for the sacred books themselves. But every attentive reader of the scriptures has felt how injudiciously, in some instances, this division has been made; and every christian minister now knows, or should know, how much more advantageously for the understanding of the bible, it might be separated into sections. In expository preaching, such sections might be formed. And it would often be greatly useful to hearers, to be taught the connexion of parts, which have been disjoined by our present division into chapters and verses.

It is a question demanding the serious attention of ministers, how far the practice which prevails of preaching only sermons from single texts, has a tendency to make men satisfied with single texts in their views of divine truth; and how far it has a tendency to repress, rather than to encourage, the careful reading of the scriptures.

I am aware that many ministers, by their great care in the selection, and the attention they bestow on the connexions, of their texts; and by the minuteness with which they exhibit these connexions; do in fact make many of their sermons, to a considerable extent, expository. And I would ask those who have been accustomed to this manner of treating their texts, if any part of their sermons has been heard with more attention, or with more interest than this, in which they have endeavoured to give the true import of the divine word? The last appeal is always to the word of God; and if the doctrine or duty, which, is the subject of discourse, be clearly taught in the scriptures," it will generally be received with confidence and submission. The attention with which these expositions are heard, indicates the interest and advantage, with which the portion of scripture so explained will be afterwards read by hearers; and the great benefits they might derive from a regular course of them.

I have heard of a clergyman who, when dying, recurred to it as one of the happiest circumstances of his ministry, that in his sermons 'he had never used any part of scripture to prove or to enforce any thing, for which he did not believe that it was designed by its author;-that he had never given a meaning to any part of scripture, which he did not at the time think was the meaning intended to be conveyed by it. This may ap pear to some to be a peculiar circumstance of self-congratulation. But let him who is without offence in his citations from the word of God, cast the first stone!

Sometimes texts are nothing more than mottos. There is no direct reference to them throughout the sermon. The discourse is written upon a subject, without reference to a text; and a text is afterwards added in compliance with custom. Admit that sermons of this sort should be preached; that they New Series-vol. I.

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give scope to observation and to appeal, to which merely expository discourses are far less favourable. But this surely is not the only way in which ministers should preach. It is not the kind of preaching best suited to lead men to the study of the scriptures. It fixes attention on no particular part of the bible; and few hearers, to satisfy themselves of the propriety, or incorrectness of any views which have been so presented, will search the word of God, that they may learn whether or not these things are so.

is the corner stone of Protestantism, that the Bible is the only rule of faith and practice. How then can ministers so strengthen the cause of protestantism, as by leading men to the study of the bible? Different sects of christans lecture upon the creeds received in their churches; and by this means, essentially, have human creeds retained their authority; and in many places have been better understood, and more readily ap plied as a test of truth, than the bible. Fas est ab ullis doceri. If ministers would have the scriptures to be the last resort on all questions of christian doctrines and duties, let them lecture upon the scriptures.

Dr. Lathrop of West Springfield has been, and is, one of the most popular and useful of the ministers of our country, who have published their sermons; and I believe that no one of his volumes has been so generally read, and with so much interest, as his Discourses on the Epistle to the Ephesians.

I will mention one other advantage of expository preachingIt gives to ministers a great advantage in the exhibition of characters, which they would present to their hearers, either for imitation, or for warning; and opportunities for attacking vices, without incurring the imputation of personality.

In the regular course of expository exercises, the vices of par articular individuals, as well as those which are more com mon, may be brought to view, and all their guilt and danger exposed, without giving room for the charge, that the minister has gone out of his way, in becoming so directly the censor of public manners, or the guardian of individual virtue. Truth is indeed expected from the lips of a faithful minister; and truth which, not unfrequently, must wound the feelings,-bappy if it be the heart-of the hearer. But surely, it becomes the preacher to be most cautious, that it be obvious even to him who most acutely feels the rebuke, that he who inflicted the wound intended good alone, and not evil; that he had no pas sion of his own to gratify in giving pain to another. Happy the minister, who so administers reproof, both public and private, that it shall be felt to be, not his admonition or censure, but God's. If the heart must be penetrated till it bleeds, let it not

be with the rough hand of the assassin. Let it rather be with the skill of an able physician; with the tenderness of a sincerely affectionate friend. Let not a minister conceal one truth which he ought to preach; or pass over one vice, against which he ought to raise his voice, and exert his influence. But it becomes him very seriously to consider, by what manner of preaching he may best accomplish the great objects of his ministry; and if expository preaching will enable him to become a more successful reprover, it is a consideration of no small importance to enforce the duty.

One of the most venerable clergymen in this section of our Country said, that in expository preaching he had fourd his best opportunities of successfully attacking vice. In preaching in course from the New Testament, he could not but frequently preach to individuals. But every individual perceived that it was Christ or his apostle, who was admonishing him. The preacher must have gone out of his way, and obviously have failed of his duty, if he had failed of applying the instruction, which was keenly felt; but which came to the heart as an arrow from the quiver of the Almighty. Even the most jealous could not suspect the preacher of an improper design; nor the most querulous complain, where he had been guilty if he had been silent.

The manner in which expository preaching should be conducted, is a subject of too much importance for a paragraph or two, at the close of this long communication. I shall be happy, if, in stating some of its advantages, I may attract attention to the subject, which I can hardly doubt will be a means of extending the practice; and with it, the interest and usefulness of the public exercises of the Lord's day.

ON SYSTEMS OF THEOLOGY.

OUR minds are so formed, that when the subject, on which we employ them, is at all intricate and complex, we always find ourselves unable to view it at once in all its relations and dependencies. We can consider only one point of it at a time. We are therefore obliged to examine its parts separately and in succession; and after having done this, we may then proceed to combine the knowledge, we bave acquired, and form a judgment of the whole.

This is the way by which we arrive at a knowledge of the character of God. We do not discover the divine attributes, as they exist combined and blended in the divine person; but

we ascertain them, one after another, as they are revealed to us in the works of nature, or proclaimed to us in the operations of Providence. We see the power of God in his creating and forever upholding the world we inhabit, and the thousand other worlds, which he has scattered through the interminable void of space. We see the wisdom of God in that wonderful contrivance every where visible throughout the kingdom of nature; by which all the parts of this stupendous whole, are made to move on together in eternal harmony. We see the benevolence of God in the nice adaptation of all his dispensations to the condition and wants of his creatures; by which their happiness promoted, and all things are made to work together for good. After this manner we become acquainted with all the divine attributes; and when we have so discovered, we combine them, and form what we call the character of God. This combination we also call a system of natural theology.

After the same manner we also learn the doctrines of revelation. The christian doctrines are not given to us in the New Testament arranged in a systematic form; but we are obliged to deduce them from various parts of scripture, scattered as they are throughout the sacred volume. It is in this way that we discover and collect the articles of our faith, one after another, as we can find them,-incorporating them together into one system, which we denominate a system of divinity; an according to which we regulate our religious belief. We have been thus particular in stating the process of the understanding in acquiring religious knowledge, and in forming a system of divinity, because we think the very mode of proceeding to be such, as to expose us to errours and mistakes. Some of the sources of these we shall now rapidly mention and illustrate; premising however, that our remarks will be applicable to those who adopt systems already framed, as well as to those, who frame them for themselves; for in both cases the process is similar, and the dangers are the same.

The first source of errour which we shall mention, consists in our disposition to make or adopt a system too soon ;—before we have acquired a sufficiently full and accurate knowledge of the single doctrines, out of which it is to be, or has been formed. When mankind possess any information upon a subject, no matter how imperfect and partial it may be, they are impatient and uneasy till they have reduced it to a theory. As soon therefore, as thay have caught a glimpse of a few of the doctrines of our religion, they proceed to frame or choose a system, and readily supply, as they go along, what they want in information, by imagining or inventing whatever they suppose necessary to the harmony of the whole. It is needless for us to

spend any time in showing how much this disposition must expose to errour. If we follow it, and adopt a system before we thoroughly understand it-we may be right; but if we are so, it is evident, it must be altogether by accident. The evils and errors, which have arisen in the other sciences from this pas, sion for theorizing, have been sufficiently exposed and lamented. But those that have resulted to religion from the same source, do not seem to have been properly animadverted on ;-certainly little has been done to correct or prevent them. Ask many a zealous champion for the system he may deem orthodox, whether he clearly and fully understands all the doctrines embraced in it; and we believe, if he will allow himself time for reflection, and liberty to be honest, he will acknowledge his ignorance on a point apparently so important. Nay, state to him those doctrines;-explain them in all their force and in all their bearings, and he will be astonished to find, how opposite those opinions are, which he has unconsciously supported in his system, from those which he has really entertained in his heart. Oftentimes, indeed, men have in this way been led to renounce systems, which they have hitherto upheld merely because they were ignorant of their import; to renounce them too with something of that horrour and loathing, with which they would cast off one, whom they had hitherto regarded and treated as a contidant, and bosom friend, but now find to be a deceiver, and a traitor.

A second source of error is, that in framing or choosing our system of divinity, we may do it under the influence of strong prejudice. An unequal and improper stress is often laid upon one or two doctrines, so as virtually to exclude other doctrines, alike true and important. From education, or from natural disposition, or from their own peculiar circumstances, or from some other ground of preference, men are apt to contract a prejudice in favour of one or two opinions considered apart and alone. In framing their systems they will therefore always give these opinions the advantage over the rest;-making them every where appear prominent and conspicuous, and flinging all the others into the shade. One or two truths are singled out to extol and celebrate; and every other truth, though of undisputed authority, is virtually, if not expressly, sacrificed to them.

This is especially true of the attributes of God. Hence it is that one system is chiefly employed in telling of the tremendous power of the Deity;-as if its framers were not aware, that this power must always be considered as operating in conjunction with his justice, benevolence and mercy. It is true the dispo sal of all things is of the Lord; but we must always remember,