made in each branch of the moral scheme, and warning their hearers not to rest in the righteousness of a moral heathen, but to aspire to Christian perfection; and, in the next place, that all moral discourses be enriched by examples and illustrations from scripture; which, besides its being more familiar to the people than any other writings, has in it such a noble plainness and simplicity, as far surpasses all the beauties and elegancies that are so much admired in heathen authors. To which give me leave to add a third observation, with regard to the doctrines and duties peculiarly belonging to the Christian scheme, or the new covenant; that the true way to secure to these their proper share, is the setting apart some certain seasons of the year for catechetical discourses, whether in the way of expounding, or preaching; which being carried on regularly, though at different times, according to the order and method of the Church Catechism, will lead the minister, as by a thread, to the great and fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith; and not only to explain them to the people, but to lay out the particular duties which more immediately flow from each head, together with the encouragements to the performance of them; that so principle and practice may go hand in hand, as they do throughout the whole Christian scheme, and as they certainly ought to do throughout the preaching of every Christian minister. This was the foundation of that standing rule among our ancestors, to proceed upon every head, expressly, by way of doctrine and use; and however the terms may be discontinued, the things never must, if we resolve to preach to the true edification of our hearers. And, with the same view, it seems necessary to add one rule more, which is, that in our sermons the doctrinal part be comprised in as narrow a compass as the nature of the subject will fairly bear, that so sufficient room may be left for a distinct and particular enforcement of the practical duties resulting from it, and not barely for a brief and superficial mention of them, which is too often the case, and must unavoidably be so, where too large a scope is given to the doctrinal part.

This is an error, into which young men are naturally led by the practice in the universities; where sermons being required rather as an exercise of the preacher, than for the instruction and edification of the hearers, greater allowances may be made for theory and speculation: but this is a mischievous indulgence in other congregations, over which ministers are professedly appointed as public

teachers, to instruct and edify their people, and not to make proof of their own abilities.

The same is to be said of the choice of uncommon subjects, and the treating of those that are common in an uncommon and refined way; which gains great applause in our universities, as a testimony of good parts, or great reading: but in popular congregations it answers not any one of those wise ends, for which public preaching was instituted.

In like manner, close argument, and a long chain of reasonings and consequences from the mere nature of things, are very useful and laudable before a learned audience, who have capacities to comprehend and follow them; but in other audiences, the reasonings may easily be so close, as to be unintelligible; and therefore, in condescension to meaner understandings, they must be loosened and disentangled by proper divisions, and rendered plain and obvious by such examples and allusions as are most familiar to the people.

If the submitting to these things shall be thought a diminution to preachers who are capable of the more close and refined way, it must be remembered, that the being able to make things plain to the meanest capacities is no ordinary talent; that in all cases he must be allowed to speak best, who speaks things that arise most naturally from the subject in hand; and that, particularly in the work of preaching, the faculty of discoursing pertinently upon all subjects, in a distinct method and proper language, with as close reasoning as the audience can bear, and no closer, is a very great perfection, not to be attained but by a clear understanding and a solid judgment, improved by long exercise, and an intimate acquaintance with the best and most judicious authors.

Against these and all other errors, into which young preachers are apt to fall, I know no better general remedies than these two: the first, that when they have pitched upon their subject, and considered what the heads are which it naturally suggests, they weigh each head separately, and fill every one of them with hints of proper matter, before they begin to compose. By this means, the discourse will be more solid, and the several parts of it duly connected; and when they have before their eyes, and in one view, all the heads to be treated of, they will take care that the whole be uniform, and that no greater share be allowed to any one head, than is consistent with their doing justice to the rest. The second is, that, before

they go on to compose, they make references, under each head, to such proofs and examples of scripture, as tend to confirm or explain the several doctrines to be treated of; by which means, the text and phrases of scriptures (the best embellishments of all religious discourses) will spread themselves into every branch, and be sure to be taken in where the application of them is most easy and pertinent; as they will also suggest many proper and useful thoughts in the whole course of the composition; there being no doubt but the Spirit of God is best able to acquaint us with the motives and arguments which are most effectual for the propagating religion, and the reforming of mankind.

The holy scriptures are our great rule both of faith and practice; but the precepts and examples contained in them are not ranged into one view under the several heads of duty, but are mixed and dispersed throughout the sacred books. And though those books are in the hands of the people, and will not fail to give great light and good impressions, when they are seriously and frequently read by them; yet it must be owned, that the weight and conviction which they carry in them are much increased, when the several places of the same import and tendency are laid together and compared, and are applied to the mind in their united strength. A work, which cannot in reason be expected from the generality of the people, unless they had more leisure, and greater abilities; and a work, therefore, that certainly belongs to the ministers of God's word, who have both leisure and abilities, and who cannot lay a better foundation of sound and useful preaching, than in this way of digesting the precepts and examples of scripture, and making them mutual explications and enforcements of one another.

Every minister declares at the time of his ordination, that he is determined to instruct the people committed to his charge out of the holy scriptures, and that he will be diligent in reading and studying them. And I am fully persuaded, that this method of comparing scripture with scripture, which is so very beneficial to the people in plain and practical points, will also be found upon trial to be the best method that a minister can take, in order to form a just notion of the spirit of religion in general, and of the meaning of such particular passages as are less plain, and need explication. Whether the difficulty arise from the phrase and language of scripture, or from some peculiar offices and usages of those ancient times, or from any seeming incoherence in the reasoning and argument: in

all these cases, and I will add, in all other difficulties, of what kind soever, the frequent reading of holy writ till the style and spirit of it becomes familiar to us, and the comparing particular passages with others of like nature and tendency, will appear to be our best help and most sure guide. And whoever has patience and resolution enough to proceed and persevere in this way, though he may go on slowly, will go on surely, and find himself in the end a far greater proficient than those, who, neglecting this method, shall wholly betake themselves to assistances of other kinds. Not that any assistance is to be neglected, which may furnish us with knowledge of so high and valuable a nature; but my meaning is, that, in general, scripture is the best interpreter of scripture, and that the comparing scripture with scripture is the surest way to the true understanding of it; and therefore, that recourse ought not ordinarily to be had to the other ways (however seemingly more short and easy) till this has been fully tried, and the mind still calls for further light and assistance. It was the saying of a great man, that the time which he thought he spent best was between his Bible and his Concordance: and however expositors may be useful, and even necessary, upon some particular points, yet it is very certain, that no person who is possessed of those two, and has not at least a competent knowledge of the holy scriptures, can fairly charge his want of knowledge upon the want of books: on the contrary, it can be a want of nothing but industry and application in the business of his profession.

But whatsoever means or helps of other kinds we may have recourse to for the right understanding of the holy scriptures, there are two which will be always necessary, and which are equally in every one's power, viz. a sincere desire to know the will of God, in order to practise it when known; and earnest prayer to him for the assistance of the Holy Spirit, in all our inquiries concerning the revelations which he has made to mankind.

V. But, notwithstanding the greatest care and most serious endeavours in ministers to render their discourses useful and edifying, we must not expect that preaching will have its full effect, unless there be some preparation also on the part of the hearers. For as no discourses in any art or science can be tolerably understood, where the general terms and principles belonging to them are not learnt in the first place; so those particularly of religion must in great measure be lost, unless the people be pre

pared to receive and apprehend them, by a general knowledge of the language and principles of Christianity. This shews us the great necessity there is to be careful and diligent in the work of catechising, or instructing youth in the general principles of religion; because upon that it mainly depends, whether our preaching shall be successful or not; in other words, whether people shall be capable or uncapable, during life, to hear and read religious discourses with profit and delight. And as none who is a faithful labourer in God's vineyard can be indifferent, whether the seed which he sows shall grow up or die; so, in proportion to every one's desire to see that seed grow up to perfection, will his care and diligence be to prepare the soil for the kindly reception of it: a preparation, which must be begun in repeating the Catechism by heart; but, if it end there, will not avail much to the purpose of profitable hearing. And therefore it is of great use, and indeed necessity, that children be likewise obliged to commit to memory such plain texts of holy scripture, as confirm and illustrate the several branches of the Church Catechism, and that, as they grow up, they be exhorted to peruse and consider some of those larger catechisms, which give a more particular insight into the Christian faith, and which therefore may be properly said to finish the preparation that we are now speaking of.

VI. The directions which I have been hitherto offering relate to the performance of public duties and offices in the church. But you are not to reckon your ministerial cares at an end as soon as these are over; there being other pastoral duties of a more private nature, to which you are equally obliged, though not in law as incumbents, yet in conscience as the ministers of Christ.

For instance, dissuasives from vice in general, or even from this or that particular vice, when delivered from the pulpit, may possibly not be heard by the persons who are most guilty; or if they be heard, men are apt to be partial to themselves, and not to reckon, that what is delivered equally to all concerns them more than their neighbours; or those general dissuasives may be capable of additional strength from particular circumstances in the condition of particular persons; the mention of which in public would be more apt to harden than reform. In these and the like cases, ministers will ofttimes see very great need of private admonition and reproof; and if those prove ineffectual, there is one step further, which they either ought to make themselves, or procure to be made by the officers of the