explains; or, if it explains, it is by convenient synonyms, by easy and apprehensible comparisons. Not from recondite matters does it borrow its illustrations, but from the most obvious objects of nature, or the commonest scenes of life.

Nor is simplicity of thought alone to be learned from the Bible; it teaches also true simplicity of language. Not that it lacks beauty or sublimity; in these points it has no parallel. To beauty and sublimity, indeed, in their highest forms, true simplicity is essential-that simplicity which is the opposite of artifice, affectation, verbal confusion and obscurity, and every species of mannerism. From the rage for fine writing, which has sprung up in these days of high civilization, the pulpit is unhappily not always free. It has an ambitious glitter, at times, a gaudy and cumbersome efflorescence, for the correction of which nothing is more effective than intimate communion with scripture models. In the Bible, how obviously is thought first and style last; how is style, rather, naturally evolved from thought-how does it grow out of it, consubstantial with it, as the rind upon the plant, or the bark upon the forest tree. Who can imagine the apostle Paul thinking how he shall write a fine sounding paragraph, or Isaiah how he shall verbally polish and ornament a prophecy? style is instinct with thought-it is but a transparency through which thought shines.

The

To no other book is the general literature of our mother tongue so much indebted, as to the standard version of the Bible. No other book has contributed so much to form the best qualities in the style of our best preachers and theological writers. Take, as one of the most striking illustrations of this, John Bunyan. Whence came that purity of diction, that beautiful simplicity and naturalness, which have made the Pilgrim's Progress a favorite with all classes of readers in all Christendom? Not from the rules of rhetoric; for of these he had little knowledge. Not from a large acquaintance with literature; he was emphatically "a man of one book." It was from that intense study of the Bible, and that intimate acquaintance with it, to which his deep and absorbing experiences led him. When he lay "trembling under the mighty hand of God, continually torn and rent by the thundering of His justice," this made him, he says, ❝ with careful heart and watchful eye, with great fearfulness, to turn over every leaf, and with much diligence, mixed with trembling, to consider every sentence, together with its natural force and latitude." How could the habit thus formed, a habit he lost not in brighter days, fail to affect powerfully, not his thought alone, but the dress it assumed?

Another excellence likely to be attained by the scriptural preacher is originality. We mean not by this that he will invent new truths. It may be said of the spiritual as well as the natural

creation, that "the heavens and the earth are finished, and all the host of them." There is much justice in the remark, "He who seeks novelties will be sure to preach fancies." What we mean by originality is, the presenting of old truths in new relations, or in a new light. It is the utterance of one's own thoughts in one's own way, and with that freshness which ever attaches itself to the free action of mind, to the full development of one's idiosyncracy. Let it not be thought, that looking at the Bible as a model hinders originality. As well might it be hindered in the painter or the statuary, by the study of nature, or of the galleries of Versailles, or Florence, or Rome. If there be aught of creative power in the soul, nothing so effectually stirs it up as a model. Rules may form mediocrity-models awaken genius. Originality in all human science, it may be further noted, comes of resorting to its sources, its primordial elements. A mere copyist is he, for example, who writes a History of the Reformation from the perusal of Mosheim and Milner, or who adopts, with little or no observation, or attention to his own consciousness, a theory of volition from Brown or Stewart. He who begins with principles, on the other hand, or primary facts or proofs, must be original. So is it with him who goes directly to the Bible for his theology. If any fabric be reared, it must be his own. Who can doubt that, if, instead of that substantial reiteration of the comments and systems of others, which forms the staple of so many pulpit productions, the scriptures were primarily resorted to, and solely relied on, there would be a great gain, in point at once of freshness and impressiveness?

From such a method of study and composition, we remark further, there would result the excellent attribute of fulness. Not a plethora of words; of these there is seldom a lack. It is a fulness of thought we mean. "Reading," says Lord Bacon, "maketh a full man ;" but there is no reading in this respect like the reading of the scriptures. There is not merely in them "the seeds o things," but the seeds of all things. Gather together all the theological libraries of ancient and modern times; and so far as you have anything of truth before you, it is all to be found within the lids of the Bible. The scriptures, too, are wonderfully suggestive. We say not, with the rabbins, that there hang mountains of sense on every letter; but we may say, there are volumes of sense in every line. Simple as the Bible is a Book of principles-its paragraphs and sentences cannot but have innumerable relations. Select whatever theme you please, and go to the scriptures for the passages which bear upon it; and how shall one text suggest another, and each suggest some new thought; and how, as you dwell upon the thronging elements of discourse, shall they crystalize into beautiful forms of ratiocination or illustration. The suggestiveness of the Bible is truly philosophical. It is a

wonderful fabric, "fitly compacted together by that which every joint supplieth." As you follow out the affinities of truth there will result, not a heterogenous conglomeration, but a living, perfect organism. It will be not so much a process of building, as of growth from a germ. Greatly thus is the work of composition facilitated. Instead of wearily tasking himself to say something, the preacher will always have something to say. Around his theme apposite texts shall cluster, and apposite thoughts; they shall, "like so many nimble and airy servitors, trip about him at command, and in well ordered files as he could wish, fall aptly into their own places." Nor need we fear that the Book of Revelation, any more than the book of nature, will be exhausted. As, to the finer and still finer telescope, star after star shines out in the sky, so shall it ever be in the heaven of God's truth, to the eye studious faith.

of

To the quality of fulness, that of variety is intimately allied. It has been well remarked, that a metaphysical way of speech soon exhausts the circle of sacred topics. Reduce the objects of the material world to their ultimate elements, or even to genera and species, and these are soon told, and will soon, as reiterated, become wearisome. But we never tire of nature's forms just as she presents them. Infinitely diversified, and ever new and delightful, is her broad landscape. So with the truth of God. Reduce it to essences and classified abstractions confine yourself, as in such case you must, to a narrow round of philosophical dogmas-and your themes soon become familiar and powerless. Who has not noted the sameness of certain metaphysical preach? But lead forth your people among the deep valleys and high hills, the murmuring brooks and broad rivers, the variegated plains, and the many-hued forests-amid all the boundless diversity of the world of Revelation-and their interest shall never flag. There is no class of human relations or human duties, which the Bible does not touch-no possible conjuncture of human circumstances but it meets-no phase of human character but it sets forth-no field of appropriate illustration whence it draws not its materials. Though the same truth is exhibited thousands of times, it is yet never the same. These many presentations, like the leaves of the forest tree, or the spires of grass, or the faces of men, though all alike, are yet all unlike. So will it be with the presentations of him who makes the Bible his study and his model.

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We might speak, also, of the directness and boldness to be learned from the scriptures, so much more effective than a periphrastic, essay-like, timid fashion of speech. We might advert to the power of the Bible, fully possessing the preacher, in promoting life and fervor in delivery. We might dwell on the relations of a scriptural habit to that quality called tact-a quality so essential to wise and profitable ministrations, whether public or private.

Who so likely to understand human nature, as the man who studies profoundly those pictures of it which God has drawn? Who so apt to be discreet and prudent, as the man who addicts himself continually to divine wisdom, who meditates constantly on those patterns of well-judged and faithful ministration which the Bible presents? But leaving these points, we must pass to glance at one other important characteristic of scriptural discourse, its symmetry. We mean not the symmetry of a single sermon, though on that point much might be said; but the symmetry of one's whole teaching-of the total impression made.

On this point, there is often great deficiency-deficiency by reason of which there is a great curtailment of usefulness. To a symmetrical ministry it is essential, that the several parts of our compound nature should be addressed in due proportion. Yet how often is the intellect almost solely appealed to, while the heart is left untouched, and the conscience sleeps. Not unfrequently, again, are the feelings only dealt with; so that if any sort of piety result, it will be unintelligent and fitful. Nor is it a strange thing to meet with a preacher, who perpetually belabors the conscience, as if man had nothing else, or as if that could repent and believe; as if the utmost working of conscience would transcend the religion of devils; or as if to be perpetually dealing blows at it, were not the sure way to hammer it into hardness. Here, again, is a man whose preaching is almost exclusively subjective. If he arouse thought in his hearers at all, it is only to keep it in that narrow sphere, their own polluted and miserable selves. Here is another who is too entirely objective. So little has he to do with human consciousness and experience, that his people almost forget that truth is at all concerned with them. They come to regard it as something to be known rather than possessed, to be looked at rather than felt. Here is a preacher intent only on outside cleansing; here another, who neglecting that, dwells only on inward excellence. Here is one wholly absorbed in what he calls progress-a troublesome ultra-radical; here another intent only on holding back-a hardly less troublesome ultra-conservative. Now, without specifying further, nothing tends so to counteract and correct all extremes as addictedness to God's word. In that there is nothing one-sided--no malformation of doctrine; but, as in the works of God, there is everywhere a just proportion, a beautiful and glorious symmetry. Symmetrical will be his preaching, who in the temper of his heart, and in the shaping of his thought, bears the deep and distinct impress of the Bible.

3. Such are some of the elements of excellence which will be more or less manifest in the truly scriptural minister's discourse. We pass to speak briefly, in conclusion, of the effect of that discourse on the people. On this point, indeed, the remarks under the preceding head had all a bearing. But there are other things

worthy of a succinct notice. It is one effect of such preaching that it leads the people to exalt, not the preacher, but God's word. If they see that he studies it much, it will lead them to study it much. If they perceive that to him it is the end of all controversy, and the chief of all knowledge, so will it be to them. "There shall be like people, like priest." And surely a higher service can hardly be done, than to enthrone the Bible in the love and reverence of a community. The scriptural preacher will speak, too, with authority. His hearers will feel that, a worm though he is, it is God who speaks through him; and to the voice divine the conscience will respond. To the spiritually-minded such preaching is peculiarly grateful-nothing else satisfies them. With the devout Mrs. Graham, they often sigh for more of "the italics" in sermons. Or, failing to be fed, they may feel that something is wanting, hardly able to tell what. There is, indeed, no ministry so sure, as that we commend, to be generally acceptable-in all places and among all classes, with the high and the low, the learned and the unlearned. Were there more of the Bible in our pulpits, there would probably be less change there. The bonds which bind a minister and his people together, are in no way so fastened as by the iron rivets of the word. True, a man quite deficient in this respect may sometimes be greatly admired. Men may talk, as they leave the house of God, of his fine gestures, or fine tones, or fine figures, or fine philosophy. He may be unto them as " a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument." They may deem that he is the preacher, and that all good preaching will die with him. But how little thought do they take of the truth uttered! How evident is it, that the voice of the lauded one has but wrought on their ears a gentle titillation-that his discourse has but rolled over their hearts as a polished and pointless rotundity! Alas, for the reign of fashion and of worldliness, for the meagre prayer-meetings, and deserted closets, and careless, dying souls under such a ministry!-It is, in fine, on scriptural utterances only, the divine blessing is to be expected. "The word of God," and that alone, is "the sword of the Spirit." The sum of our commission is, "Preach the preaching that I bid thee." We may not "add unto" it; we may not "take away from " it; we may not be "as many, which corrupt the word of God." And that word, we are told, “is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword." It is "mighty, through God, to the pulling down of strong holds." When, in the humble and faithful use of it, we honor God, then, and then only, will He put honor upon our ministry; he will always cause us to triumph in Christ, and make manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place."