402· A Sermon at the Fimerat together, which the people's underfl:and~ ings cannot reach; nor i-n philofophical tern1s and expreffions, which are not fami– liar t0 vulgan undcrfiandings; nor in :11a– king ufe of an unufual word, where there could be found one n1ore plain and ordi~ Bary to exprefs the thought as fully. He. looked upon it as a mofl: ufeful help for compofing fern1ons, to n1ake the Sunday's. fermon the fubjeet of our n1editation an& mental prayer for the foregoing week, that. it n1ay thereby fink deep into our fpirits, and, affect our own hearts, which would n1ake us n1ore capable of teaching others. He thought it a fit expedient for compofing ·us · to a ferious and affeCtionate preaching, tO:– propofc to ourfelves, in the meditation of it, purely the glory of God, and the good· of 11rens fouls, and to have this always in our: eye; and· in 01.1r preaching, to n1ake frequent colleCtions of the divine pr.efence,. and fhort ejaculatioBs towards heaven,. ther-eby to preferve us 1n that humble rem– per, that ferioufnefs and·gravity that bc-– con1es us in the prefence of God, and as.. . the an1ba.fiadors of Chrifi. And how con-- ' formab~e was 1is pracrice to thefe rules! The matter of his difcourfes was alwaysfo ufefuLand feafonable, his,words and exl?reilions~
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