take and appropriate sufficient time to prepare for the Sabbath. Though I did not usually fix upon my subject in the beginning of the week, yet I took care to call up various subjects, from which I might select one for my next discourse. My delaying to fix upon any subject, until Friday or Saturday, was owing to two or three reasons. Sometimes I could not hit upon any subject that suited me, early in the week. Sometimes I found, by contemplating a subject, unexpected difficulties in the way of discussing it to my own satisfaction. And sometimes I did of choice delay fixing upon any subject, until the week was nearly elapsed, because I wished to follow providence, and make my discourses as occasional as possible. I always aimed in my preaching, first to instruct and then to impress the minds of my hearers. And to attain these two points, I observed the following things:

In the first place, I determined to preach upon the most important and essential doctrines of the gospel. Indeed, I contemplated going through a complete system of divinity, and very soon after my ordination, I began to execute my design, and kept up a regular course of sermons, until I had gone about half way through my proposed system. Nor can I assign any better reason for finally dropping the scheme, than my own inattention and instability; for I found many advantages resulting from this practice. It often supplied me with subjects, when no particular occurrence of providence, and no particular circumstance of my people suggested any. Besides, it had a happy tendency to enlighten my people in the great doctrines of Christianity, and increase my own stock of theological knowledge. And I am persuaded, that studying and preaching systematically, is the best way for the preacher and hearer to become thoroughly acquainted with that scheme of sentiments, which runs through the Bible.

In the next place, I endeavored to make my discourses doctrinal and argumentative, rather than superficial and declamatory. For this reason, I seldom preached textually; but chose X my subject in the first place, and then chose a text adapted to the subject. This enabled me to make my sermons more simple, homogeneal, and pointed; while at the same time, it served to confine the hearer's attention to one important, leading sentiment. Those who preach textually, are obliged to follow the text in all its branches, which often lead to very different and unconnected subjects. Hence, by that time the preacher has gone through all the branches of his text, his sermon will become so complicated that no hearer can carry away any more of it than a few striking, unconnected expressions. Whereas, by the opposite mode of preaching, the hearer may be master

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of the whole discourse, which hangs together like a fleece of wool. And in constructing a sermon, regard ought to be had to the memory, as well as to the understanding and attention of the hearer. A loose, desultory method of preaching may highly entertain an audience; though it will never enlighten their understanding, nor impress their conscience, nor oblige them to retain what they have heard. But when the preacher plans his sermon so as to exhibit one great, leading object, and in the prosecution of his subject, keeps that constantly in view; the hearer feels himself tied to the speaker, and cannot leave him until he has finished his discourse. And after a discourse has gained the constant attention of the hearer he cannot very easily erase from his mind the instruction and impression he has received. It is, therefore, essential to instructive preaching, that a discourse be planned with great uniformity and simplicity. And on this account, it is generally best to choose a text, which fully and clearly contains the doctrine to be illustrated and improved. Accordingly, I have always endeavored to find a subject, before I looked for a text; and in looking for a text, I have aimed to find one, which was directly to my purpose, and naturally expressed or suggested the simple sentiment I meant to explain, confirm, and apply. Nor is this all that is necessary to be regarded in planning a discourse, in order to render it instructive. There must be such divisions and subdivisions, as will give the preacher scope to say all that is pertinent to the subject he is treating; and to say all in the most easy, natural, and forcible manner. difficulty in planning a discourse properly, than in putting it I have always found more together afterwards. And the reason of this is plain. course be planned to advantage, the proper thoughts will readily If a disoccur, and the proper expressions will naturally present themselves. And when the plan, the thoughts, and language of a sermon are altogether natural, it can hardly fail of instructing those who hear and understand it.

But I always aimed to impress the conscience, as well as enlighten the understanding of my hearers. And to produce this effect, I paid great attention to the improvement or application of my discourses. I remember, before I began to preach, a plain, judicious, serious man gave me the first suggestion, that the application of a sermon is the most important part of it. I was struck with the truth of the observation, and resolved to retain and improve the advice. But when I began to write. sermons, I found the application to be the most difficult, as well as most important part of a discourse. But this, however, did not discourage me from endeavoring to attain this excellence in preaching. And in order to attain it, I found it necessary, to

digest my subject well before I formed the plan of the discourse, and in planning it, to have a supreme respect to the application. The last thing in execution, should be the first in intention. The body of a discourse should be adapted to prepare the way for the improvement, in which the speaker is to gain his ultimate end. And it ought to be his ultimate end in every sermon, to make lasting impressions upon the hearts and consciences of his hearers. But this cannot be effected, without applying what has been said, in the body of the discourse, to the peculiar state and character of both saints and sinners. The preacher ought to be acquainted with the peculiar views and feelings of all classes of men, under all circumstances of life; and to construct his discourses so as to be able, in the application, to point them to every hearer's heart. Accordingly, I have made it my object to enter into the feelings of my people, while composing and delivering my sermons.

Besides, I always endeavored to be intelligible to all my hearers of every age and capacity. With this view, I took pains to explain the doctrines and duties I inculcated with perspicuity and precision. And in explaining as well as illustrating and applying divine truths, I was careful to clothe my ideas in plain, familiar, decent language. I meant to use such words, and form my sentences in such a manner, that every common person might easily understand, and not easily mistake my meaning. But while I aimed at perspicuity, I meant to avoid a low, vulgar, slovenly mode of expression, and adopt, as far as I could, that pure, neat, middle style, which is intelligible to all, and displeasing to none.

I endeavored, however, to unite prudence with plainness. This required me to exhibit obnoxious sentiments, at a proper time, in a proper connection, and definite terms. There is an order in the first principles of Christianity; and when they are treated in their natural order, one truth serves to explain and confirm another. It is extremely difficult for hearers to understand some doctrines, until they have, been taught others from which they flow, and with which they are intimately connected. I proposed gradually to lead my people into the knowledge of the most important, and self denying doctrines of the gospel. And in order to do this to the best advantage, I usually brought in those truths which are the most displeasing to the human heart, by way of inference. In this way, the hearers were constrained to acknowledge the premises before they saw the conclusions, which being clearly drawn, it was too late to deny. This I often found to be the best method to silence and convince gainsayers; and I believe there is hardly any other way, to lead prejudiced persons to the knowledge and acknowledg

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ment of some of the most essential doctrines of the gospel. But since captious hearers will always try to misrepresent those sentiments which they dislike, prudence farther requires the preacher to be careful, to deliver such sentiments in such terms as are incapable of misrepresentation. For instance, in treating on divine agency, it is necessary to use such expressions as cannot be construed to mean, that God commits sin. So in addressing the impenitent and unrenewed, it is necessary to use such expressions as cannot be construed to mean either that they can do duty with an unholy heart, or that an unholy heart excuses them for neglecting duty. Such prudence as this, I ever meant to exercise in preaching the gospel; which ought to be exhibited in the most plain, which is the most prudent manner. In a word, I resolved, and, I believe, I have hitherto kept my resolution, to declare all the counsel of God.

CHAPTER III.

MANNER OF STUDYING.

As soon as I entered into the ministry, I resolved to devote my whole time to the sacred work, without encumbering myself with the cares and concerns of the world. I expected, however, that I should need great firmness and vigilance, to guard me against the solicitations of ease, interest, and seeming necessity, to neglect the proper business of my calling. Upon this consideration, I determined not to begin to do the least manual labor, nor even superintend my secular concerns; but to make my study my home, and my ministerial duties my whole employment. Soon after my ordination, I was invited by one of my parishioners to spend several weeks at his house, upon free cost; but I declined the offer, for fear my acceptance would obstruct my studies; and this refusal, I apprehend, prevented other invitations of the same kind. After I had been settled about a year, I employed some of my friends to purchase me a house and farm. The house needed repair, and I employed certain persons to repair it, and others to superintend the business; so that scarcely a man in the parish had less concern with it than I had. The next year, I entered into a family state, in which a great many worldly affairs invited my attention; but I kept my

resolution, and confined myself wholly to my study, without doing so much as an hour's labor in the garden, or in the field. It was a time of war; when laborers were scarce and dear, and when many ministers supposed that the circumstances of the times justified them in neglecting their studies, for the purpose of laboring to support their families. Though they might have thought this to be their duty, yet I could never make myself believe that it was mine. Hence I felt constrained to separate myself from all secular concerns, and devote myself wholly to my ministerial work. I knew it would be in vain to propose an end, without devising and adopting proper means to accomplish it. Accordingly, I resolved to divide and appropriate my time to the various branches of knowledge which I meant to pursue, and to furnish myself with a good collection of books. These I spared no pains nor expense to obtain. I examined the libraries of my brethren in the ministry. I searched the old books which I found among my people; I kept my eye upon the catalogues of the book-sellers; and among the great variety of authors which I found upon different subjects, I made it a rule to select the best and the worst; that is to say, those who had written most ingeniously in favor of the truth, and against it. I meant to read upon both sides of disputed subjects, and wished to obtain those authors on both sides, who had exhibited the most light. Though I was not able to purchase many books at a time, yet I constantly made additions to my collection, by buying and exchanging authors; so that I rarely failed of procuring any book, which I felt a strong inclination to read. Providence often smiled upon me in this respect. The Reverend Diodate Johnson, the minister of the church to which I at first belonged, gave me, at his death, a donation of forty dollars, which I appropriated to the purchase of books. My own congregation had a pretty parish library, when I was settled among them; and in the year 1786, Dr. Franklin presented them a donation of some of the most celebrated English authors. By these means, I generally had a supply of all those kinds of books which were necessary and useful to a divine; and I never wished for others, because I meant to confine my studies to my own profession, and not waste time in acquiring mere speculative knowledge. But I was sensible that both time and books might be detrimental to the real improvement of the mind, unless they were properly used. And in order to make the best use of these two great advantages, I determined to govern myself in the prosecution of my studies, by particular rules.

1. I made a practice of paying my principal attention to but one subject at a time. This had a happy tendency to engage