vi. 63); and the pastor who makes this Divine book his chief study has

a mind filled, not with the feeble, evanescent thoughts of man, but with the quickening, eternal thoughts of God. The difference is world-wide between a sermon filled with God's thoughts and delivered as God's Word--a Divine message to men--and one which is a philosophical discourse wrought out of the preacher's own mind, and resting its authority on the mere force of human reasoning; and this difference is not simply in the unspeakably greater power of the former to stir and save the souls of the hearers, but also in the ever-increasing power of the preacher in sermon preparation, arising from the absolute inexhaustibleness of the materials for such a sermon. Some able and laborious men early exhaust themselves and fail of richness and power in the pulpit because their sermons are spun out of their own brain rather than from God's Word. They draw from the finite instead of the infinite fountain, and the waters necessarily fail. 2. A rich personal religious experience. All hearts are essentially alike, and he will best know other hearts who most truly knows his own. The power of a pastor depends largely on his knowledge of the heart and its experiences under the influences of the Gospel. This is more than a knowledge of human nature as delineated in Shakespeare and works of fiction, valuable as this is; it is a knowledge of the human soul under the power of sin and of the Holy Spirit, as its experiences are delineated in the Bible and in the religious life and are realized in his own soul. 3. An intimate acquaintance with the religious state of the individuals composing his own congregation in their special tendencies, temptations, and experiences. Almost every religious conversation will suggest new topics of living interest for sermons. 4. Habitual reading of the best religious authors, especially works on theology, exegesis, and experimental religion. 5. A careful preservation of texts, subjects, trains of thought, and illustrations, by noting them down as they occur. These are continually presenting themselves in the social meeting, in pastoral visits, in reading, and in reflection. No man can afford to lose these. They should be preserved to enrich and make effective the work of the pulpit, and so preserved as to be readily utilized; for one may have large accumulations of such materials, but if they are not grouped under appropriate headings and made easily accessible, they may be comparatively useless, because eluding the search at the moment of need.

The subjects of the sermon have been divided into the doctrinal, the experimental, and the practical; but, in preaching, the end is usually best attained by blending these, or rather by presenting each truth in an experimental and practical manner. This division, however, is correct, as made according to the dominant, leading idea of the sermon.

1. _Doctrinal sermons._ Much is said in regard to preaching Christ, and not doctrine. But how is it possible to preach Christ apart from doctrine? Christ is not an abstraction, but a living, personal Being. If, then, we preach Him, we must preach His Divinity, His humanity, and His mediatorship between God and man. If we preach what He has done, we must declare His humiliation, His death, and the atonement He has therein made for sin. If we preach Him as He is, we must proclaim His enthronement in heaven, His intercession with the Father, and His Headship of the church, with all the laws and ordinances He has instituted for it. And if we preach Him as He shall be, we must affirm the final triumph of His Gospel, His second coming, the resurrection and the judgment, and the glory to which He will raise His people with Himself. It is not possible to preach Christ apart from doctrine; for His incarnation and vicarious death presuppose the Fall and depravity and guilt of men, and the need of regeneration, justification, and sanctification; and His resurrection and glorification equally involve the resurrection and glorification of His church. All the doctrines of Scripture thus center in Christ, and we preach Him only as we preach them. Here, therefore, is the true power of the pulpit. Only as the sermon lodges these great truths in the soul is it a living force for the salvation of men. They constitute the sole foundation of genuine experience and practical appeal. A merely hortatory ministry is of necessity a failure, since it lays no basis for experience and Christian life in the convictions of the people. In presenting the doctrines the following cautions should be observed: (1.) Beware of doctrinal one-sidedness. Every mind has its special theological tendencies; there is thus danger of pushing a single truth, or a class of truths, into too great relative prominence. A one-sided and, in its whole impression, a false view of the Gospel may in this way be presented. Seek rather to unfold a well-proportioned system of truth, where every doctrine is not only true in itself, but also stands in its just relations, alike of position and prominence, to all other truths. For it is possible, while preaching nothing but the truth, to put a truth in such false relations as to give it practically all the effect of error. (2.) Avoid, ordinarily, the controversial form in presenting subjects; its tendency is to put the mind of the hearer in an attitude of antagonism. Indeed, a controversial sermon, however well reasoned, will often suggest more doubts than it removes. Doubtless, controversy is sometimes necessary, as in defense of some imperiled truth or principle; but the controversial form, as an ordinary characteristic of preaching, is most seriously to be deprecated. (3.) A dry, formal, metaphysical method is also to be carefully avoided; it is entirely unadapted to a popular assembly. The sermon is not a theological essay; and the preacher, therefore, in dealing with hungry souls, should ever remember, as John Newton suggests, the important distinction between bones and meat.

2. _Experimental Sermons._ Here it is vitally important to make a clear discrimination between the genuine and the spurious in religious experience. The welfare and comfort of souls depend much on this, but it is one of the most delicate and difficult parts of a pastor's work. Experimental preaching is sometimes decried as tending to turn the minds of the people inward upon their own hearts, rather than upward upon Christ, and as thus creating a habit of morbid introspection and weakening the power of Christian hope and Christian life. Undoubtedly, there is a real danger of this where the preaching is predominantly of this character; and a pastor, especially if his own spiritual tendency is intensely subjective, must be on his guard lest he present this side of truth in undue proportion, and thus hinder instead of helping the souls of his charge. But no minister should fail to preach experimental sermons; for nothing is more obvious than the large place experience has in Scripture, and the urgency and frequency of its exhortations to self-examination. Self-knowledge is of primary moment, and the pulpit should be helpful to this. The presentation of objective truth, apart from the subjective, tends to self-deception and ends in Antinomianism. The Bible is wonderfully rich and full in its delineation of character; and a careful study of these Divine pictures of life will greatly aid in the work of skillful discrimination. The Psalms, the Prophets, the Gospels, and the Epistles abound in statements defining true and false experience, discriminating between "the works of the flesh" and "the fruit of the Spirit." Such books also as Edwards on _The Affections,_ Fuller on _The Backslider,_ Doddridge's _Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul,_ and Hodge's _Way of Life_ are of value, often suggesting important lines of discrimination. Added to these, the study of his own heart and an intimate knowledge of the experience and character of his people will prove eminently helpful to the minister in such sermons. On this I suggest: (1.) The spiritual principles by which the true and false experience may be distinguished should be made clear and distinct. A common fault in such discourses is that they state and insist on certain exercises as characteristic of Christian experience, but do not show why they are so. The hearers are not put in possession of the principle which makes such characteristics essential. Or there is a denunciation of certain exercises as not Christian without developing the principle which demonstrates their spuriousness. (2.) Avoid any attempt to make all experiences fit into the same mold. Religious experience has endless diversity in form, while yet in all persons it has certain well-defined common characteristics. The consciousness and acknowledgment of sin as the one hope of acceptance, the trust of the soul in Christ, the submission of the will in a complete self-surrender to God, then will appear with greater or less distinctness in all regenerate souls. Thus also, in the experiences of the Christian there is endless variety in form, in special doubts and fears, special temptations, special tendencies to sin, special manifestations of self-will, pride, self-righteousness, and self-indulgence; and in like manner faith and love, hope and joy, and every Christian exercise have various forms of manifestation in different souls. Here, then, the point to be emphasized is that, in discriminating between the true and the false in religious experience, the thing of vital moment is the _nature_ of the exercise, and not the form or manner of its manifestation. (3.) It seems hardly necessary to add that frequent reference to self, as setting up one's own experience as a standard, is not only in bad taste, but is also of bad tendency as directing from the true standard found alone in God's Word.

3. _Practical Sermons._ The symmetry and beauty of Christian character, and the consequent power of Christian life, much depend on the wisdom and fidelity with which the pulpit presents the duties of religion. The New Testament reveals a sublime system of Christian morals which, clearly unfolded and properly pressed, will elevate and ennoble the life of the church. Here the pulpit has one of its widest and noblest fields of effort. The education of the Christian conscience is one of its primary and most imperative functions; for an orthodox creed and a regenerate heart may be very possible where, from lack of moral instruction and culture, the life is sadly defective. The soul is indeed regenerated, but the new life is not developed in the conscience by the enlightening of the moral judgment and quickening of the moral sensibilities. True ideals of Christian living have not been formed, and the outward character, instead of being a magnet radiant with the beauty of holiness and attracting men to Christ, is marred by moral blemishes which reproach the Gospel and repel men from Christ. The widespread demoralization of late in business life, manifest, too often even among Christian men, in the absence of integrity and of fidelity to trust, should at least suggest the question whether the pulpit has adequately set forth and enforced the morality of the Gospel. I suggest the following hints: (1.) In presenting a duty the grounds of its obligation should be clearly unfolded, that the conscience, thus enlightened, may be awakened to full power in pressing its discharge. No permanent obedience will be secured until the conscience distinctly perceives the ground of obligation or the moral principles on which the duty rests; nor does the performance of the duty, apart from this clear recognition of the moral grounds of it, serve to purify and elevate the character. It is the enthronement of an ethical principle within the conscience, and not the mere blind performance of an outward act, which enlarges and ennobles the man. (2.) The motives urged should be evangelical, not legal, drawn from the Christian's relations to Christ, appealing not to fear only or chiefly, but to love. The moral helplessness of a Christian soul, when acting under the impulsion only of legal fear, is vividly portrayed by Paul in the seventh chapter of Romans, where with graphic power he depicts his own fruitless strivings for the good when impelled by the law, and the utter defeat and despair to which he was reduced. Christ alone is the life, and only faith in Him brings victory to any soul in the conflict with sin. His character is the great ideal set before a Christian soul, and His love the impulsive force in seeking to realize it: "The love of Christ constraineth us" (2 Cor. v. 14). A true Christian life is the outflow of grateful, adoring love to Him. Motives drawn from the soul's relations to Him, therefore, alone move the Christian heart and have permanent power to impel to God and holiness. (3.) Ministerial fidelity doubtless requires a plain presentation of duties and a fearless exposure of sin, but it is seldom wise to employ the style of denunciation. A cheap reputation for boldness and fidelity is sometimes thus obtained among the unthinking, but most men know that at this day denunciation from the pulpit requires no moral courage and will be likely to regard it as a sensational bid for popularity. True boldness shows itself not so much in the manner as in the matter of the sermon. It consists in exposing clearly and fearlessly popular forms of error and wrong, and applying to them, in all plainness and sincerity, the principles of the Gospel. Here, while real boldness in manner should never be wanting, true persuasiveness in manner should always be preserved, thus avoiding needless irritation.

In the selection of subjects, I suggest: (1.) The subject should be, as far as possible, adapted to the existing state of the people. This requires an intimate, vital relation between the life of the pastor and the actual living of the people, for the isolated recluse will waste much of his pulpit work on subjects which do not touch the real experiences and life of his hearers. (2.) Every subject should be selected with earnest prayer for Divine guidance. God alone knows what are the real needs of those who will hear; and a theme thus chosen is delivered with authority as a message from Him, for a sermon is a growth with the preacher's soul, possessing vitality and power as the product of the Holy Spirit; and when thus obtained from God by the inworking of the Spirit, it becomes to the hearers a Divine message such as should be borne by "ambassadors for Christ."

EXPOSITION.

This method of preaching has of late years gone into disuse, partly because success in it is really difficult to attain, and partly because, the Bible having ceased to be the chief reading of the churches, the popular interest in exposition has decreased; but when rightly followed it has advantages, both to minister and people, beyond those of any other form of preaching.

ADVANTAGES TO THE PREACHER.--It promotes exegetical study and acquaintance with the original Scriptures, the neglect of which is fostered by an exclusively topical method. The process is an ever-enriching one, constantly widening the range of biblical and theological knowledge. It ensures against sameness. Instead of growing stale, the preacher becomes more rich and varied in his range of thought and illustration with every added year. It gives, moreover, familiarity with the forms of Scripture thought and expression, and thus adds simplicity and force in addressing the Christian heart. Above all, it brings the preacher's soul into constant, living communion with the spirit of the Bible, and the study becomes in this way a fountain of religious life ever flowing into his heart, and out of it into the hearts of the people.

ADVANTAGES TO THE CONGREGATION.--It is obvious that such a method of preaching would serve to remove many of the popular doubts and difficulties with the Bible which are at this day so greatly weakening its hold on the masses. It would enable the preacher to put before the people the results of modern historic, archæological, and geographical investigation which have thrown so great light on the Bible and so greatly confirm its truth. Such treatment of the Scriptures in the pulpit would also lead to a discriminating use of them, as well as familiarity with them, among the people It would necessarily develop the principles of interpretation, and thus educate the people in right methods of using the Bible, making it of far higher value to them. And, more than all, it would accustom Christians to rest their faith, not on the mere dogmas of the pulpit and the creed, but on the very words of God, and would furnish a basis of religious confidence which can never be shaken. The modern pulpit, from its neglect of the Bible, is singularly narrow, exhibiting little of the vast wealth and variety of Divine truth. It leaves by far the larger part of the Bible a sealed book. Its types, its poetry, its prophecies, its parables, its presentations, as in the Epistle to the Romans, of the truths of the Gospel in their connection as one grand, comprehensive system of salvation--how little of all this wealth of Scripture is presented in the pulpit! The result is, and must necessarily be, the absence of depth and fulness of Christian life in the church and the complaint of a loss of power in the pulpit.

HINTS ON METHOD.--1. The pastor should select for exposition such parts of Scripture as are susceptible of intelligent explanation to a promiscuous congregation. The symbolic visions of Ezekiel and of Revelation might awaken curiosity, but except under extraordinary circumstances could hardly be profitable for such an exercise. 2. Divide the selected portion into sections, each sufficient for a sermon, and as far as possible let each have a single general topic. This secures unity in the discourse. For example, the first chapter of the Sermon on the Mount might be divided thus:

I. Vs. 1-12. _The beatitudes:_ Happiness, its source not external, but internal; not material, but spiritual.

II. Vs. 13-16. _Relation of the disciples to the world:_ Christians God's medium of saving influence and spiritual knowledge among men.

III. Vs. 17-20. _Relation of Christ to the Old Testament:_ Christ not the destroyer, but the fulfiller, of the ancient law.

IV. Vs. 21-48. _The law as interpreted by Christ:_ Sin, not in the overt act only, but also in the secret thought.

1st example (vs. 21-26): The law of murder.

2d example (vs. 27-32): The law of adultery.

3d example (vs. 33-37): The law respecting oaths.

4th example (vs. 38-48): The law of retaliation.

The first three of the above divisions and the four examples under the fourth would each furnish a fitting passage for a sermon with a single and well-defined general theme. Much of Scripture is susceptible of equally distinct division, so that the preacher will rarely fail of unity in his discourse. 3. Develop the general theme by explaining the several parts of the passage, so as to unfold the special phase of the truth which the Holy Spirit there presents. Take, for example, Rom. v. 1-11. Here, in the progress of the apostle's argument, the general theme is: _The effects of justification by faith in the believer._ These effects are four: (1.) vs. 1, 2, the perfect adjustment of his relation to God. (2.) vs. 3-5, the transmuting of earthly trial into blessing. (3.) vs. 6-10, the absolute certainty of his eternal salvation. (4.) v. 11, a delight in the Divine character as God is revealed through Christ in the atonement. The several points made in the passage itself thus constitute the inspired development and illustration of the main theme and indicate the direction and method of the exposition. 4. Having thus developed the theme by an analysis and exposition of the passage, deduce the inferences as to doctrine and duty, and make a practical application to the heart and conscience. The inferential development is often very important, as affording manifold and vital applications of truth to character, to Christian experience and life, and to the various forms of error and sin. Nowhere is the value of expository preaching more manifest than in the wide range and the special power of its practical application. 5. Avoid in exposition verbal criticism, parade of learning, allusion to commentators, or reference to different views of the passage; it impairs the interest and weakens the moral effect. The critical apparatus should be carefully used in the study, but it has no place in the pulpit. It is mere scaffolding, which should disappear when the structure is finished. In the sermon the work of the study should appear, not in its processes, but only in its results. The citing of conflicting opinions on a passage will, as a general fact, only perplex the people. Ground your interpretation on thorough and conscientious study, and then present clearly and strongly the results. A doubting manner awakens doubt; and the pulpit, therefore, while avoiding an offensive dogmatism, should be positive in its presentations of God's Word. A good expository sermon costs far more labor than any other, but it is also of far higher value to preacher and hearer. Without thorough preparation no one should undertake exposition; for, superficially done, it is sure to fail. But success in this highest form of preaching is an achievement worthy of the preacher's highest effort and is of unspeakable importance. The mightiest pulpit power of Chrysostom and Augustine, of Luther and Calvin, was in their expository sermons. Chalmers and Andrew Fuller were powerful in exposition; and this form of the sermon is still a chief characteristic of the British pulpit, as illustrated in many of its most illustrious preachers. Dr. William M. Taylor, of the Broadway Tabernacle, New York, gives one sermon each Lord's Day to exposition, and makes it a blessing and power.

+FOOTNOTES:+ [1] _Task,_ b. ii.

+SECTION IV.+

SOCIAL DEVOTIONAL MEETINGS.

The practical success of a pastor greatly depends on the effectiveness of the social meetings, yet much tact and constant attention are required in conducting them. The impressions of the sermon here become deeper and often reach definite results in conversion, while here also the gifts and spiritual power of the church find development. The pastor who devotes himself only to the pulpit, and makes this department incidental, whatever he may become as a preacher, is likely to prove a pastoral failure.

I. THE PRAYER-MEETINGS.

In reference to these I offer the following suggestions: 1. The pastor himself should ordinarily conduct them if they are general meetings of the church; no other can so fully understand the condition of those present, or so wisely adapt the exercise to their needs. Besides, the instruction and spirit of the prayer-meeting should be kept in harmony with the teaching of the pulpit, so as to supplement it and develop its results; one mind, therefore, should direct and inspire both. Where the meeting is intended for a special class, as for the young people or for the Sunday-school teachers, it may be proper, if there is a suitable leader, for the pastor to be relieved and the care of it to be entrusted to another.

Careful preparation of thought, but of especially of spirit should be made for the meeting. No man should trust to the inspiration of the occasion either for the thought which shall give the keynote to the meeting or for the quickened spiritual life which, existing in the leader, shall touch and quicken the life of the church. 2. Be punctual in opening and closing at the appointed time; nothing so effectually secures a prompt attendance, and the neglect of it will prevent many from coming, especially females, because they cannot know how late may be the hour of dismission. 3. Be brief in your own exercises, showing yourself a pattern, and insist on brevity in others, whether in prayer, remarks, or singing. Let your opening remarks be suggestive rather than exhaustive, so that when you sit down the people, instead of feeling that all has been said, will find the subject opening before them and be inspired to carry out the thought into other phases and applications. 4. Avoid uniformity and monotony. To secure natural variety, give each meeting its own keynote, now of thanksgiving and praise, now of confession and humiliation, now of Christian hope, and again of some great truth or some practical duty. If it becomes evident, as it sometimes will, that you have struck the wrong key and thought and feeling are running in another channel, throw yourself heartily into that and make the most of it. If a pause occurs, be ready with a passage of Scripture, a hymn or remark, or call on individuals either to pray or relate experience, or to state some interesting fact you may know they possess. A pastor in vital relations with the people, by his knowledge of the experiences and condition of the individuals before him, will be able to give perpetual variety to the meetings by evoking in various ways their experience and utilizing their power. 5. In regard to the presentation of special cases for prayer, my judgment is that this should be encouraged; since, even apart from the power of prayer with God in behalf of such cases and the answer of blessing it brings, the special presentation itself serves to give directness and fervency to supplication and adds freshness and power to the exercise. It is possible, however, to have too much machinery in a prayer-meeting, making its movement mechanical and destroying spontaneity. Expression of interest in the subject of personal religion by rising or other forms may be so often repeated as to be worse than useless and become justly offensive. In calling, therefore, for an expression, great care must be taken not to overdo, and not to do it at all unless there is good reason to expect a response. A failure usually chills the interest of a meeting. 6. Use all exertions to bring the gifts of the church into full exercise; there is always a large amount of latent power which it should be the special care of the pastor to develop and make effective for Christ. This will not be done by scolding and complaining, but rather by the diffusion of a spirit, an atmosphere, in the meeting--an all-pervasive, homelike feeling--which will banish embarrassment and draw them out. The timid and backward may also be helped by an occasional question, the answering of which will accustom them to their own voices and induce spontaneous expression. Something also maybe done in private personal words of encouragement. Above all, place distinctly before all minds the fact that in the prayer-meeting the main thing, next to prayer, is the interchange of Christian experience, and what is required, therefore, from each one is, not a homily, an exposition, or an exhortation, but a simple statement of what he has thought and felt amidst the experiences of life; and, as every soul has its own peculiar life, it has an experience of real value as helpful and comforting to other lives. 7. Make careful arrangements for good spirited singing, but usually not more than two or three verses at a time. To secure this, if you do not yourself sing, arrange with one or more good singers to lead whenever a pause occurs. Indeed, if you are a singer, it is often best not to take on yourself the responsibility of leading; the care is too much, and by distracting and exhausting your force it may diminish your power in the general guidance of the exercises. Do not fail to have good books, with hymns and tunes, in sufficient number to give all opportunity to join in the singing. 8. Great care should be taken, if the room is not full, to have people sit together and near the leader. No meeting will ordinarily be _social,_ in any proper sense, where a few people are scattered in a large room. Attention should also be given to the ventilation and temperature of the room; otherwise, the meeting may fail from purely physical causes, in spite of the best efforts of pastor and people. Right physical conditions are simply attempts to conform to God's physical laws, and are absolutely essential to the highest success in social religious meetings; no pastor, therefore, should deem them unworthy of careful and persistent attention. Finally, it should be remembered that it is a _social_ meeting. Divest it of all formality, stiffness, or sameness. Make it cheerful, familiar, homelike, as a gathering of God's children in their Father's family. If this is done, old and young will be attracted to it, and will alike feel free to share its services.

II. THE COVENANT MEETING.

This was originally called the covenant meeting because it was intended for the solemn renewal by the members of their vow of consecration to Christ and the church, and the church covenant was formally read in it while the members stood to express their adhesion to it. Of late years, however, the meeting is less fully attended than formerly, and the reading of the covenant is often deferred to the opening services of the Lord's Supper, that the church may be more largely represented in the act. The entire omission of its reading, as is sometimes the case, is unfortunate, since many thus enter the church without a full understanding of the obligations thus assumed, and the church fails of the important stimulus to duty which this solemn reading and renewal of the covenant is adapted to furnish. The following hints may be of value: 1. In a large church it is not possible, nor is it desirable, that all the members should speak at one meeting: any attempt to secure this will ordinarily result either in a wearisome protraction of the service, or in so abbreviating the communication of each as to render the exercise, as an interchange of experience, of very slight value. Some ministers lay special emphasis on the number of speakers they have succeeded in compressing into an hour; but it is evident that if each has not had adequate time to make a true expression of his experience, the usefulness of the exercise is seriously impaired, if not destroyed. It is not the number, but the quality, which gives value to the experiences related in a covenant meeting. As far as possible, however, arrangements should be made that those not called on at one meeting may be called on at the next, and on every occasion the meeting should be thrown open before the close, so as to give any specially-burdened heart opportunity for expression. 2. Encourage frankness and brevity. If members indulge in stereotyped expressions and prosy speeches, break up the habit by pointing out its evil. Many excellent Christians whose experience, if really presented, would prove rich and valuable have no correct idea of what should be spoken, and utter mere commonplaces when they might speak words of gold. Suppose that, before calling on them to speak, you address them somewhat in this way: "Brethren, we have met to renew our covenant with God and with each other. We want, therefore, to know your _heart-history_ since we last met at the Lord's Table--that is, so far as it is proper to be known, for some of it belongs between you and God alone and should not be spoken here. But you have had experiences which will help and cheer us. Temptations have come to you--something, it may be, separated you from the consciousness of Christ's presence. We want to know how you got back to Him. You have had special mercies in deliverance from disease or accident, in prospered fortune, in friends raised up for you. Will you tell how these mercies affected you? You have passed through trial in sickness, in disappointments, in the death of loved ones, in losses and sufferings. We would know how you felt under trials, and how God helped you to bear them. You have had special seasons of communion with Christ, and have received special answers to prayer; you have found some passages of Scripture truth or promise specially opening to you; you have some personal friend or friends for whom you are deeply interested that God may save them. These are the things we want to know--just what your heart has felt of late; and if in this family gathering in our Father's house you will tell these, you will help us and will bring all hearts into sympathy with you." Such suggestions, occasionally made, will repress tendencies to stereotyped thought and expression, and will educe those heart-experiences which give life and power to the meeting. 3. When there are candidates for baptism, encourage them to speak fully and freely, and secure, if possible, that they shall be heard by all. After the experiences have fully come before the church, the candidates should withdraw while their cases are under consideration, that the investigation of each case may be unembarrassed and full opportunity be had for inquiry or objection. 4. Matters of business and of discipline are, as a rule, to be avoided at the covenant meeting. They usually divert attention from the special object of the exercise, and often dissipate the spiritual impression. 5. Do not protract the service. An hour and a half is usually as long as a profitable interest can be maintained. Too often the benefit of the meeting is wholly lost by its tediousness. A prompt beginning and an equally prompt ending are essential to sustained life in any exercise.

III. THE INQUIRY MEETING.

The weekly inquiry meeting should constitute a part of the system of pastoral work. It accustoms minister and people to seek and expect immediate results from preaching and Christian labor; and the value of this to both, as an ever-present inspiration, is incalculable. Under every earnest ministry there are always thoughtful, anxious souls; but it requires tact and wisdom to bring them out and come into close, personal contact with them. Few ministers are aware of the extent of this latent conviction among the unconverted under faithful preaching, or realize the importance of systematic, effective means for developing it. Here I suggest: 1. Let the meeting be held, if not on the Lord's Day, as soon after it as practicable, that the impressions made by its services may not have time to wear away. This is a point of great moment. Some pastors hold a meeting for prayer and inquiry immediately after the evening sermon, while the impressions are still vivid and fresh. This has sometimes proved very effective, especially as serving to develop the conviction and make known the persons under it, so that the pastor and church may afterward devote special labor to them. At such a meeting, however, little more could ordinarily be done, in personal conversation, than a few earnest words and the noting of the address of inquirers, with the view of following up the cases; and this, therefore, would not supersede the necessity of a meeting where more deliberate conversation could be had. 2. Christians should be instructed and urged to bring thoughtful persons to the inquiry meeting--the parent, his child; the Sunday-school teacher, his pupils; the young convert, his friends--and to regard this as a part of regular Christian work. In places where the inquiry meeting is a novelty, its full, effective establishment may require time; but, once thoroughly established, the inquiry room will seldom lack inquirers. 3. Various methods of conducting the meeting are adopted. One method is to meet all the inquirers in one room and converse with them in the presence of each other, as in a Methodist class-meeting. To make this successful, the pastor must have ready tact and large resources, or he will repeat himself and the meeting fail from staleness. But it has this advantage: inquirers in such a gathering are drawn into a disclosure of their anxieties in the presence of others, and this committal of themselves to the subject is sometimes of great value in fixing impressions and leading to a decision. Another method is to meet them singly, or, if specially related to each other, in groups, and let the conversation be private. This, when practicable, is generally more satisfactory, as it gives opportunity to probe the heart more fully, and to say much you cannot so freely say before others. It is often of great value not only to pray with an inquirer, but also to induce him to pray with you. Sometimes, if you have set before him distinctly the way of salvation, he will, in such a season of prayer immediately following, then and there cast himself on Christ and make a full surrender to Him. Perhaps, however, no one method will be adapted to all circumstances, and the judgment of the pastor must be exercised in fixing on one suited to himself and the special exigencies of his position. 4. The pastor should be discriminating and faithful in dealing with inquirers, for failure in this may result in a superficial experience and a false hope. In such conversations he should never content himself with a mere, vague exhortation to come to Christ; what the inquirer needs is definite instruction as to what it is to come to Christ. Probe thoroughly, so as to be sure that there is a genuine sense of sin, a reliance alone on the righteousness of Christ, and an actual submission of the will to God. The pastor should prepare himself, therefore, for the exercise with fervent prayer, and gather, and have at ready command a variety of Scripture passages adapted to different religious conditions, and of simple, clear illustrations of the nature of repentance and faith. 5. Let your conversation with an inquirer ordinarily be confidential, so that he may not feel, when conversing with you, that he is talking to the town; otherwise, you deter many from coming, and even with those who come you may prevent what is important to your success--a full disclosure of the heart. As a rule, also, it is not wise to encourage an inquirer to seek conversation with many different persons: the varied advice given confuses him and tends to dissipate impressions. Finally, it is obvious that success in this exercise will greatly depend on the tact, geniality, and approachableness of the pastor himself. If he is cold, stiff, and repellent in manner, it will be difficult for him to secure the attendance and confidence of inquiring souls. There may be real and deep religious anxieties, but they remain latent from lack of power in the pastor to develop them.

IV. MEETING FOR EXAMINATION OF CANDIDATES FOR THE CHURCH.

No candidate should ordinarily come before the church without a previous examination by the pastor; and notice, therefore, should be given when and where he will meet persons desiring to unite with the church.

_Hints._--1. The time should be sufficiently early to give ample opportunity for making inquiries respecting an applicant, where the circumstances and character of the individual are not known. In the case of minors, consult the parents or guardians when practicable; it is a courtesy due to them, whatever their religious character or relations, and is often desirable in order to a full understanding of the character of the candidate. 2. Let the examination be thorough and faithful. The purity of the church, as well as the welfare of the candidate, demands this. It is far easier to arrest an application at this point than after it comes to the church. The absence of knowledge even of the fundamental principles of the Christian religion, on the part of many who are hurried into the church, is one of the alarming features of our time. Certainly, Christian experience is not a matter of mere blind emotion; and we have no ground for supposing its existence apart from distinct convictions respecting God and Christ and the foundation-truths of the Gospel. We are "born again by the Word of God;" and there can be no "repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" without some definite idea of sin, of repentance, of faith, of God, and of Christ. It is never proper, therefore, to assume the fact of a Christian experience where there is no definite Christian knowledge. The duty in such cases is to instruct, not to baptize. 3. See that the candidate understands not only the general principles of Christianity, but also the distinctive doctrines and usages of the church and the specific obligations assumed in becoming a church member, so that his profession may be made intelligently. For this purpose, have your Articles of Faith and Covenant in printed form, and place a copy in the hands of every candidate. This will often prevent misunderstanding and subsequent difficulty; and the intelligence with which the step is taken will add much to the value of the profession. 4. It is well, when practicable, and especially when any considerable number are to be examined, to associate the officers of the church or some experienced brethren with you in this preliminary examination, that the responsibility may not all fall on you. For this, though informal, is ordinarily the decisive examination; the church very rarely rejects a candidate understood to be approved by the pastor. In some churches, whenever a name is proposed, a committee is appointed to hear the experience of the candidate and make necessary inquiries, and the candidate comes before the church only after their favorable report. This has the disadvantage of making public the name of an applicant and thus embarrassing the rejection, should that be desirable; but it has also the advantage of dividing the responsibility of the examination and relieving the pastor. If a committee is appointed, however, I think it should be a standing one, with the pastor at its head, and the names of candidates should be presented to it before being presented publicly to the church. 5. Beware of an ambition for mere numbers: a small body of well-instructed, earnest disciples is worth far more to the cause of Christ than a heterogeneous multitude undistinguished in spirit and life from the world. Seek in this, not newspaper publicity and laudation, but the approval of Christ, building the temple of God, not with perishable material, "wood, hay, and stubble," but with imperishable, "gold, silver, precious stones," which shall endure when the "fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is."

V. THE OFFICERS' MEETING.

The officers of the church are the cabinet of the pastor, and the responsibilities and labors of the spiritual watch-care should be shared with them. A wise use of these assistants will relieve him of many a burden which otherwise he would needlessly bear and will secure a much more general and effective supervision of the spiritual interests of the church. For no pastor can accomplish all that needs to be done; and if left to the church generally, very little effective watch-care is exercised. Such consultation with the officers will often save the pastor from mistakes, while the division of labor greatly simplifies and relieves his work. It affords, also, a sphere of real usefulness for the deacons, and serves to develop their gifts and augment their religious power.

_Hints._--1. Have a regular meeting at convenient intervals--say once a month or once in two months--and let each officer be invited and made to share equally in the counsels and responsibility, thus avoiding jealousies. Prepare thoroughly the business to be brought before them, so that there may be no delay. 2. After the opening season of prayer, read carefully the list of church members, and let each member needing special care be definitely assigned to some one or more of the officers to give at once the necessary attention. By this means any member requiring a kindly suggestion or whose position is not understood may be at once quietly reached; and, if in danger, may be saved before the case has gone so far as to be beyond help. If this is faithfully done, nearly all public discipline may be avoided and the tone of church-life may be kept high and vigorous. 3. Let the general condition and welfare of the church and plans for Christian labor and church extension be here carefully considered; for here methods for advancing Christ's cause through the church most naturally originate and may be most wisely matured. Great care should be taken, however, that the meeting does not lose its religious tone and degenerate into a mere clique for church management. It may be made, by right guidance, a center of religious interest and power in the congregation, while to the pastor it secures the hearty confidence and co-operation of the trusted counsellors and leaders of the church.

VI. CHURCH MEETINGS FOR BUSINESS.

These are properly classed among devotional meetings, because the transaction of church business should always be done in a devotional spirit and be connected with devotional exercises.

_Hints._--1. The pastor is, _ex officio,_ the presiding officer in all meetings of the church, and should ordinarily preside. Ruling, presiding, is a function distinctly assigned in the New Testament to the pastoral office (1 Thess. v. 12; 1 Tim. iii. 4, 5; Heb.