II.
But the question comes back to us, How are we to obtain this spiritual culture in the Seminary? Well, theological students, in becoming theological students, have not ceased to be men; and there is no other way for them to become devout men than that which is common to man. There is but one way, brethren, to become strong in the Lord. That way is to feed on the Bread of Life! This is the way other men who would fain be devout take, and it is the way we, if we would fain be devout, must take. We are simply asking ourselves then, as theological students, what opportunities are offered us by our residence in the Seminary for the cultivation of faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to Him. What we are eager to know is how we can, not merely keep alive, but fan into a brighter flame, the fires of our love for our Lord and Saviour. I desire to be perfectly plain and simple in attempting to suggest an answer to this question, I shall, therefore, only enumerate in the barest manner some of the ways in which the devout life may be assisted in the conditions in which we live in the Seminary.
First of all, I must point you to the importance of a diligent use of the public means of grace. Public means of grace abound in the Seminary. There is the stated Sabbath-morning service in the chapel; and no student who is not prevented from attending it by some imperative duty should fail to be in his seat at that service, adding whatever his presence and his prayers can bring to the spiritual forces at work there. Then there is our weekly Conference on Sabbath afternoon, in which we talk over together the blessed promises of our God and seek to learn better His will for the ordering of our lives. There have been those in times past whose hearts have been stirred within them at these Conferences; and they may be made by the seeking spirit very precious seasons of social meditation and prayer. Then, Faculty and Students meet daily, at the close of the day’s work, to listen to a fragment of God’s Word, mingle their voices in praise to God, and ask His blessing on the labor of the day. Indeed, we proceed to no one of our classroom exercises without pausing a moment to lift up our hearts to God in prayer. And every effort is made by all of us who teach, I know, in all our teaching—however it may appear from moment to moment to be concerned with mere parts of speech, or the signification of words, or the details of history, or the syllogisms of formal logic—to preserve a devout spirit and a reverent heart, as becomes those who are dealing even with the outer
