The duty and the discipline of extemporary preaching

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Preface To The First Edition

On looking over my completed work I feel that it argument and recommendations are so presented as almost to assume the character of a chapter of Mental Autobiography. This has been done to a far greater extent than was contemplated in the forecast of the book. I find in fact that I have given but little heed to the proverbial caution, if I may be allowed a reference to it here, against admitting spectators behind the scenes; and which ought to be observed most carefully when the indiscretion to be guarded against is that of revealing what passes behind the scenes of a man's own mind. But I shall not regret having neglected it, if by so doing I shall have been enabled to impart to the treatment of my subject some of that kind of interest, which it could not have possessed, had it been dealt with in an abstract and impersonal form. Perhaps, also, it will be better that what I submit to the consideration of my brethren in the Sacred Ministry, should not be set forth didactically, but as the experience of a brother Minister of the Word. At all events, whatever may be the estimate viii

Preface To The First Edition. IX

put on mj specific recommendations, most people will, I suppose, agree witli me in thinking that it would be of advantage to the Church that some effort be made, and that is mj aim, to improve the delivery of the spoken Word.

I take this opportunity to say that in the Notes and Studies of Sermons, which form the latter part of the volume, I had but one object in view — that of illustrating in some particulars my previous remarks on Preaching. In selecting the Sermons that seemed suitable for this purpose from those I preached during the time I was engaged in writing the first part of the book, I passed by all that were of a purely doctrinal character, because I shrank from dissecting, and from regarding, in a rhetorical light, the treatment of the most sacred of all subjects.

Many are asking how the efficiency of the Church may be so increased as to enable her to meet the peculiar and pressing difficulties of the times. No one would think of limiting the reply to any single measure, or recommendation. The following pages endeavor to direct attention to what I would beg permission to call a more instructed, and if so, then a more fruitful use of the oldest and most necessary of all the means that have been committed to the Church for enabling her to propagate the Faith.

Wlierstead Vicarage, Oct. 1, 1866.

Preface To The Second Edition

Several readers of the first edition of this work have asked what proportion of the Clergy I suppose capable of becoming Extemporary Preachers ? This may mean, either what proportion of the existing body of the Clergy, many of whom, of course, are now incapacitated in one way or another for making the attempt ; or it may mean what proportion of another generation who may be supposed to enter Holy Orders with the knowledge that they must, if possible, preach in this manner, and, therefore, who will all make the attempt to satisfy public opinion on the point. I have heard this question answered by another. Every Barrister acquires the power of speaking in public, and as the education of the two Professions is the same, why should not every clergyman ? This is not a complete reply, because in respect of the point in question the two cases are not precisely similar, l^o one becomes a Barrister who supposes that he has any disqualification for speaking in public; while many who believe, with or without reason, that they labor under disqua^lifications of this kind enter Holy Orders.

Preface To The Second Edition. XI

Besides tlie subjects the Clergyman has to handle are much more difficult to speak upon than the matters of fact on which the Barrister founds his addresses. And the style, too, of speaking required of the Clergyman, demands more accuracy of expression, more smoothness, and more jfinish. Against this, however, we may set, for what it is worth, the consideration that the pulpit the Clergyman must enter every Sunday supplies to him, from the beginning of his career, more constant opportunities for practice than the bar does to young Barristers. And in large parishes, there are many occasions, and in pJl some, besides the regular Sunday Sermons, upon which addresses of one kind or another are now required from a Clergyman.

But I would ask any one of my reverend brethren, who may be disposed to take a lower estimate than I do of the capacity in this respect of the Clergy, to call over mentally the muster-roll of the Incumbents of the Deanery to which he belongs, considering, as he goes along, what kind of a Preacher each would probably have become had he through several years (and in this matter little can be done in a year or two) set himself resolutely to the task of acquiring the mastery of his general subject, and of the particular subject of each discourse, together v/ith a proper understanding of the best way of presenting what he has to say to the minds of the congregation. Whoever will make this survey of his neighbors, will, I think, come to the

Xll PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

conclusion that in the case of almost every individual, something far better than his present power of delivering the Word would have been attained. In some, of course, this point would be very far in advance of what it would be in others ; and some would require a much shorter time to reach it than others ; but, in every case, the gains would presumably be very great. Ko one would doubt that it would be so in writing. But as speaking is the most natural method of communicating thought and feeling, while writing is, if not an artificial method, at all events a less natural one, I believe that every one who has become, or who would have become, a moderately good writer, which is the alternative supposed, would with the same amount of pains, I cannot but think a less amount, have becom.e a moderately good speaker. We must suppose a considerable amount of pains taken, because a Clergyman, with a view to properly qualifying himself for his sacred office of delivering the Word of God, cannot give himself less trouble than artists, barristers, literary men, or those who belong to any secular occupation do, to perfect themselves in the work of their professions or trades. If then this were begun early and resolutely persevered in, I believe the cases would be very few in which the Clergyman would fail in the power of grasping his subject with sufficient firmness, and of expressing with sufficient correctness and readiness what he had firmly

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. Xlll

grasped, for a discourse of half an hour. There is no question in these pages except of Clergymen who endeavor conscientiously to do their duty; it is, therefore, conceded that the writer of Sermons goes on year after year taking pains with the composition of his sermons, and doing this part of his work to the best of his ability. Imagine then, that instead of these pains having been bestowed on writing only, he had labored with equal honesty and perseverance at the other method of preparation and delivery; and whatever success would have attended him as a writer, would also, I presume, and generally to a higher degree, have attended him as a speaker.

I remember having been told by the present Bishop of British Columbia, (he was then incumbent of Great Yarmouth) that he had up to that time engaged twenty-seven curates — he kept what might be called a corps of six — and that in engaging each, he had stipulated for a certain amount of Extemporary Preaching. The rule was that the new comer was to commence with school-room expositions, and week-day lectures; and that after some months of this preliminary work he must preach without book once on the Sunday. Dr. Hills had found that in every case of this large number of curates, no matter what the man's antecedents, or disposition, or habits ; no matter how timid, or studious, or unstudious, he might have been, the

XIV PREPACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

desired result had been attained. The man became capable of speaking in public. In this matter, I would not, however, apply the iron rule the incumbent of Great Yarmouth did, and with such complete success. Perhaps it would be better that public opinion should ' require of every Minister of the Word (a point towards which I think we are moving) that he should endeavor to the best of his ability, to attain to the most effective method of addressing a congregation on the things that belong unto their salvation. If, under such a state of things, one out of three should fail to attain his direct object, still he will have received no injury, either morally or intellectually, from having made the attempt; and the Church will be a very great gainer from the success of the other two.

One word more. We are obliged to presume that every youth who is admitted to Holy Orders, is already qualified for preaching the Word. At all events, it is our practice to exact it indiscriminately from all from the day of their ordination. This may be, and probably is, under the circumstances of the case, a necessity. It may also be really the wisest thing to do — to set the young Minister to work to learn this part of his duty in the best way for learning any thing, that is by doing it. A main part of the aim of the following pages is to convince the understanding and the conscience of those about to seek, or who have lately

Chapter I. My Own Motives And Reasons For Preaching Ex Tempore

SOME OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED.

SECTION. PAGE.

1. Object and plan of the work 1

2. Why confined to tlie writer's personal experience ... 2

3. Difficulties of sermon-writing at the beginning of my

clerical life. My first year 3

4. The six following years 5

5 — 7. Become persuaded that it would be better to preach

ex tempore, than to read written sermons .... 6

8. Reasons that weighed with me. Sermons often spoken

disparagingly of. Not so with other kinds of public speaking 9

9. Fondness for hearing public speaking a characteristic of

European civilization 10

10. Why so 11

11. The advantages the preacher possesses for public

speaking 12

12. Good preachers would be of much service to the Church 13 13 — 16. Shown by the history of the Church ib.

17. The Minister of the Word cannot be, what he ought to be,

a Teacher, unless he be able to speak in public . . IG

18. This his speciality; for good moral character is required

of the laity as well as of the clergy 18

19. Its utility to the clergy at vestry and other parochial and

public meetings 21

20. Useful also as it enables them to give lectures .... 22

2* xvii

XVlll CONTENTS.

SECTION. PAGE.

21. Of more use to our Clergy than to the Priest of the Church

of Eorae or Dissenting Ministers 23

22. We should acquire this power out of consideration for

the Avishes of our parishioners 25

23. Not an answer, that the Church does not formally require

this of the Clergy 27

24 — 26. Why we must consider the wants and wishes of the

lower classes 29

27. How the question — Which is best, to read written ser-

mons, or to preach ex tempore ? ought to be put . . 33

28. Extemporary Preaching secures continuous study and

improvement 35

29. As it presupposes writing, it will also secure accuracy . 88

30. This is the natural and most impressive method of delivery 39

31. Answer to the objection, that it is an offei-ing which

costs nothing 41

32. And that it takes too much time. It is not learning a

sermon by rote, but mastering the subject .... 43

33. It is a security against verbal repetitions 44

34. It is too earnest and direct for some hearers .... 45

35. False inferences in favor of reading, from false analogies 46

36. The truePreacher very different from the popular Preacher 46

CHAPTEE II.

MY OWN METHOD OP ACQUIRING THE POWER OF PREACHING EX TEMPORE.

1. The method I adopted. How sermons for Extemporary

Preaching should be studied and composed ... 49

2. Necessity of previous study and composition .... 51

3. Sermons Avritten for reading proved quite unfit for Ex-

temporary Preaching, 54

4. Advisable to prepare MSS. for Extemporary Preaching on

all Scriptures upon which one would wish to preach 55

5. Result of twelve years' experience. The Extemporary

Preacher will never preach the same sermon twice . 56

6. The cMef difficulty is to make the first eff"ort .... 58

7. What*feelings harder to bear than the distress of having

to speak ex tempore 60

CONTENTS. XIX

SECTION. PAGE.

8. In some cases Exposition may be used as training for Ex-

temporary Preaching 60

9. Reflections and hints on the actual practice of Extemporary

Preaching suggested. The years 1854, 1855, 185G . 64

11. The same year continued 71

CHAPTEE III.

SOME REMARKS ON THE COMPOSITION OP SERMONS.

1. Composition of sermons — their effectiveness depends

upon it 78

2 — 3. They must, first of all, be vertebrate compositions . ib 4 To be regarded as works of art of a high order . . .79

5. Must have unity of purpose 80

6, What better in sermons than natural eloquence ... . 82 7 — 10, Respective claims of ordinary phraseology and that

of our English Bible 83

11. Openings of sermons will generally be composed last . . 87

12, Further remarks on the opening sentence 88

13 — 15. Concluding sentence difficult, and of different kinds ib

16, What to be avoided in conclusions 90

17. Uniformity of plan to be avoided. How. Announcement

of divisions to be avoided 92

18, Repetition of ideas to be avoided 93

19. Exhortation necessary — in what it consists 94

20. Light and shade necessary 96

21, 22. Correct emphasis. Natural in speaking, diflacult in

reading ib

CHAPTER IV.

SOME REMARKS ON THE AIMS AND SURJEOTS OF SERMONS.

1. Subjects and aims of Modern Preaching. Several epochs

in the history of the Church. Each has its own distinctive character 102

2. The character of the age must be attended to. The safe-

guard provided against carrying this to an extreme. 102

XX CONTENTS.

SECTION. PAGE.

3. How Christ is all in all in the Word. He must be so to

the Preacher 105

4. It would be mischievous, if it were possible, to revive a

bygone epoch 106

5. Sermons must not be regarded as Confessions of Faith . 109

6. Nor, on the other hand, as mere Bridgewater Treatises,

or moral essays Ill

7. How the preacher must regard the increased scientific

knowledge and the historical and Biblical criticism

of the present day Ill

8. He must consider the change in the relation of the intel-

ligence of the congregation to that of the preacher . 113

9. Also the enlargement of the means of instruction . . .114

10. These" changes suggest the justice of some of the common

complaints against sermons 114

11. Aims of ditFerent kinds of preachers. Those who aim at

strictly theological instruction. Those who take wider views 115

12. Those who aim at awakening religious emotion . . .116

13. Those Avho regard sermons as a department of the Belles

Lettres 117

14. Those who disparage sermons 118

15. Those who regard sermons as a part of the service.

Those who regard them as a part of their duty • .119

CHAPTER V.

SOME REMARKS ON THE PLACE ASSIGNED TO PREACHING IN THE WORD OF GOD, AND IN OUR SERVICE.

1. The place assigned to preaching in the Word. First in

the Old Dispensation 120

2. Then in the New . 122

3. Preacher, how far synonymous with prophet .... 123

4. The want of preachers still, and always will be, great . 124

5. Answer to the disparaging remark, that people do not go

to Church to hear sermons, but to pray 127

6. And that hearing sermons is inferior to praying . . . 128

7. A cause for these objections

The fault of giving sermons too prominent a place in the

service . 130

CONTENTS. XXI

SECTION. PAGE.

8. Proper length of sermons. Bad effects of making them

too long 131

9. Modern failure in making the Church attractive . . .133

10. The fault not in human nature, which, as all history

shows, has a strong instinct for united worship . . 133

11. Nor in Christianity 136

12. Those who are repelled, say it is because what is pre-

sented to them is not so much a religion as a form . 137

13. This intelligible, and not unreasonable or irreligious . .138

14. Christianity, as presented by Jesus Christ and the Apostle

to the Gentiles, had power to convert the world . . 139

15. The satisfying plenteousness of God's house, as appre-

hended by the Psalmist 140

16. The excellence of our form of public worship, as compared

with those services which make too much of preaching 141

17. And with those which disparage it 142

18. How the different factors of a religious service are bal-

anced in our Liturgy . 143

19. The effect of this admirable service may be weakened

through faults in those who conduct it 144

20. The high and responsible duty of the Minister of the

Word in this matter 144

NOTES FOE SIX SERMOK"S.

WITH OBSERVATIONS UPON EACH.

The object of giving these sermons, and of the observations that accompany them, is to illustrate what has been said in the previous part of the work upon the composition of sermons, and upon the way in which the modern preacher should treat his subject.

SERMOISr I.

Isaiah xxviii. 10. — Here a little, and there a little . . . .151 Observations on the foregoing Sermon • 162

XXll CONTENTS.

SERMON 11.

2 Corinthians xi. 23— 27.— What we are to seek in life . . 168 Observations on the foregoing Sermon 179

SERMON III.

Luke xi. 24 — 26. — The return of the unclean spirit 185

SERMON IV.

Acts X. 1, 2. — The Centurion of Ceesarea 196

SERMON V.

Matthew viii. 10, 13 — The Centurion of Capernaum . . . 215 Observations on the foregoing Sermon 224

SERMON YI.

Luke iii. 10 — 14. — The sense of sin and the sense of duty

lead to Faith 227

SIX SHORT STUDIES FOR SERMONS.

STUDY I.

Deuteronomy vii. 6, 7. — God has important work for the least

among us 245

STUDY II.

Deuteronomy xii. 8. — Some limitations to self-will .... 248

CONTENTS. XXm

STUDY III.

Psalm cvi. 14, 15. — We tempt God by our desires .... 250

STUDY IV.

John xviii. 38.— What is truth ? 253

STUDY V.

James ii. 10. — The offender in one point 258

STUDY YL

1 John iv. 8. — God is revealed to us by our hearts .... 260

OB" EXTEMPORARY PREACHmG.

I DO not propose to write in the follow- ^- O^^ject

and plan of

ing pages a treatise upon Preacliing, for the work. many treatises have already been written on this subject, without, I believe, proving of the use their writers contemplated. A failure of this kind might have been anticipated, from the fact that the writer of a treatise endeavors to take a complete view of his subject, and therefore devotes a large part of his work to what has little or no connection with the circumstances of the times and the wants of his readers. Both my object and my method of procedure will be different from those of the writer of a treatise. I shall limit myself to the aim of submitting to those among my clerical brethren who read their sermons, first some considerations in favor of Extemporary Preaching, and then a method by which in many instances the power of Extemporary Preaching may be attained even by those who may not make the at-

A EXTEMPORARY PREACHING.

tempt to acquire it till middle life has been reached. In doing this I shall have to offer some suggestions on the composition and aims of sermons, and to touch upon some other matters connected with mj subject. 2. Why In carrying; out my plan I shall only

confined to ./ o v' r j

the writer's speak of those questions which I found my-

personal

experience, sclf Called upon to solve, and of those difficulties with which I was myself confronted, in my efforts to carry out what I am about to recommend to others. Every body must feel repugnance to speak about himself, particularly on such a subject ; and I trust that my readers, before we part company, will have come to understand why I am setting myself to do what I should have as much disinclination for as any of themselves, had I not what I consider a sufficient motive. I know that in what I shall have to say about myself there is nothing of any interest or importance to make it worth repeating for its own sake; and if I had not in view an object which I think it very desirable to promote, and which 1 thmk may be promoted in this way, I should not have a word to say about any thing I thought or attempted. People who are entering on any course will generally find something serviceable in the experience of those who have gone before; and what the events and thoughts of the day have brought one clergyman to feel, others may now be feeling more or less distinctly; and some, perhaps, may find that the course the writer of these pages adopted for carrying out his convictions may be pursued successfully by themselves. At all events, I trust that my way of treating the subject will save the reader from some useless discussions and unnecessary considerations.

I was ordained in the year 1840 to the 3- Difficulties of sercuracy of Andover, in Hampshire, a town mon writing

containing a population of between four ning of my

1 n ,x, 1 ,.,. p clei'ical life.

and nve tnousand souls, inclusive oi two or jyj ^^.g^^ three outlying hamlets, in one of which y^^'^- was a chapel of ease to the church in the town. But I confine myself to the subject of Preaching. Two sermons were required of me each Sunday. I began this part of my work, as I suppose was generally the case at that time, perfectly unprepared. I had not a single written sermon; nor had I ever attempted to write one, or in any way given the subject of sermon-writing a thought. I had supposed that, as I had some fondness for literary pursuits, I should find no difficulty in doing this part of my work. So I had thought. In the first week, however, I discovered that I was greatly mistaken. An historical or critical essay, of such calibre as might be expected from one of my years, or a copy of Latin verses, would have been an easier task for me than writing a sermon proved to be. At the time, I thought this was to be attributed to want of familiarity with my subject, and with the style of composition it required.

The experience, however, of twentj-five years has shown me that I was only partially right in this supposition. I now know that sermon-writing requires a greater variety of qualifications than perhaps any other kind of composition, and is therefore proportionately difficult. A sermon, just like all other literary work that is presented to the attention of the public, demands a certain amount of literary skill. This should never be wanting; and educated people have a right to complain when they find a clergyman undertaking the office of a public teacher and preacher without this indispensable requisite. But besides this it is necessary that he should possess a considerable amount of logical acumen, because every sermon may be regarded as the preacher's exposition of a portion of what has come to be a very complicated system of theology — of a system, at all events, which is controverted at every point. Another requirement is some acquaintance with what is understood by the term human nature, because the preacher has to deal with man's feelings and instincts, and with the secret springs of conduct, both with what is degrading and defiling, and with his purest and highest aspirations. A certain amount also of eloquence, or at least of the power of so speaking as to secure the attention, is requisite; for a sermon is an address to a present audience for the very purpose of moving and persuading them. I may also add, that

EXTEMPORARY PREACHIXG. 5

if the preacher be unacquainted with the many very important questions arising out of the recent enlargements of our historical, critical, philological, and scientific knowledge, questions which are ever being discussed in society, he will adopt a tone in his preaching which will necessarily fail to conciliate the attention of the most thoughtful and best informed of his congregation. When I commenced sermon-writing, I was but scantily provided with any of these qualifications, and wholly unprovided with some of them ; and, as I had to produce two sermons each week, it will not surprise any one that I found the task a very difiicult one, and one which I was only able to perform in a very unsatisfactory manner. I remained at Andover a year, and 4. The six

following

then removed to the joint curacies of tvfo years. small contiguous parishes in the neighborhood of Ipswich. In the year I was at Andover I managed by very hard work, to write nearly one hundred sermons; but I was so ashamed of them, that on going to my new curacy I destroyed them, thinking that after a year's practice I must be able to write something less unworthy of my subject. I remained in this double curacy for six years, having on each Sunday to perform one service in each parish. As the two villages were very close to each other, a part of my morning and afternoon congregations was composed of the same persons. During the time I remained in these

1* curacies I wrote three hundred sermons. I then became Incumbent of one of these two parishes, that of Wherstead. 5. Become I ]iad now been seven years in Holy

persuaded

that it would Orders; all that time I had labored

be better to . .

preacli ex- nonestly at sermon -writing, and had

tcTSad'wVi^ thought much on the subject; but my ten sermons, thought, labor, and experience, had only brought me to the conclusion, that to hear written sermons read was unprofitable to the congregation, and that to read such sermons was very unsatisfactory to the Minister. In short, I had come to regard reading written sermons as labor almost entirely thrown away. Sunday after Sunday the same thoughts and feelings recurred to me. As I prepared for the service, while I was in the pulpit, and as, when the service was over, I returned from the church, there would come into my mind the thought, What wretched work these sermons are ! I was sure the congregation took but little interest in them; and so that the benefit derived from them could only be indirect, and very small. I thought that they might perhaps keep up and possibly sometimes add a little to the knowledge of the hearer; but that this, if done, might be said to be done against his will, for I saw clearly enough that no one was intent on what was read. My thoughts and reflections on this subject invariably brought me to the same conclusion.

EXTEMPORARY PREACHING. i

tliat there was but one remedy for this unsatisfactory way of going on, and that was to preach to the people, and not to read to them.

I became so convinced of the unprofitableness ^• of reading written sermons, that I ceased to write any more, and for the six following years the time I had hitherto given to sermon-writing I spent otherwise. This of course only made the sermons I continued to read still more unprofitable to the congregation, and still more irksome to myself, for we cannot take any interest in what we think slightingly of. My convictions, however, as to the remedy were growing into a practical form, or rather my convictions as to the certainty of the remedy were forcing me to devise some method for applying it. I put it in this way because I was well aware that I did not possess any of that readiness either of thought or of language which are necessary for extemporary speaking, and that my somewhat studious life had aggravated my natural deficiencies in these respects. I was what is called a nervous man; and having now reached my thirty-eighth year without ever having addressed to any audience half-a-dozen words except what was down in writing before me, the difficulties of carrying out what I saw to be right had appeared to me quite insuperable. Still I had gone on arguing with myself — " It is the right thing to do, and therefore it ought to be attempted at all hazards and inconveniences. JSTo matter how disagreeable it may be, no matter what the amount of labor it may entail upon me, as it is the right thing to do, I must do it." I recall these difficulties that lay in my own path that any one of my brethren who may be supposing that insuperable difficulties are lying in his path, may be encouraged to think, that if he will honestly and perseveringly endeavor to overcome them, he will in the end succeed. I believe that very few will have greater difficulties to contend with than the writer of these pages had. If I had any advantage at all, it was that the practice I had had in writing would, to a great extent, save me from glaring inaccuracies of expression, and to some extent also from bad logic. But these are advantages which are not to be gained exclusively by the practice of writing; many who have written much, express themselves badly and are bad reasoners; and many who have never written any thing, express themselves correctly and reason well.