tomed to be talked to. They naturally understand best when the endlessly varying and animated tones and inflections of conversation, with its correct emphasis and appropriate gestures, are used. It is through this medium, that they habitually from the earliest period of life, receive information and communicate with their fellow men. It is in this way, that they are wont to be influenced, to have their attention awakened and kept alive, their feelings excited, and their passions aroused. The intelligibility of a discourse is also greatly aided by the superior ease, plainness and familiarity, of which extemporaneous discussion admits. The finished, lofty, and far fetched figures of written composition will be exchanged for striking, commonsense illustrations derived de medio, as Tully says-from present objects and circumstances, and from the common occurrences of life. The place of the cold unmoving address, will be supplied by the bold,pointed, energetic appeal to the heart and the conscience. The preacher's eye, which is now too often rivetted to his notes, will then be fastened upon his hearers; there it will spend its fire, and do its perfect work.

It is well known to those who are conversant with popular assemblies, and have observed the efforts of men distinguished for their oratorical powers, that some of the finest and most irresistible strokes of eloquence, seem to be entirely unpremeditated. The speaker, perhaps already overflowing with his subject, and his own feelings reacted upon and wrought up to the highest pitch by the excited state of his audience, is hurried into some off-hand happy illustration, or suddenly seizes upon some incidental circumstance which takes a strong hold of his hearers, and then, conscious that he has touched the right cord, and feeling his strength, he bears down all before him. In the eloquent language of another, 'a sympathetic communication is now established between him and his

hearers; at every touch of feeling or flight of faucy, a thousand eyes are sparkling with pleasure and swimming in emotion. He finds his own heart warmed by the sympathy of his audience, his imagination is excited, and his thoughts flow with a freedom unknown in the laborious effort of written composition. This increasing excitement produces new exhibitions of interest and feeling in the audience; and these again, new bursts of eloquence in the orator; and in this electric communication of hearts and minds, the man is wrought up to the highest pitch of excitement of which his nature is capable; and the torrent of his thoughts and feelings gushes from him in a copious and fiery flood like lava from a burning mountain.' While on the other hand he who reads his discourse, must in similar circumstances, 'go on pouring out his lukewarın closet conceptions, like iced water, upon the fire which he has himself kindled; and the utmost benefit that he can derive from any sympathetic communication with his hearers, is a little additional warmth in his manner as a mere reader.'

2. From the fact that extemporaneous preaching admits of a degree of ease and familiarity of language, approaching to that of conversation, as has been already observed, arises another consideration in its favor. The extemporaneous speaker can, on this account, urge arguments and remove objections, which, though they often have great influence upon the mind of the hearer, are yet in themselves, abstractedly considered, of an unimportant and trifling character, and for this reason, beneath the dignity and elevation of a written discourse, which must necessarily be pronounced with something of the ore rotundo. Whereas the man who talks to his audience, is under no restraint from this quarter. No argument, nor objection, is too humble to be discussed, and turned over and over, and examined in every point of view in which it can possibly be necessary to examine it.

3. Very valuable thoughts will often arise while the speaker is addressing the audience. No one who has not had experience on this point, can duly appreciate the importance of this consideration; and every man who has had such experience, must at times have been astonished at himself. He must have been astonished at the high degree of excitement to which his feelings have been raised by the presence of a deeply attentive audience, eagerly catching every syllable as it fell from his lips. Such has occasionally been the power of this excitement, that it has elicited from him flashes of eloquence, of which he feels himself to be entirely incapable in the retirement of his study. Thoughts that thus spring up in an auspicious moment, are sparkling gems that come unbidden and unexpected. And the extemporaneous preacher who has studied his subject thoroughly, and is so familiar with the scheme and train of thought which he has previously marked out for himself, as not to be fluttered by the arrival of these unanticipated visitors, will usually turn them to good account; while he who reads his sermons, will, as experience abundantly shows, seldom be able to make much of them. He is, from habit, chained down to what is written. He dare not leave the ground, for he knows not where his venturous flight may lead him, nor whether he shall be able to alight exactly upon the spot which he left.

tivity of body. Now, it is the habitually slow circulation of the blood attending a too sedentary life, which exposes the subjects of it to serious injury from loud and continuous speaking. The danger arises from the increased and greatly accelerated action of this important fluid in the lungs, on such occasions. Hence every public speaker should persevere in a system of frequent and regular exercise. His blood should always be kept in a lively and free circulation; then, while the buoyancy of his spirits, the elasticity of his mind, and the vigour and clearness of his conceptions, will be very much increased, he will at the same time never be injured, and seldom even fatigued, by the effort of speaking, however violent, or however frequently repeated. This is the true reason why most gentlemen of the bar, and some preachers, especially itinerant preachers, speak so often, and usually in crowded rooms and to large assemblies, without sustaining even the slightest injury.

Further; The act of extemporizing does not irritate and wear upon the lungs as mach as that of reading. It is more like conversation, and therefore more natural, and performed with far greater facility. The sentences too, are less involved and more broken up, and consequently much more easily delivered.

6. The preacher who extemporizes, being freed from much manual labor and mere drudgery, will have far more leisure for parochial visits, and for reading. He will thus become more intimately acquainted with the spiritual wants of his parishioners; and also be constantly enriching his mind, and qualifying himself for the more able and acceptable discharge of his duties in the desk.

6. Men who preach extemporaneously, may be expected to perform the other parts of public services more acceptably than those who read their sermons. There are very few habitual sermon-readers, who do not, first or last, fall into a monotonous meas

who anciently ministered in sacred things "The Levites caused the people to understand the law So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading." A part of this duty probably consisted in rendering the original Hebrew into the Aramæan dialect, as Jahn supposes; and a part, no doubt, in the illustration of intricate, and the application of prophetic, passages. Our Saviour also was wont to explain the sacred oracles to the assemblies he addressed "Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." Surely then, if the more general prevalence of extemporaneous discussion would materially facilitate the progress of expository preaching, it is an important consideration in its favor.

8th, and lastly; The circumstances of the age in which we live, tender it particularly important that ministers should be thoroughly versed in extemporaneous speaking. It is the age of bible and missionary associations, of benevolent and literary institutions, of systematic exertions. From these sources arises the necessity of frequently, and sometimes suddenly, drawing together large assemblies of people; for without such assemblies, but few of the institutions of the day could long operate with proper efficiency. On such occasions, information is usually to be imparted from various sources, the recollections of the audience are to be refreshed, their fears dissipated, their hopes excited, and their resolutions strengthened. And all this is to be done too, by means of circumstances and facts which cannot be foreseen. The speakers are therefore obliged to make an immediate use of the materials before them, and to depend for success upon the inspiration of the moment. It is scarcely necessary to add that, in such an exigency those who are not *Neh. viii. 7, 8. +Luke xxiv. 27. Vol. VI.-No. 3.

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well disciplined in extemporaneous discussion, are entirely inadequate to the requirements of the occasion.

This is also pre-eminently the age of revivals of religion. These welcome pledges of the divine favor-these acceptable evidences of the approach of a brighter and a happier era, call for increased exertion from those who minister in sacred things; they call for efforts of a high and a peculiar kind. Occasional meetings are of necessity greatly multiplied. The number and the times of these meetings, must be regulated by causes which cannot be anticipated. Hence the power of speaking extempore with ease, is now, on this account alone, a peculiarly necessary,—I had almost said, an indispensable, qualification in every minister of the gospel. Again; Where multitudes are deeply interested, and where weany are eagerly seeking for admission into the household of faith, no pains should be spared to distinguish between the wheat and the chaff. The faithful watchman on the walls of Zion, will find frequent occasion for direct searching and discriminating conversation with individuals, and with assemblies of every size. For the proper discharge of this most useful and delicate duty, no attainments are more important than the self-command, the freedom of thought and the impressiveness of manner possessed only by persons thoroughly drilled in extemporaneous speaking.

Such are some of the considerations in favor of extemporaneous preaching. The enquiry now suggests itself, What are the Requisites for success in this species of discussion? I answer, they are few, and easily attained by most persons :

1. Habitual correctness and perspicuity of language in our ordinary conversation and written composition. 2. A ready memory.

3. The habit of thinking consecutively at all times.

4. Perfect self-possession under all circumstances. No man does justice to himself in any effort he

may make, unless he feels entirely at his ease. A morbid fear lest he should say something improper or inexpedient-something that may not prove exactly true in all its bearings something not correct in point of grammar or taste or something which may expose him to ridicule, prevents many a man of real talent from fairly putting forth his strength in his earlier efforts. And this indeed he never will do, until he acquires an abiding impression that he can at all times, be so entirely selfpossed as not to expose himself to any of the evils he before feared. This self-possession any one can acquire by practice, and in no other

way.

5. A thorough and familiar acquaintance with the subject. He will then love to discuss it, and to impart his views to others. 'True eloquence,' says Milton, I find to be none but the serious and hearty love of truth, and that whose mind soever is fully possessed with a fervent desire to know good things, and with the dearest charity to infuse the knowledge of them into others, when such a man would speak, his words, like so many nimble and airy servitors, trip about him at command, and in well ordered files, as he would wish, aptly fall into their own places.'

Possessed of the few every-day qualities I have now briefly enumerated, and of ordinary talents,—and laboring under no impediment; any person may become an acceptable extemporaneous preacher. If to these requisites, are added a clear and well furnished head with a warm and renovated heart, the success will of course be greatly increased, and sometimes almost incredible. There will then be real eloquence, which may be justly defined to be the power of speaking extempore with effect.

The lamentations we so often hear about the trials, the perplexities, the insuperable difficulties, &c. &c., of extemporaneous speaking, is all a bug-bear-the offspring of a fastidi

ous sensibility, or of a diseased imagination.

In evidence of the correctness of the sentiments here advanced, and for the encouragement of such as may feel disposed to try their own strength,I appeal to the experience of those who have devoted themselves to the legal profession. They will say with one accord that although now usually compelled to struggle with many dif ficulties which might have been entirely removed by a proper discipline in the previous stages of their education,-there is after all no obstacle in the case which cannot be entirely overcome by patient perseverance. They will uniformly say that any man of ordinary talents, who habitually uses correct and perspicuous language, thinks consecutively, and feels at home in his employment, can become a respectable extemporaneous speaker. In exact accordance with this, is the experience of those who are accustomed to address legislative and popular assemblies. And to this cheering testimony, I am persuaded, most preachers would cordially yield their assent, was the experience of those who occupy the pulpit, only as extensive as that of speakers at the bar and in the sen

ate.

Having offered my views both of the importance and of the practicability of the more general introduction of extemporaneous discussion into the pulpit, I must be permitted, in closing this paper, to say that I feel convinced that far more attention is due to the subject than is now devoted to it in our Academies and our Colleges-in our Theological Seminaries and our Law Schools. If in the two former it were, in connection with regular and frequent exercises in composition, made a grand and a leading object; and then if in the two latter, subsequent to this incipient discipline, it were vigorously followed up,-if students were constantly exercised, until they become thoroughly drilled in the business, or at least so much so as to feel en