write down all that strikes me: and then I arrange what is written. After my plan is settled, and my mind has exhausted its stores, then I would turn to some of my great Doctors to see if I am in no error: but I find it necessary to reject many good things which the Doctors say: they will tell to no good effect in a sermon. In truth, to be effective, we must draw more from nature and less from the writings of men: we must study the book of Providence, the book of nature, the heart of man, and the book of God: we must read the history of the world: we must deal with matters of fact before our eyes."

In respect to mechanical preparation, Mr. Cecil was in the habit of using eight quarto pages, on which he put down his main and subordinate divisions, with such hints as he thought requisite. These notes, written in an open and legible manner, such as his eye could catch with ease, he put into one of the portable quarto Bibles, of which several editions were printed in the xviith century, in a good type, but, in consequence of the closeness and excellence of the paper, such as bind up in a very compact size. Of these editions there are some* which are printed page for page with one another; and one of these editions Mr. Cecil was in the constant habit of using, both in public and in private, from the mechanical assistance afforded to him in turning to passages from the recollection of the part of the page in which they occurred.

It will be interesting to hear Mr. Cecil's own AC

COUNT OF HIS MANNER OF COMMENCING HIS MINIS

TRY; as it notices mistakes from which he was not only early but most effectually delivered, and his remarks on them may afford a serious caution to others. "I set out," he said, "with levity in the pulpit. It

*I have compared four of these Bibles, viz: Field's, London, 1648-Hayes's, Camb. 1670, and also that of 1677-and Buck's, Camb. without date.

was above two years before I could get the victory over it, though I strove under sharp piercings of conscience. My plan was wrong. I had bad coun

sellors. I thought preaching was only entering the pulpit and letting off a sermon. I really imagined this was trusting to God, and doing the thing cleverly. I talked with a wise and pious man on the subject. 'There is nothing,' said he, like appealing to facts.' We sat down, and named names. We found men in my habit disreputable. This first set my mind right. I saw such a man might sometimes succeed: but I saw, at the same time, that whoever would succeed in his general interpretations of Scripture, and would have his ministry that of a workman that needeth not to be ashamed-must be a laborious man. What can be produced by men who refuse this labour? a few raw notions, harmless perhaps in themselves, but false as stated by them. What then should a young minister do? His office says, 'Go to your books. Go to retirement. Go to prayer.' 'No!' says the enthusiast, Go to preach. Go and be a witness!" A witness! of what? He don't know!""

Thus qualified by nature, education, and grace— enriched by his various manly acquisitions-and matured by experience, he appeared in the pulpit unquestionably as one of the first preachers—perhaps the very first preacher-of his time.

He was SINCERELY ATTACHED TO THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, both by principle and feeling-to her ORDER and DECORUM. He entered into the spirit of those obligations, which lay on him as a clergyman; and, looking at general consequences, would never break through the order and discipline of the Church, to obtain any partial, local, and temporary ends.

In the more PRIVATE exercise of his pastoral office, as a counsellor and friend, he manifested great FAITHFULNESS, TENDERNESS, and WISDOM.

In proof of this I might appeal to what is said in

the "Remains," on the subject of "Visiting deathbeds:" pp. 89, 95. I shall here subjoin a few more illustrations of this part of his character.

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An interview was contrived between him and a noble lady, by some of her relations. She began to listen to the affairs of religion. Her life had been gay and trifling. She knew that he understood her situation; and she began to introduce her case by saying that she supposed he thought her a very contemptible and wicked creature. No, madam, I do not look at you in that view. I consider that you have been a wanderer; pursuing happiness in a mistaken road-an immortal being, fluttering through the present short but important scene, without one serious concern for what is to come after it is passed by. And, while others know what is to happen to them, and wait for it, you are totally ignorant of the subject." "But, sir, is it possible to arrive at any certainty with respect to a future condition?"" "Why what little trifling scenes would occupy your ladyship and myself, if we were confined to this small spot of a carpet, that is under our feet! The world is a little, mean, despicable scene in itself. But we must leave it: and can you suppose that we are left to step into another state, as into a dark abyss-not knowing what awaits us there? No-the next step I take from the world is not into a void that no one has explored-a fathomless abyss--a chaos of clouds and darknessbut I know what it is--I am assured of it." He said to me in reporting this conversation, "I rested on this, and left it to work on her mind. I thought it better to defer the subject of this assurance to try her, and I have reason to believe that she feels anxious for our next occasion of meeting, that she may hear how we can make out the grounds of our assurance." This is one among many instances of the wise methods in which he accommodated his instructions to Le character.

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"Many of my people," he said, "and especially females, talk thus to me-'I am under continual distress of mind. I can lay hold of no permanent ground of peace. If I seem to get a little, it is soon gone again. I am out at sea without compass or anchor. My heart sinks. My spirit faints. My knees tremble. All is dark above, and all is horror beneath.' 'And pray what is your mode of life?' 'I sit by myself." In this small room, I suppose, and over your fire?' 'A considerable part of my time.' And what time do you go to bed?" "I cannot retire till two or three o'clock in the morning.' 'And you lie late, I suppose, in the morning?? 'Frequently.' 'And pray what else can you expect from this mode of life, than a relaxed and unstrung system-and, of course, a mind enfeebled, anxious, and disordered? I understand your case. God seems to have qualified me to understand it, by especial dispensations. My natural disposition is gay, volatile, spirited. My nature would never sink. But I have sometimes felt my spirit absorbed in horrible apprehensions without any assignable natural cause. Perhaps it was neces sary I should be suffered to feel this, that I might feel for others; for certainly no man can have any adequate sympathy with others, who has never thus suffered himself. I can feel for you, therefore, while I tell you that I think the affair with you is chiefly physical. I myself have brought on the same feelings by the same means. I have sat in my study till I have persuaded myself that the ceiling was too low to suffer me to rise and stand upright: and air and exercise alone could remove the impression from my mind.""

His taking the charge of ST. JOHN'S CHAPEL is the most important event of his life, as it appears to have been the sphere for which he was peculiarly raised up and prepared by Providence.

The circumstances attending his establishment of a

serious and devout congregation in this place, mark the strength and simplicity of his mind; while they may show the necessity under which such men will sometimes be brought, of acting for themselves, with perfect independence of the whole body of their brethren.

These circumstances he related to me as follows“When I married, I lived at a small house at Islington, situated in the midst of a garden; for which I paid 147. a year. My annual income was then only 801. and, with this, I had to support myself, my wife, and a servant. I was then, indeed, minister of St. John's, but I received nothing from the place for several of the earlier years. When I was sent thither, I considered that I was sent to the people of that place and neighbourhood. I thought it my duty, therefore, to adopt a system and style of preaching, which should have a tendency to meet their case. All, which they had heard before, was dry, frigid, and lifeless. A high, haughty, stalking spirit characterised the place. I was thrown among men of the world, men of business, men of reading, and men of thought. I began, therefore, with principles. I preached on the divine authority of the sacred Scriptures. I dissected Saurin's Sermons. I took the sinews and substance of some of our most masterly writers. I preached on such texts as-If ye believe not Moses and the Prophets, neither will ye believe though one rose from the dead. I set myself to explain terms and phrases. My chief object was under-ground work. But what was the consequence of this? An outcry was raised against me throughout the religious world. It was said, that, at other places, I continued to preach the truth; but that, at St. John's, I was sacrificing it to my hearers. Even my brethren, instead of entering into my reasons and plan, lay on their oars. My protectress turned her back on me. I had hesitated, at first, to enter on so