stands by and sees a game played, has vast advantages over the players. Besides, preachers err systematically learnedly-scientifically. The simple hearer has an appeal to nature in his heart. He can often feel that his Minister is wrong, when he is not able to set him right. Dr. Manton, no doubt, thought he had preached, well, and as became him, before the Lord Mayor; but he felt himself reproved and instructed, when a poor man pulled him by the sleeve, and told him he had understood nothing of his sermon: there was an appeal in this poor man's breast to nature: nature could not make any thing of the Doctor's learning. When Apelles took his stand behind his picture, he was a wise man: and he was a wise man too, when he altered the shoe on the hint of the cobler: the cobler, in his place, was to be heard.

A Minister should consider, too, that few will venture to speak to a public man. It is a rare thing to hear a man say-" Upon my word that thing, or your general manner, is defective or improper." If a wise man says this, he shews a regard, which the united stock of five hundred flatterers will not equal. I would set down half the blunders of Ministers to their not listening to animadversion. I have heard it said-for the men, who would animadvert on us, talk among themselves, if we refuse to let them talk to us--I have heard it said," Why don't you talk to him?"" Why don't I talk to him! because he will not hear!"

Let him consider, moreover, that this aversion from reproof is not wise. This is a symptom of the disease. Why should he want this hushingup of the disorder? This is a mark of a little mind. A great man can afford to lose: a little insignificant fellow is afraid of being snuffed out.

A Minister mistakes who should refuse to read any anonymous letters. He may, perhaps, see nothing in them the first time; but, let him read them again and again. The writer raises his superstructure, probably, on a slight basis; yet there is generally some sort of occasion. If he points out but a small error, yet THAT is worth detecting.

In the present habits of men, it is so difficult to get them to tell the naked truth, that a Minister should shew a disposition to be corrected: he should shew himself to be sensible of the want of it. He is not to encourage idle people: that could be productive of no possible good.

These are some of the reasons for a Minister's encouragement, in a judicious manner, of animadversion on himself in his hearers.

Sometimes, however, a man will come who appears to be an impertinent man, independently of what he has to remark--a man who is evidently disposed to be troublesome. Such a man came to me, with "Sir, you said such a thing that seemed to lean to the doctrine of universal redemption. Pray, Sir, may I speak a little with

you on that subject?" The manner of the man at once marked his character. He seemed to bring with him this kind of sentiment—“ I'll go and set that man right. I'll call that man to ac count." It was a sort of democratic insolence of mind. Instead of answering him as he expected, I treated him as a child. I turned it into an occasion of preaching a sermon to him:-" Sir, do you come to instruct me, or to be instructed? Before we enter on a question which has exercised the greatest men, we want a preparedness of mind: want a deep humility-a teachableness→→ a spirit of dependence of which you seem to me to have but little."

On the other hand, a man may come, quite as ignorant as the other, yet a simple character. I have distressed him. Though he cannot, perhaps, be made to understand what he enquires aboutyet a Minister should say to himself, "Have I puzzled him? He is wounded, and he comes for help."

A Minister should remember that he is not always to act and speak authoritatively. He sits on his friend's chair, and his friend says his things to him with frankness. They may want, perhaps, a little decorum; but he should receive them in the most friendly and good-humoured way in the world. A thing strikes this man and that man: he may depend on it, that it has some foundation.

But there are persons, whom a Minister should more than encourage to animadvert on him. He should employ them. He should explain himself to them. He does not merely want an account of his sermon, but he employs them on business. To such sensible persons, he will say " What serious judgment do you form of my preaching? Do tell me what sort of man I am."

A Minister has to treat with another sort of hearers-uncandid men, and yet men of capacity: a sort of men, who are not now pleased, and then displeased. They spy a blot every where. He is likely to make a mistake with regard to such men:-"What signifies the opinion of that man? That man can never be pleased." True! that man cannot be pleased, but it does not follow that he tells you no truth. In treating with such a man, he should say " His edge may be too keen, for candour and sound judgment; yet, if it lays open to me what I could not otherwise see, let me improve by its keenness. What hurt can he do me? He may damp or irritate others, by talking thus to them; but, let me learn what is to be learnt from him." Such a man lifts a Minister from his standing, where he settles down too easily and firmly. If I know a man to be of this class, I will distinguish: "This is the man: but that is myself!" If I would write a book to stand the fire, let me find out the severest censor. My friend is but half the man: there is a consentaneousness VOL. III. B b

of sentiment between us: we have fallen in together, till we scarcely know how to differ from each other. Let the man come who says-" Here I can discover you to yourself; and there!" The best hints perhaps are obtained from snarling people. Medicaments make the patient smart, but they heal.

Yet a Minister must not take this in the gross. He is not to invite rude men round his door. If he suffer his hearers to treat him irreverently-if he allow them to dispute with him on every occasion-he will bring ruin on the Church. The Priest's lips must keep knowledge. If a parent allow his children to question every thing, so that nothing is to be settled without a hundred proofs, they will soon despise their teacher, for they will think themselves able to teach him. The Minister must have decided superiority and authority, or he will want one of the principal qualities of his ministry. This is not inconsistent with receiving hints. He may mistake in some things: but he should mark the complexion of his congregation in deciding how far they are to be heard on his mistakes. If the people are heady, forward, confident in their own sense, they are never to be encouraged. They are gone too far.