A

proportioned to each of thefe myftical fenfes, and afcribes to them effects like thofe which our fenfes produce by their natural operations. It tells us, that our eyes contemplate the celeftial light, which illuminates and guides us in the ways of righteoufnefs-that our ears hear the voice of God, who calls us, and who, by these means, makes us obey our vocation. It tells us that the Gospel is a favour of life, which communicates falvation to us. And, finally, it attributes to us a mouth to eat the flesh, and drink the blood of the Son of God, in order to nourish us to life eternal. It is this laft expreffion which Jefus Chrift has made ufe of in the fixth of John, and which fays in my text, He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life.

This exordium joins itself to the text by the figure made ufe of in the text, but in fuch a manner as not to be chargeable with affectation or witticism; for it is by a ferious reflection on the Scripture use of the figure, acknowledging it to be a figure, and preparing the hearer to attend to the explication.

To thefe rules I fubjoin a word or two on the vices of exordiums. 1. There are fome preachers who imagine it a fine thing to take exordiums from the perfons of their hearers, or the circumftances of times, places, general affairs, or news of the world: but I believe this is altogether a vicious method, and fhould never be used but on extraordinary occafions. First, there is too much affectation in it. Is it not a vain parade to begin a discourse with things which have no relation to the matter? it is certainly contrary to the chastity and modefty of a Chriftian pulpit. Secondly, exordiums of this fort are ufually pulled in by head and thoulders. How fhould it be otherwife, when the articles of which they are compofed, have, if any, only a very diftant relation to the text? By fuch means you defeat the principal defign of an exordium, which is to prepare the hearers' minds, and. to conduct them infenfibly to the fubject. And, finally, it is very difficult in fuch exordiums to avoid faying impertinencies; for what, in a public discourse, can be more indelicate, than to fpeak of yourself, or hearers, or times, or news? In my opinion, fuch exordiums ought to be entirely rejected.

2. You must alfo, for the most part, reject exordiums taken from profane hiftory, or what they call the apophthegms of illuftrious men. This method favours too much of the college, and is by no means in the tafte of pious, well-bred men. Alexander, Cæfar, Pompey, all the great names of antiquity, have no bufinefs to afcend the pulpit; and if they are not fuffered now-adays, either in orations in the fenate, or in pleas of the bar, much less ought they to be allowed in Chriftian fermons. It may not be amifs if they appear now and then in the difcuffion, or in the application; but even there we ought to fee them but feldom, not oftener than once a year at moft: but to introduce them at the beginning of a fermon is intolerable. I fay much the fame of citations from profane authors; they must be forborne, unless it be something so particular, fo agreeable, and fo apt to the text, as to carry its own recommendation along with it. Of this kind, I think, was the exordium of a fermon on this text: So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. It was taken from Plutarch, who relates, that Alcibiades called one day to fee Pericles, and was told by his domeftics that their mafter was busy in preparing his accounts to lay before the Republic: to which he immediately replied, Inftead of labouring to make up his accounts, it would be incomparably better to render himfelf not accountable to them at all. It was added, that this is the notion of almost all wicked men, who, being ignorant of God their governor, and feeling their confciences charged with a thoufand crimes, think only of eluding the judgment of God, and of avoiding that account which they will one day be obliged to give to the Matter of all creaturesthat if only one man, or two men, were in queftion, the attempt of Alcibiades might fucceed; but as it was God with whom they had to do, it must be worfe than foolish to imagine his tribunal could be avoided that there was no other way to take, than to prepare to give an account to God; nor any advice more reafonable, than to labour continually to do it well-and that, for this purpose, even felf-intereft fhould oblige us to have recourfe to God to affift us by his grace-this is what the church aims to teach us in the words of the prophet,-So teach us

to

to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

In general, the beft exordiums are taken from theology; for as, on the one hand, they have always more relation to the matter of the text, fo, on the other, they much better prepare the hearers' minds, being more grave, and free from the puerile pedantries of the college.

In order to compofe an exordium, after you have well confidered the fenfes of the text, and obferved what are the principal matters which ought to enter into the dif cuffion, and after you have made the divifion, endeavour to reduce the whole to one common idea, and then choose fome other idea naturally connected with that common idea, either immediately, or by means of another. If it be immediately connected with the fubject, endeavour to reduce it to one propofition, which may be cleared and proved as you go on; or if it have parts, which require feparate explications and proofs, it must be managed fo as to include them; and, finally, by the natural connexion of that propofition with the difcuffion, enter into the text. If the propofition be connected with the text only remotely, then eftablifh the firft, pafs on to the fecond, and to proceed from the fecond to the text *.

Exordiums may be taken from almoft all the fame topics as obfervations, that is, from genus, fpecies, contraries, &c. for there are but few good exordiums which might not go into the difcuffion, under the title of general obfervations. Of fuch observations, that must be chofen for an exordium which is leaft effential, or leaft neceffary to the difcuffion, and which, befides, is clear, agreeable, and entertaining. A comparison may fometimes be employed in an exordium, but not often; nor muft trivial compari

• Connect the parts of the exordium with the subject of the difcourfe. "Quoties autem proœmio fuerimus ufi, tum five ad expofitionem tranfibimus, five protinus ad probationem, id debebit in principio poftremum effe, cui commodiffimè jungi initium fequentium poterit. Ut non abruptè cadere in narrationem, ita non obfcurè tranfcendere eft optimum. Si verò longior fequetur, ac perplexa magis expofitio, ad eam ipfam præparandus judex erit: ut Cicero fæpius, fed hoc præ. cipuè loco fecit: Paulo longius exordium rei demonfirande petam; quod quæfo, judices, ne moleflè patiamini. Principiis enim cognitis, multo facilius extrema intelligetis."--Pro Cluent. Quint. Inft. lib. iv.

de Exordio.

fons

fons be used, which all the world know, or which are taken from any thing mean; nor muft they be embarraffing, taken from things unknown to the people, as thofe are which are borrowed from mechanics, aftronomy, &c. of which the people know nothing at all.

Bible hiftory may be used, but fparingly; and the ap plication must be always juft, agreeable, and, in fome fort, new and remarkable.

Types may also be employed, but with the fame precautions, always confulting good fenfe and taste.

The best method is, to compofe feveral exordiums for the fame text, by turning your imagination divers ways, by taking it in all its different relations; for by fuch means you may choose the most proper. But after all these. general precepts, which indeed ought to be known, and by which exordiums must be regulated, it is certain, the invention and compofition of an exordium can only become eafy by practice. A young preacher ought not to complain of trouble, nor to be any way negligent in the matter, for he may be fure of fucceeding by attention and application.

CHA P. X.

OF THE CONCLUSION*.

THE conclufion ought to be lively and animating, full of great and beautiful figures, aiming to move Chriftian affections as the love of God-hope-zeal-repentance-felf-condemnation-a defire of felf-correction-confolation-admiration of eternal benefits-hope of felicity-courage and conftancy in afflictions-fteadiness in temptations-gratitude to God-recourfe to him by prayer-and other fuch difpofitions †.

There

Conclufion. This in a fermon answers to what in an oration is called the peroration. "It recapitulates, or fums up the ftrongeft and chief arguments, and, by moving the paffions, endeavours to perfuade the bearers to yield to the force of them." Arift. Rhet.

The fire of the preacher thould blaze here; he fhould collect the ideas of his whole fermon into this part, as rays are collected in the focus of a burning-glafs, and inflame the hearts of his auditors.

A conclufion fhould excite Chriftian difpofitions. If the Reader attend to thefe obfervations of Mr. Claude, he will fee more clearly the use that is to be made of the APPLICATIONS and INFERENCES that are contained in the Skeletons published by the Editor of this Effay. VOL. I.

Bishop

There are three forts of difpofitions, or emotions; the violent-the tender-and the elevated. The violent are, for example, indignation, fear, zeal, courage, firmnefs against temptations, repentance, felf-loathing, &c.

The tender emotions are, joy, confolation, gratitude; tender fubjects are, pardon, pity, prayer, &c. The elevated are, admiration of the majefty of God, the ways of Providence, the glory of Paradife, the expectation of benefits, &c.

There are fome Chriftian paffions which may be excited either by a tender or violent method. Repentance is of this kind; for which extremely tender motives may be employed, as the love and bounty of God, which we have fo unworthily treated. Violent motives may also be ufed, as cenfure, an enumeration and defcription of the enormity of the fins reigning amongft us, the horror of our ingratitude, the fear of God's judgments, the juftice of his fcourges and chaftifements, &c.

In like manner, firmnefs againft temptations may be. difcuffed; for tender motives may be ufed, as---the vanity of the promises and hopes of this world, which are only falfe and delufive appearances--the confideration of the miferable state of backfliders and apoftates--the dignity to which God calls his children-the eternal rewards which attend perfeverance-the joy of a good man when he has gained a fignal virtue over temptations. Violent methods may alfo be employed, as infpiring an holy ambition to defeat the defigns of the world-a contempt of the plots and powers againft us--the hope, or rather the inviolable aflurance we have, that all the powers of earth joined together cannot fake' us. St. Paul ufes mixed motives at the end of the eighth of Romans: Who shall feparate us from the love of Chrift? lation, or diftrefs, or perfecution, or famine, or peril, or fword? Nay, in all thefe things, than conquerors through him that loved us.

Shall tribuor nakednofs, we are more For I am perfuaded,

Bishop Burnet fays, "A fermon, the conclufion whereof makes the auditory look pleated, and fets them all talking with one another, was certainly either not rightly fpoken, or not rightly heard; it has. been fine, and has probably delighted the congregation rather than edified it: but that fermon that makes every one go away fileut, and grave, and haftening to be alone to meditate, and pray the matter over in fecret, has had a true effect."-Paft. Care, chap. ix.