But I mean that deep and holy movement of the affections which has been produced by the energy of truth understood and believed; such a state of the feelings as corresponds with the import of truth. When such emotions exist in the preacher's mind, they will depict themselves in his countenance, and find expression in every look and tone and gesture. They will infuse into his manner an earnestness and warmth which will leave to the hearer no alternative but a clear conviction of the perfect honesty of the speaker's heart. There will be to his audience visible demonstrations of the preacher's faith.

2. In the economy of salvation, the natu ral relations of things are not overlooked. All the instruments and agencies which God ordinarily employs to give efficiency to the gospel, have an adaptedness in themselves to accomplish the ends for which they are employed. Hence the different degrees of success which attends the ministry of good men. One has more and better qualifications for his work than the other. His ministry has an adaptedness in it to produce effect which the ministry of the other has not.

The Spirit of God does not employ our agency to accomplish his purposes in the renovation of human hearts, simply because we are good men. If he did, then piety would constitute the only qualification for our work, and the church might dispense with the services of an ordained and instructed priesthood altogether. But this would accord neither with the requisitions of the gospel, the demands of the church, or the nature of things. Such however is not the course which God pursues in the election of agencies to carry forward his designs. He employs appropriate, and ordinarily no other than those which are seen by us to be appropriate instruments, to accomplish his purposes of grace. Now we have to remark that emotion is necessary to render preaching such an instrument, and without it, this agency cannot possess the adaptedness necessary to give it the greatest effect upon mind. This is the aspect under which I wish to present the subject in this discourse.

3. A susceptibility to emotion is not the only qualification which a preacher of the gospel will need. A slight practical acquaint

ance with the difficult and responsible duties of the ministry will teach a man, if he has not learnt it before, that something besides feeling will be requisite to qualify him skilfully to handle the word of God. He will soon understand that his office has introduced him into a sphere which, adequately to fill, would require an angel's powers, and whatever the resources of his mind may be, he will ever see occasion to mourn that he has drunk no deeper at the fountains of wisdom and knowledge. When therefore I speak of the importance of emotion, let it at no time be understood that I speak to the disparagement of those other endowments for our work which are to be derived only from a thorough acquaintance both with secular and sacred science. The great interests of the church are never so jeoparded as when committed to the care of men who feel strongly but know nothing. But we affirm on the other hand, that not all the endowments which the most profound and varied learning can give, will render a frigid preacher of the truth a successful one. We are prepared now to proceed directly to a consideration of the propo

sition which we have announced-That emotion is necessary to an effective and successful dispensation of the word of God.

I. It cannot be denied that the themes on which the preacher dwells demand emotion, and are adapted to inspire it. The minister of Jesus is a legate of the skies. When he speaks in his official character, he speaks for God, and when he pleads with men, he pleads with them on the behalf of God. The mission on which he is sent is one of mercy, involving however the most extended and multifarious interests. On the part of God he is charged with the vindication of the honors of his throne, and the rights of his government; and in the prosecution of this high commission is brought up to a near mental view of the ineffable glories of the eternal Godhead, and is conversant with scenes and objects that awe and thrill and charm the heavenly world. When he pleads for God, he is called to a contemplation of the most surprising benignity, the most inimitable love, and the most affecting condescension, all however misrepresented, and abused, and scorned, in this fallen world; and when

he pleads with man, he pleads with an immortal being, convicted of treason against the government of God, and condemned for his crimes to a state of punishment for which, irrespective of the gospel, there is no relief, and to which there can be no termination. He meets him at a moment when, for any thing that is known, the alternative is before the sinner to escape then or never from impending ruin. His work with him is the work of an ambassador of God, bearing accredited conditions of pardon, and charged to make the overture with every testimony of love, and every demonstration of concern, which a creature is capable of giving, on the behalf of God. To find now that his message meets with no accordant response from the sinner's heart; that the apathy of death has spread itself over all his faculties, or the keen resentments of injured pride have prepared him for a flat denial of the claims of God, what can be more solemn or impressive than the crisis? What a time to the faithful ambassador, for the heavings of emotion and the pleadings of love? Can he view such a scene and maintain a philosophical compo