906 'r11E IMPROVEMEFT OF THE MIND. and (to say thebest thing possible of it) the hearer is soothed in something like divine delight ; but he can give the enquiring (wend scarcely any account what it was that pleased him. Ile retains a faint idea of . the sweetness, but has forgotten the sense. Tell me Fluvio, is this the most effectual way to instruct ig- norant creatures in the several articles of faith, and the various duties of the christian life? Will such a loog uniform flow of language imprint all the distant parts of christian knowledge on the mind, in their best form and order? Do you find such a gentle and gliding stream of words, most powerful to call up the souls of sinners from their dangerous or fatal lethargy ? Will this indolent and moveless species of oratory, make a thoughtless wretch attend to matters of infinite moment ? Can a long purl- ing sound awaken a sleepy conscience, and give a perishing sin- ner just notices of his dreadful hazard ? Can it furnish his un- derstanding and his memory with all the awful and tremendous topics of our religion, when it scarcely ever leaves any distinct impression of one of them on his soul ? Can you make the ar- row wound where it will not stick ? Where all the discourse vanishes from the remembrance, can You suppose the soul to be profited or enriched ? When you brush' over the closed eye- - lids with a feather, did you ever find it give light to the blind ? Has any of your soft harangues, your continued threads of silken eloquence, ever raised the dead ? I fear your whole aim is to talk over the appointed number of minutes upon the subject, or to practise a little upon the gentler passions, without any concern how to give the understanding its due improvement, or to fur- nish the memory with any lasting treasure, or to make a knowing and a religious christian. Ask old Wheatfield the rich farmer, ask Plowdown your neighbour or any of his family who have sat all their lives under your ministry, what they know of the common truths of reli- gion, or of the special articles orchristianity. Desire them to tell you, what the gospel is, or what is salvation ? What are their duties toward God, or what they mean by religion? Who is Jesus Christ, or what is the meaning of his atonement or redemption by his blood? Perhaps you will tell me.yourself, that you have very seldom entertained themwith these subjects. Well, enquire of them what is heaven ? Which is the way to obtain it, or what hope they have of dwelling there ? Entreat them to tell you, wherein they have profited as to holiness of heart or life, or fitness for death. They will soon make it appear by their aukward answers, that they understood very little of all your fine discourses, and those of your predecessors ; and have made but wretched improvement of forty years attendance at church. They have now and then been pleased, perhaps, with the music of your voice, as with the sound of a sweet in-
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