Hints to self-educated ministers

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Preface

This work has been written at the suggestion of itinerant preachers, whose opportunities for preparatory 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 practical, covering the whole ground from actual experience, and speaking kind and encouraging words to unfortunate 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 respective 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 audience, 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 useful to them. We commend it to the charitable forbearance 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

§ 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 Different 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 Public 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 Propose to Speak More or Less in Public. 278 § The Mission of Woman in this Connection 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.

"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 congregations, before he is divinely called to execute the same, and that call has been recognized by the authorities 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 accrediting 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 professions. 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 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 injunctions to Timothy were, "Give attendance to reading," 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 necessary, 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 knowledge 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 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 wisdom, 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 reputation will suffer, his usefulness decline, and his com* 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 altogether, 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, acquire 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 theology requiring four years earnest study for its completion, and which, if thoroughly mastered, will prepare 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 composing 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 America, at least three local preachers were here preaching 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 important suggestions, concerning their reading and studies, the method of preparing and delivering sermons, 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 considerable 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 exhortation, 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 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 enterprise, 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 Baptist. 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 men, and classes of men for particular purposes, 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 business, and the salvation of souls the grand object 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 of Christy he says : " Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man, in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfeet in Christ Jesus, whereunto I also labor, striving according to His working which worketh 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 exhort, and rebuke, with all authority " (chap, ii. 14, 15).

Acting on this understanding of their commission, 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.

Failure in ministers often comes of diversion. They lose sight of the proper object of preaching, 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 vindication 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 discipline, "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 likely to succeed. To be wasting his opportunities on other subjects, such as are frequently 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 intercedes — 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 intention 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'

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 therefore 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 ministers 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 requires 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 precision. He is sovereign, and appoints His own representatives, to please Himself, irrespective 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 acquiescence 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 inconsiderable agreement. All who are called, we believe, love God devoutly. They admire His character, government, and plan of salvation, and desire 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 garments. 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 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 possess 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 conviction made upon the heart by the Holy Spirit.

But where one is really called, it will be manifested by collateral evidence. Others will 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, sitting 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 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 insisted 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 constrained 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 meetings 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 acknowledged 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 ready utterance, tact, and, especially, success in doing good, have great weight in deciding this question. " Fruit " is particularly convincing. 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 correspondingly 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 breaking through much opposition he did so, convincing all who heard him that he was not deceived. 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 preposterous. 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.

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 under 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 portion of mankind to continuance in moral darkness.

Methodism owes much to its bold independence in this particular. God fortunately delivered John Wesley, its real founder, from some 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 salvation by faith? And has God given them any degree of utterance ? Do they speak justly, readily, clearly ?

3. Have they fruit ? Are any truly convinced 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 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 perpetuity. 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 respectable 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 active 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.