FORGOTTEN SERMONS.

In reference to the apparent fruitlessness of ministerial exertions, an anecdote is recorded of a Scottish minister who was much discouraged on this account. One day he asked a poor woman of his congregation to give him an account of his last sermon, which she was unable to do; and when inquiring of her what was the text, she had even forgotten that; upon which he complained severely of the little impression which his labours appeared to have made. The woman, however, said to him, "Do you see how many times I dip this linen into the stream, and how often I wring it?"—" Yes."—"Ay,” said she, “but you munna think it's nane the whiter for a' that, and ye may know I'm a' the better for your sermons, though I can tell ye naught about them."

PREACHING SERMONS OVER AGAIN.

Dean Colet (the founder of St Paul's School) gave as a reason for the repetition of his Theological Lectures, that it was better to set wholesome cold meat before his hearers, than that which was raw.

Preface to his Prayers.

SERMONS.

There is a wide difference between what St Paul calls "the foolishness of preaching," and foolish preaching. Bp. Wilson's (of Calcutta)

Funeral Sermon for Cecil.

HEARING SERMONS.

Another says, I am a great hearer and lover of sermons, nay, I have so entirely devoted my whole time to the hearing of sermons, that I must confess I have hardly any left to practise them. And will not this avail me? Yes; no doubt it would, if a man were to be pulled up to heaven by his tears, or if the Gospel would but reverse its rule, and declare instead, that not the doers of the Word, but the hearers only, should be justified.

South.

OLD ADAM TOO HARD FOR YOUNG MELANCTHON.

When Melancthon was first converted, he thought it impossible for his hearers to withstand the evidence of the truth in the ministry of the Gospel. But after preaching awhile, he complained "that old Adam was too hard for young Melancthon."

PREACHING ON THE TIMES.

In 1648, it was a question asked of the brethren at the meetings of ministers, twice in the year, "If they preached the duties of the times?" And when it was found Leighton did not, he was reproved for his omission; but he replied, "If all the brethren have preached on the times, may not one poor brother be suffered to preach on eternity?"

POPULAR PREACHING.

When the pious and eloquent Le Tourneux was preaching the Lent sermons at St Benoit in Paris, Louis XIV. inquired of Boileau how it was that everybody was running after him. "Sire," replied the poet, "your majesty knows that people will always run after novelties. This man preaches the Gospel."

A MISTAKE.

To preach practical sermons, as they are called-i. e., sermons upon virtues and vices—without inculcating those great Scripture truths of redemption and grace which alone can invite and enable us to forsake sin and follow after righteousness, what is it but to put together the wheels, and set the hands of a watch, forgetting the spring which is to make them all go?

Bishop Horne.

SERMONS SHOULD NOT BE TOO LONG.

Mr Hall was very particular never to exceed the appointed time for preaching. He sometimes ended abruptly, and sat down just when his hearers wished him to proceed. On this being mentioned to him, he replied, "Sir, it is much better to leave the hearers with an appetite for more, than to satiate and tire them out."

Green's Reminiscences of Rev. R. Hall.

CONVERSING ABOUT SERMONS.

If you choose to converse with your fellow-Christians on what you have been hearing, a practice which, if rightly conducted, may be very edifying, let your conversation turn more upon the tendency, the spiritual beauty and glory, of those great things of God which have engaged your attention, than on the merit of the preacher. We may readily suppose that Cornelius and his friends, after hearing Peter, employed very few words in discussing the oratorical talents of that great apostle, any more than the three thousand who, at the day of Pentecost, were pricked to the heart: their minds were too much occupied by the momentous truths they had been listening to, to leave room for such reflections. Yet this is the only kind of religious conversation (if it deserve the appellation) in which too many professors engage. "Give me," says the incomparable Fenelon, "the preacher who imbues my mind with such a love of the Word of God, as makes me desirous of hearing it from any mouth." Robert Hall.

LONG SERMONS.

"I would not have preachers torment their hearers," said Luther, "and detain them with long and tedious preaching; for the delight of hearing vanisheth, and the preachers hurt themselves by it. Dr Pomner ought to be reproved by reason of his long sermons; howsoever, I know that he useth it not of purpose, but only from an erroneous custom."

THE DOXOLOGY, OR GLORIA PATRI.

This is the Christian's both hymn and shorter creed. For what is the sum of the Christian's faith but the mystery of the Holy Trinity, God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, which neither Jew nor Pagan, but only the Christian believes, and in this doxology professes against all heretics, both old and new. And as it is a short creed, so also it is a most excellent hymn; for the glory of God is the end of our creation, and should be the aim of all our services; whatsoever we do should be done to the glory of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: and this is all that we can, either by word or deed, give to God-namely, glory. Therefore this hymn fitly serves to close any of our religious services, our praises, prayers, thanksgivings, confessions of sins, or faith. Since all these we do to glorify God, it cannot be unfitting to close with "Glory be to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." It cannot easily be expressed how useful this divine hymn is upon all occasions. If God Almighty sends us prosperity, what can we better return him than glory? If he sends adversity, it still befits us to say, Glory be to the Father," &c. Whether we receive good or whether we receive evil at the hands of God, we cannot say a better "grace" than "Glory be to the Father." In a word, we cannot better begin the day when we awake, nor conclude the day when we go to sleep, than by "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost."

Sparrow.