study is an oft-repeated injunction on the christian ministry: “meditate upon these things: give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all” (1 tim. iv. 15); “study to show thyself approved unto god, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 tim. ii. 15). the reasons for this are obvious. knowledge is everywhere power. the ministry, from their position, are the natural leaders in religious thought. to command respect, they must be men of mental grasp and activity, and must be in advance of the thinking of those around them. besides, no other profession is so heavily tasked for brain exertion. the senate, the bar, and the platform only occasionally demand the highest efforts of the intellect. but the pulpit [p. 139] requires weekly its elaborate sermons. they must have freshness, originality, force, or the pastor loses his hold on the people. and this exhaustive drain on his resources continues steadily year after year. no man can meet such demands without constant, earnest study. he must be ever growing. his mental processes must be ceaselessly active, pushing into new realms of investigation, gathering new materials for thought, increasing his discipline, and making him a broader, richer, deeper man.

in the life of a pastor two extremes are to be avoided. on the one hand, he is not to be a mere book-worm, secluded in his study, with no practical, living contact and sympathy with life around him. some ministers of large literary culture have been comparatively useless from want of living connection between their thinking and the real needs of the busy actual world in which they lived. on the other hand, a minister may not be a mere desultory man, a gossip from house to house, occupied with newspapers and magazines, skimming the surface of popular thinking in ephemeral books that may attract his fancy, but neglecting the severer processes of self-culture essential to mental growth. instability in the pastoral office is often a result of this. freshness, originality in thought and expression, is lost, and the people, weary of repetitions and empty platitudes, cease to respect and love the pulpit. the grand object to be sought, then, is to combine the student and the pastor—a mind growing in knowledge and power by habitual work in the study and growing in executive ability and social force by constant activity in the church and contact with the people. to secure this there must be a system—a system wisely formed and steadily pursued. what shall this system be? in answering this i propose to pursue two lines of suggestion—the method of study and the subjects of study.

[p. 140]first, the method.

1. be a student everywhere. the pastor’s business is to deal with the human mind and the actual experiences of men; he should, therefore, go through the world with his eyes and ears open, thoroughly studying men and life around him. in the street, in society, in the social meeting, the mind is to be ceaselessly at work, observing character, studying phases of experience and life, and gathering materials for mental work. many of the best trains of thought, most interesting views of scripture, and most effective illustrations will be suggested in conversations and in the prayer-room. no man can afford to lose these; for, springing as they do from direct contact with the people, such trains of thought are most likely to meet the wants of the congregation and deal with the questions most vital to them. the studious pastor who preserves these texts and thoughts and illustrations as they occur will be surprised to find how rapidly they accumulate, and how fresh and rich they often render his thinking and instruction.

2. have a book always on hand. every life has its spare moments, and much may be added in culture and knowledge by a right use of them. most of the current literature of the day, and much in standard biography, history, science, poetry, and art can be read in this way, if the right book is at hand. a half, or even a quarter, of an hour each day will accomplish the reading of a large number of volumes in a year; and if these are well selected, they will greatly add to the minister’s breadth and intelligence, while they will refresh rather than exhaust his mind.

3. consecrate a specific part of each day to severe systematic work in the privacy of the study. the habit of general observation and reading, before suggested, can be no [p. 141] adequate substitute for this. the time thus appointed for hard study should be sacredly devoted, and no ordinary occurrence be allowed to interrupt. the advantages of this are obvious. (1.) a habit once fixed is an ever-increasing power. the mind acts with greater rapidity and force when the habit of study at fixed, regularly recurring periods is formed. instead of spending hours in vain attempts to fix attention and concentrate thought on the subject in hand, the mind enters at once with full energy into work. the more fixed and long continued the habit, the more easy, rapid, and powerful the mental processes. this is one secret of the immense amount of brain-work performed by some men: by fixed habits they instantly concentrate mental force, and work at white heat. (2.) if these hours are once fixed, and are fully understood by the people, they will ordinarily be free from interruption. the congregation will conform to the pastor’s plan and will respect his fidelity in preparing for their instruction on the lord’s day. what part of the day should be selected for the study cannot be determined by any rule; it must depend partly on the minister’s habits, and partly on the necessities of his position. ordinarily, the morning is best. the liability to interruption is less, and it leaves the afternoons and evenings free for visitation, meetings, and social life.

let me add, nothing but a high ideal of the ministry and a fixed purpose to realize it will enable a pastor to persist in such a course of study. he must believe in it as a solemn duty he owes his god, his people and himself, or he will fail. indolence is often fostered by a false dependence on genius or on the spur of the occasion to give effectiveness and brilliancy to public utterances. unthoughtful hearers, also, will often praise the off-hand, unstudied sermons and discourage elaborate preparation. [p. 142] besides this, there are obstacles to study in the pastor’s work. he has cares connected with the sick, the afflicted, the erring; executive work in the organization and discipline of the church; and duties he owes society in the varied relations of life. these are often pressing, and the danger is that they crowd into the hours for study. many a man circumscribes his own intellectual growth and pulpit power, making himself permanently a narrower and weaker man, by allowing these outside cares to destroy his processes of mental discipline and growth. here nothing will overcome but a profound conviction that study—persistent, regular, life-long study—is the solemn, first duty of every man who ventures to stand up in the pulpit as an instructor of the people. let other duties have their place, but the first, the most imperative duty of him who teaches others is to teach himself.

second, the subjects.

let us suppose that the pastor has fixed his hours and made them sacred to severe, thorough mental labor; what shall he study? i answer: not his sermons only. a grave mistake is often made here. the whole time is devoted to sermon preparation, leaving no room for general culture, biblical investigation, or theological studies. as the result, the mind becomes empty and barren. it lacks material for thought. the man is perpetually pouring out, but never pouring in, and the vessel becomes empty. he faithfully grinds at the mill but puts nothing into the hopper. some conscientious, hardworking thinkers in this way fail as preachers. they have no freshness. the mind runs perpetually in the same grooves and moves always in the same narrow circle, whereas, if they were reading, investigating, looking on subjects from new standpoints [p. 143] and receiving the mental impulses which contact with other thinkers gives, the mind would be ever growing, ever enriching itself, and the sermons would be full of fresh and interesting views of truth.

three objects are to be sought in the study: general culture, biblical and theological investigation, and sermon preparation.

i. general culture.

by this i mean studies adapted to the development of the whole man. the pastor is not to be, in the narrow, technical sense, a mere theologian. he should seek to be a man of broad culture, developing his nature on every side and forming a full, symmetrical manhood. to accomplish this his studies must take a wide range, and open to him all those great realms of truth which science, philosophy, poetry, and history reveal.

1. the sciences. the pastor should not, indeed, turn aside from his sacred work to become a devotee to science. but in this age of scientific investigation, when the problems of science are so largely occupying public thought and so vitally touching the profoundest questions in religion, and the applications of science are so marvelously transforming our whole civilization and life, surely, at such a time, the man who stands up weekly to instruct the people, assuming to lead public thought, ought not to be ignorant of the results that science has reached, although he may not stop to pursue the processes of scientific inquiry. astronomy, geology, botany, chemistry, each open a new world of truth, pouring light on the interpretation of god’s word and abounding in richest illustrations of the sacred themes of the pulpit. standard works on these and related sciences are within the reach of every pastor, and even one on each of them, [p. 144] carefully read, would greatly enrich and enlarge his thinking.

2. philosophy, or the science of the mind. the preacher undoubtedly mistakes when he aspires to the character of a philosopher, and turns aside from his direct and earnest work for souls to lose himself in dialectics or the mazes of metaphysical speculation. but his work as a minister is to deal with the human soul—to influence the mind by reasoning, by persuasion, by the array of motives; and mind, therefore, in its power and the methods of influencing it, may well constitute one of his life-studies. it is here he comes in contact with the master-spirits in the world of thought—minds which have controlled the thinking of the ages—plato and aristotle, descartes and bacon, leibnitz and locke. in the pressure of a pastor’s life all these cannot be read, but a few choice, standard works on mental science, such as hamilton, mansel, mccosh, and porter, may surely be read and carefully digested.

3. ?sthetic culture. god has not made us mere logical machines, but beings of taste, imagination, sensibility, to be moved by objects of beauty. much of god’s book is in poetry addressed to the imagination, and the universe around us is crowded with endless forms of the beautiful. where a cold, impassive logic fails, truth often comes with resistless power through the imagination and the sensibilities. the cultivation of this side of our nature is essential to the development of a full manhood and is important alike to pastoral and pulpit power. for this, one of the best means is the careful reading of the greater poets, the mighty creative minds whose works have stood the test of ages. among the last occupations of that magnificent man, the late dr. wayland, was the re-reading of shakespeare and milton; and these wonderful creations of [p. 145] genius afforded his ripened mind the richest instruction and keenest enjoyment.

4. history and general literature. historical study should, without doubt, find no small place in this general culture. it enlarges the whole range of thought, shedding light on god’s vast plan of providence and grace, and thus interpreting the bible; while in all its wide extent it is filled with illustrations adapted to enforce the truths of the gospel. nor should the higher class of works in fiction be excluded, for they often have great value, both for their delineations of character and life and for the culture they give to the imagination.

now, in respect to this general culture, the points i here emphasize are, that it should be systematically and earnestly prosecuted, and that on all the subjects studied only the standard, thoroughly-tested authors should be read. such a plan of reading, steadily pursued year after year, will make an ever-growing mind, developing symmetrically on every side into a noble, intellectual manhood. it only requires conscientious earnestness and persistency. the time wasted by some ministers in mental dissipation over newspapers and ephemeral literature would suffice to put them into communion with those master-minds of the ages, and secure the culture and wealth found in these highest realms of thought.

ii. biblical and theological culture.

the great work of a pastor is instruction in the truths of the bible; and wherever else he may fail, he must at least be a master in the gospel. ignorance on some of the topics already mentioned, though unfortunate, may still be tolerated, but in the man who ventures into the pulpit as a public instructor in the bible, a want of biblical knowledge and the utterance of crude, undiscriminating [p. 146] statements of truth can never be excused. no mere rhetorical power or seeming earnestness can atone for a want of thorough mastery of the themes of the pulpit. biblical and theological investigation should, therefore, have a large place in the pastor’s plan of study.

1. here, first of all, and most important, is the direct study of the bible, bringing the mind into living contact with god’s word. as students in the hebrew and greek, let a part of each day be given to careful, critical study of the scriptures in the divine originals as they were indited by the holy spirit. no translation, however perfect, can possibly give one the whole impression of the original. a little careful work each day in reading the original scriptures will soon make the process easy and delightful, and its value is above all price. but, whether in the inspired original or in a version, the bible should be carefully studied. it is god’s own word, the great instrument of his power, “the sword of the spirit.” the holy spirit works only through divine truth, and that must ever be the mightiest pulpit which most fully and clearly unfolds these living words of god. (1.) as accessory to biblical interpretation, i suggest the study of the geography and history of bible lands. the power to localize the characters and events of scripture and place them in their historical surroundings is of the highest importance. thus, in reading the pentateuch and earlier historical books, how much more vividly are the events conceived if you are familiar with the localities in egypt, the desert, and palestine; or in reading ezra, nehemiah, and daniel if you have clear ideas of the place and history of assyria and babylon; or in the new testament if you have studied the condition and localities of the roman empire, then dominant! for this such works as smith’s old and new testament history, rawlinson’s five ancient monarchies, and [p. 147] milman’s history of the jews or stanley’s jewish church, would furnish the historical information, while a good biblical atlas, kept always open before you, would give the needed maps. full historical and topographical discussions will be found in smith’s bible dictionary, robinson’s biblical researches, or thompson’s land and the book. (2.) the bible, i also suggest, should be studied in its unity. the book of god, from genesis to revelation, is one whole, from first to last unfolding, by successive steps, one system of truth and method of redemption. it is not a mere fortuitous collection of sacred writings, but one grand revelation from god, each part related to every other and essential to the whole. the types and prophecies and symbols of the earlier scriptures contain the germs of the later gospel, and no man will thoroughly understand the one testament without a careful study of the other. this interior, vital unity in the several parts of scripture is developed in such works as fairbairn’s typology and the philosophy of the plan of salvation. (3.) the books of the bible should be studied in their chronological and historical connection. suppose one is studying the prophecy of isaiah: he will ascertain its meaning far more clearly if he have carefully studied the period when isaiah lived, the reigns of uzziah, jotham, ahaz, and hezekiah as given in kings and chronicles. or suppose he is reading the epistles of paul: their interpretation will be far more clear if he have studied the character of paul and the circumstances under which he wrote as they are developed in the acts and the epistles, aided by such a work as conybeare and howson’s life and epistles of st. paul. (4.) the bible should also be studied analytically. a cursory reading of the scriptures does not interpret them; they must be carefully analyzed if one would penetrate into their full meaning. for example, one is reading romans; he begins, [p. 148] “paul, a servant of jesus christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of god, which he had promised before by his prophets in holy scripture, concerning his son, jesus christ, our lord; who was made of the seed of david according to the flesh, but declared to be the son of god with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” now analyze or extract the propositions here contained. it is affirmed here of paul, 1. that he is a servant (doulos) of jesus christ; 2. that he is a divinely-called apostle; 3. that as an apostle he is set apart unto the gospel of god. it is said of the gospel, 1. that it was foreannounced by the prophets in holy scripture; 2. that its subject-matter is concerning jesus christ our lord. it is declared of christ, 1. that as to his flesh, or human nature, he descended from david; 2. that as to his spirit of holiness, or divine nature, he was clearly shown to be the son of god by the fact of his resurrection. now, the man who will patiently, steadily work out such an analysis of god’s word as he studies it will penetrate the heart of it, and its richness will astonish him. the great thoughts of god will be laid open to his view as they never can be to the careless, superficial reader; and if, with such biblical work in the study, the pastor devotes a part of the lord’s day either to expository preaching or to a lecture in his bible school, this direct connection of the work of the study with that of the pulpit will add interest and force to both.

2. in the study of the christian doctrines it is, first of all, important to have a system. this plan of work should be so arranged that in a course of years, taking one subject at a time, the pastor may make a thorough investigation of all the leading topics. as the basis take such a work as hodge’s outline of theology, or any good compendium of theology, and, following the order of subjects, work in each [p. 149] until its main points have been mastered. for illustration, suppose the subject is the doctrine of inspiration. first work out carefully the questions in your chosen text-book, and read some of the best authors on the subject, as lee, woods, gaussen, and hodge. all the points involved will thus be brought distinctly before the mind. then collect the leading passages of scripture bearing on it and examine each critically and patiently and note down your own impressions. follow this by writing a full and careful statement of your own view as the result of the investigation. or suppose the subject to be that great central doctrine of the gospel, the atonement. after working out the questions as presented in your text-book and reading the best authors accessible to you, so as to become master of the vital points, then examine the priesthood and sacrifices of the old testament, the predictions of the atonement in prophecy, and the passages bearing on this doctrine in the new testament. having thus before you the elements of a decision, write out fully your own view. such a process of theological investigation, steadily pressed year after year, and connected as it would be with the reading of the great masters in theology, could not fail to make the pastor a clear, strong religious thinker and his pulpit a power in leading religious thought. let me also urge the study of the history of doctrines in connection with such a course of theological investigation. take such a work as hagenbach’s or shedd’s history of doctrines, in which the course of theological thinking on each of the great truths of the bible is traced through the ages, and the varying phases of the doctrine through successive periods, and the forms in which it has been held by the world’s profoundest thinkers are presented. such a study is wonderfully stimulating to thought and affords a broader basis for the formation [p. 150] of opinions. if also, in direct connection with this investigation of a great truth, the pastor should preach on the leading points involved in it, he would greatly add to the definiteness of his own views, while the work of the study would thus come into the work of the pulpit, enhancing the interest and power of the sermons.

iii. sermon preparation.

the preparation of sermons should doubtless fill the chief place in these hours of private study. this subject, however, belongs to the department of homiletics, and will be found amply treated in works specially devoted to it, such as broadus on the preparation and delivery of sermons, shedd’s homiletic and pastoral theology, and the several courses of yale lectures on preaching. i will, therefore, on this topic only emphasize the importance of high ideals of sermonizing and pulpit preparation.

the sermon is the embodied result of the pastor’s culture and reading, the public expression of his whole spiritual and intellectual manhood, and he is bound to show himself “a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 tim. ii. 15). he dishonors christ and his gospel if he habitually preaches without thorough study.

the sermon is the message god sends by him to the people. it unfolds high and holy themes, into which “angels desire to look,” and on which the profoundest minds of the ages have dwelt with wonder and awe. it deals with the souls of men and the great interests of eternity. surely, the man who ventures to stand up and speak carelessly and thoughtlessly on such themes and amidst such interests has failed to grasp the primary idea of his great office as a christian pastor.