204 THE IMPROVEMENT OE TILE MIND. the instruction and profit of persons of common rank and capa- city : it is in the midst of these that he hopes to find his triumph, his joy and crown in the last great day, for not Inq«y wise, not many noble are called. There is so much spirit and beauty in his common convert' sation, that it is sought and desired by the ingenious men of his age í but he carries a severe guard of piety always about him, that tempers the pleasant air of his discourse, even in hisbright- est and freest hours ; and before he leaves the place (if possible) he will leave something of the savour of heaven there : in the parlour he carries on the design of the pulpit, but in so elegant a manner that it charms the company, and gives not the least occasion for censure. His polite acquaintance will sometimes rally him for talking so plainly in his sermons, and sinking his good sense to so low level. But Ergatee is bold to tell the gayest of them, " Our public business, my friend, is chiefly with the weak and the igno- rant : that is, the bulk of mankind : the poor receive thegospel: the mechanics and day-labourers, the women and the children of my assembly, have souls to be saved ; d will imitate my blessed Redeemer, in preaching the gospel to the poor ; and learn of St. Paul to become all things to all men, that Imay win souls and lead many sinners to heaven by repentance, faith and holiness." SECT. II. A branching Sermon. I HAVE always thought it a mistake in the preacher, to mince his text or his subject too small, by a great 'number of sub- divisions for it occasions great confusion of the understandings of the unlearned. Where a man divides his matter under more general, less general, special, and more particular heads, he is under a necessity sometimes of saying, firstly or secondly, two or three times together, which the learned may observe ; but the greater part of theauditory, not knowing the analysis, cannot so muchas take it into their minds, and much less treasure it up in their memories in a just and regular order ; and when such hearers are desired to give some account of the sermon, they throw the thirdlys and secondlys into heaps, and make very con- fused work in a rehearsal, by inteyuingfing the general and the special heads. In writing a large discourse this is much more tolerable*, but in preaching it is less profitable and more intricate, and offensive. It is as vain an affectation also to draw out a long rank ofpar- ticulars in the same sermon under any one general, and run up the number of them to eighteenthly, or seen-and-twentiethly. s: Especially as words may be used to number the gensrals : and Sguresof rtifrgrent kinds acd foras, to rnsrshal the primary mad secondary ranks of partL. culas duller them.
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