studies, and made some little entrance upon divinity, they presently think themselves fit for the pulpit, without any farther inquiry; as if the gift of preaching, and sacred oratory, were not a distinct art of itself. This - would be counted a very preposterous course in other matters; for instance, if a man should presume on his being an orator, because he is a logician; or to practise physic, because he has learned philosophy! Certainly, the pre-eminence of this profession above others must needs extremely aggravate the guilt of such neglect, and make it so much the more mischievous, by how much the calling is more solemn. Many have written particularly and largely upon this very subject, concerning the art of preaching, wherein they have laid down such various helps and rules as they, from their own practice and long experience, have found most useful.* §3. This service of preaching may be considered under a double notion; as a duty and a gift. It is here insisted upon only in the second sense, and may be thus described:-Such an expertness and facility in the right handling and dividing the word of truth, as may approve us to be workmen that need not to be ashamed. It requires both spiritual and artificial abilities: 1. Such spiritual abilities as must be infused from above, whereby our judgment and affections shall be made experimentally acquainted with all those sacred truths that we are to deliver to others. The only way for the attaining of these, is by prayer, an humble heart, and an holy life.t 2. Such artificial abilities as are to be acquired by our own industry. And these are either more general, as skill in all those arts and languages which are required as pre-requisites; or more particular and immediate for the act of preaching, to which the chief helps are these three, method, matter, and expression. These contribute mutual assistance to one another. A good METHOD will direct to proper MATTER; and suitable matter will invite good EXPRESSION. * See the Appendix to this volume. § 4. (I.) By METHOD I understand an art of contriving our discourses on such a regular plan, that every part may have its due place and dependence. This will be a great advantage both to ourselves and our hearers: 1. To ourselves, and that both for invention and memory. A man may more easily find out things, when, instead of seeking for them at random, he can have direct recourse to all those places and heads from whence they may be most naturally collected; and more easily retain them, when they are linked together and not scattered. Method is a chain; if a man should let slip any one part, he may easily recover it again, by that relation and dependence which it has with the whole. It is also eligible. 2. For the benefit of the hearers; who may understand and retain a sermon with greater ease and profit, when they are before-hand acquainted with the general heads of discourse. It is but a bad rule in ALSTED, at least for vulgar auditories, where he advises to conceal and alter the method for the sake of variety; Crypsis dispositionis tollit fastidium auditoris.* This may be true of itching, curious hearers, but not of such as regard their own profit and edification. An immethodical discourse (though the materials of it may be precious) is but as a heap, full of confusion and deformity; the other as a fabric or building, much more excellent, both for beauty and use.† § 5. There may be divers kinds of methods prescribed, according as men's own fancies, and the variety of subjects and occasions shall require. But that which our best divines, by long experience, have found most useful for ordinary and popular assemblies, is that of doctrine and use. This, as to the nature of it, is very easy; and therefore most natural, being generally applicable to any subject. In its true latitade, it is as full and comprehensive as any other, including all such notions as are any way useful and proper. In its branches and * H. ALSTEDI1 Theologia Prophetica, Par. I. Cap. x. See WATTS's Improvement of the Mind, Part II. Ch. vi. passim. gradations it is perfectly logical, putting homogeneous things together, handling generals first, and particulars after. The principal scope of a divine orator should be, to teach clearly, convince strongly, and persuade powerfully; and suitable to these are the chief parts of a sermon, Explication, Confirmation, and Application. 6. Besides these more essential parts, which belong to the very nature and substance of a sermon, there are other less principal parts not to be neglected, which concern the external form of it: such as the Preface, Transitions, and Conclusion. The first thing to be entered upon in this fabric of method, is the Porch or Preface; which is not always necessary in every common structure, but only when some extraordinary occasion requires it, or by reason of some special reference which the text may have to that particular time and auditory; and then it should be clear, pertinent, and short; as being a thing by the bye, and such as may quicken attention to the discourse. The most general and effectual matter for a preface, and what was so commonly used by the prophets of old, is, to persuade the hearers that it is the Word of God which is spoken to them, which concerns their everlasting happiness, and is able to save their souls; that the ministers do but stand in Christ's stead; that our receiving or despising of them shall be reckoned as done unto Christ himself; which being believed and considered, will be a strong engagement on the hearers, unto those three qualifications which are the chief ends of prefacing, namely, to make them favourable, teachable, In his Preface, our Author judiciously remarks, "The great end of preaching being either to inform or persuade, this may be most effectually done by such rational ways of Explication and Confirmation, as are most fit and proper to satisfy men's judgments and consciences. And this will in all times be accounted good sense, as being suitable to the reason of mankind; whereas all other ways are, at the best, but particular fashions, which, though at one time they may obtain, yet will presently vanish, and grow into disesteem." And we may add, That to this method may be reduced the most admired productions of ancient and modern eloquence. and attentive.*-To return to the more essential parts of good method: § 7. (i.) The first thing to be done is, the opening of the text, according to its proper sense and meaning; to which purpose, we may give some brief explication of so much of the context as may serve to clear the text, and shew its just dependence. Truths absolutely necessary to salvation are manifest; other truths, whether historical, doctrinal, or practical, may be sometimes involved in doubtful, difficult expressions. In the unfolding of which we must observe, that if the natural and most obvious signification of the words manifestly disagree with other perspicuous scriptures, then we are to seek for some meaning which must always be consonant with the words, and other circumstances of the place. In finding out this, we are not so much to consult with our own fancies; for no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation; but with the Holy Ghost himself, who best understands his own meaning. All difficult expressions should be first examined according to their original and most authentic translations, which will often afford much light to the true meaning of them. Sometimes it may be of use to consult the different reading; though it will be generally needless to mention any various readings, translations, or interpretations of scripture to a common auditory, because it is apt to stagger them: and to raise doubts, rather than to confirm and settle them; but we should finally fix upon that, which, upon serious consultation, we conceive in our own judgments to be most congruous and pertinent. The circumstances of the place will help much to illustrate a difficulty. The Rabbies have a saying, “Nulla est objectio in lege, quæ non habet solutionem in latere," that is, There is not any doubt in the law, but may be resolved in the context. We must be careful that all our interpretations be agreeable with the analogy of faith, * Our Author must not be so understood, as if he required the prefatory part of a discourse to be confined to these topics. and other parallel scriptures. The consulting of these will be a good mean to preserve us from perverting the word of God, by any dangerous, heretical exposition. Beware of that vain affectation of finding something new and strange in every text, though ever so plain. It will not so much shew our parts (which such men aim at) as our pride, and wantonness of wit.* These new projectors in divinity are the fittest matter out of which to shape, first a sceptic, after that an heretic, and then an atheist. § 8. There are divers texts that have a double sense; either Historical and Literal, or Typical and Allegorical. So those places concerning the brazen serpent;† Jonah in the whale's belly;‡ Abraham's two wives and sons, Sarah and Isaac, Hagar and Ishmael;§ the law concerning the muzzling of the ox that treads out the corn; in all which there is some typical allusion primarily intended. Allegorical interpretations may lawfully be used also, when there is no such natural reference, but merely a fitness, by way of similitude, to illustrate any doctrine. St. Paul gives an example for this. But here we must observe these qualifications: we must use them sparingly and soberly; they must be short and pertinent, not forced and far fetched; and they must be useful, not for airy and unprofitable notions; as they are more proper for illustration than for proof.** § 9. It will be a great help for the understanding of Bishop REYNOLDS on Self-Denial. Num. xxi. 9. John iii. 14. 2 Cor. ii. 13, 15. Eph. iv. 32, ** Our Author, in his Preface, very justly complains, "that some men divert their hearers with little tricks about words and phrases, or amuse them by pretending to discover some deep mystery in every metaphor or allegory of scripture; which are such pitiful shifts, as men who understand the true reason of things ought to be ashamed of" In exposing these "pitiful shifts,” Dr, STENNETT has done good service to the churches, in his excellent Sermons on the Parable of the Sower. |