kind, cannot do.In fhort, it seems to be one of the preacher's great points to draw his fub ject into fo compact a form, that his congre gation may have a complete view of the whole. An illuftration may fometimes not only explain a point; but have the weight of an argument with fome hearers: at least, it is a vehicle, which makes advice the better remembered. With regard to language, if you avoid vulga rity, and low ideas, it cannot be too easy. Long fentences are apt to produce confufion. Shorten them as much as you can; and have an eye chiefly to perfpicuity and ease. Sermons conftructed on the plan here defcribed, the author hath thought, from long experience, to be the most useful in a country congregation, Some preachers have the power of faftening the attention of a congregation for more than an hour together. He certainly fhould not wish to check fuch preachers: but with numbers, it may be feared, fuch attempts will be very feeble. In ge neral, perhaps half that time is as long as a coun try congregation can be brought to attend. At leaft, as much may be said in that time, as they can well carry off. These remarks however the author does not by any means address to old established preachers; but merely to his younger brethren. To them if they are of any ufe, the author's trouble will be repaid. It may just be added, that as these discourses were written at different periods of the author's life, when his reading was much among books of this any this kind, fome of the divifions may be borrowed from other writers; though he does not recollect that were. Extracts he believes there are none. Sermons on nearly the fame fubjects are generally placed together. The manner of treating them, is never exactly the fame; fo that one tends to elucidate another. To these difcourfes are added a few little pieces, under the title of Hints for Sermons.-The origin of them was this. It was long the author's practice when he walked about his parish, and afterwards when he was able only to walk into his garden and fields, to take with him, in a memorandum book, a text or two of fçripture, which he had before chofen on account of fome obferva tion, which he thought arose from it; or fome objections, which he thought might be answered. As he did not mean to carry his obfervations into length, he took only fuch texts, as he thought naturally opened themselves; though the fubject sometimes carried him farther than he at first intended. So that some of thein are very fhort; and others were the employment of several walks. From these hints the author commonly took his fermons and though many of the subjects are too critical-too refined-or too deep for a common audience; yet he always found among them a fubject for his purpose. The reft, being left in the memorandum-book, increased into a large body. From this book those few which are printed at the end of the fermons, are taken. They are mere fketches; though perhaps, for that reason, they may have more fpirit than finished pieces. The author enters into this detail with a mo, deft view of being of fervice to fuch of his younger brethren, as will pursue the mode of exercife which he here prescribes; and of which he gives thefe examples. At first, it may be diffi cult to fix the mind on any fubject of meditation amidst a variety of external objects. But a ha bit of thinking abroad will foon be formed; and when it is formed, the practice will certainly be followed with great advantage. If the young student spend two hours in a day in walking exercife, he will, by this practice, fave to his ftu dies at leaft feven hundred hours in a year. But he will fay perhaps, it is too great a tax upon his mind, in queft of amusement; and may deprive him of its end. Scholars will fometimes tell him, that even a fevere ftudy, is a relaxation from another fevere ftudy, as it gives the mind a different ply. But in the employment here recommended no intenfity of thought is required. He only puts down what firft ftrikes him on a fubject of which he had had before a general conception. When the subject grows intricate-or when his thoughts do not naturally, or, if I may fo fpeak, amusingly, flow from it, he is under no neceffity to proceed. He may drop it, and take another fubject. Nor is he fo tied down to any subject, as not occafionally to look around him, and enjoy the beauties of nature, if any offer themselves in his walk. walk,-And indeed fo enlivening a mode of study, if the day be fine, and the country agreeable, will give his mind an elasticity and vigour, which he could not feel in his Study. • The whole then amounts only to this--that to render our walks, not only more useful, but even more amusing, we fhould always have some pleafing employment at hand. What hath here been recommended, one should hope, would be a more pleafing employment to a ferious young clergyman-at least a more clerical one, than a fifhing rod, or a fowling-piece, can furnish, The author recommended to his younger bre thren, his mode of compofing fermons, with diffi dence: but he recommends this mode of exèr cife with confidence. CONTENTS SERMONS. SERMON I. On the gradual progrefs of verbal prophecy II. On typical prophecy; and particularly on the |