superfluous. This is the instance we quote: "And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent; but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the Lord said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people. And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel, and Aaron spake," etc., etc. We but pause to remark, it was not that Moses was incapable of speaking, but that the Levite could speak well.

We purposely avoid dwelling on the labors of Him who, at the seaside, in the highways, on the mount, and in the temple at Jerusalem, "spake as never man spake," lest the attempt might induce the charge of presumption. But we do not feel debarred access to the excellences of that chosen vessel of God,. who stood forth the able champion of the Cross, whose powers of declamation the haughty representatives of Cæsar trembled to witness; and who, in the midst of Mars' Hill, undaunted by embellishments of glorious Athens, overwhelmed her vaunted schools of stoics and philosophers. What sublime impress did not the public discourses of the great apostle stamp on the time wherein he lived! and what a tale was that the Athenian paterfamilias, in after years, may have related at his family board, who, in early manhood, had listened to a sermon preached by the great missionary to the Gentile world! And what source of regret to us that the son of Tarsus, like the orators of profane history, or the yet living prodigies of the present day, could not likewise have had his biographer!

Then might we have had some account of those peculiar powers which" almost " persuaded Roman aristocracy to embrace the then reviled and unfashionable faith of the humble Christian. But as it is, we can only form an estimate of those performances by the record sent down to us of the effects they produced. The tone, accent, gesture, experience, etc., etc., are lost. It may be well supposed, however, that the student of Gamaliel, who surrounded his epistolary productions with so much that is chaste and precise, was not insensible to the advantages resulting from due care in the cultivation of the oratorical.

Following these cited instances, it were possible to say much of those luminaries of the German, the French the English and

Scottish Churches, whose names and fame are known to all the reading world. Some of them, indeed, are of recent date; it being yet within recollection of the living how their eloquent appeals awakened the admiration and chained the minds of American audiences. Even the philosophic intellect of Franklin swayed to the tempest of Whitfield's exhortation.

Sermons are proclaimed from the desk in one or the other of two ways. They are read from manuscript or print, or delivered extemporaneously; those most effectually, in the latter way. To the credit and glory of the Methodist Episcopal Church, her ministers (with few exceptions) adhere to the extemporaneous form of delivery. It could be hoped these exceptions were fewer than they are. No one will pretend to question the fact, that a more systematic and properly plotted sermon can be drawn out at leisure on paper than can be produced impromptu in the desk. But after all, perfect and polished as it may be, it is but a work of skill; and when read, even in good style, may be productive of slight profit. These reading speakers, or speaking readers, may be reminded that they find no warrant for the custom in the labors of St. Paul.

Waiving consideration of the matter of a public discourse, let us proceed to the inspection of manner in presenting it. Those sadly err who think it matter of slight concern how they get through a sermon, provided it is orthodox, and of the approved length; supposing that when the time is filled up and the motions made, the appointed task is done. It is unfortunately true there are such; and the weaker their powers and fewer their graces, the longer, usually, their public displays. An infinite deal, we humbly submit, depends on the manner wherein the speaker presents himself, as well as his subject. How wide the contrast between a personal habit graceful and unconstrained, and one careless, clownish, or awkward!

It is, or should be, the same with a public speaker as with the public performer on an instrument. All will concede that the very poorest player in the world may play for his own edification from morning until night, but must become a master of the instrument before essaying to greet the public ear. Of the many thousands of the professed gentlemen of the bow, the judicious masses endure but the Ole Bulls and the Paul Juliens,

those remarkable instances of proficiency acquired by patience, perseverance, and years of toil.

Those of the ministerial calling who think they have only to do with the ear of the auditor, mistake the matter. A congregation of Christian worshipers are remarkably particular as to the bearing, appearance, and even habiliments of the public servant.

Were the members blind, or if public services were conducted in the dark, the case would be widely different. But as it is, we will look at the preacher; note his dress, his walk, his hair, his hands, his every motion; even his pocket-handkerchief. If all is right, we feel content, and listen to what he may have to say; if anything is wrong, we grow uneasy, if not petulant, and listen or not, as it may chance to happen. In truth, the adoption of an unexceptional bearing in the sacred desk is a matter deeply affecting the interests of community. Looking to the high character of this exalted service, and mindful of the sacred day set apart for its discharge, and the classes of persons, of both sexes, attendant before the altar, it should be the first aim of the clerical functionary to succeed. Every suitable appliance, art, means, and address, pertaining to his calling, should be regarded and practiced. The attention of a promiscuous mass is not always a thing so easily caught, but being caught should be, if possible, retained. Sound argument, or exhibition of superior acquirements, or elegance of composition, may all fail to arrest attention, when mere excellence of manner may. But let us proceed to the consideration of some particular points.

1. In our own youthful days, it was by many thought the ne plus ultra of the public servant of God to declaim at the utmost limit of violence whereof the body and voice are capable. And this tempest of delivery was indiscriminately used in the didactic, descriptive, argumentative; in the denunciatory, the pathetic, the persuasive, in fact, in everything, after full headway was attained. A man for an hour under this high-pressure system naturally became discolored in face, distorted in feature, distressed in body, and would be, the greater part of the time, painfully squeaking with a broken-down voice. Happily this style has measurably gone into disuse. But while this excess is reprobated, it by no means follows that loud. speaking is at all times unsuited to the services of the pulpit. It is that continuous thundering, without merit of discrimina

tion, which we deplore. When a grand idea comes across the speaker's mind, it is marvelously well to utter it with full force. But a man may discuss an abstract proposition, or elucidate a principle or a doctrine, or invite sinners to the foot of the cross, or persuade the impenitent to close in with the overtures of mercy, or utter words of consolation to the bereaved, without putting everybody in pain by the manner of his doing it.

2. There are ministers, and not a few in number, who permit the indulgence of a kind of hacking or unreal cough, incessantly occurring at the end of every half dozen words, as though (which is not the case) the throat was uncleared from the beginning to the close of the discourse. Such a melancholy case always burdens one with the irresistible desire, if such thing were possible, to give one effectual cough for him, and for once and evermore open an unobstructed channel for his words.

Of much the same nature that superserviceable appendage, in the form of a monosyllable, not to be found in Webster, or any other unquestioned authority, ugh! "Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans-ugh; and from thence-ugh, when his father was dead-ugh, he removed him into this land-ugh, where he now-ugh dwells-ugh." And a strange circumstance attending this guttural is, that in reality it is but a miserable affectation, a thing of acquirement, carefully studied and copied from some admired model. You will never hear it in the halls of Congress, in a State legislative body, at the bar, or at political, scientific, or literary meetings.

3. Much speculation has there been touching the introduction into sermons of those personal adventures and individual narratives usually called anecdotes. Some ministers traffic very largely in these unwritten bits of history; others introduce them, never. We are scarce prepared to venture an opinion regarding the policy of their use. We have known their occasional introduction attended with great success and power; and, on the other hand, have known public discourses so loaded down with them, as to inspire us with a feeling of contempt for the speaker. Such items are perhaps more in place at social meetings of the church than at the more public services. And on all occasions, the growing sentiment of the judicious and enlightened mind counsels their being used sparingly; but at no time to recite those of a whimsical, ludicrous, or laughter-moving sort.

The sacred platform is indeed holy ground, and he who presumes to set foot upon it should not be unmindful of those wise teachings of the Discipline, “Let your whole deportment be serious, weighty, and solemn." And again, "Let your motto be, holiness to the Lord. Avoid all lightness, jesting, and foolish talking."

4. There is another evil, which all efforts of precaution, actuated by good taste, have failed to exclude from the social circle, the bar, the lecture-room, or the halls of legislation. It sometimes finds its way where of all places it should sternly be denied access, we mean into the sacred desk. It consists in the use of foolish saws and cant phrases, culled from the byways and sloughs of vulgar life, and which ill deserve the honor of transfer to better fields. Society has invented for them the well-fitting term of slang. It may be true the more vulgar and ribald of these miserable coinings of the brain do not often obtrude themselves within the house of God. But there is a class of them, something more decent of garb, but of the same lineage and low descent, which are smuggled into ports that should be closed to their reception. Let every minister observe a careful watch, and guard against depreciating the standard of pulpit dignity and decorum of speech. Is it well to use such terms as these?"Yes, it is," "that's so," "I'll tell you what," "toe the mark," "down with the brakes," "take a bee line to heaven," "a through ticket to glory." A judicious minister would not give utterance to the like phrases if preaching before crowned heads, or before a living John Wesley. Then why should they be current in any house dedicated to God, and filled with his children, heirs of everlasting life?

5. Let us next note a singular defect accompanying the public labors of some men, which, like most bad habits,' is wholly without excuse. We can specify a minister who, during the whole time of delivering a sermon never once looked at his congregation. He ever appeared to be addressing somebody where there was nobody, in the ceiling or upper corners of the room. And although he spoke extemporaneously, his eye never descended from this elevated range. Then a lesser degree of this marked defect (by no means uncommon) is where the speaker has but a few places in the audience on which his eye rests. Doubtless every hearer has frequently had occasion to FOURTH SERIES, VOL. XVII.-26