Dæmonologia Sacra; or, A Treatise of Satan's Temptations: In Three PartsGilpin, Richard
Religion
Dæmonologia Sacra; or, A Treatise of Satan's Temptations: In Three Parts
Gilpin, Richard
Devil -- Early works to 1800; Temptation -- Early works to 1800
‘He had a voice strong enough to command the most usual public places
of divine worship. It was piercing and sweet, and naturally well
modelled. He had the true skill of fixing an accent upon particular
words where the matter needed it. There was a force attended his way
of speaking without an undue transport. He was vigorous and vehement,
but under great conduct. His expressions were conceived and his sermons
delivered without the use of notes: and he was qualified for that way
of preaching. His pregnant memory, his ready invention, his great
presence of mind, his natural fluency, that made him able to speak well
and gracefully, with ease and assurance, entitled him to it. He could
clothe any matter in apt words, with all the ornaments of a regular
elocution. He fell neither into too swift an utterance, nor was forced
upon any unbecoming, unguarded expressions. There was no restraint
upon his delivery by being thus managed. It made him only capable of
speaking what he did with much greater warmth and life and decency of
gesture. It had all the smoothness of style and propriety of words to
make it acceptable. It had all the graces of natural oratory, all the
decencies of behaviour to recommend it. And that which completed all,
it came from a serious mind, the concern of which was visibly to be
read both in his countenance and expressions. He spoke from his very
heart, as appeared sometimes in the force of his words, sometimes
in his tears, and usually in both. He spake with solemnity and
seriousness, with gravity and majesty, and yet with so much meekness
mixed with all, as declared him to be a man of God and ambassador of
Christ. There was a lively air of delivery, a sacred vehemence of
affection in what he spake, that were very much his peculiar talent.
He knew how to temper his discourses with due motion. His gestures
were admirably taking and graceful, and further expressive of what he
was delivering. In prayer he was likewise most solemn and fervent, and
usually expressed himself much in Scripture language, and with a flood
of affection. The very fountains of it seemed in the performance of
that duty to be broken up and the great deep of it opened. It often
forced him to silence for a little till it had flowed out at his eyes.
In his pulpit discourses he was a very great example, both as to
the design and method of them. His design was vast and noble in the
ordinary course of his preachings. He usually proposed some subject,
and pursued it on various texts. Every head with its enlargements was
closely studied, and his particulars under each general were admirably
chosen. If he had ever so many, none could be wanting; if never so few,
there seemed to need no more. In the handling of any subject, after
he had explained and proved what he had undertaken, with a great deal
of clearness and affection, he was most plain, familiar, and moving
in his applications. His way in these was another particular talent
that he had.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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