quence, the Character of which is quite oppofite to all labour'd Politenefs, and all Gaiety of Imagination. The true Eloquence of the Pulpit fhould endeavour to fupport it felf only by the Greatnefs of its Subjects, by its Simplicity and good Senfe. He that goes about to adorn it with Pagan Riches, does but weaken and difgrace it; nor ought it at any time to be mix'd with those Citations of profane Authors, or thofe Reflections upon their Sayings, or their Story, which are altogether unworthy of its Dignity. The holy Scriptures are an abundant Treafure of all its Beauties and Graces, and if well meditated upon, will furnish out proper Reafons and Examples for every Subject within its Compafs. All other Authorities fhould be banish'd the Pulpit, as foreign and unfuitable to its facred Character. A Preacher of our holy Religion ought to make a Scruple of imploying any Inftruments of Difcourfe but what are Holy. Nor ought he ever to affect thofe furprizing Non made. and florid Introductions, which dazle the Audience with the Brightness of the Conceit, curiofum but are fo far diftant from that Spirit of Un-principium. tion that waits upon the Word of God, as to Ne fis in render this divine Word dry and barren, and fertus. fronte dideprive it of its genuine Fruits.

XXXIII.

To conclude, the Character that feems moft effential to the Pulpit, and yet is least studied by Preachers, is the Art of turning the fame Thought after a various Manner, and setting it in different Views: Because the common People, who are the major Part of an Audience, have a great Unreadiness and Difficulty

of

lectat tam

Ovid.

་

of apprehenfion. 'Tis convenient, therefore, that a Preacher who would be truly useful and instructive to his Hearers, should propound the Truths of the Gofpel in fuch a way, as gradually to infinuate them into the Mind, that he may be able afterwards to give them their due Force and Impreffion upon the Heart. And there's no furer way of performing this, than by fhewing any one Truth in feveral Lights, fo as to make it enter deep into the Souls of the Auditors, by the frequent Repetition of the fame thing in different Words. This was the Practice of St. Chryfoftom amongst the Ancients, and of Granada among the Moderns; the two most accomplish'd Patterns of good Preaching. To hit this Character, a Difcourfe fhould not be very full of Matter, for fear of overcharging the Hearers. And therefore, that rapid kind of Eloquence with which Men of little Genius are fo much charm'd, and which recommends it felf only by its Impetuofity and Tranfport, is by no means proper for the Multitude, whofe Parts are neither fo ready, nor fo penetrating, as to go along with it through its whole Extent and Course, and to be profited by it. After all, the beft and trueft Method of preaching must be that which is most capable of infpiring Men with a due Sense and high Veneration of the Word of God.

XXXIV.

'Tis a mifapplication of facred Eloquence that fome Men are guilty of, when they make ufe of the Ministry of the Word to condemn particular Perfons from the Pulpit. A Preacher ought, in this Respect, always to speak in

general,

general, and never to defcend to any perfonal Reflections. Thus a provincial Preacher fhould upon no Occafion difcourfe of the peculiar Offices in that Province, of a Bifhop, a Governour, or an Intendant, because he cannot fpeak of any fuch Charge, without pointing at him that hears it. In all the Oratory of the Pulpit, there ought to fhine a diftinguifhing Character made up of Prudence and Chriftian Charity, fuch as fhall always fpare the Perfon, and never the Vice. 'Tis the part of Prudence to fay nothing that may hurt or prejudice; and the Duty of Charity to fay nothing that may offend. And therefore 'twas a mad Project of the Spaniard, that in a Sermon before Philip IV, and the Court, took the Liberty of fpeaking whatever came into his Head, and cenfuring very infolently the Perfon of the King himself, upon the Hope of either being made a Bishop, or being ba nifh'd. His vain Ambition equally discover'd it felf in both these so very oppofite Pretenfions: A Mitre would have made him great, and Banifhment would have made him popular.

But he was thought worthy of neither; and was punish'd as he deferv'd, that is, with an utter Contempt of his Extravagance, as below all Refentment or Notice.

XXXV.

The true Standard of Christian Preaching fhould be taken from the Manner of St. Peter. and St. Paul, in their Sermons to the first Believers. Their Difcourfe is not artificially compos'd of vain and fubtile Reasonings; 'tis a bare Narrative, with an Expofition of the Mystery of our Saviour's Death, and of Man's Redemption.

Redemption. It confifts in a juft mixture of fweetness and force, in certain peculiar Strokes of pure and natural Eloquence, in a frequent Ufe of the holy Scriptures, and of Examples drawn from the Old Testament; but especially in a fecret Unction of Grace, and in fuch a Devotion as is more perfwafive than all the Art and Refinement of profane Rhetorick. In the Acts of the Apoftles we have an Abridgement of thefe affectionate and divine Sermons, which may infpire us with noble Ideas fuitable to the Greatnefs of our facred and apoftolical Function.

XXXVI.

The Choice of Subjects for the Pulpit, is a Thing of the utmost Importance, and yet fuch as is not duly confider'd. Men have an evil Custom, of going in the common Track, and faying nothing upon a Text, but what others have faid before them. All the Difficulty is to form a great and noble Defign; and this is what Men very feldom attempt, because they conceive Things too imperfectly, and because they entertain too low and mean an Opinion as to the Dignity of their own Office. Preachers of the firft Rank know how to diftinguish themselves in this Point from those of inferiour Abilities. Indeed 'tis one of the most effential Talents of a great Genius, to form great Ideas of every Subject, and to give it that natural Turn which it ought to have. For as a Subject appears noble and rais'd, only by its Solidity and Subftance, fo whatever paffes through the Head of a Preacher, that has a fublime and folid Capacity, becomes folid and juft, and whatever has that

Character

Character will look graceful in the Pulpit. But because this Talent is exceeding rare, and because the Generality of Preachers are misled into the Choice of ftrain'd and unnatural Subjects, they fhould be advis'd frequently to confult the Greek Fathers, St. Bafil, and St. Chryfoftom especially, together with St. Gregory, St. Bernard, and fome others of the Latins, as well for the furnishing themselves with a Stock of Matter; as for framing their Designs upon these excellent Models of Antiquity, without amusing themselves with the Collections of modern Sermons, which feldom afford any real Affiftance or Benefit. Du Pont and Granada may indeed fupply the latter Defect: These are two great Originals, which will be always ufeful in giving a true Bottom to any Difcourfes on the Rules of Religion, or the Doctrines of Faith.

Before we shut up thefe Reflections upon the Eloquence of the Pulpit, it remains, that we propofe fome eminent Pattern, by which those who have a Genius may be able to form and finish themfelves. I fhall therefore fubjoin the Characters of the two most accomplish'd Preachers that I have known in the prefent Age, it being a Rule with me not to speak of the Living. How excellent foever thefe two Perfons may appear in the Account I fhall give of them, yet thofe who have heard them, will acknowledge that I don't reprefent them greater than they were, and that I am not drawing an imaginary Piece, not defcribing Preachers in Idea, but Preachers in Reality, without Sufpicion of amplifying the Subject, or impofing upon the Reader.

The first had the most natural Difpofition Father for Eloquence, that has ever fallen under my de Delingen

Obfervation:

des.