which diffuses through a sermon, representations alternately affecting, majestic or terrible.

Let us never consider it as a painful restraint, that we are happily bound to incorporate the sacred writings into our compositions. The Bible is for the style of preachers, that which mytholo'gy is for the Elocution of poets. In the sacred volumes, there are to be found thoughts so sublime, expressions so energetic, descriptions so eloquent, allegories so well chosen, sentences so profound, ejaculations so pathetic, sentiments so tender that we should adopt them from taste, if we were so unhappy as not to search after them from a principle of zeal and piety*.

* Without doubt a preacher ought to affect people by strong, and sometimes even by terrible images: but it is from the scriptures that he should learn to make powerful 'impressions. There he may clearly discover the way to 'make sermons plain and popular, without losing the force ' and dignity they ought always to have.'- The study of 'the sacred writings was, in the first ages of the church, reckoned to be sufficient. Hence came that passage in the apostolical constitutions, which says, 'If you want histo'ry, or laws, or moral precepts, or eloquence, or poetry, 'you will find them all in the scriptures.' In effect, it is 'needless to seek elsewhere for any thing that is necessary to form our taste and judgment of true Eloquence. St. • Austin says, we ought to exalt and improve our knowledge, 'by the authority of scripture; and our language, by the 'dignity of its expressions.'

A Christian Orator may, and even ought to seize upon all the riches, which he discovers in these divine books. It is there where plagiarism

'The difference betwixt them [the best heathen and inspired writings] will, upon comparison, be found much to 'the honor of scripture. It surpasses them vastly in native simplicity, liveliness, and grandeur. Homer himself never 'reached the sublimity of Moses's songs; especially the last, (Deut. xxxii. 1, &c.) which all the Israelitish children < were to learn by heart. Never did any ode, either Greek,

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· or Latin, come up to the loftiness of the Psalms: that one • in particular, which begins thus; The mighty God, even 'the Lord, hath spoken,' (Ps. 1. 1. &c.) surpasses the ut'most stretch of human invention. Neither Homer, nor a• ny other poet, ever equalled Isaiah describing the majesty ' of God, in whose sight the 'nations of the earth are as the 'small dust; yea less than nothing, and vanity;' seeing it is He that stretcheth out the heavens like a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.' (Ch. xl. 10, &c.) 'Sometimes this prophet has all the sweetness of an ecS logue, in the smiling images he gives us of peace: (See ch. 'xi. and xxxv.) and sometimes he soars so high as to leave every thing below him. What is there in antiquity that can be compared to the Lamentations of Jeremiah, when 'he tenderly deplores the miseries of his country? (v. 2, &c. 'ch. ii. and ch. iii.) or to the prophecy of Nahum, when he foresees in spirit the proud Nineveh fall under the rage of an invincible army? (i. 3, &c.) We fancy that we see the army, and hear the noise of arms and chariots. Every thing is painted in such a lively manner, as strikes the imagination. The prophet far out-docs Homer. Read likewise ⚫ Daniel denouncing to Belshazzar the divine vengeance ready to overwhelm him; and try if you can find any thing in the most sublime originals of antiquity, that can be compa'red to those passages of sacred writ. In all the rest of

is permitted him, and the more treasures he draws from thence, the better are his auditors pleased with his thefts.

Quotations from inspired authors become authorities, which render the ministry of a Christian Orator more venerable; and witnesses, which he derives from heaven or hell, in order to instruct the earth.

Wo! Wo to him, if he be ashamed of the gospel, at the very time when he is preaching it, and if, from an indecent and criminal complai

scripture there appears a natural and beautiful variety.”— FENELON'S Dialogues, p. 115, 124, 127.

Dr. BLAIR recommends the language of Sacred Scripture to Preachers, by saying, that when properly employed, it is a great ornament to sermons. It may be employed, ei'ther in the way of quotation, or allusion. Direct quotations brought from scripture, in order to support what the .'preacher inculcates, both give authority to his doctrine, ' and renders his discourse more solemn and venerable. Al'lusions to remarkable passages, or expressions of scripture, ' when introduced with propriety, has generally a pleasing ' effect. They afford the preacher a fund of metaphorical ex'pression, which no other composition enjoys, and by means ' of which he can vary and enliven his style. But he must 'take care that any such allusions be natural and easy; for "if they seem forced, they approach to the nature of con'ceits.' Dr. Blair refers us for examples to Bishop Sherlock's Discourses, vol. i. disc. i. and to Seed's Sermons, serm. iv. BLAIR's Lectures, vol. ii. p. 115, 116.

sance, he dare not name Jesus Christ in that pulpit, where he comes to occupy his place!

An abundance of new and unknown beauties still remain in the Holy Scriptures to excite the preacher's emulation.

Whatever be the thought which he wishes to express, he will always find the primary idea, at least, in the books of Revelation, if he have sufficient zeal to read them daily, and sufficient discernment properly to understand them. When searching for a passage which he wants, he there-* by discovers other passages, which he reserves for the subjects to which they are adapted. But he ought only to make use of striking quotations; because it is not necessary to speak the language of inspiration, in order to say common things.

The preacher may derive from the Bible historical comparisons, the only ones which are suitable for the style of the pulpit, where they always succeed; and those analogies present themselves involuntarily to an Orator, who has grown familiar with the sacred books.

MASSILLON excels in this respect. You will find, in all his discourses, sometimes very short comparisons, which throw light upon his idea, and, at other times, comparisons of greater length,

which form admirable frames, in which he incloses the picture of morals.

Such is that rhetorical turn, which he employs in his sermon 66 on the Word of God," when he attacks that common abuse of attending upon religious instruction, only with a view of depreciating the talents of the Preacher. Massillon makes a particular application to his hearers of the reproach which Joseph addressed, in disguise, to his brethren: "It is not to seek for bread, that 66 ye are come into Egypt; ye are come here as "spies, to observe the weak places of this country: ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come*."

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The same Orator also avails himself of this figure, in his sermon upon " Backsliding," when he paints the situation of the sinner, who, after having been recovered, finally relapses into his criminal habits: Massillon compares him to the image of Dagon, which having been thrown down before the ark, was forthwith replaced upon the altar by the priests of the Philistines; "but the idol having fallen a second time, use"less efforts were made to restore this mutilated 66 statue, which remained stretched out upon the "earth, and for ever immovable; only the stump

* Gen. xlii. 9.