CHAPTER If. 141 a pronurciation will appear to others as careless and negligent, as though the person that speaks were unconcerned about the great work in which he is engaged, and as though he had none of his affections moved, whereby his voice might be modulated into agreeable changes. 2. Avoid a vicious disposition of the accents, and false pro- nunciation. As for instance, it is a vicious pronunciation, whets a person uses just the same set of accents, and repeats the same set of sounds and cadences in every sentence, though his sen- tences are ever so different as to their sense, as to the length, or as to the warmth of expression : As ifa man should begin every sentence in prayer with a high voice, and end it in a low : or begin each line with a hoarse and deep bass, and end it with a shrill and sharp sound. This is as if a musician should have but one sort of tune, or one single set of notes, and repeat it over again in every line of a song, which could never be graceful. Another instance of false pronunciation is, when strong accents are put upon little words, and particles which bear nogreat force in the sentence And some persons are so unhappy, that those littlewords, they, and that, and of, and by, shall have the big- gest forceof the voice bestowed, upon them; whilst the phrases and expressions of chief significationare spoken with a cold and low voice. Another instance of false pronunciation is, when a calm plain sentence, wherein there is nothing pathetic, is deli- vered with much force and violenceof speech ; or when the most pathetical and affectionate expressions are spokenwith the utmost calmness and composureof voice. All which are very unnatural in themselves, and to be avoided by those that would speak pro,- perly, to the edification of such as worship with them. The last instance I shall mention of false pronunciation is, when we fall into a musical turn of voice, as thoughwe were singing, instead of praying. Some devout souls have been betrayed into such a self-pleasing tone, by the warmth of their spirits in secret worship ; and having none to hear, and inform them how disagreeable it is to others, have indulged it even to an incura- ble habit. 3. Avoid a fond and excessive humouring every word and sentence to extremes, as if you were upon a stage in a theatre, Which fault also some serious persons have fallen into, for want of caution. And it bath appeared so like affectation, that it hath given great ground for censure. As for instance, If we should express every humble and mournful sentence in a weeping tone, and with our voice personate a person that is actually crying; that is what our adversaries have exposed bythename of canting and whining, and have thrown it upona whole party, for the sake of the imprudence of a few. Another instance of this excessive affectation is when we express every pleasurablesentence in our
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