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dust before God; encourage him to hope in the divine mercy, and yet abate nothing from the strictness or the terribleness of the law's demands against him: so that while he felt comforted, he was also humbled and subdued, and a sweet, resigned, child-like temper of mind was the result all the rest of his days. Never did any individual apply to the Savior, under a just perception of his own spiritual necessities, and with a timid, trembling heart, who was not sent away encouraged and comforted. Many came to him for relief; and none who came, in the manner just spoken of, were denied the relief sought. Yet it was granted in such a way, that nothing but humility and contrition of spirit on account of sin, could possibly be the legitimate consequence of the favor shown. He soothed the wounded spirit; but it was in such a way as made the sinner ever afterwards to feel, that a meek and lowly frame of heart became him. He took off the burden from the troubled sinner's mind, when he sincerely came to him for relief, but it was only to sink him still lower in the dust, under a consciousness of his ill desert; and in the very act of administering relief to make him feel the weight of a debt of gratitude to his benefactor, such as no subsequent fidelity on his part in his Redeemer's service could ever adequately repay; and thus in fact to bind him voluntarily and forever to his Redeemer's service. Happy, blessed result of administering relief to the troubled mind, wherever or by whomsoever this result can be secured! The foregoing remarks may have prepared the way for some practical and we hope profitable deductions from our subject, a few of which we shall particularly notice.

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1. The importance of studying the history of our Savior as a teacher of divine truth. The purity of his life, and the excellence of his doctrines, have been often insisted on; and too much cannot be said on these points. But is there not something in the spirit and manner of his teaching which also demands attention,more attention than has usually been bestowed upon it? not afford, in many respects, a most instructive example for imitation to religious teachers at the present day? A close examination of our Savior's mode of teaching, would show us, that it was adapted to produce the following effects, and that it did extensively produce them:-It was adapted to break up the torpor of men's minds on the subject of their salvation, and set them on thinking, and such was the effect. It was adapted to make men unhappy while they were determined not to give up their sins, and it did greatly disturb the consciences of many. It was adapted to awaken hostility on the part of those who hated the truth and who meant not to embrace it; and it did powerfully stir up the latent enmity of their hearts. It was fitted to clear away the rubbish of false opinions and false theories in religion, which had been ac

cumulating round the truth for many ages; to vindicate the character and government of God, and make men feel with whom it is, that they have to do in all their hard and unworthy thoughts of him. It was adapted to strip men of all their excuses and selfjustifying pleas for their sins; to abase the pride of man; to take away all hope, and shut him up in complete despair, till his heart should be brought down and his spirit humbled within him; and then to breathe peace and joy into the contrite sinner's soul. Now a system of instruction, which both as to matter and manner was fitted to produce these results, and did extensively produce them, ought to be carefully studied by mankind, and especially by the publicly accredited teachers of religion. On them the obligation is peculiarly imperative, that they not only read the history of our Savior, but carefully study it, with the design of seeing how he presented truth to men's minds, and of getting their own hearts imbued with similar feelings. Were we to specify particular instances, in illustration of our meaning, we would refer to what the Savior said in regard to "little children" being encouraged to come to him; to his conversation with the woman of Samaria; and more especially, to his last discourse and prayer with his disciples before he suffered. What beautiful simplicity; what skill and faithfulness; and, above all, what calm dignity, mingled with peculiar condescension and affectionateness, do we here witness in our Lord's teaching! Would not the careful study of such an example be a useful exercise to all his ministers? How could they better qualify themselves, for many at least of the duties and trials of their office, than to drink freely at this pure fountain, and to consult frequently and carefully the illustrious example of the Great Teacher?

2. We may briefly notice several points, in relation to which they who teach God's truth to their fellow-men are apt to fail. And first, in being too general. The mind of man is so constituted as to be unable to take in but a few things at a time. Its views are never very distinct, and therefore never very vivid, except when they are fixed upon a few simple objects. Complexity and multiplicity, in the objects contemplated, are always attended with a corresponding obscurity and indefiniteness in the perceptions of the mind to which they give rise. Our Savior's manner of teaching was remarkably characterized by simplicity; he descended to particulars, and pointed out the identical thing which he wished. to present to his hearers, detached and separated from all other things. They who would present truth clearly and forcibly to men's minds, must copy this example. They must avoid being too general; they must descend to particulars. They must have a distinct object in view, and they must aim to present it distinctly to the view of their hearers. y must aim

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Again, many religious teachers are apt to fail by being too abstract. Truth is only the plain simple reality of things. But in the hands of many, it loses all its ordinary, plain, matter-of-fact qualities, and is refined away into the mere subtle essences of things. Truth, merely in the abstract, can do no one any good. The truth which does good to men's souls is that which comes home to men's business and bosoms. It is such truth as this,that all men are sinners against God, and must speedily repent of their sins and turn to God, or finally and forever perish; that now is the accepted time and the day of salvation; but that soon the door of mercy will be closed, and it will be too late.

Thirdly. Others fail by taking too many things for granted. They preach as if their audiences knew all that they know in relation to religious truth and duty. They do not consider, that many of those who hear them have not had their opportunities for gaining religious knowledge; they are young; they are immersed in the business or pleasures of this world; they have no relish for divine truth, and therefore, though they may have heard much, they have never seriously thought of any thing beyond the customary round of their every-day concerns in this world. In regard to such persons, (and these compose the great mass of human society,) their perception of divine truth is extremely limited; and in much of the preaching which they hear, if they believe them at all, they are obliged to take many things for granted. But such truth will do them little good. They should be made to see it for themselves; to see how it is so; and therefore to see, that there can be no doubt about it. In order to this, much explanation is often necessary, and things are to be dwelt upon, which may seem to be too obvious and easily understood to need it. Much illustration, also, is demanded, in order to get the truth more vividly before the mind; and, after all, the perceptions of the speaker will be, in most cases, but imperfectly transferred to the minds of his hearers. Many also fail from being too discursive in their mode of teaching; they are not suffi ciently pointed; they introduce irrevelant or unimportant matter, and weary attention by presenting truths which have little or no application to their hearers. Many others fail from an unwillingness to present offensive truth; they are timid and time-serving; they do not love to pierce, and wound, and break the heart, as they must if they would do any good; they love their own ease better than the souls of their hearers. So did not the Savior. 3. A word or two as to what is the most effective manner of inculcating divine truth. The speaker himself must see clearly the points which he wishes to present to others. He must feel the power of truth in his own soul. He must select such topics as are of a useful, practical tendency. He must address the com

mon-sense of mankind, and take care to be understood, not barely to be intelligible. He must cultivate a high degree of personal holiness. He must secure, in favor of his instructions, the enlightened and approving testimony of men's consciences, and make much use of the great unchangeable principles of morality. He must exhibit truth with its proper sanctions,-make no compromise with sin in his teaching; act as under the eye of God, in his name; and to uphold his cause, keep the retributions of another world in view,-exhibit truth just as if it could of itself sanctify and save men's souls; get a correct view of man's dependence on divine grace, both as respects the fact of such dependence and the reason of that fact; water the seed thus sown with many tears and much prayer; nor ever grow discouraged or weary in the work. "Who is sufficient for these things?"

4. We briefly mention some reasons why so little success is had in the business of moral and religious instruction. Too little good to mankind is aimed at, as the result of the instruction given; too little desire is felt that good may be done. There is not sufficient unity of aim and effect on this point. The good aimed at, so far as any good is looked for, is too generally prospective and remote; there is a want of faith in the divine promise; preaching one's self, and not the Lord Jesus Christ; trusting too much to the naked force of truth, and overlooking human depravity; too little previous concentration of reflection and study upon the points which the preacher designs to present; an over-anxious reaching after present effect, regardless of future consequences; too little prayer and holy living to give weight to the lessons taught; divisions and jealousies among many of those whose office it is to declare the will of God to mankind :-these (and they deserve to be made subjects of serious reflection,) we regard as some of the more important causes which hinder the success of the gospel, and prevent divine truth from exerting a happier influence over the hearts and lives of mankind.

5. We conclude this article by pointing out when it may be expected, that the preaching of the gospel will be more effective in producing its appropriate and desired results among all those to whom it is sent. That it is not very far off there are some cheering indications. It will arrive-when religious teachers shall be content with preaching only recorded, or otherwise certain and demonstrable truth, leaving other and doubtful matters out of view; when, of course, different religious teachers shall be agreed in what they inculcate, and there shall be no essential discordance among them; when there shall be greater singleness of aim and purpose in preaching, and that aim and purpose shall be to honor God and save men's souls; when the example set us by the Savior shall be more faithfully followed in respect to directness,

point, simplicity, earnestness, courage, dealing with men's consciences, and so on, as already specified; when there shall be more holy living on the part of the church, christians praying more for their ministers, and walking with a more undeviating consistency according to the rules of the gospel; when ministers, too, shall aim at a higher standard of personal sanctification in their own conduct; and when, by both ministers and private christians, the Spirit's influence upon men's hearts is felt to be more needful, and is desired and sought after accordingly; when the sabbath shall be better observed, and the tide of worldliness which is now coming in like a flood upon the church shall be rolled back again, and the voice of christian patriotism shall be heard and heeded in our national councils; when, in short, good men of every name and party will rally together in the common ground of christian discipleship, in defense of their common principles, and for the universal diffusion of their common privileges as christians all over the earth. Mankind have never yet seen, on a large scale, what the gospel is adapted to do for the benefit of our race. They have never yet thus seen its intrinsic suitableness to their wants; or its appropriate power as an instrument in the hands of the Holy Spirit to subdue the world to itself. But that time is coming. It will not always linger and be far away as it has hitherto seemed to be. It will come just then, (and not before,) when the best and most effective manner of exhibiting God's truth to mankind shall be found out and adopted in practice. It will come just then, when the spirit and example of the Great Teacher shall be faithfully followed, by all who teach his truth, or would advance his kingdom. Let professed teachers of the gospel, then, seek earnestly a greater preparedness for their work. Let them not be content with ordinary qualifications for their office. May we here adopt a more direct style of address to such as are laboring with us in the cause of our Redeemer. Be it ours, brethren, to cultivate all these dispositions and feelings, which will make us more useful in the sacred ministry, by bringing us into a nearer resemblance to our Great Pattern. And especially, let the more youthful aspirants after the sacred office, and those who have just entered it, remember how much, under God, is depending upon the course which they shall pursue, in inculcating divine truth upon the minds of their fellow-men; and let them strive to gain the highest possible qualifications for their employment. The fathers in the ministry will soon be removed from their labors. Those in the meridian of life, also, will soon be experiencing a decline of their strength and the thickening of those infirmities around them which advancing years never fail to produce. To the young we must look to supply the church with faithful and successful champions in her holy cause, when those

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