Hosts." You should invariably make it a rule to use a text in the same sense in which it is found in the Scriptures. Thus, if you wish to preach on progressive sanctification, do not choose for your text the words, "Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward';" nor, "I have a message from God unto thee "," when you are desirous of delivering the Gospel message; because these two texts refer to entirely different subjects. Some preachers will choose ingenious texts, and strike out an application never before dreamt of. Thus, Dr. Arnold, on the text,-"The Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day,

2

ye shall see them again no more for ever* ",-preaches an interesting sermon on the dreadful idea of parting never to meet again; and Dwight on the text,—“ In the garden was a new sepulchre ","-describes the occasional evils which mar the fairest scenes. Now

it seems to me, that these might have been fairly used as illustrations of the subject; but are injudiciously placed in so prominent a situation as texts inferring a doctrine. The momentary interest, excited by the ingenuity of the thought, is not sufficient to compensate for what must appear a strained application of Scripture. Nevertheless, sometimes an interesting train of reflection will flow from a simple incident, as from the text,-" And Pharaoh

1 Exod. xiv. 15.
3 Christian Observer.

2 Judges iii. 20.

4 Exod. xiv. 13.

L

said unto Jacob, How old art thou1?"-Blair preaches on the improvement of time; and Mr. Newman moralizes touchingly on the ills of human life, from the account of the lame and impotent folk gathered at the pool of Bethesda 2.

Genesis xlvii. 8.

2 John v. 2.

LETTER XXI.

ON COLLECTING MATERIALS.

YOUR text and your subject will, as I have before observed, generally coincide, or nearly so. We will suppose this to be the case, and proceed, on that supposition, to show the best mode of collecting materials.

First, be quite sure you understand your text: convince yourself that you know and feel what is "the mind of the Spirit,"—what truth God meant to teach by it. And, with a view to discover this, read the text carefully with the context-read it in the original if you are able; and, in the first instance, use your own judgment, founded on the general teaching of the Church, in preference to consulting commentators, for commentators are too apt to be biassed towards a system. And remember that you yourself are, in

some degree, a commentator, and must guard yourself against yourself; for all of us have a bias. In order to satisfy yourself whether you have obtained the true meaning, collate your text with parallel passages ;first from the same author, then from Scripture in general. "All truth being consonant to itself, and all being dictated by one and the self-same Spirit, it cannot be but that an industrious and judicious comparison of place with place must be a singular help for the right understanding of the Scriptures'." This investigation will supply you with a number of hints and arguments which will be useful in working up the subject, and should be carefully noted down. Here you must be diligent in looking at your marginal references, and turning over the leaves of your concordance: but take care not to be led astray by mere jingling of sound; for the same word often bears different significations; and passages in which the principal word is the same may have little or no connexion together. You will be very liable to this error if you consult only an English concordance; because, in the English translation of the Bible, the same word is often put for the two different words in the original. Whenever, therefore, you have any doubt as to the meaning of a word, go to the original'. After having thus exercised your own judgment, you

1 Herbert.

2 You should not be without Schmidt's Greek Concordance and Schleusner's Lexicon.

may peruse as many comments, criticisms, annotations, and paraphrases as your library affords, ancient as well as modern; and it is very desirable that you should read the remarks of authors whose systems of divinity are different; for, as to finding a commentator who is not biassed towards a system, that is next to impossible. If you habitually consult one commentator, or one set of commentators, you will be insensibly dragged into their system; but if you make a point of knowing what authors of different opinions say, your judgment will have a chance of being unfettered. Should you find that you have hit on a text the application of which is very much disputed between Christians of different opinions, (as, for instance, the latter part of Romans vii.), or if the authenticity or genuineness of your text is denied by respectable critics, (as 1 John v. 7), or different interpretations put upon it by men whose authority should be regarded, (as 1 Pet. iv. 8), why then you had better choose another text; unless you have some very good reason for the contrary: for it is clear that no very cogent argument can be built on so uncertain a foundation. A want of confidence in the spirit of your text will injuriously affect both your hearers and yourself.

When you are satisfied that you understand your text, then, with a view to its explication and expansion, turn it well over in your mind, and get as much as you can from your own reflection upon it. Con