following passage deserves a serious consideration. Because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the operations of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up. For a minister to be extensively useful in his preaching, it is not only necessary that the people of God hear him, but that many of the impenitent attend his publick ministrations. And unless this be accomplished, one great end of his ministry is frustrated. The text suggests a method of accomplishment. Moreover, the situation and circumstances of hundreds of congregations and feeble churches in our own highly favoured land, plead, though with a disconsolate tone, yet most pathetically, for a minister who will hold forth variety as a prominent trait in his publick discourses.

9th. The promotion of the declarative glory of God. demands that ministers of the gospel publish to mankind things new as well as old, in their delivering his messages. In the works of creation, providence, and redemption, the Lord has been pleased gradually to unfold his perfections and his great and glorious designs. And the advancement of his wonderful works towards their highest perfection, is an increasing display of the divine glory, as it respects the views of created intelligences. And although the material creation wonderfully displays the glory of God, yet its brightest manifestations are exhibited in his moral kingdom. Whatever tends to a more enlarged display of the wonderful works and ways of God, tends to the furtherance of this great and glorious end hence, angels and men are instrumental in promoting the work. And the Lord is pleased to see his gospel heralds take a wide range in their survey of his empire, and to proclaim his manifold works, and his varied mighty acts to all his subjects. If they attain but a scanty view of his doings and rehearse a contracted portion of his ways, they eclipse the glory of his great name. But if they expatiate in the various territories of his vast dominions, and

with their enlarged views, promulge their newly discovered wonders, they are the honoured agents of promoting the declarative glory of God.

The present age is wonderful for improvements in the various arts and sciences, and glorious in relation to the advances and honour of the intellectual world. How do interesting and useful inventions abound! How varied the works of man which are wonderful to behold! And would not the Lord be delighted to have the remaining hidden glories of his holy word discovered and brought forth to the view of the sons of men? Surely his name would be magnified among the people, if their admiration should be duly excited by the exhibition of new and divine things; and by beholding the manifold and increasing wonders of his kingdom upon earth. Will the whole world be peopled before the end of time? And will not the whole volume of divine revelation be preached before that period? Doubtless every interesting text in the sacred scriptures will be selected as a foundation for religious instruction in the house of God, before the archangel shall proclaim, That time shall be no longer. Then why should not the ambassadors of God now aspire to give glory to him, by bringing forth new texts, manifold subjects, and variously improved exhibitions of divine truth? There are thousands of interesting and admirable propositions contained within the pages of the divine canon which are yet to be the themes of benevolent invention, of new ideas, and of newly modified illustrations to the ministers of the gospel. Much of the holy scriptures is yet to be more thoroughly explored and more fully understood, besides the prophetical parts. And must it not be for the declarative glory of God? Must it not be pleasing in his sight to behold the expositors of his holy word, humbly but zealously engaged to unfold more and more of its glorious contents? Shall it yet be said, That the children of this world are in their generation wiser

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than the children of light? Does not the declarative glory of God, demand of the present age that the investigations and discoveries of the manifold wonders of his kingdom, should equal the inventions and improvements of the political and intellectual world?

10th. The immortal interest of a vast number of human beings may serve to show how important it is that ministers of the gospel should hold forth variety as a prominent trait in their publick discourses. The great end of divine revelation and the preaching of the word as it relates to man, is his eternal salvation. Hence a most important inquiry naturally arises, How should the word be preached so as to be instrumental in saving the greatest number of human beings? But the various particulars which have been adduced in this discourse, do tend to make it evident that an extensive and interesting variety of religious subjects would have the most favourable tendency to promote the immortal interest of man.

It may be replied, some ministers who have not been noted for an extensive scope and variety of discourses, have been instrumental in winning souls to Christ. Grant it. But, if an interesting and extensive variety of subjects had been held forth as a prominent trait in their publick instructions, it is highly probable that their congregations would have been greatly enlarged, and more souls converted under their ministry.

Again: It may be remarked, That some ministers of eminent talents, and whose sermons have been peculiar for variety, have had but little success as to any apparently saving effects from their labours. Let me answer, Their discourses may have had a general deficiency of striking, evangelical, and most important truths; or they may have been deficient as it respects a life of prayer and devotedness to God.

An instance of any salutary effect from an excitement of curiosity, may be demanded. Zaccheus, from a laudable curiosity to see the Saviour, ascended a sycamore tree, and the same day salvation came to his house. And the relation of christian experience, in thousands of instances, attest similar glorious results.

One important design of revelation was to be an exposition of the manifold works of God, exhibited in creation and providence; to explain their nature, and to show to man the agency, purposes, wisdom, and goodness of the supreme Being, in their formation and government. Thus explained and thus illuminated, they become means of knowledge very extensive and eminently useful. Hence, in those places where the manifold doctrines, duties, and truths of divine revelation have been most extensively and strikingly exhibited to the minds of men, there has the greatest number of souls been savingly converted as witnesses of the marvellous grace of God in the glorious effects of an interesting variety in the preaching of the word. If divines of the present day should only follow the footsteps of those who have gone before them, their sermons would tend to confound rather than to convert their people. The interest of Zion, and the salvation of multitudes of our fallen race, call loudly upon them to bring forth from their treasure a variety of things new and old, proportionate to the rising wonders and additional glories of the present age.

By a continued repetition of a certain series of subjects on a few points of divinity, instead of the being of an occasion of additional joy to the angels of heaven in view of the conversion of sinners, there would be ground for seraphs to weep. If ministers of the gospel do not search for varied and interesting truths new and old as for hid treasures, and bring them forth to the view of their hearers, must they not be unfaithful, and guilty of the blood of souls?

Surely the perishing condition of impenitent sinners, the bleeding cause of the Redeemer, the prosperity of Zion, and the immortal interest of a vast number of human beings, may serve to show how important it is that ministers of the gospel should hold forth variety as a prominent trait in their publick dis

courses.

INFERENCES.

1st. We may see that it is highly important for ministers of the gospel to pay particular attention to their style in their publick discourses. As they generally have great variety of hearers, it should be plain, easy to be understood by common capacities; and it should be elegant, so as to interest the most refined mind. To have one part of the congregation leave the house of God, complaining of the obscurity and bombast of a discourse; and the other part, of its vulgarity and ungrammatical sentences, is a melancholy circumstance. Or to have a people extol an abundance of flowery expressions in a sermon, of a continued series of tropes, figures, and metaphors, is an effect equally lamentable. Hence, words should be acceptable and style interesting, in that manner which is the best calculated to draw the attention of hearers to the subject for instruction, and impress their minds with a sense of the important truths delivered. The great object of a minister of the gospel should be, so to please his hearers with language as most effectually to excite in them a lively and deep interest in his discourse. And the chief end of an interesting variety of words and sentences, should be the same as that of an interesting variety of subjects; viz. the promotion of the great and important objects of divine revelation. Moreover, as it is by words that thoughts and sentiments are conveyed to the understanding and conscience, so these should be aptly chosen that they may communicate the particular ideas and truths designed. It

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