"Three things," said he (in a letter to a young man[55] who was about to begin to preach), "are essential to a preacher. First, the ability to discern the condition and capacity of a congregation. Second, an ability to select a subject suited to their capacity and wants. Third, skill to deliver it in a manner to be received to the best advantage. How often you hear preachers labor on inappropriate subjects, who evidently did not understand the wants of their assembly; and how frequently you have heard a good subject mutilated and the assembly disgusted by bad delivery. The more natural, easy, simple, and affectionate a truth can be told, the better and more lasting effect it will have." On problems of the future state, he did not largely speculate. In reply to some nice questions touching his views of the details and minutiæ of the immortal life, he once said, "Let us wait until we get there. Who can answer these questions now?" He preached that virtue leads to glory eternal; that vice naturally proceeds to darkness and wo; that revelation gives hope only to those who obey. It will be almost invariably found, that his abilities and themes had strong practical bearings; that his power was never prone to assume the merely speculative form. On human nature he was explicit. He never admitted the doctrine of original inherent sin; but from the first, vindicated humanity from the charges of total depravity. In 1854, though the blaspheming of human nature, common to the olden creeds, is theoretically retained, we seldom hear its allegations in bold words: but in 1817 and onwards, it was otherwise. Then Mr. Badger took his stand in behalf of humanity with a defence so wise that it repelled at the same time the charges of Calvinism and pleaded the need of regeneration. At Royalton, about twenty-five years ago, he spoke on human nature against the common view, so strongly and so boldly, that it caused some two or three ministers who were with him in the desk to exhibit signs of surprise. He continued without the least deviation; and, a few months since, one of the same gentlemen who witnessed the scene at Royalton, said, that the view Mr. Badger then gave, was the one now hailed with joy by the large masses, the one which thoughtful minds are everywhere weaving into the philosophy of man's nature and life.