Cor. v. 20.) If they can do this by 
 regular sermons, well, if not, they should resort 
 to other means. Comparatively few are convert- 
 ed or developed into mature Christians merely 
 by preaching. Most people require line upon line 
 
Spirit j Purpose, Matter of Preaching. 7i 
 
 and precept upon precept of private instruction 
 and advice, with here a little and there a little 
 of religious influence, for the want of which 
 ordinary preaching, however orthodox, often fails 
 of achieving the desirable results. 
 
 To preach the Gospel effectively one must be 
 fully in sympathy with its objects, urging him 
 out on all lines of feeling and action leading to 
 their accomplishment. He who only preaches 
 a sermon or two per week, is not a Gospel 
 preacher in the broadest sense. Preaching with 
 St. Paul embraced all possible activity, how- 
 ever oppressive. " For," said he, " though I be 
 free from all men, yet have I made myself ser- 
 vant unto all, that I might gain the more. And 
 unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might 
 gain the Jews : to them that are under the law, 
 as under the law, that I might gain them that 
 are under the law. To them that are without 
 law, as without law, that I might gain them 
 that are without law. To the weak became I 
 as weak, that I might gain the weak. I am 
 made all things to all men, that I might by all 
 means save some." (1 Cor. v. 19-22.) 
 
 This is undoubtedly the spirit with which a 
 young minister should enter upon his work, 
 
72 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 whatever may be his qualifications. If deficient, 
 it will stimulate him to study and pray that 
 he may improve. It will be his delight to im- 
 itate the Master "who taught the people from 
 the Scriptures/' at such times and places, and 
 by such methods as were best adapted to com- 
 mand their confidence and reform their lives. 
 Thus his preaching will be characterized by 
 variety and adaptation, as old sermons gener- 
 ally are not, and will be illustrated by familiar 
 facts and figures connected with his surround- 
 ings. 
 
 In this state of mind, begotten by the Holy 
 Ghost, ministers will naturally speak as the 
 Spirit shall give them utterance, as did the 
 apostles on the day of Pentecost. When for- 
 bidden by the civil authorities, they did not 
 refrain, but continued speaking in the temple, 
 in courts, prisons and other places, as they 
 could find opportunity. They seem to have 
 had no set sermons, but simply preached as the 
 circumstances of the hour and their objects re- 
 quired. Had they confined themselves to dead 
 issues, it is not likely that the high priests and 
 elders would have been much disturbed. 
 
 This is the manner in which our Methodist 
 
Spirit, Purpose, Matter of Preaching. 73 
 
 fathers commenced and prosecuted their minis- 
 try. They were constrained to speak of what 
 God had done, and was doing for them, and was 
 ready to do for others. They had little human 
 preparation, and only thought of preaching as 
 they were moved by the Spirit. The Christian 
 Church still retains specimens of this kind of 
 preachers, who are doing excellent service for 
 the cause. 
 
 The greatest danger of young ministers is 
 that they will not sufficiently appreciate and 
 cultivate the proper spirit of their calling. 
 This is everything. No morality, or intelli- 
 gence, or eloquence, can supply its place. They 
 need above all things else to be fully absorbed 
 in their work, to burn with intense desire to 
 honor Grod and save souls from death. They 
 should feel all that is expressed in the following 
 breathings : 
 
 "I would the precious time redeem, 
 And longer live for this alone, 
 To spend and to be spent for them 
 Who have not yet my Saviour known ; 
 Fully on these my mission prove, 
 And only breathe to breathe Thy love. 
 My talents, gifts and graces, Lord, 
 Into Thy blessed hands receive ; 
 
74 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 And let me live to preach Thy word., 
 And let me for Thy glory live, 
 My every sacred moment spend 
 In publishing the sinner's Friend. " 
 
 With this spirit there will be little tri- 
 fling, little reading of novels and other works, 
 which are calculated to divert the mind from 
 God and duty, little w^aste of time in profitless 
 conversation, or in unnecessary vacations and 
 amusements. It would produce an instant and 
 thorough revolution in the habits, studies, de- 
 portment and preaching of many ministers, who 
 now imagine that they are doing very well. 
 
 Dr. J. W. Alexander, speaking of the impor- 
 tance of entire devotion to the work, says : 
 
 "No man can reach the highest degrees in 
 any calling or profession, who does not admire 
 and love it, and give himself up to it, have his 
 mind full of it, day by day. No great painter 
 ever became such who had it only as a col- 
 lateral pursuit, or who did not reckon it the 
 greatest of arts, or who did not sacrifice 
 everything else to it ... . The young minister, 
 who is evidently concentrating his chief thoughts 
 on something other than his ministry, will be 
 a drone if not a Demas. Look at the books on 
 
Spirit, Purpose, Matter of Preaching. 75 
 
 his table, examine his last ten letters, listen to 
 his conversation, survey his companions ; then 
 you will learn what is uppermost in his heart, 
 and if you find it to be poetry, aesthetics, class- 
 ics, literary appointments, snug settlement, 
 European travel, proximity to the great; be not 
 surprised if you find him ten years hence phi- 
 landering at soirees, distilling verse among the 
 weaker vessels of small literature, operating in 
 stocks, or growing silent and wealthy upon a 
 plantation. 
 
 "It is a source of deep regret to many in 
 review of life, that they have scattered them- 
 selves over too many fields; let me entreat you 
 to spend your strength on one." (Thoughts on 
 Preaching, p. 68.) 
 
 This danger is augmented by the fact that 
 so little importance is given to the subject in 
 our course of study and examination. Preach- 
 ers are expected to be religious, it is true, and 
 they are so accounted by those who license 
 them. But who fully examines them to find 
 the unutterable yearnings of their hearts after 
 God and souls, which is really the only endow- 
 ment that can insure power ? They are required 
 to say that they have "faith in God," and 
 
76 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 believe that they are called to the work, and will 
 endeavor to do it. But what does all this mean ? 
 Who thoroughly weighs and measures these 
 terms to see whether they amount to a genuine 
 call of the Holy Ghost ? Many of our books 
 are explicit on the subject, and our bishops often 
 inculcate the true doctrine, but where is the 
 close personal examination, which the magni- 
 tude of this wonderful inspiration requires, 
 
 But we do prescribe quite a thorough course 
 of study and examination in everything else, as 
 before shown, beginning with the local preach- 
 ers, and subjecting each to a critical examina- 
 tion annually j by committees, elders or bishops, 
 or by all of them, until graduated to elder's 
 orders, and if found wanting in theology, gram- 
 mar, ecclesiastical jurisprudence, and on other 
 points, they are sometimes dismissed, or given a 
 further trial. This would seem as though we 
 attached more importance to education than to 
 a proper mind for the work, which we know is 
 not the meaning of the Church ; but is it not 
 liable to be so construed, and thus throw the 
 grand element of ministerial efficiency into the 
 shade ? 
 
 I have emphasized this subject to guard our 
 
Spirit) Purpose, Matter of Preaching. 77 
 
 /oung men against a fatal delusion, and thus 
 impress them with the unspeakable importance 
 of spiritual endowments. The first question 
 proposed in our Discipline to those who think 
 thdy are divinely called to preach, is, "Do they 
 know God as a pardoning God ?" Not, were 
 they once converted, but are they now convert- 
 ed ? Then follows this : " Have they the love 
 of God abiding in them ? Do they desire 
 nothing but God ? and are they holy in all 
 manner of conversation ? . . . . Have they fruit ? 
 Are any truly convinced of sin and converted 
 to God, by their preaching ? " Young men 
 thus in love with God and consecrated to the 
 work of the ministry, will watch every oppor- 
 tunity to honor Him and do good to men. Not 
 in the pulpit only, but out of it. 
 
 OF WHAT TO PREACH. 
 
 To preach the gospel as generally understood 
 is to proclaim the good news of the atonement 
 made by Christ for sinners, and to persuade 
 them to accept it. "As ye go preach, saying, 
 The kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matt. x. 7.) 
 
 This involves many things. The particular 
 
78 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 aspect of the general subject most appropriate 
 to be presented at a given time, depends on the 
 circumstances. The grand issue at the first 
 was, " is Jesus the promised Messiah ? " The 
 Jews denied it, and pronounced him an impos- 
 ter. This rendered it necessary for the apostles 
 to furnish the evidence by which His claims 
 were sustained. Hence their frequent reference 
 to the prophecies concerning Him, His birth, 
 character, miracles, etc. Peter's argument on 
 the day of Pentecost was a strong specimen of 
 apostolic preaching, and was so mightily con- 
 vincing that many cried out, saying, " Men and 
 brethren, what shall we do ? " (Acts ii. 14-37.) 
 Paul found it needful afterwards to preach 
 against salvation by the merit of works taught 
 by the Scribes and Pharisees, and show it to be 
 of grace , and not by the merit of works at all. 
 At other times, when in conflict with Saducees, 
 he passed these points, to prove the resurrection 
 of the dead. In determining exactly what to 
 preach at any particular time and place, it is^ 
 desirable to know something of the condition 
 of the people, what fatal errors of sentiment and 
 practice prevail among them and obstruct our 
 object, that we may not waste time on irrevelent 
 
Spirit, Purpose , Matter of Preaching. 79 
 
 questions. When this is impracticable it is 
 wise to present fundamental truths, adapted to 
 all communities, that cannot be accepted with- 
 out benefit, or rejected without loss. The dis- 
 cussion of subjects which have little or no bear- 
 ing upon the people, is generally useless, and 
 seldom interesting. 
 
 By aiming directly at practical results, that 
 is, to save the people, and studying their con- 
 dition to ascertain what views of truth are best 
 calculated to command their attention and move 
 their hearts, young ministers will not find it 
 very difficult to determine what train of 
 thought to present. For instance : — 1. Suppose 
 they come to a congregation that is dead in 
 trespasses and sins, it is easy to see that they 
 must awaken them to thought and feeling. The 
 natural way of doing this is to present the law, 
 showing what God requires, and what will be 
 the result of persistent rebellion. By holding 
 up this glass before them, they will be likely to 
 see their defects and danger, and become inter- 
 ested in knowing hoiv they may be saved. The 
 guilt of the sinner must be established before 
 he can appreciate the provisions of the Gospel. 
 There is little use in magnifying the Saviour 
 
80 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 until you have found a sinner. The whole have 
 no need of a physician, or the innocent of 
 pardon. 
 
 And here is one point where we think modern 
 preaching is defective. It leaves the law of 
 God, with its terrible penalties, largely out of 
 sight, and offers the benefits of the Gospel on 
 inadequate terms, amounting often to little 
 more than an intellectual acceptance of the 
 atonement, without proper repentance or refor- 
 mation. Jesus and His apostles preached the 
 terrors of the law, and so do all successful 
 ministers. Others sometimes draw crow r ds, but 
 they neither awaken or convert them. The 
 natural heart is averse to God, and will sub- 
 mit to His will only to escape " the wrath to 
 come." The hearers must be made to see that 
 " wrath," not as man would have it, but as God 
 has revealed it. If it amounts to nothing, then 
 the whole Gospel scheme is a mammoth fraud. 
 
 As to the manner of preaching the law, I will 
 only say, that it should be done plainly and 
 earnestly, but in a tender and sympathizing 
 spirit, indicating more of grief and concern than 
 gratification. Sinners, as one confessed on hear- 
 ing a sermon of the kind from a weeping broth- 
 
Spirit, Purpose, Matter of Preaching. 81 
 
 er, "don't mind being doomed in this way, if 
 the preacher is only sorry about it." Harsh, 
 and vindictive declarations of these awful 
 truths are seldom if ever expedient. 
 
 The first business of an " ambassador " to 
 a rebellious province is, to declare and maintain 
 the claims of his sovereign, and make the peo- 
 ple see their wickedness and folly. He may 
 then induce them to accept terms of reconcilia- 
 tion, and return to loyalty. We are sorry to 
 know that some ministers of acknowledged piety, 
 take quite a different course. Mr. Varley, in 
 his late visit to this country, told his hearers, 
 in so many words, that "the law of God was 
 not made to be kept," — that they had only to 
 accept Christ's "finished salvation," then and 
 there, and all would be well, thus excluding 
 repentance, and making religion to consist in 
 the mental acceptance of a mere dogma. 
 
 2. When addressing a people who admit the 
 fact and guilt of sin, but claim that human des- 
 tinies are so fixed by the decrees of God, that 
 they can do nothing to improve their condition, 
 another line of thought is suggested. Hence 
 our early Methodist preachers in this country 
 
 grappled fatalism, and proved the universality 
 6 
 
82 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 of the atonement and the possibility of salva- 
 tion to every sinner. Adaptation is an element 
 of power, and often atones for serious defects 
 in other particulars. It is sure to attract at- 
 tention. 
 
 3. Our advice to young preachers is, there- 
 fore, to teach those truths which have special 
 application to their hearers, and directly tend 
 to bring them to God. They care little about 
 theories or opinions that have no influence on 
 the heart and life, such as evolution, and other 
 speculative follies that reform no sinner, and 
 comfort no saint. The people are generally 
 practical, and incline to subjects which they 
 can understand and turn to good account. 
 
 Furthermore, we advise that you preach to 
 the whole congregation. Many make the mis- 
 take of preaching to and for a select few of the 
 more intelligent hearers, and fail to interest the 
 masses. The result is, generally, that neither 
 class is satisfied, and the cause suffers. Many 
 are in just this condition to-day, and do not 
 know what is the matter. If they would throw 
 their whole souls into the work and preach 
 vital truths " to save some,'' they would be- 
 come effective and popular. Preaching about 
 
Spirit j Purpose, Matter of Preaching. 83 
 
 nothing, or of ancient or absent sinners, is not 
 likely to be very interesting. People go to 
 church to hear of themselves, their condition, 
 duty and destiny, and will not respect a 
 preacher who has not the courage to speak 
 out. 
 
 But do not confine yourself to a single theme. 
 Paul knew the " terror of the Lord," and preach- 
 ed it, but not always. He preached human 
 depravity, the atonement, justification by faith, 
 holiness of heart and life, the resurection of the 
 body, the final judgment, and everlasting re- 
 wards and punishments. The Grospel harp is 
 one of many strings, and all are necessary to 
 complete harmony. Those who employ only a 
 few of them, will not achieve the highest merit. 
 And that some err in this particular is well 
 known. Let it be announced that Mr. A. is to 
 preach where he is well known, and it will be 
 said, "Now we shall have hell." Mr. B. runs 
 on heaven ; Mr. C. on holiness, and Mr. E. on 
 the prophecies, to persuade the people of the 
 coming of some strange event, which God has 
 not clearly revealed. If this class of preachers 
 would furnish a greater variety of saving sub- 
 jects, it would be more profitable. 
 
84 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 This policy will aid preachers, also, 
 
 IN THE SELECTION OF TEXTS. 
 
 Homiletical writers have said much on this 
 subject, to the effect : . 
 
 1. That a text is not positively necessary to 
 a sermon, a sermon being a religious discourse, 
 whether prefaced by a text or not. 
 
 2. That the practice of preaching on par- 
 ticular passages of Scripture is one of ancient 
 origin, and is worthy of being maintained, 
 unless it be carried to excess, and become a 
 yoke of bondage. Ministers are sometimes 
 suddenly called to preach when they have no 
 time to select a suitable text for the subject, 
 which they deem appropriate to the occasion. 
 In such cases they should have independence 
 enough to proceed without one. But this 
 liberty is not designed to justify the practice of 
 substituting mere lectures for sermons, which 
 have little to do with the Scriptures, or religion 
 itself. They are not sermons, and ought not 
 to be so called. 
 
 The arguments urged in favor of employing 
 a text are : 1. To recognize the word of God 
 as the great theme of Christian preaching 
 
Spirit, Purpose, Matter of Preaching. 85 
 
 2. That it furnishes a solid basis of instruction. 
 
 3. That it tends to variety in preaching. 4. 
 That it aids the memory of the hearer. It 
 may be added, that it often helps the memory 
 of the extemporaneous preacher, as well ; and 
 what is better, it gives a sort of divine author- 
 ity to the positions he assumes. It is a great 
 thing for a preacher to start off with " Thus 
 saith the Lord," for the doctrines and duties 
 that he is about to inculcate. 
 
 3. It is also claimed that great care should 
 be taken in the selection of texts. This is too 
 obvious to need confirmation. Some preachers 
 seem to have a special gift in this direction, 
 and it has added much to their reputation. 
 
 The methods proposed for selecting texts are 
 summed up in the few words of the pious 
 Thomas Spencer, of Liverpool. A friend asked 
 him " How do you select your texts ? " He re- 
 plied, "I keep a little book in which I enter 
 every text of Scripture which comes to my 
 mind with power and sweetness. Were I to 
 dream of a passage of Scripture, I should enter 
 it, and when I sit down to compose, I look 
 over the book, and have never found myself at 
 a loss for a subject." It may be well to note 
 
86 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 down, also, the thoughts which give such te£ts 
 their particular "sweetness." 
 
 But this must not be* carried too far, or 
 preachers will find themselves preparing their 
 sermons for the sake of having something 
 original and nice, rather than appropriate and 
 powerful. 
 
 4. It is generally admitted, too, by the best 
 writers on the subject, that the text should 
 mean something in and of itself. Texts which 
 require a long introduction to give them any 
 fair show of relationship to the subject to be 
 presented, are embarrassing. It is better to 
 select one that announces the subject clearly 
 and forcibly, and needs little explanation. 
 
 The use of a single word as a motto, such as 
 "so," "if." "now," or "wherefore," is still 
 more objectionable. " The ignorant and child- 
 ish," says one writer, "may be struck with 
 admiration of the preacher's talent who can 
 make a sermon out of so little ; but the more 
 sturdy and intelligent will be grieved that 
 God's word is so little honored." 
 
 Young preachers, especially, should choose 
 texts long enough, and broad enough to furnish 
 them ample scope for the time they propose to 
 
Spirit, Purpose, Matter of Preaching. 87 
 
 occupy, and thus prevent the necessity of spin- 
 ning their thread too fine. Where there is 
 much time for study, and some fear of running 
 short of subjects, they sometimes spread out a 
 little truth over a large surface ; in other words, 
 preach a less sermon now, to provide for a pos- 
 sible emergency that may occur. This is a 
 temptation. They should do their best for 
 God and the people, every time, and trust 
 Providence for the future. The pastor who 
 preached fifteen sermons on repentance lost his 
 labor, while he who preached one from an over- 
 flowing heart, and with streaming eyes, brought 
 many to God. 
 
 5. Odd texts should seldom be used. They 
 indicate frivolity in the preacher, and create a 
 prejudice which may never be overcome. To 
 avoid these results, as well as for other reasons, 
 you should, 
 
 6. Select texts embracing fundamental truth, 
 such as repentance, faith, redemption, regenera- 
 tion, sanctification, the resurrection, judgment, 
 heaven, hell, and the like. " Preach on great 
 subjects," says the pious Dr. J. W. Alexander ; 
 "such as move the feelings; the great ques- 
 tions which have agitated the world, which 
 
88 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 agitate our own bosoms, which we should like 
 to have settled before we die, which we should 
 ask an apostle about, if he were here. These 
 are to general Scripture truth, what great 
 mountains are in geography. Some, anxious 
 to avoid hackneyed topics, omit the greatest ; 
 just as if we were to describe Switzerland, and 
 omit the Alps." 
 
 And we would add, preach them, not to ex- 
 plain them away, or to tone them down, but to 
 urge them upon the acceptance of the people. 
 Use them as mighty arguments for immediate 
 repentance and holiness. And do it in a way 
 that your hearers shall see that you believe 
 them in your heart of hearts, and expect that 
 they will be lost unless they fly to the strong 
 holds for refuge. 
 
 It is not always easy to find a satisfactory 
 text or subject. Young preachers should be 
 upon the alert for both, like bees for honey, or a 
 loving father, to obtain bread for his children. 
 In this way they will often find them in preach- 
 ing, or in retiring from the pulpit, possibly in 
 walking, or conversation. And not unfre- 
 quently they will spring upon them in swarms, 
 so that they cannot see how they will ever get 
 
Spirit^ Purpose, Matter of Preaching. 89 
 
 through with them. Yet, such is the instabil- 
 ity of clerical experience, in a month, or less, 
 they may be pinched with famine, and be 
 obliged to enter the pulpit, in doubt as to what 
 they will preach. But fortunately for us, God 
 is good, and often turns our poverty to good 
 account for the people. 
 
 From what has been said, it will appear that 
 we believe in doctrinal preaching. Preaching 
 means not only to publish and proclaim the 
 truth, but to explain and defend it against all 
 opposition that actually obstructs its accep- 
 tance. But there is a style of doctrinal preach- 
 ing, and a vast amount of argumentation in 
 the pulpit, that is of little advantage to the 
 cause of God, if not a positive injury. At least 
 it occupies time, talent and opportunities, 
 which might be better improved. 
 
 Ministers often preach against Universalism 
 and infidelity, when their people are really as 
 orthodox as themselves. They would do better to 
 urge them to act on their own fears, or settled 
 convictions. Then, they sometimes discuss un- 
 important theological points about which good 
 men are divided. They may be accepted with- 
 out benefit, or rejected without damage. Much 
 
90 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 time has been wasted, too, over the prophecies, 
 to make them subserve some favorite theory. 
 There is no end to the variety of worthless 
 subjects that have been forced into the pulpit, 
 to supplant the Gospel. If ministers some- 
 times succeed in displaying considerable ability 
 on these lines, they never fail to show their 
 own spiritual emptiness. 
 
 God save us from such folly. Let us preach 
 saving truth every time, so that if it shall 
 prove to be the last sermon the people shall 
 ever hear, it may be sufficient to guide them to 
 Christ. 
 
Construction and Composition. 91 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND COMPOSITION OF 
 SERMONS. 
 
 The word " sermon " is derived from the 
 word sermo, a speech ; and is generally under- 
 stood to mean a serious discourse, delivered in 
 public, founded on the word of God. 
 
 Many valuable suggestions have been pub- 
 lished on the construction and composition of 
 sermons, but most of them apply to written 
 sermons, and educated men, and therefore, are 
 ill adapted to those who enter the ministry with 
 limited preparation, and propose to preach ex- 
 temporaneously. It is for this reason that 
 most books of homilectics fail to meet the 
 wants of the class of ministers for which we es- 
 pecially write. They aim more at literary per- 
 fection, than at spiritual results. 
 
 Sermons may be divided into the three fol- 
 lowing classes, mamely : Topical, Textual, and 
 Expository. In the first, the text merely sug- 
 gests the topic and retires, leaving the preacher 
 
92 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 to treat it as he would if he had no text. This 
 form has some advantages, and is liable to many- 
 abuses. Some pastors would hardly be taken 
 for preachers of the Gospel, if they did not pre- 
 face their discourses with a text. 
 
 A Textual sermon is one whose subject or 
 subjects are suggested by the text, and flow 
 directly from it. It may assume general and 
 subordinate divisions, or a series of remarks, 
 but in either case the text is made prominent. 
 This is an ancient and common form, and it is 
 the best for many subjects and occasions. 
 
 Expository sermons are chiefly occupied with 
 the exposition of Scripture. Dr. Alexander 
 recommends this method, on the following 
 grounds : 1. That it better corresponds with 
 the idea and design of preaching. 2. It is 
 the primitive method. 3. It insures a better 
 knowledge of the Scriptures. 4. It causes ser- 
 mons to contain more of Scripture truths, and 
 Scriptural modes of viewing things. 5. It gives 
 occasion for remarking on many passages of the 
 Bible, which otherwise might never enter into 
 one's sermon. 6. It greatly diminishes the 
 temptation to misinterpret texts by excessive 
 allegorizing, accommodation; etc. 
 
Construction and Composition. 93 
 
 This is the plan which Ezra wisely adopted 
 on one great occasion, and carried into effect 
 with powerful results, as follows : " So they 
 read in the book of law of God distinctly, and 
 gave the sense, and caused them (the people) 
 to understand the reading." (Neh. viii. 8.) 
 
 Each of these methods will be employed by 
 thoughtful preachers, as the state of their 
 minds and other circumstances require. By 
 using all of them, one avoids sameness, which 
 is a prevalent defect with preachers who con- 
 fine themselves to either. 
 
 Of the construction of sermons, the celebrated 
 Kev. John Claude, says, that u in general, 
 there are five parts of a sermon, the exordium 
 (or introduction), the connection, the division, 
 the discussion and the application." Also 
 " that a sermon c must ' explain the text, and 
 give the entire sense of the whole text." But we 
 doubt the propriety of tying a preacher up by 
 these rules. In a topical sermon, the explana- 
 tion and connection are often unnecessary ; and 
 division, in one of an expository character, 
 is frequently difficult, if not impossible. Much 
 time has been wasted in vainly trying to con- 
 form to arbitrary rules. We cannot subordi- 
 
94 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 nate all niinds and all texts to the same order. 
 Each preacher must be left to his own apti- 
 tudes, and being so, he will naturally prepare 
 something to say, and determine how to intro- 
 duce, and apply it, which, in the delivery, will 
 present : 
 
 1. An introduction to the main subject. 
 
 2. A proper discussion of that subject. And, 
 
 3. An application of it to the objects con- 
 templated. 
 
 These general divisions may have several 
 sub-divisions, more or less, according to circum- 
 stances. They may be announced or not, as 
 shall be deemed expedient. In some cases it 
 is better to announce them, because it will 
 give clearness and force to the sermon. 
 
 But each sermon should have a complete 
 plan of its own, reaching from beginning to 
 end. Too many preach without such a plan, 
 while others plan too much. Some lay them- 
 selves out on one part, and leave other parts to 
 the inspiration of the occasion. The result is, 
 we sometimes hear a grand introduction to a 
 feeble and disorderly discussion, with a conclu- 
 sion which seems little related to either, per- 
 haps better, possibly worse. 
 
Construction and Composition. 95 
 
 OF THE NATURAL ORDER OF CONSTRUCTION. 
 
 The natural order of constructing a sermon 
 is about as follows : 
 
 1. Determine on the special object to be 
 secured. No man should attempt to preach 
 without aiming at some definite and immediate 
 result. And we think few do so, though it is 
 to be feared that the aims of many are unworthy 
 of their profession. At all events, we hear ser- 
 mons from men who &re accounted evangelical, 
 to say nothing of others, which fail to indicate 
 any purpose to convert men to God, or build 
 them up in holiness. They relate more to mat- 
 ters of curiosity, which may or may not be as 
 assumed by the preacher, without effecting any 
 important point of faith, or godliness. This, 
 to our apprehension, is trifling with God and 
 with men, with time and eternity. It is an in^ 
 direct way of saying, that the tremendous 
 doctrines of the Bible, and the objects of the 
 ministry, are a mere farce. 
 
 A minister who is properly impressed with 
 his responsibility, can but inquire what is the 
 next particular object to be achieved. It may 
 be one thing or another, but in his judgment it 
 
96 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 must have an important bearing on the salva- 
 tion of his hearers. This settled, 
 
 2. He will naturally inquire, what particular 
 truth or subject is best calculated, under the 
 circumstances, to effect that object ? This 
 question may be very easily answered, or it 
 may require much thought and prayer, and 
 then even be left in doubt. But having deter- 
 mined on the subject, he will ask : 
 
 3. What views of it are most likely to be 
 effective ? Having determined this, 
 
 4. He will next select a text which presents 
 the exact point that he proposes to enforce. 
 
 5. He is now prepared to put his principles, 
 arguments, facts, observations, etc., into shape, 
 to give them the greatest possible force. In 
 some discourses, one part requires argument, 
 another, illustrations, and another, facts, ac- 
 cording to the nature of the subject. 
 
 But the plan should be complete in the mind 
 of the designer, like the plan of a building, 
 which embraces the flooring, studding and 
 ornamentation even, as well as the sills, beams, 
 and posts, but always subject to alterations in 
 the delivery. And it should be arranged with 
 careful consideration of your means of complet- 
 
Construction and Composition, 97 
 
 ing the undertaking in a workman-like man- 
 ner. Ministers sometimes make their plans 
 too elaborate, and exhaust their thoughts, if 
 not their hearers, before they do their skele- 
 tons. 
 
 6. Having arranged the principal part of the 
 discourse, the next question relates to the man- 
 ner of approaching it. Very much depends on a 
 happy introduction. Many begin too far away 
 from their main point, and flounder about in 
 trying to make a graceful connection. They 
 run aground in getting out of port, and forfeit 
 the confidence and attention of their hearers, 
 before they fairly begin. This is a grievous 
 mistake. If the preacher is conscious of strik- 
 ing the right note here, and has traversed the 
 other parts of his work, he will be likely to 
 have a free time and win his case. If he 
 stumbles at this point, it will be difficult for 
 him to rally. There is more than a joke in the 
 remark of the good woman, who went to hear 
 the celebrated John Howe. Having occupied 
 an hour with his introduction, she said, " The 
 dear good man was so long in laying the cloth, 
 I lost my appetite." 
 
 The introduction, therefore, should be ar- 
 
 7 
 
98 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 ranged with special care, though it may be 
 brief. Indeed, it should seldom be long, but 
 always terse, strong and interesting. And to 
 make it so, is often difficult, as a portico to a 
 house requires more skill than the main build- 
 ing. Yet, as a matter of fact, it is frequently 
 left to extemporaneous suggestion. 
 
 7. The last thing to be provided for, is the 
 conclusion, which is the most important, and 
 yet the most likely to be omitted in the plan, 
 trusting to the excitement of the hour. But 
 this is sometimes wanting. Preachers should, 
 therefore, arrange a line of thought for the 
 cccasion, lest their expected inspiration should 
 fail them. Should something better occur in 
 the delivery, they will, of course, adopt it, not 
 being fettered by a manuscript. 
 
 The greatest orators make special provision 
 for their closing appeals. Lord Brougham 
 wrote the conclusion of his famous defence of 
 Queen Caroline twenty times, at least. Con- 
 clusions should not only be practical and affect T 
 ing, but the natural outcome of the preceding 
 discussion, the crowning effort of the hour. It 
 may take the form of inference, reflection, ap- 
 plication, or entreaty, but in every case it 
 
Construction and Composition. 99 
 
 should indicate the real object of the discourse, 
 and flow from a feeling heart. 
 
 Affectation of feeling, however, is usually a 
 failure. The people readily see the deception, 
 and are disgusted. So, the repetition of what 
 has been said, to fill out the time, is worse than 
 nothing. The best thing for a preacher when 
 his thought and feeling are exhausted, is to 
 close. The longer he shall continue in such a 
 dilemma, the worse it will be for his hearers 
 and his cause. 
 
 This state of things is often the result of 
 careless preparation, but not always. Preach- 
 ers sometimes unaccountably fail where they 
 have done their best to succeed. We have 
 known them to toil and weep in their prepara- 
 tion, and seemingly fail in the delivery. What 
 appeared clear in the study, became cloudy in 
 the pulpit, and they were left to worry through 
 without light or emotion. But it is a pleasure 
 to merit success, whether we achieve it or not. 
 We sometimes, however, do better than we 
 anticipate. God inspires and carries us above 
 and beyond our best arrangements, and is more 
 likely to do so when we fully prepare ourselves, 
 and seek His blessing. 
 
 LOfC. 
 
100 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 The importance of a right conclusion, we 
 repeat, cannot be over-estimated. It is desira- 
 ble that the people leave the place under a 
 powerful impression. To this end, the largest 
 rational liberty is admissible. You may appeal 
 to different classes, parents, children, saints 
 and sinners, and urge your plea by Scripture 
 promises and threaten] ngs, by facts and ex- 
 perience, by exhortation and entreaty. 
 
 The plan we suggest should embrace suffi- 
 cient facts, arguments, and illustrations, to sus- 
 tain each proposition, should nothing new occur 
 while speaking ; and should be so fully mem- 
 orized as to supersede the necessity of notes. 
 This will not be difficult if they are the natural 
 suggestions of the text and its surroundings. 
 These will serve as prompters at every step of 
 your progress. To be obliged to stop and con- 
 sult notes, is always damaging to the effect, 
 especially in a congregation accustomed to ex- 
 temporaneous preaching. It embarrasses the 
 preacher, and diverts the attention of the hear- 
 ers. Your plan had better embrace so few 
 points, that you cannot forget them, rather 
 be so complicated as to overtax your memory, 
 or require much reading. 
 
Construction and Composition. 101 
 
 These principles apply with equal force to 
 addresses. When there is opportunity, you 
 should determine what to say, and arrange for 
 saying it, in the most natural and forcible 
 manner. 
 
 The reason why some able preachers are poor 
 platform speakers is, that they do not prepare 
 themselves. Feeling little inclined to that 
 style of address, and less faith in their ability, 
 they get excused, if possible, or respond to 
 honorable calls apologetically or jocosely, rather 
 than think out something worthy of the occa- 
 sion. This is no way to become ready and able 
 speakers, and many powerful preachers damage 
 their influence by adopting it. A man who can 
 preach an interesting sermon, can make a good 
 speech, if he will take the necessary time to 
 prepare for it. 
 
 But as important as a good plan is, it does 
 not insure an effective sermon. Some preachers 
 have a wonderful faculty for working up plans. 
 They read sketches, and note down others from 
 the lips of their brethren, but show very con- 
 clusively, when they attempt to preach, that 
 they are embarrassed. They have the bones of 
 good sermons, but not the flesh and blood that 
 
102 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 originally belonged to them. This is poor 
 policy. Preachers, however young, had better 
 make their own plans, just such as they can fill 
 up with living matter. Indeed, if they will 
 live in the Spirit, and preach what the people 
 need, their plans will hardly need making, — 
 they will often appear to them like heavenly 
 apparitions. At any rate, they can preach 
 better on their own plans, poor as they may be, 
 than on those made by others, however excel- 
 lent. 
 
 But in this arrangement, you should have an 
 eye to the length of time to be devoted to the 
 delivery. It is difficult to cut down an hour 
 sermon to forty minutes in the pulpit, and 
 preachers are seldom satisfied when they have 
 exhausted their time on the main body of the 
 discourse, and have none left for the applica- 
 tion. We oftener fail by undertaking to say 
 too much, than too little. A few vital points, 
 clearly stated, and faithfully applied, in forty 
 minutes, are generally more useful than a 
 larger number, which occupy an hour. Preach- 
 ers can hardly appreciate the difficulties under 
 which many attend church, or the importance 
 of their reaching home at the time proposed. 
 
Construction and Composition. 103 
 
 They should lay their plans, so as to allow of 
 an appropriate close to the sermon, and service, 
 without hurry or confusion. 
 
 But we should not dismiss the subject of 
 constructing sermons, without, at least, a bare 
 reference to climaxes. Some preachers fail to 
 command attention because they move gently 
 along, like a sluggish stream, or stormily, like 
 a cataract — it makes little difference which, and 
 thus lull the people to sleep. They are too 
 regular. A sudden stop or diversion, — the 
 repression of the voice to a whisper, or its ele- 
 vation to unusual strength, would afford sensible 
 relief; but they go straight through with little 
 variation, and end about as they began. To 
 use a figure of Dr. Emmons's, " they are like 
 Seekonk plain, long and level." Others pro- 
 vide something extra at the close, and make no 
 climax until they approach that point. 
 
 But the better way of preparing a sermon or 
 speech, is to provide for several passages of 
 special interest and elevation in the body of the 
 discourse. This may be done by the introduc- 
 tion of a pertinent fact or appeal. Some popu- 
 lar speakers would be dry enough, but for this 
 peculiarity of their method. Without seeming 
 
104 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 to digress, they extort smiles, tears, or both, in 
 every department of their discourses, and are, 
 therefore, heard with pleasure and profit. Here 
 is where surprises are often employed with 
 grand effect ; but it is a point of considerable 
 danger. We can pay too dearly for attention, 
 and not a few do so, to the damage of theif 
 personal influence, and the cause they would 
 promote. 
 
 of the composition of sermons. 
 
 We have presented this brief outline with 
 the view of stimulating public speakers to think 
 for themselves, and make their own plans. If 
 they will do this, they will never be caught in 
 Saul's armor, and it will save them a world of 
 mortification. A few suggestions on the com- 
 position of sermons may be useful. 
 
 1. In going through your plan, study each 
 point in the light of the best helps within your 
 reach. Your first question should be, what 
 does the Bible say on the subject ? Then, 
 consult your commentary, for notwithstanding 
 all that has been written against the use of 
 commentaries, we have more confidence in some 
 of them, than in the opinions of most young 
 
Construction and Composition. 105 
 
 men of the highest culture. In this way read 
 yourself full of divine knowledge and inspira- 
 tion. 
 
 Dr. Shedd beautifully says, " We are to feed 
 on the word of God as the bee feeds on flowers, 
 till every cell is full, and then dispense its 
 sweetness." We would apply the same remark 
 to other books of wise and pious men. They 
 furnish useful material for the pulpit, that 
 would not occur to ordinary minds. By this 
 process you will accumulate a fund of informa- 
 tion that will serve you on other occasions. 
 Like wholesome food which you eat, it will be- 
 come your own — a part of yourselves. It was 
 in this way that Dr. Adam Clarke grew from a 
 dull, ignorant youth, to such fullness that he 
 was able to deliver masterly sermons without 
 taking time for preparation. 
 
 The course here recommended will save young 
 and timid speakers from one fruitful source of 
 embarrassment, namely, the fear that their po- 
 sitions are not well taken. Having deliberately 
 tested every point by acknowledged authorities, 
 they can speak with confidence. 
 
 But I would not restrict you to what you 
 can find in books. Every-day life throngs with 
 
106 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 incidents illustrative of Christian principles, 
 which you may turn to admirable account. 
 These are generally more interesting to the 
 common people, because better understood, 
 than those which are gathered from afar. For 
 instance, a devout farmer speaking lately of 
 his pleasure and success in prayer, compared 
 himself to one sitting under a tree laded with 
 ripe fruit, and receiving an ample supply by 
 simply rapping the body of it with his hand. 
 Another brother of the same occupation, and 
 in the same meeting, illustrated the superiority 
 of the higher life, which he enjoyed, by refer- 
 ring to the fact that he had purchased a self- 
 feeding stove to take the place of his old heat- 
 er, and found that it would keep up a regular 
 fire all winter, with less trouble, less dust, and 
 less coal. The impression made by these illus- 
 trations was all that could be desired. We 
 recognized the tree, for we had seen it, and had 
 enjoyed the genial influence of the stove, and 
 could not fail to see their pertinency as illus- 
 trations of the subjects to which they were 
 applied. Nothing from Plutarch could have 
 been so appropriate. 
 
 Nor, should you allow the flings of misguided 
 
Construction and Composition. 107 
 
 brethren at what are called anecdotes, to divert 
 you from their use, whenever you see that they 
 will serve your purpose. They are nothing 
 more than so many Providential facts, and may 
 be as legitimately used in illustration of doc- 
 trines, duties, benefits or dangers, as the facts 
 recorded in the Bible. Jesus effectually em- 
 ployed them in His ministry, and His followers 
 cannot be true to their calling, if they discard 
 them. But you should not make them your 
 chief "stock in trade." They may be used 
 to excess, and be substituted for the word of 
 God, or for solid instruction in divine things. 
 
 Your own experience is equally admissible. 
 Ministers are toitnesses as well as preachers and 
 teachers. " Bise and stand upon thy feet," said 
 Jesus to Saul of Tarsus, " for I have appeared 
 unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a 
 minister and a witness, both of these things 
 which thou hast seen [in his miraculous arrest 
 and conversion], and of those things in which I 
 will appear unto thee," — his subsequent expe- 
 rience. Ministers test many of the promises of 
 God, and find them true. They know repen- 
 tance, justification, sanctification, the witness 
 of the Spirit, and the joy of salvation, by posi- 
 
108 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 tive, personal experience. Why should they 
 not testify to these things, and the processes of 
 their attainment ? Many of them have been 
 observant of the experience of these great pos- 
 sibilities in others, and are as well satisfied of 
 their reality, as they are of the existence of 
 sin. Why should they not testify to what they 
 have " seen and heard " in these particulars ? 
 The enemies of religion would crowd them from 
 the witness's box, but they must not be allowed 
 to do it. Standing well with your hearers for 
 ability, sincerity, and veracity, your testimony 
 will often be of the utmost importance, and 
 may intensify and grace a sermon better than 
 anything else at your command. People are 
 generally interested in experience, and will go 
 further to hear one, than to hear any other 
 style of discourse. 
 
 But in all these cases you should scru- 
 pulously avoid everything that savors of vul- 
 garity, profanity, or indelicacy. Illustrations 
 tinctured with these qualities, are never suit- 
 able for the pulpit, however they may hit the 
 point involved. They leave an enduring stain 
 upon the preacher and his subject. Facts and 
 remarks, too, which are calculated to excite a 
 
Construction and Composition. 109 
 
 smile at the expense of religion and religious 
 people, should be entirely abjured. Wicked 
 men will retail them sufficiently, without our 
 help. Ministers who indulge in such sport, 
 are justly suspected of courting evil-minded 
 men, and of being more in fellowship with the 
 world than the church. Not that we object to 
 a smile. It is more natural to smile than to 
 cry, and is as innocent under proper circum- 
 stances. 
 
 You should also have an eye to style in your 
 preparation. However , perfect may be your 
 taste, or vast your capabilities with regard to 
 language and composition, as an honest man, 
 you are bound to lay them at the feet of Jesus, 
 and adopt that style which is best calculated 
 to secure the proper ends of preaching. You 
 should neither be so low and coarse as to dis- 
 gust, or so refined and classical, as to be incom- 
 prehensible or unimpressive. Says Dr. Kid- 
 der, " Whoever makes the sermon an occasion 
 for displaying fine language rather than exhibit- 
 ing truth ; — for pleasing the ears and cultivating 
 the taste of an audience, rather than convincing 
 their judgment and moving their hearts, 
 radically mistakes the design of preaching, or 
 
110 Htxts to Ministers. 
 
 wrongly seeks to pervert an appointed means 
 of doing good into an agency for securing 
 applause. He preaches himself, or his own 
 contrivings, and not Christ Jesus the Lord." 
 And this may be as true, perhaps, of those 
 who, through idleness, preach in a reckless and 
 slovenly style. 
 
 The object of language being to indicate our 
 meaning, and not to conceal it, and that for 
 the instruction, conviction, and moral purifica- 
 tion of the people, it should be such as they 
 can readily understand. " I thank my God," 
 says St. Paul, u I speak with tongues more 
 than ye all." And yet for the sake of the 
 cause, he denied himself the honor of displaying 
 his superior intelligence, saying, " I will pray 
 with the Spirit, and I will pray with the un- 
 derstanding also. . . . Else when thou shalt 
 bless with the Spirit, how shall he that occu- 
 pieth the room of the unlearned say amen, at 
 thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth 
 not what thou sayest." (1 Cor. xiv. 15, 16.) 
 This is common sense, and stands approved by 
 preachers generally, not excepting some who 
 indulge in the highest floridity and bombast. 
 Says Dr. Cuyler, a distinguished authority ; 
 
Construction and Composition. Ill 
 
 u If in my study I wrote the word c avoca- 
 tions/ when I come to preach, I say ' busi- 
 ness ; ' and if I wrote ' this commercial me- 
 tropolis/ I shorten it into ' this great city/ and 
 never, either in writing or speaking, do I use 
 too fashionable words, so puzzling to the com- 
 mon people, as c objective and subjective.' " 
 And he adds, " Always preach to the plainest 
 part of your audience. If you elaborate your 
 discourse for the most cultivated portion, they 
 alone can understand you. But if you have 
 the rich man in your church, and also his 
 coachman, or gardener, or servant, then preach 
 to the coachman and gardener, and you will 
 sweep the whole audience to the door. Even 
 the most cultivated lawyer or collegian will be 
 best pleased with simplicity and earnestness. 
 The profoundest men do not come to church t) 
 have their brains taxed, but to have their hearts 
 made holier, and their lives made better. . 
 If a minister can only convince his congrega- 
 tion during the first five minutes, that he cares 
 for nothing but to save their souls, he will kill 
 all the critics in the house." 
 
 The preachers particularly contemplated by 
 this writing, are not as liable, perhaps, to fall 
 
112 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 into the mistake suggested, as others of higher 
 literary attainments ; but they are sometimes 
 tempted. We advise them therefore : 
 
 1. To use plain language, the language of 
 the people. If in your meditations, a diffi- 
 cult word occurs to you, examine the dictionary 
 to ascertain its exact meaning, and then reject 
 it in favor of one that the people cannot fail to 
 understand. Big words are promptly forgot- 
 ten, strong ones will be remembered. 
 
 2. Learn to speak in short sentences, em- 
 bracing declarations, questions, exclamations, 
 apostrophe, etc. If you apply your different 
 points as you proceed, you will find ample scope 
 for all these styles of address. 
 
 3. Use no dead or foreign language. This 
 is the uniform advice of our strongest advocates 
 of preparatory education. While they would 
 urge candidates to study Latin, Greek, Hebrew, 
 etc., they wisely insist on their keeping them 
 out of the pulpit, except on some very rare 
 occasions. This is especially important with 
 preachers who have only a slight knowledge 
 of them, for they will often reveal their ignor- 
 ance to literary hearers by their very first utter- 
 ance, as the Ephraimites exposed the falsity of 
 
Construction and Composition. 113 
 
 their pretensions and lost their lives, by failing 
 to pronounce Shibboleth correctly. (Judges 
 xii. 6.) 
 
 4. Avoid, especially, all words of the mean- 
 ing of which you are in doubt. By not doing 
 so, preachers sometimes make sad mistakes, and 
 expose the defect they seek to conceal. 
 
 By observing these rules, you will acquire a 
 good style, though you may not write a line. 
 But writing will help you. Says Lord Bacon, 
 " Beading makes a full man; conference [or 
 speaking] a ready man ; and writing an exact [or 
 correct] man." Writing a sermon before preach- 
 ing it embarrasses some ministers in its delivery. 
 Though they do not attempt to memorize it, 
 the mind involuntarily labors to recall its 
 language, and failing to do so, becomes unfruit- 
 ful. Such ministers do better to think and 
 preach first, and write afterwards. The less you 
 write, and the more you think, preparatory to 
 preaching, the readier and easier speakers you 
 will become. Write for correction and im-< 
 provement in style, preach for effect. 
 
 SERMONS TO BE TESTED. 
 
 But no sermon should be taken into the pul- 
 8 
 
114 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 pit until it has been tested in private, except in 
 cases of emergency. The way to do this is to 
 preach it to yourself, or to the congregation, as 
 you imagine it will appear before you. By 
 going through it in this manner, you will see 
 its defects, and correct them. We are often 
 fascinated at first with words or illustrations 
 which, on further consideration, we see cause to 
 reject. Besides, better ones often occur, that 
 will stand the test of our final review. 
 
 And be not content with one rehearsal. If 
 time permit, try it again and again. If Lord 
 Brougham could write the conclusion of one of 
 his speeches more than " twenty times" it is 
 not unreasonable that preachers should review 
 their sermons sufficiently to have them right 
 and ready. 
 
 Some make and preach their sermons men- 
 tally, before they write a line, and then only 
 write the merest outline, barely hinting at the 
 main points. When they have occasion to 
 repeat them, they go through them as at first, 
 and adapt them to existing circumstances. 
 Thus, they keep them fresh, which is of no 
 small importance. When a preacher ceases to 
 be interested in his own sermons, he had better 
 
Of the Delivery of Sermons. 115 
 
 ter abandon them, however good, and begin 
 anew. 
 
 CHAPTEK VI. 
 
 OF THE DELIVERY OF SERMONS, AS TO DIF- 
 FERENT METHODS AND A PROPER STATE 
 OF MIND. 
 
 There are three methods of delivering ser- 
 mons in common use, namely, reading, reci- 
 tation, and extemporaneous speaking. We 
 might add a fourth, for some read in part and 
 extemporize the rest. 
 
 We object to reading, 
 
 1. That it is inconsistent with the example 
 and teaching of Christ and His apostles. So 
 far as appears, they neither read sermons, or 
 encouraged the practice in others. 
 
 2. That it is not adapted to attract atten- 
 tion, or produce the impression required. 
 " Read to me/' says one, " and I will soon be 
 asleep ; talk, and I will hear you." Conversa- 
 tional preachers have little trouble with inat- 
 tentive hearers. Still, it must be conceded that 
 
116 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 some very able and successful preachers read 
 their sermons. They are by nature or educa- 
 tion, admirable readers, but awkward speakers. 
 In fact they read without seeming to do so, and 
 address the people as though they were extem- 
 porizing. But this is a rare gift. Most readers 
 are obliged to attend closely to their manu- 
 script, and are lost the moment their eyes 
 wander. Dr. Chalmers wrote every word of 
 his sermons, and delivered them as if they were 
 the present creations of divine inspiration. 
 
 3. It unfits a preacher for emergencies. Ac- 
 customed to think in his study, with a pen in 
 his hand, and read in public only what he has 
 previously written, he cannot take advantage 
 of circumstances. He has to postpone to 
 write, and by the time he gets ready, the in- 
 terest is gone. 
 
 4. It is a hindrance to ministerial improve- 
 ment. As a general rule, sermons once written 
 undergo little modification, though ' the writer 
 and his surroundings change. Writing, there- 
 fore, while it necessitates application in the 
 outset, tends to indolence afterwards. 
 
 5. It is a fatal hindrance to free and easy 
 extemporizing, as all artificial dependencies 
 
Of the Delivery of Sermons. 117 
 
 are to children in learning to walk. " Radi- 
 cally erroneous are those systems of instruction, 
 which postpone efforts at actual speaking until 
 the close of a course of professional study, and 
 then teach the young preacher to confine him- 
 self to his manuscript until he gradually 
 acquires confidence to speak extemporaneously. 
 Youth is nature's time for learning to speak, 
 whether in private or public ; and any preacher 
 who does not cultivate freedom of utterance, in 
 fact, who does not acquire a mastery of spoken 
 language in early life, will strive in vain for it 
 in later years/' (Kidder's Homiletics, p. 343.) 
 This is the published sentiment of acknowledged 
 masters the world over, and it is the verdict of 
 reason and common practice in other respects. 
 A man becomes a workman by working, and a 
 speaker by speaking. 
 
 The second method, recitation, is too labo- 
 rious for most minds. Few will adopt it for the 
 want of verbal memory, if for no other reason ; 
 and they will be readily detected, and lose the 
 advantage of being believed to express their 
 own present thoughts and feelings on the 
 subject. And, preaching only a few sermons 
 in this way, and those of a higher literary order 
 
118 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 than usual, they are generally suspected of 
 plagiarism, and lose more than they gain. 
 
 All our suggestions with regard to prepara- 
 tion relate to extemporaneous delivery. This 
 term, as we use it, admits of the most thorough 
 arrangement which leaves the language, with 
 new thoughts and illustrations, to the prompt- 
 ings of the Spirit and the occasion. It does 
 not exclude even a brief written outline, though 
 that had better be left at home, or the reading 
 of figures or necessary quotations too extended 
 to be memorized. It relates particularly to the 
 language, voice and action of the preacher in 
 presenting his message to the people. In this 
 sense, it is of the highest importance to the 
 result. Demosthenes has the credit of saying, 
 that u the first thing, second thing, third thing, 
 in speaking, is delivery." Not that he under- 
 valued the importance of having something to 
 say, and of having it properly arranged, for no 
 man prepared more carefully in this respect. 
 His idea was that the success of the argument 
 depends very largely on the manner of its pre- 
 sentation, which is truer of preaching, perhaps, 
 than of other forms of discourse. 
 
Of the Delivery of Sermons. 119 
 
 The advantages of extemporaneous preaching 
 are many, a few of which are as follows : 
 
 1. It facilitates rapid thinking while speaking. 
 We are creatures of habit. A writer thinks 
 best in his study. His mental machinery works 
 slowly, only fast enough to keep pace with his 
 pen. An extemporizer thinks better and faster 
 on his feet, and before a congregation, and often 
 feels compelled to abandon the best thoughts 
 of his study for newer and better ones which 
 occur to him in preaching. 
 
 Whitefield wrote some, but never so well as 
 he extemporized. Southey says, " His salient 
 points of oratory were not prepared passages ; 
 they were the bursts of passion, like the jets of 
 a geyser, when the spring is in full play." 
 Professor Broadus says, " Any man who 
 possesses, even in an humble degree, the fervid 
 oratorical nature, will find that after careful 
 preparation, some of the noblest and most 
 inspiring thoughts he ever gains will come 
 while he is engaged in speaking." 
 
 2. It secures better sermons, especially where 
 one is pressed for time, and is in a hurry. He 
 can give all his time to the thought, whereas 
 in writing, it has to be largely devoted to the 
 
120 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 language. Dr. Wayland recognizes this fact, 
 and urges it in favor of extemporary preaching. 
 
 3. It saves time for reading and other duties. 
 The sermon reader requires most of his time 
 for writing, and needs to be in his study. The 
 extemporizer is always in his study, and never 
 more so than when visiting his people. His 
 best sermons originate, and are considerably 
 prepared, while engaged in his pastoral and 
 other work. A preacher who has once acquired 
 a pure, easy and forcible style of expressing 
 what he knows or believes, in a public assembly, 
 is remarkably endowed for his work. It is 
 better for him than to know all the languages 
 in the universe. Determining what ought to 
 be said, he is ready to say it in an interesting 
 manner. 
 
 4. "In the act of delivery," says Professor 
 Broadus, "the extemporaneous speaker has im- 
 mense advantages. With far greater ease and 
 effectiveness than if reading or writing, he can 
 turn to account ideas which occur to him at 
 the time. ... If full of his theme, and 
 impressed with its importance, he presently 
 secures the interested and sympathizing atten- 
 tion of even a few good listeners, and the fire 
 
Of the Delivery of Sermons. 121 
 
 of his eyes comes reflected back from theirs, till 
 electric flashes pass to and fro between them, 
 and his very soul glows, and blazes, and flames 
 — he cannot fail sometimes to strike out 
 thoughts more splendid and more precious than 
 ever visit his mind in solitary musing." 
 (Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, p. 427.) 
 
 5. " And, as we have before seen," says the 
 same excellent writer, " there is a more important 
 gain than the new thoughts elicited. The whole 
 mass of prepared material becomes brightened, 
 warmed, sometimes transfigured, by the inspira- 
 tion of delivery. The preacher's language rises 
 without conscious effort, to suit the grandeur 
 and beauty of his conceptions ; and as Everett 
 has expressed it in speaking of Webster, c the 
 discourse instinctively transposes itself into a 
 higher key. 5 This exaltation of souls, rising 
 at times to rapture, can never be fitly described, 
 but the speaker who does not, in some measure, 
 know what it means, was not born to be a 
 speaker." (Ibid., p. 428.) 
 
 6. It leaves a preacher free to adjust his 
 tones, thoughts and actions, to the ever vary- 
 ing feelings of his own heart, and those of the 
 people. He can go slow or fast, high or low, 
 
122 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 take advantage of the impulses of his con- 
 gregation, and turn everything to the best 
 account ; whereas a mere reader is obliged 
 to go through on the prescribed line. His 
 sermon may fit some states of feeling, but 
 be very inappropriate to others, and create dis- 
 gust where it should please and impress. 
 Reading w r ill do very well in a case of mere 
 instruction, when you are sure of attention, as 
 in an address to a judge on a law point, but 
 it is ill adapted to a jury or a congregation, 
 where an impression is necessary. 
 
 7. It leaves room for the divine guidance 
 and inspiration in everything, since nothing is 
 so prepared that it may not be superseded 
 by something better if suggested. God may 
 help readers of prayers and sermons to read, 
 but there is little room for His assistance 
 beyond that, in the matter of delivery, while 
 the mind of the extemporizer is open and ready 
 for all heavenly influences. 
 
 8. It is the natural method, and the only 
 one which gives full play to the mental, moral 
 and physical powers of speech. Reading 
 occupies the eyes, and constrains the head, 
 hands, and body, confining them to artifical 
 
Of the Delivery of Sermons. 123 
 
 attitudes, so that neither can act the impres- 
 sive part in delivery for which it is so well 
 adapted. Recitation engrosses the memory, 
 and hardly admits of the animation and force 
 which fresher words and thoughts would in- 
 spire, and therefore distorts the features and 
 actions. For these and other reasons, readers 
 are urged to be natural, but it is impossible to 
 be so, while speaking in an unnatural way. 
 No man can be natural on stilts. 
 
 9. It is more pleasing to the people generally, 
 where they have not been perverted by educa- 
 tion. They love to hear a sensible man talk of 
 what he knows, thinks or feels, but few care to 
 hear one read something which he has written. 
 It may not be his own composition after all ; 
 he may have borrowed or stolen it, or if not, 
 possibly he has changed his mind since it was 
 written. They want to hear him speak, and 
 see him act in a manner becoming what he 
 says. If the voice, gestures, manifest feelings, 
 and general movements, correspond with his 
 assumptions, they will be impressed, convinced, 
 and surrender, perhaps, to his will. 
 
 10. It is the most successful method. Teach- 
 ers in schools, lawyers, campaign lecturers, re- 
 
124 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 vival preachers, and preachers generally, who 
 strike for immediate results, adopt it, Young 
 men who commence their public ministry by 
 reading, or adopt it afterwards, except on 
 special subjects, make an irreparable mistake. 
 They had better venture out extemporaneously 
 and break down a dozen times. Children 
 usually fall more or less in learning to walk, 
 but it is better for them, than to crawl through 
 life, or go on crutches. 
 
 11. It is the most healthy way of preaching. 
 Sore throats, bronchitis, and other clerical 
 diseases, come of unnatural study and speaking. 
 Few can stand the drill of reading preachers in 
 pent-up studies, hanging over a table to write, 
 and then over a pulpit to read what they have 
 written, with bad air, compressed lungs, and 
 little exercise. This is all unnatural. Preach- 
 ers should learn to think, and read, too, in 
 the open air, and then to talk to the people 
 as they talk in private, standing erect, moving 
 about, and gesticulating in a graceful, free and 
 easy manner, accommodating their tones to 
 the variations of their subject. In this way 
 they will find preaching a pleasure, and more 
 healthful than most other callings. 
 
Of the Delivery of Sermons. 125 
 
 12. It is the method of the ages. Greek 
 and Roman orators generally followed it. " Ser- 
 mons," says Dr. Neander, speaking of Chrysos- 
 torn, who flourished in the fourth century, were 
 rarely read off entirely from notes, or com- 
 mitted to memory ; sometimes they were freely 
 delivered, after a plan prepared beforehand, 
 and sometimes they were altogether extempo- 
 rary." Chrysostom, hitnself, frequently preached 
 on subjects suggested to him by the lesson of 
 the day, or by something he met on his way 
 to church, or which suddenly occurred during 
 divine service. 
 
 The, practice of reading sermons originated 
 in England, in political jealousy, under the 
 reign of Henry the VIII. It was extended in 
 the troublous times of Charles the II., by the 
 same means. The modern history of the dif- 
 ferent methods is generally understood, and 
 need not be rehearsed. On the whole, we 
 believe extemporary preaching is increasing. 
 Though some Methodists have fallen to read- 
 ing, other denominations are reading less than 
 formerly. 
 
 The fourth method named, to wit: reading 
 a part, and extemporizing a part, has its con- 
 
126 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 veniencies, particularly where a sermon involves 
 many dates, figures or quotations, and is no 
 doubt better than reading the whole. Beyond 
 this, we cannot advise this course as a common 
 practice, where there is no constitutional ob- 
 stacle in the way of extemporary preaching. 
 So far as we have observed, Methodists general- 
 ly prefer the part extemporized to that which 
 is read. This method requires considerable 
 practice to become effective. Besides, many 
 preachers can speak much better than they can 
 write. 
 
 other conditions of successful preaching. 
 
 Having determined to preach extempora- 
 neously, and settled upon the subject, and the 
 order of its presentation, the next thing is to 
 preach. This involves the necessity of other 
 endowments. Many Christians know enough 
 and are good enough to preach well, but they 
 cannot do it for the want of capacity to present 
 themselves and the Gospel to a congregation in 
 an interesting and impressive manner. The 
 inefficiency of ministers is often, if not general! y, 
 traceable directly to this point, as is evident 
 from the fact that many of our best scholars 
 
Of the Delivery of Sermons. 127 
 
 and profoundest thinkers and writers are nearly 
 useless as preachers. By dint of exhaustive 
 preparation, they have come to the birth, but 
 are not able to bring forth. This statement is 
 further attested by the fact that other men, of 
 vastly inferior attainments, in literature and 
 theology, are among our most popular and 
 effective preachers. Eight here lies the secret 
 of pulpit power. What is it ? Who can tell ? 
 Without assuming to give a full answer to 
 the question, we will venture to suggest, that 
 
 A PROPER STATE OF MIND TO PREACH, 
 
 has very much to do with it. Facility of 
 thought and expression in private life, is no 
 guarantee of freedom in extemporaneous speech 
 before a congregation. "The fear of man," to 
 which few, if any, are entire strangers in their 
 early attempts at public speaking, " bringeth a 
 snare." It is a disturbing force, which cripples 
 the power of thought and memory, changes the 
 tone of the voice, and embarrasses the action 
 and movements of a speaker every way, so that 
 he cannot feel easy, and act himself. In this 
 state of mind, previous preparation is of little 
 avail, and the chances of extemporizing any- 
 
128 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 thing new and interesting are very small. The 
 preacher must be delivered from this bondage, 
 or he will never do justice to his subject or 
 himself. 
 
 Then, there is sometimes a little pride of 
 character or of reputation, which intervenes 
 and creates so much anxiety about what may 
 be thought of his effort, as to cripple him. 
 Previous success, literary titles and diplomas 
 often enhance one's solicitude to such a degree 
 that he can do nothing equal to his real capacity. 
 And this trouble is frequently augmented by 
 his having determined to excel himself, and 
 preach better than ever before. Seeing that 
 things do not work as anticipated, he becomes 
 disheartened and sinks below his ordinary level. 
 
 These unfavorable circumstances are not un- 
 frequently aggravated by the absence of parish- 
 ioners, in special reference to whom the prepara- 
 tion was made ; or by the unexpected presence 
 of intelligent, and perhaps critical hearers. 
 The stupid appearance of the congregation, or 
 of individuals, too ; has often beclouded a 
 preacher. Besides, his own weariness, arising 
 from over-study, possibly on the sermon he is 
 trying to preach, the state of the atmosphere, 
 
Of the Delivery of Sermons. 129 
 
 or the occurrence of some little irregularity, may 
 distract or depress him. 
 
 If the writer could present a plausible method 
 of avoiding these embarrassments, he would 
 entitle himself to grateful remembrance. They 
 have existed more or less in all ages and 
 among all classes. Ministerial biography 
 abounds in reports of easy times in preaching^ 
 and of hard times, and there seems to be no 
 complete escape. Still, we believe the difficulty 
 may be greatly lessened by proper mental and 
 spiritual exercises just before, and at the 
 moment of rising to preach. At all events, we 
 will venture a few hints for consideration and 
 experiment : 
 
 1. Remember that you are not your own, — 
 that your life, being, talent, reputation and all 
 you possess, belong to God. 
 
 2. That you occupy your present position by 
 His special direction, and not by your own sug- 
 gestion, and having done what you could to 
 prepare for the occasion, He takes all the respon- 
 sibility. This will relieve you of much anxiety. 
 
 3. Bear in mind that He who called you, 
 
 and whose you are, pledges Himself to be with 
 
 you, and expect His help accordingly. 
 9 
 
130 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 4. Whatever discouraging thoughts or fears 
 may oppress you, firmly resolve that you will 
 deliberately go through your arrangement 
 (nothing better occurring), regardless of the 
 presence and opinions of other men. No 
 preacher can speak freely and forcibly, until he 
 becomes oblivious of everything but his sub- 
 ject and the accomplishment of its grand 
 purposes. Will-power often steadies a man 
 successfully into his work, who trembles with 
 fear or nervous excitement from head to heel. 
 Some preachers have uniformly, on special oc- 
 casions, to say to themselves on rising to address 
 a congregation, " / will not be frightened, — I 
 will preach the sermon I have prepared. I will 
 be independent, — I'll preach for God if I die in 
 the effort." It is only in this way that they get 
 command of the situation, and speak naturally. 
 After a few minutes of this careful engineering, 
 they lose all their solicitude, and their thoughts 
 and impulses carry them triumphantly through. 
 
 5. Where one rises to preach under trepida- 
 tion from any cause, feeling that he is not ex- 
 actly in the right state of mind to commence, 
 he had better make a short prayer. This will 
 indicate to the people that he intends to preach 
 
Of the Delivery of Sermons. 131 
 
 for spiritual effect, and will be likely to adjust 
 his own feelings to the work before him. Or, 
 he may make an appropriate remark or two 
 (not an apology), before reading his text, to 
 test the condition of the people, and improve 
 his chances for commanding attention. Any- 
 thing that is not derogatory to the pulpit, is 
 better than that he should begin his sermon in 
 confusion. 
 
 This course is practicable only to men of 
 God, who preach to save. Others hardly come 
 within the range of His promises, and it matters 
 less how they preach. To be successful, one 
 needs to come before the people full of divine 
 feeling, and speak from a sincere heart. It 
 gives a power to his thoughts, words, voice and 
 gestures, which art cannot produce. The ex- 
 pressions of feeling are natural. 
 
 11 What you don't feel, you'll never catch by hunting, 
 It must gush out spontaneous from the soul, 
 And with a fresh delight enchanting, 
 The hearts of all that hear control. 
 
 Never a heart will be ignited, 
 
 Comes not the spark from the speakers soul." 
 
 In keeping with these truthful lines, says 
 A 
 
132 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 Dr. James Dixon, of precious memory, " preach- 
 ing is the effort of the preacher's soul. It is the 
 soul itself, and if the preacher only uses his 
 soul, and has it furnished with truth and 
 knowledge, and religion, he must be a good 
 preacher." 
 
 The eloquent Daniel Webster, whose career 
 was not calculated to impress him with spirit- 
 ual truth, nevertheless, saw this point with 
 remarkable clearness. He says : " Neither elo- 
 quence nor preaching consists in language, but 
 in that which is higher than all languages in the 
 action of the soul, agitating and elevating the 
 souls of other men. Whatever helps that ac- 
 tion, whether the internal working of the soul 
 itself or its outward expression through words 
 or gestures, is a help to the proper design of 
 the preacher, and whatever hinders that design, 
 is a clog upon the wheels of eloquence." 
 
 Dr. Skinner, another good authority, re- 
 marks, " The preacher should, as much as pos- 
 sible, be impassioned by the subject ; should 
 put himself wholly into it, so as to be able to 
 give himself to his hearers in, and with his 
 discourse." 
 
 In view of the unutterable importance of 
 
 it 
 
Of the Delivery of Sermons. 133 
 
 feeling in the preacher while in the act of 
 preaching, Dr. Kidder exhorts ministers to re- 
 solve, if ever again permitted to preach, " that 
 they will first seek to be " endued with power 
 from on high — to be permeated with the Spirit 
 of God, that they may kindle a similar flame 
 in the breasts of others, inscribing on their very 
 souls the image of Jesus." 
 
 Heal feeling cannot be concealed any more 
 than it can be counterfeited. " Chains," says 
 another writer, " cannot bind it, mountains can- 
 not bury it. It thaws through the most icy 
 habits. It bursts from the lips. It speaks 
 from the eye. It modulates the tone. It per- 
 vades the manner. It possesses and controls 
 the whole man. He is seen to be in earnest ; 
 he convinces ; he persuades. He preaches, the 
 mere orator performs. One presents God and 
 truth as he feels them, the other as he has 
 learned them. The utterances of the first are 
 the breathings of a living, throbbing soul, 
 those of the last, the studied expressions of 
 art." 
 
 Possessed of this marvellous power, a minister 
 is free. He can be himself. It is the steam 
 that takes him over the road, however difficult, 
 
134 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 to his destination. He can explain, reason, 
 exhort, entreat, weep and rejoice. 
 
 And, thank God, this highest and holiest, 
 and most mighty of qualifications for the minis- 
 try, is attainable by all. It is furnished with- 
 out money and without price. Some may not 
 acquire much education. They have neither 
 the time^ means or capacity necessary to its at- 
 tainment. But they can have feeling — they 
 can have potuer with God and with men to ren- 
 der their preaching interesting and impressive. 
 And if candidates will put this down first on 
 their list of desirable acquisitions, and seek it 
 with half the earnestness that some seek other 
 attainments, they cannot fail to be burning and 
 shining lights. 
 
 This feeling involves more than to have been 
 once converted or sanctified, even more than to 
 be honest and kindly disposed ; it is a present 
 possession, a real endowment of the Spirit, that 
 makes one love human souls, and feel willing 
 to sacrifice much for their salvation. It is not 
 unlike to that of Nehemiah, when he heard of 
 the condition of Jerusalem, and wept and 
 prayed ; or of Esther, when she fasted, and took 
 the risk of losing her queenship and her life to 
 
Of the Delivery of Sermons. 135 
 
 protect her people. When one is thus in- 
 spired, he can speak with power, though 
 threatened with death. 
 
 To facilitate this desirable state of mind, 
 Mr. Broadus gives preachers the following 
 advice : 
 
 " Think it (your subject) all over within a 
 short time of the hour for speaking, so that you 
 may be sure of the ground, and so that your 
 feelings may be brought into lively sympathy 
 
 with the subject Let the physical 
 
 condition be as vigorous as possible. In order 
 to this, seek good health in general ; take 
 abundant sleep the night before speaking ; eat 
 moderately, of food easily digested ; . . . . 
 and do not exhaust your vitality during the day 
 by exciting conversation, .... so that feel- 
 ing may quickly respond to thought, that 
 there may be sympathetic emotion, and at the 
 same time complete self-control. 
 
 " Above all, be yourself. Speak out with 
 freedom and earnestness what you think and 
 feel. Better a thousand faults, than through 
 dread of faults, to be tame. ... If there 
 is something you have to say, speak it out, 
 and by all means let there be no affectation 
 
136 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 or artificiality." (Treatise on Preparation, etc., 
 p. 448.) 
 
 Mr. Spurgeon gives his students some valu- 
 able lessons on the subject. He says : " Your 
 prayers will be your ablest assistants, while 
 your discourses are yet on the anvil. While 
 other men, like Esau, are hunting for their por- 
 tion, you will find the savory meat near at 
 home, and may say in truth what Jacob said 
 falsely, i The Lord brought it to me.' ... If 
 you can gather your matter on your knees at the 
 gate of heaven, you will not fail to speak well. 
 Nothing can so gloriously fit you to preach as 
 descending fresh from the mount of com- 
 munion with God on behalf of the people. . . . 
 A truly pathetic delivery, in which there is no 
 affectation, but much affection, can only be the 
 offspring of prayer. There is no rhetoric like 
 that of the heart, and no school for learning it, 
 but the foot of the cross. It were better that 
 you never learned a rule of human oratory, but 
 were full of the power of heaven-born love, 
 than that you master Quintilian, Cicero, and 
 Aristotle, and remain without the apostolic 
 anointing." 
 
 After all these precautions, you may have a 
 
Of the Delivery of Sermons. 137 
 
 " hard time." Memory, impulse, and mental 
 activity may fail to serve you, and you may 
 seem to be completely blocked. Some of the 
 greatest of preachers have been confounded. In 
 view of emergencies of this kind, Dr. Kidder 
 says : " If you forget what you want to say 
 next, do not stop. Nothing is so awkward as 
 a dead pause. . . . Say something, repeat, 
 recapitulate, talk at random even, anything 
 rather than stop. If you have become embar- 
 rassed with a tangled sentence, do not turn 
 back, but burst through. If you have made a 
 mistake of grammar, pronunciation, or the 
 like, do not stop to correct it, unless it is 
 serious. ... If you greatly blunder in style, 
 forget half your best thoughts, or utterly break 
 down, it will not kill you. Other great men 
 have failed. Kemember young Robert Hall." 
 And do not appear to be frustrated, nor hurry, 
 but take your congregation along with you. A 
 public speaker must not shoiv embarrassment, 
 however disturbed. Nothing is to be lost, and 
 much may be gained by self-possession. 
 
 Experiences like these have sometimes been 
 most successful. Mourners have been comforted 
 and sinners awakened and converted. Thev 
 
138 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 usually humble the preacher, and show him 
 how dependent he is on God, and are followed 
 by extraordinary triumphs. 
 
 Since writing the above, we have listened to 
 a well-worded sermon, which displayed more 
 than ordinary ability, and it fell upon the 
 audience very pleasantly, but without producing 
 the slightest emotion. Going to church from 
 these very pages, we could but inquire, why is 
 this ? The sentiments advanced are correct 
 and beautifully expressed ; why don't the peo- 
 ple feel them ? The answer is not difficult ; 
 there was no feeling contemplated or provided 
 for by the preacher, either in his preparation 
 or delivery. It was purely an intellectual 
 effort. The soul was not called into exercise 
 from the beginning to the end. The preacher 
 neither tried to feel himself, or to excite emotion 
 in others. We heard him through and retired 
 quietly and in order, as unmoved as if we had 
 listened to a discourse on mathematics. Yet 
 we have no doubt that if the preacher had ex- 
 erted his soul as much as he did his intellect in 
 the preparation and delivery of that sermon, it 
 would have been of a much better character, 
 and sent a useful influence through the assem- 
 
Of the Delivery of Sermons. 139 
 
 bly. He had learning and good address, but 
 his heart was not in it. He preached officially, 
 and evidently did not aim at anything more 
 than a fair and manly presentation of the sub- 
 ject. 
 
 Methodism cannot thrive under such preach- 
 ing. When it ceases to move sinners toward 
 God, its days will be numbered. 
 
140 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 OF THE DELIVERY OF SERMONS, AS TO VOICE 
 AND ACTION. 
 
 The voice is the chief instrument by which 
 a preacher is to impress himself and his mes- 
 sage upon the people, and it is one of many 
 strings. It is not a vehicle of words and ideas 
 only, but when properly modulated, it repre- 
 sents the character and importance which the 
 speaker attaches to them. For instance, the 
 wordj^re really means the same thing, however 
 expressed, but uttered in one tone it attracts 
 no attention, in another, it startles a whole 
 neighborhood. By some law of God, which we 
 but imperfectly understand, certain tones are 
 tender and soothing, while others are frightful 
 or maddening. There is not a possible feeling 
 in the human heart, that may not be excited 
 or repressed by the voice. "It may be modu- 
 lated by art to any sound of softness or of 
 strength, of gentleness, or harshness, of har- 
 mony or discord." 
 
As to Voice and Action. 141 
 
 Preachers, therefore, who regard the sense of 
 their sermons as everything, and the expression 
 of them as of little consequence, make a great 
 mistake. They preach good sermons, but they 
 do it in a miserable way, and fail to be impres- 
 sive, and then wonder whakails the people that 
 they do not appreciate them. The truth is, 
 they are monotonous; they preach doctrine and 
 duty, joy and sorrow, heaven and hell, on the 
 same key, and in the same tone, and often in- 
 dicate less personal interest in either, than 
 they do in reading their notices. Why is this ? 
 It is not so in private conversation. There, 
 they modulate their voices according to the 
 sense of what they are saying, and the convic- 
 tion they wish to produce. But the moment 
 they enter the pulpit, they drop right into a 
 ding dong style, high or low, it matters not 
 which, and drag through without much regard 
 to nature or art. 
 
 Some voices are ill adapted to public speak- 
 ing. They lack melody, compass, volume and 
 penetration ; but experience has demonstrated 
 that they are susceptible of improvement in all 
 these respects. If preachers will cultivate their 
 voices, as some of them do their brains and 
 
142 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 muscles, they will, at least, overcome all 
 marked defects. This may be done under the 
 direction of a good book or teacher, or by pri- 
 vate practice in speaking, singing, or reading 
 aloud. Then, if they will vary their voices in 
 preaching, as ordinary people do in animated 
 conversation, according to the character and 
 design of different parts of their discourses, 
 they may be interesting and impressive, though 
 some of their tones may be disagreeable. Ap- 
 propriate intonations hide a multitude of vocal 
 defects. 
 
 The voice, if much and carefully used, will 
 work itself smooth, melodious, and strong. 
 If abused by long and loud exercise, its defects 
 will be augmented and multiplied, and it will, 
 sooner or later, break down. Many have 
 screamed themselves into the grave, under the 
 false notion that noise is power. 
 
 Ministers may occasionally, for a moment, 
 strike their highest note with good effect, and 
 it will not injure them. But to preach long 
 on that key, is hurtful. And it is unprofitable 
 to linger much on any other tone, high or low. 
 Good sermons will take a man through the 
 whole vocal scale, running, walking, and at 
 
As to Voice and Action. 143 
 
 times, almost halting, if he follows the laws of 
 effectiveness. Variety of tone and movement 
 is as necessary in preaching as in music. Nor 
 will rapidity of utterance injure one ; if limited 
 to short intervals. If extended through the 
 discourse, like extremely loud speech, it vitiates 
 the blood, impairs the whole system, and pro- 
 duces extreme weariness. 
 
 Articulation is a function of the voice which 
 is entitled to special attention. A poor 
 voice with distinct articulation is more agree- 
 able, and better understood, then a good one 
 without it. It is difficult to understand some 
 stentorian preachers, because they clip their 
 words. They fail to sound certain letters, and 
 even whole syllables. Or, if they express them 
 at all, they do it deep down in their throats, so 
 that the outside world cannot tell what they 
 mean. We have lately listened to what we be- 
 lieve to have been a magnificent sermon, but 
 failed to appreciate it, solely on account of the 
 preacher's horrible articulation. His lower 
 tones gave no articulate sound, and the higher 
 ones were little more intelligible than the noise 
 of escaping steam. And what made it especial- 
 ly provoking, it was all the result of a ridicu- 
 
144 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 lous attempt at what some mistakenly call 
 oratory. 
 
 Good articulation is to be acquired out of 
 church, and not in it, by reading aloud ar-tic- 
 u-late-ly, giv-ing each vow-el, con-so-nant and 
 syl-la-ble its own proper expression. Attention 
 should be given to this point, in con-ver-sa-tion, 
 also. By these means one will soon contract a 
 habit, which will largely atone for a poor voice, 
 so that he may be easily heard in most churches, 
 and think no more about ar-tic-u-la-tion in 
 the pulpit, than practical grammarians think 
 about grammar in conversation. 
 
 The voice is also concerned in another impor- 
 tant department of public speaking, namely, 
 pronunciation. Some preachers are strangely 
 at fault in this respect, reading, "he that be- 
 lieve-uth shall be saved," — " bless-ud are the 
 pure in heart," — " Seek um," for " Seek Him," 
 etc. By giving close attention to this point in 
 reading and hearing, consulting the dictionary, 
 and going through with a little book entitled, 
 " One Thousand Mistakes Corrected," you will 
 soon acquire the habit of correct pronunciation. 
 
 I might also speak particularly of emphasis, 
 though that is involved in modulation. It is 
 
As to Voice and Action. 145 
 
 the chief element of power with some speakers. 
 They ring the changes on certain emphatic 
 words, until they electrify the hearers, through 
 and through. They use the emphasis, both of 
 silence and of sound, as required by the sense. 
 
 Preachers often mistake in commencing on 
 the wrong key. If they strike too high, it is 
 very difficult to fall. They had better err in 
 the other direction, since it is easier to rise. 
 But they should announce their text and intro- 
 duction with sufficient force to be heard in all 
 parts of the church, if they have to repeat. 
 Whether they are heard or not, may sometimes 
 be determined by looking at the people. In 
 cases of doubt, it is practicable to test the 
 question by other means. A friend of ours, 
 having a light voice, did this one evening in 
 a strange hall, to admiration, Rising to ad- 
 dress an immense audience, and expressing fear 
 that he could not be heard, he stopped, and 
 with an appropriate gesture, asked, " Does that 
 young man standing at the other end of the 
 hall hear what I am now saying ? " " Yes, 
 every word," was the prompt reply. "0 well," 
 said the speaker, " then I will dismiss my fears 
 
 and go on," and he did so mightily, That 
 10 
 
146 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 little episode helped him. It relaxed the 
 rigidity of the moment, and created a little 
 sympathy between speaker and hearers that 
 was exceedingly useful to both. 
 
 Some preachers seem to think it very digni- 
 fied to commence in a low and dull manner, and 
 thus fail to command attention. Others rush 
 in vociferously, and are at full speed in a min- 
 ute. Both styles are unnatural. Mark the 
 starting of a steamboat, or engine. There is 
 real dignity combined with efficiency, that in- 
 terests everybody, however familiar with the 
 movement. 
 
 Many think they must close on the highest 
 possible n^te. This may, or may not be ap- 
 propriate. A whisper, or a breath, is often 
 more powerful than thunder. The better way 
 is to let the subject, the occasion, and your 
 own feelings decide what is best- 
 Not a few speak too low generally, seeming 
 to forget that it is important that the people 
 should hear what they say. This is particularly 
 the case at funerals. They not only begin low, 
 but go through in a suppressed tone, as though 
 they were in the presence of the sick and dying. 
 We have just witnessed a performance of tb* 
 
As to Voice and Action. 147 
 
 kind, where several preachers of splendid voices 
 participated, and delivered grand addresses, we 
 have no doubt, but were not distinctly heard 
 by one-third of the congregation. Others speak 
 and pray in the sick room, in tones better 
 adapted to a camp-meeting. This is simply 
 ridiculous. Why do we not adapt our voices 
 to the occasion and place ? 
 
 Some indulge in sing-song, or whining tones, 
 imagining them to be more pious and impres- 
 sive than manly, common sense speech ; but 
 this is an error. Preachers should have no set 
 tones, good or bad, but speak as the sense and 
 circumstances require. Many, unfortunately, 
 take just the opposite course. The moment 
 they enter the pulpit, they drop their person- 
 ality, and assume the perfunctory style of a by- 
 gone officialism, or some other, which is pos- 
 sibly worse. 
 
 OF GESTICULATION. 
 
 Action, or gesticulation, has been called the 
 speech of the body, and embraces the action of 
 the head, feet, hands and countenance, as well as 
 that of the body itself. It is a powerful instru- 
 ment, and may be employed in a manner to ex- 
 
148 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 plain and enforce language, or to pervert and 
 detract from its legitimate influence. It is 
 claimed by some to be more expressive than 
 language itself, and is so in many cases. For 
 instance, an earnest shake of the head is often 
 more emphatic than the word no, which it is 
 used to express. So, laying a finger across 
 the lips, as is done by our Indians, enjoins 
 silence more forcibly than the word itself. In- 
 deed, the power of gesticulation can hardly be 
 overstated. 
 
 Yet, as a matter of fact, many preachers give 
 it but little attention. They seem to think if 
 they can master theology, and suitable language 
 to express it, they will be all right, and can 
 preach effectively. A few, however, go to the 
 other extreme, and fill themselves with artificial 
 rules, which give them an air of formality and 
 unnaturalness in the pulpit, much to their dis- 
 advantage. There is still another class, who 
 regard proper gesticulation of considerable im- 
 portance, but thinking it beyond their reach, 
 make little effort to attain it. 
 
 In this condition of affairs, our chances to 
 assist you are not very encouraging, especially 
 as professors of elocution seem to think that 
 
As to Voice and Action. 149 
 
 the living teacher is indispensable. Words and 
 diagrams representing the graceful attitudes 
 to be taken, are not sufficient. To make 
 thorough work of instruction, they must have 
 their pupils before them, and actually put them 
 through the curriculum of their art. Still we 
 will venture a few suggestions : 
 
 1. WITH REGARD TO POSTURE. 
 
 Some regard leaning upon the pulpit as a 
 great fault, and we have no doubt it is so, if 
 done as a regular habit. Yet occasions will 
 occur in preaching when, for a moment, it is 
 right, and indeed the most appropriate attitude, 
 especially when referring to those who sit near, 
 or around it. Many young preachers contract 
 the habit from sheer timidity, and a sense of 
 weakness. They feel the need of something to 
 steady or support them, until they get into 
 their subject. 
 
 These same teachers object to walking about 
 the platform, and advise an erect posture be- 
 hind the pulpit, with " the hands hanging by 
 the side, with the palm towards the body." 
 But this looks to us decidedly sophomorean and 
 stiff. It is unnatural. The erect posture is 
 
150 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 right, generally, but may need to be changed. 
 Moving about, not in a fidgety and meaningless 
 way, "like a tiger in his cage/' but in a delib- 
 erate and sensible manner, when addressing dif- 
 ferent parts of the audience, is expressive of both 
 earnestness and ease. As to the hands, it would 
 seem more graceful to place one on the Bible, 
 or desk, rather than to let both hang by the 
 side. 
 
 Placing both hands squarely on the hips, 
 folding them over the abdomen or behind the 
 back, under the coat-skirt ; crossing the legs, 
 before or behind, vibrating from side to side 
 like a cat about to spring upon its prey, holding 
 the hands in the breeches pockets, adjusting the 
 hair and beard, blowing the nose, flourishing a 
 pocket-handkerchief at the close of each divis- 
 ion, and clearing the throat with unnecessary 
 tumult, are offensive habits which should never 
 be practised. Some of them may do for lawyers 
 in court, but not for the pulpit. Young minis- 
 ters had better shave close, sew up their pockets, 
 and leave their cambrics at home, rather than 
 offend the taste of their hearers in this way. 
 Not a few seriously injure their influence by 
 these and other violations of good manners. 
 
As to Voice and Action. 151 
 
 Bat we see no objection to a minister tempo- 
 rarily putting his hands behind him in the 
 ordinary way, especially the left hand, while he 
 is gesticulating with the other. This is a 
 graceful attitude, and may be occasionally 
 assumed for the sake of variety without particu- 
 lar regard to the subject under consideration. 
 In a word, the posture of a preacher, whether 
 standing, sitting or kneeling, should be natural 
 and easy. This is about all that need be said 
 on the subject. 
 
 2. IN REGARD TO GESTURE. 
 
 Treating it with special reference to the use 
 of the limbs, the first thing is to avoid all vul- 
 gar, awkward and extravagant movements, such 
 as banging the Bible, stamping and pompously 
 parading about the pulpit. 
 
 Avoiding these errors, a minister will be 
 decent, at least. But there are other awkward- 
 nesses that should not be overlooked, such as 
 working the hands up and down edgewise like 
 a board saw, or horizontally at right angles, 
 when the subject requires nothing of the kind. 
 It is one of the most amazing facts that men 
 of sense and learning do fall into so many 
 
152 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 antics in public speaking. We have lately 
 listened to a polished brother, who stood bend- 
 ing his noble form forward like a man with a 
 curved back-bone, and brandished his left hand, 
 half the time clenched, as if he were having a 
 " set to " with some impious intruder, while his 
 right hand, the proper one for ordinary gesticu- 
 lation, hung dangling about as though he did 
 not know what do with it. The subject and 
 the occasion, and, we may add, the feelings of 
 the speaker, called for persuasion and tender 
 appeal. 
 
 A little later we heard another brother of 
 excellent voice, and generally pleasing manners, 
 who had the unusual habit of laying his broad 
 left hand upon the side of his face, as if he was 
 suffering from a severe toothache, though he 
 had nothing of the kind. But, for the sake of 
 variety, we suppose, he would occasionally 
 change it to the top of his head. This was no 
 sin, but it marred his excellent address. 
 
 The proper course is to follow the subject, 
 and gesticulate as the aspects and objects of it 
 suggest, as children do, and as you would do, 
 were you earnestly engaged in private conversa- 
 tion. It is impossible to show in advance just 
 
As to Voice and Action. 153 
 
 how you should manage your hands or feet. 
 That must be determined by the impression you 
 desire to make. And you need to acquire the 
 habit out of the pulpit, as you do that of 
 speaking grammatically, that you may have no 
 occasion to think of it while preaching. 
 
 3. WITH REGARD TO THE COUNTENANCE 
 
 which is the index of the mind and heart, it 
 would seem that little need be said. Yet under 
 the constraints of the pulpit, it is often more 
 perverted than any other part of the body. 
 For instance some ministers speak of heaven 
 with the solemnity of death, and of hell with a 
 smile. We have just heard one declare himself 
 perfectly happy in God, and knowing the man, 
 we believed him, yet if he had been at the 
 funeral of his wife, he could not have appeared 
 more sad. But on leaving the pulpit he lighted 
 up, and assumed a facial aspect becoming the 
 condition he described. Another good man of 
 a different mould, smiles through a sermon of 
 alarming truth, unconsciously pulling his little 
 moustache, first one side and then the other, as 
 though it were the object of his special care. 
 Both of these men wore "a speaking counte- 
 
154 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 nance/' but in glaring contradiction of their 
 utterances, though men of rare opportunities 
 and qualifications. 
 
 On the other hand, we find preachers of 
 wonderful facial power, who confirm the repre- 
 sentation of Quintilian, who says : " With this 
 (the countenance), we supplicate, threaten, 
 soothe, mourn, rejoice, triumph ; upon this 
 the audience hang, keep their eyes fixed ; it ex- 
 cites in them favorable or unfavorable emotions ; 
 from it they understand almost everything ; 
 often it becomes more significant than words ! " 
 
 " It is one of the chief secrets of success," 
 says Walker, in his Elocution ; "feeling can- 
 not be expressed by words alone, or even by 
 the tones of the voice. It finds its best, and 
 ofttimes, its only expression in the flash of pas- 
 sion on the cheek, in the speaking eye, the con- 
 tracted brow, the compressed lips, the heaving 
 breast, the trembling frame, in the rigid muscle, 
 and the general bearing of the whole body."" 
 
 Whitefield swayed his hearers with his face, 
 more than with his words. It is said to have 
 been "like a canvas, upon which he painted 
 every passion that stirs the human breast. It 
 was at one moment terrific, as if all the furies 
 
As to Voice and Action. 155 
 
 frere enthroned on that dark brow ; and next, 
 as by a dissolving view, there would came forth 
 an angelic sweetness that savored of heaven." 
 And then, we add, a flood of tears. " Through 
 the eye the soul makes its most clear manifesta- 
 tions of itself. Joy and grief, anger, pride, 
 scorn, hatred, love, jealousy, pity ; in a word, 
 all the passions and emotions of the human 
 heart, in all their degrees and outer workings 
 with each other, express themselves with the 
 utmost fulness and power in the eyes." 
 
 A preacher who will use his eyes to the best 
 advantage, must not allow them to become fixed 
 upon his manuscript, or anything else ; wander 
 carelessly about the walls of the room, or as- 
 sume a vacant stare. He must look at the 
 people individually, and make them feel that 
 he means them, and is trying to do them good. 
 
 For the benefit of readers who are not 
 favored with many books on the subject, we 
 indicate the generally accepted significance of a 
 few gestures in common use, as follows : 
 
 OF THE HEAD. 
 
 The hanging down of the head denotes shame 
 or grief ; the holding of it up, pride or courage. 
 
156 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 To nod forward implies assent ; to toss the 
 head back, dissent. 
 
 The inclination of the head, implies diffi- 
 dence or languor. 
 
 The head is averted, or turned away, in dis- 
 like or horror. 
 
 It leans forward in attention. 
 
 OF THE EYES. 
 
 The eyes are raised in prayer. 
 
 They weep in sorrow. 
 
 They burn in anger. 
 
 They are downcast or averted in shame or 
 grief. 
 
 They are cast on vacancy in thought. 
 
 They are cast in various directions in doubt 
 and anxiety. 
 
 OF THE ARMS. 
 
 The placing the hand on the head, indicates 
 
 pain or distress. 
 
 On the eyes, shame or sorrow. 
 
 On the lips, an injunction of silence. 
 
 On the breast, an appeal to conscience. 
 
 The hand is waved or flourished in joy 03 
 contempt. 
 
 Both hands are extended in blessing. 
 
As to Voice and Action. 157 
 
 They are clasped or wrung ia< affliction. 
 They are held forward and open in friend- 
 ship. 
 
 OF THE BODY. 
 
 The body, held erect, indicates steadiness and 
 courage. 
 
 Thrown back, pride. 
 
 Stooping forward, weakness, condescension or 
 compassion. 
 
 Bending, reverence or respect. 
 
 Prostrate, the utmost humility or abase- 
 ment. 
 
 OF THE LOWER LIMBS. 
 
 The firm position of the lower limbs, signifies 
 courage or obstinacy. 
 
 Bended knees, indicate humility, timidity or 
 weakness. 
 
 The lower limbs advance in desire or courage. 
 
 They retire, in aversion or fear. 
 
 Start, in terror. 
 
 Stamp, in anger and authority. 
 
 Kneel, in submission and prayer. 
 
 (HamelVs Science of Elocution.) 
 
 Some speakers act too much, and without 
 proper discrimination. They gesticulate their 
 
158 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 Scripture lessons, hymns, notices and prayers, 
 very nearly in the same stereotyped manner. 
 Others gesticulate too little. To attain the 
 happy medium, it is necessary to read, think, 
 and observe effective preachers, invite criticism, 
 speak honestly, earnestly, and from the heart. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 
 
 The advice of David Garrick, the famous 
 actor, given in the following letter to a young 
 preacher, is worthy of consideration : 
 
 " My Dear Pupil : 
 
 "You know how you would feel and speak 
 in the parlor to a dear friend, who was in immi- 
 nent danger of his life, and with what energetic 
 pathos of diction and countenance you would 
 enforce the observance of what you really 
 thought would be for his preservation. You 
 would not think of playing the orator, of study- 
 ing your emphasis, cadence or gesture. You 
 would be yourself ; and the interesting nature 
 of your subject, impressing your heart, would 
 furnish you with the most natural tone of voice, 
 the most proper language, the most engaging 
 features, and the most suitable and graceful 
 
As to Voice and Action. 159 
 
 gestures. What you would be in the parlor, be 
 
 in the pulpit ; and you will not fail to please, 
 
 to affect, to profit. 
 
 " Adieu, ." 
 
 " Yes," says Dr. Joseph Parker, of London, 
 " that is rhetoric. Be earnest and you will be 
 eloquent ; let your soul speak, and your words 
 will be wise and good. When I venture to put 
 you on your guard against professional rhetori- 
 cians, you must not understand that I am 
 cautioning you against friendly and sensible 
 criticism. We cannot see ourselves as others 
 see us ; hence many an ungainly action or offen- 
 sive habit may be modified, if not quite re- 
 moved, through the good offices of judicious 
 
 critics Invite the knife, if you would 
 
 be strong and useful ; fret at criticism, if you 
 wish to lose a lifetime, rather than endure 
 temporary mortification. What I do warn you 
 against, is the ivickedness of taking any studied 
 gestures into the pulpit. I denounce this as 
 iniquity in the sight of Grod, as the consumma- 
 tion of heartlessness, as a hypocrisy, as trans- 
 parent as it is audacious. Abandon all selfish 
 notions of popularity, when you stand before 
 men as the messenger of God ; and that you 
 
160 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 may be enabled to do this, watch and pray, 
 and fast, if need be, and God will accept your 
 sacrifice. . . . Know you not that you preach 
 in God's hearing as well as man's ? Will you 
 cheat your hearers with an attitude, when you 
 should give them a Gospel ? Will you per- 
 plex them with a riddle, when you should call 
 them to salvation. . . . May God in His mercy 
 strike us dumb rather than allow us to preach 
 ourselves." (Ad Clerum, pp. 31, 32.) 
 
 The same author's remarks in favor of natu- 
 ralness in delivery, are equally pertinent. He 
 says : 
 
 "Be natural, be as unlike a book as possible^ 
 are the two heads which are now to be dis- 
 cussed. To be natural is to be yourself in look> 
 in speech, in action ; provided always that you 
 have a self upon which nature has stamped her 
 own simple and graceful impress. If the ex- 
 pression may be allowed, some preachers seem 
 to have a very unnatural nature ; in their case 
 a good deal of grinding and polishing may have 
 to be done before they can be safely trusted 
 with the advice to be themselves. An illustra- 
 tive case occurs to me this moment. 
 
 "A ministerial acquaintance of mine (Mr 
 
As to Voice and Action. 161 
 
 Dexter) is entirely innocent of imitating any 
 one, yet a more unnatural speaker never ad- 
 dressed an audience — never ; ... for fluency, 
 pomposity, and inflation he stands alone. He 
 can talk by the hour in a most deafening and 
 
 terrifying manner No mill-wheel was 
 
 ever so monotonously energetic ; no barrel was 
 ever so incapable of being worn out ; no furnace- 
 fire ever tore up the chimney at so desperate a 
 rate. . . . With a lofty impartiality, he creates 
 an equal volume of smoke around every theme 
 which he attempts to expound, and in doing 
 so, assumes the air of a righteous man. My 
 unnatural acquaintance is quite as eloquent in 
 giving his opinion, whether a ministerial dinner 
 should cost one and sixpence or one and nine- 
 pence, as when describing the creation of man, 
 or the battle of Armageddon. Can anything 
 be finer in the way of even-handed justice ? 
 Does an express train care a pin whether it is 
 carrying one passenger or ten, except that it 
 may go faster when it has least to do ? Cer- 
 tainly not ; and my acquaintance is exactly an 
 express train without passengers, but not with- 
 out a furious driver. I have heard him give a 
 
 public announcement of a tea-meeting, tickets, 
 11 
 
162 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 ninepence each, in a manner quite as solemn 
 and urgent as if in one hurried breath he had 
 been announcing that there was a flood in 
 England, a fire in Scotland, and an earthquake 
 
 half over the continent of Europe He 
 
 cannot be easy ; he cannot lower his pompous 
 tone to an ordinary key ; if he were to ask a 
 chambermaid for a caudle, he would leave upon 
 her mind the impression that the morning 
 would rise upon the smoking ruins of the house. 
 .... In private life his grandiloquence is over- 
 powering, so much so, that when I see him in 
 the distance, I avail myself of the next turning 
 to the left, wherever it may lead to. . . . He 
 knows nothing of the charm of variety, nothing 
 of the distribution of light and shade, nothing 
 of the graceful undulation which at once re- 
 lieves and delights the mind. Let this man 
 then be a caution to you ; in that way he may 
 even yet be turned to a good purpose." (Ibid., 
 pp. 22-24). 
 
 Uanaturalness often comes of an attempt to 
 imitate some distinguished preacher. Dr. Par- 
 ker had a friend, a Mr. Thomas, who fell into 
 this error. Taking Mr. Binney for his model, 
 " he used eye-glasses set in gold to give him 
 
As to Voice and Action. 163 
 
 a knowing look, polished them just before an- 
 nouncing his text, and performed several other 
 little mannerisms that were well enough for 
 Mr. Binney, but awkward in him, upon which 
 the doctor facetiously remarks : 
 
 " Dogs paint themselves tawny, and then 
 set up for lions ; dwarfs buy high-heeled boots, 
 and give themselves out as giants. . . . You 
 have heard of maiden ladies who have lived by 
 themselves in lonely houses, setting a number 
 of men's hats upon the hall tables at nights, so 
 as to give any intruder the notion that the 
 house was full of burly defenders ; even so do 
 the Thomases of the pulpit ; they borrow all 
 of Mr. Binney's old hats, and then boldly 
 challenge the world to touch their ministerial 
 reputation." 
 
 Many of the faults of delivery spring from 
 ambition to be eloquent, — orators. Misappre- 
 hending the real nature and source of eloquence, 
 some men load themselves down with the 
 armor of art, and go into the pulpit tram- 
 melled from head to foot. Such preachers will 
 do well to read the mature opinions of the 
 great Daniel Webster on the subject. Among 
 other things he says : 
 
164 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 " True eloquence, indeed, does not consist in 
 speech. It cannot be brought from far. Labor 
 and learning may toil for it, but they will toil 
 in vain. Words and phrases may be marshalled 
 in every way, but they cannot compass it. It 
 must exist in the man, in the subject, and in 
 the occasion. Affected passion, intense expres- 
 sion, the pomp of declamation, all may aspire 
 to it ; they cannot reach it. It comes, if it 
 come at all, like the outbreaking of a fountain 
 from the earth, or the bursting forth of volcanic 
 fires, with spontaneous, original, native force. 
 The graces taught in the schools, the costly 
 ornaments and studied contrivances of speech, 
 shock and disgust men when their own lives, 
 and the fate of their wives, their children and 
 their country hang on the decision of an hour. 
 Then words have lost their power, rhetoric is 
 vain, and all elaborate oratory contemptible. 
 Even genius itself then feels rebuked and sub- 
 dued, as in the presence of higher qualities. 
 Then patriotism is eloquent ; then self-devotion 
 is eloquent. The clear conception, outrunning 
 the deductions of logic ; the high purpose, the 
 firm resolve, the dauntless spirit, speaking on 
 the tongue, beaming from the eye, informing 
 
As to Voice and Action. 165 
 
 every feature, and urging the whole man on- 
 ward, right onward to his object ; this, this is 
 eloquence ; it is action, noble, sublime, god- 
 like action." 
 
 When a preacher forgets self, and is filled 
 with desire to do good, that is, filled with the 
 Spirit, he will be natural, eloquent, and im- 
 pressive. 
 
 But it is easier to tell how preaching ought 
 to be done, than to do it. The atmosphere is 
 not always favorable to the best performance. 
 This is often chargeable to architects and 
 trustees, who fail to provide for good ventila- 
 tion. " Cold churches too, sometimes paralyze 
 both preacher " and his hearers, so that it is im- 
 possible to " attend upon the Lord without dis- 
 traction." Some nervous preachers are badly 
 disconcerted by the coming in of tardy hearers 
 during the service ; but more by others leaving. 
 This is a distressing trial to most preachers who 
 are not nervous. Modest men naturally think 
 that they leave because they dislike the preacher, 
 and the thought crushes them, unless they have 
 pluck enough to neutralize the imposition in 
 some shrewd way. We never blamed an old 
 brother, who was equal to any emergency, who 
 
166 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 remarked, on seeing a number of flirts leave 
 the church while he was preaching, " Don't be 
 disturbed, my friends ; these ladies are probably 
 servant girls, who are obliged to go home to 
 look after the children." It is hardly necessary 
 to say, that no other lady left till the benedic- 
 tion was pronounced. 
 
 And what preacher has not been annoyed by 
 seeing some of his saintly hearers asleep, while 
 he was doing his best to make an impression on 
 them ? The most perfect preparation is of 
 little avail to extemporizers, under these circum- 
 stances. Nor is it easy to see exactly how to 
 break the spell, and command attention. It is 
 well if one does not get provoked, and let off 
 an avalanche of fun or sarcasm that is worse 
 than sleep. I have sometimes apologized for 
 my hearers in a good-natured way, and told 
 them not to keep awake on my account, but to 
 be careful not to talk, as some do in their 
 dreams. Listening to a sermon one evening in 
 a school-house, a young man lost himself, and 
 imagining that he was in school, arose and 
 asked with full voice, "Please, sir, may I go 
 out ? " The excitement which it created in the 
 congregation soon waked him up, and he fell 
 
As to Voice and Action. 167 
 
 back in his seat not a little mortified. I have 
 never heard of his sleeping in meeting since. 
 
 But this is nothing new in clerical experience. 
 It has been the occasion of many shrewd ex- 
 pedients which we can hardly approve. There 
 is one, however, too good to be omitted. It 
 shows a delicacy, and an address in dealing with 
 this somewhat difficult question, which may be 
 turned to good account. Rev. James Bonnar, 
 a man of eminence and marked eccentricities, 
 was one day preaching at Kettle. " It was a 
 very warm day ; the church closely packed ; 
 the occasion, the Monday following the com- 
 munion. He observed with some annoyance, 
 many of the congregation nodding and sleeping 
 in their pews whilst he was preaching ; he took 
 his measures accordingly, and introduced the 
 word ' hyperbolical ' into his sermon ; when he 
 paused, and said, 'Now, my friends, some of 
 you may not understand this word " hyperbol- 
 ical. 5 I'll explain it. Suppose I were to say 
 that this congregation were all asleep in this 
 church at the present time, I would be speaking 
 hyperbolically ; because (looking round) I don't 
 believe much more than one-half of you are 
 sleeping.' The effect was instantaneous, and 
 
168 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 those who were nodding recovered themselves 
 and nudged their sleeping neighbors, and the 
 preacher went on as if nothing had happened." 
 (Pulpit Table Talk, p. 81.) 
 
 But, my brethren, whatever may betide you, 
 do not be bitter, or sour, and never scold. The 
 best of preachers have trials enough to bear, 
 and those who endure them most heroically and 
 patiently will suffer least from them. You will 
 sometimes feel that you cannot preach at all, 
 but do not be discouraged. The writer felt 
 this early in the second year of his ministry, 
 when a fanatical trustee gave him a terrible 
 " hetcheling " before the whole afternoon con- 
 gregation, because he had had the impertinence 
 to establish a Sunday-school, which said trustee 
 pronounced un-Methodistical. The young 
 preacher felt that he could never enter that pul- 
 pit again. But he did, the evening of that 
 same day, and preached to sinners with all his 
 might, making no allusion to the outburst of 
 the afternoon. And God, who makes the time 
 of our necessity His opportunity, appeared, and 
 a wonderful revival commenced with fifteen at 
 the altar, mostly young men. God will help 
 you, brethren, in every time of need, if you keep 
 
Other Public Services. 169 
 
 sweet and humble. But the moment you lose 
 the Spirit, and become belligerent, your pulpit 
 power will wane. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 SUGGESTIONS WITH REGARD TO OTHER PUBLIC 
 SERVICES. 
 
 The effect of preaching is more or less in- 
 fluenced by its attendant services, for which the 
 preacher is chiefly responsible. He may lessen 
 or increase his chances of success by the manner 
 in which he performs them. The brief con- 
 sideration of a few particulars will be sufficient 
 to indicate our judgment in the matters in- 
 volved, and may be useful to inexperienced 
 readers. To go a step back, we will offer a 
 remark or two : 
 
 1. On the preacher's personal appearance and 
 public manners. Custom requires that the 
 costume of ministers should be neat, and a 
 little different from that of men engaged in 
 secular pursuits. A preacher, therefore, who 
 enters the pulpit dressed like a clown or a 
 
170 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 dandy, creates a prejudice against himself at 
 the outset. To say that the public taste is 
 tvrong, does not relieve the case, for it is not 
 sin, and for him to make an issue with his 
 people on so trifling grounds, and at so great a 
 hazard, is not commendable in a man intrusted 
 with eternal interests. Where one is at liberty 
 to choose for himself, his dress is a fair index to 
 his rank and character. Some err in adopting 
 a rude and untidy habit, but more by following 
 the fashions of the world. The better way is, 
 to dress in a comfortable, clerical style, the least 
 calculated to attract attention, and thus avoid 
 giving offence to any one. While we admire 
 independence, where truth and righteousness 
 are at stake, we think it folly, if not sin, in 
 cases like this, where no moral principle is in- 
 volved. It will be likely to injure the influence 
 of the offender with some of his people. Not 
 a few have ruined themselves by this useless 
 impropriety. Should my readers be tempted to 
 imitate their foolish example, I advise them to 
 read the fourteenth chapter of Komans, and 
 follow its inspired commands. 
 
 2. The manner of entering the church and 
 pulpit may seem of little importance, yet it is 
 
Other Public Services. 171 
 
 entitled to careful attention. It is desirable 
 that the first appearance of a minister should 
 make a favorable impression, but if he comes 
 strolling into the church, glancing about, some 
 observing people will infer that he is not duly 
 impressed with the solemnity of the place. 
 This, however, is not half so bad as for him to 
 go whisking up the aisle like a frivolous dancing 
 girl rushing upon the stage, a disgusting prac- 
 tice of modern origin, suggesting the want of 
 grace, if not of brains. You should be as 
 unaffected and modest here, as in preaching. 
 
 It is little less objectionable to sit down on 
 entering the pulpit, and gaze about with appar- 
 ent self-confidence, that feels no need of help. 
 The most becoming way is to kneel at the foot 
 of the steps, or after entering the pulpit, and 
 spend a minute or two in silent prayer. Your 
 influence on the congregation will depend very 
 much upon the judgment they shall form of 
 your sincerity and relations to God. With re- 
 gard to the services, we may venture to say, 
 
 1. That in announcing your hymns and 
 lessons, you should be deliberate and distinct, 
 glancing at the people to see if you are heard 
 Read thoughtfully, and with emphasis, giving 
 
172 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 an occasional word of explanation or applica- 
 tion, as may be deemed useful. This will show 
 that you regard these services an important 
 part of public worship. Besides, it gives you 
 an opportunity to interject useful thoughts that 
 are not embraced in your sermon, and interest 
 the people in the word of God. To do this 
 properly, you need to select your hymns and 
 lessons before going to the church. 
 
 Preachers do well, also, to join in the sing- 
 ing. It is an example that others will be like- 
 ly to imitate, and it will save you from the 
 objectionable practice of fumbling over books 
 during this part of the service. And it is use- 
 ful occasionally to ask the singers to repeat 
 some particular verse, the sentiment of which 
 you wish to have deeply impressed on the con- 
 gregation. By these means you will give the 
 opening and closing services their proper sig- 
 nificance, which is often overlooked in the 
 hurried and careless manner of their perform- 
 ance. 
 
 2. Prayer is, perhaps, the most neglected of 
 all parts of pulpit duty. A few write and 
 memorize their prayers, as they do their ser- 
 mons. This shows care, but it is unfavorable 
 
Other Public Services. 173 
 
 to devotion. Others extemporize them with- 
 out previous thought. Hence, some excellent 
 preachers appear to great disadvantage in this 
 part of their work. 
 
 The better way, in our opinion, is to think 
 of the matter in advance, inquiring what the 
 people need, and varying our prayers from 
 Sabbath to Sabbath, according to their varying 
 circumstances. This will give variety and 
 adaptation, and keep us out of many errors. 
 For instance : 
 
 1. We shall pray to God and not to the con- 
 gregation. Perfunctory prayers, though inter- 
 spersed with " Lord," and " heavenly 
 Father" are usually addressed to the people. 
 But where the heart is oppressed with the suf- 
 ferings of families and individuals, and the 
 spiritual necessities of others, it is apt to rise 
 to heaven in earnest pleadings for relief. 
 
 2. We shall not pray controversially. Some 
 men have an unfortunate habit of discussing 
 doctrinal questions in prayer, which indicates 
 more dogmatic zeal than piety. 
 
 3. We shall not pray censoriously. We 
 have known ministers to implicate opponents 
 in prayer, as they hardly dared to do in debate. 
 
174 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 It is a cowardly indiscretion, that ought to be 
 avoided. 
 
 4. We shall not indulge in excessive com- 
 pliments. Pastors sometimes flatter their peo- 
 ple more in prayer that in private intercourse. 
 Praying for this very intelligent minister, or 
 liberal layman, is not in good taste in a public 
 assembly. 
 
 5. Having our hearts deeply interested in the 
 attainment of some specific blessing, we shall 
 avoid dry, rambling discourses, which are more 
 of the nature of a lecture than a prayer. The 
 following specimen ought to be sufficient to 
 disgust all true ministers with a style, which 
 we fear some are trying to imitate. It was 
 delivered to a Boston audience : 
 
 a We know that these outward things are 
 but a sparkle of Thy power, a whisper of Thy 
 wisdom, a faint breath of Thy loving kindness. 
 Father, we thank Thee for the world about us, 
 above, and beneath. We bless Thee for the aus- 
 tere loveliness of the winter heavens, for those 
 fixed or wandering fires which lend their splen- 
 dor to the night, for the fringe of beauty, 
 wherewith Thou borderest the morning and the 
 evening sky, and for this daily sun, sending 
 
Other Public Services. 175 
 
 his roseate flush of light across the white and 
 wintry world. . . . We thank Thee for the 
 moon which scarfs with loveliness the retreating 
 shoulders of the night, and for all the wondrous 
 majesty of stars, wherewith Thou hast spangled 
 the raiment of darkness, giving beauty to the 
 world when the sun withdraws his light." 
 
 Instead of praying for everybody and every- 
 thing desirable in stereotyped phrase, it is better 
 co seize upon a few vital points of present press- 
 ing necessity, and urge them with power. This 
 kind of prayer is in striking harmony with the 
 preaching which we recommend. It is spiritual, 
 personal, expectant, thrilling. No one can hear 
 it without feeling that the divine and human 
 are in contact. It is not intended, however, to 
 exclude other subjects of prayer, though the 
 present help of the Spirit should always be 
 made prominent before preaching. 
 
 The importance of this subject fully justifies 
 the insertion of the following from an old 
 divine, whose prayers attracted special atten- 
 tion : 
 
 "My custom for many years/' he says, "has 
 been to ponder on a Sabbath morning such facts 
 as have come to my knowledge during the 
 
176 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 course of the week, e. g., Are any sick ? Is 
 any member suffering from sorrow, relative or 
 personal ? Has any death occurred ? What 
 is there in the Sabbath school demanding 
 special notice ? Are there any inquiring the 
 way of salvation ? By asking these questions" 
 (he said to a young preacher), "you will be in 
 a position, to meet the wants of the people in 
 an acceptable manner. Be assured that if you 
 wish the congregation to follow the line of 
 petition, you must touch every heart, and as 
 far as practicable, allude to every case. ... It 
 is lamentable to observe how much of our 
 petitionary agency is mere vapid formality, per- 
 formed in so perfunctory a manner that the 
 congregation feels quite relieved when the 
 prayer is concluded. It has frequently hap- 
 pened that men have been brought to God in 
 the act of public prayer, their case has been so 
 strikingly marked out, and mercy so fervently 
 implored, that they have been brought to con- 
 sideration and penitence. It must of necessity 
 arouse attention, when a professed worshipper 
 can say, ' that is my case? while the minister 
 is leading the devotion. . . . Observe, we must 
 have prayer, not talk; the difference is essential. 
 
Other Public Services. 177 
 
 True prayer is the language of the heart ; it is 
 simple, earnest, scriptural. To succeed in pub- 
 lic petition, I know of nothing so useful as the 
 previous reading of the devotional portions of 
 the Bible. There is no liturgy equal to many 
 parts of David's psalms ; there you have the 
 man's heart poured out in the fulness of sim- 
 plicity. . . . Never try to be eloquent, flowery, 
 or fine in prayer ; be lowly, reverent, and sim- 
 ple. Avoid all eccentric expressions, all trite, 
 smart sayings. When man communes with 
 God, he should be abased, for only as man sees 
 himself as nothing, and God as everything, will 
 he learn to worship with reverence and godly 
 fear." 
 
 Let the voice be modulated according to cir- 
 cumstances, always loud enough to be distinctly 
 heard, and never so loud as to be offensive to 
 good taste. Many preachers pray in about the 
 same tone, whether in a large church or a small 
 private room. Do not pray so long as to be 
 tedious, or so short as to give the impression 
 that you regard this service of little importance. 
 Mr. Wesley enjoined upon his preachers not to 
 pray more than eight or ten minutes. Some 
 men would restrict you to a few words, perhaps 
 
178 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 to the form known as the Lord's prayer, and 
 object to anything like a plea, showing why we 
 ask for this or that, or why it should be 
 granted, but Scripture examples, especially the 
 prayer of Jesus in the 17th chapter of John, 
 authorizes the largest liberty. Not, that our 
 heavenly Father needs to be informed, but to 
 impress our own hearts with the facts which jus- 
 tify our asking, and the expectation that we shall 
 receive. To present these facts, and the prom- 
 ises which authorize our prayer, is eminently 
 proper. Though they may not affect the divine 
 disposition toward us, they nourish our desire 
 and faith, and thus bring us into a better con- 
 dition to receive the needed blessing. 
 
 The following remarks of Henry Ward 
 Beecher on this subject, are worthy of careful 
 consideration : 
 
 " I think I may say that no part of ministerial 
 preparation is more noble than that of singing 
 and praying. We are indoctrinated very thor- 
 oughly. We are taught in the history of the 
 Church and its order and discipline, but how 
 much instruction do we get on the subject of 
 prayer ? I think the most sacred part of our 
 ministry is praying. I can bear this witness 
 
Other Public Services. 179 
 
 that in the study, in the most absorbing 
 moments on the street, in thoss chance inspira- 
 tions which everybody is subject to, when I am 
 lifted up highest, there is nothing that is to me 
 so touching, so inspiring, as when I stand i£ 
 ordinary good health before my great congrega^ 
 tion to pray for them. At times, when I have 
 risen to pray and have glanced at them, I could 
 not keep back the tears as I realized that there 
 were so many hidden sorrows, temptations, and 
 such histories. Indeed, I hardly feel as if I 
 had anything to ask for myself ; at no time do 
 I get so far into heaven as in these moments. I 
 can see my mother there. I forget the body 
 and live in the spirit, and it seems to me as 
 though it was permitted me to lay my hand on 
 the very Tree of Life and shake down from it 
 both leaves and fruit for the healing of my 
 people. And it is better than a sermon. 
 People have asked me if I ever write my 
 prayers. I could not do it. Prayers must be 
 voluntary, spontaneous, effluent as the atmos- 
 phere itself. If you cannot pray, do not be 
 discouraged. All streams run small at first, 
 grow better, deeper. Take more care of the 
 inward man and then people will begin to say 
 
180 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 of your prayers that they are more nourishing 
 than they used to. be. Then if men trouble and 
 vex you, instead of getting mad you will pray. 
 When troubles come, instead of saying that 
 you have too much trouble, pray. If, when 
 you are spoken about, if you find that tale- 
 bearers in the community are about you, and 
 you are annoyed and vexed, and there is scandal 
 running around ; pray, pray. That is the best 
 way to head off little troubles, and when I hear 
 a parish saying, 'Our minister cannot preach 
 as well as some, but it is balm to hear him 
 pray,' I congratulate them. They are not far 
 from the gate of heaven." (New Haven Lecture.) 
 While speaking of pulpit service, I venture 
 to refer to one or two practices which ought not 
 to be overlooked, though not exactly in place at 
 this point, to-wit : handling the Bible with 
 violence and rudeness. Some pound it and 
 throw it about as though it were anything but 
 the word of God. The effect of this upon the 
 people may be inferred from the remark of a 
 man on hearing a new minister, namely, " I 
 know he is a Christian by the manner in which 
 he handles the Bible." Closing it, too, imme^ 
 diately after reading the text, is another mie 
 
Other Public Services. 18 L 
 
 take. It carries the idea that the text is all 
 you want of it, and having secured that, you 
 dismiss it from the service. It is better to keep 
 it open until near the close of the sermon, even 
 if you do not wish to refer to it. 
 
 OF GIVING NOTICES. 
 
 The manner of giving the notices may seem 
 unworthy of a moment's thought, but it has 
 its influence. They are sometimes given so 
 frivolously, that they detract from the good im- 
 pressions made by the sermon, by showing that 
 the preacher, after all, is not really so serious as 
 he appeared in his closing appeals. Besides, 
 the emphasis given to fairs, festivals and other 
 social gatherings, while religious meetings are 
 barely mentioned, gives the impression to out- 
 siders that the former are of chief interest. 
 All notices had better be disposed of before the 
 sermon, in a gravity of manner becoming the 
 place and the hour, and in much less time than 
 is devoted to them. We have been tortured 
 twice of late by unpardonable prolixity at this 
 point, occupying ten or fifteen minutes each 
 time after the usual hour of closing. " Now, 
 my brethren," said the first speaker, " let me 
 
182 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 have your attention to another notice for one 
 moment/' and in some such way he prefaced 
 each item in the long list. The briefest 
 announcement was enough for all, except one, 
 which was of vital importance to the congrega- 
 tion. 
 
 OF LEAVING THE CHURCH. 
 
 Some preachers pronounce the benediction, 
 and retire into a private room near the pulpit, 
 while others leave with the congregation. The 
 objection to the first method is, that there are 
 generally Christians present who desire a per- 
 sonal word w r ith their pastor. It may be the 
 only opportunity they will have to see him in a 
 month. This manner of dodging them, is 
 liable to be construed into a want of concern 
 for their welfare, and they will go home disap- 
 pointed and grieved. We insist, therefore, that 
 he should give them a chance to shake his 
 hand, and be reassured of his pastoral regard. 
 
 Besides, it often happens that there are un- 
 converted persons lingering about the house, 
 whom he may never see again, to whom a kind 
 word might be particularly useful. We re- 
 member several such occasions in early life, 
 when we absolutely sought this attention from 
 
Other Public Services. 183 
 
 the preachers, but in vain ; and left, feeling 
 that our spiritual welfare did not weigh heavily 
 upon their hearts. It was by this means, too, 
 that we secured our first religious advice. It 
 came, however, not from a preacher, but from a 
 pious woman. I was waiting after the meeting 
 to be spoken to by somebody, and she was 
 looking for some one to serve in this manner, 
 and thus we met, much to my advantage. 
 Where the minister and the church are in a 
 proper spirit, fifteen minutes after the service 
 devoted to religious conversation are invalu- 
 able. 
 
 I have elsewhere hinted at levity in leaving 
 the house of God, in view of its prevalence in 
 some places. Nothing can be more unreason- 
 able or hurtful. It is a sturnblingblock to 
 sinners, that is not properly estimated. It, 
 destroys communion with God, and practically 
 stamps the profession of solicitude for the un- 
 converted with falsehood. Trifling at a funeral 
 in the presence of the dead, is not more unbe- 
 coming or absurd. It reminds one of the 
 worshippers of Aaron's golden calf, who offered 
 burnt offerings and peace offerings, " and rose 
 up to play." (Exod. xxxii. 6.) 
 
184 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 of BAPTISM. 
 
 Some of you will be required to administer 
 the sacrament of baptism, which furnishes an 
 excellent opportunity for making good impres- 
 sions ; but is often solemnized in the most 
 stupid manner. The baptism of a child, for 
 instance, presents a fit occasion for advice with 
 regard to training children for God. Also, for 
 exhortation to unconverted people who were 
 baptized in their infancy, to say nothing of 
 other classes more or less concerned in the 
 transaction. The baptism of adults is sugges- 
 tive of other parties, and arguments in favor 
 of a religious life. It should be made a joyous 
 occasion to the candidates, who thereby renounce 
 the world, the flesh, and the devil, and of incite- 
 ment to others to repent and be born again. 
 
 Methodists wisely practice three modes, 
 namely, sprinkling, pouring, and immersion, as 
 candidates may prefer, believing that the valid- 
 ity of the ordinance does not depend on the 
 amount of water used, but on the religious ap- 
 plication of it, in the name of the " Father, 
 Son, and Holy Ghost." In this sentiment we 
 are in harmony with the great body of Christian 
 
Other Public Services. 185 
 
 Church, excepting Baptists, who baptize by 
 immersion only, and make many converts to 
 their views by baptismal gatherings, speeches, 
 songs, and religious hand-shakings. Their 
 baptisms are great occasions, and command 
 crowds of people, where their other services 
 often pass without exciting much attention ; 
 while Pedobaptists make little account of the 
 ordinance, either spiritually or doctrinally. 
 They administer it in the most quiet and hur- 
 ried manner, without properly emphasizing its 
 significance, and spend more time in proving 
 the validity of sprinkling, than we think ad- 
 visable, though toe desire no other mode. Being 
 a means of grace, it should be administered in 
 expectation of an immediate blessing on the 
 candidates and people. 
 
 The writer's practice, as pastor, has been to 
 immerse all who prefer it, without making the 
 least effort to persuade them to accept a more 
 convenient form. At one time, being obstructed 
 by ice in the harbor, he induced his officials to 
 construct a baptistry, and immersed forty per- 
 sons in it the first time it was used. This 
 saved him much debate, and the converts the 
 pain of leaving the church which brought them 
 
18fr Hints to Ministers. 
 
 to Christ, and going to the Baptists, for whom 
 they had no sympathy, except in the matter of 
 baptism, to be worried with Calvinism, and 
 close communion through life. 
 
 Now, as we believe in the validity of immer- 
 sion, it is reasonable that we should cheerfully 
 baptize by this method, whenever it becomes 
 necessary to the " answer of a good conscience" 
 in the candidates. And as such occasions fur- 
 nish an admirable opportunity for justifying 
 our denominational sentiments and practice on 
 the subject, we should improve it to secure the 
 fruit of our labors. This is as much for their 
 good as our own ; and had this policy been 
 heartily maintained by all our preachers, it 
 would probably have saved to our church, tens 
 of thousands of converts, who left us, purely for 
 the sake of being immersed. 
 
 OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. 
 
 The benefits of this ordinance depend very 
 much on the manner of its administration. 
 Though commemorative of the death of Christ, 
 it is not & funeral service, to be administered in 
 sorrow and sadness, <( Draw near with faith, 
 
Other Public Services. 187 
 
 and take this holy sacrament to your comfort?' 
 says our Kitual. It is a thanksgiving. We 
 are to feed on Christ, in our hearts by faith 
 with "thanksgiving" and drink in remem- 
 brance of His blood, which was shed for us, 
 " and be thankful? while we join with " angels 
 and archangels, and with all the company of 
 heaven," to laud and magnify the glorious 
 name of God, " saying holy, holy, holy Lord 
 God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of Thy 
 glory." And all this is to be done with true 
 repentance for our sins, with " love and charity" 
 to our neighbors, and a new life, manifested by 
 " following the commandments of God." 
 
 This service, therefore, brings to view, not 
 only the death of Christ, but all its present and 
 eternal benefits, and furnishes a fit occasion for 
 the most profitable meditation, instruction and 
 encouragement. It opens the whole field of 
 human redemption, duty and destiny, and 
 ought to produce a powerful impression on 
 every heart. In some churches it is the great 
 occasion of the month, and occupies a whole 
 afternoon or evening, and closes with an effort 
 for new acquisitions to the church. But to give 
 it this character, some previous mental and 
 
188 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 spiritual preparation is necessary, as in preach- 
 ing and other public services. 
 
 As often administered, however, it amounts 
 to nothing more than a sort of dry funereal cer- 
 emony, observed more as a matter of duty than 
 pleasure. And to show how little importance 
 is attached to it, it is appended to another ser- 
 vice, and hurried through, to give place to some- 
 thing else. If the benefit to be derived were in 
 the consecrated bread and wine, as claimed by 
 Komanists, that might do ; but with us, these 
 elements are only reminders of the atonement, 
 which we are to apprehend by faith, placing 
 ourselves in the necessary attitude to render it 
 available to our salvation. The service should 
 be conducted with solemnity and delicacy, but 
 with intense earnestness, clearly showing the 
 presence of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 OF RECEIVING MEMBERS. 
 
 The reception of members into the church is 
 an event of vast moment, and should be con- 
 summated publicly, and with becoming cere- 
 mony. To say that " brother A. B., from 
 
 church, has joined us by letter," or to read his 
 letter, is not enough. It is too cold and infor- 
 
Other Public Services. 189 
 
 mal to be impressive. So is it to say, " C. D. 
 has stood out her probation,' 7 and give her the 
 right hand of fellowship while reading the 
 ritual. In any civil society, candidates would 
 hardly feel themselves welcome, if received in 
 so unceremonious a manner. It is not right. 
 If the salvation of souls or joining the church, 
 is one-tenth part as important as we represent 
 it, the public renunciation of the world and affili- 
 ation with the people of God is entitled to a 
 stronger manifestation of interest than this. 
 Besides, the opportunity of impressing the 
 candidates with their duties and privileges, is 
 too precious to be allowed to pass with so slight 
 attention. It indicates little of the " joy in the 
 presence of the angels of God over one sinner 
 that repenteth," or of the spirit of the hymn, 
 now so popular, called, " The ninety and 
 nine." 
 
 I do not complain of our formula for receiving 
 members, but I must say that it is not warm 
 enough, nor deep enough, nor broad enough to 
 meet my notions of the spirit and manner of 
 the work. Pastors should stretch out beyond 
 it, and give utterance to more burning words of 
 love and encouragement, suggested by the oc- 
 
190 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 casion, and their own joy in God. We once 
 gave the right hand of fellowship to one hun- 
 dred and thirty-three candidates in a crowded 
 assembly, long before our Discipline made any 
 provision for it, simply from our conviction of 
 its appropriateness, and adaptation to make a 
 deep religious impression. They had all been 
 received publicly on trial six months before, 
 and instructed as to their duties and privileges. 
 Were we now to repeat the interesting service, 
 we should invite all our officials, trustees, 
 stewards, leaders, local preachers, exhorters and 
 others, who might desire to do so, to follow us, 
 and welcome the new comers, whether from 
 probation or from other churches, with the 
 same cordial shake of the hand. We suggested 
 this measure recently on the reception of a 
 smaller number, when not only the officials, but 
 many private members, male and female, carried 
 it into effect with admirable results. With 
 such a greeting, the most timid and jealous 
 stranger can hardly fail to feel at home with his 
 new associates. It helps the officials and church 
 also, by awakening in them stronger fraternal 
 impulses, and shaking off the icy formality, 
 too common even among Methodists. 
 
Other Public Services. 191 
 
 There is another suggestion in this connec- 
 tion worthy of consideration. Our ritual, which 
 we follow more or less closely, in receiving 
 members, as well as in the baptismal and mar- 
 riage services, provides for asking candidates 
 several questions. It also furnishes the answers 
 which they are desired to give, and which they 
 ought to give, if at all, without being prompted. 
 For instance, 
 
 "Have you saving faith in the Lord Jesus 
 Christ?" 
 
 Answer. " I trust I have." 
 
 To reply in these exact words, they should 
 commit them to memory in advance, or have 
 the book before them. Instead of this, some 
 pastors read the question, and then say, " the 
 answer is," etc., when the candidate repeats it 
 from their lips. To our apprehension, this is 
 extremely childish and awkward, and should 
 never be done. If it be too much trouble to 
 use the ritual as was intended, let the candidate 
 give a nod of assent, or answer yes or no, with 
 such qualifications as he may prefer. Others 
 may not look at the matter in this light, but we 
 confess to having felt profound mortification in 
 
192 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 witnessing this puerile innovation upon our 
 system. 
 
 OF SABBATH SCHOOL SERVICES. 
 
 It is hardly necessary to descant upon minis- 
 terial activity in this connection. The Sabbath 
 school of Robert Raikes was simply educational, 
 and taught reading, writing, etc., by hired teach- 
 ers. That of John Wesley, taught religion as 
 well, by pastors and gratuitous teachers. This, 
 with his successors, is still the ostensible object 
 of such schools, though we fear it is often lost 
 sight of, in the interest of geography^ biblical 
 literature, singing, amusement, etc. If we will 
 save the children, we must hold them to the 
 subject. Everything should converge to this 
 point, and be made as effective for immediate 
 results as possible. Pastors should prepare 
 themselves for this work as well as for preach- 
 ing, and seek to move all hearts towards Grod. 
 
 We have referred to this point, because we 
 fear some schools are operating against their 
 proper objects. Children, if not teachers, are 
 being trained in a way to alienate them from 
 the Church. The Church is treated as a minor, 
 and not unfrequently as a hostile concern, and 
 
Other Public Services. 193 
 
 is more in danger from this quarter than from 
 any other. We allude to schools which pay 
 little regard to the regular preaching services. 
 Noticing lately the almost entire absence of 
 children in a certain church, we asked, " Where 
 are your children P" u 0," replied an official, 
 a they go to the Sabbath school." In two 
 other places, we learned that it was the practice 
 of the teachers, many of them, to spend the 
 hour for preaching in a side room, under pre- 
 tence of consultation. 
 
 This policy will sooner or later ruin any 
 church. Preachers should require children and 
 teachers of their congregations to attend upon 
 the ministry of the word, though they may be 
 obliged to leave the school altogether. To 
 make this pleasant for them, they should 
 endeavor to preach in a manner to interest and 
 
 profit them. 
 13 
 
194 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 HOW TO CONDUCT PRAYER MEETINGS,, 
 
 While we find much valuable advice in our 
 books relating to ministerial qualifications, 
 preaching and pastoral duties, there seems to 
 be a dearth of instruction as to the conduct of 
 social meetings. This is, perhaps, a sufficient 
 reason for the consideration of the subject at 
 the present time. If another is necessary, it 
 may be found in the fact that many pastors are 
 strangely inefficient in this department of pub- 
 lic duty. With good intentions, but erroneous 
 judgment, they take a course directly calcu- 
 lated to defeat their object, and find it difficult 
 to create proper interest in these useful means 
 of church growth. In seeking to aid brethren 
 in this difficult work, I invite attention, 
 
 I. TO SOME ERRORS TO BE AVOIDED. 
 
 One is frequently committed in not opening 
 the service at the appointed time. Pastors can 
 very easily establish their people in the miser- 
 able habit of tardiness by this means. On the 
 
How fo Conduct Prayer Meetings. 195 
 
 other hand, when it comes to be known that 
 they go by the clock, many will make it a point 
 to be prompt. Not all, for some were born out 
 of due time, perhaps, and are constitutionally 
 behind in nearly everything. 
 
 2. This error leads to irregularity in the 
 dosing, which operates to keep some people 
 away, who, for reasons known to themselves, 
 desire to be at home soon after nine o'clock. 
 If they knew that the meeting would close at 
 the time proposed, they would be present. 
 
 3. Many preachers occupy too much time. 
 One brother of our acquaintance, and he is not 
 an exceptional case, begins by reading a long 
 hymn. Then he prays long, and reads another 
 hymn, and a Scripture lesson or two, accom- 
 panied by remarks, using up most of the time, 
 when he sits down, exhorting all the people to 
 speak or pray, but to be " very short." Of course 
 they have little to say, so, he talks again, and 
 chides them for not being more active, and the 
 absent members for not coming to the prayer 
 meetings. 
 
 Others omit the lessons, but occupy nearly 
 as much time in remarks, speaking often more 
 than twice in the course of the evening. , 
 
196 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 We witnessed an extreme case of this sort 
 sometime since, which we cannot easily forget. 
 A zealous preacher led a prayer meeting, so 
 called, and occupied nearly all the time himself, 
 though there were many present who desired to 
 participate. But what made his conduct 
 especially provoking was, that he constantly 
 exhorted the brethren to " take a part," with- 
 out giving them the least opportunity. Though 
 an interesting preacher, he killed the meeting 
 and did not know it. 
 
 4. Some who are not chargeable with this error, 
 manage too much. Opening in the usual way, 
 they call upon one brother to pray, and then 
 upon another, and so on, selecting their assist- 
 ants to the end, by which means they tacitly 
 invite others to keep still, though they profess 
 to desire a " free meeting." 
 
 Few are so blind as not to see that this 
 policy is proscriptive. Electing certain ones to 
 perform the service, reprobates the rest, and no 
 modest man, unless moved by the Holy Spirit, 
 or some other influence less reliable, would 
 venture to participate uninvited. We disap- 
 prove, therefore, of calling out individuals in 
 this way, except in the case of visitors, who 
 
How to Conduct Prayer Meetings. 197 
 
 would not feel free to speak on a general in- 
 vitation. 
 
 5. Another class of preachers make their 
 meetings free ar,d less formal, but limit the 
 exercises to singing and prayer. They pray and 
 sing, sing and pray, without having, or at least 
 indicating, any particular object. To some 
 minds, and under some circumstances, such ser- 
 vices may be interesting and profitable. But 
 more thoughtful Christians dislike so much 
 praying to no definite point. It looks to them 
 like " vain repetition," or expecting to " be 
 heard for much speaking." They love to pray 
 when they feel or see a need that comes within 
 the range of the promises, but do not like 
 praying merely for the sake of praying. Meet- 
 ings uniformly conducted in this way will 
 necessarily become monotonous, even to those 
 who sometimes like them. Besides, they fail 
 to meet all existing wants. Those, who at 
 times, care to speak only to God, at other times 
 desire to speak to men, to their brethren and 
 co-laborers in the church, or to unbelievers, 
 and it is proper that they should have an op- 
 portunity. 
 
 6. Some go to the other extreme, and convert 
 
198 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 their prayer meetings into religious debating 
 clubs, announcing the subject in advance, which 
 certainly cannot be approved by the more 
 spiritual portion of their people as a practice. 
 The newspapers show cases where they have 
 been made occasions for discussing and settling 
 church difficulties, which is too gross a diver- 
 sion to be generally endorsed. Nor does it seem 
 to be expedient to conduct them in the interest 
 of a particular object, such as temperance, 
 missions, holiness, etc., except when they are 
 called specifically for that purpose. The general 
 prayer meeting is common ground, and should 
 t)e as little restricted as may be consistent with 
 the public good. 
 
 7. Sameness is another defect to be avoided. 
 Too many pastors drop into certain ruts, and 
 tall under the delusion that any diversion is a 
 disorder. The result is, they follow about the 
 same course from week to week, and from 
 month to month, doling out their old familiar 
 prayers, until forsaken, except by a few who 
 attend from principle. This is a great mistake. 
 Preachers ought to take as much pains to make 
 their prayer meetings fresh and interesting, as 
 they do their pulpit services. And, when they 
 
How to Conduct Prayer Meetings. 199 
 
 have a fair amount of ability around them, they 
 may succeed. It only requires a little inven- 
 tion among Methodists, who hold to the largest 
 reasonable liberty, to effect it. We have sel- 
 dom seen a church of any considerable number 
 of members, where there was not buried talent 
 enough to make an attractive prayer-meeting, 
 if properly developed. And we know several 
 which possess only a very moderate degree of 
 ability, whose prayer meetings are crowded. 
 
 8. We shall not do justice to this subject 
 without referring to what seem to be errors in 
 revival prayer meetings. Inquirers are invited 
 forward and presented to God for pardoning 
 mercy, in so excited and hasty a manner, as to 
 preclude a proper understanding of the question. 
 Seekers are generally under some misapprehen- 
 sion with regard to the conditionality of par- 
 don, and need instruction. They are to be 
 saved by faith. Some of them think that they 
 are not in a right state of mind to be saved, or 
 have not been seeking long enough, or that 
 there is no mercy for them. The suggestions 
 of the devil to one trying to break away from 
 him and turn to Christ, are many and diversi- 
 fied, either of which may prevent his believing 
 
200 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 unto salvation. Inquirers need to be examined 
 and prepared for intelligent prayer, that they 
 may not "ask amiss." 
 
 Faith is desirable, also, on the part of those 
 who pray for them, but how can they believe 
 for an immediate answer, unless they have 
 some definite understanding of the condition of 
 those for whom they pray. It is impossible, 
 except in cases of special revelation. We have 
 said, therefore, and now repeat it, after much 
 reflection, that if we had but fifteen minutes 
 to devote to inquirers, we would spend ten of 
 them in preparing to pray. The success of 
 prayer depends very much on our being in a 
 proper Scriptural attitude, and spirit. It then 
 becomes easy, and we may accomplish more in 
 five minutes, than we could in hours, and days 
 even, while out of position. 
 
 This fact is illustrated in the case of Elijah, 
 in his memorable contest with the prophets of 
 Baal. They prayed from morning even until 
 noon, saying, " 0, Baal, hear us." But there 
 was no voice nor any that answered. Then 
 they leaped upon the altar, and cut themselves 
 with knives and lancets till the blood gushed 
 out upon them, but all without effect. Having 
 
How to Conduct Prayer Meetings. 201 
 
 made a complete failure, Elijah called all the 
 people to come near to him, and deliberately 
 prepared his altar, and sacrifice, and drenched 
 them with water, that there might be no chance 
 for deception. Everything being ready, all 
 were anxious for him to pray, but he would 
 not until the time of offering the evening sacri- 
 fice, prescribed by the law of God. Then he 
 prayed " Lord, God, of Abraham, Isaac, and 
 of Israel " [that there might be no mistake as 
 to the God he invoked], " let it be known this 
 day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am 
 Thy servant, and that I have done ail these 
 things at Thy word. Hear me, Lord, hear 
 me, that this people may know that Thou art 
 the Lord God, and that Thou hast turned their 
 heart back again." This was the whole of it, 
 and it was enough. " Then the fire of the 
 Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and 
 the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and 
 licked up the water that was in the trench." 
 (1 Kings xviii. 30-38.) 
 
 The reason why so many prayers are un- 
 availing is, that the supplicants are out of 
 position, or have no just appreciation of what 
 they need, and do not comply with the con- 
 
202 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 ditions. Of course, prayer meetings, under 
 these circumstances, can but be dead, and in- 
 effective. 
 
 II. HOW PRAYER MEETINGS SHOULD BE CON- 
 DUCTED. 
 
 No rules can be given that will apply to all 
 cases. Circumstances must be considered. Pas- 
 tors who are properly interested in the religious 
 welfare of their people, can hardly fail to have 
 some idea of the particular good to be achieved 
 by each meeting. It will be a matter of 
 thought, prayer, and preparation with them, 
 so that they will not rush in at random. They 
 will have their opening hymns, etc., arranged 
 with reference to the result contemplated. 
 
 The general order of procedure, which ap- 
 pears to the writer to be most appropriate, in 
 ordinary meetings of the kind, is about as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 1. To read two or three verses of an appro- 
 priate hymn, unless they are perfectly familiar, 
 when they may be announced by repeating the 
 first line. The growing practice of not reading 
 the hymns in public worship, seems to us an 
 error, where a preacher knows how to read with 
 
How to Conduct Prayer Meetings. 203 
 
 effect. Properly enunciated hymns often make 
 a deep impression, especially at the close of a 
 good sermon. Both hymn and tune should be 
 familiar, so as to enlist all present in the sing- 
 ing. Much depends on a spirited opening. 
 
 2. After singing, let a short prayer or two be 
 offered by the pastor, or by some one else, who 
 shall volunteer at his general call. This will 
 expose you to long, dull and inappropriate 
 prayers, for a time, but if the leader shall set a 
 good example, and particularly if he shall have 
 a little private talk with his principal workers 
 on the subject, they will soon come to under- 
 stand his policy, and fall into line. It is not 
 well for the pastor to make the opening prayer 
 in every case, or generally. Few men have 
 variety and copiousness enough to avoid same- 
 ness in thought and expression. Prayers of 
 marked defects, coming from different parties, 
 will be more acceptable to the masses. 
 
 3. As to the Scriptures, they may be read 
 before or after the prayer, or not at all, as shall 
 be deemed advisable. We do not believe in 
 reading them at random in prayer meetings, 
 merely because they are the word of God. They 
 were all given originally for a purpose, and are 
 
204 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 to be used for a like purpose. If the preacher 
 will take time to select passages pertinent to 
 the objects of the meeting, nothing could be 
 more appropriate. And this is what he should 
 do to suggest the line of thought which he de- 
 sires to be made prominent. " A scribe in- 
 structed in the kingdom of heaven, bringeth 
 forth out of his treasure things new and old/' 
 to meet the demands of the occasion. (Mat. xiii. 
 52.) It is proper, too, for him to make a few 
 remarks on what he reads, showing its applica- 
 tion to the subject which he hopes to impress 
 upon the people. But anything like preaching 
 or a lecture on biblical literature, is out of 
 place. The time should be given chiefly to 
 others, and they should understand that the 
 responsibility of the meeting rests largely on 
 them. 
 
 4. The voluntary singing of another verse or 
 two, without reading, may be properly followed 
 by other short prayers, when the meeting should 
 be fully opened in few words by the leader, to 
 brief addresses, songs and prayers, as the wor- 
 shippers may feel inclined. In few words, we 
 say, because this is the exact point where 
 pastors are apt to become tedious. They often 
 
How to Conduct Prayer Meetings. 205 
 
 paralyze a meeting in trying to give it new life. 
 This is about all you need to do in a well- 
 trained church, except to preside and interject 
 a word of remark, or a verse to be sung, till 
 near the close. Then, 
 
 5. You should press sinners, if any are pre- 
 sent, to come to Christ, and indicate their pur- 
 pose to do so by rising or coming forward for 
 prayers. Or, if the meeting chiefly contem- 
 plates the improvement of Christians, you may 
 seek to commit them anew to the work of Grod 
 by some significant expression, to be followed 
 by instruction and prayer, bearing directly on 
 the subject in hand. This plan avoids tedious 
 singing, reading, prayer, and random talk, and 
 brings everything to a practical result ; and can 
 hardly fail to be interesting and profitable. 
 
 6. Finally, we suggest, that the meeting be 
 closed in time to allow of personal conversation 
 with each inquirer, and with others, as before 
 indicated. 
 
 To adjust a church to this working order, 
 requires considerable effort. Much may be done 
 in some places by private communication with 
 official members in their associate capacity. 
 Where they are inflexibly cold and formal, and 
 
206 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 will not act, we may go outside and enlist other 
 members of less talent and influence, but with 
 more heart and zeal. This is often done. 
 There are many capable Christians in our 
 churches, who seldom speak in public, because 
 they have never been encouraged to do so. A 
 little private cultivation from the pastor will 
 bring them to the point, where they may exert 
 a powerful influence. 
 
 In trying to awaken an interest in a commu- 
 nity, where prayer meetings had been long 
 conducted by a few old members, whose voices 
 and opinions were as familiar as the tones of 
 the village bell, and hardly so impressive, we 
 privately proposed to a lady of excellent char- 
 acter to pray publicly. It was a great cross to 
 her, but she bore it to the surprise of every- 
 body present. She offered a remarkable prayer, 
 and many were moved to tears. That was the 
 beginning of wonders in the place. Other con- 
 genial spirits were soon by her side, and the 
 work of God spread and prevailed mightily, 
 until hundreds were converted. We have some- 
 times privately induced young men and women 
 to volunteer and speak, or pray in meetings, 
 much to their own advantage and the good of 
 
How to Conduct Prayer Meetings. 207 
 
 the cause. la several instances we have gone 
 further, and persuaded respectable 6inners, who 
 knew they ought to be Chris tians, to speak and 
 openly avow their convictions, and ask the 
 prayers of the people of G-od. Here was a 
 surprise, which sent a thrill through the house. 
 Prayer meetings worked up in this way will 
 generally be interesting. This was our usual 
 order in a steady New England village for two 
 years, to say nothing of other places. The 
 population was changeable and consisted largely 
 of females. We preached mornings and after- 
 noons on the Sabbath, and held a prayer meet- 
 in the evening. The speaking talent of the 
 officials was not remarkable. Yet, the prayer 
 meetings were crowded to excess, and many 
 failed to obtain seats. We seldom occupied ten 
 minutes in opening, and had to spring for the 
 floor to bring the meeting to a close. The time 
 was improved by men, women and children in 
 all parts of a large house, chiefly by ladies, who 
 had been thoroughly converted to God, and had 
 something to say. We trained them to speak 
 and pray from the day of their spiritual birth, 
 and several of them became mighty in word 
 and in deed. We shall never forget their 
 
208 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 eloquence. The meetings were quiet, without 
 cant, orderly and interesting. The result was 
 from five to thirty new members per month, 
 aggregating over three hundred in the two years. 
 The pastor often longed to speak more, but 
 took up his cross and gave his beloved people a 
 chance to breathe out their full souls in prayer, 
 praise and effort for the conversion of others. 
 
 If some preachers, who are not distinguished 
 for preaching power, would take more pains to 
 organize and energize their prayer meetings, 
 they would succeed much better. There should 
 be an informal praying band of males and 
 females in each church for home work. It 
 would be a great relief to preachers, by saving 
 them from the wear and tear of dead meetings. 
 
 But I would not restrict prayer meetings to 
 this order, however good. Deviations are some- 
 times useful to prevent monotony. Being called 
 upon lately to lead a prayer meeting embracing 
 some three thousand persons, we commenced by 
 speaking without singing even, and set about 
 to ascertain the wants of the people preparatory 
 to prayer. This brought out a large number, 
 who desired to be converted, and many more 
 who were anxious for a deeper work of grace, 
 
How to Conduct Prayer Meetings. 209 
 
 two worthy objects entirely covered by the love 
 and promises of God. After descanting at 
 some length upon the legitimacy of our under- 
 taking, and the reasonableness of expecting to 
 receive then and there, nearly the whole 
 assembly bowed before God, and were led in a 
 rational, business kind of prayer, which seemed 
 to place more confidence in the promises and 
 power of God, than in the intensity of our 
 feelings, or the elevation of our voices. The 
 result was gratifying, and the repetition of the 
 meeting was loudly called for. 
 
 The writer once commenced what proved to 
 be a wonderful protracted meeting in a similar 
 manner, by persuading three or four unconverted 
 persons, all who were present, to come forward 
 for prayers. Then we had something to pray 
 for, and were in just the right state to ensure a 
 successful meeting. If we had less generalizing 
 in these meetings, and more practical work, it 
 would be better for the cause. 
 
 Other deviations may sometimes be useful, 
 
 but we will not particularize. Good sense and 
 
 a profound desire for solid improvement, will 
 
 suggest them. If preachers will try as hard to 
 
 work up, and maintain interesting prayer meet- 
 14 
 
210 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 ings, as many do to prepare good sermons, they 
 will greatly improve their own standing and 
 the prosperity of their people. 
 
 This suggests another thought. It is gen- 
 erally known that some preachers have recently 
 been annoyed by the operations of independent 
 itinerant " praying bands" of laymen. That 
 these bodies have sometimes been imprudent, is 
 not unlikely. Good men are not always wise. 
 Going only where they are invited, they should 
 be harmless. The demand shows a felt want 
 of something of the kind. If preachers would 
 train their own people to this same kind of 
 work, and give them an opportunity to exercise 
 at home, they would not be running off in this 
 way, nor would there be any occasion for invok- 
 ing aid from abroad, except in cases of positive 
 weakness, or in new fields. The proper method 
 of meeting the difficulty is, for preachers to 
 inaugurate live prayer meetings in their own 
 churches, which may be done with less effort 
 than is expended on other enterprises of minor 
 importance. Back fires of this kind naturally 
 prove a sovereign remedy for such novelties. 
 
Of the Pastoral Office. 211 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 DUTIES AND DIFFICULTIES OF THE PAST0RA1 
 OFFICE. 
 
 We have thus far spoken chiefly of preachers 
 as such, and of their public ministrations. The 
 pastoral office involves other duties, and re- 
 quires particular consideration. 
 
 The objects of the pastorate are the same 
 as those of the ministry of the word, and 
 should be kept steadily in view as in pre- 
 paring or preaching a sermon. One who aims 
 at the best spiritual results, will be fruitful in 
 expedients for their accomplishment. He will 
 be prompt to discourage propositions of an ad- 
 verse tendency, and thus keep himself and his 
 people out of damaging complications. 
 
 Pastoral skill is the main dependence of many 
 preachers. Few have power to draw and hold 
 a congregration by mere preaching. Most need 
 the aid of the pastorate to work up personal 
 friendship for themselves and their people, so as 
 to secure a fair and interested hearing. Many 
 
•212 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 go to church more from their affection for the 
 preacher, than from interest in his sermons. 
 Hence, it often occurs that ordinary preachers 
 have crowded houses, while abler ones are 
 troubled with empty pews. On the other hand, 
 attractive preachers sometimes effect little good 
 for the want of pastoral influence. In view of 
 these, and corresponding facts, we deem it ap- 
 propriate to present the following suggestions : 
 
 I. Every interest of young ministers requires 
 that they render themselves socially agreeable, 
 so far as possible, without compromising the 
 piety and dignity which belong to their office. 
 To assume a monkish air, may be proper for 
 papal priests, who claim special jurisdiction 
 over the people by divine right, but it is both 
 unbecoming and impolitic in Protestant minis- 
 ters. A light and frivolous aspect is, perhaps, 
 still more objectionable. It betrays spiritual 
 unfitness. 
 
 Being the servants of all for Christ's sake, 
 ministers should cultivate that acquaintance 
 with the people generally, which will give them 
 the greatest influence for the attainment of 
 their ends. This requires much thought and 
 self-denial. You will often find it necessary to 
 
Of the Pastoral Office. 213 
 
 visit families, and greet individuals, in whom 
 you have little social interest, purely for their 
 good. It will please them, and they will re- 
 ciprocate by attending upon your ministry, and 
 bringing their families and friends with them. 
 Methodism commenced its grand career bv 
 plunging into the depths of sin and poverty, 
 not in poor dwellings only, but in alms-houses, 
 jails, prisons, barracks and hospitals. It found 
 many of its brightest jewels in dens of suffering 
 and infamy. Even now, ministers who follow 
 this Christ-like example, seldom lack for hearers 
 or converts. 
 
 We have known pastors, who seemed to think 
 it creditable to them, to be " short sighted," 
 and " absent minded." Being accosted by peo- 
 ple whom they really ought to recognize and 
 greet, they would respond, "0 yes, yes, I be- 
 lieve I do know you, but, but, I am short- 
 sighted, and so forgetful of names — How do 
 you do ? Is your family well ?" But this is a 
 huge mistake, except in old men, whose sight 
 and memory are manifestly impaired. 
 
 Most people think themselves of sufficient 
 importance to be remembered, especially by 
 their pastor, who has undertaken to look after 
 
214 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 their spiritual welfare, and they are offended 
 when they are not recognized. Young pastors, 
 therefore, should seek to mark every individual 
 to whom they are introduced, or with whom 
 they become acquainted, to say nothing of 
 others, so as to be able to recognize and call 
 them by name, at their next meeting. They 
 may not succeed at first, but it will not be long 
 before they will be able to give general satisfac- 
 tion in this particular. 
 
 Many wisely carry out this suggestion among 
 the children and servants with excellent effect. 
 Visiting a family, they enter the name of each 
 member in their pocket memorandum, so that 
 in a short time they are able to address them in 
 a proper manner, or send their regards, to Mary 
 or Bridget, or the hired man. Such attentions 
 are generally appreciated and rewarded by per- 
 sonal friendship. It commands the love of the 
 parents also. Nothing pleases them more than 
 to have the pastor inquire after Tommy, Josie, 
 and the baby, and notice them when present. 
 
 I think it desirable, too, for pastors to know 
 something of the history, business and relations 
 of their people, of their joys and sorrows, hopes 
 and fears. It helps them in their conversation 
 
Of the Pastoral Office. 215 
 
 and preaching. The public prayers of some 
 preachers, tenderly touching the real felt trou- 
 bles of their people, operate to their advantage. 
 
 But it is not enough to know all the people 
 and their condition ; pastors should cultivate 
 a cordial and inspiring method of addressing 
 them. It makes all the difference in the world 
 how you do it. Brother A. is a good pastor, 
 that is, he devotes a great deal of time to the 
 work, and really loves his people. He is also 
 an able preacher, but he is not popular, for the 
 reason that he is sociably disagreeable. He 
 shakes hands with his friends as if he were in 
 the presence of the dying, — giving them the 
 tips of his fingers, and withdrawing them at 
 the slightest touch, showing that it is a mere 
 ceremony, in which he has no interest. Indeed, 
 he does it in a way to make the impression that 
 he is " out of sorts," or has something against 
 them. 
 
 Then, his conversation is of a kind to indi- 
 cate dissatisfaction. He has a wonderful 
 faculty of seeing the dark side of every sub- 
 ject, and chills more than he cheers, so that his 
 presence is rather forbidding. He wants the 
 people to come straight to church, and go 
 
216 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 straight home again after the benediction. Of 
 course, his church is sufficiently large to hold 
 all who come to hear him. 
 
 There is another pastor in his neighborhood 
 who sees and knows nearly everybody, shakes 
 hands with each in the most cordial manner 
 wherever he meets them, and makes them feel 
 that he loves them with all his heart. We 
 happened to see him lately on the street, trying 
 to reach his house after the Sabbath morning 
 service. He was then a block or two from the 
 church, shaking hands with old and young, 
 some of whom had been detained from meeting 
 several weeks. What a time ! How they 
 enjoyed it ! Making another start, he. was 
 directly surrounded by others, whom he greeted 
 with the affection of a father, inquiring after 
 grandmother, aunty and the rest. Bidding 
 them an affectionate adieu, he struck again for 
 home, but was overjoyed by meeting another 
 group of old friends and members, with whom 
 we left him. 
 
 That man is called the greatest pastor, not 
 the ablest preacher, in the city where he lives, 
 and has a large church crowded with members. 
 He aims to turn everything and everybody to 
 
Of the Pastoral Office. 217 
 
 account for God and His people, and pleases 
 many by his auiiable, earnest manners, for their 
 good to edification. 
 
 You may say, perhaps, " I cannot do that ; " 
 but you can do something very much like 
 it. You can make yourself agreeable. There 
 should be no " cannot" in a young preacher's 
 creed or thought, where duty calls. 
 
 2. You may promote your objects by pastoral 
 visiting. We do not presume to say how often 
 you should call on each family. This must be 
 determined by yourself, in view of the circum- 
 stances. Once a year, or once a quarter may 
 be sufficient in some cases, while once a week 
 may be necessary in others. We might as well 
 assume to determine how often a physician 
 should call on his patients. 
 
 It is equally difficult to tell how extensively 
 a pastor shall visit families not immediately 
 connected with his church or congregation. 
 This will depend somewhat on their character 
 and proclivities, and not less, on his tact in 
 procuring invitations. Where there is a settled 
 purpose and fair capacity to win souls to Christ, 
 much may be done in this direction. The field is 
 susceptible of successful cultivation, and should 
 
218 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 receive the special attention of preachers, who 
 are wanting in hearers or success. 
 
 Nor is it for us to determine what a pastor 
 shall do when he calls. Whether he shall con- 
 verse with each person present about his 
 religious condition, or make a formal prayer in 
 every house, must be settled by himself. Some 
 have made and followed rules on these points 
 without regard to the condition of affairs, much 
 to the discredit of their judgment, if not to the 
 detriment of their cause. Good, sound com- 
 mon sense, with becoming zeal for the salvation 
 of the people, are better guides in questions of 
 this nature than theories. 
 
 Afflictions, of whatever character, would 
 seem to call for the presence and sympathy of 
 the pastor. Says Dr. Cuyler to " beginners," 
 " Kemember that your people have cradles in 
 their houses, and sick beds, and are all of them 
 men and women c of like passions ' with your- 
 self." As people in poverty naturally imagine 
 that they are lightly esteemed, and feel it 
 deeply if neglected, pastors should undoubtedly 
 give them special attention. Following the 
 dictates of religion, and seeking to do the 
 
Of the Pastoral Office. 219 
 
 greatest amount of good, they need not seriously 
 err in this important part of their work. 
 
 The pastoral office gives a preacher peculiar 
 advantages in bringing individual souls to 
 Christ. Attaching his hearers to himself they 
 will receive private instruction and advice from 
 him, that would be rejected coming from any 
 oth£r source. He can reveal all that is in his 
 heart to them, and find out the secret obstruc- 
 tions that lie in their way, and remove them, 
 and thus lead them to the open confession of 
 their sins and faith in the Saviour. Many 
 persons of rank, and pride of character, who 
 seemed beyond the reach of public preaching, 
 have been won by these means. Several of the 
 most useful men the writer ever received into 
 the church, were brought under his private 
 tuition, long before they made any public show 
 of repentance. He walked with them, rode 
 with them, dined with them, and finally had 
 the pleasure of leading them to Christ, as he 
 intended to do from the first. 
 
 Pastors are too apt to be unfaithful to this 
 class of men. They unwisely modify their 
 preaching to accommodate their supposed 
 opinions, and work into their confidence, but 
 
220 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 for want of courage, they fail to use their 
 influence to press them to the cross. 
 
 Some make a similar mistake with regard to 
 the more intelligent and wealthy members of 
 the Churcli y who do little or nothing to pro- 
 mote its spirituality. We have no doubt that 
 they might, by kind personal conversation, 
 bring many of them to the front in spiritual 
 effort. Some of our societies, called aristocratic, 
 have lately improved very much in this respect, 
 under the pious influence of faithful pastors. 
 
 How much time should be devoted to visit- 
 ing, can only be determined by the size and 
 condition of the society. A great deal may be 
 accomplished in a short time, by proper man- 
 agement. Good healthy pastors, generally visit 
 all their families in a few weeks, after they get 
 settled in a new charge. Others seldom if ever 
 visit them, and would do no better, probably, if 
 they were to remain ten years. They do not love 
 to visit, except where they find congenial com- 
 pany, good fare, and innocent (?) amusement, 
 and they are apt to visit such places too often, 
 and remain too long. We do not blame them 
 for their preference, but for following it to the 
 neglect of the sick, afflicted, and poor, who need 
 
Of the Pastoral Office, 221 
 
 their sympathy and prayers. They should 
 rather follow duty, and go where they are 
 needed, to exercise the tender ministries of their 
 high calling. 
 
 Young preachers cannot realize how much 
 they lose by this self-seeking policy. They 
 generally lose their afflicted and neglected 
 members, who justly spurn their public minis- 
 trations. They lose the confidence of their 
 friends, who entertain them, and the com- 
 munity, who know well enough that they are 
 not true ministers of Christ. And, what is 
 still worse, they lose confidence in God, in 
 themselves, and go to their pulpits condemned, 
 unhappy and unprepared to meet the demands 
 of their sacred position. 
 
 Mark it where we will, pastors who kindly 
 and faithfully look after the poor and otherwise 
 unfortunate, will have hearers. This circum- 
 stance alone creates a conviction in the com- 
 munity, that they are followers of Christ, what- 
 ever their name or creed. The same is true of 
 those who reach out after the extremely wicked, 
 and offer them religion as their only hope of 
 reform and salvation. There is a heroism and 
 self-sacrifice in such efforts, that commands the 
 
222 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 confidence, and even the admiration of reputed 
 unbelievers. 
 
 We saw this illustrated many years ago in a 
 very wicked place, which had long been kept in 
 the back-ground religiously, by a leading busi- 
 ness man, who claimed to be an infidel. A 
 liberal Methodist in a neighboring town, thought 
 that we ought to make an effort to start a 
 church in the place, and pledged more than 
 half enough to support a preacher, if one 
 should be sent. Being presiding elder of the 
 district, we selected a beautiful young brother, 
 and the bishop appointed hirn. He arrived a 
 stranger, without a church, parsonage or peo- 
 ple, save a few scattered Methodists, connected 
 with distant societies. He opened his mission 
 in the second story of an engine house, adjoin- 
 ing the village cemetery. The infidel heard of 
 the movement, and put in an early appearance, 
 intending to suppress it. But the dear good 
 preacher stated the situation, his objects, and 
 plan of procedure, and asked for sympathy and 
 cooperation. It was a new thing, and so mani- 
 festly unselfish and kind, that nobody could 
 object. Even the infidel approved, and went 
 into the town meeting, and moved that they 
 
Of the Pastoral Office. 223 
 
 should repair and seat the town house for the 
 use of the stranger, saying, "If there is any 
 religion in the world that will benefit the 
 place, I believe that young man has it." The 
 house was soon put in fine order, and was 
 thronged with interested hearers, among whom, 
 the infidel occupied a prominent place, and led 
 in the support of the new enterprise. 
 
 It was the humanity of the movement that 
 impressed him. That young man went out 
 after the poor and friendless, and inspired them 
 with hope. If pastors would fret less about 
 "the wickedness of the wicked," and lay them- 
 selves out in personal effort to bring them to 
 Christ, they would have more friends, and 
 greater success. Our history is so full of grand 
 achievements of this sort, we ought not to 
 doubt, where everything seems to be against us. 
 
 Says Dr. Cuyler to young preachers, "Aim 
 from the start to be thorough pastors. During 
 the week go to those whom you expect to come 
 to you on the Sabbath ! In the morning of 
 each day study books ; in the afternoon study 
 door plates and human nature. Your people 
 will give you material for your best practical 
 sermons. After an effective Sunday work, go 
 
224 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 around among your flock, as Napoleon rode over 
 the field after a battle, to see where the shot 
 struck, and who were among the wounded. . . . 
 Always have a good tract or two in your pocket, 
 and a kind word on your lip. Be sure of this, 
 that every person, high or humble, likes personal 
 attentions/' 
 
 3. Pastors may aid their interests by organ- 
 izing little societies or bands for different de- 
 partments of Christian action. It will relieve 
 them when overtaxed, and give others something 
 to do, who may be suffering for the want of 
 work. Churches flourish best where all the 
 members are recognized as co-laborers. If 
 nothing is required of them, they will soon get 
 the impression that they are considered of little 
 account, and become dissatisfied. 
 
 It is remarkable how isolated one can live 
 in the midst of friends. Many have left the 
 Methodists, strange as it may seem, and gone 
 to other denominations to find society. They 
 claim that they were not noticed, that no one 
 visited them, or seemed to care for their souls. 
 Not a few who remain, have something of the 
 same feeling. Pastors may do much by example 
 and advice to relieve this difficulty, though they 
 
Of the Pastoral Office. 225 
 
 will sometimes find cases that will tax their 
 utmost endeavors. I am not quite sure that 
 they will not do well to appoint a committee of 
 officials to shake hands with strangers in our 
 larger congregations, and make their acquaint- 
 ance. A trustee informed me, the other day, 
 that he lately felt moved to speak to a gentle- 
 man, who occupied a pew near him, and 
 ventured to do so. The stranger thanked him 
 very heartily for the recognition, saying that 
 " he had occupied the pew for two years, and 
 had never been thus noticed before." The next 
 Sabbath the same trustee approached another 
 man a little further back, who was equally 
 gratified. He also spoke to his wife, when she 
 immediately began to weep, which so alarmed 
 the trustee that he apologized for his imperti- 
 nence. " 0, no,' 1 she replied, " I am not 
 afflicted that you spoke to us, but I am over- 
 whelmed with thankfulness ; we have been here 
 regularly for a year, and you are the first one 
 that has spoken to us at all." 
 
 These circumstances put a new thought into 
 the old trustee's mind, and he resolved, that that 
 splendid congregation should suffer no more for 
 
 want of official courtesy. 
 15 
 
226 / Hints to Ministers. 
 
 v/There are many in every community who 
 belong to no congregation, and seldom attend 
 public worship. Some of them were brought up 
 religiously, but coming among strangers, have 
 never reported themselves. Others live as they 
 were trained, without God and without any well 
 grounded hope. They would be offended, per- 
 haps, if a minister should visit them. But 
 were the pastor to organize a band of brethren 
 to do so, and seek to bring them to church, or 
 hold meetings among them, much good might 
 be done. They are as promising candidates for 
 religion as thousands of our best members were 
 a few years or months ago. These brethren 
 might, at the same time, distribute our impress 
 sive tracts, and thus reach many they do not see. 
 A similar combination of the most pious and 
 gifted ladies might be formed to converse with 
 and pray for the unconverted, and urge them 
 to immediate repentance. We have known this 
 measure to be particularly effective. Sinners 
 generally have more confidence in ladies than 
 in gentlemen, and hear them more readily. 
 Besides, ladies have special aptness to persuade, 
 and often carry their points where others fail. 
 Fortunately for us, our church has provided for 
 
Of the Pastoral Office. 227 
 
 all this, in the adoption of " The Ladies' and 
 Pastors' Union" 
 
 4. Some pastors display peculiar wisdom and 
 tact, in seizing upon special occasions for the 
 furtherance of their objects. They see God in 
 every impressive event, and construe His provi- 
 dence into a fresh call to duty. Fire and flood, 
 sickness and death are promptly pressed into 
 their service, and are made to incite the people 
 to holy living. They are not averse to funerals 
 or funeral sermons, but turn them to account, 
 by extending their acquaintance, and multiply- 
 ing their influence for good. 
 
 They adopt a similar course with regard to 
 public movements in which they have not the 
 fullest confidence. If they cannot endorse them, 
 they contrive to neutralize their bad effect, and 
 make them the occasion of some fresh expedient 
 for good. A minister needs much wisdom in 
 such circumstances. He is liable to imbibe a bad 
 spirit, and become entangled in party conflicts. 
 We would not say that he should never come 
 in collision with public sentiment, for duty may 
 sometimes require it. But, before doing so, he 
 ought to weigh the matter well, and be sure 
 that he is right. The writer has run several 
 
228 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 frightful risks of this kind during his somewhat 
 protracted ministry, where he knew his officials 
 had not sufficient light to endorse his measures 
 in advance, and, therefore, he did not consult 
 them. But after the first gun was fired, and 
 they saw the issue in its proper character, they 
 were ready for action. It is a mistake that 
 ministers should be the mere echo of public 
 opinion ; they should create it on all moral and 
 religious questions, in conformity to the word 
 of God. Had Nehemiah followed the popular 
 current, or the judgment of his temporizing 
 advisers, the walls of Jerusalem had never felt 
 his transforming power, or the pure worship of 
 God been reestablished. The people will honor 
 a man who dares to risk everything for what he 
 esteems to be right and duty. Churchmen of 
 England mobbed John Wesley for a while, but 
 afterwards swung their hats in his praise, and 
 gave him a place among their nobles. 
 
 6. The question of union with other sects is 
 one of the most difficult that young pastors 
 have to meet. Formerly it was not a question. 
 The older denominations wanted no union with 
 us, nor would they have any. Now, we are 
 courted, and flattered, and pressed on all sides 
 
Of the Pastoral Office. 229 
 
 for union, which often means, that we suspend 
 our peculiarities, and accept those of others. 
 
 To indicate to what extent this is being car- 
 ried, and how disastrously to our work, we have 
 but to refer to current events. In our recent 
 evangelistic labors, we have hardly gone a week 
 without being interrupted by some pre-arranged 
 union meeting, for which we had to stand back, 
 or give offence. In one place, where we had 
 some sixty cases of inquiry, and many conver- 
 sions in nine days, we left, to make room for 
 certain Union Evangelists. They came and 
 labored several days with little effect. The 
 pastor has since informed us that it took him a 
 week to get the work back to where it was 
 when they commenced. 
 
 The captivity of some brethren to this en- 
 tangling cry of union, is indicated by another 
 fact. In leading a large Methodist meeting of 
 late, we were urged to invite several ordinary 
 ministers to preach, simply because they be- 
 longed to other denominations. One of them 
 was a lay preacher, of a church which regards 
 us as clerical usurpers, and would not allow 
 our bishops, even, to occupy their pulpits for 
 one moment. And this was done, notwith- 
 
230 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 standing the presence of several of our regular 
 ministers, who had not preached at all. We 
 failed to see the propriety of sacrificing the 
 interests of the meeting in this way. But at 
 two similar meetings, not far away, laymen of 
 other churches were made prominent, though 
 several of our pastors were present, and ready 
 for service. It is not necessary to add that they 
 did not enjoy the slight. 
 
 We say this, not from enmity to other de- 
 nominations, but from a settled conviction that 
 they are so widely different from us, that we 
 can do more good to work in our own way, and 
 on our own ground. The moment we unite 
 with them, we are under restraint. Besides, 
 in recognizing them as God's people, we endorse 
 certain prevalent practices among them, which 
 our Discipline forbids, and for which we ex- 
 communicate our own members. And, finally, 
 where there is any fruit of union efforts, we 
 generally share lightly in it, as the facts of the 
 last ten years abundantly prove. 
 
 Pastors are liable to be embarrassed, also, by 
 other unions , relating to moral questions, which 
 bring them into a kind of fellowship with irre- 
 ligious people, who have no chui ch interests to 
 
Of the Pastoral Office. 231 
 
 subserve. These new friends often project 
 measures which interfere with our duties, if not 
 our principles, and demand that we cooperate. 
 Pastors should have it understood at the out- 
 set of all such connections, that they will not 
 be diverted from their legitimate work, to 
 assist in an}' other enterprise, however commen- 
 dable, though ready to cooperate, within certain 
 limits. 
 
 7. Firm adherence to our distinctive means 
 of grace, will save us from many of these out- 
 side annoyances, and contribute largely to our 
 fundamental objects. These abandoned or ig- 
 nored, it becomes a matter of little importance 
 whether our people retain their connection with 
 us, or go to some other denomination. In this 
 event, they and our converts also, will naturally 
 consult the church relations of their ancestors 
 and kindred, their social and business interests, 
 which, in view of our denominational minority, 
 itinerancy, political and financial status, etc., 
 will take them away from us, though converted 
 at our altars. If we are going to be a people, 
 and bring the world to the saving knowledge of 
 God, we must stand by the principles and 
 measures which have made us all that we are. 
 
232 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 Here we are st?*o?ig, and can cope with the 
 universe, but the moment we exchange them 
 for more popular ones, our power, if not our 
 occupation, is gone. There will be no room 
 for us, and if we attempt to live, it will be 
 under great disadvantages. We always make 
 a sad failure in trying to imitate our neigh- 
 bors in spiritual work. But where we main- 
 tain our own peculiar spirit and measures, and 
 leave others to do as they please, we generally 
 succeed ; sinners are converted and cleave to us 
 with unutterable affection, though cast off by 
 their friends. Besides, when it is seen that we 
 have the right spirit, and show that we are 
 really doing the work of God, earnest Chris- 
 tians of all churches will gravitate toward us, 
 and contribute to our cause. 
 
 OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE. 
 
 This is another department of duty especially 
 devolving upon pastors. Its objects are, to 
 protect the Church against the bad influence of 
 defective members, and worthy members against 
 damaging suspicions and reports. He is the 
 best disciplinarian, who harmonizes most differ- 
 ences, binds up the most broken hearts, soothes 
 
Of the Pastoral Office. 233 
 
 the most sorrow, inspires the discouraged with 
 hope, and holds the most believers to the cross 
 and the Church. He seldom expels a member, 
 never indeed, until all kind reformatory measures 
 are exhausted. To save one who is tempted 
 and in danger of backsliding, is about equal to 
 converting a common sinner. Yet we have been 
 amazed to see with how little sorrow of heart 
 some pastors cast members away. If any are 
 anxious to know what becomes of our converts, 
 we commend the practice of many in this par- 
 ticular to their consideration. But we have 
 some experts in this kind of work, who lose 
 few from any list of probationers that may be 
 put into their hands. 
 
 But after all, offences will come under the 
 best of circumstances, and pastors will be 
 obliged to administer discipline. It is, therefore, 
 important that they fully understand their own 
 system of jurisprudence. Not only that they 
 may do justice to the parties involved, but do it 
 in a manner to protect themselves against the 
 claims of the civil law. In some churches 
 offenders have rights, which pastors are bound 
 to respect. The latter are required to adminis- 
 ter discipline according to their own rules, and 
 
234 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 the law will protect them in doing it. But if 
 they censure or expel a member contrary to 
 said rules, they are liable to be arraigned on a 
 civil process, and fined. Preachers cannot be 
 too careful in this kind of pastoral work. With 
 so many helps as they now have to a proper 
 understanding of the subject, they ought not to 
 make serious mistakes. 
 
 of parliamentary usages. 
 
 We refer to this subject for two reasons. 
 
 1. That ministers are often called upon to 
 preside over deliberative bodies, and in doing so 
 gain or lose influence, as they show themselves 
 competent for the work, or otherwise. It is not 
 unusual for them to disgrace themselves in 
 trying to preside, for the want of knowing the 
 order of business approved by common usage. 
 On the other hand, many appear nowhere to so 
 good advantage as in the chair, because they are 
 masters of the situation. They not only know 
 the rules, but can justify them. 
 
 2. Our second reason for calling attention to 
 the subject is, that full information is nearly as 
 necessary in debate, and the transaction of 
 conventional business as in the general direction 
 
Of the Pastoral Office. 235 
 
 of it. To be successful here ; one needs to 
 understand the rights, duties, and privileges of 
 all parties, or he will soon be making motions 
 and speeches out of order, and be put down. 
 We witnessed a painful instance of this kind 
 recently, where a young man assumed to do a 
 good thing that properly belonged to another, 
 of which his competitor took prompt advantage, 
 and seated him in dishonor. Had he spent a 
 few hours in reading the simplest rules of par- 
 liamentary usage, he would have carried his 
 point with considerable credit. 
 
 Methodist preachers have so much to do with 
 public business of one kind or another, they 
 should seek to be thoroughly informed in this 
 particular. " Knowledge is power," and often 
 controls against fearful odds. " Baker on the 
 Discipline," furnishes the more common usages 
 in few pages. " Cushing's Manual" is a com- 
 plete work, and should be carefully studied by 
 preachers, who propose to take a leading part in 
 public conventions. 
 
 CAUTION IN RECEIVING MEMBERS. 
 
 It is laudable in pastors to desire to multiply 
 their members, but unless they are inflexible in. 
 
236 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 their purpose, not to receive unsuitable persons, 
 it may prove a temptation to them, and lead to 
 many evils. There can be no doubt that some 
 have welcomed rich men, whom they would 
 have rejected had they been poor. This some- 
 times helps the finances of the church, but not 
 always. Where the new comers are so liberal 
 that they pay most of the bills, and leave the 
 poorer members to pay little or nothing, they 
 are often a damage rather than a permanent 
 help. For, when they die, or take offence and 
 leave, it comes hard to those who have done so 
 little, to supply their lack of service. Covetous 
 rich men reach about the same result in another 
 way, they afflict the church by their meanness, 
 and block the wheels of progress. Both classes 
 are elements of spiritual weakness, and contri- 
 bute to defeat our legitimate objects by con- 
 forming the church to the world. The less of 
 such members we have, the better for our 
 cause. They will resist the revival of God's 
 work, if it shall interfere with their practices, 
 or their notions of respectability. 
 
 There is often carelessness, too, with regard 
 to cither classes. They are received without due 
 regard to their spiritual character and purposes. 
 
Of the Pastoral Office. 237 
 
 Their views of religion are below the Gospel 
 standard. Judged by their spirit and practice, 
 they do not " renounce the world, the flesh and 
 the devil/' and if received, will lower our reli- 
 gious status to the extent of their influence. 
 If such people must join some church, they had 
 better go where their worldly practices will not 
 be objectionable. 
 
 Methodists can do nothing without vital re- 
 ligion — the love of God shed abroad in the heart 
 by the Holy Spirit. When we lose this, and 
 drop down to the level of formalists, we are the 
 deadest of all people. Our arrangements were 
 made for live men, live themes, and live work. 
 The Spirit gone, we still have a fine system, 
 but it is like a finished locomotive, without fire 
 or steam. 
 
238 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 USE TO BE MADE OF THE PRESS. 
 
 This subject might have been considered in 
 the last chapter, and dismissed with a few brief 
 paragraphs ; but in view of its importance, and 
 the almost total absence of instruction with 
 regard to it in our homiletical works, we feel 
 compelled to give it a broader and more ex- 
 tended notice. 
 
 We have elsewhere urged young preachers 
 to write, not sermons to be read or recited, but 
 as means of literary and mental training. We 
 would now in passing, advise them to write for 
 the press such scraps of thought, fact, or argu- 
 ment, as in their judgment will be useful. If 
 they are valuable, some one of our numerous 
 publishers will put them in type. A word in 
 season, thus sent forth, will interest their friends 
 and be sure to benefit somebody. Most of our 
 distinguished authors commenced their literary 
 career in this way. 
 
 Pastors should also exercise careful super- 
 
Use to be Made of the Press. 239 
 
 vision of the reading of their people, and " with 
 faithful diligence banish and drive away all 
 erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to 
 God's word." (JDis., p. 320.) "It is made their 
 special duty to decide as to what books shall 
 be used in our schools." (Dis., p. 250.) 
 
 But who regards this ? If some preachers 
 were to examine their Sunday school libraries, 
 they would find books which should have no 
 place in the house of God. Thus, while they 
 sleep, the enemy sows tares among the children. 
 Romanists, Mormons, and other heretices, are 
 w r iser, and truer to their principles in this 
 particular. Let us learn of them. 
 
 Some are equally careless with regard to the 
 periodicals which their people read. They set 
 the bad example of taking such as are antago- 
 nistic to vital religion, and make little effort to 
 introduce better ones among their members. 
 Thus, again, while they sleep, the enemy sows 
 objections to Methodism, and apologizes for 
 sin, until the faith of many is shaken, and they 
 leave the church, or assume a mere nominal re- 
 lation to it. How a minister can pursue this 
 course, and escape the conviction that he is faks 
 to God and His people, is unaccountablr 
 
240 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 Common propriety would indicate that we 
 should press into our service such periodicals as 
 will subserve the avowed objects of our minis- 
 try, and exclude others of an opposite tendency 
 so far as possible. 
 
 But the main object of this writing is to 
 speak of good books, and of the use to be made 
 of them. Their power, as instruments of use- 
 fulness, can hardly be overestimated. The 
 singular part they have played in the history 
 of Methodism, should preclude all doubt as to 
 their value. 
 
 John Wesley was made a thorough church- 
 man and formalist by his education. When 
 about to receive deacon's orders, he was 
 awakened to see his unfitness for the duties in- 
 volved, and led to prayer and study. In the 
 course of three or four years he became intensely 
 religious, according to the light of his times. 
 His own account of the means by which he 
 reached this state, is given in the following 
 extracts : 
 
 €t In the year 1725, being in the twenty-third 
 year of my age, I met with Bishop Taylor's 
 'Kules and Exercises of Holy Living and 
 Dying.' In reading several parts of this book, 
 
Use to be Made of the Press. 241 
 
 I was exceedingly affected with that part in 
 particular which relates to purity of intention. 
 Instantly I resolved to dedicate all my life to 
 God ; all my thoughts and words and actions ; 
 being thoroughly convinced that there was no 
 medium, but that every part of my life must 
 either be a sacrifice to God or to myself, that is, 
 in effect, to the devil. 
 
 "In the year 1726, I met with Kempis's 
 c Christian Pattern ' . . . A year or two after, 
 Mr. Law's c Christian Perfection ' and c Serious 
 Call ' were put into my hands. These con- 
 vinced me more than ever of the absolute 
 impossibility of being half a Christian. ... In 
 1729, I began not only to read, but to study 
 the Bible, as the one, the only standard of 
 truth." 
 
 Thus it appears that he was awakened and 
 converted by reading books. Many years after- 
 wards, when nearly blocked in his operations 
 by the errors of his education, he read " Lord 
 King's Account of the Primitive Church," and 
 was saved from another Romish folly. "In 
 spite of my vehement prejudice of education," 
 he says, "I was ready to believe that this was 
 
 a fair and impartial draft." So he went on 
 16 
 
242 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 reading himself out of trouble, and into useful- 
 ness to the end. Charles Welsey, Mr. White- 
 field, arid their compeers, read the same books, 
 and were similarly affected. The immortal Dr. 
 Coke, a young church priest, was made a 
 Methodist by talking with Maxfield, and read- 
 ing Fletcher's inimitable " Checks." 
 
 Seeing the power of the press, Mr. Wesley 
 commenced early to write new books, and 
 abridge and improve old ones, to adapt them to 
 his work, and really originated the Tract cause, 
 which has since grown to such mammoth pro- 
 portions. And he sold books, too, and required 
 his preachers to do the same, wherever they 
 went. And, before the introduction of so many 
 periodicals, they did so, both in Europe and 
 America ; and often effected results by this 
 means, that could not have been achieved by 
 preaching or personal conversation. 
 
 The adaptation of awakening books and tracts 
 to produce conviction and repentance, is gener- 
 ally conceded, though but par dally appreciated. 
 Multitudes have been saved by reading them. 
 Serious persons sometimes demur at our meas- 
 ures, perhaps at some point of doctrine, or are 
 disturbed by the prejudice of education. In all 
 
Use to be Made of the Press. 243 
 
 these cases ; a book or tract, covering the exact 
 point of difficulty, will often bring deliverance 
 The same is true of bad habits, such as intem- 
 perance, profanity, or Sabbath breaking. And 
 fortunately for all concerned, there is hardly a 
 difficulty of the kind that has not been ably 
 discussed in book form. Nor is there any great 
 lack of means for the distribution of such works. 
 Methodist preachers are especially required 
 to educate converts in the doctrines, polity, 
 usages and history of their church, because 
 most of them were trained under other systems. 
 But we fear this duty is not properly dis- 
 charged. Under ordinary administration, con- 
 verts are received on trial without much cere- 
 mony, and are assigned to classes, after which 
 little is heard of them, until they are recom- 
 mended for full connection, or reported back- 
 slidden. Of course they have the benefit of the 
 classes and other means of instruction, by which 
 they must acquire some valuable information. 
 But considering that they are representatives 
 of God and Methodism, they ought to be 
 thoroughly trained. It is necessary to their 
 stability and usefulness. It would seem to us 
 appropriate, therefore, for the pastor, 
 
244 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 1. To direct their attention to a course of 
 religious reading, suited to their circumstances. 
 Our net incloses persons of all nations, educa- 
 tions and conditions. The majority of those 
 who come to us were brought up in prejudice 
 against us, and are in danger of being led 
 astray. 
 
 The writer was trained under the influence 
 of rigid Calvinism, which he could not accept 
 as either merciful or just. He soon repudiated 
 it, and assumed that the decree of election, if 
 such a decree existed, must cover the whole 
 race, or God could not be good or just. Soon 
 after a change of location brought him near a 
 Methodist church, where he heard different 
 doctrines, and met another style of Christians, 
 under whose instruction, he sought and found, 
 what he felt to be the " pearl of great price," and 
 was completely satisfied. Being invited to join 
 the church, he declined, until he should know 
 something more about its principles and polity, 
 and see how he would be able to justify his 
 action to his old friends. This led the preacher 
 to advise him to read certain books, such as the 
 " Discipline," "Doctrinal Tracts," "Clarke's 
 Commentary," and "Fletcher's Checks," all of 
 
Use to be Made of the Press. 245 
 
 which, with several smaller works, he devoured 
 with unutterable delight and profit. 
 
 Our young people should be made to under- 
 stand every part of our system, and the grounds 
 and harmony of the whole. They cannot love 
 it unless they see its divine authority and ap- 
 propriateness, and, of course, cannot defend it 
 against the objections of dissenters. They will 
 be obliged to say as many now do, "Though I 
 am a Methodist, I do not believe in the itin- 
 erancy, class-meetings, camp-meetings," etc., 
 which must be very mortifying to people of decent 
 self-respect, and encouraging to those who 
 watch about our altars to find and fold the 
 vacillating of our flocks. 
 
 Considering that we have so many books in 
 condensed form, which present these subjects in 
 a clear and forcible a manner, it is surprising 
 that so little effort is made by pastors to get 
 the people to read them. Many rather encour- 
 age the delusion that there is now no great 
 difference between us and other Christians, 
 whereas most of the churches remain in creed 
 and polity, about as they were forty years ago. 
 If our doctrines and economy are of any im- 
 portance, and there is any intention on our part 
 
246 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 to maintain theni, we ought certainly to encour- 
 age young people to read, so as to enjoy and 
 maintain the ground they profess to occupy. 
 
 Romanists, Mormons, Episcopalians, Presby- 
 terians and Baptists, give their peculiarities 
 special prominence. Their people are thoroughly 
 drilled in the arguments employed to sustain 
 them, so that many who cannot read at all de- 
 fend the " apostolic succession," " baptismal 
 regeneration," " the infallible perseverance of 
 the saints," " immersion," etc., nearly as well 
 as their pastors. And if these are eternal 
 truths of the commanding importance claimed 
 for them, this is right and proper to be done. 
 Episcopalians gain most of their accessions from 
 other sects by boohs. Pastors keep them on 
 hand to lend, or for sale to those they propose 
 to draw into their fold. It is a very kind thing 
 to ask a young man to read a beautiful book, 
 and then to inquire of him how he likes it, and 
 suggest his reading another. Unitarians pub- 
 lish books representing their views, not to lend 
 only, but to give to hopeful candidates, who 
 will read them, and they have their agents at 
 work scattering them abroad over the country. 
 If Methodism is the grandest system of doctrine, 
 
Use to be Made of the Press. 247 
 
 practice, experience, and evangelization in the 
 world, as we believe, how can its divinely ap- 
 pointed pastors neglect to scatter its expository 
 and inspiring pages among their people. 
 
 METHODS OF SUPPLYING BOOKS. 
 
 Preachers are generally too poor to give away 
 many books ; they can hardly obtain what are 
 necessary for their own use, and how to furnish 
 the people with any considerable number, is a 
 question they find it difficult to solve. Many 
 object to selling books, for the reason that it 
 will injure their influence. To meet this seem- 
 ing difficulty, we reply. 
 
 1. If you were to undertake it as a specula- 
 tion to make money for yourself, yon would 
 probably find it detrimental to your reputation, 
 especially, if you were to carry them about as a 
 colporteur. I cannot blame stationed pastors 
 for hesitating to do this. But this is not the 
 only, or the better method. We never enjoyed 
 selling books, as a pastor, but still we circulated 
 many with good effect. 
 
 2. If pastors would treat books as they do 
 our periodicals, — call attention to them publicly 
 and privately, proposing to order them if 
 
248 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 wanted ; they would avoid the difficulty sug- 
 gested, and accomplish the object successfully. 
 In our first considerable revival, while young in 
 religion and Methodism, we received more than 
 one hundred into the church, mostly strangers 
 to our doctrines and economy. It was evident 
 that they needed educating in divine things to 
 render them useful. We first conversed with 
 them about their reading, and asked their atten- 
 tion to certain books, which we had found very 
 profitable, suggesting that they purchase one 
 or more, and thus lay the foundation of a per- 
 sonal library. The idea struck them favorably, 
 and they inquired where they could get the 
 books. We knew of none nearer than New 
 York, and agreed to send for them when it 
 should appear how many were wanted. This 
 pleased them, and they respectively ordered 
 such as came within their means, varying from 
 one to half a dozen in number, and in cost from 
 fifty cents to ten dollars. Having completed 
 the canvass in this manner, in connection with 
 other pastoral duties, we sent our first order to 
 the Book Concern, and soon after received two 
 or three large boxes, costing nearly as many 
 hundred dollars. Announcing that the ordered 
 
Use to be Jlude of the Press. 249 
 
 books had arrived, the subscribers called and 
 paid for them, and took them away. 
 
 As to the result, we can oidy say, that 
 several of the purchasing young men just gradu- 
 ated from boyhood, have been the main support 
 of the church, and are now wealthy and intel- 
 ligent Christians, and talk of their first purchase 
 of religious books, as having had much to do in 
 shaping their course, and establishing their 
 character. 
 
 3. Five years after, the Lord poured out His 
 Spirit in another place, and converted many 
 gentlemen in married life, and in easy circum- 
 stances. We took the same course with them, 
 recommending the purchase of " Clarke's Com- 
 mentary on the Bible," as a good investment 
 for the education of their children. Nine of 
 them ordered full sets, and one a copy on the 
 New Testament. These were sent for at one 
 time, and delivered, as in the other case named, 
 and, no doubt, did much good in the families 
 concerned. 
 
 4. While stationed in Boston, near our Book 
 Eoom, we used to encourage the people to read. 
 Finding an interesting book, which seemed 
 appropriate to them, we would take it into the 
 
250 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 pulpit, and state its character, tendency and 
 price, saying, if they desired a copy, and would 
 give the sexton or the pastor their names to 
 that effect, we would order them sent to the 
 vestry where they might get them. Waiting a 
 week or so for the orders, the agent forwarded 
 the books, which were delivered by the sexton, 
 and paid for. 
 
 We might mention other methods, but these 
 must suffice. Where there is a will, there is 
 generally a way. As to the influence of right 
 books, little need be said. Let us consult our 
 own experience ; what have they done for us ? 
 Much more than periodicals. These are scrappy 
 and incomplete. A right book covers the whole 
 ground, answers objections, and is more likely 
 to be fair and unpartisan. We have known a 
 few copies to arrest desolating evils in a short 
 time. 
 
 Not many years ago, a Congregational church 
 in New Hampshire was surging under ^politico- 
 religious excitement, which had overthrown 
 more formidable bodies. Said the pastor, after 
 the danger had passed, 
 
 " I feared that we should break up, and go to 
 ruin, and did not know what to do. Hearing 
 
Use to be Made of the Press. 251 
 
 of the issue of a work exposing the wickedness 
 of the party involved, I proposed to the Metho- 
 dist preacher that we would send and purchase 
 one hundred copies, and divide them between 
 us. In a few days they came to hand, and I 
 took my fifty home and hid them. As I went 
 out to visit, I slipped a few in my pocket, and 
 left one at each house where I thought it might 
 be appropriate, in a private way, saying nothing 
 to anybody. They were soon gone. A little 
 after, one of my most infected officials called on 
 me to express his alarm on the subject, naming 
 another brother, whom he feared was getting con- 
 siderably alienated. Soon another shaky mem- 
 ber appeared, and he was filled with solicitude, 
 and so it went on, until every man righted up, 
 and the church was safe ; but the coming of the 
 books remained a profound secret with us, the 
 two pastors." 
 
 If preachers would use more books and tracts 
 in correcting dangerous and exciting errors, in- 
 stead of opening fire in the pulpit, they would 
 often succeed better, and save themselves a 
 world of trouble. 
 
252 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 OF EXHORTERS, THEIR ORIGIN, USE AND PRES- 
 ENT IMPORTANCE. 
 
 We refer to this class of church officers here, 
 because they are public speakers, and candi- 
 dates for the ministry, and are entitled to more 
 consideration than they have lately received. 
 
 "•To exhort," says Webster, "is to incite 
 and encourage, by words or advice ; to animate 
 or urge by arguments, as to a good deed or any 
 laudable conduct or course of action ; to advise, 
 warn, caution." 
 
 The office of exhorter was established by Mr. 
 Wesley, for the double purpose of suppressing 
 some over-zealous people, who, it was thought, 
 ought not to speak in public, and to bring out 
 others who might do so to the profit of many, 
 but were too timid and modest to attempt it 
 without special encouragement. Hence the 
 order of 1784 : " Let none preach or exhort in 
 any of our societies without a note of permis- 
 sion from the assistant." (Emory's History of 
 
Of Extorters. 253 
 
 Discipline , p. 151.) As a suppressing meas- 
 ure, it has had little effect in this country, the 
 prevailing sentiment being favorable to free 
 speech; but it has undoubtedly been useful in 
 the other direction, it has encouraged and de- 
 veloped many young men into effective speakers. 
 
 But for certain reasons it has been declining 
 in usefulness for many years, until some begin 
 to question the propriety of retaining it as a 
 distinct office. Indeed, it has been lately pro- 
 posed in the General Conference to amend the 
 Discipline by striking out all relating to it. 
 But it seems to us wiser to magnify it, and 
 make it useful : 
 
 1. Because we have much less real exhorta- 
 tion in our social meetings now than formerly, 
 and they are suffering for the want of it. Few, 
 if any, being especially charged with this work, 
 no one feels particularly responsible for it, and 
 it is not done. If any have a mind for it, they 
 are afraid of being thought obtrusive, or imagine 
 that others might do it better, and therefore 
 maintain silence. Were they to be licensed by 
 the church, it would encourage them, and they 
 would seek to prepare themselves to do it with 
 effect. 
 
254 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 2. Because exhortation in the pulpit hut* 
 largely declined. John preached many things 
 to the people in his exhortation (Luke iii. 18.) 
 Paul gave the people of Macedonia "much 
 exhortation." (Acts xx. 2.) So our fathers 
 preached with powerful and pungent exhorta- 
 tion, urging their hearers to immediate faith 
 and action. But how little we hear of this 
 now in ordinary sermons ! The great object of 
 most preachers seems to be to instruct the peo- 
 ple and defend the Grospel, as though that will 
 save, without bringing it home to their hearts. 
 This alarming change in our style of preaching 
 creates a demand for exhorters. 
 
 It is this dearth of exhortation in the pulpit 
 that gives pious praying-bands and private in- 
 dividuals such popularity and crowds of hearers. 
 Preaching is too often the product of the head; 
 exhortation is the outgushing of the heart. 
 The aim of the former is to teach, that of the 
 latter to impress and urge to duty. The 
 preacher explains, the exhorter cries aloud and 
 entreats. Many are anxious to educate preach- 
 ers, but who tries to help exhorters. The church, 
 we think, is suffering more to-day for the want of 
 burning exhortion, than for intellectual culture 
 
Of Extorters. 255 
 
 3. Another reason for maintaining the office 
 is, that there is ample room for its exercise be- 
 yond our church lines. Hundreds and thous- 
 ands of out-lying villages and towns seldom 
 hear the Gospel. The people are poor, and are 
 not in condition to make a fair appearance at 
 church, and have nowhere to sit were they to 
 go. Let a couple of earnest, devout exhorters 
 go and start a meeting among them, and they 
 will attract attention, command respect, and 
 get an invitation to come again. Then, there 
 are many places where we ought to establish 
 churches, and could do it easy enough with three 
 or four exhorters from the surrounding towns. 
 A little engineering in this direction by the pas- 
 tors and presiding elders, would put Method- 
 ism on the aggressive again, and restore its 
 power. 
 
 4. The office is necessary, also, as a means of 
 training our young men for usefulness. It is 
 one of the great questions of the day, how we 
 shall retain them in the church. Our answer 
 is, give them something to do. Train them to 
 work for God. License the best of them, and 
 make them responsible for sustaining little 
 meetings in private dwellings, school-houses, 
 
256 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 and groves, and they will take care of the others, 
 This will be likely to set them to reading, 
 thinking, praying and living near to God, that 
 they may acquit themselves well, and win souls 
 to Christ. This is the way many of our older 
 preachers graduated to the ministry. They 
 were not made, they grew from very small be- 
 ginnings by exhortation and prayer, to be men 
 of might. And we have thousands of young 
 men now, who might excel them under similar 
 training, because they are better educated, and 
 have many facilities for improvement the fathers 
 never enjoyed. It would keep them from sin y 
 and give them spiritual and intellectual power. 
 Church lyceums, and other associations for 
 oratorical reading, speaking, etc., are miserable 
 substitutes for it, in every sense. They tend to 
 fashionable worldliness and consequent spiritual 
 death, and often hinder more than they help 
 their members, or the church itself. Personal 
 improvement — the ostensible object of these 
 appliances — is more likely to be acquired by 
 direct effort to do good. 
 
 5. Some seem to have the impression that 
 this license is designed for those only who are 
 intending to become preachers; but this is a 
 
Of Extorters. 257 
 
 mistake. Many have held it for years, who 
 never will preach, and some who have advanced 
 to the ministry, had better have remained ex- 
 horters. God made them for that work, and 
 they would have been more useful and better 
 satisfied, had they continued in it. If each pas- 
 tor would train a class of exhorters, male and 
 female, to help him in the prayer meetings, not 
 to the exclusion of others, and then give them 
 time to speak, it would send new life through 
 the church. 
 
 6. The office is also important in order to in- 
 sure an official leader for regular social meet- 
 ings in the absence of the pastor. Who is to 
 take charge in such a case ? Do you answer, 
 the official members ? Which one of them ? 
 Each has his respective duties, and several may 
 be competent to conduct the service, but they 
 have no authority. One in each society, at 
 least, ought to have an exhorter's license for 
 this purpose, if for no other. It would save 
 the loss of much time, as the reader can readily 
 see, by adverting to his own unpleasant experi- 
 ence in waiting for some one to "open the 
 meeting." 
 
 In a word, the possibilities of usefulness in 
 17 
 
258 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 the office are immense. Preachers are restricted 
 by clerical customs, but exhorters are untram- 
 meled. They may read, explain, advise, warn, 
 caution, encourage, and incite to duty by all 
 Christian means, without wandering from their 
 orbit. They assume to speak, because moved 
 by the Holy Spirit, and are expected to be in 
 dead earnest. 
 
 The church abounds in young men of natural 
 adaptation to this work. Why should they 
 not be encouraged to exercise their gifts ? This 
 is our old method of filling vacancies, and 
 raising supplies for the pulpit. Wesley found 
 eighteen exhorters at Sithney, most of whom 
 were useful. The others proved to be unworthy, 
 and were dismissed. To be efficient exhorters, 
 young men need, 
 
 1. To have the witness of the Spirit to their 
 own personal acceptance with God, rendering 
 them happy in His service. "The joy of the 
 Lord is their strength." Without it they can- 
 not shine so that others will see their good 
 works, and glorify their Father which is in 
 heaven. 
 
 2. They need to seize upon all opportunities 
 to acquire knowledge and power in their work. 
 
Of Extorters. 259 
 
 Idlers seldom succeed in any good thing. Ex- 
 horters who seek earnestly to understand God's 
 plan of government, and to acquire capacity to 
 explain and justify it before the people, will 
 sooner or later command attention. To this 
 end, they should be careful listeners and close 
 observers, marking the verbal errors and 
 uncomely gestures of others to avoid them ; and 
 their excellences to imitate them. When they 
 hear a word the meaning or pronunciation of 
 which they are in doubt, they should consult 
 the authorities, and settle the question. The 
 use of our " Pronouncing Bible " will save 
 them the necessity of referring to other books 
 for the right expression of Scripture names. 
 Some good theological dictionary will aid them. 
 But they should use such helps as they have or 
 can get, and wait for nothing. Being deter- 
 mined to speak and pray well and acceptably, 
 God will guide them to success. 
 
 3. These preparatory measures should be 
 accompanied with practice, in class and confer- 
 ence meetings. Young Christians make a great 
 mistake in waiting till they know more, and get 
 more confidence before they try to speak. As 
 well may a child postpone trying to walk and 
 
260 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 talk, until it grows to maturity. Power to 
 think and speak in public, is acquired by prac- 
 tice. Most converted young men feel more at 
 first than they can express. The presence of a 
 congregation confuses, if it does not paralyze 
 them. Their best thoughts vanish like fright- 
 ened birds. But if they commence to exercise 
 their gifts in this manner and persist in it, they 
 will reach a point, where they can think and 
 speak better on their feet, and in a crowd, than 
 under any other circumstances. 
 
 4. While we would not encourage young men 
 to be obstrusive by speaking where they ought 
 not, and more frequently and lengthily than is 
 suitable for beginners, we would especially 
 caution them against declining invitations to 
 participate in religious services, on account of 
 the "fear of man." Many have crippled them- 
 selves for life in this way. It is no uncommon 
 method of denying the Master, and always 
 brings condemnation to a conscientious heart. 
 You had better make the effort, if you utterly 
 fail. It will humble you, at least, and do good 
 by its sincerity, if not by its weakness. Our 
 best scholars and business men began small, and 
 worked up by slow degrees, after many blunders 
 
Of Exhorters. 261 
 
 and defeats. The opposite course is fairly rep- 
 resented by the cautious mother, who warned 
 her little son "not to go near the water until 
 he had learned to swim." 
 
 The advantages of determining to prosecute 
 these active measures, are many. 
 
 1. Assuming to be co-workers with God in 
 saving souls, you will feel doubly bound to live 
 in all good conscience before men. It operates 
 in advance, as a restraint against sin and im- 
 propriety. You will say to yourself, " I am 
 going to speak for Christ, and must, therefore, 
 live accordingly." Then, having urged others 
 to piety, you will be ashamed not to practice it 
 yourself. Thus, you will be kept at first by 
 your purpose, and afterward by your profession. 
 
 2. It will prove a means of grace to others. 
 Christians are always encouraged by hearing 
 young men speak and pray, though it may be 
 in weakness. Besides, sinners are often 
 awakened by such means, where the abler ap- 
 peals of ministers are ineffective. The fact 
 that they can speak at all in public, carries 
 conviction to their hearers, that God is with 
 them. But if there be any doubt about it, the 
 further facts that they claim to be new creatures 
 
262 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 in Christ, and to be happy in God and in His 
 service, and that their lives and spirit indicate 
 that a marvellous change has taken place in 
 them, will settle the question, and demonstrate 
 the divine reality of religion, more than the 
 profoundest reasoning. 
 
 3. This course will protect you also against 
 backsliding. Many converts die in infancy for 
 the want of some such training. Born and 
 educated in worldliness, they cannot maintain 
 the formalities of religion without its sanctify- 
 ing power. They need to be led right into 
 daily communion with God, and into Christian 
 activity, or they will become ensnared by some 
 cunning device, and carried away captive into 
 their old indulgences. They cannot sin a little, 
 any more than a toper can drink a little. Total 
 abstinence is their only safety. Others may seem 
 to live, and not abandon the church, while they 
 are spiritually dead. But live young men, 
 whom God has endowed with the gift of exhor- 
 tation, must speak out or go back to the world. 
 Fully consecrated to this work, they cannot fail 
 to be valiant soldiers of the cross. 
 
Of Local Preachers. 263 
 
 CHAPTEK XIII. 
 
 OF LOCAL PREACHERS. 
 
 It is a remarkable fact that a majority of the 
 ministers of Methodism are local, not pastors. 
 Our latest reports show but 29,206 pastors or 
 itinerant preachers, to 74,960 local preachers. 
 The difference between the two classes in the 
 Methodist Episcopal Church is less, there 
 being at the close of 1878, 11,308 itinerant 
 preachers, to 12,449 local preachers, and this 
 difference seems to be diminishing in this branch 
 of the Wesleyan family. Whether this is 
 ominous of good, is worthy of consideration. 
 
 Our founder, Mr. Wesley, knew no minister 
 at the first, who had not been regularly gradu- 
 ated to the office, according to the order of the 
 Church of England. But Grod in His gracious 
 providence introduced others, who were so 
 manifestly useful and necessary, that he felt 
 obliged to recognize them. They immediately 
 became helpers to the pastors, and preached as 
 they had opportunity. He says, "We had no 
 
264 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 oversight of this, we had the deepest prejudice 
 against it, until we could not but own that 
 God gave wisdom from above to those unlearned 
 and ignorant inen, so that the work of the Lord 
 prospered in their hands, and sinners were daily- 
 converted to God." (Works, vol. v. ; p. 156.) 
 
 In coming to what we propose to say of local 
 preachers, it is necessary to state a few familiar 
 facts : 
 
 1. That their services have generally been 
 gratuitous, like those of exhorters, leaders and 
 other local officers, except in the matter of 
 travelling expenses, and where they have acted 
 as regular supplies, or have devoted secular 
 time to their work, in other services. On this 
 account, many small societies have been fur- 
 nished with regular preaching, and have thus 
 been nursed into strength to support a regular 
 pastor. Many of our best churches began in 
 this way. 
 
 2. Another fact is, that where they have 
 been encouraged, as in this country formerly, 
 and in England now, many have become very 
 able ministers. The names of Maxwell, Nelson, 
 Webb and others in English Methodism, are 
 household words with us, because they led the 
 
Of Local Preachers. 265 
 
 way in this infringement on church order ; but 
 others of whom little is heard were equally 
 distinguished. Silas Told, a converted sailor, 
 and Matthew Mayer, to say nothing of others, 
 were veritable heroes, and shook the country 
 around them for a long, distance. The latter 
 established prayer meetings in every direction. 
 " At Davyhulme, he gathered fifty converts into 
 classes in a few weeks, and several useful 
 preachers were raised up by his labors. Wesley 
 encouraged him to go about preaching to the 
 poor, and for twenty years he went up and 
 down the land with surprising success." {Stevens 
 His. of Methodism.) 
 
 iC Methodism was established in this country 
 by local preachers, Embury in New York, Webb 
 in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Strawbridge 
 in Maryland, Neal in Canada, Gilbert in the 
 West Indies, and Black in Nova Scotia. Its 
 whole frontier march, from the extreme North 
 to the Gulf of Mexico, has been led on by these 
 humble laborers. The history of the denomi- 
 nation affords a lesson in this respect that should 
 never be forgotten by Methodists while Christen- 
 dom has a frontier anywhere on our planet. 
 They have been accustomed to consider their 
 
266 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 "itinerancy" the preeminent fact of their 
 history ; they have demanded that all things 
 should bend in subordination to this, and they 
 have never exaggerated its importance, but they 
 have failed to appreciate both the historical and 
 prospective value of these humbler functions of 
 their system." (Ibid., vol. ii., p. 139.) 
 
 Licensing a man to preach, however, does not 
 make him a preacher ; he must have practice. 
 Few men will prepare a sermon, until they see 
 some probable chance for preaching it. When 
 our British brethren license a man they put 
 him on the " plan of appointments," with old 
 and strong men. He sees the emergency, and 
 often, with much prayer and mental applica- 
 tion, seeks to meet it. We license one, and 
 leave him without work, to plan for himself. 
 The result of this difference is, English local 
 preachers preach, while many of ours do not. 
 Their's become strong men, and find little 
 difficulty in entering our conferences, where 
 there is an opening, while many of ours are 
 seldom heard from. 
 
 3. This state of things with us, is not alone 
 chargeable to local preachers. Our people have 
 been too persistent in demanding stated pas- 
 
Of Local Preache?*s. 267 
 
 tors, and the conferences too liberal in gratify- 
 ing them. These errors have necessitated 
 another, namel} r ; the multiplication of travelling 
 preachers. Hence the moment a man of fair 
 abilities has appeared in the local ranks, his 
 friends have beset him to join the conference, 
 often, without due regard to his health, family, 
 adaptation or temporal circumstances, and thus 
 many have been hurried out of a good business, 
 into poor stations that could not support them 
 without great embarrassment, where their 
 chances for doing good are really less than they 
 enjoyed as local preachers. Gleaning the local 
 ranks in this way, and then replenishing them 
 with incompetent itinerants, has lessened the 
 necessity for this class of preachers, and reduced 
 their average ability, while it has overwhelmed 
 many of our small societies, and not a few 
 travelling preachers, with financial burdens. 
 The arrangement was well intended, but never- 
 theless, a disastrous mistake. 
 
 In view of these circumstances, some brethren 
 have come to the conclusion that local preachers 
 are no longer necessary, and seem inclined to 
 suppress them. But we cannot sympathize 
 with this view of the subject : 
 
268 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 1. Because there are multitudes of churches 
 in our older conferences, that are unable to sup- 
 port regular pastors. They are so reduced by 
 removals to cities, frontiers, and other attractive 
 points, that they are proper missionary ground, 
 and must become extinct, unless they shall be 
 formed into small circuits, with one pastor, and 
 more or less local assistants ; or shall be sup- 
 plied altogether by a local agency. Some such 
 arrangement will bring this class of helpers in- 
 to greater demand, on the old basis, and save 
 our weak societies from dissolution. 
 
 In fact, they are already doing this very 
 work ; and if they were to subside, there would 
 be alarming vacancies in our appointments, 
 which could not be filled. Dr. Wheeler, one of 
 the number, has lately furnished some figures 
 on the subject, that are very instructive. As- 
 suming that the phrase to be supplied, found 
 so often in conference minutes, means a local 
 preacher, he reaches the conclusion that 1,381 
 of this class are doing regular pastoral work. 
 He also shows, that 450 others supply vacancies 
 occasioned by the sickness or death of pastors 
 during the year ; and that it requires 400 more 
 to meet the demand created by the temporary 
 
Of Local Preachers. 269 
 
 absence of pastors for a Sabbath or two each. 
 These facts, taken in connection with much 
 other work done by these preachers in jails, 
 prisons, reformatories, alms-houses and other 
 places, fully demonstrate the utility of the 
 order. 
 
 2. Another reason for maintaining the office 
 is, that there are many neighborhoods suffering 
 for the want of the pure Gospel, where we have, 
 as # yet, no existence. If the doctrine of free and 
 full salvation from sin and hell, is as important 
 as we claim, these places ought to be put under 
 immediate cultivation. To go into many of 
 them on union grounds, is to present an emas- 
 culated Gospel, and shut ourselves out, per- 
 haps, forever. To send travelling preachers 
 to them is impossible, without missionary 
 money, which we cannot spare at present, 
 for that purpose. Surrounding preachers feel 
 that they have no time or strength for this 
 work. Our natural and only dependence is 
 on exhorters and local preachers, and we need 
 no other, if we will give them proper attention. 
 If Embury, the carpenter, planted our standard 
 in America, and erected the first of nearly six- 
 teen thousand churches, a little over one hun- 
 
270 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 dred years ago, and his colaborers and success- 
 ors pioneered many of our existing societies, we 
 should not distrust these men, but urge them 
 " onward — right onward ! " 
 
 Going in the spirit which characterized their 
 honored predecessors, they will receive a cordial 
 welcome in many places. School-rooms, private 
 dwellings and forest shades, await their coming. 
 At least, Whitefield's old pulpit, the horse 
 block, will be accessible to them everywhere, 
 without the brick-bats which formerly endan- 
 gered it. 
 
 But Methodists generally, we believe, have 
 no idea of abolishing this branch of their min- 
 istry. The General Conference of the Method- 
 ist Episcopal Church, in 1876, took action, 
 looking toward its reinvestment, which has re- 
 sulted in the adoption of the following. 
 
 COURSE OF STUDY. 
 
 1. Let candidates for license to preach be 
 examined in the common branches of an English 
 education, and on their general acquaintance 
 with the Bible and the doctrines and usages of 
 the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 
 2. First year. — The Bible — History. Bin- 
 
Of Local Preachers. 271 
 
 ney's Theological Coinpend Improved. Disci- 
 pline of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 
 To be read. — Scripture History — Old Testa- 
 ment — Smith's. Watson's Life of Wesley. 
 A Hundred Years of Methodism — Simpson. 
 
 3. Second year. — The Bible — Doctrines. 
 Wakefield's Theology — First three books. 
 Christian Baptism — Merrill. 
 
 To be read. — Scripture History — New Tes- 
 tament — Smith's. History of the United 
 States — Ridpath. Ruter's Church History — 
 1 vol., 8vo. 
 
 4. Third year. — The Bible — Sacraments. 
 Wakefield's Theology — Last four books. Chris- 
 tian Perfection — Wesley's Plain Account. 
 
 To be read. — Wesley's Sermons — Vol. 1. In- 
 troduction to the Grospel Records — Nast. 
 D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation — In 
 one vol., 8vo. 
 
 5. Fourth year. — Review of the whole course. 
 Written Sermon. 
 
 To be read. — Wesley's Sermons — Vol. 2. 
 Porter's Compendium of Methodism. 
 
 This may seem to require more of some aged, 
 busy, hard-working men, than they can com- 
 pass, and perhaps it does. But pious examin- 
 
272 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 era, who take everything into account, and look 
 to the piety and utility of the candidate, more 
 than to his literary attainments, will, no doubt, 
 deal tenderly with useful applicants. A worthy 
 brother, who makes himself felt by his minis- 
 trations, will not suffer in such hands. But if 
 our average local preachers will follow the 
 " Rules" prepared by Mr. Wesley for his 
 "helpers," they will find ample time for all 
 this and more. He says : 
 
 " Be diligent. Never be unemployed a mo- 
 ment. Never be triflingly employed. Never 
 while away any time ; neither spend any more 
 time at any place than is strictly necessary. 
 
 " Be serious. Let your motto be, c Holiness 
 to the Lord.' Avoid all lightness, jesting and 
 foolish talking. 
 
 " Do not affect the gentleman. You have 
 no more to do with this character than with 
 that of a dancing-master. A preacher of the 
 Gospel is the servant of all." (Works, vol. v., 
 p. 219.) 
 
 With regard to study, and the acquisition of 
 knowledge, the call to the ministry, the con- 
 struction and delivery of sermons, and other 
 matters applicable to local preachers, I refer 
 
Of Local Preachers. 273 
 
 you to the preceding chapters on these topics. 
 You stand exactly on a level with travelling 
 preachers in many respects. In a few particu- 
 lars your condition differs. For instance : , 
 
 1. You have less time to devote to study, 
 and therefore need to limit yourselves more 
 fully to the subjects of your sermons. Some 
 pastors, we have no doubt, read many things 
 that cripple their pulpit ministrations. You 
 have only time to read what will help you. 
 
 2. Not preaching often to the same congre- 
 gation, you fortunately need a less number of 
 sermons. Except where you become a regular 
 supply, a few will be sufficient to meet every 
 demand, so long as you can keep up your own 
 interest in them. And not being subject to 
 parochial customs, which require frequent special 
 sermons, you will naturally limit yourself to 
 the stirring themes, which awaken people to 
 thought and reform. So that, on the whole, 
 you have sufficient time to devote to each ser- 
 mon, though actively engaged in business. 
 
 You ought, therefore, to determine on preach- 
 ing live sermons and good ones. We have 
 elsewhere, suggested that every sermon should 
 
 be thought out and preached through privately, 
 18 
 
274 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 before being presented to the congregation. 
 Who is in better condition to do this than the 
 man of routine business, which is so familiar to 
 him as not to require much thought ? Some 
 kinds of business forbid this, they need constant 
 attention ; but we have few Christians, and less 
 preachers, in these employments. Most local 
 preachers who walk with God, and cultivate 
 the habit of praying and thinking along the 
 street, and at their work, will find time enough to 
 prepare just such sermons as they ought to 
 preach. 
 
 Professing to be especially called to bring 
 sinners to Christ, and having little to do with 
 the government of the church, you should aim 
 in every sermon to win a soul. This will keep 
 you out of vain speculations, which are the 
 curse of the pulpit, and insure more or less 
 success. Our early ministers did so, and sel- 
 dom failed. Preaching in this way to fill 
 vacancies, our local preachers will soon receive 
 calls enough to occupy all their spare time. 
 
 There is another point which should not be 
 overlooked. Local preachers, having little 
 official responsibility in the churches to which 
 they belong, sometimes give less attention to 
 
Of Local Preachers. 27 J 
 
 the social meetings than is desirable, or credit- 
 able to them. This is an error. They need 
 these means of grace for their own spiritual 
 improvement, and preparation for preaching. 
 Our best thoughts and impulses often flash 
 upon us in social meetings. Besides, if preach- 
 ers neglect these meetings they are sure to be 
 suspected of coldness, if not of bitterness pf 
 spirit. 
 
 In conclusion, dear brethren, allow .me to, 
 make a few further suggestions : 
 
 1. In all your exercises, be yourself. Do 
 not try to imitate anybody. God has given 
 each of you a peculiar style of mind, and of 
 address. Maintain it and be natural, never 
 trying to be finer or coarser, than you really 
 are. Correct all bad, or questionable habits, 
 however, as you detect them. Imitations are 
 generally disgusting, especially in religion. 
 . 2. Be earnestly religious in your spirit and 
 purpose. Methodism is life, or it is nothing. 
 Its general forms are no better than those of 
 others. Its peculiar methods are awkward 
 and offensive, unless they come burning hot 
 from the heart. This is our forte, the secret 
 of our power. Others can be as orthodox, 
 
276 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 learned, and pleasing as we. If you will live in 
 the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit, and fed the 
 "Joys of salvation," which give " songs in the 
 night," you will be always wanted, and find 
 work to do. 
 
 3. Avoid all damaging complications with 
 the world. If you stand firmly to your prin- 
 ciples, the world will not covet your fellowship. 
 Popularity gained by surrender, is ruinous. It 
 may bring you some friends, but not of the 
 Christian sort. Watering your religion to ac- 
 commodate sinners is the worst kind of inflation. 
 Your condition is favorable to the highest inde- 
 pendence, and the best influence. You earn 
 your own living, and are candidates for nothing 
 but heaven. Why not speak and act freely, 
 according to your own pious convictions ? 
 
 4. Be active. Do something for God and 
 man every day, that shall be worthy of the 
 preacher. Pray in secret, pray in your family, 
 attend the prayer meetings, the Sabbath school, 
 and preach when you have an opportunity. If 
 others object, do not abuse them. Be loving 
 and kind. Cultivate that charity which " suf- 
 fereth long, doth not behave itself unseemly, 
 seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked." 
 
Of Local Preachers. 277 
 
 Be happy in God. A happy religion is the 
 need of the age. 
 
 If local preachers will take this stand, the 
 days of their power will speedily return. Will 
 they do it ? Will you do it, my brother ? 
 May God help us all to honor our high calling 
 as never before, and go forth filled with the 
 Spirit, to bring the world to a joyful hope of 
 eternal life. 
 
278 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 OF OTHER CHRISTIAN WORKERS WHO PROPOSE 
 TO SPEAK MORE OR LESS IN PUBLIC. 
 
 In preparing the foregoing pages for preach- 
 ers and exhorters, we have kept steadily in 
 view a large class of Christian workers, who 
 are not preachers, and do not aspire to be, but 
 who, nevertheless, may and ought to become 
 good public speakers. They have no idea of 
 their capacity, and would beg to be excused if 
 approached on the subject ; but still, what 
 seems to be impossible to them, is possible with 
 God, with their cooperation. Many of our 
 ablest preachers were very unpromising candi- 
 dates, when they first opened their mouths in 
 public, and reached their present eminence 
 easy enough, by improving their opportunities. 
 The same is true of many laymen. They were 
 children once, but have grown to be men, by 
 using what talent they had, and seeking more. 
 
 But how little has been done to encourage 
 and help Christians in this particular ? We 
 
Of Other Christian Workers. 279 
 
 have given them the usual invitation, perhaps, 
 to participate in the social meetings, but what 
 have we done to prepare them to do so, or to 
 assist them in the difficult task ? While the 
 preachers have had line upon line, here a little 
 and there a little of caution and advice, the 
 laymen seem to have been left to feel their way 
 along alone, and without any special aid, as 
 though it were of very little consequence . how 
 they speak, or whether they shall speak at all. 
 In view of this fact, I have deemed it ex- 
 pedient to adapt this work to laymen, as well 
 as preachers. What I have said of study, pre- 
 paration and delivery, may inure to their ad- 
 vantage, if they will take the trouble to read 
 it. It certainly is within their comprehension, 
 and may be carried into effect, to the extent of 
 the time which they have to give to the sub- 
 ject. If they take no pains to prepare them- 
 selves, they will become dry and uninteresting, 
 like idle preachers, who plod in the ruts of their 
 old sermons. Many have reached this point al- 
 ready. They say about the same thing from year 
 to year ; quote the same Scriptures, and sing the 
 same hymns, all in about the same style. Why ? 
 Because they make no effort to improve 
 
280 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 Others read some religious paper, and gather 
 up many new facts and illustrations. They 
 read instructive and inspiring books, and pon- 
 der them ; the Bible, in particular, which seems 
 ever new, and thus they become impressed and 
 expand. When they speak again in public, 
 they naturally report their new discoveries and 
 inspirations, and the effect of them upon their 
 own souls. We call to mind many Christians 
 of this class, farmers, mechanics, mothers, fac- 
 tory girls, and apprentices, who are pretty fully 
 occupied with labor and care, but notwithstand- 
 ing, they get time to read a little and think 
 more, and turn all their acquisitions to account 
 for God and His cause. They are always wel- 
 come in the social meetings, because they never 
 fail to say something new and pertinent to the 
 occasion. 
 
 But to compass this work, it must be under- 
 taken "with a will." Christians find many 
 things to divert their attention. The present 
 demands for amusement are exorbitant, and 
 must be resisted. You need to read solid 
 books, — books concerning God and duty, not 
 the useless trash of fashionable periodicals, or 
 the false and fascinating stories of novelists, but 
 
Of Other Christian Workers. 281 
 
 something that will add to your stock of infor- 
 mation^ and furnish material for instruction 
 and encouragement to others in conversation 
 and public discourse. 
 
 Is it said that Christians read more than for- 
 merly ? we admit it, but not the Bible or re- 
 ligious books. They read the daily papers, and 
 thus keep the run of murders and amusements, 
 while they gain little in useful knowledge. If 
 they will be effective as speakers in the church, 
 they must be well informed, as to its history, 
 principles and measures. And to be so, they 
 need to come "out from the world" in their 
 reading, and give special attention to spiritual 
 subjects. This is equally necessary to a right 
 state of heart. No one can be a happy Chris- 
 tian, so long as he lives in fellowship with 
 frivolous books. That fellowship has silenced 
 millions, who once rejoiced " to tell the story 
 of Jesus and His love." It not only deadens 
 the religious feelings, which render speaking 
 delightful, but it leads to heart corruption, and 
 actual sin, however well meant. Those who 
 maintain it, are "like men strolling through a 
 district infected with fever, heedless of the in- 
 visible arrows of disease in the air ; or they may 
 
282 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 be compared to the River Thames, which is a 
 sweet and pretty river enough near its source ; 
 but in the great metropolis [London], it has 
 kept company with drains and sewers, under 
 the belief that its current was too powerful to 
 be injured by them. It was meant that the 
 river should purify the sewer ; but instead of 
 that, the sewer has corrupted the river." 
 
 Besides, you must be filled with desire to do 
 good. Aimless efforts are necessarily feeble 
 ones. The soul must be set on some worthy 
 achievement. One supreme idea is enough to 
 draw you out in appropriate action, if it fully 
 absorbs your heart. You had better have a 
 hobby, than to be aimless ; but you should be 
 ready for every good word and work. The 
 sweep of your plans ought to be as broad as the 
 atonement. Then you will be interested in all 
 that pleases God. 
 
 The greatest obstacle to the growth of young 
 Christians in this direction, is their unbelief, as 
 to the possibility of ever being able to speak in 
 public. Mrs. Van Cott, whose heroism is un- 
 questioned, was so timid when converted, that 
 she did not enter a class until the leader 
 promised to excuse her from speaking. The 
 
Of Other Christian Workers. 283 
 
 thought of attempting it, horrified her. Multi- 
 tudes are in similar condition. They do not 
 know themselves, the power of God, or the 
 philosophy of Christian progress. 
 
 Young Lincoln, the rail-splitter, did not 
 dream of being a lawyer, much less, the Presi- 
 dent of the United States ; nor did Wilson, the 
 shoemaker, see in himself or his surroundings, 
 any reasonable ground to expect that he would 
 be Vice-President ; but both of them deter- 
 mined to do their duty, hoping to become some- 
 thing more than the common average of their 
 craftsmen. So they denied themselves, and by 
 reading and study, became great and useful 
 men. If Christians will imitate their industry 
 they cannot fail to attain to distinction among 
 their fellows. 
 
 But when you attempt to speak, be modest 
 and simple. Never try to be grand, eloquent, 
 or jocose. Speak what you feel and know. If 
 you are overcome with emotion, stop, and wait 
 until you can command yourself. Do not go 
 on muttering what nobody can understand. 
 Silence, under such circumstances, is the high- 
 est kind of eloquence. No tones or language 
 can equal it. Methodists are to-day, more in 
 
284 IIixts to Ministers. 
 
 need of feeling than thought. They lack tears 
 more than science. A baptism of this kind 
 would lift our hard-going speakers and churches 
 into the height of success. The tongue of jive 
 would be the death of small and cold meetings, 
 and crowd our altars. And this generally 
 comes of self-denial, and consecration to God. 
 
 " 'Tis true of souls. They gather strength 
 
 With every cross they bear ; 
 With every humble sacrifice ; 
 
 With every heartfelt prayer ; 
 With every conflict bravely met, 
 
 And trial bravely borne ; 
 With every throb of anguish felt, 
 
 When tender ties are shorn." 
 
 But, my brethren, do not place too much 
 account on feeling ; it is not everything. You 
 need to observe your manners in speaking, as 
 well as your intentions and impulses. We 
 have reminded preachers of certain bad habits 
 in the pulpit, which detract from the accepta- 
 bility and usefulness of many. You are liable 
 to something of the same sort. We call to 
 mind one intelligent "brother, of other days, 
 who would hardly begin to speak, before he 
 would make such a racket, in trying to clear 
 
Of Other Christian Workers. 285 
 
 his throat, as to throw the congregation into a 
 titter. It was the worst case I ever knew of 
 the kind. Many speakers do something similar, 
 particularly when they falter for the want of 
 a thought or word. A few make use of un- 
 common expressions which they do not know 
 the meaning of, apparently to seem wiser than 
 they really are. This is ridiculous. The less 
 pretentious Christians are in efforts of this 
 kind, the better impression they make. Kind, 
 simple, earnest words are usually most ac- 
 ceptable in social meetings. 
 
 For further particulars with regard to speak- 
 ing, bad habits, etc., permit me to refer you to 
 what we have said to preachers in the preced- 
 ing chapters. 
 
 THE MISSION OF WOMEN IN THIS CONNECTION. 
 
 Christianity, however imperfectly presented, 
 redeetns woman from many evils imposed by 
 heathenism. Under the clear light of John 
 Wesley's exposition, it lifted her to a higher 
 sphere, and made the " dumb to speak." Be- 
 coming conscious of possessing an immortal 
 soul, which many had denied her ; and what is 
 still better, a soul renewed and sanctified by 
 
286 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 the Holy Spirit, and filled with joy unspeakable 
 and full of glory, she naturally began to 
 
 " tell to sinners round, 
 What a dear Saviour she had found," 
 
 and burning with desire that others might 
 enjoy the same blessedness, she ventured pub- 
 licly to 
 
 ' ' point to the redeeming blood, 
 And say — ' Behold the way to God.' " 
 
 This was shocking to old theories, and even 
 to Wesley himself, who was still in bondage to 
 church order, but it was so manifestly of God, 
 that he felt obliged to submit, and allow the 
 ladies of his societies to speak publicly in the 
 way of testimony and exhortation. But he 
 never gave them license to preach. Yet, when 
 in the providence of God, several of them were 
 drawn out in this direction, he did not forbid 
 them outright, but rather put them under some 
 restriction, and encouraged them to go forward. 
 Mary Fletcher did really preach, without seem- 
 ing to do so. She did not go into the pulpit, 
 but, stood on a low platform, to avoid giving 
 offence. Dinah Evans did about the same. 
 One who heard her, wrote : " She was a burning 
 and shining light. She preached with great 
 
Of Other Christian Workers. 287 
 
 power and unction from above to a crowded 
 congregation. . . . Simplicity, love and sweet- 
 ness, were blended in her. Her whole hearl 
 was in the work. She was made instrumental 
 in the conversion of many sinners." 
 
 But these were exceptional cases. Most 
 ladies limited their addresses to five or ten 
 minutes. Ann Cutler spoke but little in pub- 
 lic, yet she was a great revivalist. Dead so- 
 cieties would wake right up under her marvel- 
 lous prayers and private labors. " This," says 
 Bramwell, " was a very great trial to many of 
 us ; to see the Lord make use of such simple 
 means, and our usefulness comparatively but 
 small." 
 
 The ladies of Methodism have enjoyed about 
 this degree of liberty ever since. Few have 
 assumed to preach, and they have met with 
 little opposition. Many have engaged in public 
 prayer and exhortation, and have done good 
 service. The greatest obstacle respectable and 
 pious women have encountered in the work, 
 has been found in their own timidity and indis- 
 position to make themselves thus prominent. 
 Multitudes have done little or nothing of the 
 kind, who might have been more useful and 
 
288 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 happy ; had they been more thoughtful and 
 active. Regarding public speaking as a priv- 
 ilege, rather than a duty, they have neglected 
 it, except under the most favorable circum- 
 stances. The object of the present writing is, 
 if possible, to make the sisterhood of the 
 church feel their responsibility, and give the 
 full weight of their influence to the cause of 
 Christ. 
 
 Looking at the facts in the case, we find that 
 our prayer meetings are generally carried on by 
 about the same persons from week to week, 
 and they, few in number, and often of less 
 ability and influence than many who say 
 nothing. The result is, the meetings are dull, 
 monotonous, and small in proportion. Now, 
 if one, or half a dozen ladies were to come for- 
 ward, I do not mean to the altar, but to rise 
 and speak what they feel, and pray with a 
 heart burdened with solicitude for the prosperity 
 of Zion, it would give such meetings new life 
 and power. The preacher and officials would 
 feel encouraged, and become doubly efficient. 
 Such an example would arouse other inactive 
 members, and attract sinners, who always ap- 
 pear when the meetings become earnest and 
 
Of Other Christian Workers. 289 
 
 impressive. This is the uniform result of such 
 movements. Poor ; struggling churches have 
 thus been vitalized and lifted into public notice 
 and favor. 
 
 And, when ladies have gained this point, 
 they usually go a little further, and persuade 
 people to come to church, and seek the Lord, 
 in which they are remarkably effective, when 
 properly engaged. 
 
 But why urge ladies particularly to speak 
 and act in this way ? Many think they ought 
 to maintain profound silence. We answer : 
 
 1. Because they speak less, in proportion to 
 their numbers, than men. Being naturally 
 more timid and modest, they dislike to offend 
 the prejudices of others, and have not been 
 pressed into the service so much as we think 
 the cause of God demands. In our opinion 
 they possess a vast amount of unoccupied 
 talent, that ought to be developed and applied 
 to spiritual work. We rely on them very 
 largely for singing, sociables, festivals, Sunday 
 school teaching, and finances, and they show 
 remarkable skill in these departments ; why 
 not encourage them to equal activity in speak- 
 ing and prayer ? 
 19 
 
290 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 2. Because they possess an indefinable influ- 
 ence, over men particularly, which commands 
 special attention to what they say in a womanly 
 spirit and style. The outcry of a woman 
 thrills the nerves of all people within hearing, 
 as that of a man does not. The singing of 
 ladies forms the great attraction of popular 
 concerts. They are the charm of public amuse- 
 ments. Caterers for patronage understand this, 
 and take advantage of it at any cost ; and draw 
 crowded houses. Why should the church 
 ignore their great power, in seeking to please 
 men for their good to edification ? • 
 
 The influence of the sex is well stated in the 
 following truthful lines : 
 
 "Woman's warm heart and gentle hand, in God's 
 eternal plan, 
 Were formed to soften, soothe, refine, exalt, and 
 
 comfort man, 
 And win from pleasure's poison cup to life's pure 
 
 fount above, 
 And rule him as the angels rule, by deeds of peace 
 and love." 
 
 Saeah J. Hale. 
 
 3. Ladies are usually more pious than men. 
 They excel in religion, men, in sin. They pre- 
 dominate in churches, men, in prisons. As 
 
Of Other Christian Workers. 291 
 
 we have before shown, earnest, heart piety, is 
 essential to effective speaking, and other spirit- 
 ual efforts. Few church-going ladies think of 
 speaking, till they/ee? deeply ; men often speak 
 from habit or profession, without much regard 
 to feeling, — expressing their opinions. Besides, 
 men mixed up in business and politics, are 
 readily suspected of sinister motives ; modest 
 women command full confidence. They are 
 believed and confided in, as most men are not. 
 The conviction is natural and logical, in view 
 of their timidity, that they would not speak at 
 all, unless moved thereto by some heavenly in- 
 fluence. Hence, they are heard with attention, 
 and their words are received as the truth of 
 God. Thus tens of thousands of strong men 
 have been awakened, converted, and saved under 
 the loving, artless appeals of devout women, 
 where the eloquence of the pastor and his offi- 
 cial advisers was powerless. 
 
 4. We urge this duty, because ladies excel 
 in persuasion. Men argue, women entreat. 
 Men speak from Sinai, women from the cross. 
 One threatens, the other weeps. The impres- 
 sion speakers produce is largely the result of 
 what they feel. Here, too, ladies have the ad- 
 
292 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 vantage, they are more sympathetic and tender. 
 Their hopes and fears are stronger, heaven and 
 hell more real, and they think and speak of 
 them, not as doctrines, but as facts. 
 
 5. Because ladies have more time to prepare 
 for the work. They are generally at home, 
 within reach of books, and have time to medi- 
 tate and pray, while most men are away occu- 
 pied with business, and embarrassed with the 
 presence and ridicule of the ungodly. Then, 
 women generally have more time to attend the 
 meetings, and enjoy the advantage that comes 
 from the communion of saints. 
 
 But it is hardly necessary to extend the 
 argument. We hope that our ladies will con- 
 sider the matter seriously, and with much 
 prayer, and see if they are doing all that God 
 requires of them, in this line of action. I may 
 say for their encouragement, that the old preju- 
 dice against ladies speaking in public, which 
 used to be very embarrassing, has largely passed 
 away. Many churches that once held it to be 
 the height of indelicacy, if not a positive sin, 
 have come to tolerate it in their own members. 
 Indeed, they call upon ladies both to speak and 
 pray, and believe the practice quite consistent 
 
Of Other Christian Workers. 293 
 
 with the teachings of St. Paul, which, in other 
 days, formed their chief argument against it. 
 In fact, their ladies do not wait for this cere- 
 mony, but exercise the largest liberty. For 
 Methodists to flag under these circumstances, 
 after having fairly won the field, by a long and 
 tedious fight, would be disgraceful. 
 
 What we have said to exhorters and other 
 lay speakers with regard to preparation, is 
 equally appropriate to ladies, so far as they 
 have time for it. We will therefore close the 
 chapter with a few remarks on the manner of 
 speaking : 
 
 1. Speak so as to be heard. Here is where 
 many ladies fail. If they do their best in this 
 particular, nothing is clearer than that God has 
 not called them to speak to large assemblies. 
 One who attempted to preach a fqw months ago 
 in a Congregational church in this city, occu- 
 pied a chair on the platform, and talked under 
 her projecting bonnet, in low and modest tones, 
 very well, we presume, but not half of the peo- 
 ple could distinctly hear one word in five. This 
 is intolerable in a preacher. 
 
 Some talk in this manner in prayer meetings 
 and love feasts, with their heads bent forward 
 
294 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 and downward, and, perhaps, a handkerchief 
 over their mouths. Others turn their back to 
 the congregation, and talk a little to themselves 
 in private. This is useless, so far as the people 
 are concerned, except that it may please them 
 to believe that the speakers are on the Lord's 
 side. 
 
 2. Speak as Christian ladies, earnestly, but 
 with the utmost kindness and affection, never 
 sarcastically, or censoriously. Any approach 
 to the masculine style will mar your effort. 
 Nor is it becoming in you to be boisterous. 
 Men may storm, and often do so, to little pur- 
 pose, but you will succeed better by being calm. 
 Weep, if you feel like it ; it will not injure your 
 influence or your cause. It is natural for ladies 
 to do so when overwhelmed with love or pity. 
 But be deliberate and thoughtful, even here. 
 
 3. Do not undertake too much. Consider 
 beforehand, what is most appropriate to be 
 said, if practicable, and confine yourself to that, 
 unless something manifestly better shall occur. 
 If you lose your main thought, which is no un- 
 common event, with young speakers, do the 
 best you can in a few words, and take your 
 seat. Anything is better than a long rambling 
 
Of Other Christian Workers. 295 
 
 speech to no point. Should your mind rally, 
 and the vision return, try it again. Two or 
 three short pertinent speeches may be useful, 
 where they would be tedious if combined in one. 
 
 4. Avoid controversy. This is bad enough 
 in men, but it seems worse in women. Eelate 
 your experience, tell what you have seen and 
 heard to your advantage ; encourage, exhort, 
 persuade, entreat. Talk of love, faith, hope 
 and heaven. These thrilling subjects furnish 
 you a wide range. But women have been 
 known to become interested in some particular 
 theory, and fail to debating in social-religious 
 meetings, where their views were not generally 
 accepted. This practice, besides being a little 
 disorderly, wears a shade of unfairness, and 
 creates a prejudice against the speaker and her 
 theme. Millerites, Perfectionists, and other 
 partisans, have often rendered themselves odious 
 by this means. 
 
 5. If you are oppressed with hypo, and every- 
 thing seems to be going to destruction — a mor- 
 bid state of mind into which good people some- 
 times fall — you had better not attempt to 
 speak. The unbelief of most meetings is suffi- 
 cient without any augmentation from this 
 
296 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 quarter. The proper place for such light, or 
 whatever it may be called, is u under a bushel." 
 The less you let it shine before others, the better 
 it will be for them and the cause of God. A 
 little attention to your bodily health, and much 
 secret prayer, will improve your condition, and 
 the deception under which you are suffering 
 will vanish. 
 
 6. Speak in harmony with the character and 
 objects of the meeting. As we have said else- 
 where, all meetings should aim at some specific 
 result, which ought to be indicated, if not ex- 
 pressed in so many words, by the opening ser- 
 vices. It is desirable that each participant 
 should see the point, and contribute something 
 to it. But it not unfrequently happens that 
 hobbyists broach other subjects, and try to di- 
 vert the current in another direction. Their 
 motives may be correct, but they are out of 
 place, then and there. So, where a meeting 
 seems to call for talk, we have known persons 
 disturb this order by going to prayer. Of 
 course, nobody can object to it, but still it is 
 not just the right thing to do, and the intruder 
 is suspected of lacking good sense, if not pious 
 intentions. 
 
Of Other Christian Workers. 297 
 
 7. Be prompt. It is not uncommon for ladies 
 to imagine that it is immodest for them to 
 speak in the early part of a meeting, and there- 
 fore wait till near the close. This is an error, 
 especially where there seems to be little inclina- 
 tion in others to occupy the time. It certainly 
 is not religious to sit and let the time run to 
 waste. The impression is decidedly bad on the 
 congregation. They naturally infer that the 
 tide is clear down. Under these circumstances 
 it would be emphatically appropriate for a lady 
 to rise and say that " she came to the meeting in- 
 tending to speak a few words, and thinking that 
 she would be less in the way of others by speak- 
 ing early, she would improve the present op- 
 portunity." If ladies would determine to speak 
 for God, and think of something proper to say, 
 and pray for the help of the Spirit, that they 
 may speak effectively, they would be ready, 
 and might give the meeting a much higher 
 tone than it usually receives under the waiting 
 policy. Men, coming in from their cares and 
 labor, want a little time to prepare. If the 
 ladies would occupy the first half hour, their 
 husbands and brothers would then, probably, 
 be ready for action. Why should they not ? 
 
298 Hints to Ministers. 
 
 It is the most important part of the meeting, 
 as it gives shape and temper to what is to fol- 
 low. A spirited beginning is a great acquisi- 
 tion for a prayer meeting. 
 
 But, do you say, "I have no voice, I cannot 
 speak ? " If that be true, you are excusable. 
 But do you not speak clearly and forcibly on 
 other occasions ? Few seem to be wanting in 
 voice at the sociable, or in private life. Per- 
 haps you plead the want of courage. Most 
 people are troubled in this respect, some more, 
 some less. But that will come by practice. In 
 other cases, where your courage fails, you brace 
 yourself and say, " I will not be afraid, I will 
 do my duty." Why should you not take the 
 same course in regard to speaking ? It will 
 bring you deliverance. 
 
 Bemember that you have a talent that the 
 cause of God needs, just where you are. Some 
 sinner is waiting to hear your voice in expostu- 
 lation or prayer ; you are God's appointed agent 
 to him. If you neglect your duty, he may be 
 lost forever. 0, my sister, take up the cross, 
 and speak out ! Possibly you think that you 
 have not religion enough, and it may be so ; 
 but this is the way to get more. Spiritual ac- 
 
Of Other Christian Workers. 299 
 
 activity brings joy and peace in believing. 
 Unto every one that hath — (has improved his 
 talent) — shall be given, and he shall have 
 abundance ; but from him that hath not (who 
 hideth his talent), shall be taken away even 
 that which he hath." (Mat. xxv. 25.) Then, 
 open your mouth for God. 
 
 " Who dares stand idle on the harvest plain, 
 While all around her waves the golden grain, 
 And every servant hears the Master say, 
 Go, work to-day ? " 
 
 " Toil on, faint not, keep watch and pray ; 
 
 Be wise, the erring soul to win ; 
 Go forth into the world's highway, 
 
 Compel the wanderer to come in. 
 Toil on, and in thy toil rejoice ; 
 
 For toil comes rest, for exile, home ; 
 Soon shalt thou hear the Bridgroom's voice, 
 
 The midnight peal, Behold I come ! " 
 
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