confumptions, and fo for other diftempers, without confidering the age, conftitution, ftrength, and way of living of his patient; and not vary his method and medicines as thofe vary, we fhould hardly call this the regular practice of phyfic. Nor can I think this general and undistinguishing way will be more fafe, or likely to answer its end, in divinity than in medicine.

upon

§ 32. (II.) Now I reft perfuaded, brethren, the thing is fo evident you cannot but allow, it is best to fuit ourselves to all the variety of tempers and experience of the hearers, if it can be done; and I hope fome thoughts may be successfully offered the way How this fkill may be ATTAINED. 1. Above all, then, carefully fudy your own hearts, and preach over the ruder sketches of your fermons to yourselves firft; by which means the correfpondent workings of your own hearts and affections may furr. h you with proper thoughts wherewith to apply clofely to all, whofe temper, experience and cafe are like your own: for what

is

* The method recommended here by the Tutor, was, we are informed by Mr. Orton, exemplified by the pupil, Dr. Doddridge, with great advantage. I would here infert the paffage, but that I take it for granted the Chriftian Preacher will have in his library the valuable publication referred to. Orton's Memoirs of the Life, Character and Writings of Dr. Doddridge, 2nd. edit. p. 26, &c.

is fupplied to your imperfect notes, out of the applicatory meditations of your own minds on the fubject, will very probably, according to the ufual way of the Spirit, happily and powerfully reach thofe of the fame make in like circumftances.

§ 33. 2. But, alas! one man's experience falls far fhort of all the variety of men's hearts, and of the Spirit's work; nay, thofe whofe heads are turned for close and regular thought, and whose time has been fpent in ftudy and letters, as they go on more rationally and evenly in religion, have lefs variety of experience than many of a different mould and way of thinking. Here it will be needful then to look out of ourselves, and take a large view, in order to be acquainted with cafes and tempers different from our own; and with fuch methods of the Spirit's work, as we ourselves have never experienced, but many others have. Now the beft and original way of getting this acquaintance with men, and with God's workings in them (and I may add, of Satan's workings alfo) is by converfing freely with the ferious people of our flock.

§ 34. I know your thoughts will prevent me with an objection; you will fay, This is almoft impracticable, especially amongst persons of politeness and figure; thefe, alas! too rarely will

ufe

ufe any fuch freedom with us, in laying open their hearts, and communicating their experience to us, as may give us the needful information. If we ever do arrive at any acquaintance with the experience of chriftians, little thanks are due to fuch as thefe; they expect we should preach fuitably to them, and that with as much reafon as Nebuchadnezzar demanded of the wife men to interpret a dream they knew not. The middle and lower fort of people, indeed, are more unreferved to grave minifters of age and standing, but will hardly use the fame freedom with young men.

$35. To help you over this difficulty, I would obferve, that, as for the polite, and men of fome thought and reading, your own experience, with the allowances and corrections a moderate skill in human nature will enable you to make, may lead you into happy conjectures at their way of thinking. Besides, in the time of their visitation, under fome fore affliction, you fhall find them more.communicative; and an hour's free discourse, with fuch as can give a rational and intelligible account of themselves, in a feafon when they are disposed to do it, is as valuable and useful, as it is rare and difficult to enter into.

§ 36. 3. Again, have an eye upon the Serious youth, whom nature and providence has defigned

to

to place in a superior clafs; and especially at a time when the impreffions of religion are new to them. You fhall find them more open than elder perfons, if you court their intimacy, and relieve their bashfulness; and if you can fee into the heart. of a youth, then, with the proper allowances for alterations that age and bufinefs will make, you may pretty well guess at their turn of mind in more advanced years.

§ 37. 4. With the generality of serious and more advanced Chriftians, there needs not so much nicety, to get into fuch a spiritual intimacy with them as we defire; the laying afide of nicety and ceremony, and getting into fuch a grave goodnatured way as our character requires, is more than half-way to our purpofe. Where this is infufficient to encourage the people to freedom, lead them into it by communicating first, either what yourselves have experienced, under the name of a third perfon (if modefty or prudence require it) or else what you have learned from others, without betraying the confidence they have put in you. By these methods we shall seldom fail of drawing ferious people on to fuch a freedom, as will be of ufe to them and ourselves. If we heartily go about it, we are pretty fure to fucceed.

38. 5. I may farther hint at a compendious way for gaining much knowledge of men's hearts in a little time, viz. If you have any tolerable skill in the different tempers and complexions of mankind, diftribute, in your thoughts, your people into claffes, according to their natural genius and temper, and felect one of each clafs, with whom to be more particularly acquainted; for amongst those whom nature has formed alike, you fhall find, upon further inquiry, a ftriking uniformity in the Spirit's work and way of proceeding with

them.

$39. I might recommend a way of knowing these things at fecond hand, viz. from the most popular and experimental authors. But this way is far inferior to the other; we shall but faintly paint any phænomenon of the heart, by copying another picture; it is infinitely preferable to do it from the life. Yet would I earnestly recommend the perusal of such authors as deal much in an experimental ftrain, and have been very fuccefsful in it; but with a different defign, viz. That we may learn from them, how to defcribe, in a difcreet and lively manner, fuch cafes as we ourselves have obferved; and how to addrefs properly to thofe cafes, with the like thoughts and expreffions, as have,

in