apostle's doctrine, it ought to be confirmed, as well by proofs of fact, which make it plain, that God has always been pleased to observe this method, as by proofs of right, which shew that he does thus with a great deal of wisdom. You will meet with an almost infinite number of texts of this nature.

There are sometimes texts of explication, in which we are obliged to explain some one great and important article consisting of many branches. As for example, predestination; and efficacious converting grace. In this case, you may either reduce the matter to a certain number of propositions, and discuss them one after another; or you may reduce them to a certain number of questions, and discuss them in like manner: but you ought (choose which way you will) to take particular care not to lay down any proposition, or any question, which is not formally contained in your text, or which does not follow by a near and easy consequence; for otherwise you would discuss the matter in a common place way.

For example. It is God who worketh effectually in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure. After you have explained what it is to will, and what to do, and have observed in a few words, that St. Paul's meaning is, that God is the author of both in us by the power of his grace, you may reduce the whole explication of the operation of his grace to five or six propositions. 1. God by his holy Spirit illuminates the understandings of men; for working in us to will must necessarily be by illuminating the understanding. 2. That operation of grace, which illuminates the understanding, is practical, and not barely speculative; but descends even to the heart. St. Paul says, God works in us to do. 3. The first dispositions to conversion are effects of grace as well as conyersion itself;. for St. Paul not only says, God worketh in us to do, but he adds, he worketh in us to will; now this will consists in dispositions to conversion. 4. This operation of grace does not consist in putting us in a state capable of converting ourselves, as the admirers of sufficient grace say; but it actually converts us: for the apostle says, God worketh in us to will and to do. 5. The operation of this grace, which converts us, is of victorious efficacy, and obtains its end in spite of all the resistances of nature; for St. Paul

says, God effectually worketh in us to will and to do; which means, that when he displays this grace, nothing can resist him. 6. When God converts us, whatever irresistibility there is in this grace, he displays it nevertheless in us, in a way which neither destroys our nature, nor offers any violence to our will; for St. Paul says, God worketh in us to will; that is to say, he converts us by inspiring us with love for his Gospel, in gentle ways suited to the faculties of our souls.

Above all, take care to arrange your propositions well, when you take this method. Place the most general first, and follow the order of your knowledge, so that the first propositions may serve as steps to the second, the second to the third, and so of the rest.h

Sometimes, what you have to explain in a text will consist of one or more simple terms; sometimes in certain ways of speaking peculiar to Scripture, or at least of such great importance, that they will deserve to be particularly weighed and explained; sometimes in particles which they call syncategorematica; and sometimes in propositions. For example, simple terms are, the divine attributes, goodness, mercy, wisdom, &c. The virtues of men, faith, hope, love, &c. Their vices and passions, ambition, avarice, vengeance, wrath, &c. In short, simple terms are single words, and they are either proper or figurative. In order to explain figurative words, you must give the mean

8 The editor takes the liberty of observing, that this mode of illustrating a subject appears to him too refined and complex. He would rather recommend a more simple method. The thing to be explained is, the operation of divine grace: and it is to be explained in an immediate reference to the text. It might be said then, that its operation is sovereign, rational, efficacious. It is sovereign, the result of "God's good pleasure," since man has not so much as a disposition to good, till God has given it him; and therefore can have nothing in himself that can induce God to give it him. It is rational; for God influences us to action, not as mere machines, but by illuminating our understanding, and inclining our "will." It is efficacious; for, if he work in us "to will," he will surely work in in us "to do:" nor, however separate, in idea, volition and action may be, shall they ever be separated in his people's experience.

This would include the principal observations of Mr. Claude, and render them both more intelligible, and more easy to be remembered. h Arrange your propositions well. Nothing elucidates a subject more than a conformity to this rule. Cicero's three words are well known, afte, distincte, ornate.

ing of the figure in a few words; and without stopping. long upon the figure, pass to the thing itself. And in general observe this rule, never insist long on a simple term, unless it be absolutely necessary; for to aim at exhausting (as it were,) and saying all that can be said on a single word, is imprudent in a preacher, especially when there are many important matters in the text to be explained. Should any one (for example) in explaining these words of Isaiah, His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace; should a preacher, I say, insist on each term, and endeavour to exhaust each word, he would handle the text in a common-place way, and quite tire the hearer. You ought then, in discussing such passages, to select the most obvious articles, and to enlarge principally on essential remarks.i

Sometimes there are simple terms, of which you must only take notice cursorily, an en passant, as it were, just as they relate to the intention of the sacred author. For example, in St. Paul's ordinary salutations, Grace be to you, and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, it must not be imagined that each of the terms or phrases is to be considered ex professo, either grace, or peace, or God the Father, or Jesus Christ: but the whole text is to be considered as a salutation, a benediction, an introduction to the epistle, and in these views make necessary remarks on the terms. Observe the method of Mons. Daillé in his expositions of the Epistles to the Philippians and Colossians. In one word, take care to explain

i Enlarge on the most obvious articles. The more pains (says the Archbishop of Cambray,) the more pains an haranguer takes to dazzle me by the artifices of his discourse, the more I should despise his vanity. I love a serious preacher, who speaks for my sake, and not for his own; who seeks my salvation, and not his own vain-glory. -I would have him naturally a man of good sense, and to reduce all he says to good sense as the standard of his discourse. His studies should be solid: he should apply himself to reason justly; and industriously avoid all subtle and over-refined notions. He should distrust his imagination; and not let it influence his judgment. He should ground every discourse upon some evident principle; and from that draw the most obvious and natural consequences. Letter to the French Academy, sect. 4.

* Observe the method of Mons. Daillé. This famous preacher expounds the Epistles to the Philippians and Colossians ín a course of VOL. I..

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simple terms as much as possible, in relation to the present design of the sacred author, and to the circumstances of the text; for by these means you will avoid common places, and say proper and agreeable things.

Sometimes you will meet with texts, the simple terms of which must be discussed professedly; and in order to give a clear and full view of the subject, you must give a clear and distinct idea of the terms.

For example. 1. Tim, i. 5. Now the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. Divide the text into three parts, the first of which may be the commandment, of which the apostle speaks-the second its end, charity—and the third, the principles, from which this charity or love proceeds, from a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned. You must first, then, particularly enquire what this commandment is, and remark three different senses of the term: it is put, 1. particularly for the moral law. 2. For the preaching of the Gospel, (for the Greek word will bear this meaning)—and, 3. In general for the true religion. In explaining the word in the first sense, you may shew why the law is called the commandment, on account of the natural authority of the truths themselves; for the law contaius nothing but what must needs be a creature's duty-on account also of the authority of the legislator, who is God our sovereign Master, &c. Taking the word in the second sense, something pertinent may be observed on the necessity of preaching the word: Remark the wisdom

sermons. He usually takes for his text that number of verses, more or less,which contains the whole subject, of which the apostle speaks. He does not trifle with terms: but he takes the subject, and, collecting it into two, three, or four propositions, discusses it in a sensible and edifying manner. One example follows. Phil. iii. 18, 19. Many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is their shame, who mind earthly things. The exordium of this sermon is taken from Matt. xiii. 24, &c. and the subject is divided into two parts: 1. The manner of St. Paul's address. I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping. 2. The matter of it. It is a description of bad Christians and bad ministers in the Christian church. They are remarkable for five bad qualities, or conditions: 1. They are enemies of the cross of Christ. 2. Their end is destruction. 3. Their god is their belly. 4. They glory in their shame. 5. They mind earthly things.

of God, who, in order to discover the mysteries of the Gospel to men, not only sent the apostles to us at the be ginning, not only commanded us to instruct each other by mutually communicating our knowledge, not only gave us the Holy Scriptures, that we might search them and increase our knowledge, but who, over and above all these, has established a gospel ministry in his church, in order that his word might be preached in common to all. Remark the great benefit and utility of this preaching. Observe also that Jesus Christ, whilst he was upon earth, was pleased to sanctify this admirable mean by his own practice and example, &c. In explaining the word in its third meaning, to which I think you should principally attend, you must shew why religion is called a commandment. 1. Because it is not an indifferent thing, which may be delayed as we please, but a necessary obligation imposed on all mankind. 2. Because religion, in all its parts, ought to proceed from God: for as he has not left it to the choice of man to have, or not to have a religion; so neither has he left it to his fancy to invent such a worship as he chooses: therefore St. Paul calls supersitions valgomas will-worship. Indeed religion consists in obe dience of faith, obedience of discipline, and obedience of morality: but whatever does not bear the divine impress can never be acceptable to God. In vain, says Jesus Christ, they honour me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. May God, says St. Paul, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ. Hence it is, that not pastors only, but all believers are called the servants of God, to signify that they execute his commands, and are heartily devoted to his pleasure.

Passing now to the second point, two things must be examined: first, What is this charity or love? and, secondly, How is it the end of the commandment? Both these must be accurately discussed.

As to the first, you must remark, that the principal object of our love is God, to an union with whom the soul elevares itself, by emotions of love as to the supreme perfection; by emotions of desire as to the supreme good of a creature; by emotions of gratitude as to the only source of all the blessings which we enjoy; by emotions of ten