Independently of all this, the principle is bad: it is degrading to the dignified doctrines of the from it, was degraded by the un- || but all that may read them, from substantial craft, which, with the a conduct as disgraceful in a litwisest and best men, ranks among erary as in a moral point of view; the sullenly departing shades of and which, in the end, must inthe whole herd of "unreal mock-volve its author in shame and eries. Mr. Benjamin Keach's highly merited reproach. work on Scripture Metaphors, has done more to debase the taste both of preachers and people, than any other work of the kind. Fortu-gospel to be treated in a way by nately, some years ago, a large which no rational conviction was edition of this work was printed: ever produced; and by which no it got thereby into the hands of truth was ever proved. many private individuals. Many Even Metaphors and Parables preachers in making a liberal use prove nothing: they only illusof it in the pulpit were, according trate; and are never allowed to to the popular phrase, "found be produced in support of any out:" this has made them cautious, doctrine. This is a maxim in and Keach on Scripture Metaphors theology to which all polemick is now in less repute than former- divines are obliged to bow. Thely. Two instances of this find-ologia symbolica non est arguing out, came within my own mentativa. Similia ad pompam, knowledge. Mr. Wm. C. was non ad pugnam: illustrant, at nieminent for explaining Scripture hil probant. Added to all this, Metaphors and Allegories; the what is called Allegorical Preachpeople admired his deep knowl-ing, debases the taste, and fetters edge and ability:-in one of the the understanding, both of preachprincipal congregations where heer and hearers. frequently preached, a gentleman 7. But there is another species of luckily had in his library, Keach's preaching against which I would Scripture Metaphors, and found most solemnly guard you, viz. that it was from this publication, what is termed fine or flowery that Mr. Wm. C. derived all his preaching. I do not mean preachexcellencies he spoke of this ing in elegant, correct and dignipublickly; and an unlucky per-fied language; as every thing of son giving the name of Billy Keach to the preacher, spoiled his popularity. this kind is quite in place, when employed in proclaiming and illustrating the records of our salvation: but I mear a spurious birth, which endeavours to honour itself Another, having taken his text, said, "I shall divide this into twenty-one heads ;" and so say-by this title. Some preachers ing, he produced them all in de- think they greatly improve their tail.-A gentleman in the con- own discourses, by borrowing the gregation said, "When I return fine sayings of others; and when home, I shall examine Keach on these are frequently brought forthe Metaphors, and see whether ward in the course of a sermon, you have missed any." He did the preacher is said to be a flowso, and found that he could speak ery preacher. Such flowers, used more for the fidelity of the preach-in such a way, bring to my reer's memory, than he could for membrance the custom in some the honesty of his heart; as in countries of putting full blown this respect he had most servilely roses, or sprigs of rosemary, lavand disingenuously stolen the ender, and thyme in the hands of word from his neighbour. Let the dead, when they are put in these accounts not only deter you, their coffins. And And may I be per mitted to say, that the unnatural || the work you gave me to spin." association of words and senten- The simplicity and ignorance of the poor woman, became a subject of innocent merriment; but a preacher who speaks thus, will ces in a fine dignified style, with the general tenor of a discourse which is often of a widely different character, is to me as ridicu-not so easily escape: his affectalous and absurd as the union of a tion and pedantry, will, among cart-wheel, with elegant clock- sensible men, become the subjects work. of the most caustick animadversion. But the principal fault in this kind of preaching is the using a vast number of words long and high-sounding, to which the preacher himself appears to have affixed no specifick ideas, and which are often foreign, in the connexion in which he places them, to the meaning, which they radically convey. CONCERNING BEHAVIOUR IN THE PUL- PUBLICK SERVICE. 1. Go from your knees to the house of God. Get a renewal of Such preachers are remarkable your commission every time you go for the multitude of words of a to preach, in a renewed sense of similar meaning, which they often the favour of God. Carry your auheap together. Their substan-thority to declare the gospel of tives are lost in the overbearing crowd of adjectives brought to explain them and the case is not rare, where two or three of these epithets mean precisely the same thing; only, unluckily for the person who uses them, one happens to be derived from the Latin or Greek, another from the French, and the third, the only one he appears to understand, comes from his moth-en. er's tongue; and perhaps, the most proper on the occasion. Words Christ not in your hand, but in your heart. When in the pulpit, be always solemn say nothing to make your congregation laugh, Remember you are speaking for eternity; and trifling is inconsistent with such awful subjects as the great God, the agony and death of Christ, the torments of hell, and the blessedness of heav Let 2. Never assume an air of im- used in such a way, either lose all dence will soon lead to a forgetful- 3. Avoid all quaint and fantastick attitudes. I once knew a young man who, through a bad habit which he had unfortunately acquired, made so many anticks, as the people termed them, in the to the best of your knowledge, the whole counsel of God. 7. Give out the page, and measure of the hymn, and the hymn itself distinctly, and with a full voice; always giving the singers time sufficient to set a suitable tune: and do not hold the book before your face while giving out the hymn, for this hin pulpit, as to prejudice and grieve many. A very serious and sensible person who constantly heard him, really thought he was afflicted with that species of paralysis termed St. Vitus's Dance and hearing some blame him, entered seriously on his defence, on the ground of its being the visitation of God! As there are a thousand reasons why a young man shouldders the progress of the sound. not wish the people to form 8. While praying, keep your such an opinion of him, so there eyes closed: at such a time you is all the reason in the world why have nothing to do with outhe should avoid queer noddings, ward objects; the most important ridiculous stoopings, and erections matters are at issue between God of his body, skipping from side to and you; and he is to be contemside of the desk, knitting his plated with the eye of the mind. brows; and every other theatri-I cannot conceive how it is possical or foppish air, which tends to disgrace the pulpit, and to render himself contemptible. 4. Never shake or flourish your handkerchief; this is abominable; nor stuff it into your bosom; this is unseemly. Do not gaze about on your congregation, before you begin your work if you take a view of them at all, let it be as transient as possible. 5. Endeavour to gain the attention of your congregation. Remind them of the presence of God. Get their spirits deeply impressed with this truth, Thou, God, seest me! and assure them," He is in the midst, not to judge, but to bless them; and that they should wait as for eternity, for now is the day of salvation." I have ever found that a few words of this kind spoken before the sermon, have done very great good. 6. The pulpit appears to me analagous to the box in which the witnesses are sworn in a court of justice, "To say the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."You are a witness for God; and are bound by more, if possible, than an oath, to speak the truth in righteous ness and love; and to declare faithfully and solemnly, according ble for a man to have the spirit of devotion in prayer, while he is engaged in gazing about on his congregation. Such an one may say his prayers, but he certainly cannot pray them. If you wish the people to join with you in this part of the worship, speak so as to be heard even at the beginning: whispering petitions to God, may be genteel for aught I know; but I am certain it is not to the use of edification. In your prayers avoid long prefaces and circumlocutions:You find none of these in the Bible. Some have got a method of complimenting the Most High on the dignity of his nature, and the glory of his heavens: this you should studiously avoid. He that cometh to God must know that HE IS : and a proper consideration of his being, power, holiness, and mercy, cannot fail deeply to impress your mind, and lead you at once even to his seat. You should never come into the congregation but in the spirit of prayer. your mind be wound up into that spirit in your closet; and then, in your prayers in the congregation, you will appear what you should be, a man familiar with God. Examine the Scriptures, and you Let will find that all the holy men of God prayed in this way: they came directly to the throne, and preferred their suit. Ever considering themselves in the presence of God, the very commencement of their supplications seems no other than an external continuance of prayers in which their hearts had been long previously engaged. 9. Read your text distinctly, and begin to speak about the middle of your voice, not only that you may be readily heard, but that you may rise and fall as occa sion may require, which you can. not do if you begin either too high or too low. Never drop your voice at the end of a sentence; this is barbarous and intolerable. In a multitude of cases, where the last word is not heard, the whole sentence is lost. Every sentence you speak should tend to edification; and it cannot edify, unless it can be heard: therefore, never begin too low; this is a greater evil than even screaming itself. 10. Be sure to have the matter of your text well arranged in your own mind before you come into the pulpit, that you may not be confused while speaking. But beware of too much dividing and subdividing by these means the word of God has been made to speak something, any thing, or nothing, according to the creed or prejudices of the preacher. How little of this division work do you meet with in the discourses of the Prophets, the sermons of Christ, or the preachings of the Apostles. Besides, this mode of preaching is hackneyed to death; and can never succeed but in judicious hands. Unless the matter of the text be abundant, it rather fetters than enlarges the mind: and that which is ominously called the skeleton, i. e. a system of mere bones; is in general but ill clothed with muscles, worse strung with nerves, and often without the breath either of a spiritual or intellectual life. By this mode of preaching, the word of God is not explained: from it, scarcely any thing can be learned but the preacher's creed, and his ingenuity to press a text into its service. His divisions and subdivisions explain his own mind and views; but they generally leave the text and context as they were before. No congregation can grow in the knowledge of the Scriptures by such, teaching as this. On this subject, a man of deep sense and piety once observed; "The major part of what we hear at present in sermons is, three heads and a conclusion." 11. In whatever way you handle your text, take care when you have exhausted the matter of it, not to go over it again. Apply every thing of importance as you go along; and when you have done, learn to make an end. It is not essential to a sermon, that it be half an hour or an hour long. Some preach more in ten minutes than others do in sixty. At any rate, the length of time spent in preaching, can never compensate for the want of matter; and the evil is doubled when a man brings forth little, and is long about it. There are some who sing long hymns, and pray long prayers, merely to fill up the time: this is a shocking profanation of these sacred ordinances, and has the most direct tendency to bring them into contempt. If they are of no more importance to the preacher or his work, than merely to fill up the time; the people act wisely, who stay at home and mind their business till the time in which the sermon commences. Have you never heard the following observation?"You need not be in such haste to go to meeting: you will be time enough to hear the sermon, for Mr. X. Y. prophecies find meaning in him, and without him are devoid of meaning. 1 Without presuming to say on our own authority what the character of Christ is, we will consult the authorised interpreters of his religion, and ascertain the impression which they had respecting him. always sings a long hymn, and || Testaments. The first of these to whom we appeal is St. Paul, of whom it may be observed, that he no where gives a studied and elaborate character of his divine Master. What he furnishes on this head seems to fall from him incidentally, and to be only collateral to the main argument which he may be prosecuting. This single fact gives the greater weight to his testimony, because he so often 12. As to the matter of your preaching, I will only say; preach Jesus, preach his atonement, preach the love that caused him to die for the redemption of a lost world; and through him, proclaim a free, full, and present salva-asserts the true dignity of Jesus tion, provided for every human soul; and God will bless your labours wherever you go. ON THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST. THAT God should challenge for his Son an honour equal to that which he claims for himself, and that men, out of avowed respect to the character of God should deny that claim, is a singular instance of creature strife with the Creator's pleasure. To us, it is evident, that the providence of God has taken as much pains to make the character of Christ explicit and unquestionable, as the diligence of man has taken to render that character obscure and dubious; that the Father has exerted as visible care in guarding the dignity of his Son, as man has exerted in vilifying that Son by denying his Godhead. It is most evident, that the wonderful personage to whom our attention is called in the text, is clearly characterized in Scripture. He is the sum and substance of both when such an assertion does not appear material to his leading purpose, and when too he most generally follows up the course of his discussion with a spirit and expression which seem to pre-suppose the lofty truth to which he occasionally adverts. The first direct impression which he received respecting him, is thus described in the 9th chapter of the Acts; "And as he journeyed, he came near to Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven, and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me; and he said, who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. And he, trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said, arise and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." After his recovery from the effects of this miraculous vision, having spent certain days with the disciples at Damascus, he commenced the work of the ministry," And straightway preached |