there is, as far as I know, no work which discusses the discourses of Jesus as a model for the preacher." Taking this hint, Rev. Pfau makes the homiletic rules in the discourses of Jesus a subject of special study. These discourses he considers under two heads: their Form and their Contents. Under the first he discusses the style, the eloquence and the logical arrangement; under the second, the source of the material of these discourses, the selection of this material, the proof, and finally apologetic and polemic elements. The author illustrates the richness of the subject by the number of interesting questions suggested by the consideration of the source of the materials used by Christ. For Him, as for us, Scripture was the most direct source. The questions remain: How far are the thoughts of His discourses scriptural? Did He use a text as their basis? If not, why do we use one? The intellectual and moral condition of His hearers had to be taken into account. How did He view the intellectual capacity of His hearers? Did He always adapt His discourses to it, or did He sometimes teach doctrines too high for them? How did He regard the heart of His hearers? Was His sermon of a missionary character, or didactic, and intended for such as already constituted a religious congregation? Must history be viewed as also a source of His materials? Did He discuss the past history of His people? Did He deliver sermons specially adapted to the times? Did He take into account the politics of the day? Did He discuss new laws and new institutions? Eliminating all that spoken only to the disciples (forming a basis for pastoral theology rather than homiletics) and omiting all parallelisms, our author finds that there is a record of about forty discourses or addresses of Jesus, including 650 verses, making nearly as much matter as is contained in the Gospel of Mark, which has 678 verses, or about as much as is contained in five sermons of half an hour each. The record of what John the Baptist said occupies at most but twenty verses. As far as His style is concerned, Jesus did not bind Himself to the language of the Old Testament, though He frequently cited it. His parables, for instance, are not determined by the Old Testament. Least of all can the discourses in John's Gospel be regarded as resting on an Old Testament basis. "They have a coloring so original and inimitable, are so deep, concentrated, hearty, and at the same time so acute, and form such a union of dialectics and of feeling of majestic peace and holy wrath, that one cannot discover in the O. T. even a shadow or image of them, much less a stylistic model." Not a single favorite expression of Christ in John is derived from the O. T. Even in the synoptical Gospels, with their numerous quotations from that Book, we do not find that Jesus binds Himself to it as a model. This is true even of the Sermon on the Mount. The author concludes that Jesus did not adopt what in His day would have been regarded as a biblical style. His inference is that the demand for a biblical style in our day is not well founded. Jesus, our teacher in homiletics, had His own style. We are justified and in duty bound to follow Him in this respect." Although we cannot get beyond the New Testament, this does not prove that we are bound to speak in the pulpit according to the expressions of that volume. The author, however, admits that this point is still open to dispute; the whole matter should be considered fully and cautiously, The thought in a sermon may be scriptural, and yet its style modern. Parables are rarely introduced into sermons, though they are a marked peculiarity of Christ's style. Each apostle also had a style peculiar to himself. In passing to the consideration of Christ's hearers, the author protests against the stiffness of the usual homiletics, against its systematic tediousness and barrenness. It should be made thoroughly evangelical and ought to be based on the Bible. The sermon is the centre and most prominent part of evangelical worship; therefore the biblical character of homiletics is essential. "How is the minister to regard the moral character of his hearers, and what inferences are to be drawn therefrom respecting the substance of the sermon?" He discusses two views: that of Schleiermacher, and what the author calls the Methodistic view. The former holds that the sermon should treat the congregation as Christians, while the latter aims more at conversion. Schleiermacher wants the missionary element in Christian lands to be relegated to catechetical instruction. He thinks its place is in the preparation for worship, and not in a congregation assembled for worship. In his own sermons he took it for granted that he was addressing believers. Our author claims that German homiletical works, with few exceptions, follow the lead of Schleiermacher in this. When we look at Christ's method of dealing with His hearers, we find that His discourses were carefully adapted to their state. With simple, clear speech He seeks to produce a conviction of sin and to lead them to grace. His discourses were intended to teach; and His teaching was chiefly of an elementary character-the alphabet, as it were, of ethics and religion, so that it may be called catechetical. This is illustrated by the parables. In John we have such subjects as "Christ's person; his origin; his mission to be the light, the way, the truth, and the life of the world; the need of decision for or against Him, and the like." But neither in this nor in the other Gospels does Jesus ever hide from Himself the real condition of His hearers. He did not treat His hearers as Schleiermacher did, as is evident from John viii: 31. He did not imagine that His hearers would become true disciples by taking it for granted that they were such. Jesus had too deep a view of sin to treat His hearers otherwise than as sinners. Hence He aims to arouse the conviction of sin in His hearers; He reveals to them their true condition, not ignoring whatever faith and faithfulness they had. He presents the ideal of righteousness, but at the same time intimates that it has not yet been attained by them. Shall Christ in this respect be the preacher's model? Our people are not to be viewed as heathen: they have received instruction which the heathen lack; nevertheless we must view our hearers essentially as Christ did His. "The human heart is essentially the same, whether it beats in the breast of an Israelite. . . or in that of a baptized German who has grown up amid Christian surroundings and comes to God's house to hear His Word." But whatever general rule we may establish, we must remember that there was a difference in Christ's hearers: that He adapted His addresses to their peculiar needs, and that, consequently, there is much variety in His discourses. The different classes which Jesus found in His audiences are still found in our churches. Christ testified to the truth, and then left it to work on the consciences of His hearers. Summing up the whole, the author says: "First, Jesus directed His discourses to the actual condition of His hearers, not to an ideal public. Second, He recognized whatever was estimable in His hearers, and made that the point of departure. He presupposes that they recognized the authority of Scripture; therefore His speech is not of a missionary character, Third, since the power of sin-which still controls even the best hearers-can be overcome only by the Word of God, Jesus does not preach apologetically, but He uses the utmost efforts to make the Word as vivid and penetrative as possible-that is, He preached catechetically and testified respecting Himself. Fourth, the fact that baptism has been administered does not interfere with following Christ as a model in this respect; the similar character of the human heart everywhere rather makes it obligatory on us to imitate His example." PRACTICAL ASTRONOMY. BY ROYAL HILL. DECEMBER 1st, 8 P. M.-The Zodiac constellation that is before us this evening as we face the south is that of Pisces, which occupies a large space on each side of the meridian about twothirds of the way up the sky. It is, however, the least conspicuous, save one, of the twelve constellations that are honored during the year by the presence of the sun, the stars in it being too faint to be noted in a description. The sun takes in passing across it from March 14th to April 16th. Under Pisces lies the still larger constellation of Cetus, The Whale. The southeastern corner of Cetus is plainly marked by a star of the second magnitude that stands nearly alone about one-third of the way up the sky, and is now only six minutes past the meridian. In those days, when every conspicuous star had a separate name, this one was called Diphda. Low in the south-west Fomalhaut is approaching the end of its short course. Directly opposite to it in the north-east is the still more brilliant Capella, the most northerly of all the first magnitude stars. Exactly in the east are the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters. No doubt many a Christian astronomer has wondered what those "sweet influences" might be, of which this modest little group is the centre, and which Job was asked if he could bind. Under the Pleiades are the five stars known as the Hyades. They form the shape of a open to the north-east, the bright red star Aldebaran being at the end of the lower branch. Let us turn to the north. We notice that Cassiopeia is now high up near the zenith, while the Great Bear skirts the horizon beneath the pole. As we look at the North Star now, we see it very nearly at the highest point of its little circle round the pole, for at 35 minutes past 8 o'clock to-night it passes the meridian. The north pole of the heavens is then below the star, and about two and a half times the ap parent diameter of the moon distant from it. High in the north-east is the constellation Perseus, with its many jewels, the principal one being Mirfak. Another bright star in Perseus is Algol, the most interesting of all the variable stars, not only for the reason that its variation of light is very great, but also because its period is so short that its variations can be very frequently observed. Algol is of the second magnitude, though scarcely as bright as Mirfak, from which it is distant about ten degrees to the south. It can be very easily identified by striking a line from the Pleiades to the constellation of Cassiopeia, on which line it is situated about one-third of the way from the Pleiades. The period of Algol's variations is about sixty. nine hours, more nearly 68 hours 49 minutes. For sixty hours of this period Algol shines as a second magnitude star, the other nine being occupied, first in a gradual decrease to the fourth magnitude, and then to an increase to its nor mal brilliancy. This singular phenomenon, by which the light of one of the most conspicuous stars in the heavens is reduced to less than onefourth of its usual amount once in a little less than three days, has been the subject of investigation by many eminent astronomers, and is believed to be caused by the interposition of a vast planet, which cuts off the light of the star during its passage. The following are dates during this winter when Algol may be conveniently observed at its minimum: A Bird's-Eye View of Current Literature in PAGE. Carpenter, Hugh Smith, D.D., An Anxious English, J. M., D.D., A Christian Memory 156 345 134 Chambers, Talbot W., Misquoted Scriptures, 253: The Most Unique Evangelist ..... 442 Cox, Hon. S. S., Lay Criticism on the Min- 72 Gerok, Karl, D.D., Paul's Visit to the 141 Gill, W. F., D.D., Originality and Imitation, 524 330 281 445 PAGE. Hollingshead, Rev. Joseph, Solomon's Exper- ience James, Thomas L., ex-Postmaster General, 521 444 343 481 Johnson, Herrick, D.D., Is the Pulpit Declin- in the Pulpit... Themes, 68; The Lord's Prayer a Model 509 бо of True Prayer, 247; Holiday Services.. 531 vice... .. 166 431 Sherwood, J. M., D.D., The Prayer-Meeting PAGE. Bird's Eye View of Current Literature in 120 422 Hope of Glory... 492 259 ..... 4:7 Wells, Rev. Newell Woolsey, The Bound 22 152 Wheeier, D. H., D.D., Common Sense in 195 Wilder, Prof. Alexander, Words with their 200 Winchell, Alexander, Prof., Why should a PAGE. Providence Illustrated, by J. M. Ludlow,D.D. 257 Republics, The Hope of, or the Elements of Romans, Epistle to the, Symposium on, No. D.D... 493 341 431 3c6 ..11; 205; 465 .... 105 37; 220 166 Sermon, An E'oquent, Misapprehended, by ... 324 247 529 195 407 Praise Service, The, by Charles S. Robinson, 165; 440; 537 Solomon's Experience, by Rev. Joseph Hol- 521 Preconception, Dangers of, by Rev. James L. Elderdice.... Preserving Fire, by James B. Converse...... Prodigal Son, The, by Rev. Thomas Kelly.... 157 tion to be made a Political Question? If 481 Spiritual Life, Successive Foes of, by Rev. C. D.D...... The Evening and the Morning, by Leonard 39 |