hour of the day; it can carry hope to the peasants' cottage, or thunder the note of alarm to the ear of princes. As by the power of enchantment, it transfers the thoughts of one mind to millions of other minds, by a process silent and rapid, as the winds that sweep over a continent; or like the light of day, which traverses the nations by a succession almost instantaneous.

LECTURE XVII.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF sermons.

THE preceding course of Lectures on Preaching comprises a brief view of the History of the Pulpit, with such directions as I thought proper to give, respecting the choice of texts and of subjects; the general principles to be observed in the plan and execution of a regular discourse; together with some remarks on the style of the pulpit.

But as an instructor of those who are to be instructors of others in the way of salvation, my work is by no means finished, when I have pointed out the proportions, the structure of parts, and the disposition of materials, which a skilful preacher will employ in the composition of a single discourse. There are certain great principles of preaching, which remain to be discussed, and which open a wide field for our contemplation. To some of these great principles, which are independent of all the local and temporary usages that human caprice may prescribe to the pulpit, in different countries and periods, I propose now to call your attention. In exhibiting those general characteristics which I think Christian sermons ought to possess, I shall avoid every thing of the technical and scientific manner, aiming both in sentiment and expression, to be simple, serious, and practical. Indeed, the object I have in view requires me, not so much to discuss disputed principles relative

to preaching as an art or science, as to spread before your minds those plain, solemn views of this great work, which may assist each of you, in his preparatory efforts, to become "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

The FIRST characteristic of a good sermon, on which I am about to enlarge, is, THAT IT SHOULD BE EVANGELICAL.

To do justice to my own views on this subject, it will be proper to state what I mean by evangelical preaching; and then to show, that all preaching ought to possess this character.

-1. WHAT IS EVANGELICAL PREACHING? I answer, it is the same as is sometimes called preaching Christ, an expression by which the Apostles meant, not chiefly preaching as Christ himself did, and as he commanded ministers to preach; but especially preaching so as to exhibit Christ in his true character, as the great object of faith and love. The same meaning is sometimes expressed by the phrase, preaching the cross,' and preach

ing Christ crucified.'

Every science is built on elementary facts, which must go together, and must be fully exhibited to teach that science with success. The gospel as a complete system of truth, has its own essential principles; and without the clear exhibition of these, the gospel cannot be preached, any more than geometry can be taught, while its essential principles are denied or overlooked. Whatever proposition in this science you undertake to prove, you cannot proceed one step except on the admission of the principles on which the science is built. Just so in preaching the gospel. Suppose the doctrine of atonement is your subject; how are you to proceed? Of course you must admit man to be in a state of ruin; ruin from

which he needs redemption; ruin so desperate that he could not redeem himself. If saved at all, it must be by the interposition of an all-sufficient, vicarious sacrifice. If justified at all, it must be freely, by the grace of God.' So it is with other subjects. The doctrines of grace must go together; you cannot consistently admit one without going the length of the whole system.

According to these views, I need not take up time in showing, that sermons in which the doctrine of atonement and other essential doctrines of the gospel are avowedly discarded, or decidedly overlooked, come altogether short of evangelical preaching. But it is to my purpose to remind you in this connexion, that even among ministers whose general views of the gospel are correct, there is much preaching which cannot be called evangelical. I would not say or imply that every sermon ought to discuss, in set form, some essential principle of Christianity; but every sermon ought to exhibit the spirit of Christianity, and to derive its appeals to the heart from the motives of Christianity. It is not enough that it inculcate what is both true and important; for this it may do, and yet deserve not the name of a Christian sermon. My meaning may be illustrated by familiar historic examples. Socrates taught the being of a God, and the doctrine of immortality, and eternal retribution. Cicero taught temperance, benevolence, truth, justice, &c. Seneca enforced the same duties by grave lessons drawn from the dialectics of the schools. Now suppose that you urge the same topics in the same manner, from the pulpit. Is it Christian preaching? By no means. The things taught are true and important; but the spirit, the motives, the tendency, are not Christian. You have delivered such a şermon as St. Paul could not have delivered, consistently

with his solemn purpose not to "know any thing, but Jesus Christ and him crucified."

Do I mean then to find fault with a minister for preaching on the existence of God, the immortality of the soul, or the duties of temperance, truth, and justice? Certainly not. But I mean that he should preach these subjects, not as a heathen philosopher; preach them, not as independent of the Christian system, but as parts of that system; so that all his arguments, and motives, and exhortations shall be drawn from the authority and exhibit the spirit of the gospel. The minister who believes the divine all-sufficiency of Christ as a Saviour, and the absolute dependence of sinners on his atonement, and the efficacy of the Holy Spirit for salvation, can hardly preach a sermon on any occasion or subject without showing that he does thus believe. One of our venerable divines1 has well said, Faithful ministers never preach mere philosophy, nor mere metaphysics, nor mere morality. If they discuss the being and perfections of God, the works and creation of providence, the powers and faculties of the human soul, or the social and relative duties, they consider all these subjects as branches of the one comprehensive system of the gospel. Hence, when they preach upon the inward exercises of the heart, they represent love, repentance, humility, submission, sobriety, &c. not as moral virtues, but as

Christian graces. And when they discourse upon moral topics, they inculcate the duties of rulers and subjects, of parents and children, masters and servants, by motives drawn from the precepts and sanctions of the gospel.'?

II. We are to consider the main position of this Lec