Of the Use and Character of Practical Writers

§ 1. 1 give you some general advices on the subject now before us. — And first, iet some practical writerbe daily read. Practical religion is important to ourselves; and a practical strain of preaching is important to our people. — We shall thus form ourselves to words and a proper way of expression.

§ 2. Read them at once with a view to your improvement as christians, and preachers. — Make observations on their matter and style.

§ 3. Mingle authors of various strains. — Otherwise you will learn a disagreeable imitation of one. — Seem not to have any writer in view in the manner of your compositions. — Water running through a bed of steel is apt to take a chalybeate taste and tincture.

4. Make references to remarkable passages, that you may review them a second time. Nor will it be amiss to mark them in the margin, if the book is your own. — Keep a catalogue of such things as you would read before you preach upon any subject.

§ 5. Having made these general remarks, I proceed to give you the characters of several practical writers of our own nation,*-* which may be divided into four classes; the puritans — the Nonconformists of the last age — those of the present — and authors of the established church.

§ 6. I recommend to youjirt, to form some acquaintance with the puritans, though they are too often despised. — There was good sense and learning in those days, as well as ours. — Our grand mothers had real beauty though the change of fashions has made their dress ridiculous to us. — I shall name but few: —

§ 7. Bolton. — He had been a great and notorious sinner, and was reclaimed by great terrors, — He is excellent both for conviction

14 LEOTURBS ON t*RB ACHING.

and consolation. — His style is rather inclined to bombast, yet there are. many expressions truly great and magnificent. — The beauties of imagination are most visible in his four last things. — But his most useful treatises are Directions for comfortable walking with God and for comforting distressed Consciences, — There we see the traces of a soul most intimately acquainted with God

§ 8. Bp. HALL.-The most elegant and polite writer of his age. — He abounds rather too much with antithesis and witty turns.-^In some of his writings he seems to have imitated Seneca and Austin. — His sermons ar much worse for a compliance with the taste of the age in which he lived. — His Contemplations are incomparably valuable for language, criticism, and devotion. Next to them his Meditations, his Letters, and Balm of Gilead are worthy of attention.*

§ 9. Reynolds — A. most elaborate writer. — ■He has many surprising similes. — His style -is remarkably laconic. — A world of things are generally touched upon which shew his extensive acquaintance with human nature, as well as great labour.-^^His works contain a judicious collection of scripture, both in the text and margin.

•The Rer. Mr. Pratt has just sent out proposals for publishing by subscription, the whole Works ofBish* op Uall, in 10 vols. 8vo price to Subecribers 7^. 6d» each vol.

§ 10. SiBBs. — His language is nervous and decent. — His dedications are very handsome, — His style pathetic and tender, especially so in his Bruised Reed, and Soul’s Conflict.

§ 11. WARD.-^Wortliy to be read through, v — His language is generally proper, elegant, and nervous. — His thoughts are well digested, and happily illustrated. — He has many re*- markable veins of wit. — Many of the boldest* figures of speech are to be found in him be yond any English writer; especially Apostrophes, ProsopopsBias, Diologisms, Allegories. There is indeed a mixture of fancy in his writings; but pardonable, considering his youth.^ and that many of his sermons were not prepared by himself, for the press, but copied from his mouth while preaching. — He died before he was twenty-eight years old. — Had he lived, he would probably have been the phoenix of British preachers. 12. Hales of Eaton — ^-generally called the ever memorable — He is remarkably witty; has many very uncommon thoughts, and vast learning. — »-T here are many curious passages. in his works fit for a common-place book; but little judgment. — He has no good order and connection; — very little of a true unction appears in him; — the mere scholar also is too apparent. He writes like one that knows not much of human life; with an affectation of driving things to the utmost, which, by over-doing weakens the cause he designs to sup? port. — His Golden Remains, and additional

Tracts should be read. — None shew the man more than his Christian Omnipotence.*

§ 13. I now call your attention, in the SECOND place, to the Nonconformists of the LAST age; that is, those who wrote before 1700.

§ 14. Owen and Goodwin. — Both highly evangelical, but both very obscure, especially the latter. — Owen’s style resembles St. Paul’s, — There is great zeal and much knowledge of human life discovered in all his works; — especially in his book on Apostacy. — Dr. Wright seems to have taken many things from hence in his ^’ Deceitfulness of Sin.” — That on the Hebrews is his great work. — The Means of understanding the Mind of God in

* It is remarkable that our author does not insert

among the puritanical practical writers Perkins and

Preston Burroughs and Hildersham. See a charac-’

ter of these writers, and some others of this class

omitted by Doddridge in the Christian Preacher, p.

453, &c.

Dr. Thomas Jackson oar author says, can hardly be called b. practical writer, yet was so Teamed a di vine, and- had so many curious and peculiar sentUments, that he is not to be omitted in this collection. — His style is remarkably stiff and obscure, — bat generally full of meaning. — It is scarce possible to open in any page where we shall not find something seldom, if at all, to be met with any where else. — He carried his notioner of religion to a rery great height, — and shows such an acquaintance «rith human life as could not be expected from one so contemplative and recluse. — His book on the Authority of the Scripture, on the Attributes of God, — and on the Suffer* inffs of Christ, — are especially worth diligent perup sal; — a curious reader will find something remarka- ’ ble and W.orthy of reading in the whole.

Lect. ^.] PRACTICAL WRITERS 17

the Scriptures, is one of his best.-^Those on Communion with God, and on the Person of Christ, most celebrated. — :His Exposition of the 13Qth Psalm is most excellent. — His discourses of Indwelling Sin, Spiritual Minded* ness, and Mortification of Sin in Believers, shew great improvement in practical religion. — Goodwin’s pieces published in his lifetime are the most valuable. — In thejn there are ma« ny accurate, and valuable remarks on scripture. — His Child of Light walking in darkness is very useful for afflicted consciences. — Many uncommon thoughts.

§ 15. Baxter He is inaccurate, because

he had no rular education, and always wrote in haste, as in the views of eternity; but generally judicious, nervous, spiritual and evangelical ; — though often charged with the contrary. — He discovers a manly eloquence and the most evident proofs of an amazing genius; — with respect to which he may not improperly be called The English Demosthenes. — His works are very proper for conviction. — See his Saint’s Rest, — all his treatises on conversion, especially his Call to the Unconverted, Divine Life, Counsel to young Men. — Few were ever instrumental of awakening more souls.

§ 16. Manton — plain, easy and unaffected. — His thoughts are generally well digested, but there is seldom any thing extraordinary. — He has many judicious remarks on scripture. — His chief work is on, the 1 19th Psalm! — Many of his posthumous sermons ire of Utile Talae«

§ 17. Bates — diarmiiig and elegant; — yet his style not formed. — His sentences are too short; — his” words, however, are very polite; — admiraUe similes,-^oniy too many of them; — proper to be quoted by those whose genius does not lead in this Vay. — Read his Harmony of the Divine Attributes’ Spiritual Perfections, and Four Last Things. — He was well acquainted with poetry and the belles lei* tres; — an admirer as well as imitator of Cow-

LEY.

§ 18. Howe. — He seems to have ynderstood the gospel as well as any uninspired writer; — and to have imbibed as much of its spirit. — The truest sublime is to be found in his writings; — and some of the strongest pathos ; — yet he is often obscure, and generally harsh. — He has unhappily imitated the worst part of Boyle’s style. — He has a vast variety of uncommon thoughts; and, on the whole, is one of the most valuable writers in our language, and I beMeve, in the world. — His best pieces are, The Blessedness of the Righteous, Enmity and Reconiliation, Redeemer’s Tears, and The Redeemer’s Dominion; with some Funeral Sermons.

§ 19. Flavel. — Not deep, not remarkably judicious, — but plain, popular, tender. — Proper to address afflicted cases, and melt the soul into love. His Token for Mourners is inimitable; his Fountain of Life very useful; and most of the subjects proper to be preach- ly ovejr on Sacrament-days. Allusions to

Pagan stories both in him and Bates, are en« tertaining and useful.

§ 20. Charnock. — Celebrated by some as -a Polite writer, but chiefly by (hbse who are not true judges of politeness. — He has some fine words, but no cadence; which is also the fault of Bates. — His divisions are too numerous-; his thoughts are often obscure and in disorder; no dear acid distinct ideas in many of the dififerences he makes. Yet he has some -very valuable things. — On the Attributes, he is deep and sublime. His book on Regeneration is much applauded, Chough much inferior to Baxter, Alleine, and Wright.

21. Taylor (Nathaniel). — The Dissenting South. — There is vast wit, and great, strength of expression in all he wrote; y apt to aggravate matters a little too much. His language is remarkably proper and beautiful. His best pieces are his discourses on Faith, Deism, and the 0>venant. He wrote but little more than these. All deserve read 4ng.