press the mind, depends not on the separate impulse of its parts, but on the combined effect of the whole. And often an argument derives all its strength from its standing in proper connexion with other arguments. The united strength of five men, might easily raise a weight, which the separate efforts of the five would be unable to stir. The regular phalanx, disposed in order of battle, so that each individual may support the whole line, is irresistible in its outset. But the undisciplined rabble is harmless in its movements, if not contemptible.

The other way in which order contributes to strength, is by promoting vivacity. Give to the traveller, who is to pass through a strange country, a chart, pointing out beforehand his road, with the chief objects that will demand his attention, and he pursues his way with increased spirit. Even the languor of a single day's journey is relieved by his being able often to ascertain what progress he has made, and what is the distance to the next stage. So division relieves heaviness in a discourse. Quinctilian supposes his orator to say, 'I will tell you what facts occurred before this transaction, what at the time, and what afterwards.' This,' he says, 'will seem to be three short narrations, instead of a single long one. The hearer is refreshed as he perceives the end of the last division, and prepares himself, as to a new beginning.' The advantage of such transitions, Cicero well understood. 'Hitherto, Cæsar,' said he, having advanced one stage in his defence, Hitherto, Cæsar, Ligarius appears to be free from fault,' and then commences another branch of his argument. Finally,

6

Memory is assisted by order. It were easy to show how important this consideration is to the preacher himself. But I refer especially to the memory of hearers. What is memory? It is that reflex operation of the

mind, by which it recalls its past thoughts. The capacity of doing this, in a given case, other things being equal, depends on the strength of original impressions, and the circumstances which facilitate the voluntary repetition of those impressions. A succession of ideas must be understood, before it can be remembered; and perspicuous method is the vivid light, by which the mind clearly perceives, and deeply feels what is presented before it. But as few original impressions are so deeply imprinted, as to fix themselves in the adult mind, without repetition, the recollection of its thoughts depends much on its power to renew them, at pleasure. And this again depends on the associations by which they are connected. For example; suppose you were to enter, for the first time, a city with parallel streets, in one direction, marked according to the ordinals, first, second, third; and the intersecting parallel streets marked with the names of the United States, in their usual order. How easily would you remember the plan of this city, compared with that of another, where the streets are laid out at random, are crooked, irregular, and designated perhaps, by names which you never heard before. Suppose you were introduced to ten strangers, who should keep their seats in the same order, till you had recalled a few times the name of each successively. With how much more ease could you recollect them, than if they had been, all this time, passing about the room. The reason why familiar things are not forgotten is, that frequent recurrence stamps impression. The importance of method to memory, therefore, as an associating principle, lies chiefly in the fact, that method is the medium of spontaneous and instantaneous reflection. The incidents in the story of Joseph, for example, are so connected, that one reading fixes them in the memory

of even a child. But that must be a miraculous memory, which could repeat, in the same manner, the genealogical lists of names in the Chronicles.

Witherspoon says, 'Suppose I desire a person going to a city, to do several things for me; to deliver a letter to one man; to visit a friend of mine, and bring me notice how he is; to buy a book for me; and see whether any ship is to sail for India soon.-It is very possible he may remember some of them, and forget the others. But if I desire him to buy me a dozen of silver spoons, to carry them to an engraver, that my name may be put on them, and to procure a case for them;-if he remembers one article, it is probable he will remember all.'

In view of the foregoing illustrations, I will only add that the importance of method, by which I mean obvious method, in a sermon, is so unquestionable, that to affirm it, is only saying in other words, that the sermon of which the hearers remember nothing, is useless. The principle involved, in this case, may be tried by one simple, practical test. The custom of taking notes of sermons, as they are delivered, was common in the ancient church, and to some extent it prevails, in many congregations at this day. Suppose then a sermon to be immethodical and incoherent, I do not ask whether an expert stenographer can record every word of it, from the mouth of the speaker? but can an intelligent hearer commit to paper a brief outline of the chief thoughts, in such an arrangement, that the review of these will enable him to recollect the substance of the whole sermon? If

1 A practice which is highly objectionable on various grounds.-The mechanical act of writing must tend more or less to weaken the impression.-EDITOR.

not, an elementary principle of preaching has been disregarded, in the composition of the sermon.

The appeal may also be made to teachers of schools, and to Christian parents, who are still in the good old practice of calling their children to repeat sermons; what sort of sermons are those of which they can give the best account? Without a single exception, the answer will be, those sermons which are constructed on a simple, obvious train of thought;-not those in which there is an occult method, or no method. Let the 'teacher of babes,' condescend to be taught by babes, in this thing.

LECTURE X.

DIVISION.

WE are to consider next the different KINDS of method. These are, the textual, the topical, and the scholastic.

1. The textual or verbal division is taken from the

words of the text. An example of this sort we have in the exhortation of the Apostle, "Add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, &c." where the preacher follows these particulars, in a separate consideration of each word, as faith, virtue, knowledge, &c.

2. The topical division drops the phraseology of the text, and is grounded on its sense, as expressed in some distinct proposition. A sermon of this sort, on the text just mentioned, instead of treating five or six subjects, would illustrate perhaps this one theme, that all the graces of the gospel are united in the character of the consistent Christian.' The words of Christ, to the malefactor on the cross, "To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise," the textual preacher would divide thus ; Consider first the person to whom this promise was made, "Thou," the penitent thief. Secondly, the matter of the promise, "shalt be with me in Paradise.” Thirdly, the time of its accomplishment, "To-day." The topical preacher would perhaps divide thus; First, the death of believers introduces them immediately to