Divifion

XXVII. Comparison of one part of a fubject with another

part of the fame fubject

CHAP. VIL OF APPLICATION.

Difcuffion by application

What

What fubjects should be difcuffed in this way
Example of this method of difcuffion at large

CHAP. VIII-OF FROPOSITION.

CHAP. IX.-OF THE EXORDIUM.

Whether exordiums be neceffary

The ends propofed in exordiums

They are principally two Exordiums must be short

Citations from profane authors

In what cafes they are proper

The beft are taken from theology

How to compofe them

They may be taken from common-places-facred hiftorytypes, &c.

CHAP. X.-OF THE CONCLUSION.

What conclufions ought to be in general

209

In particular, fome fhould be

210

Violent

ESSAY

ON THE

COMPOSITION

OF A

SERMON.

CHAP. I.

ON THE CHOICE OF TEXTS.

TH

HERE are in general five parts of a fermon, the exordium, the connexion, the divifion, the difcuffion, and the application: but, as connexion and divifion are parts which ought to be extremely fhort, we can properly reckon only three parts; exordium, difcuflion, and application. However, we will just take notice of connexion and divifion after we have spoken a little on the choice of texts, and on a few general rules of difcufling

them".

2

1. Never

Bishop Wilkin fays, "Preaching fhould have its rules and canons, whereby men may be directed to the cafett and readieft way for the practice of it. Befides all academical studies of languages, fciences, divinity, &c. befides all thefe, there is a particular art of preaching. Two abilities are requilite in every one; a right understanding of found doctrine, and an ability to propound, confirm, and apply it to others. The firit may be without the other; and, as a man may be a good lawyer, and yet not a good pleader; fo he may be a good divine, and yet not a good preacher. One reafon why men of eminent parts are fo flow and unfkilful herein, is, because they have not been verfed in this study, and are therefore unacquainted with thofe proper rules and directions by which they thould be guided in the attaining and exercife of this gift. It hath been the ufual courfe at the university, to venture upon this calling in an abrupt, over-hafty manner. When scholars have paffed over their philofophical ftudies, and made fome little en

trance

1. Never choofe fuch texts as have not a complete fenfe ; for only impertinent and foolish people will attempt to preach from one or two words, which fignity nothing.

2. Not only words which have a complete fenfe of themselves must be taken: but they must alfo include the complete fenfe of the writer, whole words they are; for it is his language, and they are his fentiments, which you explain. For example, fhould you take thefe words of 2 Cor. i. 3. Bleffed be God the Father of our Lord Jejus Chrift, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, and ftop here, you would include a complete fenfe; but it would not be the apoftle's fenfe. Should you go farther, and add, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, it would not then be the complete fenfe of St. Paul, nor would his meaning be wholly taken in, unless you went on to the end of the fourth verfe. When the complete fenfe of the facred writer is taken, you may ftop; for there are few texts in fcripture, which do not afford matter fufficient for a fermon; and it is equally inconvenient to take too much text, or too little; both extremes muft be avoided.

When too little text is taken, you muft digrefs from the fubject to find fomething to fay; flourishes of wit and imagination must be difplayed, which are not of the genius of the pulpit; and, in one word, it will make the hearers think, that felf is more preached than Jefus Chrift; and that the preacher aims rather at appearing' a Wit, than at inftructing and edifying his people.

When too much text is taken, either many important confiderations, which belong to the paffage, muft be left out, or a tedious prolixity muft follow. A proper meafure, therefore, must be chosen, and neither too little, nor too much matter taken. Some fay, preaching is defigned only to make fcripture understood, and therefore they take a great deal of text, and are content with giving the fenfe, and with making fome principal reflections:

but

trance on divinity, they prefently think themfelves fit for the pulpit, without any further enquiry, as if the gift of preaching, and facred . oratory, was not a diftinét ait of itfelf. This would be counted very prepofterous in other matters, if a man fhould prefume on being an orator because he was a logician, or to practife phyfic because he had learned philofophy," &c. Wilkin's Ecclefiaftes.

but this is a mistake; for preaching is not only intended to give the fenfe of fcripture, but also of theology in general; and, in thort, to explain the whole of religion, which cannot be done, if too much matter be taken; fo that, I think, the manner commonly ufed in our churches is the most reasonable, and the moft conformable to the end of preaching. Every body can read fcripture with notes and comments to obtain fimply the fenfe: but we cannot instruct, folve difficulties, unfold myferies, penetrate into the ways of divine wifdom, eftabinh truth, refute error, comfort, correct, and cenfure, fill the hearers with an admiration of the wonderful works and ways of God, inflame their fouls with zeal, powerfully incline them to piety and holiness, which are the ends of preaching, unless we go farther than barely enabling them to understand fcripture.

To be more particular, regard must be paid to circumstances, times, places, and perfons; and texts must be chofen relative to them. 1ft, In regard to times. I do not, I cannot, approve of the cuftom of the late Monf. Daillé, who used to preach on the fcaft-days of the church of Rome, and to choose texts on the fubjects of their feafts, turning them to cenfure fuperftition: I do not blame his zeal against fuperftition: but as for the Romish feafts, they are for the members of the church of Rome, and not for us; and, it is certain, our hearers will neither be inftructed, nor encouraged by fuch forts of fubjects: methinks they fhould be preached feldom, and foberly. It is not fo with particular times, which belong to ourfelves, which are of two forts, ordinary, which we call ftata tempora, which every year return at the fame feafons; or extraordinary, which fall out by accident, or, to speak more properly, when it pleates God. Of the firft kind are Lord's-fupper-days; or days which are folemnized amongst us, as Chriftmas-day, Eafter, Whitfuntide, Afcenfion-day, New-year's-day, and Good-friday, as it is called. On thefe days, particular texts should be chofen, which fuit the fervice of the day; for it would difcover great negligence to take texts on fuch days, which have no relation to them. It is not to be queftioned but on these days peculiar efforts ought to be made, because then the hearers come with raifed expectations, which, if

not

not fatisfied, turn into contempt, and a kind of indignation against the preacher.

Particular days not fixed, but occafional, are faft-days, ordination-days, days on which the flock muft be extraordinarily comforted, either on account of the falling out of fome great fcandal, the exercife of tome great affliction, or the inflicting of tome great cenfure. On fast-days, it is plain particular texts muft be exprefsly chofen for the purpose: but on other occafions it muft reft on the preacher's judgment; for moft texts may be used extraordinarily, to comfort, exhort, or centure; and, except the fubject in hand be extremely important, the fafeft way is not to change the ufual text. For ordination-days extraordinary texts, and agreeable to the subject in hand, must be taken, whether it regards the ordainer, or the ordained; for very often he, who is ordained in the morning, preaches in the afternoon.

I add one word touching fermons in ftrange churches. 1. Do not choose a text which appears odd, or the choice of which vanity may be fuppofed to dictate. 2. Do not choofe a text of cenfure; for a firanger has no bufinefs to cenfure a congregation which he does not infpect: unless he have a particular call to it, being either fent by a fynod, or intreated by the church itself. In fuch a cafe the cenfure muft be conducted with wifdom, and tempered with fweetnefs. Nor, 3. Choofe a text leading to curious knotty questions; then it would be faid, the man meant to preach himself. But, 4. Choofe a text of ordinary doctrine, in difcuffing which, doctrine and morality may be mixed; and rather let moral things be faid by way of exhortation and confolation than by way of cenfure: not that the vicious fhould not be cenfured; forreproof is effential to preaching; but it must be given foberly, and in general terms, when we are not with our own flocks.

Perhaps by texte accoutumè Mr. Claude means fuch a text as would come in a precompofed fet of fermons.