of the child within, the preacher watches the
tears of his audience. So long as we are conscious of self, we are
limited, selfish, held in bondage."--AMIEL.

[51] As enthusiasm for Christ is the soul of preaching as far as the
preacher is concerned, so in a spiritual congregation there will always
be found a jealous desire for this element in what they hear.

[52] See an article by the Rev. John Kennedy, D.D., in _The Evangelical
Magazine_, April, 1891.

[53] Here may be introduced a few notes which are to me of inestimable
value. The happiness of my visit to the States, which was great, was
overshadowed at the close by the news of the death of the best friend I
had on earth--the Rev. Robert W. Barbour, of Bonskeid. None who knew him
will need to have it explained why I should think of him at this point;
because, while he had drunk deeply of the spirit of the time and was
possessed of a rare love for men, the deepest source of the sacred
extravagance with which he lavished himself and his many talents on
every good cause was nothing else than the passion for Christ which I am
trying in this lecture to illustrate. He took a warm interest in this
course of lectures, and sent me the following Aphorisms on Preaching, to
be used as I might think fit. I reproduce them entire, as they came from
him. Perhaps they were the very last literary work he did:--

_The Book and the Library._ The preacher must be master of many
books, and servant of one.

_Closet and Desk._ Study as though thou mightest preach for
fifty years; pray as though thou mightest preach for five.

_Divine and Human._ Speak as though the mouth were God's; but
let the voice be a man's.

_First and Second Aims._ All gifts (presence, voice, gesture,
culture, style, and so on) may be wings, if kept behind one's
back; the moment they are seen they become dead weights.

Two strings to one's bow will do with any shafts but the arrows
of the King. Letters, the press, the lyre, the porch, must
stand in the background behind "this one thing."

Think less and less of everything else, and more and more of
thy message.

_Aims and No Aims._ Aim at something, you will hit it; also
draw your bow at a venture.

"_Make full proof of thy ministry._" Try every method--writing,
reading, committing, extending, extemporising. Imitate every
man, but mimic none. Nothing makes a preacher like preaching.

Whenc