pulpit studies should be of a spiritual and experimental character. The materials drawn from intellectual sources, or from a lowered standard of orthodox theology, will be uninteresting, and inapplicatory— leading only into the outer courts of the sanctuary, instead of taking a coal from the altar, that the "hearts" of our people might " burn within them."

There may be, however, great injury in slavishly following any popular pattern. It is useful to observe the diversities of gifts in our brethren; but our chief business is with the discernment and cultivation of our own particular gifts, and the sedulous endeavour to acquire a competent measure of all Ministerial gifts, at least so as not in any part wholly to come short. Many young Ministers have crippled their energies and usefulness, by a vain attempt to exercise those higher qualifications, which they have marked in their more favoured brethren; instead of improving the more humble, but perhaps equally efficient, capabilities which had been distributed to them.

Yet does fruitful pulpit preparation depend more upon our spirituality than even upon our diligence. It is an improving and industrious habit, flowing from the heart penetrated with a sense of the love of Christ, the value of souls, the shortness of time, and the supreme concerns of eternity. Besides as spiritual things "are spiritually discerned "1 when the mind is moulded into the subject of intellectual exercise, clear views of Scriptural truth are beautifully unfolded to the mind-no less subservient to personal refreshment than to pulpit instruction - while to a meditative mind the matter flows in perspicuous and natural order.

Thus the spiritual disposition at once

1 1 Cor. ii. 14.

realizes an accurate perception of the main object, and directs the studies to it with power of interest; so that, without this habit, the Minister, even with the most unwearied course of application, becomes a mere trifler in his momentous work.

But the general importance of this subject will justify us in considering it more in detail, under the three particulars of-Composition of Sermons-Habit of Meditation-and Special Prayer.

SECTION I.

COMPOSITION OF SERMONS.

How much responsibility attaches itself to the subject matter and the mode of our pulpit addresses ! It cannot be of light moment, whether our people are "fed with knowledge and understanding," or with ill-prepared and unsuitable provision. The pulpit is the ordinary distribution of the bread of life for their daily nourishment; and much wisdom indeed is here required, rightly to divide the word of truth," that each may be ready to say—“ A word spoken in season, how good is it!" 2

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In the selection of the subject matter of our public instructions, the Sacred Volume opens to us a field of almost infinite extent. To occupy the whole field is impossible. To seize the definite points, best adapted to the occasion, is the desirable object. The Apostle gives us some wise cautionary rules respecting our choice of texts and subjects-marking with equal distinctness" the things that are good and profitable

1 2 Tim. ii. 15.

2 Prov. xv. 23.

3

to men," and "the things that are unprofitable and vain." He would have us avoid curious or speculative matters, as inconsistent with the design of our office, and unprofitable in their results. He would have us "affirm constantly" the doctrine of man's ruin and recovery, as the sole efficient spring of practical godliness; and, after his own example, bend all subjects naturally to Christ, and concentrate them all in the full exhibition of his cross. Various sources for the direction of this system of instruction occur in the daily course of reading, in secret retirement with God, in the habit of family intercourse, in unlooked for, or even ordinary, providential occurrences. Subjects thus rising before us will always find a responsive interest in their adaptation to the present wants and cares of individual cases. Cases also in our parochial intercourse-of ignorance, of hardened obstinacy, of perplexity, or of awakened conviction-will furnish some of the best materials for our Sabbath Ministrations.5 This was Cotton Mather's excellent ruleto consider the case and circumstance of his hearers, as his means of direction to his subjects; and to have some particular design of edification in every sermon that he preached.'

The propriety of selecting texts merely as mottos for

1 Comp. Tit. iii. 8, 9.

22 Tim. ii. 15, 16, 23. Bishop Reynolds warns us against a danger closely allied to this- the vain affectation of finding something new and strange in the plainest texts, which shows pride and wantonness much more than solid learning or judgment?' Sermon on Self-denial, Works, p. 810.

3 Tit. iii. 8, va-in order that to the end that, &c.

4 See 1 Cor. ii. 2.

5 Blackwell notices, and profitably enlarges upon, the following particulars in reference to the choice of subjects. 1. The spiritual state of the people. 2. Their capacity for hearing the Gospel. 3. Their predominant sins. 4. Providential occasions. Meth. Evang. pp. 48-58.

pulpit dissertations may be questioned. The occasion of the discursive inquiry is perhaps taken from the text, but the text itself is left nearly untouched in its own place, without any exposition of its component parts, or of its connexion with the preceding and subsequent context. Vitringa justly observes of this method, that though it may afford, in some cases, opportunities for useful discussion; yet that it is liable to considerable objections, as tending to divert the mind from the direct meditation of the sacred text, which is the true food of the soul, and the treasury of Divine wisdom; and to which alone the converting influence of the Spirit of God is annexed.'1

In speaking of the treatment of texts, we may refer to some of Cotton Mather's admirable rules for his student, such as the following-If possible—to read the text in the original, and consult commentators before he composed his sermon-to endeavour after a scriptural style in his sermons, and not commonly to dismiss any heads of discourse without some Scripture proof or illustration-to have much of Christ in all his sermons, as knowing that the Holy Ghost loves to glorify Christ; and hoping, that, if he followed this rule, the Holy Spirit would favour him with much of his influence in the exercise of his ministry -to crowd every sermon as full of matter as possible without obscurity.

One or two remarks upon these rules may be allowed. The use of commentators is well before we compose our sermons, but not before we have considered and arranged them. This was Mr. Cecil's plan of preparation; not to forestall his own views by the use of commentaries, but first to talk over the subject to himself, writing

1 Vitri. Methodus Homiletica, cap. iii.

2 See his Life.

down whatever struck his mind; and-after having arranged what he had written, settled his plan, and exhausted his own resources-to avail himself of all extrinsical help.1 The use of helps so as to call forth the native energies, and original resources of the mind, requires much consideration. There is no greater hinderance to solid learning, than to make such use of other men's resources, as to neglect our own. Helps for composition' in the form of Skeletons,' need great discretion, discrimination, and diligence, to employ with personal and Ministerial advantage, so that the proposed helps do not rather prove serious hinderances to composition. The Writer has been forcibly struck with the successful ingenuity displayed in Mr. Simeon's well-known and most useful work. The care and thought requisite to produce from his volume a complete and well-proportioned discourse, are fully equal to the labour of an original composition ; so skilfully are the breaks contrived to exercise the judgment in the suitable filling up of the vacuum, and arrangement of the scriptural matter in its proper place and proportion. A mere copyist of the 600

1 See his Life, prefixed to his 'Remains.' The following are noticed by a valuable writer as among the important advantages arising from foreign research, as supplementary-not preliminary -to home resources-' It will give excitement to the mind, and rouse it to a state of higher energy and activity-It will present ample materials for thought and reflection; and should the mind fix, with a vigorous grasp, only on some one interesting thought, that single idea may be the first of a train, which will give a character and a value to the whole discourse-It will give additional amplitude, richness, and vividness to many of the illustrations, which your own mind might have suggested in part, but with much less power of exciting interest and impression-It will also serve to give additional confidence in the expression of your own opinion.'-Mental Discipline, by Rev. H. F. Burder, p. 85.

2 This remark applies with less force to the Hora Homileticæ of this revered writer, which, being constructed for the use of the laity as well as the clergy, came from the author's hands with more substance and completeness.