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    Dissenting Minister in the Vlth Volume of the Monthly Repository , * for a number of practical minutiae which you will find useful . I shall only detain you , and the rest of this respectable audience , with a few miscellaneous remarks , I particularly wish to enlarge a little upon a remark which I dropped at the close of my

    last year's Address , on the subject of eartempore-speakmg . -f I am aware that it is a talent which , in the present state of society , there are strong temptations to abuse , and I admire the delicacy of those who , from this motive , do not wish their names to be connected with the prize for the encouragement of this gift . Far am I from wishing that this Institution should

    send out noisy spouters , either in the pulpit or in any other place ; but there are many occasions which will occur in the exercise of a Christian minister ' s profession , particularly in the discharge of his

    private duties—in catechising , and familiarly conversing with the young—in visiting the sick—in varying the addresses proper for baptism , in whatever way that rite be administered—at the burial of the

    dead—and even on some occasions of advice , remonstrance , or consultationon which the faculty of delivering , on the spur of the occasion , good sense in appropriate language , is of the utmost consequence to their edifying and acceptable discharge . For my own part , I often feel , with regret and shame , the consequences of my having neglected in early life the exercise of this gift ; and I ain conscious

    that several mortifying failures in the course of it have arisen from this neglect . And I the more readily make this confession , that you , my young friends , may be deterred by it from deferring , till too late , the cultivation of a talent which , the earlier it is acquired , will render

    professional duties ( other things being not neglected for it ) more acceptable and useful . The question whether free prayer should be exclusively used in public worship , or whether forms , in some of their modifications , may not be allowable , has been stated with great ability and canflour

    in your Tutor ' s excellent Address alread y referred to ; in practice it will <> Hen be determined by the habits and flings of individual churches . But the cultivation of the gift itself , as one of high 'importance and utility , has of late been ¦^ ougly recommended , and the objec-IIOII S tO \ t . Z \}\\\ T rvnovHTjv . i . vJ t ^ . « x TVtc- ^ . ^^ . <^ ll abl ? in Discourse

    ,, , of n y answere < > a ur . J . p Smith ' s , which appears to me well worthy of attention . But in whatever manner public prayer is performed , ought certainl y to be regarded as the !> - 471 . f Mon x | epos # for Jn ] v > 1 B 20 . vox xvi . ' ; j K

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    most important object of our public assemblies . Ijt is to be feared that it is not generally regarded in this light , but both that ministers and people too frequently assign to it a rank inferior to preaching .

    Thus very intelligent and religious persons are apt to say , « We went to hear Mr . such a one / not , * We went to join in the public worship of Gad at such a place / Thus it too often comes to be the object to resort to our assemblies rather for

    entertainment , or at most for mformation , than to have the devout affections * of the heart brought into more frequent exercise , the reverence and love of God more firmly fixed as an habitual sentiment , and obedience to His will , as the most direct and unquestionable rule of conduct to every one who \» favoured with the revelation

    of His will , insensibly settled into a more and more established practical principle , in proportion as we become accustomed to regard ourselves as always in his presence , and always at liberty to present ourselves before him , in public and in private ; in the devout retirement of the closet ; or in company with our families , our friends , or the still more extended community of our fellow-christians or fellow-men . Do

    you , my young friends , be careful to encourage and justify such reasonable and scriptural views of the leading purpose of our public assemblies , « by the devout solemnity of your offices of worship : let them not be too long , so as to fatigue , but serious and impressive , that they may interest and affect ; let them be alg <*

    varied , I will not say in proportion to the vastness of the subject , for that were impossible , but so as to suggest from time to time distinct views of the leading relations between God and man , and as much as possible such views at each particular time as are peculiarly suited to the occasion ; let them , moreover , be pronounced

    with a countenance and tone of simple , unaffected , impressive devotion , which may give the words that come from the heart the best chance of reaching the hearts of others ; and let no one have the power of alleging the poor excuse for slighting his public duties to his Creator and Father , that your services are

    uninteresting , and carelessly performed . But though public worship is certainly the essential , yet public instruction is no doubt a very important , object of our assembling together in the house of God . And with regard to the composition of

    your addresses to your hearers with this important view , though you will doubtless think it your duty to enforce the evidence and explain the truths of the gospel , witfi that entire liberty of thought and discussion with which you have been encouraged to pursue your study of them

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    Intelligence . — Manchester College , York . 429

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1821, page 429, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2502/page/49/