תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

fuch, as the excellency or the pleasures of religion, are often chofen by young preachers, as the moft fhowy, and the easiest to be handled; but thefe fubjects produce not the high effects of preaching. Attention is much more commanded by taking fome particular view of a great fubject, and employing on that the whole force of argument and eloquence. To recommend fome one virtue, or inveigh against a particular vice, affords a fubject not deficient in unity or precifion. But, if that virtue or vice be confidered, as affuming a particu lar afpect in certain characters, or certain fituations in life; the fubject becomes ftill more interefting. The execution is more difficult, but the merit and the effect are higher.

A preacher fhould be cautious not to exhauft his fub ject; fince nothing is more oppofite to perfuafion, than unneceffary and tedious fulness. There are always fome things, which he may fuppofe to be known, and fome, which require only brief attention. If he endeav our to omit nothing, which his fubject fuggefts; he muft unavoidably encumber it, and diminifh its force.

To render his inftructions interefting to his hearers fhould be the grand object of every preacher. He fhould bring home to their hearts the truths, which he incul cates; and make each fuppofe himself particularly addreffed. He fhould avoid all intricate reasonings; avoid expreffing himself in general, fpeculative propofitions;

or laying down practical truths in an abstract, metaphyfical manner. A difcourfe ought to be carried on in the strain of direct address to the audience; not in the ftrain of one writing an effay, but of one speaking to a multitude, and studying to connect, what is called application, or what immediately refers to practice, with the doctrinal parts of the fermon.

It is always highly advantageous to keep in view the different ages, characters, and conditions of men, and to accommodate directions and exhortations to each of thefe different claffes. Whenever you advance, what touches a mans character, or is applicable to his circumftances, you are fure of his attention. No ftudy is more neceffary for a preacher, than the ftudy of human life, and of the human heart. To discover a man to himself in a light, in which he never faw his character before, produces a wonderful effect. Thofe fermons, though the most difficult in compofition, are not only the most beautiful, but also the most useful, which are founded on the illuftration of fome peculiar character, or remarkable piece of history, in the facred writings; by pursuing which we may trace, and lay open, fome of the moft fecret windings of the human heart. Other topics of preaching are become trite; but this is an extenfive field, which hitherto has been little explored, and poffeffes all the advantages of being curious, new, and highly useful. Bishop Butler's fermon on the charafter of Balaam is an example of this kind of preaching.

Fafhion, which operates fo extenfively on human manners, has given to preaching at different times a change of character. This however is a torrent, which fwells to day, and fubfides to morrow, Sometimes po- etical preaching is fashionable; fometimes philofophical. At one time it must be all pathetic; at another all argumentative; as fome celebrated preacher has fet. the example. Each of these modes is very defective; and he, who conforms himself to it, will both confine and corrupt his genius. Truth and good fenfe are the fole basis, on which he can build with fafety. Mode and humor are feeble and unfteady. No example fhould be fervilely imitated. From various examples the preacher may collect materials for improvement; but fervility of imitation extinguishes all genius, or rather proves entire want of it,

CONDUCT OF A DISCOURSE IN ALL ITS PARTS.. INTRODUCTION, DIVISION, NARRATION, AND EXPLICATION.

HAVING already confidered, what is peculiar to each

of the three great fields of public speaking, popular affemblies, the bar, and the pulpit; we fhall now treat of what is common to them all, and explain the condu&t of a difcourfe or oration in general.

The parts, which compofe a regular oration, are these

fix; the exordium or introduction; the state or the division of the fubject; narration or explication; the reafoning or arguments; the pathetic part; and the conclu fion. It is not neceffary, that each of these enter into every public discourse, nor that they always enter in this order. There are many excellent difcourfes, in which fome of these parts are omitted. But, as they are the conftituent parts of a regular oration; and as in every discourse some of them muft occur; it is agreeable to our prefent purpofe, to examine each of them diftinctly.

The defign of the introduction is to conciliate the good will of the hearers; to excite their attention; and to render them open to perfuafion. When a fpeaker is previously secure of the good will, attention, and docility of his audience; a formal introduction may be omitted. Refpect for his hearers will in that cafe require only a fhort exordium, to prepare them for the ether parts of his discourse.

The introduction is a part of a difcourfe, which requires no fmall care. It is always important to begin well; to make a favorable impreffion at first setting out, when the minds of the hearers, as yet vacant and free, are more easily prejudiced in favor of the speaker. We must add also, that a good introduction is frequently found to be extremely difficult. Few parts of a difcourfe give more trouble to the compofer, or require more delicacy in the execution.

It

An introduction fhould be easy and natural. fhould always be fuggefted by the fubject. The writer fhould not plan it, before he has meditated in his own mind the fubftance of his difcourfe. By taking the oppofite course, and compofing in the first place an introduction, the writer will often find that he is either led to lay hold of fome commonplace topic, or that inftead of the introduction being accommodated to the discourse he is under the neceffity of accommodating the discourse to the introduction.

In this part of a discourse correctness of expreffion fhould be carefully ftudied. This is peculiarly requifite on account of the fituation of the hearers. At the beginning they are more difpofed to criticife, than at any other period; they are then occupied by the fub ject and the arguments; their attention is entirely di-rected to the fpeaker's ftyle and manner. Care there

fore is requifite, to prepoffefs them in his favor; though too much art must be cautiously avoided, fince it will then be more eafily detected, and will derogate from that perfuafion, which the other parts of the discourse are intended to produce.

Modefty is alfo an indifpenfable characteristic of a good introduction. If the fpeaker begin with an air of arrogance and oftentation, the self love and pride of his hearers will be presently awakened, and follow him with a very fufpicious eye through the rest of his dif

« הקודםהמשך »