inward life and communion with God:) but with distinct calmness, and wise deliberation. There may often be a strong wind, an earthquake, and fire; but the Lord _is in the still, small voice_, (1 Kings xix. 11. 12.) and those are only in order to this. His word, it is true, is a sword, and a hammer, which wounds and breaks human hearts in pieces; and any one’s _manner_ of speaking contributes towards this so far as it is to be commended. But considered independently of this (which is too often the case) the loudness of a man’s voice is in reality no better than the blowing of a trumpet, or the sound of a drum. _Not by might, or by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts._ What is here intended, is nakedly to represent a common mistake, in order to its removal. His sermons were seldom less than an hour long; and yet, had in them such an agreeable variety, that they were rarely, if ever tedious, unless to such as wanted a savour for the things of God. He was always at the conclusion, in a bath of sweat. And the place of preaching being often at some distance from his lodging, his suddenly growing cold again, was one reason of the frequency of the fevers which he had from time to time, during his whole life of public labour. He often resolved before he began to preach, to restrain the rapidity of his spirit, but in vain: “The sword (as he once said to me) being too keen for the scabbard.” The fervour of his soul broke through all his resolutions, but wasted at the same time, the very springs of life, which he felt immediately afterwards. With regard to the manner of his preparing for sermons, he seemed to keep between the two extremes, neglect of all actual, previous preparation, and a dry scholastic composition of exact materials. To have no regard to the matter, and manner of his discourses before hand, under the pretence of dependance upon heaven, for immediate influence and utterance, he judged to be rank enthusiasm; and often, a cloke for a lazy, indolence of spirit; on account, of which, nonsense has been too often dignified with the sacred names of _inspiration_ and power. And yet, he judged it alike culpable, to seek after and trust to mere dry human skill, in fixing upon heads, and taking such measures, as to preach only ones self, independant as it were, on the quickening, enlighting presence of the _Holy Ghost_, without which all preaching and all hearing are vain.