Lectures on preaching, and the several branches of the ministerial office, including the characters of the most celebrated ministers among dissenters and in the establishment

LECTURES

ON

PREACHING,

AND

THE SEVERAL BRANCHES

OF THE

MIJVISTERIAL OFFICE,

INCLUDING

THE CHARACTERS GF THE MOST CELEBRA-
TED MINISTERS AxMONG DISSENTERS
AND IN
THE ESTABLISHMENT.

BY^EillWP^JIiQpDRIDGE, D.D,

V p >" aANB^VER:

PlrBt*«H*B-«Y'F'LAGG, GOULD, AND NEWMAN,
1833.

ADVERTISEMENT.

The following Lectures on Preaching, and
the several branches of Ministerial office, are
the substance of those delivered by Dr. Dod'
(Iriclge to his theological students; and have
been greatly admired for the variety of useful
observations and excellent rules which they
contain ; and also for the very striking char-
acters therein delineated of the most eminent
Divines, both in the Establishment and among
Dissenters.

It is rather surprising, that these Lectures,
so- valuable in themselves, and useful to Min-
isters of every denomination, should not, till
lately, have been made public ; more especial-
ly as the number of manuscript copies in the
hands of individuals is very considerable. The
difference existing in the different copies,
however, may be considered as a principal
reason for their not appearing before in print.
The generality of persons pof^sessing copies.

IV ADVERTISEMENT.

having only transcribed what to them appear-
ed most striking, very few, if any of such co-
pies could be considered in themselves com-
plete or fit for publication.

The respectable Editors of a complete edi-
tion of the Author's works, now publishing,
(to whom we are indebted for the first appear-
ance of these Lectures,) inform us, " that for
the purpose of collation, they procured four
copies; one transcribed (bearing date 1739)
by a learned pupil of the Author, — another
revised and corrected from a copy declared to
be the most accurate extant, — a third beauti-'
fully and accurately written, and the fourth, a
transcript, which differs considerably from
each of the others. The Editors are of opin-
ion, however, that could they have procured
ten times the number of copies, and those of
the first character, it would be unsafe to trust
any one of them as unquestionable ; for it does
not appear that the Author gave the finishing
hand to his ovvn copy as fit for the public eye.
The reader, therefore, is requested to observe,
that what is here printed, professes to be on-
ly a pretty full syllabus of what the Author
more or less enlarged upon. The Lectures
are so printed also, as to convey by means of
a dash, some idea of the place and nature of

ADVERTISEMENT. V

the supplementary enlargements which might
be made. This dash may serve as a proper
pause for the reader's profitable reflection.
Since different copies have different signs of
method, it is presumed that the plan here
adopted is as perspicuous and useful as any.

" We view them as possessing very consid-
erable excellence ; an excellence not inferior
to any thing the Doctor ever penned, if esti-
mated according to their tendency to do real
service both to ministers, and, through them,
to succeeding generations. Here we have a
collection of rules, maxim.s, and cautions rela-
tive to preaching and the pastoral care, as
ample and well chosen as any that are to be
found ; delivered with the greatest perspicui-
ty, and minutely detailed according to varied
circumstances. In them we discover a great
insight into human nature, an uniform regard
to religious, moral and civil propriety of con-
duct, ardent wishes to benefit m.ankind by
promoting vital and practical religion ; with
marks of uncommon diligence in the Author
himself, which may operate as a powerful
stimulus on the reader's mind to imitate so
fair an example."

From a report of their general worth many
have wished, but in vain, to procure a copy ;

VI ADVERTISEMENT.

to gratify the desire of those who are not in
possession of the edition of the Doctor's inva-
luable works mentioned above, these Lectures
are now printed separately ; and it is hoped
they will be found particularly useful to the
young student in divinity, and may, perhaps,
be perused with some advantage by those who
are more advanced in the important work of
the ministry.

London,
July 24, J804.

LECTURES

PREACHING, AND THE MINISTERIAL
OFFICE.

LECTURE 1.

IntToduction — General Remarks and Directions relative to the

Christian Ministry.

<5 1. Gentlemen, you have devoted your-
selves to the work of the Ministry, and it is
the main thing you have in view, in the course
of your present studies ; other things are tak-
en in only as subservient to this. — You well
know it consists of several branches. The first on
which you enter is Preaching, which, though
not the only, is one of the most important
parts of a minister's duty. — Preaching requires
genius, application and the divine blessing. —
Of the former, few who are capable of academ-
ical studies are entirely destitute. — Nor is any
great height of genius necessary. — The latter
with a good intention and pious conduct may
be expected. — Diligence, therefore, is gener-
ally the main thing wanting ; yet this under a
wrong conduct may turn to little account. —
To prevent which the following advices are
designed, recommending the success to the
Spirit of God.

O LECTURES ON PREACHING.

§ 2. In these lectures I shall give some
general directions as to the method to be used
in order to furnish yourselves for, and make
you ready in the work, {Led. I.) Consider
the character of the best practical writers in
our language, (Led. 2 — 4.) Give some advice
as to the composition of sermons. [Led. 5 —
10.) Offer some thoughts on the most proper
method of delivery, (Led. 11.) Add several
miscellaneous remarks which will not properly
fall under any ofthese heads, (Lcc^, 12.) Pro-,
pose a few directions for prayer, (Lect, 13.)
Call your attention to the important duty of
public exposition, (Led. 14 — 16.) Then of-
fer some directions on catechising, (Led. 17.
18.) On administering the ordinance of bap-
tism, (Led. 19.) and the Lords Supper,
(Led. 20.) On visiting in general, and the
sick in particular, {Led. 21. 22.) I shall
then give you some general maxims for con-
versation, (Led. 23.) Rules for conduct to-
wards particular persons, (Led. 24.) And
on behavior to other ministers, with a few
miscellaneous concluding remarks, (Led. 25.)

§ 3. I shall begin with some general direc-
tions to furnish you for the work of the minis-
try, and prepare you for the exercise of its func-
tions.

§ 4. 1. See to it that there be a foundation
of sincere piety laid in yourselves, or else
there is but little prospect of your being use-^
ful or acceptable to others. — Be therefore
firmly resolved to devote yourselves to God,
and do it solemnly.

LeCt. 1.] - INTilODUCTION. 9

§5. 2, Keep up a strict course of walking with
God. Be constam, diligent, and lively in secret
prayer. — Maintain an habitual sense of the
divine presence. — Be much in the exercise of
ejaculatory devotion. — So you will learn to
speak out of the fullness of the heart. — Seize
every opportunity of increasing in piety.

§ 4. 3. Cultivate a tender love to souls.
This will make you eloquent. — Therefore
guard against every thing that tends to alien-
ate your affections. — By pride cotneth conten-
tion ; therefore practise a yielding, submis-
sive and obliging temper. An unreasonable
stiffness in little matters will do unspeakable
mischief. — 1 almost tremble to see it in any
designed for the ministry. — I foresee in it the
confusion of congregations, and the ruin of
your character and usefulness.

§ 7. 4. Cultivate an extensive and candid
acquaintance with the world. Things are
much as we naakethem. In almost all imagin-
able circumstances some things may be found
to be despised ; some things to be admired,
and delighted in. — Take heed of immuring
yourselves too much in your studies. — Think
not the time lost which is spent out of them. —
Despise not common christians — free con-
verse with them may be attended with many
good consequences ; more particularly,

<5> 8. (1.) It will increase your stock of knowl-
edge. Ac([uaintance with the hearts of men
is very desirable — and it will be better learnt
by converse, as anatomy is better learnt by
dissection than by books alone. — You will
1*

10

LECTURES ON PREACHING.

find many good thoughts started by them —
they will be like rough diamonds, which, if
well polished, you may with advantage set in
your sermons.

§ 9. (2.) It will awaken your own spirits. —
'^ As iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpen-
eth the countenance of his friend." Experi-
ence often proves this. — Lord's day evening's
conversation is sometimes particularly sweet
and re fresh ingj-We shall find that time thus
spent will not be lost, but will abundantly re-
pay itself

^^ 10. (3.) It will conciliate respect among
them. An accessible temper is, in most
cases, respected and loved — especially in per-
.^ons of high reputation and great employ.

§ II. (4.) It will form you to an experi-
mental strain of preaching, which will be
very suitable to spiritual persons ; — and will
give an air of wisdom natural and unaffected.
*' A wise man," says Confucius, " must learn
to know the hearts of men ; that taking eve-
ry man according to his own inclination, he
may not labor in vain when he shall discourse
to him of virtue."*

§ 12. (5, ) Form an acquaintance with the
best authors, but especially the Scriptures ;
they are the grand magazine — Study them
continually. — Get an interleaved Greek Testa-
ment, if possible Wetstein's. — Read otlier
books also with care. — Collect some of the
most valuable ; — for instance, Evans's Chris-

^ Confucius' s Morals, p. 129.

LeCt. ].] INTRODUCTION. 11

tian temper, Berry-street Lectures, &c. &c.

§ 13. (6.) Take brief notes of sermons
you hear. — Review them in your retirement.
Transcribe them, and add memorandums of
your own thoughts and reflections upon them
as you go along. — Painting and carving are
learnt by imitation, and by observing the de-
fects as well as the beauties of great masters.

§ 14, (7.) Keep, and endeavour daily to im-
prove your common-place book. — Have note
books added to it. Write schemes of ser-
mons in different degrees of perfection. —
Keep a little book for hints on various sub-
jects as they come into your mind. Keep an-
other book for schemes that are perfect, and
here insert scriptures under the proper heads
in the order you intend to use them in com-
posing.— And when you read a book, con-
sider how far it may help you as to scrip-
tures, sermons, common-place book, conver-
sation, prayer, and the like.

§ 15. (8.) Be daily endeavouring to form a
good style and address, which is done by in-
sensible degrees. — Never think it too soon, or
too late to attain it. — Use yourselves therefore
to various kindsof composition ; at first review
them with great diligence and exactness, —
Submit them to the review of a friend. Look
them over afterwards at some distance of
time. — Often read aloud, but in as unaffect-
ed a manner as possible. " Elegance in a ser-
mon," says Boyle, '' is like a golden frame a-
bout a looking glass ; it would be foolish to
set up the frame alone, or look only upon that

12 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

but yet it may serve to attract the eye, and
prove the occasion of discovering some defect
which would have been otherwise unobserved."
§ 16. (9.) Look up daily to God, that he
may give you more wisdom, and advance you
ill every necessary gift and grace; which he
will do, if his glory be simply and sincerely
intended in your work, and if you accustom
yourselves to rise gradually more and more
above the views of interest and human ap-
plause. Mankind are taken with little things.
— Have a firm })ersuasion in your own minds
of the importance of the work, and what de-
])ends on your right management of it. The
honour of God, the glory of the gospel, and
good of souls are no small trust. ^—Consider
yourselves, then, charged with God's business,
and you will have reason to believe God will
be with you.

LECTURE IL

Of tho Use and Character of Practical Writers.

§ L I SHALL first give you some general advi-
ces on the subject now before us.— And first,
let some practical writer,be daily read. Practi-
cal religion is important to ourselves ; and a
practical strain of preaching is important to
our people. — We shall thus form ourselves to
words aad a proper way of expression.

LeCt. 2.] PRACTICAL WRITERS. 13

§ 2. Read them at once with a view to
your improvement as christians, and preachers.
— Make observations on their matter and
style.

§ 3. Mingle authors of various strains. —
Otherwise you will learn a disagreeable imita-
tion of one. — Seem not to have any writer in
view in the manner of your compositions. —
Water running through a bed of steel is apt
to take a chalybeate taste and tincture.

§ 4. Make references to remarkable passa-
ges, that you may review them a second time.
Nor will it be amiss to mark them in the mar-
gin, if the book is your own. — Keep a cata-
logue of such things as you would read before
you preach upon any subject.

§ 5. Having made these general remarks, I
proceed to give you the characters of seve-
ral practical writers of our own nation, —
which may be divided into four classes ; the
puritans — the Nonconformists of the last age
— those of the present — and authors of the es-
tablished church.

§ 6. I recommend to you j^rs^, to form
some acquaintance with the puritans, though
they are too often despised. — There was good
sense and learning in those days, as well as
ours. — Our grand mothers had real beauty
though the change of fashions has made their
dress ridiculous to us. — I shall name but
few : —

§ 7. Bolton. — He had been a great and
notorious sinner, and was reclaimed by great
lerrori. — He is excellent both for convictiou

14 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

and consolation. — His style is rather inclined
to bombast, yet there are many expressions
truly great and magnificent. — The beauties
of imagination are most visible in his four
last things. — But his most useful treatises are
Directions for comfortable walking with God
and for comforting distressed Consciences, —
There we see the traces of a soul most inti-
mately acquainted with God,

§ 8. Bp. HALL.-The most elegant and polito
writer of his age. — He abounds rather too
much with antithesis and witty turns. — In
some of his writings he seems to have imita-
ted Seneca and Austin. — His sermons are
much worse for a compliance with the taste
of the age in which he lived. — His Contemn
plations are incomparably valuable for lan-
guage, criticism, and devotion. Next to them
his Meditations, his Letters, and Balm of Gil-
ead are worthy of attention.*

§ 9. Reynolds — A. most elaborate writer.
— He has many surprising similes. — His^style
is remarkably laconic. — A world of things
are generally touched upon which shew his ex-
tensive acquaintance with human nature, as
well as great labour. — His works contain a
judicious collection of scripture, both in the
text and marorin.

*The Rev. Mr. Pratt has just sent out proposals for
publishinjr by subscription, the whole Works of Bish-
op Hall, in 10 vols. 8vo price to Subscribers 7s. Grf.
each vol.

LeCt. 2.] PRACTICAL WRITERS. 15

§ 10. SiBBs. — His language is nervous and
decent. — His dedications are very handsome.
— His style pathetic and tender, especially so
in his Bruised Reed, and Soul's Conflict.

§ 11. Ward. — V/orthy to be read through.
— His language is generally proper, elegant,
and nervous. — His thoughts are well digest-
ed, and happily illustrated. — He has many re-
markable veins of wit. — Many of the boKdest-
figures of speech are to be found in him be-
yond any English writer ; especially Apostro-
phes, Prosopop-ieias, Diologisms, Allegories.
There is indeed a mixture of fancy in his
writings ; but pardonable, considering his
youth, and that many of his sermons vrere not
prepared by himself, for the press, but copied
from his mouth while preaching. — He died be-
fore he was twenty-eight years old. — Had he
lived, he would probably have been the phcs-
nix of British preachers.
§ 12. Hales of Eaton — generally called the
ever memorable — He is remarkably witty ;
has many very uncommon thoughts, and vast
learning. — There are many curious passages
in his works fit for a common-place book ; but
little judgment. — He has no good order and
connection : — very little of a true unction ap-
pears in him ; — tjie mere scholar also is too
apparent. He writes like one that knows not
much of human life ; with an affectation of
driving things to the utmost, which, by over-
doing weakens the cause he designs to sup-
port.— His Golden Remains, and additional

IG LECTURES ON PREACHING.

Tracts should be read. — None shew the man
more than his Christian Omnipotence.*

§ 13. I now call your attention, in the
SECOND place, to the Nonconformists of the
i-AST age ; that is, those who wrote before
1700.

§ 14. Owen and Goodwin.^ — Both highly
evangelical, but both very obscure,- especially
the latter. — Owen's style resembles St. Paul's.
— There is great zeal and much knowledge
of human life discovered in all his works ;- —
especially in his book on Apostacy. — Dr.
Wright seems to have taken many things from
hence in his "Deceitfulness of Sin." — That
on the Hebrews is his great work. — The
Means of understanding the Mind of God in

* It is remarkable that our author does not. insert
among the puritanical practical writers Perkins and
Preston^ Burroughs and HUderskam. See a charac-
ter of these writers, and some others of this class
omitted by Doddridge, in the Christian Preacher, p.
452, &c.

Dr. Thomas JacJcson, our author says, can hardly
be called a y^rac^fcrt/ writer, yet was so learned a di-
vine, and had so many curious and peculiar senti-
ments, that he is not to be omitted in this collection.
— His style is remarkably stiff and obscure, — but gen-
erally full of meaning. — It is scarce possible to open
in any page where we shall not find something sel-
dom, if at all, to be met with any where else. — He
carried his notions of religion to a very great height,
— and shows such an acquaintance with human life
as could not be expected from one so contemplative
and recluse. — His book on the Authority of the Scrip-
ture, on the Attributes of God, — and on the Suffer-
ings of Christ, — are especially worth diligent peru-
sal ; — a curious reader will find something remarka-
ble and worthy of reading in the whol-e.

LeCt. 2.] PRACTICAL WRITERS. 17

the Scriptures, is one of his best. — Those on
Communion with God, and on the Person of
Christ, most celebrated, — His Exposition of
the 130th Psalm is most excellent. — His dis-
courses of Indwelling Sin, Spiritual Minded-
ness, and Mortification of Sin in Believers,
shew great improvement in practical religion.
— Goodwin's pieces published in his lifetime
are the most valuable. — In them there are ma-
ny accurate, and valuable remarks on scrip-
ture.— His Child of Light walking in darkness
is very useful for afflicted consciences. — Ma-
ny uncommon thoughts.

§ 15. Baxter. — He is inaccurate, because
he had no regular education, and always
wrote in haste, as in the views of eternity;
but generally judicious, nervous, spiritual and
evangelical ; — though often charged with the
contrary. — He discovers a manly eloquence
and the most evident proofs of an amazing
genius ; — with respect to which he may not
improperly be called The English Demosth-
enes.— His works are very proper for convic-
tion.— See his Saint's Rest, — all his treatises
on conversion, especially his Call to the Un-
converted, Divine Life, Counsel to young
Men. — Few were ever instrumental of awak-
ening more souls.

§ 16. Manton — plain, easy and unaffec-
ted.— His thoughts are generally well diges-
ted, but there is seldom any thing extraordin-
ary.— Pie has many judicious remarks on
scripture. — His chief work is on the 119th
Psalm. — Many of his posthumous sermons are
Qf little val^§,

18 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

§ 17. Bates — charming and elegant ; — yet
his style not formed. — His sentences are too
short ; — his words, however, are very pol-
ite ; — admirable similes, — only too many of
tliem ; — proper to be quoted by those whose
genius does not lead in this way. — Read his
Harmony of the Divine Attributes' Spiritual
Perfections, and Four Last Things. — He was
well acquainted with poetry and the belles let-
tres ; — an admirer as well as imitator of Cow-
ley.

§ 18. Howe. — He seems to have under-
stood the gospel as well as any uninspired wri-
ter ;— and to have imbibed as much of its spirit.
— The truest sublime is to be found in his wri-
tings ;— and some of the strongest pathos ; —
yet he is often obscure, and generally harsh. —
He has unhappily imitated the worst part of
Boyle's style. — He has a vast variety of un-
common thoughts ; and, on the whole, is one
of the most valuable writers in our language,
and I believe, in the worid. — His best pieces
are. The Blessedness of the Righteous, En-
mity and Reconiliation, Redeemer's Tears,
and The Redeemer's Dominion ; with some
Funeral Sermons.

§ 19. Flavel. — Not deep, not remarkably
judicious, — but plain, popular, tender. — Prop-
er to address afflicted cases, and melt the soul
into love. His Token for Mourners is in-
imitable ; his Fountain of Life very useful ;
and most of the subjects proper to be preach-
ed over on Sacrament-days. Allusions to

LeCt. 3.] PRACTICAL WRITERS. 19

Pagan stories both in him and Bates, are en-
tertaining and useful.

§ 20. 'Charnock. — Celebrated by some as
a Polite writer, but chiefly by those who are
not true judges of politeness. — He has some
fine words, but no cadence ; which is also the
fault of Bates. — His divisions are too numer-
ous ; his thoughts are often obscure and in
disorder ; no clear and distinct ideas in many
of the difTerences he makes. Yet he has some
very valuable things. — ^On the Attributes, he
is deep and sublime. His book on Regenera-
tion is much applauded, though much inferior
to Baxter, Alleine, and Wright.

§ 21. Taylor (NATnANiEL).--The Dis-
senting South. — There is vast wit, and great
strength of expression in all he wrote ; yet
apt to aggravate matters a little too much.
His language is remarkably proper and beau-
tiful. His best pieces are his discourses on
Faith, Deism, and the Covenant. He wrote
but little more than these. All deserve read-
inof.

LECTURE HI.

TJie Charactftr of dissentivg Writers of the present Age, or
those who have written since 1700.

<5 1. EVANS. — His style is grave, plain,
manly, nervous. His heads are always dis-
tinct and well arranged. — ^^The scriptures

20

LECTURES ON PREACHING.

he quotes are very properly chosen. His
thoughts, especially in the application, are
thrown close together. His sermons to young
people are scarce, and valuable. His Chris-
tian Temper is one of the best practical pieces
in our language.

§ 2. Wright. — has great simplicity and
awful solemnity. His writings compose the
thoughts, and gradually elevate them. — The
heads are distinct, — and sentences very com-
prehensive.— He discovers a deep sense of
God, and a good acquaintance with the world.
His words are elegant and well chosen ; — ca-
dence however is but little regarded. — He al-
ways appears master of himself. — There are
often plain intimations of many thoughts be-
ing suppressed. — His sentiments are candid
and rational. — His book on Regeneration has
been remarkably acceptable, — and is one of
the most useful pieces published in this age.—
His work on the Deceitfulness of Sin is writ-
ten with great knowledge of mankind ; — with
the ruin of many young people before his eyes,
— and it is admirably adapted to prevent it. —
His Great Concern is very comprehensive, —
and even in that respect much preferable to
the Whole Duty of Man. — His subsequent
treatises are not equally valuable, nor is the
collection of scriptures so judicious as was ex-
pected.

§ 3. Watts. — Very different from Wright.
His style is harmonious, florid, poetical and
pathetic ; — but too diffuse, too many words, —
especially in his later works, — and his former

LeCt. 3.] DISSENTING WRITERS. 21

are too much loaded with epithets. — Yet on
the whole he is an excellent writer. — All that
he has written is well worth reading. — I most
admire the first volume of his Sermons, — •
Death and Heaven, the Love of God, and
Humble Attempt. — Not to mention his incom-
parable Lyric Poems, — Psalms and Hymns.

§ 4. Grove. — He resembles Watts, but is
not equally poetical, — yet rather more ner-
vous.— He has many judicious and new
thoughts, — which are disposed in a method
quite peculiar, and expressed with force and
elegance, — and in his former pieces there is
a remarkable sweetness. He discovers great
seriousness, — but his great aversion to Cal-
vinism, and the ill usage he had met with
from bigots, have soured him of late. — The
Friendly Monitor, — his book on Secret Pray-
er,— and some Funeral Sermons, published in
his lifetime, are very valuable. — His book on
the Sacrament is exceeding proper for schol-
ars, though much exceeded by Henry and
Earle, for common use. — Some of his med-
itations at the end of his Treatise on Faith
are excellent.*

§ 5. Henry. — Very popular ; his style is
short and pointed ; — has many antitheses, and
-is too often a little fanciful ; — elegant imag-
ination ; some peculiarities, — such as making

* The six volumes of his Posthumous Works con-
tain a collection of excellent discourses on a variety
of the most interesting and useful subjects; which,
considered as posthumous, are remarkably finished
and correct.

22 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

his heads begin with the same letter, or some-
chiming word ; yet this is generally natural. —
Great seriousness, sprightly thoughts^ diges-
ted in very good order. — His Commentary ex-
cellent, though rather too large, and too full
of typical and allegorical interpretations ; yet
there are some judicious notes both critical
and historical. — Many of his notes on the his-
torical parts, on the import of some original
words, and some of the most entertaining
things,^ are taken from Grotius, Patrick,.
Poole, Josephus, Calvin, and many oth-
ers.— However, the work is despised only by
those who do not know it. — His discourses on
meekness, the sacrament, and early piety, are
all very good. — His style is formed on scrip-
ture, to which he has numberless allusions.

§ G. Earle. — Judicious, pathetic, and very
laconic. — He has written but little besides hi3
Treatise on the Sacrament, which is excel-
lent.— In his other pieces there are several
pretty classical quotations in the margin..

§ 7. Bradbury. — His method is by no
means accurate. — Many weak arguments, —
but little enlivened by sprightly turns of wit,
and numberless allusions to scripture. —
Christ's joy on finishing his course; and his
Sermons on the fifth of November, are his best.

§ 8. BoYSE. — He has been called the dis-
senting ScoTT, — but much more polite. — His
language is plain, animated, and nervous; —
pretty much resembling Evans. His matter
is excellentry digested. — He abounds with
ideas ; — each sermon appears to be a contrac-

Lect. 3.} INTRODUCTION. 23

tion of some judicious treatise, — and often

is so The two volumes of his sermons,

and his discourses on the Four last Things,
are his principal practical works, and deserve
attentive repeated reading.

§ 9. Bennett. — Plain, serious and spirit-
ual ; — but flat. — Has many good quotations
from modern authors. — His Christian Orato-
ry is his best and almost only practical piece ;
— which had been better, had it been less.

§ 10. Harris. — He was reckoned the great-
est master of the English tongue among the
Dissenters. — His style plain and easy; his
thoughts substantial, — but seldom striking or
uncommon. Nothing to blame, nor very
much to admire. — See his discourses on the
Messiah, and Funeral Sermons.

§ 11. Jennings. — Methodical, plain, and
serious, — Some pretty turns of thought. His
strain very evangelical — He is, upon the
whole, the Flavel of the present age, only
much more polite, and free from Flavel's
faults. — All he has published should be care-
fully read, — especially his Sermons to Young
People, and those in the Berry-Street Lect-
ures,— which are the glory of the book, and
very much to the honour of the author.

§ 12. Grosvenor. — A most popular preach-
er while his voice continued good. — In his
compositions there is a strange mixture of the
familiar and pathetic. — Many strong figures
of speech, — especially prosopopoeias and dialog-
isms, — beyond any writer of the age. See

particularly his Sermons on the Name and

24

LECTURES ON PREACHING.

Temper of Jesus, — his Mourner, — and liis
Essay on Health.

LECTURE IV.

The Character of the Writers of the established Church.

§ 1. TILLOTSON.— There is such aa
easiness in his style, and beautiful simplicity
of expression, as seems easy to be imitated, yet
nothing more difficult. He had some puri-
tanical expressions. Sometimes pathetic. —
His method admirably clear, — beyond almost
any other man. — Many of his sermons contain
nothing remarkable ; especially his posthu-
mous ones ; — yet there are some of them e-
qual to any he published in his lifetime. — His
best pieces are at the begining of his first and
second volumes folio. His discourse on evil
speaking is excellent. — He made great use of
Barrow and Wilkins ; with whom compare
some of his sermons. There is sometimes great
tautology ; — but in controversy no man found
such lucky arguments, nor represented the
sentiments of his adversaries more fully, art-
fully and advantageously for confutation.

§ 2. Barrow. — The most laconic writer a-
mong our divines. — He has an amazing num-
ber of thoughts, though not always well di-
gested or plainly expressed ; he is sometimes
excellent in these respects. — He attempted to
introduce some new words, but without suc-
cess.— Many useful scriptures, and fine quo-

LeCt. 4.] WRITERS OF THE CHURCH. 25

tations from the Classics, and the Fathers, in
the margin. Nothing is more elaborate than
his discourses ; most of them having been
transcribed three times over, and some of
them oftener. — Many of Tillotson's finest
sermons were a kind of translation from him ;
— particularly that on evil speaking. — The
first volume of his sermons is the best, but
they all deserve reading.

§ 3. WiLKiNS. — His method is very exact,
but too scholastic. — His style is almost as ea-
sy and pure as Tillotson's. — Many excel-
lent thoughts are thrown together in a very in-
telligible manner. — His Sermons, Natural
Religion, the Beauty of Providence, on Pray-
er, and on Preaching, are his only practical
works, and well deserve a reading. — Tillot-
son's Wisdom of being religious is taken in
a great measure from him.

§ 4. Beveridge. — Much like Henry, but
not his equal. — He discovers great devotion,
— has many high flights, — but is sometimes
weak. — His Private Thoughts the most val-
uable of his works ; — many of his sermons
are very low.

§ 5. Scott. — His style is long and verbose ;
— many inelegant words, and some phrases
shocking ; — yet, on the whole, he is excel-
lent.—His reasoning is strong and conclu-
sive, though drawn out to an excessive
length. He drives on with great warmth and
pathos, — yet almost all appears too much for-
ced. His Christian Life is the best of his

works, especially the first part. — The pray-
2

26 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

ers at the end are absolutely the best I ever
read. — Many of his sermons are valuable, es-
pecially those in the first volume; the sub-
jects being good, pretty full, and methodically
handled.

^ 6. South. — Smart wit, keen satire, some-
times fine language ; — but his arguments are
often weak. — All his works have the appear-
ance of an ill spirit in controversy. — He has
many levities entirely unbecoming the pul-
pit ; — and when most practical seems to write
with spleen, and to aim very little at useful-
ness.— The best sermons are in his first vol-
ume ; though even in them, there is too great
an affectation of wit ; — and but little appear-
ance of being in earnest for God amidst all
his zeal against Heretics and Schismatics.

§ 7. NoRRis. — Excessively affected, pert
and verbose, yet some good thoughts. His
sermons on the Beatitudes are most cele-
brated.— He carries matters in general too
high. — His discourses on the love of God are
in the mystic strain. — His sermon on Relig-
ious Discourse deserves to be read. — He is in
general too abstruse and metaphysical.

§ 8. Lucas. — His style is very peculiar,
sometimes exceeding free, approaching to
conversation ; sometimes grand and solemn ;
— and generally very expressive. — His meth-
od is not clear ; but his thoughts are excel-
lent.— Many of them are taken from an atten-
tive observation of human life. — He wrote as
being entirely devoted to God, and superior
to the world. — His most valuable works are

LeCt. 4.] WRITERS OF THE CHURCH. 27

his Practical Christianity, and his Inquiry af-
ter Happiness, especially the second volume.

§ 9. Sherlock.. — Strong arguments, and
awful representations : exceeding proper for

conviction. — His style is plain and manly

His best works are those on Death and Judg-
ment.

§ 10. Spratt. — He is the least considera-
ble as a practical writer. — His language is
always beautiful, but many of his sentiments

are very weak. The Ciceronian style is

too much laboured. — Tully is translated for
many sentences together in some of his Ser-
mons, though not mentioned. All his Ser-
mons are in one octavo volume, and deserve
a reading.

§ 11. Clarke. — He slipped into very high
reputation, chiefly by his peculiarities. His
style is quite plain and void of pathos. — His
thoughts are well ranged, but many of them
very obvious and frequently repeated. —
Scriptures often well explained, though some-
times he takes more pains to collect parallel
scriptures than is necessary ; — and with sol-
emn parade explains others that have no diffi-
culty.— He takes more notice of grace and
the atonement than most of his followers and

admirers. Several of his Sermons are on

subjects too near akin. He and Tillotson
have made great use of the Fratrcs Poloni^
though they do not make any mention of them.

§ 12. Horneck. — Exceeding pathetic, but
not elegant. — He is chiefly fit for devotional ■
subjects ; — but his words are too often great-

28 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

er than his thoughts. — His best pieces are
those on Consideration, and The Crucified
Jesus. See his pieces also on the Command-
ments, on Prayer, Presumptuous Sins, and
several Sermons.

§ 13. Hopkins. — His motto, Atd suavilaie
nut VI, well answers to his works ; — yet he
trusts most to the latter. — He awakens awful-
ly ; sometimes there is a little of the bom-
bast ; he bends the bow till it breaks ; an er-
ror carefully to be guarded against.

§ 14. Boyle. — His style is very rough and
obscure. Yet some words are highly illustra-
tive by antitheses, he being very careful in
the choice of them. He has many lively
similes very proper to be quoted, especially in
his Seraphic Love, and Theodora and Dydi-
nius,— sentences unreasonably long, abounding
with parentheses and hard words of his own
coining. — He has, in short, many faults in
his style, but some inimitable beauties.

§ 15. ScouGAL. — One of the first rank,
though he wrote but little. — Every page a-
bounds with noble and proper thoughts ;—
clothed with a decent eloquence, suited to
the subject. He appears to be the best mo-
del of all his class. — His Life of God in the
Soul of Man, and Sermons, should be often
read. His early death, at the age of twen-
ty-eight, was an unspeakable loss to the world.

§ 16. Law. — Very recluse. — His produc-
tions have a severity seldom to be found in
this age. — His language is generally just and
beautiful ; very nervous, but sometimes unnat-

LeCt. 4.] WRITKRS OF THE CHURCH. 29

ural. He is ready to affect points of wit, and
strokes of satire; — in wliich however he does
not equal South. — Many characters are ad-
mirably drawn. — In this he comes nearer the

Jesuits than any Engilsh writer. His

Treatise on Christian Perfection is very fa-
mous. His Serious Call still better,

§ 17. Fleetwood. — Surnamed Silver-
tongued ; — remarkable for easy and proper
expressions. — He considers several cases,
which, though often occurring in human life,
are seldom taken notice of in Sermons. — On
this account he may be consulted with advan-
tage.— In respect of true politeness he has
been equalled by few. — His Sermons on Rel-
ative Duties are good ; but his Four Funeral
Sermons shew the orator much more.

§ 18. Atterbury. — The glory of our En-
glish orators. — In his writings we see lan-
guage in its strictest purity and beauty. —
There is nothing dark, nothing redundant,
nothing deficient, nothing misplaced. — Triv-
ial thoughts are avoided, uncommon ones in-
troduced and set in a clear, strong light, and
in a few words ; — some admirable similes, and
more graceful allusions to scriptures than any
of this class. On the whole, he is a model
for courtly preachers. His Four Volumes
should be carefully read. — His two last are
the best. — The chief Sermons are Acquaint-
ance with God, Religious Retirement, Lady
CoTEs's Character, Propagation of the Gos-
pel, Sufficiency of Revelation, Terrors of Con-
science, Curse on the Jews, and Felix Trem*
bling.

30 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

§ 19. Blair. — A man of plain good sense.
— A beautiful simplicity and great seriousness
run through all his writings. — A desire to
spare all unnecessary words is very apparent.
— His Commentary on Matt. v. — viii. is the
best extant. — He has some excellent and strik-
ing similes, which are chiefly taken from the
affairs of slaves, planters, or foreign colonies.
He lived in Jamaica. — He suggests a multi-
tude of excellent things which he does not
prosecute at large. — He appears to have been
a person of the utmost candour, and has solic-
itously avoided all unkind and contemptuous
reflections on his brethren. — He guards his
hearers against all undue confidence in their
immediate relation to, and strict attendance
on the established worship, beyond almost any
other divine in the Church of England. — He
has an excellent way of bringing down criti-
cisms to common capacities ; — and has dis-
covered a vast knowledge of scripture in the
suitable application of them.

<5, 20. Secker — is so remarkable an instance
of the laconic style, that the few Sermons he
has published deserve an attentive reading;
— especially that on the Oxford act, which is
the wisest 1 ever read, considered in the view
of a Philosophical Essay.

§ 21. A. Bp. Leighton. — One of the most
eminently devout and pious writers his age
has produced. — His Sermons indeed are not
accurately digested, and sometimes contain
only hints not fully opened ; — which is the
more excusable, as none of them were intend-

LeCt. 4.] WRITERS OF THE CHURCH. 31

ed for the press by the author. — His works
ought to be reckoned among the greatest trea-
sures of the English tongue. — They continu-
ally overflow with love to God, and breathe
a heart entirely transformed by the gospel,
above the views of every thing but pleasing
God. — There is a vast deal of spirit, and
charming imagination ; multitudes of the most
beautiful figures; and scriptures applied with
happiest allusions.-Metaphors, especially those
in the text, are sometimes pursued into alle-
gory; yet very natural. — Upon the whole,
they are such as none but a very ingenious,
learned, religious man could write; — and yet,
even by such an one, must have been written
with great care ; — not the effect of any labori-
ous efforts for particular discourses, through a
habit of speaking and writing ; but the guard-
ed overflowings of a copious fountain. — This
attainment, however, must have been the con-
sequence of a most resolute application both
of the head and heart. — Few uninspired wri-
ters have a greater tendency to mend the
world. — The disappointment which the learn-
ed and polite complained of, when these post-
humous works were published, is chiefly to be
charged upon their ignorance of the true beau-
ties and use of Theological Writings.*

* We are happy to inform the public, that propo-
Bals are just issued for a new edition of the Works of
this excellent Divine, and v/e learn that the publish-
er, Mr. Ogle, of Great Turnstile, Holborn, is in pos-
session of some valuable Manuscripts, which togeth-
er wit!) his Life from authentic materials, unknown to
his former Biographers, will appear in this enlarged

32 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

LECTURE V.

Rules for composing Sermons.

§ 1. When we are about composing a Ser-
mon, we are to consider, 1st. Wliat subject is
to be chosen, 2d. In what strain it is to be
handled, 3d. The sti/le of the composition,
4th. What thoughts we are to introduce, 5th.
In what order we are to throw them. I shall
therefore, give rules for each of these, and
then 6th. Add some further rules not compre-
hended under either of these heads :

'^2.. I shall offer some remarks, First, on
the choice of subjects. — But before I point
out what subjects are to be preferred^ I shall
shew you what you are to decline* Among
these are,

The doctrines of natural religion, such as
the Being and Providence of God, — the state
of future rewards and punishments, — liberty
of choice; — the distinction between moral
good and evil. — These subjects are less ne-
cessary, because they are generally believed,
and have been so fondly and repeatedly insist-
ed upon by those who had but little relish for

edition. — The writings of Leighton being calculated
for christians of the nao&t refined taste, as well as those
of the meanest capacity, there can be no doubt of
success in the undertaking.

* Most of these rules refer to the young preacher
at first setting out; though they are all in some de-
gree applicable to a settled minister. Tiie former
they teach what he should only, and the latter what
he should chiefly make choice of.

Lect. 5.] cOxMPOsiNG sermons. 33

the doctrines of the gospel, that enlarging up-
on them would bring a man's reputation into
question with many. — Besides, the nicety of
the arguments cannot be understood by vul-
gar auditors, nor is it possible their pious af-
fections should be much impressed by them ;
— yet, as they are fundamentals, they ought
not to be entirely omitted. Let them, there-
fore, be touched upon in parts of Sermons,
tending to some evangelical purpose. — This
may be done from, " This is life eternal, to
know thee, &c." " He hath abolished death,
and brought light and immortality to light,
&/C." Of this method of treating these sub-
jects, the Berry-Street Lectures are excellent
examples.

^ 3. 2. The evidences of Christianity. —
These are too large to be conveniently brought
into a single, or even a double Sermon ; be-
sides, it is seldom an acceptable subject to
the generality of hearers. — Yet exceptions
must be allowed for some places where deistn
prevails. — Let a settled minister, in two or
three elaborate Sermons, give a general view
of the arguments; — and refer to plain treatis-
es on the subject. — It is highly proper by cat-
echising to inform the judgments of the rising
generation ; — as they are in the greatest dan-
ger of being seduced. — When preaching on
subjects that admit it, take an opportunity to
make a few striking observations in confirma-
tion of Christianity ; especially be careful to
display its excellency above natural religion ;
— this will generally be sufficient. For when

34 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

our people are brought to experience the pow-
er of the gospel, they will never forsake it. It
is hard for a young preacher to support his
reputation by such a topic ; and if he has any
thing to say that is extraordinary, it will be
better to say it from the press than from the
pulpit.

§ 4. 3. The inexplicable mysteries of the
gospel ; such as the doctrine of the Trinity,
the union of the divine and human natures in
Christ, the manner of the Spirit's operation,
&.C. for they cannot be made plain. Besides,
there is danger of puzzling, or inflaming our
hearers; — the wiser part will be offended to
to see you so forward and bold ; — and the hun-
gry soul will go away from these as from the
preceding subjects but little refreshed. — It is
feeding the people with roots instead of fruits.

§ 5. 4. The highest points of Calvinism,
supposing them to be believed. — Such as the
imputation of Adam's sin, — Reprobation, —
Irresistible Grace, and others of the same cast.
These doctrines may be abused, and preju-
dice some against the more necessary doc-
trines of Calvinism ; — as those of the media-
tion and atonement of Christ ; — the aids and
influences of the Spirit, &,c. — Hints on high
doctrines, except on particular occasions, are
better, if they are believed, than whole dis-
courses upon them.

§ 6. 5. Types. — In these there is so much
room for fancy, that it is difficult to speak ju-
diciously upon them ; — and more difficult to
please if they be not drawn to excess. — But

Lect. 5.] COMPOSING sermons. 35

for a pastor, especially on a sacrament-day,
those that are allegorized in scripture may be
very profitably enlarged upon, — provided the
similitude and ditference be shown.

<^ 7. 6. Particular sins and duties. — Atter-
BURY, indeed, says, that " General discourses
are, for the most part, like large prospects,
where the eye is lost in the wide compass it
takes, and sees so many things at once, that
it sees nothing clearly."* To young preach-
ers, however, they are not advisable. — They
are, indeed, much preferable to any of the
former, but if frequently enlarged upon, may
procure you the character of a legal preach-
er ; — and the same end may as well be an-
swered another way, as I shall soon shew.
Especially avoid preaching against a particu-
lar vice, as drunkenness, luxury, covetousness,
pride, &lc. — Rather recommend the contrary
virtues of sobriety, mortification, liberality,
humility ; — and let these be urged chiefly by
evangelical motives. — A settled minister may,
however, sometimes insist on such subjects,
and ought to do it ; — particularly to caution
youth, — and to deter them from keeping bad
company, — and induce them to observe strict-
ly the Sabbath-day. — Great care should be
taken, however, not to draw such descriptions
of ill characters as would give just occasion to
suspect (hat you had particular characters in
view. — It may be added, these subjects often
lead into a chain of reasoning too close to be

* Atterh. Serm. vol. i. p. 38.

36 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

popular ; — and people generally know right
and M'rong.

§ 8. 7. A continued series of discourses
from the same verse, or even chapter, ought
to be avoided by young preachers. — This me-
thod tends to weary an auditory. — Few chap-
ters afford proper subjects in every verse. —
The peculiar advantages of this method may
be better answered by expounding. — The ex-
plication and improvement of a variety of sub-
jects connected in some way together, making
a course of Sermons more entertaining.

§ 9. This hint is chiefly intended for a set-
tled minister ; — it will be wisdom in him to
make a proper connexion between subjects, —
and to have, with due allowance for other oc-
casional discourses, a series which shall con-
tain a system of practical divinity.

§ 10. 8. Not subjects of great terror ; — as
very strong representations of the wrath of
God, or of the nature, degree and duration of
the torments of hell. — To make these the sub-
ject of your Sermons will be likely to bring
upon you the reputation of legalists, and would
perhaps rather amaze and confound the hear-
ers for the present, than make lasting good
impressions on their minds. — Warn faithfully,
but let it be rather in particular parts of Ser-
mons, than in distinct discourses. — Always
take care to avoid representing God as a ty-
rant.

§ 11. Having shewn what subjects you
ought generally to decline, I will now point out

Lect. 5.] COMPOSING sermons. 37

what subjects are to be preferred, and most
frequently insisted on.*

§ 12. I. Those which relate immediately to
Christ. — The glories of his person, and riches
of his grace, Ps. xlv. 2. Cant. v. 10. Isa. ix.
6. — His incarnation, John i. 14. — His under-
standing, Isa. xlix. 5, 6. John xvii. 2. — His
birth, Luke ii. 11. — His example, Acts x. 38.
1 Peter ii. 21. — His preaching, John vii. 46.
— His ministerial conduct, Heb. iii. 1. — His
passion, Lam. i. 13. Isa. liii. 12. — His death,
resurrection, and ascension, John xix. 30.
Luke xxiv. 41. Acts iii. 15. 19. — His inter-
cession, Heb. vii. 25. Rom. viii. 34. — His re-
lations, offices, and characters ; — as Husband,
Brother ; — Prophet, Priest, King ; — Physician,
Shepherd, Captain, Strength, Head, Forerun-
ner, Advocate, Friend, Saviour, Judge, &-c.

§ 13. II. The constitution of the covenant
of grace made with believers in Christ. — Here
consider, and state the nature of justification
by his righteousness, — the nature of faith, and
its place in the gospel scheme, — also the na-
ture, necessity, reasonableness and effects of
repentance,— the freedom of the grace of God,
as it is manifested in the covenant. — The ex-
cellency of the Gospel, — the superiority of the
covenant of grace, compared with former cov-'

* Lot ifie most useful and pertinent subjects be
your most frequent clmice. Those are the most use-
ful that are the most edifying ; and those most perti-
nent that are fitted to the capacities and necessities of
the auditory ; to both which you ought to have a
special regard. Barccroft's Jirs cnocionandi, p. 92.

38 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

enants, — how ratified by the blood of Christ
the Mediator, — the seals of the covenant, — the
manner in which it is to be entered into, re-
newed and reflected upon, &;C.

§ 14. III. The Spirit and his operations, —
Represent our absolute need of him ; — des-
cribe his work on the soul in conviction, con-
version and consolation ; — illustrate the nature
of his influences ; — in the assistance he afibrds
in prayer, — and the witness he bears to his
own work on the heart.

§ 15. This is an exceedingly popular sub-
ject— and, what is of still higher importance,
it is a useful and scriptural one. — When you
enlarge upon it, however, it will be necessary
to add cautions against grieving the Spirit, —
and directions for walking in the Spirit, — and
being filled with the Spirit.

§ 16. IV. The privileges of the children of
God ; — the pardon of sin, — the renovation of
their nature,--adoption, — perseverance through
divine grace, — God's providential care over
them, — all things working together for their
good, — access to God through Christ, — com-
munion with him, — believing views of glory,
&LC. — These subjects will impress the hearts
of sinners, (as a lancet concealed in a sponge,)
— as well as raise the devout affections of true
christians.

§ 17. V. General views of religion. — Mic.
vi. 8. Titus ii. 11. Matt. xxii. 37. — Remind
hearers of the various branches of duty in a
transient manner. — Urge their obligations close
to their consciences. — For people generally

Lect. 5] COMPOSING sermons. 39

know what is right, but need to be persuaded
to practise it. — But particular cases of con-
science, that cannot be well stated in Sermons,
encourage your people to bring to you in pri-
vate.

§ 18. VI. The love of Christ and a devo-
tional temper. — Here represent his attributes,
and the genuine workings of a pious soul to-
wards him. — Urge the keeping up a continual
communion with him. — Describe the pleasing
intercourse of a devout soul with him in va-
rious ordinances. — This will be particularly
useful to yourselves and very comfortable to
serious christians.

§ 19. VII. The evil of sin, and misery of
sinners in consequence of it. Sound the
alarm, but with mingled encouragement. Dis-
play the terrors of the law, but seldom let them
be the subject of whole Sermons; — and gen-
erally lament over sinners, rather than menace
and threaten them.

§20. VIII. The temptations and exercises of
a pious soul. — These cases often occur among
the people of God, and courses of Sermons
must often be interrupted to enlarge upon
them. — Show whence discouragements arise;
— describe the cause, — and lay down rules
for judging of sincere grace, — that christians
may be comforted, and hypocrites convicted.
— Such Sermons are generally very profita-
ble.— Fence them with several scripture quo-
tations, that they may not be thought enthusi-
astic.

§ 21. IX. Death, Judgment, and eternity.

40 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

— Funeral Sermons will often demand these.
— Nothing tends more to quicken in the du^
ties of life and preparation for death. — Here
consider heaven in its various views ; — con-
formity to God ;— beholding the glory of Christ;
associating with saints and angels ; — and the
influence these prospects should have upon us.
§22. X. Examples of scripture characters,
and pieces of sacred history. — These are very
interesting and entertaining subjects, and will
often afford you natural occasions of saying
useful things in a very inoffensive way. —
Sometimes a virtue is better represented by
such an example, than by a topical discourse ;
— thus, submission to the will of God will be
better illustrated by the example of Aaron,
Eli, Job, Samuel, <S£c. than by general obser-
vations on the nature, advantages aud reason-
ableness of such a temper.*

* As this part of the subject is of great moment^
and the variations between the copies are greater
here than, perhaps, in any other part of the lectures,
the whole of that copy which differs most is given in
this note ; which may serve also as a specimen of the
difference which may appear to exist between other
copies. Such diversity has probably arisen from the
ditFerent ways in which the lectures were dictated to
successive classes of students, in different periods of
time, evew supposing the syllabvs to be the same ;
but which would be still greater on supposition that
the author made, as in all probability he would make,
successive additions and alterations in the syllabus
itself; and all this might produce a great diversity
independent of another considerable source, viz. the
comparative accuracy or inaccuracy of original wri-
ters and subsequent transcribers.

LeCt. 6.] STRAINS OF PREACHING. 41

LECTURE VI.

On different Strains of Preacliinw.

|i.

I SHALL not here describe all the vari-
ous strains of preaching for which different

WHAT SUBJECTS OUGHT TO BE PREFERRED, AND MOST
FREQUENTLY INSISTED UPON BY A YOUNG PREACHER.

1. Those that relate more immediately to Christ.
The glories of his person; the riches of his grace;
his incarnation and birth ; his life, entering into the
several particulars of his example; his preaching,
considering both the important doctrinos he taught,
nnd the excellent manner in wiiich he taught them.
The sufferings and death to which he voluntarily
submitted, and for what reasons; his resurrection
from the dead; his ascension into heaven ; his inter-
cession on our behalf, and the high authority which
is committed to him. The relations he stands in to
his people, as their Prophet, Priest, King, Piiysician,
Shepherd, Head, Forerunner, Captain, Advocate,
Friend, Saviour, and Judge.

2. The constitution of the covenant of grace as es-
tablished with believers in him. The blessings of
pardon, grace, and glory, that are offered herein to
all humble and believing penitents. The nature of
faith ; and its place in the scheme of our salvation.
The nature, reasonableness, and necessity of repent-
ance, with its genuine fruits. The freedom of God's
grace manifested in this covenant ; how ratified by
the blood of Christ, the Mediator. The peculiar ex-
cellence of tills covenant, shewed by comparing it
with former covenants.

3. The influences and operations of God's Holy
Spirit, and our need of them ; their use and efficacy
in enlightening the mind, convincing the judgment,
renewing and sanctifying the soul ; quickening to
duty, fortifying against temptation, assisting in pray-
er, and comforting true christians, by witnessing to
their adoption, &c. The necessity of seeking^ ches*.

42 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

men are remarkable; but only recommend
some, which perfectly agree with each other
and should be found in every Sermon.

ishing and improving these gracious influences of
heaven.; and the great danger of so resisting them,
as to grieve the Divine Spirit. These are exceeding
popuhir, scriptural, and useful subjects.

4. The privileges of true christians, e. g. pardon
of sin, renewing, strengthening and confirming grace;
adoption, perseverance, through continued divine in-
fluences; God's providential care over them, order-
ing all things for their advantage ; giving them ac-
cess to his presence, believing views of glory, &c.
It will impress the hearts of sinners, if proper ad-
dresses to them be intermingled; as the lancet in the
sponge. And nothing will more pov^'erfully quick-
en to duty, when backed with suitable examinations.

5. General views of religion, such as Mic. iv. S.
Tit. ii. 11, &c. Remind men of their various branch-
es of their duty in a transient manner; and urge
the obligation close home upon their consciences.
For men generally know what is right, only they
want to be persuaded to practise it; and particular
cases of conscience cannot well be stated in a single
Sermon^ but may be more fully and advantageously
considered in private.

6. The love of God, and a devotional, spiritual,
heavenly temper. Here the divine perfections may
1*0 represented, and espicially the relations God
stands in to ns, as our Creator, Preserver, Benefac-
tor, Father, Friend, Guide, Sovereign, Judge ; from
whence the corresponding duties we owe to him will
appear necessarily to arise ; such as reverence, es-
teem, love, delight, gratitude, hope, and trust, to-
gether with an imitation of his moral excellencies,
and an universal obedience and submission to his
will. Here all the genuine workings of a pious soul
towards him may be described ; and the advantages
of keeping up a holy communion with him by med-
itation and prayer, and other religious exercises, set
forth, In like rpannor, such holy and divine prinQir

LeCt. 6.] STRAINS OF PREACHING. 43

§ 2. Let it be observed, that by " strain" I
mean the general manner in which the whole

pies, as those of attending to the care of the soul,
rathpr than the body; living and walking by faith;
minding spiritual things; seeking first the kingdom
of heaven; setting our affections on things above;
and having our coversation in heaven ; are subjects
that would be peculiarly useful to yourselves, and
grateful to serious christians.

Lay open the evil of sin, and the misery of sinners
in consequence of it. But still mingle encourage-
ments with the alarm. Here display the terrors of
the Lord ; but let them be seldom the subjects of
whole discourses, as above. And general)}' lament
rather than menace. The surgeon's soft iiand is to
be imitated.

8. The temptations and exercises of the pious soul.
These cases often occur in life, and should often
be touched upon in the pulpit. Show whence dis-
couragements arise in the way of duty ; and by
what a variety of means men are enticed or hur-
ried into sin. Show the need and use of constant
caution and watchfulness. Assist those exercised
with trials or temptations, with proper advices ;
and lay down rules whereby to judge of sincer-
ity, for the comfort of christians, and the detec-
tion of hypocrites. But fence them well with scrip-
ture quotations, that they may not be thought en-
thusiastic.

9. Death, judgment, and eternity. Funeral dis-
courses will probably often demand these ; if not^
they should not be neglected. Nothing tends to
quicken more to the duties of life, and a preparation
for death.

10. The examples of good men, and passages of
sacred history. These subjects are very entertain-
ing ; and will often give a natural occasion of saying
very useful things in an inoffensive manner. Some-
times a virtue is better recommended by an exam-
ple than a topical discourse ; v. g. Submission to
Gods will in the instances of Aaron. Job, or Da^

44 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

discourse is composed. It differs much from
style — this regards the structure of sentences
in particular, but strain respects the aspect of
the entire discourse.

§ 3. 1. Let the strain of your Sermons be
argumentative. — Be often proving something,
even when it is not the business of the whole
discourse to demonstrate one proposition. — As
for instance, prove the justness of your expli-
cation ; — the truth of subordinate assertions ;
— the propriety of the directions you give ;
— and the necessity of your cautions. — And
never expect that any of those things which
you advance will by an intelligent auditory be
received merely on your word. — Nevertheless,
do not let your arguments be too numerous^,,
abstracted, or disposed in too artificial an or-
der.— Remember, the explication of your sub-
ject must be as argumentative as almost any
part of your Sermon.

^ 4. 2. Pathetic. — It is a wild scheme to^
pretend to root out the passions ; — and a fool-
ish thing to pretend to lay them asleep. — They
are the sails of the soul. — The preacher must
endeavour to fill them with a prosperous wind.
Have some pathetic strokes even while ex-
plaining, as well as in your reflections or im-
provement ; — or else your reasoning will not
be attended to, nor of course understood ; —
and then, however strong in itself, it will prove
of no avail, — and an address to the passions

vid ; so Enoch's walking with God ; Abraham's
faith ; Moses' self denial ; Joseph's chastity ; and
Jianiel's piety.

Lect. 6.] STRAINS OF PREACHING. 45

will appear as irrational as if no such reason-
ing had been formed. Therefore make your
Sermons addresses to your hearers, rather than
general essays or speculative harangues ; — a
very necessary way of preaching the gospel. —
However, on this head be cautious ; do not
attempt to raise the passions of the people to
immoderate transports, nor suffer your own to
master you ; — lest to those who are not so
much affected as yourselves you appear ridic-
ulous.— In the greatest emotions " Ride in
the whirlwind, and direct the storm." — Re-
member that different degrees of fire become
different subjects, and different parts of the
same subject.

§ 5. 3. Insinuating. — That the passions
may be moved by soft touches, and sudden
turns, lead them into their own hearts ;— show
them the workings of their own minds and
passions. — This cannot be effected, however,
without deep reflection, and great self-ac-
quaintance.— A variety of thoughts, suited to
this strain, may be found in different authors,
almost on every subject. — This insinuating
manner makes little noise, but does great ex-
ecution.— This is the strain of our blessed
Redeemer ; — and sometimes of St. Paul.

§ 6. 4. Evangelical. — Choose such sub-
jects as those mentioned above ; — and, let your
subject be whatever it may, always examine
what peculiarities of the Gospel may be brought
in ; — and what christian experience. — Let it
be a maxim with you, never to preach with-
out introducing Christ, and the Holy Spirit. —

46 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

Rather digress, as St. Paul does, than omit
them.

§ 7. 5. Spiritual and experimental. Con-
sider the various cases of souls, in respect to
the great concern of religion ; — how convic-
tions are introduced; — how they work; — and
by what means they may be best preserved,
cherished and improved , — and in how many
ways there is great danger, either of their gra-
dually wearing off and leaving the heart less
susceptive of them, or else of their degenerat-
ing into superstition or enthusiasm ; — how
Satan endeavours to stifle them, — Describe
the temptations with which good men are ex-
ercised ; — whether arising from the allure-
ments of sense, the strength of predominant
passions, the flatteries and frowns of the world,
the influence of evil examples and bad cus-
toms, the terrors of persecution, loose and li-
centious principles ; — describe the horrors un-
der which they sometimes groan ; — the regret
they feel when communion with God is inter-
rupted ; — the believer's combat with indwell-
ing sin ; — and with doubts relative to his fu-
ture state. — Often touch on these things, when
they are not the principal subject of your dis-
course. For these purposes study the Psalms.
—Deal much in the description of christian
tempers. — Cultivate it in your own souls. —
Represent the christian speaking ; — and speak
what you find in your own heart ; — what you
have felt in some of your best seasons.

§ 8. 6. Scriptural. — Borrow scripture phra-
es, illustrations and proofs. — Deal in frequent

LeCt. 7.] STYE OF SERMONS. 47

allusions to scripture. — Study to open 'the
beauty and energy, as well as the chief design,
of the particular scripture which you choose
as the ground of your discourses. — In your
application, especially when you wish to bring
home conviction to the hearts of sinners, en-
deavour to find one or tvv^o powerful scriptures,
and shoot them home ; — no arrow is more
likely to pierce the heart. The principles of
analogy will often make these addresses very
rational ; — and it is doing an honour to the
Spirit of God, which if we conscientiously re-
gard, he may probably honour us. — Isaiah and
Jeremiah, and the other prophets, and St.
Paul, will be of vast service for pathos ; — and
there is nothing that gives a style a more me-
lodious and majestic cadence than scriptures
properly interwoven with it.— Throw into these
quotations a few explanatory words, with which
a con^recration will be deliijhted and edified.

LECTUPtE VII.

On the Stylo of Sermons.

§ 1. Let it be pure. — Avoid obsolete words
and those composed of foreign languages,
which Barrow and L'Estrance made some
unsuccessful efforts to introduce. — Avoid very
hard words when easy ones are equally expres-
sive of your meaning.

^ 2. Intelligible and clear. — Avoid the in-

48 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

tricacy of which Howe and Boyle are such
remarkable instances. —When a sentence grows
too long, divide it. — Affect not to confound
the distinction between different periods and
paragraphs by the perpetual use of connecting
particles. — Encumber not your discourse with
the particles, '' by how much, by so much, for
as much as, furthermore, howbeit, &/C." — Do
not deal in parentheses, unless they are very
short. — " An affected obscurity of style," says
Baxter, " makes a fool admire the preachers
learning, but it will make a wise man wonder
either at his hypocrisy or folly."

§ 3. Strong and nervous. — Do not weaken
it, as Watts sometimes does, by too many
epithets ; — nor by synonymous terms, than
which nothing deadens a style more.

<^ Calm and composed. — Do not suffer your-
selves to be carried away in the passionate
parts of your discourse into high swelling words
of vanity ; — and never imagine the true sub-
lime consists in bombastic expressions.

§ 5. Orthodox. — Avoid offensive phrases ;
— and use favorite ones, as far as you can fix
a good meaning to them ; — declare a good
sense to them, and endeavour to teach others
that idea.

§ 6. Grave and solemn. — Avoid ludicrous
expressions. — That rule of Luther's, *' Qui
pueriliter, populariter, trivialiter, et simplicit-
er docet, optimus ad vulgus est Concionator,"
will not hold good in the present age. — Learn-
ing is not now at so low an ebb. Keep up
the majesty of the pulpit. — Do not affect those

LeCt. 7.] STYLE OF SERMONS. 49

abbreviations which make a discourse too fa-
miliar.— Be particularly careful to preserve
reverence when speaking of the Divine Being.
Scott often offends heinously in this;— e. g. he
speaks of" Hissing the almighty poet off the
stage, and damning his works ; — of tantalizing
God with the golden fruits of repentance ; — of
disappointing his hopes, and of playing the af-
tergame of repentance," &c. — such expres-
sions cannot be equalled, except by that lus-
cious style which some high notioned writers
have used or affected, — especially Crisp.
, § 7. Generally plain and always unaffected.
— The boyish affectation of crowding every
thing with ornaments, is despicable : — A dis-
course of this kind is like a mean dress be-
spangled with jewels." — Take heed of poeti-
cal lines; — and if without design you have
fallen upon them let them, be altered in the
review of your Sermon. — Avoid many points
of wit ; — when much of this appears it renders
a man suspected whether he is in earnest for
God, — There are too many instances of this
in Spratt, of whom it might be said, (as well
as of his friend Cowley) " He more had pleas'd
us, had he pleas'd us less." — These are "spi-
ders' webs to catch flies." — " This is like Ne^
ro's lading his gallies from Egypt with sand
for the wrestlers, when Rome was starving for
want of corn," IBates, p. 772. " Or like of-
fering a basket of flowers to a hungry man,
Rapin, vol. ii. p. 55.*

* Rapiris expressions arc : " Et c' est ainsi que I'on
ffuslre la faim et la soif des fideles, par lea fleuri
3

50 LECTURES ON PREACHINGF^

§ 8. Let not your discourses, however, be
too bare, but prudently interspersed with Jig-
ures. — When too many, they are like flowery
■weeds growing among corn, — which render
the prospect more pleasing to the eye, but hin-
der the growth ; — or like painted glass moder-
ately used, they exhilarate the mind, and fast-
en on the memory. Therefore generally have-
some similes and many allusions. If you bor-
row them, quote the authors; — or it will be
dressing yourselves with fine feathers which,
will probably soon be pulled off to your shame :
by which you will be exposed to shame, — for
there is nothing so quickly discovered as those
passages which strike the memory so forcibly.
Remember, " Non quaerit aeger medicum elo-
quentem sed sanantem,"

§ 9. Let your style be free and ea^i/ to your-
selves. Be careful not to labour it too much ;.
nor affect to imitate any one. But form your
own style and manner gradually, by convers-
ing with the best authors. When you have
well digested your thoughts, write pretty fast,,
and afterwards review and correct ; this will
have a peculiar effect, and give a popular grace^
which stiff" labour cannot attain.

<^ 10. Lively. — This rule may take place
when there is not much room or need for pa-
thos.— Something of the laconic will conduce-
much to this. Great verbosity enervates and
makes a discourse flat. — Yet by all means a-
void an affected smartness; — similar to that
which runs through Echard and Collier.

d'line vaine Eloquence, Hont on amuse leur curiosi-
te." Reflex. Sur L'Eloquence de la chaire, i 3.

LeCt. 7.] STYLE OF SERMONS. 51

§ 11. Vai'ious. — Your style must vary with
the variety of your subjects, and sometimes ac-
cording to the different parts of the same sub-
ject ; — in some measure too according to your
auditory, and the general manner of preaching
in the place where you live ; — which you ought
to endeavour gradually to improve. — The same
style running through all your discourses will
insensibly grow disagreeable, be it ever so
good ; and that which is richest^ in writing as
in food, will nauseate the soonest.

§ 12. Let it be harmonious. — Remember
that harmony is a real thing, not only in speak-
ing but in writing. — It may seem but a little
thing, and it is not indeed the greatest, yet it
is worth attending to, and may be attained by
proper care. — Without it people will be unea-
sy in hearing, w-hen perhaps they know not
why. In order to attain it, let the ear be tun-
ed by reading aloud, especially such authors
as are remarkable for this excellence. Try
your own compositions this way, even while
composing as well as afterwards. Remember
that perspicuity is a great friend to harmony.
Avoid open vowels and clashing consonants,
too many monosyllables, and too great a clus-
ter of short syllables is succession. But take
heed not to admit verses in your prose for the
sake of being harmonious.*

* On reading over a discourse to ourselves we must
observe what words sound harsh, and agree ill to-
gether ; for there is music in speaking as well as in
singing, whinh a man, thoujrh not otherwise critical
in sounds, will soon discover. Burnet's Past. Care,
p. 23G. See Mason s Treatise on Prosaic Nun"*ber»,.

52 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

LECTURE VIII.

On the Choice of Thoughtg.

<^ 1. Let them be solid — such as will stand
the test of a severe judgment ; — for such they

passim. And as an admirable specimen Smith's
Longinus.

Our author has manifested a decided partiality for
Archbishop Tillotson as a writer of Sermons, and it
is well known that he studied him, especially in his
younger years, with great pleasure. It is not there-
fore improbable that the defects of this favourite wri-
ter, in point of energetic harmony, had an unpleasant
influence on some parts of our excellent author's
writings ; defects and an influence which have ex-
tended themselves even so far as to afl^ect, in some
degree, the national taste. It is presumed, therefore,
that the following remarks on harmony of style in
general, and the character of Tillotson in this respect
more particularly, will form a very suitable appen-
dix to this Lecture.

ox HARMONV OF STVI.E.

'■' Among the principal defects of our English Ora-
tors, their general disregard of harmony has, I think,
been the least observed. It would be injustice in-
deed to deny that we have some performances of
this kind amongst us, tolerably musical ; but it must
be acknowledged at the same time, that it is more
the effect of accident than design, and rather a proof
of the power of our language than of the art of our
orators.

Dr. Tillotson, who is frequently mentioned as hav-
ing carried this species of eloquence to its highest
perfection, seems to have had no sort of notion of
rhetorical numbers : and I may venture, Orontes, to
add, without hazarding tlie imputation of an atfecte'd
singularity, that f think no man had ever less pre-
tensions to genuine oratory, than this celebrated
^readier, ir any thing could raise a flame of elo-

LeCt. 8.] THE CHOICE OF THOUGHTS. 53

must expect ; — and unless they will bear this^
however you may adorn them, they will be

quence in the breast of an orator, there is no occa-
sion upon which, one should imagine, it would be
more likely to break out, than in celebrating depart-
ed merit; yet the two Sermons which he preached
Upon the death of Mr. Gouge and Dr. JVhiclicote, are
as cold and languid performances as were ever, per-
haps, produced upon such an animating subject. —
One cannot indeed but regret, that he, who abounds
with such noble and generous sentiments, should
want the art of setting them off with all the advan-
tage they deserve ; that the sublime in morals should
not be attended with a suitable elevation of language.
The truth, however, is, his words are frequently ill
chosen, and almost always ill placed : his periods
are both tedious and unharmonious ; as his metaphors
are generally mean, and often ridiculous. It were
easy to produce numberless instances in support of
this assertion. Thus in his Sermon preached be-
fore Queen Anne, when she was Princess of Den-
mark, he talks of stpieezing a parable, thrusting re-
ligion by, driving a strict bargain with God, shark-
ing shifts, &c. and speaking of the day of judgment,
ha describes the world as cracking about our cars.
I cannot however but acknowledge, in justice to the
oratorical characler of this most valuable prelate,
that there is a noble simplicity in some fevv'ofhis
Sermon* ; and his excellent discourse on sincerity de-
serves to be mentioned with particular applause.

But to shew his deficiency in the article I am con-
sidering at present, the following stricture will be
sufficient, among many others that might be cited to
the same purpose. ' One miorht be apt,' says he, * to
think at first view, that this parable was orerdone,
and wanted something of a due decorum; it being
hardly credible, that a man, after he had been so mer-
cifully and generously dealt icithal, as upon his hum-
ble request to have so huge a debt so freely forgiven,
should, whilst the memory of so much mercy was
fresh upon hira, even in the very next moment, hau'

54 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

despised, — like " a fair woman without dis-
cretion,"— or, like the colouring of a picture
where proportion is not observed.

die his fellow-servant, who had made the same hum-
ble request to him which he had done to his Lord,
with so much roughness and cruelty, for so incon-
siderable a sum.'

This whole period, (not to mention other objections
which might justly be raised against it) is unmusical
throughout, but the concluding members, which ought
to have been particularly flowing, are most misera-
bly loose and disjointed. If the delicacy of Tulhfs
ear was so exquisitely refined, as not always to be
satisfied even when he read Demosthenes.-' how
would it have been offended at the harshness and
dissonance of so unharmonious a sentence.

Nothing, perhaps, throws our eloquence at a great-
er distance from that of the ancients, than this Go-
thic arrangement ; as those wonderful effects, which
sometimes attend their elocution, were in all proba-
bility, chiefly owing to their skill in musical con-
cords. It was by the charm of numbers, united with
the strength of reason, that Tally confounded the
audacious Catiline, and silenced the eloquent Horten-
siits. It was this that deprived Curio of all power
of recollection, when he rose up to oppose that great
master of enchanting rhetoric : it was this, in a word,
made even Ccesar himself tremble ; nay, what is yet
more extraordinary, made CcBsar aher his determined
purpose, and acquit the man he had resolved to con-
demn.

You will not suspect that I attribute too much to
the power of numerous composition, when you re-
collect the instance which Tally produces of its won-
derful effect. He informs us, you may remember,
in one of his rhetorical treatises, that he was him-
self a witness of its influence, as Carbo was once
haranguing to the people. When that orator pro-
nounced the following sentence, Patris dictum sa-
piens, temeritasfilii comprohavit — it was astonishing,
says he, to observe the general applause which fol-

LeCt. 8.] THE CHOICE OF THOUGHTS. 55

^ 2. Useful. — Remember it is your great
business to edify, not to amuse. — Often ask

lowed that harmonious close. A modern ear, per-
haps, would not be much affected upon this occasion;
and, indeed, it is more than probable, that we are
ignorant of the art of pronouncing that period with
its genuine emphasis and cadence. We are certain
however, tliat the music of it consisted in the Dicho-
ree with which it is terminated : for Cicero himseU
assures us, that if the final measure had been chang-
ed, and the words placed in a different order, their
whole effect would have been absolutely destroyed.
This art was first introduced among the Greeks by
Thrasymachus, though some of the admirers of Isoc-
rates attributed the invention to that orator. It does
not appear to have been observed by the Romans till
near the times of TuUy, and even then it was by no
means universally received. The ancient and less nu-
merous manner of composition, had still many admir-
ers who were such enthusiasts to antiquity as to a-
.<lopt her very defects. A disposition of the same kind
may, perhaps, prevent its being received with us ;
and while the Archbishop shall maintain his author-
ity as an orator, it is not to be expected that any
great advancement will be made in this species of
eloquence. That strength of understanding likewise,
,and solidity of reason, which is so eminently our na-
tional characteristic, may add somewhat to the diffi-
culty of reconciling us to a study of this kind ; as at
first glance it may seem to lead an orator from his
grand and principal aim, and tempt him to make a
sacrifice of sense to sound. It must be acknowledged,
indeed, that in the times which succeeded the dis-
solution of the Roman republic, this art was so per-
verted from its true end as to become the single study
of their enervated orators. Pliny the younger of-
ten complains of this contemptible affectation ; and
the polite author of that elegant dialogue which,
with very little probability, is attributed either to
Tacitus or Quinctilian, assures us it was the ridicu-
lous boast of certain orators in the time of the declen-

56 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

yourselves, Will this thought be likely to do
good? — If not, lay it aside. — An ingenious
-man, by attentive thought, may find out a set
of just and rational, yet trifling and useless
epeculation. — Butler's Sermons furnish us
with some examples of this kind,

§ 3. Proper to the subject. — Never indulge-
yourselves in loose digressions ;— but keep up^
a certain and easy connection. — The misery
of sinners, — the nature of faith, — ^justification
by the righteousness of Christ &c. — are
brought in by many on every subject; — avoid
this. — Nothing is more disagreeable in preach-
ing than " semper eadem."

^ 4. Let them be such a? naturally flow
from the subject. — For this purpose dwell
much on your subject in previous meditation.
— Talk it over; — view it in its various rela-

sion of genuine eloquence, that their harangues were
capable of being set to music, and sung upon the
stage. But it must be remembered, that the true
end of this art lam recommending, is to aid, not t»
supersede reason ; that it is so far from being neces-
sarily effeminate, that it not only adds grace but
strength to the powers of persuasion. For this pur-
pose Tul.lif and Qulnctilian, those great masters of
numerous eon^position, have laid it down as a fixed
and invariable rule, that it must never appear the
effect of labour in the orator, that the tuneful flow
of his periods must always' seetn the casual re-
sult of their disposition ; and that it is the highest
offence against the art, to weaken the expression, in
order to give a more musical tone to the cadence.
In short, that no unmeaning words are to be thrown
in merely to fill up the requisite measure, but that
they must still rise in sense as they improve in sound.'
Melmoth's Fitzosborne's Letters j No. xiv.

Lect. 8.] THE CHOICE of thoughts. 57

tions ; — and in composition keep it still in mind,
— This will secure a happy diversity ; — and the
same leading thoughts will have distinguish-
ing and agreeable peculiarities ; — and the
whole subject will appear one.

§ 5. Let some, if possible, in every dis-
course be new. — These are generally to be
gained by remarks on scripture ; — observing
the workings of your own hearts; — and the
general manners of men, in their diversified
situations. — Reflect in reading what useful
and agreeable thoughts the author you peruse
has not inserted; — or how what he has said
may be improved by any new thoughts which
may arise in your own minds. — " Lateritiam
inveni, marmoreani reliqui."

§6. Let them he popular ; — tliat is, suited
to the people in general ; — and for this pur-
pose attend to the reflections made by com-
mon people of plain sense on your own dis-
courses, or those of your brethren. — Consid-
er also the circumstances of your audience in
particular ; — and do not forget the cases of
individual persons, — for thoughts which suit
one you do know, often suit twenty whom
you do not know. — When your Sermons are
composed, as your first are, for various au-
ditories, consider what is common to all.

§ 7. Let them be select. — Do not attempt
to exhaust yourselves on every head. — Take
the most material things. — Often, in opening
your discourse, or a single argument, con-
tent yourselves with hinting or passing lightly
over what is most common, and expatiate
3*

68 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

more largely on what is peculiarly your own ;
— or on some other account particularly use-
ful for present consideration.

LECTURE IX.

On the Manner of ranging the Thoughts.

§ 1. Let the heads be distinct, not only in
words, but in meaning. — Study to express
them clearly, that the distinction may evident-
ly appear ; — when it is otherwise, the Sermon
cannot be understood, well received, or tolera-
bly remembered ; — and the preacher himself,
it will be supposed, has not fully understood
his subject.

§ 2. Let them not be too numerous. — If they
are, it will be difficult to keep them distinct. —
It will also load the memory ; — and impov-
erish the Sermon, — since, in that case, but
very little can be said on every head ; though
the beauty, or the finest parts of a Sermon
lie chiefly in the enlargement. — Sermons with
avast many heads are like the skeleton of a
body ; — or like the branches of a tree in winter
when neither fruit nor leaves are left.

^ o. Have not too many subdivisions. —
They soon confound the most attentive and
intelligent hearers, that have not either a vast
memory, or a pen. — Have commonly but one
series of particulars under one general head
mentioned by numbers ; — and let those subor-
dinate to them come on as the enlargement ; —

Lect. 9.] RANGING THE THOUGHTS. 59

where it is of great importance to be very exact
in ranging them ; — and vvliere, in a well com-
posed discourse, one liead will often contain
the stamina of a Sermon.

§ 4. Let the heads be expressed in as few
words as possible ; — especially have some one
leading" word, if you can, which may corur.in
the principal sense. — If they must be connect-
ed with some longer sentence to make the
sense complete, first mention them alone, then
in their connection; — or if together, let the
common part of the sentence be placed last,
rather than first. Be contented to sacrifice
something of the cadence and copiousness of
your languuge to this greater concern. Oth-
er parts of a Sermon may sufficiently shew
you do not this from a want of ability to do
otherwise.

§ 5. Place them in a natural order, — that
they may illustrate and introduce each other,
— and that there may be a fair transition. —
Avoid inverted climaxes, — c«^ par. let those
heads on which you propose to bestow the
greatest labour or ornament, or lay the great-
est stress, be placed last.

§ 6. Avoid trite divisions — especially of ve-
ry common subjects, — as justification, sancti-
fication, adoption ; — and the humiliation and
exaltation of Christ; — his offices of Prophet,
Priest and King ; — proofs from reason and
proofs from scripture. — This looks like com-
mon place, and may expose you to censure as
a plagiary. — Yet I do not say that it must or
can always be avoided ; — only be cautious that

CO 1,ECTURES ON PREACHIX'G.

these divisions do not grow too common ; —
they give a discourse a very dull air.

§ 7. Have a variety of methods in differ-
ent Sermons ; — particularly when the subjects
are, as they often must be, nearly the same.
— Sometimes, let the text be the guide and
ground v^^ork throughout — Sometimes having
opened it draw practical remarks from it. —
Sometimes, take a topic of diversity, for which
the text shall be the motto. — And in your ap-
plication, sometimes address your hearers un-
der their different characters; — and in this
address, bring in your motives and direc-
tions.— Sometimes, draw inferences ; or make
reflections : — and at other times, let your
whole discourse be applicatory ; — persuasive,
— or dissuasive, — and have no reflections or
applications at all at the close ; — or but a hint
of what might have been introduced.
§ 8. Give the plan twice as briefly as possi-
ble, and the review. — This makes Tillot-
soN so clear. — A few moments thus employed
are well spent. — Let your hearers always
percieve where you are ; — and be upon your
guard against long digressions.

§ 9. To secure all this, draw a very distinct
skeleton. — Or you may draw two, with diff*er-
ent degrees of exactness and fullness. — Sub-
mit a fair draft to the examination of a friend.
— Review it attentively before you begin to
compose ; — remember that when this is well
done, the Sermon is almost done; and a due
care about it may be much better than trans-
cribing the whole sermon twice ; — though
that also may be done where time will allow.

Lect. 10.] coMPOsiTiox of a sermon. 61

LECTURE X.

Sfore particular Rules on the Composition of a Sermon.

§ 1. Take some previous time for devout
meditation on your subject, — especially if it
be devotional, as it generally will be. — Preach
it over to your own souls. — Observe thoughts
arising warm from the heart ; — set them down
with peculiar care, — as some of your great-
est treasure. — If one view appear more affect-
ing than another, make a proper memorandum
ofit.

§ 2. Choose to compose when you are in
jour best frame, — cat. par. — Therefore take
such time, that ifyou should be under any par-
ticular indisposition for study, or meet v.ith
any interruption in it, you may not be forced
upon it, at so unfavourable a season. -But take
care you do not too soon conclude yourselves
incurably unfit ; — the frame often mends. —
Take notice what parts of the day you are
most inclined and in the best frame to compose
-and secure those hours to yourselves. — Gen-
erally early in the morning, — or late in the
evening, — are the best time ;-unless you have
an extraordinary command of retirement, —
But let not the intermj»:'iate hours be lost.

§ 3. Begin the work with a solemn address
to God. — This will lay you in the way of his
blessing and assistance ; and will naturally
have some good influence (o awaken, com'

62 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

pose and encourage your soul ; — it will direct
your minds to right ends and views. — which
is a matter of vast importance. — Perhaps a
form of prayer might not be improper for that
purpose ; yet varied with some particular re-
gard to your subject.*

* The following form was drawn up for this pur-
pose by Dr. Doddridge in his younger years, and
prefixed to his book of liints or skeletons of ser-
mons:—

•' Blessed God ! It is thou that gavest me a ra-
tional soul, and upon thee do I depend entirely for
the continuance of those capacities with which thou
hast endowed me. I am .not suflicient of myself, so
much as to think any thing as I ought, but all my
sufficiency is of thee.

" I am now engaging in a work of singular impor-
tance, in which I would desire to be sensible of tho
need I have of thy gracious assistance. I beg that
thou wilt command my attention to the affair before
me. May no vain or intruding thoughts break in up-
on me to hinder a steady application to my business.
Direct my iiiind to proper thoughts ; and to the most
agreeable manner of arranging and expressing them.
And may my heart be inflamed with pious affections;
that divine truths coming warm from my own soul
may more easily penetrate into the souls of my
hearers : May I remember that I am not to com-
pose an harangue to acquire to myself the reputation
of an eloquent orator ; but that I am preparing ff>od
for precious and immortal souls; and dispensing
that sacred gospel which my Redeemer brought
from heaven, and sealed with his blood. May I
therefore sincerely endeavour to give my discourse
the most useful turn, and do thou direct me so to form
it, as best to promote the great purpose of christian
edification.

'• And grant, O Lord, that I may recieve present
refreshment to myself, and future edification from
the study of those divine truths I am entering upon ;

LeCt. 10.] COMPOSITION OF A SERMON. 63

<5, 4. When just setting to the worlr, ask your-
selves such questions as these, on a view of
the scheme you have drawn up.

<§ .5. 1. How shall the Sermon begin? —
Let it not be always with mentioning the con-
text,— though it may sometimes be allowed, or
indeed necessary. — Use a variety of Exordia
— Sometimes, by scripture stories, — some-
times, by quotations and allusions, — some-
times, by similes, — at others, by a weighty,
laconic sentence, — and, sometimes, fall di-
rectly upon your subject, — especially when it
is so copious that you will be in danger of ex-
ceeding the time. — Endeavour, in this part of
your Sermon, to awaken the attention of your
auditory, — and raise their expectations, — but
not too high. — Let it be always modest, — with-
out any extraordinary flights ;-— and leave no
room for suspicion, that it was composed mere-
ly to display the orator ; — this will lead your
hearers to dispute your sincerity .-Better walk
than attempt to fly where your wings will not
bear you. — If you have any invocation, let it
be after your general division, — peculiarly ap-
propriate,— and more frequently expressed as
a wish, than as a direct prayer ; — and so con-
trived, that it may intimate to the hearers what
they ought to be concerned about in attending
to the discourse.

and may this be one of the most delightful employ-
ments of my life. While I am waterinjr others
may I be watered myself also ; and bring forth dai-
ly more and more fruit, proportionable to the advan-
tages which I enjoy, to the glory of thy great name
and tiie improvement of my everlasting felicity,
through Jesus Christ. Amen."

64 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

§ 6. 2. Does the text need explication ? — If
it does, what explication ? — Do not make dif-
ficulties for the sake of removing them ; — nor
in a dull manner set yourselves^ as Dr. Clarke
often does, to shew the various senses in which
any word found in the text is used in scripture;
— unless it may, (as it sometimes v.ijl) furnish
useful thoughts. — When the difficulty is real,
and especially where it is not touched upon by
commentators, — state, and remove it, in a few
strong words. — Do not introduce the senti-
ments of various commentators, — they only
confound ; — nor a variety of readings and ver-
sions;— nor deviate from our own without real
necessity ; and when you do, fix upon the
translation you think the best, and drop the
rest; — or at least but briefly touch upon them,.
— and so as not to appear divided in your own-
mind, and at a loss which to choose, lest it
should produce some ill effect upon the audi-
ence, by leading them to suppose that the
scripture is an uncertain thing. When your
text expresses some noble important sentiment,,
in a very forcible manner, you may make it
the subject of the greater part of your dis-
course, without increasing any just blame. —
Nothing dignifies a Sermon more than this-
plan, — nor does a greater honour to scripture.
— Search the context for proper thoughts ; —
and, if there be any difficulties in the neigh-
lK)urhood of it, endeavour to illustrate it by a
few expressive and important words ; — which,^
to the more judicious of your hearers, must

LeCt. 10.] COMPOSITION OF A SERMON. 65

appear to be an abstract of a much larger criti-
cism in }'our own mind.

§ 7. 3. Wliat passions are to be raised, — •
and what figures of speech are to be used ? —
Take care of misplaced oratory. — Take care
not to mistake exclamation for raising the pas-
sions.— Much stronger, and yet softer ma-
chines must be used for this purpose. — If God
be introduced speaking, it must be in a few
awful, and generally, scripture words.

§ 8. 4. What strain of preaching is most
suited to the subject in general, and to select
parts in particular ? — When these are fixed,
endeavour to recollect whb are the greatest
masters in these strains, and how they would
have expressed' themselves had they been in
your place?

§ 9. 5. What regard to Christ and the Holy
Spirit may properly be introduced into this
discourse ? — Does it naturally lead to them I
— If not, how may they least unnaturally be
introduced or connected ?— Sometimes for
want of this question they have been too much
forgotten.

^ 10. 6. What quotations can properly be
introduced from scripture ? — Generally, have
one or two under each head, which ntay illus^
trate as much as possible its true sense. — In
the application, some that are very pathetic
should always be introduced. — The pathos of
which ought to be illustrated from other writ-
ings,— particularly by remarkable thoughts,
figures, or laconic sentences, which in your
reading you have met with. For this purpose

66 XECTnRES ON PREACHING.

often review your common-place book, — and
sometimes note down thoughts you design for
this purpose in your book of schemes.

§ 11. 7. What use can be made of my ac-
quaintance with the world in this Sermon ?—
Have I made any observations on it, — or seen
any thing lately that may furnish me with an
useful thought 1

§ 12. 8. When shall I address the con-
science ? — Remember that the final applica-
tion, reflections, or inferences are not the on/y
places in which to introduce your addresses to
the converted and unconverted,— the ignorant,
the careless, the luxurious and profane, — the
moralist and the hypocrite, — the wavering and
irresolute, — the doubting, tempted, and de-
jected in spirit, — the backsliding, — the con-
firmed, zealous, and joyful ; nor to the aged
and the young, — the prosperous and afi^icted,
— the rich and poor ; — the healthy and infirm,
— those who have lost friends, ^c. &lc. Rep-
resent to yourselves these and various cases,
and let each be seasonably noticed.

§ 13. 9. What shall the conclusion be t-^
Do not leave off merely because you have noth-
ing more to say ; — be sure to close handsome?-
ly. — Frequently close, though not always, with
a thought of consolation ; — at other times
full of terror ; and often with graceful scrip-
ture.— Have some sprightly thoughts, if possi-
ble, at the conclusion of each head.

§ 14. Often recollect your character, and
station in life. 1 am a man, and not a boy.— •
To crowd my discourses witb puerik orna-

LeCt. 10.] COMPOSITION OF A SERMON. 67

ments is like an academic, just from school. —
All I write must be judicious, or it will be
contemptible. — I am a servant of God, and not
of the world, or of men. — I must approve my-
self to the Great God ; — in all things I must
promote his interest, and write and speak as
in his presence ; — and, to feel these sentiments
more sensibly, intermingle devout and deeply
humble, though silent ejaculations while com-
posing.— 1 am a minister of Christ, and not a
deist, or heathen philosopher. — I am to preach
the gospel, that gospel which Christ brought
down from heaven, and died to confirm. — I
am, in one sense, a successor of the apostles,
— and am engaged in carrying on the scheme
in which they and their Lord were engaged. —
Am 1 a preacher among plain christians, not
scholars, or courtiers? Let my Serm.ons be
adapted to their capacities. — Imagine your-
selves in the pulpit, and your congregation
around you, and sometimes preach over some
heads before you write them. — Lastly, I and
my hearers are dying creatures. — I am, per-
haps, composing my last Sermon, a Sermon
which I may not live to deliver. — This method
of recollecting yourselves will produce a gen-
uine air of seriousness, profitable to yourselves
and your hearers.

§ 15. Compose as much of your Sermon as
you can at a sitting. — Choose to do this when
you are in a good frame. — It will give a grace-
ful freedom to your style, — and when you have
prepared your materials, it will not be difficult
to dispatch your Sermon in five or six hours.

bo LECTURES ON PREACHING.

§ 16. If in the course of your composition
you find your thoughts wander and droop, en-
deavour to revive them by holy ejaculations. —
Beg of God to bring by his Spirit suitable
scriptures to your remembrace — -in order to
help you to open doctrines clearly, to state"
them truly, and to apply them seriou.sly. — He
knows what is in n)an, and can lead you to
come at what you ought always most to seek,
— the hearts of your hearers.

§ 17. Give your Sermons a very attentive
and critical review. — Here lop off excrescen-
ces,— divide sentences which are too long, —
and if you can find time, transcribe the whole
again. For this purpose begin soon enough ;
— let your general schemes be drawn up a
week before hand. — Read and enrich your
schemes by additional thoughts and conversa-
tion on Monday and Tuesday ; — on Wednes-
day and Thursday compose your Sermon ; —
and on Saturday review and transcribe it. —
Practise this method seven years, and it will
become natural and easy.

LECTURE XI.

On the Delivery of Sermons.

§ 1. This is evidently a matter of great im-
portance, and almost every body pretends to
be a judge of it. — A good delivery is much in
a man's favour, and the contrary is much to

LeCt. 11.] DELIVERY OF. SERMONS.

69

his disadvantage. — In some instances hearers
judge of a man's character by the manner of
his speaking, as much as, or more than they
do by his matter.

§ 2. Several things are essential to a good
delivery. — Particularly, it must be grave and
serious ; — agreeable to the dignity of the char-
acter in which you appear. — This is opposed
to a careless air in your delivery, — and to ev-
ery thing that approaches that ludicrous man-
ner which an unhappy few have affected ; —
and also to improper actions, such as playing
with the cushion, band, gloves, &c.

§ 3. It should be distinct.'^ — Take care of

* Every preacher wishes to be understood as well
as heard ; but many are deficient in this respect, for
want of a distinct articulation ; which might easily
be acquired, if they would attend to a certain rule,
without the observation of which no man's delivery
can be perfect. It is well known, that a piece of
writing maybe understood, if all the vowels are omit-
ted ; but if the vowels are set down, and the conso-
nants omitted, nothing can be made of it. Make the
experiment upon any sentence; for example: Judge
not, that ye be not judged. Take out the vowels, and
it will stand thns—jdgntthtybntjdgd: this may
readily be made out: but take away the consonants,
and nothing can possibly be made of it — we o a e e o
ue. It is the same in speaking as in writing; the
vowels make a noise, and thence they liave their
name, but they discriminate nothing. Many speak-
ers think they are heard, if they bellow them out:
and so they are ; but they are not understood ; be-
cause the discrimination of words depends upon a
distinct articulation of their consonants : for want of
considerin* which, many Speakers spend their breath
to little effect.— Do justice to every consonant— the
vowels will be sure to speak for themselves. Jo7ies'
JLiifQ of Dr. Home, p. 141.

70 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

running your words into one another, — and of
sucking in your breatii, — or dropping your
voice at the end of a sentence. — Make pauses
in proper, and avoid them in improper places.
— Let the accent belaid right, — but avoid too
much, lest it seem affectation. — Pause at the
end of your heads, — repeat them (when repe*
tition is thought advisable) with a stronger
voice than the rest.

<^ 4. Let it be affectionate. — Feel all yoa
say. If a tear will fall, do not restrain it, —
but it should never be forced. "Nothing is
more indecent than a dead preacher, speaking
to dead hearers the living truths of the living
God." — Baxter. " A due fervour makes a
plain discourse more touching than one more
exquisitely composed and coldly delivered, as
a blunt iron when red hot will pierce deeper
into a piece of wood, than a much sharper one
that is cold." — Bates.

§ 5. Composed and sedate. — In the warmest
parts do not be transported beyond your voice
so as to scream. — Moderate the excess of ac-
tion,— such as throwing your arms over the
sides of the pulpit, &/C.

<§» 6. Let your delivery be various. — Your
delivery must vary according to the different
parts of your Sermon, and the different senti-
ments expressed. — Explication and application,
must be delivered in a very different manner.

<^ 7. Natural and unaffected. — Theatrical
airs are by all means to be avoided.* — Do not

* It lias been sometimes remarked, that a good the-
atrical eiiuriclaiion is only a just imitation of nature^.

LeCt. Il.J DELIVERY OF SERM^ONS. 71

act all you say, — it is ridiculous. — Be careful
not to make pauses that look like self-admira-
tion between the several words of the same
clause, nor affect to vary your voice too muck

and therefore ought not to be condemned, but imitat-
ed. But ihe best imitation of nature, it must be re-
membered, is not nature itself. An accurate view of
the real difference in question is of considerable im-
portance. An actor transports himself into the views,,
the feelings, and the circumstances of the person rep-
resented ; and this excites a transient pleasurable
surprise at the resemblance. The genuine effect in
its nature is the same as what is produced by any
work of art, as music, painting, designing, and the
like, whicli is quite different from a moral effect. A.
bad man may be a good actor, for the same reason
that he may be a good artist. A bad character may be
acted well, for the professed object is to please by the
art of imitation. Nay a good imitation of a bad char-
acter may please an audience more than a less per-
fect imitation of the best character. But a preach-
er's professed object is to produce moral a.nd spiritual
effects, not such as artful imitation can produce. In;
short, the one affects by a persuasion we have that
he really w what he appears to he. ; the other by ap-
pearing to be what he really is not. The one speaks
from the heart, the other from artificial conformity.
The latter does not even pretend tliat what he says is
tiie dictate of his own heart, nor does he seriously
wish for others to think so. Nature si)eaks from con-
viction, but an actor assuynes what he may, at heart,
even detest. A good theatrical representation of IVhit-
field on a stage, would be extremely different from
the reality as to moral effect. The representation has
pleased many a spectator, but was ever one of them
edified? Or had the excellence of tbe imitation in Dr.
Squintum the least tendency to benefit 1 hose who would
iiave been edified by the original speaker.' Suppose
Gnrrirk had taken much labour to represent our Lord
delivering his sernmn on the mount — the result is too-
obvious to need a single remark.^ — W..

72 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

to express very different ideas of sorrow, in-
dignation, fear, &/C. — When the delivery ap-
pears too artificial, the auditory is ready to
suspect a man's sincerity, and that he is only
playing his part. — Speak as a good man, bring-
ing out of the full treasure of his heart good
things.

§ 8. JFree, that is, above the servile use of
notes. — Do not read every word, nor be afraid
to change a clause, or to add a sentence which
may rise suddenly, and be as useful and fre-
quently as graceful as any. — To be able to
preach without notes raises a man's character.
Accustom yourselves to look about much upon
your auditory.

§ 9. I shall finish this lecture, with some
advices on the best means of attaining an
agreeable delivery.

§ 10. 1. Guard against faults, rather than
study beauty. — A delivery that has no consid-
erable faults will probably have some beauties.

§ 11. 2. Accustom yourselves to read aloud
the same thing again and again ; — perhaps your
own Sermons will be preferable to any thing
else. — This will fix them fast upon your mem-
ory,— and you will acquire by use the proper
emphasis, cadence and action.

§ 12. 3. Be sure to be master of your notes,
in proportion to the degree in which you in-
tend to use them, that you may not be entang-
led.— It is a sad reproach to a man when he
cannot read his own writing before a congre-
gation, yet this I have often seen.

LeCt. 11,] DELIVERY OF SERMOXS. 73

§ 13. 4. Let your mind be as composed as
possible. — Endeavour to get above the fear of
the people by rational and pious considera-
tions.— Remember your own superiority to
most of them in point of understanding ; — also
the candour of others of good sense, and how
little a thing the applause of any is. — Fix your
dependence upon God ; — be willing to be dis-
posed of by him., in these instances, as he sees
fit : — and yet cheerfully hope as you go forth
in his work, that he will give you his strength.
§ 14. 5. Let your minds be animated. —
For this purpose reflect seriously upon what
you are to deliver. After you have composed
your discourse, pray over it in private. — Seek
divine assistance. Keep your mind well em-
ployed as you go to the house of God. — In the
pulpit make a little pause (if there be no sing-
ing) between prayer and preaching, both that
your hearers may be settled, and your ovVn
minds awakened ; — and especially reflect on
the beginning of your Sermon.

§ 15. 6. Avoid unnecessary expense of
spirits just before you are to preach. — When
the spirits are low, the performance cannot be
comfortable to ourselves, and is seldom plea-
sant to our hearers. — Yet God sometimes hon-
ours those Sermons with success from wliich
we have had the least expectations. — Do not
sit up too late on Saturday night, nor study
too intensely on Lord's day morning. — Nor be
too long in secret and family prayer, but re-
serve your spirits as much as possible,— and

/4 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

endeavour to keep your mind in a. serioifs,
calm and tender frame.

§ 16, 7. Encourage the reflections of your
friends upon the manner of your delivery. —
We hear not our own voices as others do, —
nor see that air and manner with which we
speak in the light in which they view it. —
Our friends, therefore, are the best judges.: —
And if they find fault, you are not, while
young, to be displeased. — If, however, what is
iu itself right, generally, or at least freq.uently
displease the auditory, it should be waved. —
It is much pleasanter to commend than to^
blame ; if our friends therefore deny them-
selves so much as to take this trouble, we
ought to be very thankful, — and instead of be-
ing angry at their censures, should rather de-
sire them to do it frequently. — This is a pre-
caution of importance to all beginners, because
proper admonitions may prevent ill habits from
lieing contracted, which, when once formed,
are almost incurable.

LECTURE Xir.

General Directions not comprehended in the preceding Lectures..

§ 1. Do not preach the same Sermon over
too often, either in the same or different pla-
ces; — it hurts a man's reputation if the places
are contiguous, and it is apt at best to deaden
his own spirits; — but Ijast of all in the same

LeCt. 12.] GENERAL DIRECTIONS. 75-

place. — A little alteration of text and preface
will not be looked upon as a sufficient excuse.

§ 2. Never borrow the words of others. —
Use their works in your compositions for hints
and thoughts freely, — but never transcribe,
unless it be as a quotation.

§ 3. Do not preach too many Sermons on a
text. — This rule is not to be invariably observ-
ed, as there are some copious passages that
will afford distinct matter for various Sermons,
— and may occasionally be made the subject
of two, but very seldom more than three
discourses. Rather sometimes pursue the'
same subject from different texts, that you
may have more of the explication and applica-
tion.

§ 4. When settled, have some scheme of
subjects connected with each other to be
preached over ;■ — especially a course of Ser-
mons on the character and offices of Christ,
— the operations and fruits of the Spirit. — on
the privileges and duties of christians, &lq,.
But let these be intermingled with others, —
and when any remarkable providences occur,
take notice of them in your Sermons.

§ 5. Preach sometimes in little country
places, with greater freedom than you can al-
low yourselves to a larger and more refined
assembly. — Go into the pulpit with the heads
of a Sermon only, and talk freely upon them,
— and when you return, write the discourse
more at large. Thus you will improve many
of your compositions, and gradually get above
your notes.

76 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

§ 6. Let your first Sermons especially be
formed into an exact analysis, or regular scheme
of method. Commit this to memory, and it
will improve your judgment, make your de-
livery easier to yourself, and continual atten-
tion to your notes less necessary.

§ 7. Write your notes neatly and distinctly.
— Rule your paper, with a large margin. —
Let the heads be written apart, and the en-
largement divided into various paragraphs,
and each distinct sentence properly pointed,
if in long hand. — Let the scriptures be refer-
red to in the margin, which willgive an opportu-
nity of recollecting much of the discourse, by
a very transient view, — especially if you write
(as it will be proper to do) not only those you
professedly design to quote, but others whose
phrases you borrow, or to which you only al-
lude.— Read over your notes attentively once
or more, to fix your Sermon in your memory,
and to prevent the shame of frequently hesi-
tating.

§ 8. Know when to have done,-and if good
and pertinent thoughts arise in your minds,
take care not to pursue them too far, so as to
draw out your discourse to an immoderate
length. — Sometimes young men, having said
nothing, are full of matter when they ought
to close ; and with a view to mend what they
have been saying, are apt to be tedious. — Thus
it costs them labour and study to be less agree-
able than they would otherwise be. — Remem-
ber, your business on subjects is not to say all
that can be said; but what is most just, pro=

Lect. 12.] GENERAL DIRECTION'S. 77

per, important and useful — And do not forget
that before the organs of speech are strength-
ened by practice, it is a very dangerous thing
to keep them upon the stretch for a long time
together ; — the last quarter of an hour does
them more injury than all.

§ 9. Be accurate but candid critics of the
Sermons your hear. — Draw up a scheme or
perhaps hints of a Sermon on the text on
which you have heard a discourse, — and re-
member to be just to the beauties as well as de-
fects of your brothers. — Always speak with
candor on the labours of other ministers, lest
your reflections on them be reckoned envy,
or ill nature ; which will greatly sink your
own character; and lest a consciousness of that
severity discompose you, as in that case you
must hardly expect more candor than you have
shown. — Some persons of uncharitable tem-
pers, though of excellent sense, have been
wretchedly distressed for want of this pre-
caution.

§ 10. Retire for prayer both before and af-
ter Sermon. — This will encourage the mind,
and bring it into a good frame, and it is doing
honor to the Divine Spirit, which he will pro-
bably succeed with blessings on your labours.
— Besides it is a propor indication of a serious
temper, and a mind more concerned for God's
glory than its own.

§ 11. Observe what acceptance your labours
meet with amongst your people. — But makp
your observations with great caution, lest you
should appear to them to be fishing for applause,

78 LECTURES ON PREACHING,

which is a meanness very unworthy a gospel
minister and the surest way to lose it. — Be
willing to hear of any faults in your compos-
ures or delivery ; and sometimes when you
preach before your brethren, desire them to
tell you plainly what they discovered amiss.

§ 12. Sometimes keep a day of solemn de-
votion to recommend your labours to the di-
vine blessing. — On those days, besides the
usual devotion, review the memorandums of
the Sermons you have lately preached, and
reflect on what you have found of the accep-
tance and success of them, and let God have
the glory. — Humble yourselves before him,
that they have been no more regarded or im-
proved.— Review Christ's promises of assist-
ance to his ministers, — and other promises
which may be applied to this purpose, — for
the further encouragement of your faith. —
Plead earnestly with God for a blessing on
yourselves, and those committed to your care,
— and forget not on these devotional occasions
to seek the blessing of God on your brethren
and the public, — our plantations abroad, the
church of Christ in general, and the protestant
interest in the whole world. Consider then
what you shall preach from before the next of
these days, and draw out a more particular
list of the subjects ; still leaving room for al-
terations on unforeseen emergencies.

<^ 13. Maintain a character and conduct in
I^fe agreeable to your preaching. — Labour to
do good wherever you come. — Avoid every
thing that would bring a reproach, or a reflec?

LeCt. 13.] DIRECTIONS FOR PRAYER. 79

tion OH your own character, or on religion. —
Remember statues at the top of a house must
be larger than life ; — i. e. your elevated situa-
tion will render your piety diminutive, if not
above the common standard. Pray to God for
daily wisdom, — and every day in secret prayer
have some petitions relative to the last Sermon
you preached ; — and make it your care for
the ensuing week to practise to the utmost
what you have said. — This will command the
regard of others, as far as it is apparent, and
through divine grace ensure the blessing of
God ; and make your ministry most comforta-
ble to yourselves.

LECTURE XIII.

Directions for Prayer.

§ 1. Prayer is a matter of great dIfRculty
and great importance to our usefulness, — and
has a greater influence even on preaching than
many are aware. — I shall first suggest some
general directions relating to your improve-
ment in the gift and grace of prayer.

^ 2. Furnish yourselves wiih a variety of
matter proper for prayer ; — for this purpose,
converse much with your own hearts, — get
well acquainted with the state of your souls, —
attend to your spiritual wants and weaknesses,
=-- frequently recollect the mercies you receive
irora God, and inquire what returns you have

80 LECTURES ON PREACHING,

made. — Study the nature, works, and ways of
God ; make yourselves familiarly conversant
with his word, — and let what you read there
or in other good books, be considered in par^
ticular as affording matter for prayer. — Pray
over what you have been reading, and seldom
close your Bible, or lay a book of practical di-
vinity out of your hands,, without a short col-
lect at least formed upon it.

^ 3. Make a serious business of secret and
family prayer. — Have your stated times for
more private exercises of devotion, and be
careful in them. — Do not hurry them over in
a few careless words, nor be satisfied unless
you have daily some communion with God in
them.- — Labour hard to bring your hearts to a
serious frame, when approaching to God in
them.

§ 4. In all your prayers avoid the extremes
of too mean and too pompous a style. A pom-
])Ous style shews a mind too full of self, and
too little affected with a sense of divine things.

V/ho would regard a beggar telling a fine

story of his calamities? — But, on the other
hand, take heed of too mean and paltry phra-
ses, low images, and saucy familiarities with
the blessed God. A guard against these
should be always maintained ; but especially
in public. Let all be grave and simple ; and
appear to aim at nothing but pouring out the
soul before God in the most genuine lan-
guage of a humble and devout temper. A-
void splendid borrowed expressions, which arQ

LeCt. 13.] DIRECTIONS FOR PRAYER. 81

sure to be remembered by those who have read
them.

§ 5. Guard against sentences excessively
long when you pray with others, lest they
should not understand you. Better have them
too short, though the sound of the period be
injured, as this is but a small matter compared
with the former.

§ 6. Be generally careful to observe a meth-
od in your prayers. — The principal parts of
prayer are Invocation with Adoration, — Con-
fession,— Petition,— Intercession with Thanks-
giving,— which may be connected by proper
transitions ; but it is not necessary they should
always succeed each other in this order.
Thanksgiving may full as well come before
confession, and the several parts may some-
times be variously intermingled and combined.
Thus invocation needs not always be confined
to the beginning of prayer ; but may properly
be repeated by way of preface to some of the
principal petitions, remembering to make men-
tion of the most suitable divine attributes; and
the like mixture there may be of confession or
thanksgiving with petition.

^ 7. Be not too solicitous to introduce nov"
elties into your prayers. Desire not to pray
as nobody ever prayed before, or will probably
ever pray again. — Novelties may sometimes
amuse, but in prayer they more frequently dis-
gust ; besides, they have the appearance of
too much art ; and as new things are general-
ly the produce of the imagination, they are not
4*

8*3 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

SO proper for prayer as preaching, and even in
that they must moderate.

§ 8. Remember it is the peculiar office of
the Spirit of God to help in prayer. Engage
in it, therefore, in dependance upon him ; and
maintain a continual dependance on the in-
tercession and influence of Christ.

§ 9. I shall now give you some directions
which relate more immediately to public pray-
er. .

§ 10. 1. Begin with a solemn recollection
of spirit. Think seriously of the majesty of
that Being to whom you are addressing your-
selves, and of the importance of the business
in which you are engaging. Think how near
you and those who join with you, are to the
tribunal of God, and lift up your hearts in de-
vout ejaculations to him for such degrees of
present assistance, as he shall think proper to
bestow.

§ 11. 2. Begin rather lower than you intend
to proceed, and somewhat slower, — and as you
get warm, take heed of being transported into
raptures, even though you should be melted
into tears. Always keep up a solemnity of
spirit and behaviour ; avoid and abhor z. peri'
odical tone. — Use but little action, and that
chiefly the holding up, and sometimes a little
stretching out of the hand. Whether you
should keep your eyes shut, is to be referred
to your own judgment. — If you can be com-
posed it is better to keep them open, but gen-
erally fixed ; especially, do not look about up-

LeCt. 13.] DIRECTIONS FOR PRAYER. 83

on the people, nor seem to lake notice who
comes in.

§ 12. 3. Remember to introduce the most
applicable of the subjects you have lately heard
or read, and any peculiar scriptures that have
been the subject of your late meditations or
discourse. — And for this purpose keep notes
of them in your pocket-book, that they may
be often reviewed at little intervals. But
whatever scheme you may form, do not adhere
to it so exactly as to neglect proper thoughts
and expressions that rise ; or be very uneasy
if you lose sight of it.

§ 13. 4. Make frequent pauses in prayer,
that you may think a little before you speak ;
and that your hearers may recollect their
thoughts, and review yours. Observe this
rule, then expletives will be less necessary.

§ 14. 5. Endeavour to have an unity of de-
sign running through your scheme of prayer,
— and let one petition be connected with an-
other by natural, but never laboured transition.
— It is better there should be no connexion at
all, than any that seems forced and affected.

§ 15. 6, Insist chiefly on those parts of
prayer that suit best with your frame and state,
— not entirely, however, to the neglect of oth-
ers ; — and endeavour to keep up a constant
sense of your own concern in what you ask.

§ 16. 7. Forget not the public, — but pray
for them with seriousness. — Plead for Heath-
ens, Jews, Mahometans, Papists, and persecut-
ed Protestants. — Pray for your own country
with cordial love and esteem. — Remember

84 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

that praying for the King is part of the con-
dition on which our toleration is granted. —
Forget not magistrates,— and ministers. — Re-
collect of what great importance their charac-
ter and conduct is, — and observe scripture ex-
pressions that may be properly applied to any ,
of these uses.

§ 17. 8. Remember the particular cases of
your hearers, and the immediate concerns of -
the congregation. — Here pray for the aged
and the young, and particularly for the child-
ren of the flock. — Pray for the heads of fami-
lies, and thus remind them of their duty; the
conscientious discharge of which is of such
vast importance to religion. Pray for uncon-
verted sinners, as seeing them upon the brink
of hell. — Plead earnestly for them ; this is of-
ten the means of awakening them ; and in this
respect, while we are yet speaking, God ap-
pears to hear. Remember the afflicted and
tempted tenderly, and let particular cases have
a moderate share in your addresses ; this en-
gages the affections of the people greatly, and
is often the means of administering support.

§ 18. 9. Let the blessed work of praise
have a large share in your prayers. This
made up much of the ancient liturgies, and is
so suited to the Lord's day, that it is a pity it
is not more regarded. — Labour to affect your
hearts with a sense of God's mercies to you at
all times, and then you will always be in a
frame for this.

§ 19. 10. Use many scripture expressions in
prayer. They are peculiarly affecting, and

LeCt. 14.] PUBLIC EXPOSITION. 85

very proper ; and the hearers also from the be-
ginning of them will know what they are to
expect ; and thus one great objection against
extempore prayer will be removed.

§ 20. 11. Take care you are not too long
in prayer before Sermon. For this purpose it
is best to throw what relates to the public into
the last prayer, — especially when preaching
in or about London ; — twenty minutes is gen-
erally enough, — nor is fifteen too little. — Let
the last prayer be agreeable to the Sermon ;
introduce the principal thoughts and heads, —
but do not turn it into a preaching prayer, nor
repeat any peculiarly fine passages of the Ser-
mon, lest you should seem too fond of them.
Rather introduce some additional thoughts,
which you had not time to introduce in your
Sermon. And if you pray at any time after
any of your brethren have been preaching,
suit your prayer as much as possible to what
you have heard ; — and, on the whole, make it
a kind of specimen to the people of the man-
ner in which Sermons ought to be prayed over
by them.

LECTURE XIV.

On Public Eposition and the Characters of Commentators.

^1. It is proper to make exposition a part
of worship on the Lord's day, for the following
reasons : —

86

LECTURES ON PREACHING.

It tends to keep a due regard for the scrip-
tures by introducing them into worship ; as,
when you expound, you may read the whole
or part of a chapter, even in congregations
that have not been used to it, and where oth-
erwise it might not be agreeable.

§ 2. It assists to draw men off from errone-
ous human schemes, by leading them to a
scriptural religion ; to which nothing is more
conducive than explaining the most interest-
ing facts of the several books of scripture.

§ 3. It contributes much to lead them into
a general acquaintance with the scripture, and
a cheerful and attentive study of it.

§ 4. It is calculated to guard an audience
from being seduced into erroneous opinions
by wrong interpretations of scripture, quoted
merely according to the sounds of words.

§ 5. It diversifies public service ; and af-
fords opportunities of giving a great many
advices, charges, admonitions, &c. without
offence ; it being evident to every hearer that
the series of scripture we are upon lead us to
them ; whereas if we choose such subjects
unconnected with others, some may think
there has been a personal regard to them.

§ 6. I shall now propose a few general di-
rections for the right performance of this part
of ministerial duty. But, as a previous and
very important direction, I recommend that
you make yourselves acquainted with the
most considerable commentators, reading
them over and making extracts from them ;
—and since there is no set of writers in which

Lect. 14.] PUBLIC EXPOSITION. 87

a man is more in danger of being lost, if he
does not make a careful choice, I shall here
mention some of those which I think the
most valuable.

§ 7. Commentators on the Old Testament,

Patrick is the most considerable from Gen^
esis to Solomon's Song ; — he has made use
of many former writers, some Jewish and oth-
ers Christian.

§ 8. Pyle's Paraphrase upon the Old Tes-
tament, in four vols, octavo, is an elegant and
judicious contraction of the above, and vastly
to be preferred to his Paraphrase on the Epis-
tles.

<5» 9. LowTH* has compiled a judicious com-
mentary on the Prophets, from Isaiah to Mal-
achi ; in which there are some good critical
notes, and a fine collection of parallels.

§ 10. AiNswoRTH on the Pentateuch,
Psalms and Solomon's Song, is a good book,
— full of very valuable Jewish learning, — and
his translation is in many places to be prefer-
red to our own, — especially on the Psalms.

§ 11. On the whole New Testament, Whit-
by is preferable to any other, on account of
his learning and judicious notes on those
texts which are not concerned in controversy
with the Arminians ; — for to them he is evi-
dently partial, and sometimes carries matters
almost to ridiculous extremes.

* This author is William Lowtk, the father of the
lato Bishop of London, who published a Translation
of Isaiah, with notes.

88 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

§ 12. Hammond is in great and growing
reputation ;* — there are indeed many good
criticisms, but many that are much mistaken.
— He finds the Gnostics every where, which
is his principal fault. — Many of Le Clerc's
animadversions upon those places are very
good, — and his edition of his book in Latin
I think much preferable to the original.

<^ 13. Beza is undoubtedly the best critic
on the Greek language of any commentator
we have. — There is no translation, that I
know of, equal to his ; — and his remarks on
Erasmus and the vulgar Latin are wrought
up to the utmost degree of exactness. — On
the whole, it is an invaluable treasure, and
deserves to be read with the utmost attention.

^ 14. Erasmus is not equally accurate
with Beza, — but his Latin is fine, and he
has written in a pleasant style. — He is in high
reputation in the learned world. — There are
many good remarks on the vulgar translation,.
— some early various readings, — and some
pretty large critical dissertations ; — but it is
by no means of a piece, and has many marks
of haste and inaccuracy.

<§> 15. Castalio is only a version ; it is of-
ten very elegant Latin ; in several places full
of affectation, and often false. — On the whole,
justly exposed by Beza.

§ 16. BuRKiT has but few valuable criti-
c-isms ; — but has many schemes of old Ser-

* A late Lecturer in one of our universities used tc
remind his pupils, that Hammond was the giant,
and JVhitby the dwarf upon his shoulders.

LeCt. 14.] PUBLIC EXPOSITION. 89

mons. — His sentiments vary in different parts
of his work, as the authors from whence he
took his materials were orthodox or not.

§ 17. Heinsius has some good critical il-
lustrations,— but many whimsical remarks
and fancied illustrations; — an air of pedantry
and self-sufficiency runs through all his writ-
ings, which makes them disagreeable.

§ 18. The most cpnsiderable writers upon
the harmony of the Evangelists, whose works
are not extremely voluminous, are Crauock,
whom I shall mention afterwards. — and Le
Clerc, whose harmony is valuable on account
of the view which heat once gives of what
each Evangelist says.

§ 19. WiiisTON and Wells are both much
mistaken in ranging many of their facts ; —
and, upon the whole, 1 prefer Garthw^vite
as the most valuable I have ever seen for stat-
ing the order of the story. — This was publish'^
ed by Locke, with his name prefixed.

§20. Dr. Clarke's Paraphraseon the Evan-
gelists deserves an attentive reading. — ^He
narrates a story in handsome language, and
connects the parts well together; — but fails
much in emphasis, and seems to mistake the
order of the histories.

§ 21. On the Epistles. — Locke, Pearce
and Benson make up a complete commentary
on the Epistles ; and are indeed all in the
number of the most ingenious commentators I
have ever read. — They plainly thought very
closely, and attended much to connection,
which they have often set in a most clear view.

90 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

But they all err in too great a fondness for
new interpretations ; — and in supposing the
design of the apostles less general than it
seems to have been. — It must be allowed that
Benson illustrates the spirit of Paul some-
times in an admirable manner, even beyond
any former writ&r. — See especially his Epis-
tle to Philemon.— His vast fondness for

Lord Barrington's* notions has often proved
a snare to him, both here and in bis work on
the Acta, — which however is a very useful
piece.

§ 22. Fell on the Epistles is very short,
—but most of his notes are worthy of remark.
— The collection of parallel scriptures is ju-
dicious, and the translation in some places
altered much for the better,

§ 23. Upon the zvhole Scripture the most
valuable are — Grotius, — who has done more
to illustrate scripture by what is generally
called profane learning, than perhaps almost
all the other commentators put together. —
Nevertheless, he too often gives up prophecies
which in their original sense relate to the
Messiah. — His notes on some texts are large
and learned dissertations, which might have
profitably been published by themselves.

§ 24. Brennius. — His notes are exceeding
short but very important. And there was
reason to say of him, Ubi bene, nemo melius,
Sfc.

* See Family Expositor on Acts xxvi. 17. Note

gee also Led. xv. § 12.

Lect. 14] PUBLIC EXPOsiTiOxV. 91

§ 25. Wells's book is more despised than
it ought to be. —The character of the author
was deservedly low, and his style sometimes
is intolerably bad ; — but his method of divis-
ion is very clear. — He has plundered a great
many excellent writers, — brought together
their spoils in a little room, — added here and
there some very good notes of his own, — and
he has well corrected the common version.

<^ 26. Ce-adock's three voJumes are very
valuable^ — though I think, contrary to most
others, that the two last on the New Testa-
ment are much better than the first on the
Old. — His extracts in the margin from Ham-
mond, LiGHTFOoT and Grotius, are very ju-
dicious : — and I think on the whole I never
read any one author that assisted me more in
what relates to the New Testament. — His
schemes of the Epistles are generally more
just than those of the ingenious writers men-
tioned above ; because he takes the design of
the apostles to be, as it certainly was, more
general than they suppose. — The cheapness
of the book is to me a great wonder, but to
students a great advantage.

<5> 27. Robertson is in rather too pedan-
tic a form, — but, upon the whole, the analy-
sis is very good, — and perhaps those who
have studied their Bibles closest, and know
where difficulties of the connection lie, will
approve it most ; especially on the Old Tes-
tajnent, which far exceeds the New.

Henry is perhaps the only commentator
J50 large that deserves to be entirely and atteji-

92 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

lively read through. — The remarkable pas-
sages, I think, should be marked. — There is
much to be learned in this work in a specula-
tive, and still more in a practical way. — The
last volume is not on the whole equal to the
rest ; though the Exposition on the Romans,
begun by Henry and finished by Dr. Evans,
is the best I ever saw.

§29. Hall, besides his contemplations,
which are excellent, has written notes on se-
lect passages of the Old and New Testament,
— which are extremely scarce, and so far as I
can judge from a little specimen, very valua-
ble ; — especially for shewing the spirit and
force of many expressions that occur. — I do
not, however, apprehend that there is much
learned criticism in them.

§ 30. Poole's Synopsis, is very useful, es-
pecially on account of the short view it gives
of various translations, some of which are ve-
ry scarce. — It in part supersedes the neces-
sity of having, what yet is desirable, a Poly-
glot Bible. — The first volume of his English'.
Annotations, which were written by himself
after his synopsis, is incomparably good.

§31. Calvin has a multitude of judicious
thoughts ; but they are generally intermin-
gled with a great many that are little to the
purpose.— His worst volume, which is that on
Job, is most scarce. — His two best are, I
think, that on the Pentateuch, and on the
harmony of the Evangelists. — On the former
of these Le Clerc is famous, but I have not
yet had an opportunity of perusing him.

LeCt. 15.] COMMENTATORS. 93

§ 32. Lee on the New Testament, is a
collection of notes chiefly from others, which
the author gathered in the course of his read-
ing ; — they are not very judiciously chosen,
but there are some particulars in them which
are to be met with no where else ; — or at
least in authors we shall never consult ; — and
therefore are worthy the little money they
cost.

LECTURE XV.

General Directions on Exposition continued.

§ 1. Make yourselves acquainted with the
most considerable authors that illustrate
scripture well, though they are not direct com-
mentators. Such as,

§ 2. WiTsius, of whom I may justly say, no
man is more distinct in his method, elegant in
his language, and candid in his sentiments.—'
His Mcktemata, and 3Iisc. Sacra and I'JgT/p-
4iaca, are in this view, and indeed in every
view, the most valuable works I know ; — es-
pecially the first and last .

§ 3. Saurin, in whom there is an amazing
mixture of learning and politeness, takes in
the most useful hints of criticism in his dis-
sertations on the several subjects he treats of
— An index is added to this work of the par-
ticular passages in authors of rank v/hich he
has consulted. — In this, as well as inall the
elegance of expression and beauty ef imagine
ation v.hich he has found the happy art of ming-

C^ LECTURES ON PUEACHING.

ling with criticisms, he incomparably exceeds
most others.

<5 4. Gataker's barbarous Latin renders
the reading of him very tedious ; but he was
a nice critic, and his notes, which afford the
most useful matter for popular exposition, are
deservedly in high esteem.

'^ 5. Frankius's Manudiictio deserves to
be often read. It contains the best rules for
studying the scriptures that I ever remember
to have seen ; — it has not however, many il-
lustrations of particular places.

<5> 6. Blackwall's Sacred Classics gives
many well chosen instances of passages in
the classics, which may justify many af those
in scripture that have been accounted sole-
cism.— They illustrate the beauty and ener-
gy of many others, and contain good obser-
vations on the divisions of chapters and verses,
by which the sense of scripture is often ob-
scured.

§ 7. LiGHTFooT has collected a multitude
of useful and excellent illustrations of scrip-
tures from the Talmud and other Jewish writ-
ers.— He has also shewn the force of many
others, especially in his harmony. — But he
rather illustrates particular texts well, than
gives a good account of the series of a dis-
course. And he seems to me very often mis-
taken in his dates, and in what he says oa the
occasion, particularly in many of the Psalms.

§ 8. Calmet has all that is valuable in his
Dissertations in his Dictionary. — The former
is extravagantly dear, the latter is a pretty

LeCt. 15.] COMMTENTATORS. 95

abstract from the former, and is of a moderate
price. — They should be bought by all means.

§9. Mede has agood many original thoughts,.
not to be found any where else. — His writ-
ings on the Revelations are peculiarly fa-
mous,— but his Diatribe will best reward a
diligent perusal ; — yet here many mistakes
will be found.

'^ 10. Hallet has many uncommon thoughts,
but several of them he confesses he owes to
Mr. Pierce. His notions and interpreta-
tions of scripture, are so exceedingly singular,
that it is worth while to read them, though per-
haps not one in ten will appear satisfactory. —
It is observable, that some of those difficulties
which he illustrates well, are those in which
many other commentators have failed ; — and
his remarks on the defects of our present He-
brew coj)y are generally solid.

§ 11. Edwards (Dr. John) does not deserve
that contempt as a critic, into which he
has in some respects fallen as a polemic writ-
ex. — His discourse on the scriptures, in three
volumes, and three other distinct volumes of
Dissertations and Exercitations are reckoned
the best of his works, and deserve to be care-
fully read.

§ 12. Lord Barringtox's Essay on the var-
iousdispensations of God to mankind has some
imix)rtant thoughts, but a great deal of it goes
oil a mistake. — His Miscel. Sacra are much
more valuable ; — multitudes of texts are illus-
trated by them, especially in the first volume,
which is incomparably the best. — It is proper

96 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

to read his schemes in all the united evidences
he can give it, in order to judge what regard
is to be paid to the frequent use which Ben-
son makes of it, in his commentary and dis-
course on the Acts.

<5, 13. Lardner. The first volume of his
Gospel History is one of the most valuable
pieces the age has produced ;- — and a multi-
tude of places both in the gospels and in the
Acts are illustrated by it.

§ 14. It will be worth while to read over
most of tliese books, and to note all the most
remarkable passages ; to make extracts of
tliem in the margin of your Bible, or inter-
leaved Testament. — And let it be a rule, when
a good note occurs, to set it down immediate-

LECTURE XVI.

Further Advices relating to Exposition.

Nothing will be of more importance to
fit you for this work than copying into your
interleaved Bible and Testament useful re-
marks, interpretations and criticisms that you
meet with in the course of your reading, con-
versations or own reflections. — Clarke's Bi-
ble with notes, and Wetstein's New Testa-
ment are preferable to all others for this pur-
pose.

<^ 2. Let free family exposition be part of
your daily work. In this, labour at practical
improvement chiefly, not neglecting, however,

Lect. 16.] EXPOSITION. 97

proper hints of criticism. This will give you
an opportunity of saying many suitable things
that will come with more power to the mind,
than things much more accurate read from
Henry and others ; — it will also diversify fam-
ily worship agreeably ; — and, ifyou sing, take
care to chose something suitable to what you
have read.

<§ 3. Have a private meeting once a week
for exposition ; — at these meetings, enlarge
chiefly on the most devotional parts of scrip-
tures, in an experimental way. Indulge your
private meditations on these occasions free-
ly,— and perhaps very useful hints may arise
while you are speaking. — When you have fin-
ished an exposition in the family or vestry, if
convenient you may, at least sometimes, retire
for a few minutes, review your mGinorandums,
and add any thing remarkable that has occur-
red to your thoughts.

§ 4. When you intend to expound any scrip-
ture the next Sabbath, review it the preced-
ing Monday morning, and endeavour to keep
it often in your mind in the week, and at a
proper time peruse it attentively with these
views, viz.

<5> 5. 1. To observe the original force of ev-
ery word, and to make as perfect a translation
as you can, for which the original and versions
must be consulted.

§ 6. 2. To observe the particular improve-
ment of which it is capable. — And here let
your inferences be often drawn from the con-
nection of scripture. — This will furnish rich
5

98 LECTURES Oi\ PREACHING.

materials commonly omitted by those who at-
tend merely to the luords themselves. — Let
these suffice for general directions.

§7.1 shall now give some more particular
directions :

1. Select the most useful passages of scrip-
ture.— Begin with the epistles, as they will give
you an opportunity of saying many evangelical
and useful things. — Go over the harmony of
the Evangelists and the Acts. — Omit the Rev-
elation, except some few chapters and sections
— Select passages from the history of the Old
Testament ; Mosaic laws and the prophets ; —
but take the whole book of Psalms, Job, Prov-
erbs and Ecclesiastes.

§ 8. 2. Give a clear view of the connection
in a few words, but do not attempt to lead
your hearers into all the niceties of it, which
very few with the greatest pains will be able
clearly to understand, and still fewer to remem-
ber.

§ 9. 3. When great difficulties ocur, do not
state them too largely, but rather suggest what
may furnish judicious hearers with the best
answers to them, and often inculcate those J9rm-
ciples which will furnish general replies ; as,
God's judgments are unsearchable; — some
parts and doctrines of scripture are inexplica-
ble and mysterious ;-many quotations from the
Old Testament are only allusions ; — and that
the actions of persons under an immediate di-*
vine commission, are not to be estimated by
the common rules of human actions, &.c.

§ 10. 4. When the sense of the text is dubi-

Lect. 16.] EXPOSITION. 99

ous, do not distract the people with many in-
terpretations, but rather propose one or two of
the most probable, waving the rest.
<5> 11. 5. Aim in all at practical improvement
— Labour to shew the spirit of the writer, and
for that purpose keep in your own mind and
that of your people, the character of the author
and the particular circumstances in which he
wrote.

§ 12. 6. When you correct our version, do
it modestly ; and never attempt any unneces-
sary corrections, nor many various readings,
if they do not appear indeed important.

<^ 13. 7. Endeavour to make your exposi-
tion pleasant; to do this avoid dry criticism,
and mention such circumstances of history as
tend to illustrate it. Henry and Hall will
furnish you with a rich variety of matter ; and
the comparison of other scriptures will suggest
much more.

§ 14. 8. Do not read your expositions, but
freely talk them over, after having well stu-
died them.

§ 15. 9. Conclude them with a prayer, in
which the most considerable scriptures and
thoughts of your exposition should be introdu-
ced in a devotional way.

100 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

LECTURE XVII.

On Catechising.

§ 1. This is a very important branch of a
minister's office; and, if properly managed,
will be the meansof stocking children's minds
with divine knowledge, of teaching them to
improve their time, and, by exercising their
memories, of considerably strengthening that
faculty. — It also conciliates their affections,
and cannot fail to increase the esteem of the
parents; and it serves to keep our minds im-
pressed with a due concern for the rising gen-
eration.

§ 2. I shall here offer some hints on the
choice of catechisms. In general, I advise,
that they be varied according to the age and
improvement of the children. The Assem-
bly's Catechism is very excellent, but impro-
per for very young children. — Dr. Watts is far
preferable for the first, and ought to be taught
children under six or seven years ofage. — After
this is learned through, his second should be
committed to memory ; — and then the Assem-
bly's first without, then with Mr. SoxMe's Ex-
position.— Reconjmend Watts's Preservative
against Sin and Folly to be read by them,
rather than got by heart ; and some easy fa-
miliar book of scripture history, illustrated by
cuts, which may be taught children before
they are capable of reading; and which after-
wards, for the first seven or eight years of their

LeCt. 17.] ON CATECHISING. 101

lives, ought to be made as much as possible
their diversion. — To all this should be added
a confirming catechism for those who are
grown up to sixteen or twenty years of age. —
A brief view ought in this catechism to be
given of natural and revealed religion, and a
foundation insensibly laid for answering objec-
tions.— Proofs both of the protestant religion,
and the propriety of our dissent, should also
be introduced ; but this ought to be managed
with great tenderness towards the establish-
ment.— The nature of schism should likewise
be explained.

§ 3. The iMANNER of managing this work
comes next to be considered. It must be va-
ried according to the different ages and cir-
cumstances of the persons with whom you
have to do.

§ 4. For general directions take the follow-
ing:— Let most of the children be catechised
in private, in the vestry, on some week day.

§ 5. Take a list of their names, and call it
over, that you may know who are absent.

§ 6. Have a little class of the oldest of them,
to whom you may expound some catechism at
large. — Begin with the Assembly's by Mr.
Some, then explain Dr. Watts's second cate-
chism, which is the most excellent of the sort
in our language. Let this class also learn se-
lect portions of scripture.

§ 7. In conducting this business observe
the following rules :

1. Instruct them in as plain a manner as
possible, waving all niceties of thought or ex-

102 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

pression, and studying to make yourselves well
understood.

§ 8. 2. To keep up their attention, and try
their understandings, ask them some easy ques-
tions of your own.

§ 9. 3. Take care to lay the greatest stress ■
upon what is most practical and affecting.

§ 10. 4. When they answer wrong, or ap-
pear negligent, do not upbraid or terrify them,
but if the failure has been gross, gently re-
prove them, at the same time endeavouring to
keep up their spirits.

§ 11. 5. If they do well, not only commend-
them, but have little rewards for them. Let
Watts's second catechism be a reward for
learning the first ; and Some's for learning
the second. — Besides these, present to them
who do extraordinarily well Watts's Hymns
for children, Wright on Regeneration, and
on the Deceitfulnessof Sin, — Jennings's Ser-
mons to young people, — or other proper tracts
that you may meet with.

^ 12. 6. Close these exercises with a serious
and lively prayer. Go over the instructions
you have given them. Here a preaching pray-
er may sometimes be very proper. Pray affec-
tionately for the children. Take care you are
not too long. Be and appear to be very serious,
§ 13. 7, Contrive to have some grave friend,
if possible, with you to see that they behave
well ; and, if they trifle, take them home and
reprove them, or make them stay longer,
and talk with them when the others are gone.
— Take care of the seriousness of your deports

Lect. 18.] ON CATECHISING. 103

ment, throughout the whole; — it may impress
their minds.

LECTURE XVIII.

Further Directions about Catechising.

^ 1. Let it be a constant rule, when you
are settled, to expound the Assembly's Cate-
chism one part of the year, before sermon in
the afternoon.

§ 2. Select a set of children that will an-
swer the questions correctly and audibly. —
Promise them that if they constantly attend,
and take great care to repeat their catechism
well, they shall have a book given them as
a reward at the end of every season of cate-
chising.

^ 3. Take care to have in readiness some
good remarks, that you may have something
to say worth hearing. Get an interleaved cat-
echism, and when any good thought or ex-
pression occurs to your mind in private, make
a memorandum of it there.

§ 4. Have something here for the benefit
of those who are advanced in years, and make
some application to them. — These exercises
will instruct the ignorant, and teach parents
how to catechise their children. — Never for-
get to desire parents to enlarge upon some
particular points of importance, when they go
home.

^^ 5. Be very careful that you do not con-

104 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

found the children. — Seldom reprove them
publicly if they do not answer right, but re-
member to talk with them in private. — Let
them know it is an honour you have done
them, to choose them out of their companions,
and exhort them to be careful to preserve it.

§ 6. Engage the assistance of others, — es-
pecially the assistance of friends in buying
books. There will be some considerable ex-
j>ense, as I advise that books be given to all,
— the children of the rich as well as the poor,
— lest the distinction should appear invidious.
§ 7. For this purpose endeavour to be ac-
quainted with gentlemen who are trustees for
the useful charities of giving books; or who
themselves contribute towards them. -Get some
exhibition from the church stock, or prevail on
some of your friends to contribute towards
buying books. — Grudge not something hand-
some yourselves, if you can afford it, to pro-
mote so good a cause ; — it may in many re-
spects prove advantageous.

§ 8. Urge parents to assist in carrying on
this work. Often mention this in the pulpit
as part of tlieir charge. Advise them to make
this their business, especially on the Lord's-
day evening. — Recommend it also to parents
in private, and see that they are furnished
with proper books, and when you visit fami-
lies where there are children, catechise them
before their parents. — This will fill up the
time well ; will teach such parents how they
are to conduct the exercise, and will engage
the affections of both parents and children.

LeCt. 19.] ADMINISTERING BAPTISM. 105

LECTURE XIX.

On administering the Sacrament of Baptism.

§ 1. Do not baptize the children of the
openly profane, as it may harden them in their
wickedness; — but refuse the children of none
who make any thing of a hopeful profession
of religion, whether they be church members
or not, attend the meeting or go elsewhere. —
Never, however, go into the congregations of
your brethren to baptize the children of their
people, unless which is sometimes the case,
they scruple infant baptism themselves.

§ 2. Insist not upon their bringing their
children to meeting to be baptized. — If you
have a mixture of baptists it may perhaps give
offence, and private baptism will give you
greater freedom in your address to the par-
ents : — and for this reason do not baptize many
children together, nor grudge an hour or two
to any family on such an occasion.

§ 3. Engage the presence of two or there
friends of some reputation in the society when
you can ; — both to prevent reflections, if the
characters be dubious, and to preserve more
solemnity in the administration.

§ 4. Before you baptize the child, visit the
parents, if you have any opportunity, and talk
seriously to them, that you may, if possible,
bring them to a sense of the solemnity of the
ordinance, and promote a proper preparation
for it.

§ 5. Let the method of administration be
5*

106 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

generally this : — Begin with a short prayer, —
then deliver a brief discourse on some text of
scripture. — Keep a little catalogue of proper
texts for such occasions ; that you may have a
proper variety, when you dispense the ordi-
nance at different times, before the same per-
sons ; such as " I will be a God to thee and
thy seed." — " I will make with thee an ever-
lasting covenant." — " One generation shall
rise and declare his works to another." —
" Who am I, and what is my house, &/C." —
" Baptize all nations in the name of the Fa-
ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
— Suffer little children to come, &c." — "The
promise is unto you and to your children." —
" Baptism is not putting away the filth of the
flesh." — Touch gently sometimes at the reason
of infant baptism; but generally employ your
time in addressing the consciences of the pa-
rents, and endeavour to raise such affections
as are suitable to the occasion. — Then pray,
confessing the original corruption of our na-
ture, and the demerit of sin ; — acknowledge
also the goodness of God in sparing root and
branch, and do it affectionately. Pray also that
the parents may be suitably assisted in the dis-
charge of their duty ; and let all tend to fix
proper impressions on their minds. — Receive
the child from the hand of one of the parents,
as soon as the prayer is ended, then ask them
both. Whether it is their sincere desire to give
themselves and their child up to God, and their
purpose to educate it in the christian faith and
fear of God 1 — And on their intimating their
intention, solemnly pronounce the words of

Lect. 19.] ADMINISTERING BAPTISM. 107

baptism, taking care to pour some water on
the child, and to pronounce the name of each
person of the Sacred Trinity, in a very distinct
and audible manner. — Take care also that the
name of the child be so mentioned that it may
evidently appear the end of the ordinance is
not giving a name, but only that you might
speak by that name to the child. — Then re-
turn the child to the parents, giving them a
short charge to "Train it up in the way it
should go." Then give them some particular
directions and cautions for this purpose. Es-
pecially plead 'with those parents who have
had a religious education, or for whom God
hath done any thing remarkable in his provi-
dence.— Remind them of the obligations they
are under to pray for the child, and to resign
it to the Divine Will, that if it be taken from
this life, the transactions of the baptismal day
may be recollected as an engagement to chris-
tian submission. — Conclude your discourse
with an address to the spectators. — If there
are any children belonging to the family old
enough to be quietly present, desire that they
may be, if possible, — and drop a word to them
touching the meaning of the service. — Then
renew your thanksgiving and prayer ; especial-
ly for the family, and the several branches of
it, as well as for the families of the friends pre-
sent, and the interest of Christ in the rising
generation. — Conclude all with a benediction.
§ 6. In the entertainment which generally
follows, " Let your moderation appear to all ;"
and endeavour to conduct the conversation so

108

LECTURES ON PREACHING.

that good impressions may be promoted rath-
er than, as they too frequently are, weakened
and erased. Remember you have many eyes
upon you, and much of your reputation will
depend on your conduct at such seasons. Al-
low yourselves intervals of moderate cheerful-
ness, but rather err on the grave extreme ; and
always retire as early as you conveniently and
decently can.

§ 7. Keep a register of aW the children yon
baptize, and the time when you administered
the ordinance, which will be the means of pre-
serving the state of families in your minds,
and will lead you into proper inquiries about
the state of the youth of your charge ; — it may
also serve to settle some disputes arising with
regard to the age of children.

§ 8. Lastly, When you baptize persons of
riper years, talk seriously with them, chiefly
on the nature of the ordinance ; — and if they
insist upon being baptized by immersion, do
not absolutely refuse them, but rather intimate
your desire that it may be done by another
person. — Admit none to this kind of baptism,
but those whom you and the church are sat-
isfied in admitting to church communion.

LECTURE XX.

On administering the Lord's Supper.

§ 1. Labour to prepare your own hearts for
the ordinance with all possible care.' — Begin

Lect. 20.] THE lord's supper, 109

with some suitable reflections for the purpose
early in the week. — Pray earnestly for divine
assistance, and let the day before be common-
ly observed as a day of solemn fasting and
prayer.

§ 2. Choose some evangelical, and generally
some comfortable subject for sacramental days,
and bestow some extraordinary trouble on the
sermon, especially the devotional parts of it. —
Sometimes, however, a faithful address to those
who are under a religious profession to walk
worthy of it, is extremely proper.

§ 3. In the interval between the close of
the general service and the administration of
the ordinance, be very earnest with God for
his presence, and labour to come to the table
as devout as possible. — Much depends on the
temper with which things are begun.

<5» 4. Introduce the administration with some
extempore meditations on some select texts of
scripture ; — generally such a text as hath some
connexion with the subject, or at least the or-
dinance.— In these addresses avoid critical
niceties by all means, and pursue a strain the
most pathetic.

§5. In the prayer before receiving the ele-
ments, as well as in all the rest, be moderate-
ly short; — dealing much in confession of sin ;
— this may generally be connected with your
extempore discourse before. — Take due care
to introduce a variety of thoughts in prayer
and speaking. — In prayer before the cup re-
new your covenant engagements. — Drop some
pious hints afterwards, before you receive the
cup, as well as while you are breaking the

110 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

bread and pouring out the M^ine. — Here it may
be proper to take passages of scripture to ex-
plain, enforce, &c. — After singing, conclude
with thanksgiving, and be particular in pray-
ing for the church of Christ in general, and
especially that to which you are more imme-
diately related.

§ 6. While the elements are being distribut-
ed generally continue in silence, in order to
give room for the exercise of secret devotion.
— Make a pause before receiving the elements,
and exhort others to do so. — Address a word
now and then chiefly to spectators, remember
them also in prayer ; — it is often the means of
cherishing good impressions.

§ 7, Look round the church and congre-
gation after you have dispatched what is more
immediately your concern, and lift up your
heart for particular persons as your eye singles
them out, and as their concerns may require.
— Throughout the whole ordinance cultivate
a social temper, and give the soul room to ex-
pand and soften itself into the most friendly
sentiments, — not only towards those present,
but the whole church of Christ. And do not
forget those under persecution for religion,
the afflicted, the dying, the poor, vacant con-
gregations, &c.

§ 8. After the ordinance is over retire, if
possible immediately ; recollect as much as
you can of your meditations, and sometimes
write them down with all the improvements
that may be suggested to your minds.

§ 9. Let the whole of your discourse on a

Lect. 21.] VISITING. Ill

sacramental day be particularly spiritual and
heavenly, — and as far as the infirmities of
nature will allow, let every moment of it be
devoted to God with the utmost zeal and
care.

§ JO. Lastly, in your retirement, after you
have been at the Lord's table, consider what
you can do more for God. — Perhaps then you
may find some schemes of usefulness dart in-
to your mind, as well as things of importance
with regard to your own souls, and the con-
gregation, that had not before been thought
of. — And take great care to act according to
the resolutions you have formed, and without
the least delay.

LECTURE XXI.

On Visiting in General.

^ 1. Look upon this as a considerable part
of your pastoral work. — It obliges your peo-
ple, it gives you an opportunity of serving
them not only by your private discourse, but,
by letting you into their circumstances, you
may be the more capable of making a prop-
er application to them in public.

§ 2. Endeavour to get proper information as
to the state of your congregation and church.
— For this purpose, when you come to a
place, take a catalogue of the names of the
persons that subscribe, — statedly attend, —
church members, — and the poor. — Make it a
rule to see each of them at their own houses.

112 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

— Let two or three of the most judicious be
chosen, with a view of getting information with
regard to the characters of the rest. — Entreat
them, moreover, to inspect the behaviour of their
brethren and friends, — and to inform you of
such things as, upon the whole, they think
you ought to know. — This, however, will not
be necessary, if you have any persons solemn-
ly set apart by the congregation for this pur-
pose, which to me appears a rational and
scriptural thing. — Have proper times of meet-
ing with the persons appointed to this work,
— talk over church affairs ; — and always con-
clude your conference with prayer. — Every
Monday before the sacrament will be a very
proper time for this business. — Consult with
them before you propose any to communion.
— Do not despise flying stories ; — either they
have a foundation, or they have not, — if they
have, they ought to be regarded, — if not, care
should be taken to remove the reproach, and
fix it on those who raised it, — At the same
time, however, do not be too ready to believe
them. A general caution may be grounded
on a flying story.

§ 3. Make a pastoral visit to each family,
— at least once a year. In this visit talk to the
master and mistress of the family. Renew a
solemn charge to them to take a religious care
of their family. Then inquire into the state
and character of their children and servants.
Set down the names of both, the first pastoral
visit you make, and alter the list as occasion
may require. If you have an opportunity, talk
with the several members of the family. At a

Lect. 21.] VISITING. 113

proper time charge upon them a due regard to
their eternal concerns, especially the tender
branches of the family. — Proper addresses
weekly or monthly to the members of your own
family will fit you for the regular discharge of
your duty on this head.

§ 4. After you return make some memo-
randums how you find things, — keep a cata-
logue of cases, disposed under different
particulars. This book must be kept secret.
Let no one in the world see it. — Make it un-
intelligible to every one but yourselves. — Let
there be one catalogue of those who appear
unconverted, — another of those under serious
impressions, — another of those who seem of
hopeful disposition, — another of those who are
proper to bring into communion, when occa-
sion offers ; — and another of those who have
generally acted very well, but in some instan-
ces need to be admonished and censured. —
On your day of fasting and prayer, which may
be about once a quarter, look over this book,
and see what is necessary to be done for the
service of religion among your people.

§ 5. In your occasional visits call frequently
upon persons of great importance in your con-
gregation,— especially if you live near them ;
— but endeavour to proportion your visits not
merely to the external circumstances of the
family, — but to the opportunities of useful-
ness.— Visit frequently those under any ex-
traordinary affliction, — and those in whose
circumstances there has been lately any pe-
culiar change.

114 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

§ ^- ^" ^'^ y^^^ visits take a great deal of
notice of children. Give them texts to learn,
— and little rewards for learning them. This
will often furnish matter for good discourse,
and will engage the affections of children,
which may be of importance to your future
life, and their eternal welfare. — Some chil-
dren will listen to a minister, who will not re-
gard a parent.

§ 7. In all your visits, remember to behave
like a minister, grave and serious; — though
sometimes pleasant yet never too much eleva-
ted with mirth. — Take heed at entertain-
ments, not to be very much charmed with
any thing you eat or drink ; — be pleased with
all, but do not indulge too nice a palate. —
Drop some serious hints, — and take care, if
you have a convenient opportunity, to con-
clude with prayer.

§ 8. Be very careful that you retire in
time, — and do not outstay the spirit of con-
versation ; — nor spend so much of your time
in visiting as to lead people to suppose, that
your time hangs heavy upon your hands. —
A loitering, idling, tattling minister is a con-
temptible character. — Rather appear properly
full of business ; and let it not be mere affec-
tation.— Every hour will be well filled up if
you attend strictly to the various duties of
your office.

§ 9. When several of your congregation
meet at a private house, be amongst them if
convenient ; — partly with a view to regulate
their hours, — and to oblige them with your

Lect. 22.] VISITING the sick. 1 15

company. — You may also have an opportuni-
ty of making conversation useful. By all
means spend some time in prayer before you
separate.

<^ 10. Engage your people sometimes to
visit you ; — and always, on these occasions,
entertain them with a prudent hospitality, —
but never affect grand entertainments. — Set
apart one day in the week to attend to those
who wish to come to you upon spiritual ac-
counts Talk seriously and tenderly to such,

and pray with them at large. — Recommend
their peculiar cases to the divine regard in
the most affectionate manner ; — this will have
a tendency to make you experimental preach-
ers.

LECTURE XXII.

On Visiting the Sick.

^ 1. Under this head 1 would first make a
few preliminary remarks. — You will remem-
ber that this part of a minister's work is very
important. With regard to some it is the
only kind office you will ever be able to per-
form for them. — Perhaps if you neglect it,
they may go into the presence of God with a
testimony against you. — Sometimes you will
have to visit persons, who havebeen entirely re-
gardless of religion, — to whom you may prove
of singular advantage. — At other times good
men, — and they may end life in a manner
ipore comfortable, — and more honourable to

116

LECTURES ON PREACHING.

religion, on account of it ; — or if they live,
they may make a better improvement of their
future moments.— The discourses you have had
with them in healih, which were at the time
reviving cordials to their drooping spirits, will
not be entirely without a relish on their sick-
beds ; — but let not this relax your purpose of
visiting them ; — at these times, more than
when they were healthy, you ought to attend
to them ; remembering that when sorrow
makes the heart droop, then a good word
makes it glad.

§ 2. Remember that visiting the sick is a
very difficult part of your work. — It is not suffi-
cient merely to put up a hearty prayer to
God ; — but we ought to be concerned to make
a solemn preparation for the word. — Augus-
tine wondered that ministers should take
such care to prepare their sermons, and nev-
er take care what they should say to sick peo-
ple.

§ 3. You should not wait to be sent for ; —
but when you hear that any of your congre-
gation are ill, take the first opportunity of
visiting them ; — for diseases often take a
quick turn. — Generally take the beginning
of an afternoon for this purpose. — It will
be proper to allot a certain portion of the day
to this work, if you are in a large congrega-
tion. This will be like laying aside a bag
for charitable uses. — Keep a catalogue of the
sick.

§ 4. Let your visits be frequent, — but not
too long ; — and be very solicitous that they
may turn to the best account.

LeCt. 22.] VISITING THE SICK. 117

§ 5. Before you go, consider seriously how
you ought to behave ; — what is to be said
and done ; — and pray that God would go with
you. — Remember how very difficult it is to
do good. — And be sure to preserve a good
conscience on these occasions.

§ 6. More particular directions respecting
the manner in which visits to sick people are
to be conducted.

§ 7. First, I shall give you some hints re-
lating to the precautions to be taken, in or-
der to know the case of the sick.

§ 8. For this purpose some use may be made
of others. — Consider yourselves and inquire
of others their public character, — especially
from those who are best acquainted with
them, — and above all from religious persons ;
— a pious parent, for instance, concerning a
child ; a master, concerning a servant, &/C.

§ 9. Be solicitous for proper informa-
tion from themselves ; — particularly if you
have reason upon the whole to believe their
state is bad. — If you have only a general idea
that they are wrong, without having any
great immoralities to charge upon them, then
be so much the more solicitous to gather
something from their own mouths, — on which
you may ground a plain and awakening ad-
dress. Send their relations, if you can con-
veniently, out of the room ; — then ask the
person seriously, if he hath any thing partic-
ular to say to you with regard to the state of
his soul. — Inquire what are his hopes, and es-
pecially on what foundation they are built. —
When you have asked him a few questions

118 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

on these heads leave him room to talk ; — per-
haps he may freely and fully tell you his state.

§ 10. If he does not, ask him such ques-
tions as these. — Has sin ever been your grief
and burden ? — What have you done to get
rid of it? — In what view has Christ appear-
ed to you ? — What are your thoughts of the
covenant of grace ; — Have you kept up secret
prayer? — Have you felt the power of scrip-
ture upon your heart ? — Have you been
concerned to give your thoughts and affec-
tions to God as well as your external ac-
tions ? — Have you felt a struggle with the
temptations of Satan, — and the corruptions of
your own heart ? — Have you inquired after
the remedies of the particular distempers of
your own mind ? — And so far as you have un-
derstood them, have you endeavoured to use
them ? &c.

§ II, Secondly, I would now offer a few
remarks on the advices to be given them, and
discourse to be held with them.

^ 12. If their sickness be threatening, some
advice as to their tcmpoi-al affairs may be need-
ful ; — but your main business relates to their
spiritual concerns. — As to temporal affairs, as
briefly as possible, to make a disposition of
them by will. — Sometimes this is of great im-
portance,— at others, however, it is not. If
there be any suspicion of ill-gotten wealth or
property, urge them to an immediate restitu-
tion, as absolutely necessary ; — and should
they refuse, warn them of their danger and
pray for them ; — but in other respects show
them but little attention. — Be very cautious

Lect. 22.] VISITING the sick. 119

that you do not give the smallest intimation
that you wish to turn the will into such a
channel as may be most for your own interest.
— When you know that legacies are design-
ed, have as little as possible to do with the
will.

§ 13. As to spiritual concerns, your ad-
vice must be regulated by the state and char-
acter of each individual ; — there is the bad,
the dubious, and the comfortable.

§ 14, You will find some whose conduct is
had, — and that are really in a state of condem-
nation and misery. — Here your duty is plain,
though the execution of it will be difficult.

<§» 15. 1. Labour to convince such, that their
case is very dangerous. — In doing this, you
are to rest your arguments chiefly on scrip-
ture, with their own representation of their
case. — If you find that there is any one sin
prevalent in their character, rest your charge
upon that. — If drunkards, liars, &C. bring
such texts as prove they will be shut out of
heaven. — Represent the aggravation of their
sins, particularly the religious advantages
they have enjoyed.

<5> 10. 2. Rather lament over, than upbraid
Buch persons. — Severity will produce hatred ;
— and probably they will not wish to have
any thing further to do with you.

§ 17. 3. Be careful you do not drive them
into despair, — especially when you see that
they begin to be awakened to a sense of their
danger. — While they appear unconcerned,
urge the most dreadful things, — represent to

120 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

them the wrath of God, as inexpressibly
dreadful, — borrow images from present and
familiar things, — such as the burning of a
fever, — the tossings of a restless night, &.c.
— By these, endeavour to impress upon them
some idea of the excruciating and everlast-
ing pains of hell. — But, as I have said before,
do not drive them to despair : but as soon as
you conceive they need consolation, exhib-
it to them the riches of the mercy of God in
Christ. — Repeat the most consolatory pas-
sages of scripture that you can recollect, —
and let them clearly see that you have point-
ed out their danger, only to prevent their ru-
in, and lead them to the Saviour.

§ 18. If you conceive that you discern some-
thing in them that looks like genuine, evangel-
ical repentance, be not too ready to administer
consolation, — except as conditional ; — there
is a great danger in authoritative absolution.
— Tell them plainly that if they do not rest
their souls on Christ, there is no room for
hope. — Remind them of the treachery of
their own hearts, that they may maintain a
due jealousy over themselves, and see to their
sincerity before it be too late. — Represent to
them the peculiar aggravation of their sins,
— particularly the misimprovement of a reli-
gious education, means of grace, afflictions
and temporal enjoyments. After all, perhaps,
little will be done the first visit ; — but repeat
it, — and particularly as your hearts charge
you with past neglect of such unhappy crea-
tures.

Lect. 22.] VISITING the sick. 121

§ 19. II. You will be called to visit others,
whose characters are dubious.

§ 20. 1. Exhort such to a very diligent scru-
tiny into their state. — Point out the impor-
tance of their being acquainted with their case,
and especially inculcate the doctrine of hu-
man depravity and the deceitfulness of the
heart.

<§ 21. 2. Advise them to be willing to know
the worst. — Tell them they cannot make their
case better by shutting their eyes, — but on the
contrary, it will be worse if they entertain
false hopes ; — and that a strict examination
of themselves can do them no harm, nor re-
newed acts of repentance be of any injury,
even if they are real christians.

§ 22. 3. Assist them in this work by particular
representations of the religious dispositions,
desires, fears, hopes and pursuits of good men.
— Go over again what was said to them, while
you were sounding their consciences ; — and in
proportion to the dubiousness of their case,
urge these things more strongly.

§ 23. 4. Give them your own judgment
plainly and seriously. — Remember, when you
pray with them, particularly to offer up earn-
est petitions to God to lead them into the
knowledge of themselves.

§24. III. See what should be done for them
of whom you have a good hope.

§ 24. 1, Endeavour not only to support
them, but to raise them to a cheerful, anima-
ted and thankful frame. — If they are afraid of
death, point out to them the great promises of
6

122 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

the gospel. — Endeavour to raise in them ad-
miring and adoring thoughts of divine grace.
— Nothing can be more reasonable, as well as
scriptural, than that a christian should go out
of the world cheerful, — rising like a guest,
satisfied with his provisions, and thankful to the
master of the feast.

§ 26. 2. Exhort them to bear an honoura-
ble testimony to religion with their last breath,
and to recommend it to all who come to see
them, as a thing of the first importance. —
Death bed addresses have often been very use-
ful.

§ 27. 3. Urge upon them the proper exer-
cise of patience and resignation ; and that
they carefully avoid peevishness and ill na-
ture.

§ 28. I now come to say something about
the manner how to pray with the sick.

§ 29. I. Take care that your prayers are
not too long. — Never notice public affairs, un-
less when praying with dying christians of emi-
nent character. — Rather enlarge on the
general interest of Christ in the world ; and
pray for a universal revival. — Good men have
always a zeal for it ; but even on this head be
not too lonof.

§ 30. 2. Let your prayers be as serious and
spiritual as possible. — Labour to get yourself
into a good frame. — Lift up your heart to God
for the influences of his Spirit. — His teach-
ings will make this work pleasant to yourselves
and delightful to real christians who may
join with yoii.

Lect. 22.] VISITING the sick. 123

§ 31. 3. When the person seems to be in an
unconverted state, represent his case awfully
before God, and earnestly beg of him to have
mercy on him. — Here you are to endeavour to
** save him with fear, plucking him out of the
fire." — Pray that God would give him a little
more time, and that he may be reprieved be-
fore the sentence of wrath be executed upon
him.— This may awaken more than an express
exhortation ;-it may also impress others. — A
contrary method will tend to harden those of
the same character. — Take care how you call
them the servants of God ; — our brother or sis-
ter is rather more proper on these occasions ;
— this, however, may have a bad effect, — and
it is what we object to, in the funeral service.
§ 32. 4. When you pray with a dying chris-
tian, be much in expressions of faith, and as-
criptions of praise for him. — Acknowledge the
favours God has bestowed. — Praise him for re-
generating grace, communion in ordinances,
sanctifying influencesof his Spirit, promises for
divine consolation in death, transporting views
of a glorious resurrection ; — and for enabling
him to adorn religion in his life, and persevere
to the end. This must be so managed as not
to appear like flattery. — Praise God for com-
forts received in confinement, for the serenity
and peace with which he is enabled to look
into an eternal world, and for the hope, that
though he dies to us, he will live to God.

§ 33. 5. Do not forget, on these occasions,
to pray for those of the family who may join
with you, — and particularly that they may be

124 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

prepared for the will of God, andjthat the afflic-
tion may be sanctified to fit them for sickness
and death.

§ 34. Take the following hints by way of
appendix.

1. Do not neglect the directions here given
because the illness does not seem dangerous.
-Such neglect, perhaps, may be attended with
fatal consequences. Act always on supposi-
tion of the worst, and it may turn to good, ac-
count. To habituate yourselves to these rules
is of great importance.

§ 35. 2. If the person recovers, still follow
him with your serious exhortations. Visit him
in his recovery, remind him of former convic-
tions and confessions, — urge the vows of God
which are upon him. Pray with him, and re-
mind him how eternity appeared to him in his
affliction, and what thoughts he had of anoth-
er world.

^36. 3. If it please God to remove the sick
person, be sure to visit the surviving relations
— at least two or three times, with a view of
leading them to a due improvement of the
providence : — thus endeavor to cooperate with
divine Providence, and you may perhaps, find
divine grace operate with you ; — under such
circumstances they will be the more ready to
attend to vour advice.

Lect. 23.] visiTiNCr the sick. 125

LECTURE XXIII.

General Maxims for Conversation.

§ 1. Endeavour to know mankind, and pro-
perly to distinguish their characters. — Do not
suspect all ; do not trust all. — Never put your-
selves and your usefulness in the power of any.
— Believe not every account of a character
that is given, especially if it comes from the
lips of an intimate friend, or a real enemy. —
Observe every sudden alteration of persons'
countenances and behaviour, particularly on
extraordinary emergencies.

§ 2. Behave with constant modesty to all.-
Never offer your services in any of the duties
of your functions upon public occasions. — Nor
on the contrary obstinately refuse your servi-
ces when they are requested. — Do not appear
highly satisfied, nor much displeased with your
own performances ; to find fault with them
appears like inviting praise, and to discover a
good opinion of them will always be construed
into pride. Do not therefore even make them
the subject of conversation. Boast not of the la-
bour you bestowed on your compositions, nor
of the ease with which you dispatched them.
— Do not repeat the substance of your dis-
courses unsolicited. — Upon the whole, neither
appear to hunt for reputation ; nor to despise
it.

§ 3. Treat every body with condescension
and complaisance, but not with the same sort.
Remember that the rich tradesman generally

126 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

Stands more upon ceremony than those who
are of the highest birth and most refined ed-
ucation.— Frankness pleases country people,
to whom formal bows are very contemptible. —
Never depend upon merit without complai-
sance.-As you must at times refuse invitations,
study to do it in the most obliging manner. —
Be nearly upon a level with your company,
and do not attempt to outshine them too far.-
Remember to send people away as well pleased
with themselves as you can without flattery,
which is always to be abhorred. And for this
purpose endeavour to think as well of others
as you reasonably can ; and be not too sharp-
sighted to discover faults, nor too severe in
censuring them.

§ 4. Preserve a character of strict fidelity.
And for this purpose be exact, but not confi-
dent in repeating fiicts. — Take heed not to
talk too much. — Promise little, and when you
have made promises, be piinclual in perform-
ance ; rather do more than you have pro-
mised than less, and sooner than later. — Take
heed of seeming to be every body's man. —
Never show so much complaisance in one
company as to be inconsistent with what you
show in another.

^ 5. Have no quarrels, if possible, with
any; but especially with persons of eminent
reputation, — or of no reputation at all. — If yoii
have received any injury, forgive it heartily
and not merely seem to do it. — If you remem-
ber it, let it be only to make you cautious, and
do such persons all the kindness you can.-^

Lect. 23.] GENERAL COXVERSATION. 127

This is the best way of taking revenge. —
When you have, through negligence of heart
done any thing that may justly offend, frankly
confess it and ask pardon. — If you have as-
serted any thing that you find to be a mistake,
confess it, and be thankful for better infor-
mation.

§ 6. Affect not to pry into the circumstan-
ces of families ; you have business enough of
your own, and be not forward to give direc-
tions in their worldly affairs ; but if you see
they are going to ruin, reprove them seriously
at proper season*. Sometimes a plain, seri-
ous address may save a family. — Labour on
such occasions, to get such a knowledge of
their situation as will enable you to give
suitable counsel. Be not however too for-
ward in giving it. When your people are
distressed, do all you can to comfort and as-
sist them ; — keep up your acquaintance with
substantial persons by whose assistance you
may be a help to others.

§ 7. Affect not a priestly authority. — If you
fix with a church of a congregational form,
give them all the satisfaction you reasonably
can. — Wean your people insensibly from an
excessive attachment to particular forms ; es-
pecially by expositions on detached portions
of scripture. — When you speak to the church
as such, do it always with a mixture of tender-
ness and respect. Remember Christ has given
his ministers no power over men's persons,
possessions or judgment. — All we have to do
is to advise and admonish — Remember what

128 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

a disgrace it is to quarrel with a society under
your care, and endeavour to avoid whatever has
the least tendency towards it.

§ 8. Live above all appearance of worldly-
minded ness ; and not only the appearance but
the thing itself. — Be satisfied and thankful
for what you have, but do not make a great
show of plenty ; especially before those of
known generosity, or great covetousnes. -Man-
age your expenses with frugality. — Keep an
account of what you receive, and what you
expend. — Remember that a minister loses
much of his respectability and influence when
he has the charactar of one who spends too
fast, unless it evidently appears that it is ow-
ing to nothing but excess of liberality ; and an
excess even in that does not, on the whole,
raise his character. — Be sure, ;however, to
lead the way, as far as you prudently can, in
all generous expenses. — All you have is, in
one way or another, to be devoted to God : —
and to him you are to trust to provide for you
and yours. — Do not attempt to screw up your
people to a subscription beyond their power ;
if they do not give you what is necessary, it
is a just cause for removal.

<5 9. Talk not of leaving your people, till
you see your way clear; and after all, be very
cautious. If you are in a large congregation
where you are beloved and useful, and have
the conveniences of life in any moderate de-
gree, the increase of income, provided it be
not absolutely necessary to your support, is a
wretched reason for leaving a charge.-Nor is

\

LeCt. 23.] GENERAL CONVERSATION. 129

the pleasantness of situation or a desire to be
nearer your relations much to be regarded, if
you have your health. — The presence of God
and success in your labours are the main things
to be attended to.

§ 1 0. When differences arise, do your utmost
to compose them. — Plead with each of the
parties by themselves, but side not hastily with
either. — Avoid arbitration, lest you make your-
selves enemies, and rather procure some other
person to arbitrate the affair, than expose your-
self to censure, and your usefulness to danger.
§ 11. Be cautious in undertaking any thing,
or of resolutely pursuing what you have begun.
— Scatter some flying reports of a thing be-
fore you do it, that you may see what people
think of it. — Stake not your reputation upon
any thing you undertake. Use proper instru-
ments for things not very agreeable to the
church and congregation or neighbourhood,
whenever it be necessary such things should
be done. Leave room for an honorable re-
treat, and appear not to be much impressed
with the disappointment.

§ 12. Observe proper times for talking.
Reprove very tenderly and respectfully, when
you do it personally. Let it always be in
secret. Sometimes you may drop a hint,
which may give a person room to reprove him-
self, in mixed companies; especially if you
have reason to believe he is not aware you
know his faults. Have proper stories end
passages from authors for this purpose. Some-
times lend books, and mark the most remark -
able passages. 6*

130 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

LECTURE XXIV.

Rules of Conduct towards those to whom some Particular -
Care and liegard will be requisite.

§ 1. First, to Deacons, or those who stand
iii their place. Their business will be to
provide for the Lord's table, for yours, and
for the poor's. — Let such persons be chosen
to this office, if possible, as you can entire-
ly trust, and who are esteemed and beloved
in their place. — Leave charitable cares to
them, and consult them before you propose
any to communion. — For this purpose have a
meeting with them at some private house once
a month, a little before the preparation day.

§ 2. Secondly, towards other persons of
eminence in the congregation, whether on
account of age, circumstances, or character,
discover a very tender regard. The aged visit
and pray with. — Bear to hear their stories of
what passed when they were young, — and if
there be any remains of wisdom in them, you
nijiy profit much by their conversation. — As to
persons of wealth, honour, and learning, do
not idolize them ; nor give yourselves so much
to their company as to neglect others, — yet
you will do well to remember, that some pecu-
liar honour and attention are justly their due.
— Never forget that while the common people
are not to be despised, they are not to be too
much trusted. — Eight or ten of the most sub-
stantial and intelligent persons in a congrega-
tion often turn the whole ; endeavour there-
fore not only to secure the affection but the

Lect. 24.] RULES OF conduct. 131

reverence of such. This can only be done
by a prudent and steady conduct, and by solid
and strong sense, both in the pulpit and ia
conversation. Beware they do not think you
a weak but well-meaning man. As to persons
of eminent piety, discover a great regard for
them, be their circumstances what they may.
— Talk often with them, and pray with them.
And those whom God has favoured by peculiar
visits of his grace and interpositions of his
providence, honour, love, and serve with a
peculiar zeal. Who are we that we should
slight those whom God honours ?

§ 3. Discover a great concern for the wel-
fare of youth. Sometimes preach expressly
to them. — Present them useful books. — Often
address them in public, when the whole dis-
course is not designed for them, — and often
do it in private. — When you see them under
convictions, labour to the utmost to fix them,
and when you are satisfied with their state,
bring them early into the church fellowship
and the communion. — If any before or after
communion get into bad company, warn them
seriously, tenderly, and affectionately. Sin-
gle out two or three hopeful youths to watch
over the rest.

§ 4. Have an especial regard to the afflict-
ed. When you receive notes to pray for any,
keep them ; and when you return home look
them over and make memorandums of their
cases ; both to give them a place in your pre-
sent devotions, and that you may visit them.
Mention their cases, in public prayer, with a

132 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

prudent copiousness ; but much more largely
when with them in private. Endeavour to
assist afflicted persons in temporals as well as
in spirituals.

§ 5. Be moderate in opposing those who
have notions of religion different to yourselves.
— Bear with their zeal, — be yourselves an ex-
ample of candour and meekness. — Seldom run
upon their notions in the pulpit directly. —
When you do, avoid every thing that looks
like spleen against their persons. Do your
utmost to gain their affections by serving them
to the extent of your power.

§ 6. To those who are disaffected to your
person and ministry, be not sharpsighted to
see it ; and when it is so plain that it cannot
be overlooked, if they are good men, talk
over the affair mildly with them ; and endea-
vour to effect a reconciliation if possible ; and
if that cannot be done, dismiss them with as
good a testimonial, as to their character, as
their case will bear. — If they are vicious men^
be still, till an opportunity of exposing and
overbearing them at once offers.

§ 7. When any flill under censure, inquire
diligently into the fact ; and then consider
whether they should be admonished, suspend-
ed, or excommunicated. Let suspension, how-
ever, generally precede excommunication. —
Let some person always be sent to hear the
excuses of the party accused. — If they cannot
clear up their reputation, propose the matter
at a church meeting; — If the case be notori-
ously bad, pronounce sentence at the table of

LeCt. 25.] MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS. 133

the Lord with great solemnity. — Pray for such
persons seriously and affectionately, and make
them one pastoral visit afterwards. — If they
repent after a proper time of trial, restore them
tenderly, but awfully ; and let the confession
be public, if the offence has been so. — Have a
strict eye upon them afterwards, and admon-
ish them frequently if you perceive them wa-
vering or going astray.

LECTURE XXV.

On Behaviour to other Ministers, and Miscellaneous Remarka
in the Conclusion.

§ I. On this interesting subject I shall of-
fer, First, Observations relative to your own
brethren.

§ 2. I. Treat them with respect. Think
as honourably of them as you can, and speak
well of their labours.

§ 3. 2. Avoid every thing that looks like
sheep-stealing.

§ 4. 3. Assist them as much as you can in
their temporal affairs. — For this purpose keep
up a correspondence with people in good cir-
cumstances, and those who can inform you of
legacies, &c.

§ 5. 4. Employ the most popular of them
in your absence, especially those who are dear-
est to your people.

§ 6. 5. Encourage meetings of ministers. —
Talce heed however they do not grow up into

134 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

authoritative synods — and that they be not
burdensome to the places where they are kept.
— Let the entertainment be moderate, and
days of fasting and prayer for the success of
the ministry be kept, wherever they are.

§ 7. 6. Encourage a society for books. —
This may be of use to you and your brethren,
and lead to frequent and profitable interviews.
§ 8. 7. Have but a few intimate friends. —
If friendship must be broken off, let it be civ-
illy ; — do not drop it abruptly, but insensibly.
§ 9. I shall now give you. Secondly, some
observations relative to those of the Establish-
ment.

§ 10. 1. Be very prudent in their company ;
as in the nature of things you cannot expect
them all to be sincere friends to you as dis-
senters.

§ 11. 2. Treat them on all occasions with
respect. Do not enter into controversies with
them, much less rail against the establishment,
either then or at any other time.

§ 12. 3. Protest, if it be necessary, that
you are conscientious in your dissent ; and
appear ready to be informed on any point of
the controversy ; but having the chief reasons
of nonconformity at hand, do not fail to pro-
duce them if you are forced to defend your-
selves.

§ 13. 4. Never join with any of them who
expose your weak brethren.

§ 14. 5. When you meet with any truly
pious, humble and peaceable men in the estab-

LeCt. 25.] MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS. 135

]ishment, honour lliem, — and be on free and
friendly terms with them if they wish it.

§ 15. Thirdly, some observations relative to
lay preachers.

§ 16. 1. Do not contend with them, nor in-
veigh against them. — God has used many of
them for excellent purposes, and we must not
tie hjm to our rules.

§ 17. 2. If there be any in the congregation
over whom the great Head of the Church may
place you, avoid intimate friendship with them
— but. let them be treated kindly. Do them
good and no harm.

<5> 18. 8. Endeavour to out do them in what
is good in their own way. Consider what
makes them popular — viz. — Preaching Christ
— Free grace — Visiting — Religious conversa-
tion &.C. — Let all these be your care, for they
are all your duty,

§ 19. Mi.scellaneous remarks. In your set-
tlement follow and do not force Providence. —
Avoid by all means standing candidates with
others. — Never go to any place but on a con-
siderable majority. — Keep your old friends, and
get new ones. — If a few of reputation are un-
easy, do not accept a call. — Go to a place at
first where you do not intend to spend your
lives, if it may be the means of making you
easy for a time, and place you in a situation
for usefulness and improvement. — Labour to
keep your people always in as good a humour
as possible. — If any thing grieves or offends
them, alter it, if you can with a good con-
science.— Remember, when a minister is des-

136 LECTURES ON PREACHING.

pised his usefulness is at an end, and no pul-
pit talents can support him without prudence.
— In coversation be lively, but alway have
some useful hints, to shev/ that you are a chris-
tian and a man of sense. — Never be ashamed
of religion, nor seem to hear a wicked jest
when you cannot reprove it. — Consider your-
selves as weak, fallible creatures — Be thankful
for instructions — Review former miscarriages
for your caution, and earnestly seek wisdom
of God to direct all your future steps. — Beware
of the reputation of a great politician — Let in-
tegrity and uprightness preserve you. — Read
over these rules once a year at least, and en-
rich them with the best remarks you can.

CONTEiNTS.

LECTURE I.

Page.
Introduction — General Remarks and Directions

relative to the Christian Ministry 7

LECTURE IL ,

Of the Use and Character of Practical Writers 12

LECTURE in.

The Character of Dissenting Writers of the pre-
sent Age, or tliose who have written since
1700 l(i

LECTURE IV.

The Character of the Writers of the establisiied

Church 24

LECTURE V.
Rules for composing Sermons 32

LECTURE VI.
On different Strains of Preaching 41

138 CONTENTS.

LECTURE VII.

On the Style of Sermons 47

LECTURE VIII.
On the Choice of Thoughts 52

LECTURE IX.

On the Manner of ranging the Thoughts 58

LECTURE X.

More particular Rules on the Composition of a Ser-
mon CI

LECTURE XI.
On the delivery of Sermons C8

LECTURE XII.

General Directions not comprehended in the pre-
ceding Lectures 74

LECTURE XIII.

Directions for Prayer 79

LECTURE XIV.

On Public Exposition and the Characters of Com-
mentators 85

LECTURE XV.
General Directions on Exposition continued 93

CONTENTS. 139

LECTURE XVI.

Further Advices relating to Exposition 96

LECTURE XVIL
On Cateciiising 100

LECTURE XVIIL

Further Directions about Catechising 103

LECTURE XIX.

On administering the Sacrament of Baptism 105

LECTURE XX.

On administering the Lord's Supper 108

LECTURE XXI.
On Visiting in General 111

LECTURE XXII.
On Visiting the Sick 115

LECTURE XXIII.
General Maxims for Conversation 125

LECTURE XXIV.

Rules of Conduct towards those to whom some

particular care and regard will be requisite 130

140 CONTENTS.

LECTURE XXV.

On Behaviour to other Ministers, and Miscella-
neous Remarks in the Conclusion 133

ALPHABETICAL INDEX.

Afflicted, regard towards
Ainsworth's commentary
Atterbiiry's sermons
Barrington's, Lord, essay
Baptism, administration of
Baptisms, register of, to be ke
Barrow's sermons
Bates' sermons

" remarks of
Baxter's writings

" remark of
Bennet's sermons
Benson on the epistles
Beveridge's sermons
Beza's commentary
Blackwall's sacred classics
Blair's sermons
Bolton's sermons
Boyle's sermons
Boyse's sermons
Brennius' notes on the Bible
Bradbury's sermons
Burkit's criticisms
Calmet's dictionary
Calvin's commentary
Castalio's commentary
Catechising children, remark
Charnock's sermons
Church, established, writers
Clarke's sermons
Clarke's, Dr, paraphrase
Commentators on the Bible

pt

of

142

ALPHABETICAL INDEX.

Common place book
Conscience how to be addressed
Conversation, general maxims for
Cradock's commentarj'
Deacons, conduct towards
Delivery of sermons
Dissenting w^riters since 1700
Earle's sermons
Edwards', Dr. John, virritings
Erasmus' Commentary
Evan's sermons
Exposition, public, urged
" " hints on

" " advice relating to

Fell on epistles
Flavel's sermons &c.
Fleetwood's writings
Franklin's writings

Garthwaite's commentary

Gataker's writings

Goodwin's sermons

Grosvenor's sermons

Grotius' writings

Grove's sermons

Hales', of Eaton, sermons

Hall's, Bishop, sermons

Hall's commentary

Hallet's writings

Hammond's commentary

Harris' sermons

Heinsius' commentary

Henry's, Matthew, sermons
" " commentary

Hopkins' sermons

Horneck's sermons

Hospitality to parishioners .

Howe's sermons

Jackson's, Dr. Thomas, writings

Jenning's sermons

Lardner's Gospel History

Lay preachers, treatment of

Law's sermons

ALPHABETICAL INDEX.

143

Le Clerc's commentary

Lee on New Testament

Leighton, Archbishop

Lightfoot's writings

Locke on the epistles

Lord's Supper, administering of

Lowtli's, William, commentary

Lucas' sermons . .

Manton's sermons

Mede's writings

Ministers, behaviour towards

Miscellaneous remarks

Nonconformist writers previous to 1700

Norris' writings ....

Owen's writings

Patrick's commentary .

Pearce on epistles

Piety, necessity of, to a preacher

Pool's synopsis ....

Prayer, secret and family

" public, directions for

" tlie author's before making a
Preaching, various strains of

" to be argumentative, pathetic &c.
Puritan writers enumerated
Pyle's paraphrase
Reynolds' sermons
Robertson's commentary
Saurin's writings
Scott's sermons
Scougal's writings
Scripture, quotations from
Seeker's sermons
Sermons, rules for composing

" what subjects to be declined

" what to be preferred

" style of ...

" particular rules on making

" exordium of .

" conclusion of

" delivery of . . .
Sherlock's sermons

144

ALPHABETICAL INDEX.

Sibb's sermons
Sick, on visiting the
'"■^' precautions in regard to
* " ad\^ce to be given to
Souls, love to
^oouU^'s sermons
Spratt's writings .
Style of writing and address

" harmony of
Taylor's, Nathaniel, sermons
Text, explication of

" referring to Christ
Tillotson's writings
Thoughts, choice of

" arrangements of
Visiting in general
Visits, pastoral

" memoranda of, to be kept

" occasional

" to the sick
Ward's sermons
Watts' sermons
Wells' commentary
Whiston's commentary .
Whitsius' writings
Whitby's commentary .
Wilkins' writings
World, acquaintance with
Wright's sermons
Writers^ practical use of
Youth, regard for their welfare

"^

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