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1. Let the strain of your sermons be argumentative.*- Be often proving something, even when it is not the direct business of the whole discourse to demonstrate one proposition.+- As for instance, prove the justness of your explication;- the truth of subordinate assertions; the propriety of the directions you give; and the necessity of your cautions. And never expect that any of those things which you advance will, by any intelligent auditory, be received merely on your word. Nevertheless do not let your arguments be too numerous, abstracted, or disposed in too artificial an order. Remember, the explication of your subject must be as argumentative as any part of your sermon, and well supported by the evidence of the WORD.

2. Pathetic. It is a wild scheme to pretend to root out the passions; and a foolish thing to pretend to lay them asleep.-They are the sails of the soul. The preacher must endeavour as an instrument, to fill them with a prosperous wind. By genuine knowledge strive to form the thoughts of the understanding; and by pathos to move the affections of the will. Have some pathetic strokes even while explaining, as well as in your reflections or improvements; or else your reasoning will not be attended to, nor of course understood ;- and then, however strong in itself, it will prove of no avail,- and an address to the passions will appear as irrational as if no such reasoning had been formed. Therefore make your sermons addresses to your hearers, rather than general essays or speculative harangues ;-a very necessary way of preaching the gospel. However, on this head be very cautious;- do not attempt to raise the passions of the people to immoderate transports, nor suffer your own to master you; lest to those who are not so much affected as yourselves you appear ridiculous. Know when and on what occasions it is worthy to urge people's affections; to be pathetic over nonsense or trifles, is like a mountain labouring to bring forth a mouse.- Let the mastery of yourself appear, and in the greatest emotions, “Ride in the whirlwind, and direct the storm." Remember that different degrees of fire become different subjects, and even different parts of the same subject. To succeed herein,

*"Argument requires a cool, sedate, attentive aspect, and a clear, slow and emphatical accent, with a degree of demonstration by the hand; it assumes somewhat of authority, as if fully convinced of the truth of what it pleads for, aud sometimes rises to vehemence and energy of assertion; the voice clear, bold, distinct, and firm, as in confidence." Walker's Elocution. p. 335.

+ Concerning the nature, kinds, and doctrine of propositions, see Watt's Logic, chap. ii. In order to reason, a man must know what reasoning legitimately requires.

you will have to exercise a persuasive confidence, accompanied with the firmness of truth, seasoned by the softness of affection.

True pathos is the feeling of affection manifested in suitable form. A discourse without affection is like light without heat, or truth without good: it is an address only to the one half of

man.

3. Insinuating. That the passions may be moved by soft touches, and sudden turns, lead 'men into their own hearts ;— here you will have firm hold;- show them the workings of their own minds and passions. This, however, cannot be effected without christian experience, deep reflection, and great self acquaintance. Herein the young preacher will have to exercise much circumspection. A variety of thoughts, suited to this strain, may be found in different authors, almost on every subject. An insinuating manner makes little noise, but does great execution.- This is the strain of our blessed Lord the Redeemer :-often of James; and sometimes of St. Paul.

4. Evangelical, or agreeable to the pure spirit of the Gospel. Choose such subjects as those mentioned above; and whatever be your subject, always examine what peculiarities of the gospel may be brought in;- what of practical utility ;— and what of christian experience. Let it be an invariable maxim with you, never to preach without introducing the LORD GOD the SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST, and something relative to his nature and attributes. Rather digress, as St. Paul does, than omit such important points.

5. Spiritual and experimental. Consider the various cases and states of the souls of men, in respect to the great concern of religion; how convictions are introduced ;— how they work;

and by what means they may be best preserved, cherished, and improved; and in how many ways there is great danger, either of their gradually wearing off and leaving the heart less susceptive of them, or else of their degenerating into superstition or enthusiasm; how satan endeavours to stifle them, and to prevent conversion from the error of our ways.— Describe the temptations with which good men are exercised;— whether arising from the allurements of sense, the strength of predominant passions, from hereditary propensity; the flatteries, promises, or frowns of the world, the influence of evil examples and bad customs,— the terrors of persecution, or from loose and licentious principles.- Describe the horrors under which they sometimes groan ;— the regret they feel when communion with God is interrupted; the believer's combat with in-dwel;— ling sin;- and with doubts relative to his future state. Often

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touch on these things when they are not the principal subject of your discourse. For these purposes assiduously study the inimitable book of Psalms.- Deal much in description of the state of affection and christian temper.- Cultivate these in your own soul. Represent the christian speaking;- and speak what you find from the state of your own heart;— what you have felt in some of your best seasons; yet be not over fond of setting forth your own experience, especially while you are

young in years or in grace.

Scriptural. Borrow appropriate scripture phrases, illustrations, and proofs. Deal in frequent allusions to the WORD. Study open the spirit, the life, the beauty, and energy, as well as the connection and chief design of the particular scripture which you choose as the ground of your discourses.— In your application, especially when you wish to bring home conviction to the hearts of sinners, endeavour to find one or two powerful scriptures, and at once shoot them home no arrow is more likely to pierce the heart. The principles of analogy will often make these addresses very rational; and it is doing an honour to the spirit of God, which, if we conscientiously regard, he may probably honour us with the fruit of our labour.- Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and the other prophets, with John, James, and Paul, will be of vast service for pathos ;and there is nothing that gives to style a more melodious and majestic cadence and force than scriptures properly interwoven into our language. Throw into these quotations a few explanatory words, with which a congregation will be delighted and edified.

*The dash or stroke, thus is very frequently used in these lectures. I wish again to remark, that where such dash occurs, it is designed to point out those places where suitable enlargements, and further explanations and directions may be introduced. These lectures are pretty full skeletons on their respective subjects. If a living or theological teacher were delivering them to a class of students, in those places where the dash- is found, he would make such additional remarks &c. as, according to his judgment, might be deemed necessary for the improvement and good of the students he was then instructing. So it follows that if any number of different theological teachers were to deliver lectures from these skeletons, sketches, or schemes, the ground work of them would be all alike, but the filling up of all of them would be different, according to the views, talent, and ability of the respective lecturers.

These remarks tend to shew the private student what use be ought to make of these lectures in the printed form. When he comes at the dashhe ought to pause, and ask himself such questions, or make such remarks, reflections, and mental researches as he is capable of, in agreement with the point under consideration. By this means he will derive a very considerable share of advantage, though, perhaps, not so much, or at least not so speedily, as if he were under the care of a living teacher. Example prevails over precept: but, nevertheless, precept, followed up with steady application and continued perseverance, has in very many instances produced wonderful effects.

WISDOM'S DICTATES,

ARRANGED UNDER APPROPRIATE HEADS.

[Continued from page 88.]

XVII. The design of Man's Creation.

1. [The design of man's creation was that he might be happy, and that a heaven might be formed of rational and intelligent beings, capable of receiving perceptive life from the Lord, of performing mutual uses in consequence of such reception, and of again returning such life in grateful acknowledgment to its origiginal Source.*]

2. Man was created to be filled with the divine life of love and wisdom; and to live perpetually in a state of nearness with the Supreme, called heaven.

3. To impart of its Life, Love, and Wisdom unto its creatures appears to be a perpetual desire of the First Cause, whom men call God; and man was created perfectly capable of receiving it.

4. The present state of existence is totally different from what men suppose and make of it. The reason of our existence is our growth in the life of heaven, and all things are moved and conspire unto it; and great might be the produce if men were faithful unto the ordinances of heaven.

5. [Faithfulness to the Divine purposes is necessary to insure that happiness and use which are the end of our being.]

6. Man is the end of the whole creation; and all particulars of it conspire that conjunction of him with God may be attained, and that the end may be brought to pass.

7. From the first moments of his conception in the womb, the power of the Lord operates to form the rudiments and sketch of a body after the very image of His own Divine Order and Self.

8. The whole formation of every part thereof, every order of fibres, every vessel, and of every perfect fluid, is His workmanship, done in the highest wisdom, with a view to a most perfect end.

9. The birth contributes nothing to its own existence or formation; but that of the whole and every part of it is from the Lord, and the effect of the influences of His kingdom and order.

* According to the suggestion of the Editors of the New Jerusalem Magazine, I have ventured to offer a few connective and explanatory sentences in order to make the different paragraphs unite more smoothly; and in some cases to form a suitable introduction, but lest it should be thought an undue degree of freedom I have inclosed such additional parts in brackets.

10. The final end of the birth was the first cause of its beginning, and permission to exist; and is also of all successive mediates of its existence, and growth up to the period of birth.

11. The final end is that a plane and ground might be formed and found in the being, in which the seeds and principles of Divine Order might descend and be sown, and raised up in all the states of their perfection; or in other words, that a world and all of its principles might be created in and by the recipient principles of his mind, according to what is spoken of before and contained in the account of the creation in Genesis.

12. This end is ever in view, and all things relating to man's being in the world are but secondary to it.

13. Even all the parts of the body are but means given to administer unto it; and they all respect it in some view or other.

14. The five bodily senses and their every part are given for that use; and the distinction of objects, and their use, as a means to attain it.

15. The recipient property is that which is truly the child's, and in it are to be sown all the principles of order from the Word, by means of sight and hearing. Natural existence infers an existence of this recipient property.

16. Every organ, sense, and faculty, both of mind and body, were given for the purpose of knowing God and His order, and receiving them.

17. God gave no faculty of mind or body to man but what he meant should be justly exerted and honour him in his designs. The perversion of those faculties, and acting from, in, and by them, contrary to God's design, makes the evil, disease, and death.

18. We should honour God in every principle he has given us, by closing in and with, and seconding his designs in and by the gift of all. Every desire, thought, look and word should praise Him, by perfectly seconding his intentions; for when His designs are fulfilled, all is complete and perfected.

XVIII. Hell.

1. [Hell is a state of separation from heaven, and is opposed to heaven as evil is opposed to good.]

2. The state of hell is a negation of the admission of Divine order; and of its principles, virtues and wisdom.

3. The opposites of the heavenly virtues and principles are the principles of hell.

4. The laws of hell are the inversions of the laws of heaven; and all that is predicable of the states and laws of heaven, if seen inversed, are the very states and laws of the hells.

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