all the powers of the mind, and especially to set invention at work; which is a faculty very necessary to investigate truth, and which nothing but necessity, or a firm resolution, will call into exercise. It is much easier to read, to hear, to converse, than to investigate; which requires the whole attention of the mind. to be steadily fixed upon one subject. Reading and conversing upon a subject will never make a man master of it, without close and steady thinking, and a fair and full decision. And no man can make a fair and full decision upon any abstract or intricate point, until he has thoroughly examined it on all sides, and fairly balanced the principal arguments for and against it. Hence I perceived the importance of attending to but one subject at a time, and of not leaving that subject before I came to a satisfactory and final decision. A final decision, I say, because I found by experience that the more I thought, or read, or conversed upon any subject, the less I understood it, if, after all, I did not discover sufficient evidence to form a full and final decision. But when I steadily pursued a subject until I had discovered the truth, and formed my decisive judgment, then I felt that I had actually added to my common stock of real knowledge; which gave me new power and inclination to make farther improvements.

2. I accustomed myself to attend to all subjects which appeared to be naturally connected with divinity, and calculated to qualify me for the work of the ministry. That all the arts and sciences bear some relation to each other, was long ago observed by Cicero, and has ever since been found to be true by all who have read and studied upon an extended scale. It is extremely difficult to gain a clear understanding of natural and revealed religion, without a considerable degree of general knowledge. The more I attended to theology, the more I was convinced of the importance of acquainting myself with history, ethics, metaphysics, and civil polity. This led me to read freely upon these subjects, and to form my own opinions upon them. I thought it was an injury and reproach to clergymen, that they so much disregarded general knowledge, and paid their whole attention to divinity, and even to a few points in that noble and extensive science. There is no doubt but that many errors and wild notions in rêligion, have originated from the ignorance of those who have undertaken to preach the gospel without understanding the connection and harmony of its fundamental doctrines. Such preachers seldom attend to any sentiments but the peculiarities of their own sect; and vainly imagine that all are heretics who do not subscribe to their contracted creed. To avoid this mistake, I resolved to read and study divinity in a liberal manner; and not to adopt the senti

ments of my own denomination, nor to reject the sentiments of other denominations, without examining them for myself, in the best manner I was able. And I can truly say, nothing has contributed more to establish me in the belief of my own system of religious sentiments, than those authors who have written the most forcibly against them; and nothing has assisted me more in defending and maintaining the pure doctrines of the gospel, than a general acquaintance with the errors and delusions which have prevailed in the Christian world. I have made it my practice, in the whole course of my ministry, to read extensively, and to examine as critically and impartially as I could, all ancient and modern errors and innovations in religion; which I have never seen any reason to regret.

3. Though I read a variety of books, yet I always meant, if I could, to read the proper books at a proper tine; that is, when I was investigating the subject upon which they treated. I gained but little advantage from reading any author, without a particular object in view; but when I read any author with reference to a particular object, I then took more notice of what he said, understood it better, and derived much more benefit from his writings. I usually restrained myself from reading for amusement; and put captivating books out of sight, when I had occasion of consulting authors upon any important subject. At times, however, I read some authors for the sake of their beautiful style, their lively descriptions, and moral sentiments. Some few novels possessed these excellences, and gained my attention at leisure hours. But I read deep, well written tragedies, for the sake of real improvement in the art of preaching. They appeared to me the very best books to teach true eloquence. They are designed to make the deepest impression on the human mind, and many of them are excellently calculated to produce this effect. A preacher can scarcely find a better model for constructing a popular, practical, pathetic discourse, than a good tragedy; which all along prepares the mind for the grand catastrophe, without discovering it, till the whole. soul is wrought into a proper frame to feel the final impression. I found also much benefit from reading a variety of sermons. I read ancient authors, for the sake of the matter contained in their discourses. They were more sentimental than modern preachers. I found good ideas poorly expressed, in old sermons; and those ideas I felt myself at liberty to borrow, and put into my own words. Besides, the Puritan writers breathed a most pious and devout spirit into all their discourses; which I wished to imbibe, and transfuse into my own sermons. I read modern sermonizers, for the benefit of learning the various methods of constructing sermons, and for the purpose of gain

ing a neat and perspicuous style. But lest I should become a plagiary, and imitator of any man, I made a point of choosing my subject and my text, and of laying out my method, before I read any author who had treated on the same text. For I found, if I read another man's sermon before I had done this, I was naturally led to follow his track, or take peculiar pains to avoid it. Nor did I ever mean to make any single author my general model of sermonizing; though I wished to unite as much as I could the peculiar excellences of Watts, Doddridge, and Edwards. But it is probable that I did approach nearer to Mr. Edwards' manner, than to that of any other man, except Mr. Smalley, my admired instructer. His great excellence consisted in representing divine truths in a clear light, and in reconciling them with each other. This I endeavored to imitate in the general course of my preaching.

4. Though I was fond of reading, yet I was still more desirous of examining and digesting what I read. I always found a disadvantage from reading more than I could digest. This never failed to unsettle my mind, and give it a bias towards skepticism. And I believe there is scarcely any circumstance, which has a more direct tendency to turn learned men into skeptics, than reading too much and thinking too little. When a large number of different and opposite ideas upon a subject are collected in the mind, without being properly examined and arranged, it requires more than common discernment to discover where truth lies; and many a weak mind has, I doubt not, been plunged in darkness, by too much light. To investigate truth, it is necessary to proceed gradually, and attend to but one point at a time, till the mind has gone clear round the subject, and viewed it in every attitude. The natural process is, first to separate from the subject of inquiry whatever does not belong to it; then to consider what is in favor of the sentiment examined; and lastly, to weigh the arguments against it. Studying is often compared with digging; and in digging stones there is peculiar art. The man who understands the business, will not leave a stone because it will not move by his first exertion. He will continue to try it in different positions, until he has found that in which he can apply all his strength to advantage, and effect his purpose. Steady, patient, persevering thinking, will generally surmount every obstacle in the search of truth. Some subjects, indeed, are too high for human investigation. When a difficult subject is proposed, the first question is, whether it lies within the province of reason to decide. This, in most cases, can be easily and quickly determined, because there is a wide difference between difficulties and mysteries. If the question does not involve a real mys

tery, there is sufficient encouragement to pursue it. And the more difficult it is, and the more others have neglected to examine it, or have failed of success, the more worthy it is of peculiar attention. Accordingly, I have made it my practice to seek after and examine the more difficult points in divinity. This I have found to be the best way for me to make proficiency in real and useful knowledge. By solving one difficulty, I was enabled to solve another; and every new solution gave me new ability and new resolution, to pursue my studies with greater diligence and perseverance.

5. In the course of my studies, I have endeavored to obtain certainty upon all points which would admit of it. Many points in divinity, as well as in other branches of science, will not admit of demonstration, and must remain problematical, after all human researches; but some may be brought to a fair and full decision. In all cases in which I supposed certainty could be obtained, I made it a practice to pursue a subject until I was completely satisfied I had found the truth. I have spent more time, more attention, and more hard study, upon critical and difficult points, than, perhaps, most theologians have been willing to do; and I have never regretted the time and pains I have spent. For I have found, that the knowledge of the most difficult subjects I ever attended to, has thrown the greatest light upon the whole system of divinity; and more than any thing else, enabled me to discover the connection and harmony which run through the fundamental doctrines of the gospel. And though men may be good christians, and even good preachers, without understanding the mutual connection and consistency of the first principles of Christianity, yet I believe that no man can be a great and thorough divine, without critically examining and understanding what are generally considered the most difficult subjects in divinity.

6. I have made it my practice to improve every good opportunity of conversing upon theological subjects. While I was a candidate, I derived a good deal of benefit from conversing with both old and young ministers. Though I soon gave up the idea of convincing those I happened to differ from in sentiment, yet I seldom failed of getting knowledge, by discoursing freely with both orthodox and heterodox divines. After I was settled, I fell into very happy ministerial connections, which afforded me peculiar advantages for improvement by conversation. Nor did I fail of reaping benefit from conversing with those whom I undertook to teach divinity. I found that after I had read, and thought, and even written upon a subject, I could rarely master it without the aid of conversation. I generally perceived, that in the course of free discussion, some

thoughts would be suggested, which had never occurred to me in reading, or thinking upon the subject. Though only superficial knowledge can be gained by mere conversation, yet this, in connection with reading and thinking, may be of great service in theological researches. But in conversing upon subjects, I never did of choice take that side of a question which was contrary to my present opinion, lest I should insensibly warp my mind, and lead myself into error. Such were the general rules by which I meant to govern myself in the course of my theological studies.

I was naturally fond of retirement; and when I entered into a family state, I intended to live as much by myself, as would be consistent with proper attention to my people, and to occasional visitants. It did not once occur to my mind that I should become an instructer in divinity. The first young gentleman that applied for instruction, proposed to tarry but a few weeks, and accordingly left me as soon as he proposed. I had then no expectation of any future application. But pretty soon after this, another young man in the vicinity wished to live with me a little while; and being in a bereaved situation, I consented to receive him into my family, and assist him in his theological studies a few months. Still I had not the remotest thought of becoming an instructer of candidates for the ministry; but it so happened, that numbers successively put themselves under my instruction, and in the term of about fifty years, I have taught between eighty and ninety pupils.

At first, I left my students to take very much their own method. of studying, only directing them to read particular authors, conversing with them occasionally, and hearing them read their compositions. But after I durst consider myself as an instructer, I adopted nearly the same mode of instructing that Mr. Smalley had taught me. I drew up a concise system of theological questions, which I put into the hands of my pupils, and directed them to write a longer or shorter dissertation upon each question, in the order it was placed. But previously to