Hora Homiletica, or Discourses in the Form of Skeletons, upon the whole Scriptures. Vol. VII. -XI. By the Rev. C. SIMEON, M. A. Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. London. 1820.

A CELEBRATED French wit, in some observations on preaching, expresses, in very lively terms, his astonishment that so many thousands should be paid in a Christian country to preach well, and after all should preach so badly. Now, admitting the fact, that there are few good preachers, his observation would merelyteach us this, that there are many requisites to good preach ing which money will not buy. Nor can the fact itself be altogether dis puted; for preaching very rarely attains to any thing like the excellence of which it is capable. Let it be granted that the difficulties which the preacher has to encounter are considerable; that his time is too much limited; that he handles a much hackneyed subject; that he has to contend with the numerous and obstinate prejudices of a fallen and corrupt nature; that his peculiar style of composition rejects much of the art by which other orators prevail. Still, with all these concessions, we conceive that the great mass of preachers fall far, not merely below the possibilities of the pulpit, but below the standard of excellence which may reasonably be proposed to them. And our readers will perhaps not be displeased at our prefacing a short eriticism on the remaining five volumes of Mr. Simeon by a few observations, designed to develop some of those causes of this deficiency in the art of preaching, to which we think the public attention has not been sufficiently directed. Mr. Simeon has, however, already occupied so many of our pages, that we feel it right not to make too large demands, in connexion with his volumes, on the patience of our readers.

CHRIST, OBSERV. No. 227.

Among the main causes of the inferiority of sermons, we should be inclined to name the low sense too often entertained of their importance and efficacy.-It was the error of the days of the Puritans to exalt preaching on the ruins of the other duties of the sanctuary. Forms of prayer were altogether abolished, and the spirit of public prayer can scarcely be said to have long survived them. At the restoration all sound loyalists seem to have pursued but one object; namely, a secession as far as possible from all the principles, tastes, and habits of Puritanism; and accordingly it became the fashion, both of the court and the people, to depreciate preaching as cordially as their Round-head predecessors had exalted it. And this mode of thinking, in common with many others of the age immediately succeeding Puritanism, has to a certain extent descended to our own times. Preaching, except by a small body of individuals, is regarded as an instrument of comparatively weak power in the control and direction of public opinion. Few would assent to the notion of Massillon, that if it is true, as has often been affirmed, that portents accompany and signalize the birth of monarchs, on account of their influence on the happiness of mankind, much more may they be expected, from the same cause, to signalize the birth of the ministers of religion. So far indeed are too many of our legislators and public men, from indulging any superstitious notions of this kind that to them it appears to be of little moment, either who preaches or what is preached. How rarely is the question asked, in the distribution of church patronage, "What are the powers and habits of the candidate as a preacher?" How many of the dignified clergy in this country scarcely ever preach at all; and when they find leisure to occupy the pulpit, how often is it obvious that the powerful enuncia

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tion of religious truth is not one of the qualifications for which they have been called to their high office! It is difficult, in considering this subject, not to be struck with the contrast which such low conceptions, on the subject of preaching, exhibit to the opinions of antiquity, and of many distinguished individuals of various ages and countries. Augustin, for instance, expressly says, "The proper office of a bishop is to preach." And says Gregory Nazianzen, "it is our chief function,pwтov TwμTEρv." Indeed, it appears from the sermons which are now their main representative to the world, that Ambrose, Chrysostom, Augustin, and most of the Christian fathers were preachers; and that this office, far from being left to the subordinate clergy, was carefully assigned to the very highest.

If we turn from the page of general history to that of our own church and country, we shall find with what anxiety, even in the worst ages of Popery, this means of religious instruction was regarded. In the age of Henry III. all parish priests were enjoined at a provincial synod to "instruct the people committed to their charge, and nourish them with the food of God's word;" and those who neglect this duty are denominated by the synod, "dumb dogs." It is also stated by Erasmus, in his Ecclesiastes, that, impressed with the infinite importance of this instrument for the extension of the truth, Henry the Eighth's mother maintained a considerable body of preachers at her own expense. At the Council of Trent, in like manner, the divines, however opposed on other points, agree in insisting upon the imperious duty of these public ministrations of the word of God. We need scarcely carry this history lower. None who are conversant with that admirable church history, whose last and most distinguished writer is now "fallen asleep in Jesus," can have forgot

ten with what zeal the first reformers grasped this instrument in order to conduct the spiritual conflict with the powers and principalities opposed to them. The sermons of Luther may, in fact, be considered as among the chief weapons of the Reformation. It was not fill he escaped from his solitude-till be exchanged his study for the pulpit till he thundered out his theses to the assembled multitudes at Wittemberg, that Popery felt the power of the truths which had so often been vainly advocated in the massy volumes of controversy. "Habet (says one of the early Christians) enim nescio quid latentis energiæ viva vox, et in aures discipuli de auctoris ore transfusa, fortius sonat." And the truth of this sentiment has been exemplified in the history of all countries and times.

These few samples of the language of other days, independently of the decisive testimony of Scripture to the same effect, may serve to shew that the depreciation of preaching, as an instrument of religious and moral reform, is a heresy which at least has not to plead prescription in its favour; but, on the contrary, stands condemned by the voice of discerning and pious men of all classes and ages. Indeed, it is a somewhat singular fact, that the avowed enemies of orthodox religion have almost always been found among the chief despisers and impugners of preaching. It is, for example, one of the maxims of the Racovian or Socinian Catechism, that although preaching might have been necessary for the conversion of the Gentiles, it is no longer necessary after the establishment of Christianity. And Hobbes, in his history of the civil wars, launches out into severe invectives against the liberty granted to the clergy, of haranguing the people without the state having any power to control them. But, not to multiply such examples, it is sufficient to convince

a Christian of the high value of this ordinance, that it is continually referred to in Holy Writ, as one of the main instruments by which the objects of the Gospel are to be accomplished:-"It hath pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe." What we wish to see in the ministers of religion, is that sort of practical conviction of the efficacy of pulpit instruction which may lead them to buckle on their armour with holy confidence, assured that he who preaches faithfully will, in the end, never preach in vain.

Another cause of the low state of preaching is, in some instances, connected with that to which we

have already referred: we mean, the absence of labour in the composition of sermons. It is not likely that men should bestow much pains in sharpening or polishing the weapon which they conceive is to be of no use to them in the battle. And, in like manner, be who ascends the pulpit hopelessly and heartlessly, who expects his reasonings to fall, like the dart of Priam "telum imbelle sine ictu" on the breast of the audience; he, in short, who preaches without faith, is not likely to give the thought, the time, the mind, to his sermons which are essential for any high achievements in this depart ment of his labours. That a very culpable negligence as to this point prevails at the present moment we cannot doubt; nor is this negli gence confined to the more careless and worldly part of the clergy, but extends wherewe should least expect and desire to see it-to some of the more zealous and spiritual ministers of religion. A distinguished writer and minister on the other side the Tweed, whose own sermons acted almost like an electric shock on the congregations of our metropolis, is rumoured to have complained heavily of a defect of industry and labour in the sermons of individuals amongst ourselves to whose general piety and talents he

bore the most honourable testimony. And we entirely concur: with him. We discover in a multitude of pulpit addresses a dearth not only of learning and novelty, but of close reasoning, of apt illustration, and especially of real and. profound scriptural knowledge, sufficient to account, in part, at least, for the indifference with which sermons are often received. The pasture is too barren to suffer us to. expect that the sheep should manifest any strong desire for it. But we must not be misunderstood. In complaining, among other things, of a want of novelty in sermons, it is not that we expect or wish from the ministers of the Gospel voyages of discovery in religion, or maps of the terra incognita of theology. Nor are we so absurd as to desire to have the fancy regaled with ingenious and far-fetched speculations, images, reasonings, or illustrations. But we do expect the preacher not always to occupy the same corner of the field of theology-not al-' ways to pursue the same line of march or maintain the same order of battle. We expect that measure of variety which will rebuke the presumption of those who, after hearing him for a few months, venture to predict from one balf of a sentence what will infallibly constitute the other half-and in all instances confidently to anticipate the conclusion from the exordium of the discourse. The effect of this sameness and reiteration, of these spiritual infusions being always of the same form, colour, and substance, is almost necessarily to cast the mind into a deep sleep. In saying this we are fully aware of the necessity, especially in the case of the country poor, of not too rapidly changing the topics presented to them-of not, as it were, vaulting over them-of not attempting to convey that by a hint which ought to be unfolded in a paragraph. Repetition of a certain kind is necessary in pulpit oratory. But then the preacher

must not, in virtue of this necessity, think himself at liberty always to present the same argument in the same form-to travel to the same point precisely by the same route. Whilst he may reasonably conclude that the understandings of many are so dull, and their hearts so hard, as to need the truth to be pressed again and again upon their conscience, let him give diligence, at the same time, to exhibit the truth in all the variety of which it admits. Let him, whilst he adheres to the substance, in every possible way diversify the mode of presenting it. It is, we admit, a strong temptation to a man, originally of a sanguine and eager temperament, who finds sermon after sermon falling (as he deems) ineffectually on the ear of his audience-the well-disposed part of them pleased with any argument, and the prejudiced with none-to say to himself, "Any thing will do." And such, we fear, is the weekly opiate which many a preacher administers to his own conscience, especially when he has for years preached to the same congregation. But this temptation is to be resolutely resisted. Why are the candidates for usefulness to be so much more easily disheartened than the candidates for fame? The Georgics cost their author the labour of seven years; and were, therefore, forced from his not unproductive mind at the rate of about a line a day". The labours of the pulpit neither require nor admit of such a protracted process. But they demand and admit of much more patience, caution, study, toil, than are usually devoted to them.

Let the ministers of the Gospel expect, under the Divine blessing, larger results from their sermons. Let them not be faithless, but believing! Let them throw far from them every suggestion which may minister to the natural and universal sloth of our nature, Let them regard their sermons as they would the wand of the prophet-designed to draw the waters of contrition from the stony heart, Let them believe that God intends to accomplish much by them, and anxiously labour to fit themselves for their high purpose and destination.

Many pious individuals who admit the efficacy of sermons, are betrayed into carelessness of pulpit preparation by certain other erroneous conceptions.

Some, for example, conceive that as all success depends upon the grace of God, any thing like laborious preparation for the pulpit, is a disparagement of that grace.— This, however, is a manifest and most injurious error. It can be no disparagement of the authority and goodness of God to do that which he directs us to do. And he evidently expects assiduity at the hands of all his labourers. If, indeed, it is the will of God that nothing but a crude and meagre picture of truth should be exhibited, why do the Scriptures themselves teem with examples of the strongest reasoning, the most striking imagery, and the most splendid eloquence? Logic and rhetoric are evidently two of the instruments by which it pleases God himself to work; and which, therefore, ought to be employed by his creatures. Some, indeeed, may quote against these positions the prayer of Augustin

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a logica libera nos." But St. Au gustin could mean only the logic of sophists, or of philosophers so called. For otherwise his prayer would be a sentence of condemnation on his own strong reasonings and splendid composition. truth indeed is, that be and most of the writers who immediately.

The

succeeded the apostolic age, do themselves levy large contributions on learning and eloquence in aid of religion. Let our readers, for instance, consider the work of Augustin against Cresconeus; or let them read the works of Clemens Alexandrinus; and they will entertain no doubt whether the earliest friends to religion were among the staunchest friends to human industry and learning.

Another erroneous conception of certain pious individuals is, that the simplicity of religious truth abhors all ornament, and that, therefore, it should be carefully excluded from the pulpit. But here, again, we may appeal to Scripture. Lord Chatham and Mr. Burke are said to have continually delved in Scripture as in an unfathomable mine of all the wealth of oratory, Nor, independent of scriptural example, can we doubt the propriety and expediency of clothing the lessons of religion with all the beauty and grace with which a cultivated imagination or extensive reading supplies the religious instructor. Religion, indeed, abhors false and meretricious orna ment. It also demands a greater chasteness and simplicity than perhaps any other subject. But it might as well be affirmed, in spite of the highly decorated temple of the Jews, constructed by the express direction of the Almighty, that every edifice of religion should be formed of stones rough from the quarry, as that good taste, strong reasoning, and the powers of the imagination, ought not to lend their aid to fix and quicken the sluggish attention of a Christian audience.

But we must hasten to bring this prefatory discussion to a conclusion. There is, therefore, only a single additional defect in sermon writers to which we will now call the attention of our readers-and this is their too common ignorance in that department of science ordinarily termed metaphysical.

By

metaphysics, we mean only the science of the mind; or, in sim pler terms, a knowledge of the springs of human action. And as on the one hand we conceive that no science can be of more import→ ance to the preacher, so we are apt to think that no science is more commonly neglected. It is, indeed, abundantly sufficient to seal the condemnation of the best argument with many persons, that "it is metaphysical." And hence, it arises, on the one hand, that the class of men who, by their continual professional scrutiny of the minds of others might be expected to throw most light upon this department of science, are very small contributors to it; and on the other, that if any of them are anxious for that species of meta→ physical knowledge more immedi ately bearing on their profession, they know not where to seek it. The fruits of all this in theology are much of the same kind as if military men were to forswear the subject of military tictacs, and physicians that of medicine. It is, indeed, difficult to conceive to what an amount the usefulness of sermons is impaired by igno rance of the human mind. We apprehend that nothing in Scripture itself is more apt to touch and affect the heart than what has been termed, its "power of divination;" or, in other words, that perspicacity by which it exhibits what is in the heart of the hearer, and reveal the man to himself. And an intimate acquaintance with the powers, habits, and workings of the mind, would, to a certain extent, supply the preacher with a talisman of the same kind. We should stand before him convicted, rebuked, and condemned; and often, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, who delights to work by rational means on rational creatures, should be led to exclaim, that "God was with him of a truth."

It would have been necessary for us, whatever other defects in