ting to memory. Relaxation in this particular is so common, and so ready to grow upon most speakers in the pulpit, that there is little occasion for giving any cautions against the extreme of overdoing in

accuracy.

Of pronunciation or delivery, I am hereafter to treat apart. All that I shall now say upon this head is, that the practice of reading sermons, is one of the greatest obstacles to the eloquence of the pulpit in Great Britain, where alone this practice prevails. No discourse, which is designed to be persuasive, can have the same force when read, as when spoken. The common people all feel this, and their prejudice against this practice is not without foundation in nature. What is gained hereby in point of correctness, is not equal I apprehend, to what is lost in point of persuasion and force. They, whose memories are not able to retain the whole of a discourse, might aid themselves considerably by short notes lying before them, which would allow them to preserve, in a great measure, the freedom and ease of one who speaks.

The French and English writers of sermons proceed upon very different ideas of the eloquence of the pulpit; and seem indeed to have split it betwixt them. A French sermon, is for most part, a warm animated exhortation; an English one, is a piece of cool instructive reasoning. The French preachers address themselves chiefly to the imagination and the passions; the English, almost solely to the understanding. It is the union of these two kinds of composition, of the French earnestness and warmth, with the English accuracy and reason, that would form, according to my idea, the model of a perfect sermon. A French sermon would sound in our ears as a florid, and, often, as an enthusiastic, harangue. The censure which, in fact, the French critics pass on the English preachers is, that they are philosophers and logicians, but not orators.* The defects of most of the French sermons are these: from a mode that prevails among them of taking their texts from the lesson of the day, the connection of the text with the subject is often unnatural and forced ;† their applications of scripture are fanciful rather than instructive; their method is stiff, and cramped, by their practice of dividing their subject always either into three, or two main points; and their composition is in general too diffuse, and consists rather of a very few thoughts spread out, and highly wrought up, than of a rich variety of sentiments. Admitting, however, all these defects, it cannot be denied, that their sermons are formed upon the idea of a persuasive popular oration; and therefore I am of opinion, they may be read with benefit.

Les Sermons sont suivant notre methode, de vrais discours oratoires; & non pas, comme chez les Anglois, des discussions metaphysiques plus convenables à une Academie, qu'aux Assemblies populaires qui se forment dans nos temples, et qu'il s'agit d'instruire des devoirs du Chrétianisme, d'encourager, de consoler, d'edifier.' Rhetorique Françoise, par M Crevier, tom. I. p 134.

† One of Masillon's best sermons, that on the coldness and languor with which Christians perform the duties of religion, is preached from Luke iv. 18. And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house; and Simon's wife's mother was taken ill with a great fever.

Among the French protestant divines, Saurin, is the most distinguished; he is copious, eloquent, and devout, though too ostentatious in his manner. Among the Roman Catholics, the two most eminent, are Bourdaloue and Massillon. It is a subject of dispute among the French critics, to which of these the preference is due, and each of them have their several partizans. To Bourdaloue, they attribute more solidity and close reasoning; to Massillon, a more pleasing and engaging manner. Bourdaloue is indeed a great reasoner, and inculcates his doctrines with much zeal, piety, and earnestness; but his style is verbose, he is disagreeably full of quotations from the fathers, and he wants imagination. Massillon has more grace, more sentiment, and, in my opinion, every way more genius. He discovers much knowledge both of the world and of the human heart; he is pathetic and persuasive; and, upon the whole, is perhaps, the most eloquent writer of sermons which modern times have produced.*

In order to give an idea of that kind of eloquence which is employed by the French preachers, I shall insert a passage from Massillon, which in the Encyclo. pedie, (article, Eloquence) is extolled by Voltaire, who was the author of that article, as a chef d'œuvre, equal to any thing of which either ancient or modern times can boast. The subject of the sermon is, the small number of those who shall be saved. The strain of the whole discourse is extremely serious and ani ma ed; but when the orator came to the passage which follows, Voltaire informs us, that the whole assembly were moved; that by a sort of involuntary motion, they started up from their seats, and that such murmurs of surprise and acclamations arose as disconcerted the speaker, though they increased the effect of his discourse.

'Je m'arrête à vous, mes frères, qui êtes ici assemblés. Je ne parle plus du reste des hommes: je vous regarde comme si vous étiez seuls sur la terre: voici la pensée qui m'occupe & qui m'épouvante. Je suppose que c'est ici votre derniere heure, et la fin de l'univers; que les cieux vont s'ouvrir sur vos tétes, Jesus Christ paroitre dans sa gloire au milieu de ce temple, et que vous n'y êtes assemblies que pour l'attendre, comme des criminels tremblans, à qui l'on va prononcer, ou un sentence de grace, ou un arrêt du mort eternelle Car vous avez beau vous flater; vous mouriez tels que vous êtes aujourd'hui. Tous ces désirs de changement que vous amusent, vous amuseront jusqu'au lit de la mort: c'est l'expérience de tous les siècles. Tout ce que vous trouve ez alors en vous de nouveau, sera peutêtre un compte plus grand que celui que vous auriez aujourd'hui à rendre ; et sur ce que vous seriez, si l'on venoit vous juger dans ce moment, vous pouvez presque decider ce que vous arrivera au sortir de la vie.

'Or, je vous le demande, et je vous le demande frappé de terreur, ne separant pas en ce point mon sort du votre, et me mettant dans la même disposition où je souhait que vous entriez ; je vous demande, donc, si Jesus Christ paroissoit dans ce temple, au milieu de cette assemblée; la plus auguste de l'univers, pour nous juger, pour faire le terrible discernement des boues et des brebis, croyez vous que le plus grand nombre de tout ce que nous sommes ici, fut placé à la droite? Croyez vous que les choses du moins fussent egales? croyez vous qu'il s'y trouvât seulement dix justes, que le Seigneur ne peut truver autrefois en cinq villes toutes entières? Je vous le demande; vous l'ignorez, et je l'ignore moi-même. Vous seul, O mon Dieu! connoissez que vous appartiennent.—Mes frères, notre perte est presque assurée, et nous n'y pensons pas. Quand même dans cette terrible séparation qui se fera un jour, il ne devroit y avoir qu'un seul pêcheur de cet assemblée du côté des réprouvés, et qu'une voix du ciel viendroit nous en assurer dans ce temple, sans le designer; qui de nous ne craindroit d'être de malheureux ? qui de nous ne retomberoit d'abord, sur la conscience, pour examiner si ses crimes n'ont pas méritez ce châtiment? qui de nous, sasie de frayeur, ne demanderoit pas à Jesus Christ comme autrefois les apôtres; Seigneur, ne seroit ce pas moi? Sommes nous sages, mes chers auditeurs? peut-être que parmi tous ceux qui m'entendent,

During the period that preceded the restoration of king Charles II. the sermons of the English divines abounded with scholastic casuistical theology. They were full of minute divisions and subdivisions, and scraps of learning in the didactic part; but to these were joined very warm pathetic addresses to the consciences of the hearers, in the applicatory part of the sermon. Upon the restoration, preaching assumed a more correct and polished form. It became disencumbered from the pedantry and scholastic divisions of the sectaries; but it threw out also their warm and pathetic addresses, and established itself wholly upon the model of cool reasoning, and rational instruction. As the dissenters from the church continued to preserve somewhat of the old strain of preaching, this led the established clergy to depart the farther from it.Whatever was earnest and passionate, either in the composition or delivery of sermons, was reckoned enthusiastic and fanatical; and hence that argumentative manner, bordering on the dry and unpersuasive, which is too generally the character of English sermons. Nothing can be more correct upon that model than many of them are; but the model itself on which they are formed, is a confined and imperfect one. Dr. Clark, for instance, every where abounds in good sense, and the most clear and accurate reasoning; his applications of scripture are pertinent; his style is always perspicuous, and often elegant; he instructs and he convinces; in what then is he deficient? In nothing, except in the power of interesting and seizing the heart. He shows you what you ought to do; but he excites not the desire of doing it: he treats man as if he were a being of pure intellect without imagination or passions. Archbishop Tillotson's manner is more free and warm, and he approaches nearer than most of the English divines to the character of popular speaking. Hence he is, to this day, one of the best models we have for preaching. We must not indeed consider him in the light of a perfect orator; his composition is too loose and remiss; his style too feeble, and frequently too flat, to deserve that high character; but there is in some of his sermons so much warmth and earnestness, and through them all there runs so much ease, and perspicuity, such a vein of good sense and sincere piety, as justly entitle him to be held as eminent a preacher as England has produced.

il ne se trouvera pas dix justes; peut-être s'en trouvera-t-il encore moins. Que sai-je, O mon Dieu! je n'ose regarder d'un oul fixe les abismes de vos jugemens, et de votre justice; peut-être ne s'en trouvera-t-il qu'un seul; et ce danger ne vous touche point, mon cher auditeur? et vous croyez être ce seul heureux dans la grand nombre qui perira? vous qui avez moins sujet de le croire que tont autre; vous sur qu seu la sentence de mort devroit tomber Grand Dieu! qui l'on connoit peu dans la monde les terreurs de votre loi, &c 'After this awakening · and alarming exhortation, the orator comes with propriety to this practical im provement: Mais que conclure des ces grands verités ? qu'il faut desesperer de. sen salut? a Dieu ne plase; il n'y a que l'impie, qui pour se calmer sur ses de sordres, tache ici de conclure en secret que tous les hommes periront comme lui ; een doi pas être là le fruits de ce discours. Mais de vous detromper de cette crreur si universelle, qu'on peut faire ce que tous les autres font; et que l'usage est une voie sure; mais de vous convaincre que pour se sauver, il faut de distinguer des autres; être singulier, vivre á part au milieu du monde, et ne pas resembler á la foule.' Sermons de MASILLON, Vol. IV.

In Dr. Barrow, one admires more the prodigious fecundity of his invention, and the uncommon strength and force of his conceptions, than the felicity of his execution, or his talent in composition. We see a genius far surpassing the common, peculiar indeed almost to himself; but that genius often shooting wild and unchastised by any discipline or study of eloquence.

I cannot attempt to give particular characters of that great number of writers of sermons which this, and the former age, have produced, among whom we meet with a variety of most respectable names. We find in their composition much that deserves praise; a great display of abilities of different kinds, much good sense and piety, strong reasoning, sound divinity, and useful instruction; though in general the degree of eloquence bears not, perhaps, equal proportion to the goodness of the matter. Bishop Atterbury deserves being particularly mentioned as a model of correct and beautiful style, besides having the merit of a warmer and more eloquent strain of writing, in some of his sermons, than is commonly met with. Had Bishop Butler, in place of abstract philosophical essays, given us more sermons in the strain of these two excellent ones, which he composed upon self deceit and upon the character of Balaam, we should then have pointed him out as distinguished for that species of characteristical sermons which I before recommended.

Though the writings of the English divines are very proper to be read by such as are designed for the church, I must caution them against making too much use of them, or transcribing large passages from them into the sermons they compose. Such as once indulge themselves in this practice, will never have any fund of their own. Infinitely better it is, to venture into the pulpit with thoughts and expressions which have occurred to themselves though of inferior beauty, than to disfigure their compositions, by borrowed and ill-sorted ornaments, which, to a judicious eye, will be always in hazard of discovering their own poverty. When a preacher sits down to write on any subject, never let him begin with seeking to consult all who have written on the same text, or subject. This, if he consult many, will throw perplexity and confusion into his ideas; and, if he consults only one, will often warp him insensibly into his method, whether it be right or not. But let him begin with pondering the subject in his own thoughts; let him endeavour to fetch materials from within; to collect and arrange his ideas; and form some sort of a plan to himself; which it is always proper to put down in writing. Then, and not till then, he may inquire how others have treated the same subject. By this means, the method and the leading thoughts in the sermon are likely to be his own. These thoughts he may improve, by comparing them with the track of sentiments which others have pursued; some of their sense he may without blame, incorporate into his composition; retaining always his own words and style. This is fair assistance: all beyond is plagiarism.

On the whole, never let the principle with which we set out at first, be forgotten, to keep close in view, the great end for which

a preacher mounts the pulpit; even to infuse good dispositions into his hearers, to persuade them to serve God, and to become better men. Let this always dwell on his mind when he is composing, and it will diffuse through his compositions, that spirit which will render them at once esteemed, and useful. The most useful preacher is always the best, and will not fail of being esteemed so. Embellish truth only, with a view to gain it the more full and free admission in your hearers' minds; and your ornaments will, in that case, be simple, masculine, natural. The best applause by far, which a preacher can receive, arises from the serious and deep impressions which his discourse leaves on those who hear it. The finest encomium, perhaps, ever bestowed on a preacher, was given by Louis XIV. to the eloquent Bishop of Clermont, Father Massillon, whom I before mentioned with so much praise. After hearing him preach at Versailles, he said to him, Father, I have heard many great orators in this chapel; I have been highly pleased with them; but for you, whenever I hear you, I go away displeased with myself; for I see more of my own character.'

LECTURE XXX.

CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF A SERMON OF
BISHOP ATTERBURY'S

THE last lecture was employed in observations on the peculiar and distinguishing characters of the eloquence proper for the pulpit. But as rules and directions, when delivered in the abstract, are never so useful as when they are illustrated by particular instances, it may, perhaps, be of some benefit to those who are designed for the church, that I should analize an English sermon, and consider the matter of it, together with the manner. For this purpose, I have chosen Bishop Atterbury as my example, who is deservedly accounted one of our most eloquent writers of sermons, and whom I mentioned as such in the last lecture. At the same time, he is more distinguished for elegance and purity of expres→ sion, than for profoundness of thought. His style, though sometimes careless, is, upon the whole, neat and chaste; and more beautiful than that of most writers of sermons. In his sentiments he is not only rational, but pious and devotional, which is a great excellency. The sermon which I have singled out, is that upon praise and thanksgiving, the first sermon of the first volume, which is reckoned one of his best. In examining it, it is necessary that I should use full liberty, and together with the beauties, point out any defects that occur to me in the matter as well as in the style.