4. Figures must not be overstrained. This is done by ftretching metaphor into allegory, or by carrying a parallel too far. A metaphor is changed into an allegory, when a number of things are heaped up, which agree to the fubject, in keeping clofe to the metaphor. As in explaining this text, God is a fun and fhield; it would be ftretching the metaphor into an 'allegory to make a great col

lection of what God is in himfelf; what to us; what he does in the understanding and confcience of the believer; what he operates on the wicked; what his abfence caufeth; and all thefe under terms, which had a perpetual relation to the fun. (5) Allegories may be fometimes ufed very agreeably but they must not be ftrained, that is, all, that can be faid on them, must not be said. A parallel is run too far, when a great number of conformities between the figure, and the thing reprefented by the figure, are heaped together. This is almoft the perpetual vice of mean and low preachers; for when they catch a figurative word, or a metaphor, as when God's word is called a fire, or a fword; or the church a house, or a dove; or Jefus Chrift a light, a fun, a vine, or a door; they never fail making a long detail of conformities between the figures and the fubjects themselves; and frequently fay ridiculous things. This vice must be avoided, and you must be content to explain the metaphor in a few words, and to mark the principal agreements, in order afterward to cleave to the thing itself. (6)

(5) Corruptas aliquando et vitiofas orationes, quas tamen plerique judiciorum pravitate mirantur, legi palam pueris, oftendique in his, quam multa impropria, obicura, tumida, humilia, fordida, lafcivia, effeminata fint; quæ non laudantur modo a plerifque, fed (quod pejus eft) propter hoc ipfum, quod funt prava, laudantur. Nam fermo rectus, et fecundum naturam enunciatus, nihil habere ex ingenio videtur. Illa vero, quæ utcunque deflexæ

5. Reafoning

funt, tanquam exquifitiora miramur. Non aliter quam diftortis, et quocunque modo prcdigiofis corporibus apud quofdam majus eft pretium, quam iis nihil ex communis habitus bonis perdiderunt, &c. Quint. lib. ii. cap. 5.

quæ

See to this purpofe Dr. Gibbon's rhet. p. 45, &c.

(6) Mr. Rollin, from Tully obferves, that the fureft and eafielt way to reprefent the beauty of a metaphor, and, in general, to explain the beautiful paffages in authors with

julness,

5. Reasoning must not be carried too far. This may be done many ways; either by long trains of reafons, compofed of a quantity of propofitions chained together, or principles and confequences; this way of reafoning is embarraffing and painful to the auditor: Or by making many branches of reafons, and eftablishing them one after another; this is tirefome and fatiguing to the mind. The mind of man loves to be conducted in a more fmooth and eafy way; all must not be proved at once; but, fuppofing

pofing principles, which are true and plain, and which you are capable of proving and fupporting, when it is neceffary, you muít be content with ufing them to prove what you have in hand. Yet I do not mean, that in reafoning, arguments should be so short and dry, and propofed in fo brief a manner, as to diveft the truth of half its force, as many authors leave them. I only mean, that a due medium should be preferved; that is, that without fatiguing the mind and attention of the hearer, reasons should be placed in just as much force and clearness, as are neceffary to produce the effect.

Reasoning alfo may be overstrained by heaping great numbers of proofs on the fame fubje&t. Numerous proofs are intolerable, except in a principal matter, which is like to be much queftioned or controverted by the hearers. In fuch a cafe you would be obliged to treat the fubject fully and ex profeffo, otherwife the hearers would confider your attempt to prove the matter as an ufelefs digreffion. (7) But when you are obliged to treat a fubject fully, when that fubject is very important, when it is doubted and controverted, then a great number of proofs are proper. In fuch a cafe you must propofe to convince and bear down the opponent's judgment, by making truth triumph in many different manners. In fuch a cafe, many proofs affociated together to produce one effect, are like many rays of light, which naturally strengthen each other, and which all together form a body of brightness, which is irresistible. (8)

6. You

(7) Bad and multifarious reafoners refemble Homer's giants: Οσσαν ἐπ ̓ Οὐλύμπω μέμασαν θέμεν αὐτὰς ἐπ Οσση Πήλιον εινοσίφυλλον, ἵν ̓ ἐφανὸς ἀμβατές εἴη.

Odyfey,

(8) Mr. Saurin in his fer- ing how difficult it is to form mon on holiness, after obferv. an adequate idea of it, fays, << Perhaps

6. You must as much as poffible abftain from all forts of obfervations foreign from theology. In this clafs I place, 1. Grammatical obfervations of every kind, which not being within the people's knowledge can only weary and difguft them. They may nevertheless be used when they furnish an agreeable sense of the word, or open fome important obfervation on the fubject itself, provided it be done very seldom and very pertinently. (9)

"Perhaps one of the principal caufes of its obfcurity, is its clearness. For it is a truth, which we teach thofe, whom we form to the art of reafon- ⚫ ing, that when an idea is carried to a certain degree of evidence and fimplicity, all, that is added to clear, only ferves to obfcure and confound it. Is not this the caufe of many difficulties on the nature of just and unjutt,?» Ser. fur la fainteté, tom. iv.

(9) I take the liberty of fubjoining an example taken from a funeral fermon of one Humfrey, page 191. "Gen. v. 5. and he died. We are met on this folemn occafion to do our laft office to a friend, to bring him to his long home, to wait on him to his bedchamber, there to take our laft leave and good-night for ever; draw to the curtains and put out the lights. It cannot be expected I fhould fay any thing of the deceafed; being a ftranger, I know nothing of his converfation, nothing of his life: but this I

2. Critical

know, he was a fon of Adam, he has followed his forefather, as we must all do him - and he died.

"We are difcourfing over the dead, and dying ftories fhould be fad ftories; fuch a one I have to tell you; a tragedy, the faddeft under heaven, never fuch a killing tragedy, where the world is flain in one act; Adam's tragedy, which we have acted in the chapters before: the perfons, Adam, Eve, and ferpent: the ftage at firft ftrewed with flowers, paradife, now with blacks. The plot, a moft devilish plot, the most con founding plot, was fin; the catastrophe, the end of all, is the text, Adam's exit; exit Adam carrying off the deadand he died.

"In the text are three particulars fet out by three little words, and thofe feveral parts of fpeech not unbefitting the various cafes and declensions of man's mortality. The firft and, a conjunction, notes the coherence; the fecond he, a pronoun, that's the subject of

the