240 HENilY KIUKU WllITli y REilAlXS. 



that there is something wanting' which must be supplied 

 — some evil yet lurking in the hearty or some duty slightly 

 performed. 



You remember I heard Mr on the night previ- 

 ous to my departure ; I did not say much on his manner, 

 but I thought it neat, and the sermon far better than I 

 expected : but I must not be understood to approve alto- 

 gether of Mr 's preaching. I think, in particular, 



he has one great fault, that is elegance — he is not suffi- 

 ciently plain. Remember, we do not mount the pulpit 

 to say fine things, or eloquent things ; we have there to 

 proclaim the good tidings of salvation to fallen man ; to 

 point out the way of eternal life ; to exhort, to cheer, 

 and to support the suifering sinner : these are the glori- 

 ous topics upon which we have to enlarge — and will these 

 permit the tricks of oratory, or the studied beauties of 

 eloquence ? Shall truths and counsels like these be* 

 couched in terms which the poor and ignorant cannot 

 comprehend ?— Let all eloquent preachers beware, lest 

 they fill any man's ear with sounding words, when they 

 should be feeding his soul with the bread of everlasting 

 life ! Let them fear, lest, instead of honouring God, they 

 honour themselves ! If any man ascend the pulpit with 

 the intention of uttering ^fine thing, he is committing 

 a deadly sin. Remember, however, that there is a 

 medium, and that vulgarity and meanness are cautiously 

 to be shunned ; but while we speak with propriety and 

 chastity, we cannot be too familiar or too plaui. I do 

 not intend to apply these remarks to Mr individu- 

 ally, but to the manner of preaching here alluded to. 

 If his manner be such as I have here described, the ob- 

 servations will also fit ; but, if it be otherwise, the re- 

 marks refer not to him, but to the style reprobated. 

 * * * * 



I recommend to you, always before you begin to study, 

 to pray to God to enlighten your understanding, and give 

 you grace to behold all things through the medium of 

 religion. This was always the practice in the old Uni- 

 versities, and, I believe, is the only way to profit by 

 learning. 



