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the evil; one, in discontinuing evening servicesentirely, the other, in endeavouring to bring our: parishioners to it. Which of those resolutions ist more conscientious, and more satisfactory, judge yel Now, I have reason to believe, that this want of due attendance would be remedied by some such exertion, on the part of the minister, as that I am now suggesting. As I did not think myself at liberty to recommend an experiment to others which I had not tried myself, I have for some short time past attempted these expositions in my own parish church, and I will tell you the result. The afternoon >> congregation, which consisted of a few aged persons in the neighbourhood of the church, seldom amounted to more than twelve or fifteen; since the time I commenced this practice, the congregation have advanced from under twenty to above two hundred. This is a fact worthy your observation; because I have not a doubt but every clergyman, who makes a like attempt, will meet with the same. success, and many, I am persuaded, with much more. The increase of the congregation was greater than i I looked for, and some abatements are to be made; some effect must be attributed to novelty, which, of course, will not hold long; perhaps, also, there exists: 1 some small diminution of the morning congregation: but, with both these deductions, it still shows, as far as a single instance can show it, the complete efficacy of the expedient for the purpose of collecting a congregation. I am ready to admit, that much of the

same benefit would arise from many other modes of instruction: from lectures upon the Catechism, upon the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Commandments, the Thirty-nine Articles; and if any clergyman prefers any of these matters to that which I am suggesting, or judges himself better prepared for one than the other, he certainly ought to exercise his discretion in adopting what he thinks best. All that I mean to advance, is that something should be done. This opportunity could not be less usėfully employed than in setting one good thing in competition with another good thing; or, where both are excellent, in contending which is best. Never theless, I may be allowed to remark, that expositions of Scripture possess manifest advantage over other schemes of teaching; that they supply a more extensive variety of subject; as one short chapter, or half of a long one, will always be sufficient for one occasion. A lecturer A lecturer may hold on for a considerable length of time before he be brought back to begin his course anew, or to repeat what has been heard before....

Having thus stated what I apprehend to be the use of this expedient, it remains that I add something to show its practicability; for whatever was the advantage or merit of the plan, if it was only praeticable by men of extraordinary attainments, I should not have proposed it in this place such men want no directions from me; but unless I am much deceived in my notions of this measure, it will be found

as easy in the execution as it is laudable in the design. Any one commentary upon the New Testa ment will supply materials for the work, and is indeed all the apparatus necessary for undertaking it. I say any one; because those subtle and recondite criticisms, in which different commentators hold different opinions, cannot be brought within the compass of this design. Grotius, Whitby, Hammond, Clark, and, above all, Doddridge, will any of them be found to contain what is sufficient for the present purpose. I mention this last author in preference to the rest, because his paraphrase, beside that it for the most part exhibits a sound and judicious interpretation of the text, is both more copious and expressive, in clearer and better-chosen terms, than any other I have met with-qualities which render it peculiarly adapted to the province of public expounding. His notes likewise discover great learning, and in many instances much sagacity and acuteness. But in recommending this author, it is necessary to warn you against a part of his work, extremely unlike and unworthy of the rest; and that is, what he calls his improvements of the several sections, into which he divides the text. These improvements betray such a straining to raise reflections out of passages of Scripture, for which there is often no just place or real foundation, and are delivered in a style so im ̧ passioned, not to say fantastical, at least so incon sistent with the sober and temperate judgement which pervades the paraphrase itself, that no account can

be given of the incongruity, but that this excellent person found it necessary to accommodate his lan guage to the prevailing tone of the dissenting con gregations of those times. All that I mean to guard against is, that I may not be thought, in praising the work itself, to recommend to your imitation this part of it.

I have said that any one commentary will furnish what is necessary for expounding Scripture to a mixed congregation; nevertheless, I must take the liberty of adding, to the younger clergy especially, a recommendation which, whether applied to this pur pose or not, will be found an useful direction in the conduct of their studies; and that is, to provide themselves with an interleaved Greek Testament, into the blank pages of which they may not only transcribe the substance of such commentary as they regularly go through, but in which they may, from time to time, insert such occasional remarks on any text as they happen to collect in the course of their reading: this in time will grow into a commentary, in some measure, of a man's own; it will possess more variety and selection, as well as be more familiar and commodious to the compiler himself, than any published commentary can be.

For the purpose of public expounding, a different preparation will be necessary for different persons, and for the same person in the progress of the under taking: one may choose at first to write down the greatest part of what he delivers; another may find

it sufficient to have before him the substance of the observations he means to offer, which will gradually contract itself into heads, or notes, or common-places, upon which he will dilate and enlarge at his discretion. In the mode also of conducting the work great room is left for difference of choice: one may choose to expound the Second Lesson; another, the Gospel of the day; another, portions of Scripture selected by himself; and to another, it may appear best to begin with a Gospel and go regularly forward; which last method I have practised, as the most simple and connected. But in this last method I should propose, after having finished one Gospel, to proceed to such portions of the rest as contained something different from what was found in the first, which portions are pointed out in every harmony. The congregation would find themselves greatly assisted if they could be prevailed upon to bring their Bibles along with them to church, that they might have their eye upon the text whilst the minister was delivering his exposition. I hardly need observe, that in country parishes this scheme is only practicable during the summer season, when the length of the day and the state of the roads easily admit of the parishioners' coming twice a day to church.

I have made this recommendation the subject of my present address, because I know not any by which I could detain you so well worthy your consideration and regard. The best and highest purpose of these