Sometimes the connection of fubject - How to divide texts of reafoning Divifion must be expreffed fimply, bered Examples Page CHA P. V. Of Texts to be difcuffed by way of Two general ways of difcuffing a text, obfervation and explication Rules to determine the choice Difficult paffages must be treated of by way of explication Difficulties arise from words, or How to explain difficult words Difficult, and important fubjects muft be explained Explication of both exemplified ted texts Examples Page 117 John i. 17. 119 2 Cor. iv. 7. 167 187 Phil. ii. 6. 188 both fact and right Phil.ii.6.7,8 190 191 Explications of texts, which have Phil: ji. 13.193 Exemplified - Explication of propofitions which contain divers truths Confiderable in divers views Which have different degrees of accomplishment Inconfiderable propofitions Exod.iii.7,8 429 Ezek.xxxviii 431 Pf. xxxvii.3. 432 Prov. xv. 3. 433 End of the Contents of the First Volume. AN A N ESSAY ON THE COMPOSITION of a SERMON. CHAP. I. On the Choice of Texts. (1) HERE are in general five parts of a fermon, the exordium, the connection, the divifion, the difcuffion, and the application: but, as connection and divifion are parts which ought to be extremely (1) The prefent cuftom of reading a text of fcripture, to ferve for the ground of a difcourse, is derived from the time of Ezra. Before that time the prophets, and before them the patriarchs, delivered in public affemblies fometimes prophecies, and fometimes moral inftructions for the edification of the people. Noah was a preacher of righteousness; and Enoch, the feventh from VOL. I. Adam, prophefied. At the return of the Jews from the Babylonifh captivity, Ezra made, as he ought, the writings of Mofes the rule of his reformation of the church: But, as the people in the feventy years of their captivity had almoft loft the language in which their pentateuch was written, it became necessary to explain, as well as to read the fcriptures to them. Ac B cordingly extremely fhort, we can properly reckon only three parts; exordium, difcuffion, and application. However, we will just take notice of connection and divifion after we have spoken a little on the choice of texts, and on a few general rules of difcuffing them. (2) cordingly we are told, that Ezra, accompanied by feveral Levites, in a public congregation of men and women, afcended a pulpit, opened the book of the law, (the people all rifing from their feats on his opening the book.) addreffed a prayer to God, to which the people faid Amen, and read in the law of God diftinctly, and gave the fenfe, and caufed them to understand the reading, Neh. viii. 6,7,8. In later times Mofes was thus read in the fynagogues every Sabbath-day, Acts xv. 21. To this laudable custom our Saviour conformed, and, in the fynagogue at Nazareth, read a paffage in Ifaiah, clofed the book, after he had read it, returned it to the minifter, fat down, and preached from the text. Luke iv. 16, &c. The apoftles followed his example, Acts xviii. 4. the primitive fathers theirs, and the cuftom prevails over all the chriftian world at this day. This practice, however, was interrupted in the dark times of popery; and the ethics of Ariftotle were read in many churches on Sundays, instead of the holy fcriptures, as Melanthon and others tef 1. Never See Bayle's gen. dict. Ariftotle, rem. U. tify. (2) Bishop Wilkin fays, "Preaching fhould have its rules and canons, whereby men may be directed to the eafieft and readiest way for the practice of it. Befides all academical ftudies of languages, fciences, divinity, &c. befides all these, there is a particular art of preaching.---Two abilities are requifite in every one; a right understanding of found doctrine, and an ability to propound, confirm, and apply it to others. The first may be without the other; and, as a man may be a good lawyer, and yet not a good pleader; fo he may be a good divine, and yet not a good preacher. One reason why men of eminent parts are fo flow and unfkilful herein is, becaafe they have not been verfed in this study, and are therefore unacquainted with thofe proper rules and directions by which they fhould be guided in the attaining and exercise of this gift. It hath been the usual courfe at the university, to venture upon this calling in an abrupt, overhafty manner. When scholars have paffed over their philofophical ftu |