CIIAPTERVI. 201 ment : he cites all the chapters and the verses exactly, and en- deavours to make you understand many a text before be lets you know fuliy what he means by his own. He finds these things at large in the critics, which he has consulted, where this sort of work is necessary and beautiful, and therefore he imagines it will become his sermon well. 'Then he informs you very learn- edly, of the various false expositions which have been given by divines and commentatorson this part of scripture, and it may be the reasons of each of them too ; and he refutes them with much zeal and contempt. having thus cleared his way, he fixes upon the exposition which his judgment best approves, and dwells, generally live or ten minutes upon the arguments to confirm it ; and thus he does not only in texts of darkness and difficulty, but even when scarcely a child could doubt of his meaning. This grammatical exercise being performed, he applies him- self to his logic, the text is divided and subdivided into many little pieces ; he poihts you precisely to the subject and the predi- bate, brings you acquainted with the agent and the object, shows you all the properties and the accidents that attend it, and would fain make you understand the matter and the form of it, as well as he does himself. When be has thus done, two-thirds of the hour is spent, and his hearers are quite tired ; then he begins to draw near to his doctrine, or grand theme of discourse ; and having told the audience, with great formality and exactness, what it is, and in what method he shall manage it, he names you one or two particulars under the first general head; and by this time finds it necessary to add, He intended indeed to have been larger in the illustration of his subject, and he should have given you some reasons for the doctrine, but he is sorry that he is pre- vented ; and then hedesigned also to have brought it down to the conscience of every man by a warns address; but his time being gone, he must break off. He hurries over a hint or two, which should have been wrought up into exhortation or instruction, but all in great haste, and thus concludes his work. The obstinate and the careless sinner go away unawakened ; unconvinced ; and the mourning soul departs uncoanforted, the unbeliever is not led to faith in the gospel, nor the immoral wretch to hate or forsake his iniquities ; the hypocrite and the man of sincerity are both unedified, because the preacher had not time. In short lie lias finished his work, and he has done nothing. When I hear this man preach, it brings to my remembrance the account which I have heard concerning the Czar of ,Mus- covy, the first time that his army beseiged a town in Livonia : he was then just come from his travels in Great Britain, where he and his ministers of state had learned the mathematics of an old acquaintanceof mine : the Czar took great care to begin the
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