Care must be had, however, that this cultivating of the feelings be conducted along rational lines, lest it run not to faith but to fanaticism.  There is a wide difference between emotion designed for display or for momentary effect, and that which arises from strong inner conviction and sympathetic interest in others.  Spurious, unnatural feeling will invariably fail to convince serious-minded men.

“Emotion wrought up with no ulterior object,” says Dr. Kennard, “is both an abuse and an injury to the moral nature.  When the attention is thoroughly awakened and steadily held, the hearer is like a well-tuned harp, each cord a distinct emotion, and the skilful speaker may evoke a response from one or more at his will.  This lays him under a great and serious responsibility.  Let him keep steadily at such a time to his divine purpose, to produce a healthful action, a life in harmony with God and a symphony of service.”

The emotional and spiritual powers of the speaker will be developed by reading aloud each day a vigorous and passionate extract from the Bible, or Shakespeare, or from some great sermon by such men as Bushnell, Newman, Beecher, Maclaren, Brooks, or Spurgeon.  The entire gamut of human feeling can be highly cultivated by thus reading aloud from the great masterpieces of literature.  The speaker will know that he can make his own words glow and vibrate, after he has first tested and trained himself in some such manner as this.  Furthermore, by thus fitting words to his mouth, and assimilating the feelings of others, he will immeasurably gain in facility and vocal responsiveness when he attempts to utter his own thoughts.

Music is a powerful element in awakening emotion in the speaker and bringing to consciousness the mysterious inner voices of the soul.  The minister should not only hear good music as often as possible, but he should train his ear to recognize the rhythm and melody in speech.

For the fullest development of this spiritual power in the public speaker there should be frequent periods of stillness and silence.  One must listen much in order to accumulate much.  Thought and feeling require time in which to grow.  In this way the myriad sounds that arise from humanity and from nature can be caught up in the soul of the speaker and subsequently voiced by him to others.

The habit of meditating much, of brooding over thought, whether it be our own or that of others, will tend to disclose new and deeper meanings, and consequently deeper shades and depths of feeling.  The speaker will diligently search for unwritten meanings in words; he will study, whenever possible, masterpieces of painting and sculpture; he will closely observe the natural feeling of well-bred children, as shown in their conversation; and in many other ways that will suggest themselves, he will daily develop his emotional and spiritual powers of expression.

The science of preaching is important, but so, too, is the art of preaching.  A powerful pulpit is one of the needs of the times.  A congregation readily recognizes a preacher of strong convictions, broad sympathies, and consecrated personality.  An affectionate nature in a minister, manifesting itself in voice, face, and manner, will attract and influence men, while a harsh, rigid, vehement manner will as easily repel them.