great work. On the contrary, because we do know these things, we thus write; and it is possible, that in noticing a few of these hinderances, we shall hint at some, that have not occurred, even to the mind of the itinerant student himself.

The most common, and, at the same time, the most absurd reason that is offered for neglecting study, is a want of opportunity. Circuits are sometimes large, appointments to preach are numerous, and a great deal of pastoral visiting is necessary. These things certainly must be attended to, but we have never yet met with an instance, where these duties were so engrossing as to deprive a man of as much time as he ought to devote to study. It is, moreover, an observation, founded on experience, that, as a general thing, the most studious and persevering ministers are those who, while doing this, have not left the other undone : giving abundant evidence that there is nothing incompatible in the union of the characters of the faithful pastor and the diligent student. Indeed, it is lamentable to think, for how many wasted hours even ministers of Christ are accountable; in how many instances He who sees the heart knows that the plea of want of time is, in truth, nothing but want of inclination. Take the man who has so often quieted his conscience by this excuse, that he now believes it himself; place him where he shall be free from every other care, and exempt from every other duty; set him down in a comfortable study, and surround him with a spacious library of the best books on every subject; let him have an easy rocking chair withal; and the great probability is, that he will do every thing else but study; and that he will come forth, at the end of the year, quite as great a novice as when he entered. By diligent redemption of time, and unwearied husbandry of opportunity, there is no circuit, the duties of which are so incessant, as not to leave, at the absolute disposal of the preacher, as much time in the course of a year as is generally spent in study by the students during the same period at a college or theological seminary. It is true, he may not have this time in an unbroken series, or always at the most convenient seasons; but let any one make the calculation, on the supposition that he was determined to acquire useful knowledge, of how many hours he might save from sleep; and how many he might gain by punctuality; and how many might be redeemed by abstaining from every frivolous and unnecessary pursuit, and his own

arithmetic will startle him, and bear us out fully in the above position.

Of very little more weight is the plea, sometimes urged, of inability to obtain the necessary books. The amount of money actually received by Methodist preachers is, indeed, in many places, pitifully small; but, by the admirable economy of our church, just in proportion to his fidelity to the duty enjoined upon him of circulating the publications of our own press, will be, if he is so disposed, the enlargement of his own library. The possession, merely, of a great many books, is not an object of so much importance as is by some imagined. A man may own a great many volumes, while of the contents of a single one he is not thoroughly master.*

The selection of works suitable for the study of a young minister is a matter of great importance. It depends so much on his previous habits and attainments, that it is impossible to prepare a catalogue that would not, on the one hand, contain works beyond the present ability of some to read with profit; or, on the other, omit volumes that would be of essential service to those further advanced. The theological student must, in a great degree, be governed in this matter by his own good sense: aided, as he may generally be, by the advice of judicious friends.

A few remarks on this topic, such as will commend themselves to the reader's own judgment, are all that may be ventured in the present article.

And, first, it will be seen at once, that no man is worthy the name of a Methodist preacher who is not thoroughly versed, not only in the system of revealed truth as held by the generality of evangelical denominations, but especially with those peculiarities by which the church of his choice is distinguished. There is no scarcity of standard works, from elementary treatises up to logical and profound dissertations on these subjects. There is no good reason why any Methodist preacher should be without them; and

* Observing a handsome copy of Watson's Institutes in possession of a young minister who was lamenting his want of a suitable library, we ventured to ask him if he had read that work? "Why," said he, "yes; I have looked it over." Think of a Methodist minister satisfied with having looked over such a work as Watson's Institutes! Of what use would a library be to him? An occasional lounging visit to a large book-store, where in a little while he might look over thousands of volumes, would be quite as beneficial, and much more economical.

absolutely no excuse for his being ignorant of their contents. There would be certainly a great advantage to the young minister, as well as a saving of time, if there were among us a school for the prophets, where he might hear these things from the lips of the living lecturer, and receive that direction and counsel relative to his theological and literary studies which his peculiar circumstances require. The church will see this, and act: our successors will reap the benefit; and, in the mean time, the ministry of the present age must aim, by their own efforts, to supply the deficiency, each for himself.

Another indispensable qualification is, a knowledge of the language in which he is to preach; a familiar acquaintance with the strength, beauty, and peculiar idioms of the English tongue. It is perfectly preposterous for any man to waste his money and his time in purchasing, and poring over grammars and lexicons of foreign languages, until he has acquired sufficient knowledge of his own to speak and write it with purity and precision. Then he may soar away into the classic regions of the ancients; then let him slake his thirst at the fountain head of the living oracles. But not till then. For while it is indisputable that his mind may be replenished and expanded by an acquaintance with the writings of the ancients, it is also equally clear, that his only medium of communicating the results of this study must be the common language of his hearers; and that in order to arrest their attention, he must be able to present his thoughts in language that will not only command the attention of the ignorant and uneducated; but in such as will not shock the intelligent and the well informed. There are more or less of such in almost every religious congregation of the present day.*

* "But it may be said, the greater part of congregations consist chiefly, and not a few wholly, of plain, illiterate people. Being no judges of language, all they require, or need, is the communication of interesting truths, without exact regard to words. What then? Because the choice of words claims not the preacher's first attention, does it follow that it is a matter of entire indifference? Or that the plain language, in which it is necessary to address plain hearers, may with propriety, or must, of course, be incorrect?" "In every congregation there are hearers of some taste, who will hardly excuse coarse and incorrect language in a preacher any more than they would excuse him for appearing on the sabbath in the apparel of a clown."-Porter's Lect. on Style.

"Vulgarity of language does inexpressible injury to the thought conveyed

We were present once, at a meeting, where every feeling of solemnity was absolutely overpowered by the ludicrous blunder of one who was called on to lead the devotions. He told us, designing, doubtless, to improve on that passage in the Acts of the Apostles where it is said that prayer was wont to be made by the side of a certain river, that the place where we then were was a place where prayer was much wanted to be made. But this was not so bad as an example quoted from the Christian Observet by Dr. Porter in one of his lectures on style :-" A preacher in discoursing on that text, WRITE, blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, made this observation, 'There is a RIGHT blessedness, and a WRONG blessedness, and departed saints are RIGHT blessed, that is, truly blessed.' A striking proof," subjoins the Christian Observer, "how desirable it is that public teachers should be able not only to read and write, but also to SPell."

The choice of suitable subjects for pulpit discussion, the best method of arrangement, and the manner most likely to produce the designed effect, are topics to which the attention of him whose whole business it is to instruct cannot be too forcibly directed. The age in which we live abounds in models for the instruction of the young preacher, and the press is constantly teeming with the productions of profound research and impassioned eloquence. The difficulty is not, as we have intimated above, that there is any scarcity of suitable works of this kind, but in directing the attention of those, who are not cursed with a superabundance of this world's wealth, to such as will be most beneficial in their peculiar cir

cumstances.

From the volumes named at the head of this article, much

under it, how just and important soever it may be. You will say that this is the effect of mere prejudice in the hearers, consequently unreasonable, and not to be regarded. Be it that this is prejudice in the hearers, and, therefore, unreasonable. It is the business of the orator to accommodate himself to men, such as he sees they are, not such as he imagines they should be. But, upon impartial examination, the thing perhaps will not be found so unreasonable as at first sight it may appear. That the thought may enter deeply into the mind of the reader, or hearer, there is need of all the assistance possible from the expression. Little progress can it be expected, then, that the former shall make, if there be any thing in the latter which serves to divert the attention from it. And this effect, at least, of diverting the attention, even mere grammatical blunders are but too apt to produce."-Campbell's Phil. Rhet.

valuable instruction may be derived. They are written in a clear and pleasing style; and embody the results of much study and practical experience. Bating an unnecessary, fling, here and there, at Arminianism, but with which we are not disposed to cavil, coming, as it does, from a Calvinistic instructor, they may be confidently recommended to the study of young ministers of every sect.

Two thoughts suggested by a review of our preceding remarks may be here added on the subject of the selection of suitable books. The one is, that with the exception of mere works of reference, such as Concordances, for instance, it is unwise for a minister to lumber the shelves of his library with books that he does not intend to study. His time may be better employed, and his money laid out to better advantage, than in the purchase and perusal of works designed merely for recreation or literary amusement. His leisure would be more profitably spent in composing an essay, or writing out a sermon at full length.*

The other thought to which we advert is, a caution against rejecting valuable treatises, merely because they emanate from those who differ from us on doctrinal points. The bee gathers honey from the poisonous flower; and it is an old adage, fas est ab hoste doceri. Several of the Calvinistic divines of the present day, who have been recently endeavoring to throw light on the doctrine of Christian perfection, would have escaped the ridiculous position they occupy, had their attention been directed to, and had they condescended to study the works of Wesley and Fletcher on that subject.

We take great pleasure in transcribing the following note from Dr. Porter's lecture on the style of the pulpit. It has ten-fold force, now that the green grass waves above his silent pillow. "The question has often been put to me, 'To what extent ought a theological student to read the modern works of fiction with a view to improve his own style?' The inquiry has commonly had a primary regard to the writings of Walter Scott. To the magic of his genius, my own sensibilities have responded, whenever I have opened his pages; but the very enchantment which he throws around his subject has warned me to beware of putting myself in his power. This is one reason why I have read but two or three of all the volumes of fiction from his prolific pen. Another reason is, that as an instructor of young ministers I could not, with a good conscience, devote the time requisite for all this reading of romance; nor am I willing that my example should be made an occasion for others to do so when I am in my grave."