eon; AN tIIMBLE ATTI t?T; &o. Then let the great, the most important and most necessary articles of our religion, be set before your hearers in their fairest light. Convey them into the understandings of those of meanest capacity, by condescending sometimes to plain and familiar me- thods of speech ; prove these important doctrines and duties to them by all proper reasons and arguments : but as to the intro- ducing of controversies into the pulpit, be not fond of it, nor frequent in it : in your common course of preaching avoid dis- putes, especially about things of less importance, without au apparent call of providence. Religious controversies frequent- ly introduced without real necessity, have an unhappy ten- dency to hurt the spirit of true godliness, both in the hearts of preachers and hearers ; 1 Tint. iv. 7. And have a care of lay- ing too much stress, on the peculiar notions and terms and phrases, of the little sects and parties in christianity ; take heed that you do not make your hearers bigots and uncharitable, while you endeavour to make them knowing christians. Estab- lish them in all the chief andmost important articles of the gos- pel of .Christ, without endeavouring to render those whodiffer from you odious in the sight of your hearers. Whensoever you are constrained to declare your disapprobation of particular opinions, keep up and manifest your love to the persons of the who espouse them, and especially if they are persons of virtue and piety. VI. Do not content yourself to compose a sermon of mere doctrinal truths and articles of belief, but into every sermon. (if possible) bring something practical. It is true, knowledge is the foundation of practice; the head must be furnished with a degree of knowledge, or the heart cannot be good : but take heed that dry speculations and mere schemes of orthodoxy, da not take up too large a part of your composures ; and be sure to impress it frequently on yoúr hearers, that holiness is the great end of all knowledge, and of much more value than the sub - limest speculations; nor is there any doctrine, but what requires, some correspondent practice of piety or virtue. And among the practical parts of christianity, sometimes make it your business to insist on those subjects which are inward and spiritual, and which go by the naine of experimental religion. Now and then take such themes as these, (viz.) the first awakenings of the conscience of a sinner by some special and awful providence, by some particular passages in the word of God, in pious writings, or public sermons, the inward terrors of mind and fears of the wrath of God, which sometimes accompany such awakenings; the temptations which arise to divert the mind from them, and to soothe up the sinner in the course of his iniquities; the inward conflicts of the spirit in these seasons, the methods of relief under such temptations, the -arguments that may fix the heart and
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