being commissioned by the Almighty to co-operate with him, in restoring his children, the works of his hand, and the objects of his love, to that favour which is better than the life itself. Let him place before his eyes, and engrave upon his heart, the interesting peculiarity of his situation, and the ineffable importance of his charge; the happiness accompanying a faithful execution, and the punishment awaiting the inexcusable neglect, of it; and to his effort to produce an eloquent exhortation, will then be super-added an ardent desire to promote the glory of God, and an inconceivable solicitude to become, through the Divine interposition, the blessed instrument of the salvation of men. To give a Sermon merit, as a religious composition, and utility, as a popular exhortation, one thing more must be added, without which it will, generally, be incomplete; I mean a fervent and devout prayer. For is it not natural, after having faithfully shewn, and earnestly entreated, men, to walk in the way of salvation; after having convinced their understandings by argument, and persuaded their affections by exhortation, to implore him from whom cometh every good gift, that the word which has been spoken, in his name, and for his glory, should accomplish the end for which it was delivered? The most striking arguments in the discourse should form the subject of the prayer, which should be expressed in simple, yet animated language; the whole strain should be so pious and affecting, that the heart and soul, both of the Preacher and the congregation, should be raised, on the wings of devotion, above this sublunary scene, and transported to those celestial mansions, where the object of hope ceases, in actual possession, and where the discharge of duty is remunerated, with an exceeding reward! The preceding Essay on the Art of Preaching, which although adapted to a foreign, rather than an English, pulpit, shews the necessity of oratory in a public speaker, be the congregation he addresses, learned or unlearned. And notwithstanding the just observation of Archbishop Secker, that "our nation is more disposed than most others, to approve a temperate manner of speaking;" yet it is, in some measure, from the want of a certain degree of oratory in the Clergy, that our Churches are so lamentably deserted. It is generally supposed, that every writer adapts his composition to his mode of speaking. Thus, it is only necessary, it is said, to read a Sermon, in order to appreciate the manner of the Preacher. The observation, with very few exceptions, is, I believe, just; which is an additional argument, to prove the necessity of excellence in composition; for if the composition be indifferent, so, it may be inferred, will be the * elocution. A bad speaker *"Previously studying and writing Sermons tends to fill them with digested and well adapted Matter, disposed in right order; may, if learned, be attended by sensible men; but those who have penetration to discover, and candor to approve, real excellence, when it has not the recommendation of exterior embellishment, seldom constitute a considerable part, even of a popular assembly. And they, surely, would prefer an eloquent, to an inanimate preacher. When such extreme solicitude is shewn by every des cription of men, to be present at the debates of the Great Assembly of the nation, is it to give their attention to the common, dull debaters? No! to the elegant harangues of the most accomplished of speakers, and to the indignant reply of his exasperated rival. When the same solicitude is expressed to hear a cause of importance tried in the Court of King's Bench, is it to be entertained by inferior pleaders? No! by Gibbs or Erskine, or Garrow or Park. Are the Theatres filled by the desire of hearing those who perform the lowest, or the highest characters? Are our Churches thronged, when the pulpit is occupied by an ordinary Preacher, or by an orator, especially, if you will carefully revise them every Time' you' preach them; supply deficiencies, blot out repetitions, correct improprieties, guard against misapprehensions, enlighten what is obscure, familiarize what is too high, transpose what is wrongly placed, strengthen the weak parts, animate the languid ones. Your composition needs not be at all the stiffer, but may be the freer, for the pains thus employed upon it. You may frame it purposely to be spoken as if you were not reading it: and by looking it over a few times when you are about to use it, you may deliver it almost without being observed to read it." See note in P. 240.-Abp. SECKER. who addresses his congregation, as personally inte- : rested in the efficacy of what he is delivering? And: is it not surprising, that seeing, as we have, our Churches more and more deserted, during the last; thirty years, no attempt, no efficacious attempt, at. least, has been made by the Universities, the places of resort for young men, preparatory to the office of the Sacred Ministry, to teach them to speak with gracefulness, in order that they might preach with power? Unless a different mode both of writing and speaking be introduced into the Churchshould the same proportion of its members desert it during the next thirty years, as have in the preceding period-the enemy may adopt the language of the prophet, and exclaim in degrading contempt, and bitter derision-" the punishment of thy negligence is accomplished, O daughter of Zion." Rather may the excellence of her Mi-, nistry be so eminently conspicuous, that the established church may emphatically be called," the way of holiness! May no lion be there, nor any. ravenous beast go up thereon! But may the redeemed walk there, and may the ransomed of the Lord return, and come to Zion with songs, and › everlasting joy upon their heads! May all her members obtain spiritual joy and gladness, and schism and disaffection flee away יי! |