XAVING diftributed amongst you, above three years ago, when H fick aefs prevented me from vifiting you in perfon, a printed difCxx courfe, in which I exhorted you, as St. Paul did Timothy, to take beed unto yourselves; I proceed now to add, as he did, and to your doctrine (a). To inftruct perfons in religion is the leading part of a Clergyman's duty. And though he will do it in a very useful degree by the example of a Christian behaviour on all occafions; yet he will do it more efpecially in the peculiar difcharge of his office. When he is only to use the forms prefcribed him, he may, by ufing them with due reverence and propriety, greatly promote both knowledge and pious difpofitions in his (a) 1 Tim. iv. 16. -hearers. hearers. Therefore we ought to watch diligently over ourselves in this respect: and then it will be eafier to convince our people, that they may and fhould learn a great deal from the exhortations, the prayers, the praises, the portions of fcripture, of which our liturgy confifts; that therefore, even when there is no other service, they should come to church for the fake of these far more conftantly, and attend to them far more carefully, than the generality of them do; indeed fhould have them in much higher efteem, than the mere products of our private thoughts. But I hall confine myself to the inftructions, which you give of your own; speaking of them chiefly with a view of fuggefting fuch advice to the younger part of you, as I hope the elder will approve, and enforce. And here I must begin with repeating, what I need not enlarge upon, for I have done it already, that the foundation of every thing in our profeffion is true piety within our breafts, prompting us to excite it in others. Even heathens made it a rule, that an orator, if he would per fuade, must be a good man: much more must a preacher. When a bad one utters divine truths, we fhut our ears, we feel indignation. Form yourselves therefore throughly, by devout meditations and fervent prayer, to seriousness of heart, and zeal for the eternal welfare of fouls: for then every thing else, that you are to do, will follow of course. You will earnestly labour to complete yourselves in all proper knowledge: not merely the introductory kinds, which unhappily are often almoft the only ones, taught the candidates for holy orders; but those chiefly, which have a clofer connection with your work. And though, amongst thefe, the science of morals and natural religion is highly to be valued, yet the doctrines and precepts of the gofpel require your principal regard beyond all comparison. It is of the gofpel, that you are minifters: all other learning will leave you effentially unqualified; and this alone comprehends every thing, that is necessary. Without it, you will never approve yourselves to God, as workmen that need not to be ashamed (b), nor make your hearers wife unto falvation (c). Therefore you must diligently peruse the holy fcriptures, and as much as you can of them in the original; that, as the office of ordination expreffes it, by daily reading and weighing of them ye may wax riper and stronger in your miniftry. And you muft not grudge the expence, which may furely be well fpared in fome other things, of procuring, according to your abilities, the affiftance, both of fuch commentators, as will beft fhew you the true sense of holy writ; and of fuch alfo, as will beft direct you, how to draw from it needs ful inftructions. General fyftems of theology, and particular treatises on points of moment, will enlarge your stock of matter: and the most noted fermons will be patterns to you of compofition. For I fuppofe the discourses, even of those who have the lowest qualifications, to be, in a great measure at least, of their own compofition. Elfe they will feldom either fufficiently fuit the congregation to which they are delivered, or be delivered in the manner which they ought. Befides, if perfons decline taking this trouble, they will probably alfo decline that of fitting themselves in other ways for parochial usefulness, and throw away their time unwifely, if not worfe. That will foon be obferved to their disadvantage; and if once it be fufpected, that through inca incapacity or idleness they fteal what they preach, they will have fmall influence, if any. I do not mean, that no use ought to be made of the labours of others: for indeed I have made no little ufe of them in what I am saying, and about to say. I would have young Clergymen, especially, make very great ufe of the works of able divines: not inconfiderately and fervilely tranfcribe them; but study, digeft, contract, amplify, vary, adapt to their purpofe, improve if poffible, what they find in them. For thus it will fairly become their own; mix naturally with what proceeds altogether from themselves; and preserve their youthful productions from the imputation of being empty and jejune. In the choice of fuch au thors you will confider religious and judicious friends, always joining your own experience. Those writers, whom you find the most effectual to enlighten your understandings, convince you of your faults, animate you to good refolutions, and guide and fupport you in the execution of them, will beft help you to produce the fame effect on others. These therefore imitate: but with judgment. If, amidst their excellencies, you obferve mistakes, defects, redundancies, flights indifcreetly high, despicably familiar condefcenfions, fallies over-vehement; beware of adopting any of them. And remember too that a very clofe imitation, of fingularities above all, will both betray you, and be difguftful. When you go about to prepare an inftruction for your people, first confider carefully of a proper fubject and text: begging God to direct your choice, and difpofe you to treat them in a proper way. Chufing a text, without need, that will furprise, or a feeming barren one, to fhew what your art can extract from it, will appear ingenious perhaps to fome, but vanity to moft with good reafon. Chuting one, that requires much accommodating to your purpose, is but mifpending pains and time: and fo is labouring to clear up a very obfcure one, unless it be of great importance. And giving a new translation or sense of a text, unless the prefent hath confiderable inconveniences, will only puzzle your audience, and tempt them to doubt, whether they understand the reft of their bible. Such a text is most convenient, as will branch out of itself into the main parts of your difcourfe: but at least you should make it appear to be the ground-work of your difcourfe, and not an after-thought. Plan your method in the beginning of your compofition; but change it afterwards, if you fee cause. Never run the matter of one head into another, nor digrefs to any thing foreign: for every fubject, well confidered, will afford you enough. It is ufually beft to propofe your general heads together, before you proceed upon them feparately, and to give notice when you come to each. Subdivifions alfo affift the memory of the hearer, if they are not too many: and paffing from a former head to the next by an eafy tranfition, is graceful. But a difpofition may be very orderly, without mentioning in form the feveral members, of which it confifts: and fometimes that formality prevents a difcourfe from flowing with freedom and fpirit. After the explanatory part, proofs from reafon and fcripture take the next place: then inferences, if any useful ones follow peculiarly from what hath preceded; and lastly exhortations to fuitable practice, which can hardly ever be omitted, and ought to be fuch as may leave a durable impreffion. The length of fermons, though it fhould always be moderate, may be very different at different times. VOL. VI. G Only Only give no room to think, that in a fhort one you have faid but little; or in a long one have either said any thing which was not pertinent, or dwelt upon any thing beyond what was needful. An indifpenfable point throughout is to preserve attention: for if that be not paid, all your labour is loft. And perfons are fingularly apt to be inattentive to preachers. Our fubjects are, and ought to be, the most common and trite of any. And hence, unless we use a little honeft art to prevent it, our people will think, will many of them find indeed, that they know beforehand most of what we shall deliver to them, and so will foon grow weary of minding us. Coming to church, the bulk of mankind, even ftill, confider as a duty: but hearing as they ought, they partly neglect, and partly experience to be difficult. Therefore we must not only admonifh, but affift them. For this end we muft fhew them from first to laft, that we are not merely faying good things in their prefence, but directing what we fay to them perfonally, as a matter which concerns them beyond expreffion. More general difcourfes they often want skill to take home to themselves; and oftener yet inclination: fo they fit all the while ftupidly regardless of what is delivered. Therefore we muft intereft them in it, by calling upon them to obferve, by afking them questions to answer filently in their own minds, by every prudent incitement to follow us clofely. But then we must make them understand, that in preaching against fin we never preach against such or such a sinner; but mean to amend and improve all, who want it: wifhing every one to apply as much as poffible of what he hears to his own benefit, but nothing to the reproach of his neighbour. Still you will prefs them in vain to pay attention, unless you win them to it by what you have to fay. And one principal contrivance for that purpofe is to make your fermons extremely clear. Terms and phrafes may be familiar to you, which are quite unintelligible to them: and I fear this happens much oftener, than we fufpect. Therefore guard against it. Your expreffions may be very common, without being low: yet employ the loweft, provided they are not ridiculous, rather than not be understood. Let your fentences, and the parts of them, be fhort, where you can. And place your words fo, especially in the longer, that your meaning may be evident all the way. For if they take it not immediately, they have no time to confider of it, as they might in reading a book: and if they are perplexed in the beginning of a period, they will never attempt going on with you to the end: but give up the whole, as out of their reach. Avoid rufticity and groffnefs in your ftile: yet be not too fond of fmooth and foft and flowing language; but ftudy to be nervous and expreffive; and bear the cenfure of being unpolifhed, rather than uninfluencing. Never multiply arguments beyond neceffity; for they will only tire: abftain from weak ones; for they will difcredit the ftrong. Employ no arguments to prove things, which need not be proved: for you will only make them doubtful. Employ no long or fubtle arguments to prove any thing: but reft your affertions on the dictates of plain good fenfe. Never exprefs yourselves on any point, as having dominion over the faith (d) of your hearers; but lay before them the best evidence, of which they are capable. In matters too high for them, let (d) 2 Cor. i. 24. them 99 them know, in a modest manner, that you fpeak the fentiments of the more learned, in which providence hath by their ftation directed them to acquiefce in others, reafon more at large, in the spirit of St. Paul, when he told the Corinthians, I fpeak as to wife men: judge ye what I fay (e). You might perhaps give more entertainment, and procure more applaufe, by difregarding fome of thefe directions. But your business is, not to please or be admired, but to do good: to make men think not of your abilities, attainments, or eloquence, but of the state of their own fouls; and to fix them in the belief and practice of what will render them happy now and to eternity. For this purpose (obferve further) it will by no means fuffice to teach them outward regularity and decency; and let them fancy they have religion enough, when they come to church pretty conftantly, and live as well as their neighbours: though, in fome refpects, ill, and, fcarce in any, well from a principle of confcience. Or be they from a fenfe of duty ever fo honeft, and fober, and chafte, and beneficent; another indispensable part of morals is the difcipline of the inward man. And affectionate piety is full as necessary, as morals can be and gospel piety no less than natural. Here then lay your foundation: and fet before your people the lamentable condition of fallen man, the numerous actual fins, by which they have made it worse, the redemption wrought out for them by Jefus Chrift, the nature and importance of true faith in him, their abfolute need of the grace of the divine Spirit in order to obey his precepts. This will be addreffing yourselves to them as Chriftian minifters ought to Chriftian hearers. The holy Scriptures will furnish you with matter for it abundantly. Short and plain reasonings, founded on their authority, will dart conviction into every mind: whereas if your doctrine and your fpeech be not that of their bibles; if you contradict, or explain away, or pafs over in filence, any thing taught there, they who are beft contented with you, will learn little from you; and others will be offended, and quit you when they can. We have in fact loft many of our people to fectaries by not preaching in a manner fufficiently evangelical: and fhall neither recover them from the extravagancies, into which they have run, nor keep more from going over to them, but by returning to the right way: declaring all the counsel of God (f); and that principally, not in the words, which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacbeth (g). Yet the obfcurer of fcriptural paffages we fhall do well to omit: or, if there be need, illuftrate them, as far as we can, briefly: not to aim at minute explanations of myfteries; but urge the belief of them from decifive paffages of God's word, quoted according to its real import, and leave them as that hath left them. For by attempting to throw in more light, than our prefent ftate admits, you will only dazzle and blind those, who faw before as through a glass darkly (h). You are debtors indeed both to the wife and to the unwife (i). But remember, the ignorant are by far the greatest number: and unneceflary knowledge, if you could communicate it to them, is of fmall ufe. But you will never be able to enlarge on abftrufe and difficult points to the edification (e) 1 Cor. x. 15. G 2 (g) 1 Cor. ii. 13. |