48 Transactions. 



The sermon had several characteristics, without which it 

 would not have passed muster at all as a religious discourse, 

 in the minds of those to whom it was addressed. It was 

 always long, very long. One of the shortest then was equal 

 to two of the longest now. From an hour and a quarter to 

 an hour and a half, and even two hours sometimes, were ex- 

 pected and given. No matter what the subject might be, 

 whether pregnant or barren of thought, necessity was laid 

 upon the preacher, by whatever means he might employ, to 

 spend upon its consideration the usually allotted time. Then 

 the divisions and sub-divisions were almost infinite, and the 

 saying about 8thly in the 17th place was no great exaggera- 

 tion after all. This multiplicity oi j^articulars, as they were 

 called, arose, perhaps, not so much from the necessity of a 

 right classification of ideas illustrative of the doctrines pro- 

 pounded, as from the extreme length of the discourse, this 

 fragmentary manner of composition admitting great dis- 

 cursiveness of fancy by which abundant matter might be 

 introduced without the fear of coming too soon to a conclu- 

 sion. The winding up of the whole had also its several 

 divisions of lastly, finally, in conclusion, and one word more. 

 A third characteristic of the sermon was the peculiar tone in 

 which it was delivered. This was called by various names, 

 such as the " sough," the " whine," the " clerical wail," and 

 the "drant." It was supposed to add considerable dignity 

 and unction to the discourse, and was greatly approved of by 

 the hearers. On the first Sunday after the ordination of a 

 minister in the Cameronian meeting-house at Quarrelwood, 

 the congregation at the close of the service remonstrated 

 with the new minister, and insisted on his using the drant 

 in which his predecessor had been a great proficient. How- 

 ever, he sternly refused, declaring he would preach in the 

 natural voice which God had given him. 



Considering the great length of the sermon, the heads, 

 and particulars, and uses, and directions, into which it was 

 broken up, the tone in which it was delivered, and the dry 

 character of its composition, it is not to be wondered at that 



