Of>the Miniflerial Funclion. 3.6r I '\t.er-valued by thofe·who place all religion in . bearlng, yet certainly .ir is of excellent ufe, and 0ught to be managed wlth a great deal of care. Let the n1atter be weighty an~ grave, .the n1ethod ~plain .an.d cle.ar, the ex- .,preffion neither foaring on the one l1an~ nor too fan1.iliar ,on the otJler.. SCime goocl n_1en are not aware w.hat contempt they draw on religion by their coarfe(and home-· ly alluGons, and the Glly and trivial pro-. verbs th~y make _ufe of. Nor fuould our .expreffions be .too foft and effen1inate, nor our pronunciation affecred or childifh. Re– J1gion .~s a rational and manly thing, -an& we fhould fir.ive .to .recommend it with the greatefl: ad~ant~ge. But, above a11, let us ·fiudy · fuch a .zeal and fervour, as, flowing .fron1 the deep fenfe of .the thing we !peak, and being regulated with .prudence and de– cency, n1ay be fittefl: to reach the hea·rt of the hearers. The :vulgar that con1inonly fit under the pulpit, (as the excellent I-ler– b.ert fpeaks ), are commonly as hard .and dead as the feats they fit on; and need ·~ numntain of fire tQ kindle them.. The belt way is topreach the things firfi to ourfelves, .and th~n frequently to recolleCl: in whofe prefence we are, and ·w·hofe buf1nefs w.e ~re doing.. And I think it no [mall advan1-i b tage
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