craggy, but barren and fruitless, and not worth the pains of climbing to the top; and what influence they have on the spirits of men, is commonly a bad one. It is scarce to be imagined what harm these theological subtilties do us. As spirits extracted from bodies are always hot, heady and inflammatory: So divine truths subtilized and too much sublimated, heat, intoxicate and discompose the minds of men, fire their tempers, and kindle very hurtful and unruly passions, to the disturbance of their own peace and that of others.

11. Let your great aim in every sermon be to please God and profit your people, to do them good rather than gain their applause. Do not covet a reputation for eloquence; it will turn you off from higher views. Besides, an excessive desire of popularity and fame will subject you to many secret vexations: As well may you expect the sea to be undisturbed, as the mind of an ambitious man to be long free from disquietude *.

Lastly. Endeavour to get the great principles of Christianity wrought into your own heart; and let them shine in your temper and conversation. "Ministers have one great advantage beyond all the rest of the world in this respect, that whereas

* Αλλ' εργαζομενος της λογεί, ως αν αρέσεις τω DEW; # MEY επαινείτω και παρα των άνθρώπων, μια διάκρειες θα τα εγκόμια, μη παρέχοντων δε αυτα των ακροατών, μη ζητειτω, μηδε αλγειτω. Chrysos. de Sacer. 1. 5.

the

the particular callings of other men prove to them great distractions, and lay many temptations in their way to divert them from minding their high and holy calling of being christians, it is quite otherwise with the clergy; the more they follow their proper callings, they do the more certainly advance their general one; the better priests they are, they become also the better christians. Every part of their calling, when well performed, raises good thoughts, and brings good ideas into their minds, and tends both to increase their knowledge and quicken their sense of divine matters *."Cicero, Quintilian and Horace, all made virtue a necessary qualification in a complete orator ↑. I am sure it is so in a christian preacher. It is required of a presbyter that he be blameless. Tit. i. 6. . When a preacher has the great doctrines which he teaches in-wrought into his temper, and he feels the

* Burnet's Pastoral Care, chap. 8.

1

† Quæ (sc. eloquentia) quò major est, probitate jungenda, summâque prudentia; quarum virtutum expertibus si dicendi copiam tradiderimus, non eos quidèm oratores efficerimus, sed furentibus quædam arma dedcrimus.

Cicero de Oratore, 1. 3. §. 14.

Sit ergo nobis orator, quem instituimus, is qui à M. Ciocrone finitur. Vir bonus dicendi peritus-ideòque non dicendi modò eximiam in eo facultatem, sed omnes animi virtutes exigimus.. Quintilion, Lib. xii, e. 1.

Scribendi rectè sapere est et principium et fons.

Hor. de Art. Poet.

In Sacerdote etiam aus cita prohibentur.

Vide Hieronym. in loco. influence

*

influence of them on his own spirit, he will reap from thence these three great advantages in his public ministrations: He will then speak from his own experience. He will with great cofidence and assurance direct and counsel others. And will more readily gain belief to what he says Without this experimental sense of religion in the heart, and a steady practice of it in the life, all the learning in the world will not make a person, either a wise man, a good christian, or a faithful minister t. And to induce him to a wise circumspection in his conduct, he should often consider the influence his own example will have upon his people, for whom he must live, as well as for himself; and who will think themselves very justifiable if they indulge to no other liberties than such as they see their minister take himself ‡.

Before I close this chapter, let me add one thing more, viz. That a minister, both with regard to his conduct and preaching, should take care not

Edward's preacher, vol. 1. p. 321.

† Aliud enim est scire, aliud sapere. Sapiens est, qui didicit non omnia, sed ea quæ ad veram felicitatem pertinent; et iis quæ didicit afficitur, ac transfiguratus est.

Erasm. Ecclesiastes, p. 21.

· 4 Ιηφάλιον ειναι δει τον ιερέα, και διορατικον, και μυρίες παντα οθεν κεκτηθεί τις οφθαλμός, ως εκ εαυτω μόνον, αλλα και πληθεί ζωντα

τοσέτω.

A bishop had need be sober and vigilant, and have all his eyes about him, who lives not only for himself, but for so great a multitude of people.

Chrysostom de Sacer. I. 3. c. 12.

to

to be too much affected with common fame. Though he is not to be absolutely indifferent to the applauses and censures of others, yet he should arm himself against the bad influence of both, He must expect to pass through good report and evil report: And both are apt to make hurtful impressions on weak, unstable minds.-As to evil report, a stoic will tell you, that, in confidence of your innocence, you ought absolutely to despise both it and its author.

I think Chrysostom's advice is more suited to the character of a christian minister. "As for groundless and unreasonable accusations, says he, (for such a christian bishop must expect to meet with) it is not right either excessively to fear them, or absolutely despise them. He should rather endeavour to stifle them, though they be ever so false, and the author of them ever so despicable; for both a good and bad report is greatly increased by passing through the hands of the multitude, who are not accustomed to examine, but to blab out every thing they hear, whether true or false. Therefore we are not to despise them, but to nip those evil surmises in the bud, speak friendly to those who raise them, be their characters ever so bad, and omit nothing that may remove their wrong impressions of us. And if after all they persist to defame us, we may then despise them *."

* Chrysostom de Sacerdot. L. v. c. 4,

CHAP.

CHAP. III.

OF THE DUTIES

IMMEDIATELY PREVIOUS ΤΟ

THE WORK OF THE PULPIT.

To

o prepare you for this service, the following directions may be useful.

1. Before you enter on the public worship of God in his house, be sure to apply yourself to the throne of grace, for a divine blessing on your labours. It was a usual saying of Mr. Luther, Bené orasse, est bené studuisse *. In these your previous devotions, see that your heart be very sincere and ferventt. You must pray for yourself, and pray for your people.

* Sub horum concionis ecclesiastes det se profundæ deprecationi, et ab eo postulet sapientiam, linguam, et orationis eventum, qui linguas infantium facit disertas. Incredibile dictu quantum lucis, quantum vigoris, quantum roboris & alacritatis hinc accedat ecclesiasta. Eras. Eccles. p. 486.

"By means of such intercourses with Heaven, you will step from your closets into the pulpit breathing a certain etherial air, and labouring with the very spirit of truth and love, which flows from the Divinity and tends towards him.”

FORDYCE's Art of preaching, p. 298. 3d edition. T.

(1.) You