ing sense he had of his own unworthiness, moral meanness, and guilt before God; this not unfrequently darkened his evidences, diminished his enjoyments, and sunk him in sorrow; but now the clouds are dispersed, all is light and peace, love and joy. feeling could exceed the depress- fections, depravity, and sinfulness. Few persons were more sensible of his failings than himself, and no one could more deeply deplore them before God. Many who perhaps have not had half his piety, have boasted of greater confidence; yet he had a steady reliance on the fidelity, wisdom, and grace of the Mr. P. like the Psalmist, emi- Redeemer. He generally enjoyed nently gave himself unto prayer. a serene mind, longing to imbibe Communion with God was the very more of the spirit of Christ, and element of his being. He seemed to exhibit a more complete conforto live in the spirit of devotion, in mity to him; but he was sometimes the absence of all its forms, and depressed by fears of death. Not appeared to doubt the sincerity of that he doubted the doctrines or his religion in proportion as he promises of divine grace, but quesfound his heart unaffected in prayer, tioning his personal interest in of which he had attained both the them, he hesitated to receive comgift and the grace in no ordinary fort from them, and sometimes degree. In social prayer he was walked in darkness; but before very comprehensive, and would he closed his eyes in death, the not unfrequently compass the length clouds dispersed, his fears vanishand breadth of the whole land, ed, and he enjoyed divine light leaving hardly any part untouched. and liberty. His friends have sometimes thought there could scarcely be any thing left to pray for after he had closed. Mr. P. considered a devout attention to this divine duty of the greatest importance in the Chris-peared to be approaching the close tian life. He had obviously adopted Dr Watts's Guide to Prayer as his model, and if at any time he erred in this, it was in too minutely adhering to that systematic plan in all its ramifications, which occasionally led him to extend his addresses to a length which seemed to render the duty irksome and tedious to those who did not delight in it. But they who loved prayer could never fail to perceive that, with the form, he had happily imbibed the spirit of devotion, which, united with a solemn, savoury, earnest manner, tended deeply to impress the heart. Our deceased friend walked closely with God, yet he had fears and jealousies, arising from a coutinued consciousness of his imper Notwithstanding his advanced age, Mr. P. was well able to be in daily action till within a few weeks of his decease; when his appetite failed, he grew weaker, and ap of his mortal course. Being informed of this, a relative from London visited him, and observing his bodily weakness, inquired the state of his mind. He deliberately replied, "I am not rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory, but I know whom I have believed, and am assured He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him. I am waiting, and I trust willing to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. I pray to be found ready when He shall call for me. I have no desire to live longer than my heavenly Father seeth fit. It cannot now be a great while before I shall take my final leave of you, and of every thing here.” On the following day, the same friend, thinking it might be the last time he should see him alive, on short, but satisfactory sentence, parting, expressed a wish that God" All is well!" the angel of mercy, might be with him, and grant him a commissioned from heaven, gently peaceful and happy release. He released his spirit, and he sweetly replied, "Amen. Pray for me;" fell asleep in Jesus, on Monday, and then, in a slow and solemn Oct. 6, 1828, aged 91 years 4 manner, said, "I desire now de- mouths. voutly to ratify and confirm all my former most solemn engagements with my God and Saviour, by an entire surrender of my immortal soul to him who is able to keep what I commit to his care." A pious female servant, while in attendance, read to him portions of Scripture, which he much enjoyed of the 23d Psalm, he said, "that Psalm is a sweet section of God's word." After she had repeated to him several of Dr. Watts's hymns, he asked if she felt at her heart the sentiments she had uttered? On her replying, "Yes, I hope I have for sixteen years past," Mr. P. said, "Then you are highly favoured of God." When she repeated "Jesus can make a dying bed Feel soft as downy pillows are ; And breathe my life out sweetly Mr. P. immediately raised his A On the Friday following his remains were interred in the burial ground adjoining the dissenting meeting-house at Rochester, on which occasion the Rev. Mr. Slatterie (who, with the Rev. William Giles, of Chatham, had occasionally visited the deceased,) delivered an impressive address, and on the Lord's day evening following improved the event in a funeral sermon, addressed to a full audience, from Psalm xxxi. 5. "Into thine hand I commit my spirit," and Acts vii. 59. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit ;" scriptures which most emphatically express the living and dying experience of our departed friend and father. 66 "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord." G. B. REMARKS ON PREACHING. [In a Letter to a young Minister, recommending Unity in every Sermon.] My Dear Young Friend, My letters are not to be compared Although in advanced age, and with " angel visits," except in one now very near death, his natural particular, as they are "few and far between." It is now twelve vigour and pulse were good. decided change, however, in his years since I endeavoured to give appearance, soon became visible, you some assistance in conducting and perhaps feeling himself worse, the public prayers and supplicayet retaining his recollection to the tions of your congregation, and last, he inquired after the several as you have particularly requested members of the family, who sur-my thoughts on the method of rounded his bed just in time to preaching, I shall give you a few receive his final farewell. Grasping, at this instant, in each hand, two of his attendants, whose persons he could now scarcely recognize, and while he was struggling to utter, in feeble accents, the hints of what has occurred to me See our vol. viii. 1816, p. 3. riable method. It is said of a late worthy minister, that "he had always his three things." This is highly exceptionable, for one method will not suit every subject; sameness will be disgusting to hearers of judgment and taste, and human nature, though uncultivated, loves variety. The most dull and illiterate hearers have their feelings on this subject, though they are not so acute as the feelings of others. Few preachers, very few indeed, distinguish between the text and the subject. The text may contain four or five points-the subject only one. In a the pulpit, has placed this rule first. Thus he writes:-- The first which I shall mention is, to attend to the unity of a sermon. Unity, indeed, is of great consequence in every composition; but in other discourses, where the choice and direction of the subject are not left to the speaker, it may be less in his power to preserve it. sermon, it must be always the preacher's own fault if he transgress it. What I mean by unity is, that there should be some one main point to which the whole strain of the sermon should refer. It must not be a bundle of different subjects strung together, but one object It is best to have but one point, must predominate throughout. This and stick to that. The hearer will rule is founded on what we all excarry away to advantage one im- perience, that the mind can fully pression; and one strong impres-attend only to one capital object at sion is more likely to be useful than a time. By dividing, you always three or four faint ones. Never weaken the impression. Now this shoot at random. The account of unity, without which no sermon the Syrian soldier drawing his bow can have much beauty or much at a venture, was never designed, force, does not require that there in my judgment, to be a directory should be no divisions or separate for preachers; yet one might ima-heads in the discourse, or that one gine, from the preaching of some single thought only should be again persons, that it was almost the and again turned up to the hearers only direction given. There is in different lights. It is not to be great reason to believe that preach- understood in so narrow a sense : ing might be more extensively and it admits of some variety, it admits permanently useful, if it were more of under parts and appendages, pointed; if the preacher aimed to provided always that SO accomplish some definite object; union and connection be preserved, if in one discourse he studied only as to make the whole concur in to make a single undivided impres- some one impression upon the mind. sion. This opinion is sanctioned I may employ, for instance, several by the highest authorities. Thus different arguments to enforce the Bishop Burnet:-"A text being love of God; I may also inquire, opened, then the point upon which perhaps, into the causes of the dethe sermon is to run is to be open- cay of this virtue; still one great ed; and it will be the better heard object is presented to the mind.. and understood, if there is but one But if, because my text says, 'He point in a sermon; so that one that loveth God must love his brohead, and only one, is well stated, ther also,' I should therefore mingle and fully set out."* Dr. Blair, in one discourse arguments for the when lecturing on the eloquence of love of God and for the love of our neighbour, I should offend unpardonably against unity, and leave a Pastoral Care, ch. ix. much very loose and confused impres- In his "Advice to the younger sion on the hearers' minds." Clergy," he says, "Propose one "It must ever be remembered, point in one discourse, and stick to (says Dr. Campbell) that it is the it; a hearer never carries away leading sentiment conveyed in the more than one impression." And text, which it is the preacher's bu- still more particularly in his " Colsiness to illustrate." Perhaps no lege Lectures": "The first rule I modern writer has treated this sub-give you in the composition of ject with more judgment and taste sermons is, to confine your disthan Dr. Campbell, in the Lecture course to one single specific subhere referred to, but I shall not ject: a vice, for instance, which make large extracts from his work, actually prevails; an excuse or which you can easily obtain. evasion which is in fact made use Professor Hill gives very similar of; or a duty which you observe advice :-"Do not think it incum- to be unnoticed, mistaken, or transbent upon you (says he) to dis-gressed."* may be, The Spirituality of the Divine Essence; Eph. ii. 5. "By grace ye are saved," The grace of God the source of salvation ;Acts viii. 37. "If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest." True faith a pre-requisite to baptism. course of every point which your It will be an advantage to give text may suggest; but, leaving to every sermon you compose a what you omit, to be supplied at title. Suppose the text to be John another time, lay hold of that pro- iv. 24. "God is a Spirit," the title position which appears to be the leading idea of the writer, and bend all your powers to place that idea in an impressive light. We do not easily forgive a man for presuming to address a large assembly upon a solemn occasion, without having clear ideas of the subject to which he is to direct their attention; and we require, as the first qualification in a sermon, that the preacher, by profound meditation, and the exercise of sound judgment, has separated the points of which he professes to speak, from other points with which they are apt to be confounded; that having presented to us some subject possessing the gravity, the importance, and the edification suited to a sermon, he never lose sight of it in the progress of his discourse, but according to its nature, explain, amplify, or apply it, and leave us in the end satisfied that he has done what he proposed." The late Dr. Paley is to be heard with great respect on this subject. Lectures on Rhetoric, vol. ii. sect. 29. + Lect. on System. Theology, &c. p. 439. Theol. Institutes, p. 354, 358. You will remember that almost every text is mixed, though the subject you intend to discuss may be very simple. Therefore the text must first be explained, if explanation be necessary, as to terms or things. Good sense is indispensably necessary on all subjects. If you have no artificial rules, this must supply their place; and if you have them in the greatest abundance, this only can enable you to make use of them to advantage. There are five methods of discussion: and you may proceed by explication, observation, proposition, continued application, or various application. Sermons, too, Paley's Sermons and Tracts, p. 76. Life, by Meadley, p. 312. See also Fenelon's Letter to the French Academy, p. 228. and Watts's Improvem. of the Mind, part ii. chap. 6. sect. 1. may be divided into five classes: | want of this, many have preached they are textual, systematic, con- on election, justification, or the troversial, historical, or biographi-perseverance of the saints; de cal. The first class is the textual. These are, in fact, expository lectures. You must explain, if necessary, both terms and things-the terms first. Here you have as many subjects as the text contains. Your text may contain a doctrine, a precept, a promise, a threatening, a prayer, a proverb, a parable, an allegory, a psalm, or a vision. The sacred writings present you with a boundless field of investigation, charmingly diversified, in which you will find scope for all your faculties and all your energies. This class must be treated generally, in the method of explication. When the subject is moral, i. e. preceptive or prohibitory, you may take the method of continued application, that is, application continued through all the discourse, and not confined to the conclusion. Sometimes a promise admits the method of various application; as Heb. xiii. 5. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," applies first to Joshua, then to the Hebrews, then to ourselves. You The second class is the systematic. Your text is a part of revealed truth, (not of any human system) and it must be considered that the Bible contains a system, though it is not given to us under a systematic form. You cannot exhibit the whole at once, nor is it expedient that you should attempt to do so in every sermon. take a subject out of the text, perhaps one out of many subjects in the text. Never let the hearer have cause to say, the subject was not in the text. A baseless fabric will not stand long. You take a single outline, but you may properly shew its true place, and its relation to the whole picture. For taching, insulating each of these doctrines, to the great disparagement of the doctrines themselves, to the injury of the whole system, and to the great disadvantage of the hearers. A dissevered limb, violently torn off from the body, is a shocking sight; but the same, when seen in its true place, as connected with the other members, may be a very beautiful object. Here, with propriety, you may use the method of propositions. The third class is the controversial. Some controversies are referred to in the Epistles, respecting the doctrine of justification and the abolition of the ceremonial law; as in the Epistle to the Romans, and in the Epistle to the Galatians; and the doctrine of the resurrection, in the first Epistle to the Corinthians. There are some controversies now agitated in the church, but they should be brought into the pulpit very sparingly, and then discussed with great candour, delicacy, and moderation. Here you must have your propositions. The fourth class is the historical. Here, it is obvious, you must proceed by observations; not neglecting, however, the explication, except where you are convinced it is quite unnecessary. A very considerable part of the Old Testament, and of the New is historical, and a good acquaintance with ancient and modern history will always be useful. The fifth class is biographical. These are portrait-sermons, delineating the characters of good and of bad men. You have many examples of both in the Old and the New Testament. Hunter's Sacred Biography and Robinson's Scripture Characters will supply you with many excellent thoughts. Bi |