the subject of preaching; a subject on which much has been written, and on which whatever is written well will be interesting to theological students, and to all who rightly estimate the value of christian institutions. It is characterized by great good sense, excellent christian feeling, and a style of uncommon simplicity and perspicuity, sometimes highly animated, though approaching sometimes, it might be said, to too great familiarity. The desire of being useful, which, it very properly states, should be the object of every discourse, is visible from the beginning to the end. Nothing is said merely for the sake of saying something, but every thing with some good purpose in view. We notice this sermon in part for the purpose of presenting portions of it to those of our readers who may not otherwise have an opportunity of perusing it, and with the hope of inducing many to read the whole. The introduction contains the following comprehensive remarks on the value and efficacy of public preaching. "An institution more favourable and conducive to the best interests of the community, to social order, to private and public virtue than that of public christian instruction, cannot be devised. It contributes to these purposes by rendering the subjects of religion and morals, which in the multiplicity of secular concerns would by a great part of mankind be wholly overlooked, matters of general reflection, inquiry and concern; it is the principal means of communicating to many persons whatever knowledge they possess on these subjects; it operates as a powerful restraint upon vice by often holding it up to public disgrace and infamy in its proper colours, and by the delineation of its hurtful and tremendous consequences in the present and future world; and, as a powerful incentive and encouragement to virtue by the exhibition of its high motives and obligations in the light of religion; lastly, it contributes in the most efficacious manner to refine and elevate in the community the standard of moral and religious sentiment. To all these valuable purposes it is clearly adapted; to all these valuable purposes, wherever it is enjoyed, it more or less contributes; èfen in its lowest form it is a considerable instrument of instruction and persuasion." The preacher waves all discussion of the question, "why it is not more efficacious than it is;" but intimates that it may be attributed in part to preachers and in part to hear ers. If our readers are desirous of knowing how they should hear in order that preaching may not be lost upon them, we strongly recommend to their perusal a very fine sermon of the late Mr. Buckminster. is a subject which demands the serious attention of all; and although it was not the design of the preacher to discuss it, yet he felt too much its importance, and the shameful listlessness of very many hearers, It to neglect it entirely; but speaks pointedly of that "neg ligence and want of seriousness on the part of hearers, that utter unconsciousness of their own immediate and personal concern in the subject, which so often renders the best religious discourses ineffectual." His address to the assembly in closing, is to the same purpose, and very striking. "The success of our faithful labours rests under God's blessing with you, and this we wish, brethren, even your perfection,* and this we pray that your love for God, for Christ and for mankind, your love for christian truth and christian virtue may abound yet more in knowledge and in all judgementt. While the serious and faithful minister gives you his best services and consecrates his labours and talents to truth, humanity, virtue and piety, chill not his ardour by neglect or indiffer ence; do not torture and op: press him with a grief and sickness at heart, which is in expressible, when he enters the house of God to join and to guide your devotions and to address his friends and fellow men on the most momentous subjects of human concern in God's behalf, to find himself forsaken by those whom it is his first desire to serve, and compelled to spend his strength upon naked walls and vacant seats. Think not that your duty is done, when you have contributed what the laws of the land require you to contribute to his pecuniary sup port; I would to God that you could for one moment enter into the feelings of an honest and faithful minister, and nothing would tempt you to think of him so unjustly and to treat him so unkindly; miserable and contemptible indeed is that minister, who can suffer even for the shortest time such motives to occupy the place in his heart, which belongs only to the high considerations of religion. On the contrary animate his exertions, soothe his toils, quicken his zeal, reward his labours by lending to him a listening ear,' and 'an under standing heart; by your presence and sympathy; by your cordial reception and serious and conscientious improvement of his services." We were glad to find in the excellent Charge which ac companies, a reproof upon the same subject. "Think those discourses the best, which contain the most cogent persuasions to repentance and a holy life, the hearers of which depart from and thoughtful, instead of inthe house of worship silent quiring of news, giving invitations to a party, descanting on the merits of the speaker, digesting plans of business, and many other improprieties of a like kind." We say that we are glad to see remarks of this nature, because we think something needs to be done in every christian society, to rouse men from the astonishing thoughtlessness of their attendance on religious services-their negligence when present, and the easy pretences upon which they excuse their absence; “ as if,'' it was once excellently said, "it were a matter between themselves and their minister, and not something very different " In this connexion we quote an admirable passage on the earnest eloquence with which religious truths should be preached. "Religion disdains all the artifices and tricks of oratory, but it demands the aid of true eloquence. There is an essential and inherent majesty in the truths of religion which, when presented in their simplest form, are sometimes ir resistible; but their effect is then most powerful when im agination throws over them her vivid colours and they find their way to the heart by the blaze of the affections. "But eloquence perhaps must be discarded from religion, because it sometimes implies an appeal to the passions, and men must not, we are told, become enthusiasts in religion. no! they may be concerned about their business, their pleasures, their politics, but their religion is a matter about which they need feel no concern. They may be fired with ambition in the pursuit of wealth, learning and honour, but religion and virtue are to be contemplated and pursued without emotion. Religion must be to us a business of cold, mercenary calculation; our accounts with heaven are to be kept by a regular debit and credit; and the only ob jects worth living for are those in regard to which we are always to remain entirely unmoved. "My friends, one is wearied with the cry of enthusiasm and fanaticism from men who believe as little as they can, and feel still less than they believe, and with hearing perpetually in respect to those persons, whose hearts are interested in their religion, that they are. under a delusion. We have lived long enough in a world without souls ;' we should remember that we are advanc ing to a world without bodies;' and until the two great commandments on which hang all the law and the prophets are expunged from the christian system, until the final con-sequences of our actions in the retribution of God cease to be objects deserving of our ambi tion or our dread, we need not fear to excite men to worship the Deity in spirit as well as in truth; and remembering always, that with the heart man believeth unto righteousness,* we may appeal to every sentiment of love and gratitude, of desire or aversion, of hope or fear, to secure them from the ruin of vice, and to animate and urge them forward in the practice of christian virtue." We hope our readers will join with us in admiring the spirit of this passage. We are weary almost to death of the fear of enthusiasm; and we verily believe that it is now the last thing we have to fear. There is no danger of one's being too much interested in *Rom. i. 10. the religion of his own soul, or of making himself more good than he ought to be. There is no danger of a man's having too much religion for Heaven; but there is very great danger of his having too little, and the cry of fanatic has made many content with .too little has made many think themselves good christians, who had nothing to do with religion but going to church and paying their debts -who were afraid to open a religious book except on Sunday, or to go into their closets at all, lest they should stay in them too long, or be affected too deeply; and it has occasioned multitudes, since Paul, to be thought "mad," when they were only giving decent heed to the "words of truth and soberness." It credit those sentiments and feelings? Is it reasonable, because a weak mind has used a thing intemperately, to ascribe the evil to the thing it self? and therefore to imaginé that all attachment, all warmth and earnestness must be suppressed? as if it were not pos sible to be warm, without being consumed, to glow, without scorching; as if the only security for a rational being must be cautious and guarded coldness? Certainly there must be, there is, a medium. can be no more reasonable from the fear of excessive enthusiasm, to check religious feeling and keep down the ar dour of devotion, than it can be to rush headlong into fanaticism from the fear of lukewarmness and indifference. There is an equal want of right judgement in each. God is to be loved as well as obeyed; and we pity those men who have trained themselves to look without emotion on all that is grand and delightful in his providence and promises; who will not be touched and who refuse to feel; and whose best feelings have been so pervert We know indeed that religious zeal may become extravagant and dangerous. Fanatic ism has given proof that it is not from God; and we do not wonder that men should avoid it. But is it necessary in order to avoid it, to fly to the opposite extreme? Cannot we escape the scorching sun of the equator, except we rushed, that when any thing like to the polar snows? It is true, that an undisciplined and uncontrolled imagination raves as wildly and as loosely when fastened on religion, as it would on any other subject; and perhaps more so, from its superior importance. It rushes to extravagance and irregularity. But what then? Must these, because mingled with certain religious sentiments and feelings, bring into dis ardour or interest in personal religion is recommended, they have no ears to hear, because they think you mean to recommend overmuch righteousness. +66 The inconsistency of the world is most melancholy. A man may be concerned about business, pleasures, politics, but not about religion." He may be an enthusiast in literature, in science, in arts, and in war, may devote to them all the faculties of the spirit which was made to live forever, and it is honourable. But if he deeply engage the powers of his immortal soul, on interests equally immortal,-if he employ the high faculties, which can search through nature and grasp the most amaz ing truths, in the service of Him who gave them, with a little more than common anx iety to prove their alliance to Him, how many are prepar ed to wonder at and pity him! But we must check our re marks, and only detain our readers while we present them a passage respecting perpetual and indiscriminate quotation from the Scriptures, which we think well deserving their attention, and particularly the remark, with its fine illustration, which we have marked with italics. We hope they will think of it when they read the Bible in future. customs, and rites, of which many hearers have but very imperfect conceptions; that the force of these allusions therefore is not always perceive ed; and that, when improperly applied or understood, they may convey very erroneous impressions. Thus the epistle to the Hebrews is filled with refer ences, often misinterpreted, to the rites, sacrifices, and institutions of the Jewish economy. We may add that phrases of this kind come to the mind accompanied with a sentiment of their sanctity which leads us to assent to them without examination; and, the language of the scriptures having become very familiar, we often think we understand it when we do not, and it is frequently heard and read without producing any distinct or vivid impression. Thus it often happens that members of our own family, for whom we entertain the highest respect and affection, may pass through the room in which we are sitting, without any distinct con "The incessant use of scriptural phrases, in whole or in part, disjointed or connected, does not appear to me to be favourable to perspicuity. Isciousness on our part of their have the highest reverence for the majesty, and the noble and beautiful simplicity of the scriptures. The language of them may often be directly quoted with great propriety and effect, but the indiscriminate use of it is not always to be approved. It deserves to be considered, that the language of the common translation of the scriptures is not the language of our times; that the scriptures are often highly figurative and abound with allusions to circumstances, entrance or departure, their manners or observations: whereas, if they were only occasional visitors, we should receive them with particular courtesy and attention. Nothing, which I have said, will be construed into a want of respect for the scriptures, but by those persons who wish to misunderstand me, and I am persuaded there are none such present. The scriptures arc occasionally quoted with an aptness, elegance, force, and effect, singularly striking, but |