must somewhere declare that, which he, at the time, wishes to teach. With these views, he will naturally hunt for the passages, which come nearest to the doctrine in question; and will as naturally believe, that the meaning, which he wishes to assign to them, is their true meaning. Hence he will attribute to them the Implication, which he wishes to find. The whole of this process is wrong from the beginning. Every man, particularly every Minister, is bound to take up the Bible with a desire, and an intention, not to find it supporting his own doctrines, but to learn, merely, what it actually declares; and to conform both his opinions, and wishes, to its declarations. In this way, he may humbly hope to discover the truth in the other, he may be almost assured, that he will be left in error.

It is a hard thing for Man to believe the Scriptures; and not an easy one for a Preacher. Generally he may believe the great doctrines, contained in them; and, perhaps, with no great difficulty. But when particular passages appear to thwart his own opinions, he will ever be in danger of bending them into a conformity to those opinions. His whole soul, on the contrary, ought to be yielded to the dictates of the Scriptures, and humbly to receive whatever God hath spoken. However easy this may seem; it will, unless I am deceived, be found a matter of no small difficulty, even by a man, solemnly resolved to carry the design into practice.

Inferences, distantly drawn, are always to be suspected. Our reasonings, whenever they are complicated, are, even in mathematical cases, exposed to error. A long process in arithmetic, or algebra, or geometry, frequently needs to be reviewed over and over, in order to leave us entirely satisfied, that our reasonings are sound. Yet here we have certain standards of truth; such, as words in most cases cannot become. How much more doubtful are those processes, in which certainty is at the best rarely attainable. But all the uncertainty, which attends the reasonings, employed to sustain inferences distantly drawn, attends, of course, the inferences themselves. On such inferences, therefore, reliance cannot safely be placed.

On these grounds I protest wholly against a mode of forming sermons, which is said to have gained some reputation in this

country: viz. discoursing on the doctrines, or precepts, of the text in the morning, and in the afternoon constituting another discourse of inferences, professedly derived from them.

It is unsafe for any man customarily to derive two discourses from a single text. At times, it may be done with advantage: but it cannot be customarily done even by men of the first talents, unless they would sacrifice the profit of their hearers. Much more will it transcend the power of the great body of preachers. Should they utter nothing but truth; a thing scarcely to be hoped; they will not fail either to be weak, and on this account unprofitable, or to make their discourses disgusting by numerous and very tedious repetitions.

This, however, is not the worst effect of the practice. If, contrary to all probability, they should be entirely successful; and speak nothing but truth, and good sense; their sermons in the afternoon would always be liable to this radical evil; that the truth, which they contain, being merely a collection of Inferences, and not expressly declared in the Scriptures, nor clearly understood by the hearers, would be questioned, doubted, and soon denied. The character of the preacher, in the mean time, would dwindle from that of an Evangelical Minister into that of a merely ingenious man. His Sermons also, instead of convincing, and reforming, his hearers, would only amuse and entertain them. Even near and obvious inferences have less weight than direct Scriptural declarations; while distant ones have scarcely any weight at all.

But why should sermons be written in this manner? Certainly the Scriptures are sufficiently copious, and sufficiently various, to furnish the preacher with all necessary materials, without forcing him to form them of his own deductions. Why should the plain declarations of God be exchanged for the doubtful inferences of man? Is it because God has not directly disclosed the proper subjects of preaching? This will not be said. I trust it will not be believed. I confess myself, therefore, at a loss for the reason, unless it is to be found in the restless desire of exhibiting something which is new.

2. As the Gospel is to be preached, so it is All to be preached. In the strict sense, I acknowledge, this is not practicable.

The Bible is a world; and is enriched with a variety and abundance, suited to a world. The life of an Antediluvian preacher would furnish an opportunity of exhausting but a little part of its stores. But the capital doctrines and precepts may all be insisted on by every preacher during a ministry of no uncommon length. It is here intended, that all these should be brought into the desk freely; fully; without partiality; without reluctance. It is also intended, that no doctrine, and no precept, and no fact, shall be omitted by the preacher on account of any disrelish, with which it may be regarded by his mind, or, as he may apprehend, by the minds of his hearers. All Scripture, says St. Paul to Timothy, is given by inspiration of God; and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished to every good work.-I charge thee before God, and the · Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, and his kingdom, preach the word: be instant in season; out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine. Here St. Paul charges Timothy before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, to preach the word; that is, the whole word; as will be evident from the connection between this charge and the reasons on which it is founded, given in the verses immediately preceding. These reasons are of the highest possible import. All Scripture, says St. Paul, is given by inspiration of God. All is, therefore, exactly true, supremely wise, and absolutely right; and is invested with divine authority, requiring the minister to preach it, and the congregation to hear. All Scripture, he adds, is also profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. The end of all is, that the man of God may become perfect, and thoroughly furnished to every good work. With these reasons before him, who can doubt, that all Scripture is to be preached?

There have been; there probably still are; many preachers, by whom this plain rule of duty has been not a little disregarded: that is, if their practice may be allowed to interpret their sentiments.

Some preachers insist only, or almost only, on those which are called the Moral duties of mankind: viz. those duties, which

immediately respect ourselves, and our fellow-men; such as Justice, Temperance, Truth, Kindness, Candour, Alms-giving, and others of the like nature.

Others discuss only, or chiefly, the duties of Piety; or those, which immediately respect God.

Some preachers deliver little or nothing from the Desk, except that, which is fitted to alarm and terrify their hearers.

Others dwell continually, and only, upon those parts of the Gospel, which are calculated to sooth and comfort.

Some shun every thing, which is unpopular; and utter only smooth things; such as they expect to be relished by their hearers; and satisfy themselves with the belief, that their Congregations will receive nothing else, and that therefore nothing else will be useful to them. Yet St. Paul declared to the Elders of Ephesus, that he had not shunned to declare to them all the counsel of God: and God said to Ezekiel, Go, and speak unto the children of thy people; and tell them, Thus saith the Lord God; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.

Others appear pleased to excite, and form their discourses in such a manner, as to excite, a hostility to truth, even beyond that, which is natural to man. Yet it is recorded of him, who is styled in the Scriptures the Preacher, that he sought to find out acceptable words.

Some preachers, who dwell upon the Law, exhibit it not only as the rule of our duty, but as the ground of our Justification. Others leave the Law chiefly, or wholly, out of their discourses, even as a rule of obedience.

To all these and other similar modes of preaching, equally contrary to reason and revelation, I oppose, both as a refutation, and a censure, the charge of St. Paul to Timothy, cited above, and the solemn reasons by which it is enforced. Man cannot call in question the importance, or the usefulness, any more than the truth, of the Word of God. Whatever he has been pleased to reveal is useful to mankind; and is to be received by them with reverential and grateful acknowledgments. It is to be believed: it is to be obeyed: it is to be employed to accomplish the very ends, for which it was revealed.

All Scripture, says St. Paul, is profitable. Let me subjoin, that we cannot tell, with any certainty, what particular doctrine, precept, or fact, will be most profitable: that is, on a given occasion. Often, very often, ministers have found those discourses most useful to their hearers, from which they had scarcely cherished any hopes.

3. A Preacher is bound to give to each subject that degree of place and importance, which is given to it by the Scriptures.

This rule, I am aware, can only be followed generally. In a case, so imperfectly definite, exactness of conformity is evidently unattainable, and, happily for us, unnecessary. But a general conformity to it is sufficiently easy, and obviously our duty.

On some subjects the Scriptures dwell abundantly; exhibiting them always as primary parts of the system of truth and duty, which they contain. Others they plainly present to us as comparatively of little importance. Judgment, Mercy, and Faith, are weightier matters of the law: while, compared with these, Tithing Mint, Anise, and Cummin, is of little consequence. When it is said, Except ye repent, ye shall all perish; Without faith it is impossible to please God; Without holiness no man shall see the Lord; it is impossible for us not to perceive, that faith, repentance, and holiness, are of supreme importance to man. But the observance, or non-observance, of one day above another, (I refer not, here, to the Sabbath,) modes of worship and many other things of a similar nature, are plainly of very inferior consequence. The manner, in which these subjects are respectively exhibited in the Scriptures, furnishes ample proof, that these observations are just.

The Scriptures themselves are a perfect pattern of the time, care, and pains, which the preacher is to bestow on the respective subjects of his discourses in all ordinary circumstances. That on which they lay the greatest stress, is most to engross his attention, and his sermons. That, on which they lay the least stress, is least to be dwelt upon by him.

I say this is to be done in ordinary circumstances. But there are peculiar occasions, frequently occurring, which demand his peculiar attention. His hearers may be especially addicted to