His Course of Reading; Favourite Authors
My dear Children, — I feel at a loss to determine what particulars to communicate concerning myself; but some things, not generally interesting to others, may be, in a measure, gratifying, if not useful, to my own relations, and partial friends.
I would now advert to my reading. Here I never pursued any particular plan, but was much determined by accident, and led by opportune circumstances. I am not recommending or justifying this course, but stating a fact. I was never accustomed to write out extracts from authors. This I lament, as there are many passages I should be glad to review, but know not where to find them in volumes I shall probably never have time to look through again.
I was always a devourer of books that came in my way; and to read the more, and not commanding the leisure I wished, 1 have learned to read with great rapidity, so that I can throw my eye over the pages, and dispatch a tolerable publication at one or two sittings. My reading also was very miscellaneous. I seldom refused anything that came in my way, as I found there was nothing that fell under the notice of a minister but may be turned to some account. I therefore did not restrict my attention to works advocating the sentiments of my own denomination. I was fond of scanning periodicals, few of which, of any note.
escaped me. Though a dissenter, I always read and admired the “Christian Observer,” and took it in from the beginning. Though a cordial believer in evangelical principles, I never omitted those Cyclops of literature — the Edinburgh and Quarterly Reviews. On general subjects — and how many of these are there! — I have derived profit from divines whose theological views have differed widely from my own. In divinity, and for unction, illustration, excitement, and effect, I have much preferred the old authors to most of the moderns. I love not to be singular, but I never could applaud Baxter above his brethren. He was a most holy and heavenly-minded man, but I am speaking of him as an author. He was often too speculative and metaphysical, and he confessed and lamented it before his death. He knew his skill, and therefore, attempted to saw the beams of cobwebs into planks, and multiplied distinctions as well as particulars, to the perplexity of the reader. His more experimental and practical writings are very excellent; but I never perceived more spirituality, or seriousness, or earnestness, in them, than in the productions of many of his cotemporaries. Does he in these qualities surpass Alleine, or Howe, or others of his brethren?
Leighton and Newton were always, with me, very favourite authors. What men of God were these! What a Christian spirit, what a Scriptural manner, what an experimental knowledge, what a devotional savour, do we always find in their writings! When a very young preacher, I was much struck with Dr. Hunter, and still more with Saurin. This eloquent author made such an impression upon me, that I instantly began to learn French, to be able to read him in the original, and to peruse the remainder of his untranslated sermons, as well as his other works. By this acquisition I gained access to the writings of many French divines. Catholic and Protestant, many of which I continue to value.
But as we advance towards maturity of taste we shall relish the natural more than the artificial, and not only distinguish between finery and elegance, but perceive that the one is destructive of the other. For disentangling a subject from confusion, for the power of development, for genuine simplification, for invention, what writer ever surpassed Robinson of Cambridge? Yet the sad defection of this inimitable genius from the truth, and the insinuations by which, I fear, he aimed to sap the doctrines he did not openly attack, render familiarity with his works dangerous. I found it so with regard to myself, and this has kept me from warmly recommending the perusal to my younger brethren, who are often in nothing” so much to seek,’^ as in simplicity and naturalness.
The composition of Daviess Sermons, of New England, is too equable and elaborate, and wants relief and shade; but I must confess, no discourses ever appeared to me so adapted to awaken ‘the conscience and impress the heart. In reading them, one seems always to feel that they were written by a man who never looked off from the value of a soul and the importance of eternity, or sought for anything but to bring his hearers under” the powers of the world to come.^^ I could wish the sermons of riavel (especially by some of our ministers) were better known, and more prized and imitated. They excel in evangcKsm and in brevity (not the common character of the age in which they were written), and in avoiding or rendering needless much explication, its room being occupied by natural inferences and striking applications. The late Mr. Hall spoke much to me in their favour.
Having mentioned the name of this truly great man, I must judge for myself even in his presence, and express my dissent from him with regard to Dr. Owen. I think Mr. Hall must have conceived a prejudice against this eminent theologian, from having read only some unfavourable specimen of his works; for I am persuaded, froin his manner when Owen was mentioned in his company, that he was not familiar with his publications at large. However this may be, I cannot but join Newton and Cecil in considering him the prince of divines. We let go some of his controversial works (though even these display much learning and acumen); but it seems not a little strange that the author of the ‘’ Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews,^’ and ‘^ The One Hundred and Thirtieth Psalm, ‘^ and the treatises on “The Spirit,’’ and on “The Person and Glory of Christ,’’ and on ‘^ Spiritual Mindedness,” and on ‘* The Mortification of Sin in Believers,” &c., should have been ever called “a continent of mudJ*
As to commentators, I have always deemed Mr. Scott, upon the whole, the best expositor for the connected meaning of Scripture, and for the consultation of ministers in any difficulties. The very first page I ever wrote that appeared in print was in recommendation of this work. This may seem strange, and be deemed assuming; but the work was then coming forth in numbers, and (not the author, but) the publishers craved testimonies in its favour from every one who was likely to infiuence a single subscriber; and these were printed on the wrappers of the numbers as they came out. Yet I did not write without exercising my judgment, and feeling a conviction which has grown upon me ever since. But for private and pious use I never found anything comparable to Henry, which, as old John Ryland said, “a person cannot begin to read without wishing he was shut out firom all the world, and able to read it through, without stopping.”
I always much preferred our own divines to foreign theologians, especially those of the German school — a growing fondness for which I deem no good omen. I have also much prized the French Hugonot divines, who wrote before, and some rather after, the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. These I consider as
deservedly vying with our own theologians in talent and Scriptural knowledge, and considerably before them in composition, with the exception of Bates. Would God there was a revival of these great and good men in their now infidel, superstitious, irreligious, and distracted country!
As to my studying y I never set apart regularly any particular time, thereby reducing the exercise to a kind of mechanism, or compulsion. I endeavoured to think more habitually. As to preaching, I chose my texts and subjects as early in the week as possible. Thus I not only had always something to fill any spare moments, but approaching what I had selected for discussion, without constraint and repeatedly, and from difierent sides and aspects, it opened to my mind more naturally and easily, and with more enlargement and variety.
After, a nervous malady, and to avoid sedentariness, I also much accustomed myself to think abroad. The practice was difficult at first, as my attention was often diverted; but I soon by use acquired the power of fixed and regular application; and the sceneries of nature rather aided than injured my meditations; inspiring also the trains of my reflection with a freshness and feeling underivable from dry and dull porings over books. In these musings in the garden, the meadow, the field, the wood, the leading ideas of my discourse soon fell into their proper places, and a division resulted without much efibrt; so that, when I came home, I had only to secure what I had already found, and to write what I had already methodized; and I could (without short-hand, which I lament I never learned) by various contractions and natural signs, easily remembered, include much of my subject in a small compass. I seldom, therefore, ever wrote a sermon at full length, but only a draft or sketch (it is commonly, as you know, called a skeleton), more or less full, according to its requirements, leaving the subordinate fillings-up, after meditation and prayer, to the impressiveness and excitations of the
audience, and the delivery, and the assistance authorized to be hoped for where means have been duly used. Even these notes I never took with me into the pulpit, till within the past year, and I am sorry I ever took them. The memory, like a friend, loves to be trusted, and seldom fails to reward the confidence reposed in it.
Though I did not usually write my sermons, in order either to read or mandate them (according to the Scottish phrase and practice), yet I rarely neglected my pen. As I had opportunity I was constantly committing thoughts and sentiments to writing. It was one of the advices of Mrs. Hannah More, at my first acquaintance with her, to write much. “It matters not, comparatively,’^ said that extraordinary woman (to whom I early owed much), on what a young composer first writes; by the constant use of his pen, he will soon form a style; and by nothing else can he attain it.’’ She also recommended writing with as much celerity as possible, regardless of trifling inaccuracies. “These,” she said, “should not be suffered to check and cool the mind. These may be safely left for correction in review; while advantage is taken of the heat of composition to go on to the end; it being better to produce the whole figure at one fusion, than to cast successively various parts, and then conjoin them.”
I always composed rapidly. If I succeeded at all to my satisfaction, it was commonly at once. What I produced by mere dint of effort seldom pleased me. The mind should, indeed, be excited by love to the subject, or pleasure in the study; but I always found a consciousness of difficulty and elaboration unfavourable to success. The production was wanting in simplicity and naturalness. There is no reaching flowers by ladders and balloons. They do not grow in the air, but in the ground. They are not above our head, but at our feet. We find them in walking. We bend to view them, and stoop to gather them.
I always found one thing very helpful in the choice and in the
study of my subjects for preaching. It was the feeling of a rightness of aim and motive, — i. e. a simple regard to usefulness; and a losing sight of advantage, popularity, and applause. This, it may be said, is rather a moral than an intellectual auxiliary. Be it so. But we know who has said,” When thine eye is single, thy whole body shall be full of light.^^ And is not even reputation itself better and more surely acquired when it follows us, than when it is pursued? If we do not lose it, we corrupt it, by making it our aim, instead of leaving it to follow as a consequence in the discharge of duty, and so making it the honour that Cometh from God only.
With regard to my texts, many from time to time gradually occurred; many also were obtained from the Scriptures read in our family worship j but to avoid the loss of time in searching for others,, and to secure a constant sufficiency, I followed the advice and practice of Job Orton. I procured a blank book, and wrote at the top of the page any passage of Scripture that impressed me with the thought that rendered it striking. One part of the book in the same way was separately allotted for texts suited to particular subjects, seasons, and occasions. These were always increasing; and to this store I repaired, if no other passage immediately offered.
I also always had a number of plans of sermons ready for use beforehand, in case I should be deprived of opportunity or fitness for my usual preparation; and seldom, if ever, did I take advantage of any one of them from idleness, but only from the want of health, spirits, or leisure.
I am, &c.