he be but earnest. It is fraught with the deepest interest; and though men are wont to be insensible to its call, yet others have been able to rouse them, and why should not you? Think of the results of God's blessing on the labours of many. How many notorious sinners have been converted! how many parishes visibly improved! besides the unseen working of that silent stream, which flows, and purifies the hearts of many in secret, whose disease and cure have been alike unknown to men.

Persuade yourself then with a holy confidence, that God intends to accomplish His work, even by "the foolishness of your preaching." When making your preparation, believe that what you are at that moment doing, may, through the power of God, be the blessed means of awakening some sinner, who is slumbering on the brink of ruin; or confirming some one who is wavering; that it may have considerable influence on many who hear you, nay, through God's grace, may be the means of saving some immortal soul. With such a feeling as this, you will pursue your course with an ardour and steadiness, very different from the cold and feeble attempts of those who expect no such results1.

And why should you not, with humble confidence in God, hope and expect that success may attend even on your feeble endeavours. Surely, with the educa

1 See Christian Observer, v. 276.

tion which you have received, and the external advantages which you possess, it will be your own faultsince God has promised his blessing to the faithful and diligent—if you are a profitless labourer. Ought it to be too much to expect, that they, who take upon themselves the office of a Christian minister, should have piety, earnestness, and diligence? If you are possessed of these requisites, great talents and eloquence may be dispensed with. There is no need, as in other situations, of much quickness or promptness of intellect; for you always have ample time to make preparation: and though you may be "slow of speech," yet "the word of God is quick and powerful." It is good sound sense,—the good sense of a good man,— which is, humanly speaking, the main requisite for an effective preacher. "If a minister feels that he is not gifted with great power of imagination, let him aim at the clear forcible manner of serious good sense," and, acting in the integrity of his heart, and putting his trust in God, he need not despair of being a valuable and useful minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and doing as much good in the cause of truth, as if he were endowed with more brilliant talents.

One thing I would beg you to bear in mind—that popularity is no sure test of a preacher's excellence, nor the want of it, of his deficiency. Though your sermons should not be much talked of, nor applauded, you are not to conclude that they have made no impression. "There is a great deal of difference between people 8

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admiring a preacher, and being edified by his sermons 1." "You should not look so much for brilliant success, as for gradual improvement in your parish, church more frequented, more communicants, more attention, less formality; all which cannot be effected by a few sermons, however powerful, but require years of earnest preaching." You must persevere with diligence, and work cheerfully with faith, waiting for the return of your labours in God's good time. The seed which you have sown may be silently springing up, even though you be not permitted to reap the crop. Act and preach with this spirit, "and thy word shall not return unto thee void, but shall accomplish that whereunto it was sent 2."

1 Bishop Wilson.

2 Isaiah lv. 2.

LETTER III.

THE PRINCIPAL TOPICS OF THE PREACHER.

HAVING considered the end or object which the preacher has in view-its great importance as well as difficulty—our next inquiry will be as to the means of accomplishing that object. And first, concerning the topics or matter of the discourse, and the sources from whence they are to be drawn.

Herbert and other writers recommend a young clergyman to digest all his knowledge into a certain scheme or order, so arranged and divided, that he may always have some head to which to refer whatever new ideas he may gain, and never be at a loss for matter on any subject. Besides a perfect knowledge of the Scriptures, "The country parson," says Herbert, "hath read the Fathers also, and the School-men, and the later writers, or a good proportion of all: out of all which he hath compiled a book or body of divinity which is the store-house of his sermons, and

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which he preacheth all his life, but diversely clothed, illustrated, and enlarged." This plan has its advantages as well as disadvantages. It is useful to assist the memory, and in some respects to aid the judgment; but there is danger of its leading you into a private system, which is the bane of modern theologians. Does it not rather savour of presumption for a man to suppose that he can comprehend the infinite topics of natural and revealed religion, in any system of his own? and are not the practical results, too generally, that those parts which do not readily accommodate themselves, are altered and explained away, until they often become very materially changed from their original truth? There are many parts of Revelation as well as of nature, which no man, with his present faculties, can thoroughly understand or reconcile together; and the endeavour to systematize what is incomprehensible has led to much error, and needless dispute. The word of God was not written to satisfy curiosity, or to build a theory upon, but it was "written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name 1." Therefore, on the whole, I think it better for you to arrange the materials in your common-place book, not according to any system of your own, supposed to be "totus teres atque rotundus;" but in the common alphabetical mode recommended by Locke.

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1 John xx. 31.