of a fashion suited to it, when our discourses shall, in their turn, be antiquated and forgotten among men; though, if any good be wrought by them in this their day, our hope is, with that of faithful Nehemiah, that our God will remember us concerning them!

But as the productions of every author, who adds to the number, are expected to contain fomething new, either in matter, or manner, it will naturally be asked, what are my pretenfions? I will beg leave to deliver my sentiments on the subject in the words of the excellent and amiable FENELON, extracted from the last of his most admirable Dialogues on the Eloquence of the Pulpit.

"I would have a preacher explain the "whole plan of religion, and unfold every

part of it in the most intelligible manner,

by fhewing the origin and establishment, "the tradition and connection of it's principles, it's facraments and institutions.

"For every thing in Scripture is con"nected; and this connection is, perhaps, "the most extraordinary and wonderful

"An audience of perfons, who had heard the chief points of the Mosaic history "and law well explained, would be able "to receive far more benefit from an ex

plication of the truths of the Gospel, than "the generality of Christians are now.

"Preachers speak every day to the people, of the Scriptures, the Church, the "Patriarchs, the Law, the Gofpel; of Sa"crifice, of Mofes, and Aaron, and Mel"chifedek; of Chrift, the Prophets, and

Apoftles but there is not fufficient care "taken to instruct men in the meaning of these things, and the characters of these holy perfons.

"This way of having recourse to the "first foundations of religion, would be fo

"far

"far from feeming low, that it would give "most discourses that force and beauty "which they generally want; fince the "hearers can never be inftructed or per"fuaded in the mysteries of religion, if you "do not trace things back to their fource.

"For example-How can you make "them understand what the church fays, "after St. Paul, that Jefus Chrift is our "PASSOVER, if you do not explain to "them the Jewish Paffover, which was

appointed to be a perpetual memorial of "their deliverance from Egypt, and to ty

pify a more important redemption, that "was referved for Meffiah?

"Almost every thing in religion is hif"torical. The best way of proving it's "truth, is to represent it justly; for then "it carries it's own evidence along with

it. A coherent view of the chief facts "relative to any perfon, or tranfaction, "fhould

a 3

"fhould be given in a concife, lively, close,

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pathetic manner, accompanied with such "moral reflections as arife from the feveral "circumstances, and may best instruct the ❝ hearers.

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"A preacher ought to affect people by

strong images; but it is from the Scrip"ture that he should learn to make power"ful impreffions. There he may clearly "discover the way to render fermons plain "and popular, without lofing the force and dignity they ought always to poffefs.

"If the clergy applied themfelves to "this mode of teaching, we should then "have two different forts of preachers.

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They who are not endowed with a great

fhare of vivacity, would explain the

Scripture clearly, without imitating it's

lively and animated manner; and if they

expounded the word of God judiciously, "and fupported their doctrine by an exemplary

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emplary life, they would be very good preachers. They would employ what "St. Ambrofe requires, a chafte, fimple, "clear ftyle, full of weight and gravity, "without affecting elegance, or defpifing "the smoothnefs and graces of language. "The other fort, being of a poetical turn "of mind, would explain the holy book "in it's own ftyle and figures; and by that " means become accomplished preachers. "The former would instruct their hearers "with solidity and perfpicuity; the latter "would add to this inftruction the fublimity, the vehemence, and divine enthusiasm "of the Scripture, which would be (if I σε may fo fay) entire and living in them, as "much as it can be in men, who are not miraculously inspired from above."

This, Reader, is the model which I have chofen, and after which I have humbly endeavoured to work. I count not myfelf to have attained-Far, very far indeed