best lesson that could be given to all others, in the art of reading. In making my comments, I shall not felect paffages from different parts of the fervice, but take them in their order as they lie in the Prayerbook, beginning with fome of the texts that are usually read before the exhortation. But first it will be neceffary to explain the marks which you will hereafter fee throughout the rest of this courfe. They are of two kinds; one, to point out the emphatic words, for which purpose I fhall use the grave accent of the Greek [`].

The other, to point out the different paufes or ftops, for which I fhall use the following marks;

For the shortest pause marking an incomplete fense a small inclined line, thus

For the fecond double the time of the

former, two

And for the third or full stop three

N 3

When

When I would mark a pause longer than any belonging to the usual ftops it fhall be by two horizontal lines, as thus

When I would point out a fyllable
that is to be dwelt on fome time
I fhall use this mark

or a fhort horizontal over the
fyllable.

When a fyllable fhould be rapidly
uttered, this

or a curve turned upwards; the
ufual marks of long and hort
quantity in profody.

The reafon for my ufing new marks for the ftops, is this. They who have been accustomed to affociate reading notes to the flops, will, on the fight of them, be apt to fall into their old habit; and as the new marks are free from fuch affociation of ideas, they will be more likely to be guided

in all the changes of their voice by the fenfe only.

I have often heard the following verfe read in this manner.

Enter no't into judgment with thy fervant O Lord, for in thy fight fhall no man living be juftified.'

Here the words, not, fervant, fight, juftified, between which it is impoffible to find any connexion, or dependance of one on the other, are principally marked. By thefe false emphases, the mind is turned wholly from the main purport and drift of the verse. Upon hearing an emphasis upon not it expects quite another conclufion to make the meaning confiftent; and instead of the word for, which begins the latter part of the fentence, it would expect a but; as, Enter not into judgment with thy fervant O Lord, but regard me with an eye of mercy. When it hears the emphafis on fèrvant,

P

it expects also another conclufion; as, Enter not into judgment with thy fervant O Lord, but enter into judgment with those who are not thy fervants. And by the emphases on the words fight, and juftified, the true meaning is not conveyed. But if read in the following manner, Enter not into ju`dgment with thy fervant' Ō Lord" for' in th`y fight' fhall no man li`ving be juftified' the whole meaning becomes obvious, and we see that there is a great deal more implied, than the mere words would express, without the aid of proper emphases.

Enter not into ju`dgment with thy fervant O Lord "That is, enter not, O Lord, into the severity of judgment with thy fervant'for' in thy fight'-which is all-piercing, and can spy the smallest blemish-shall no man living be justified'-No man on earth, no not the best, shall be found perfect, or

fufficiently pure, to stand the examination of the eye of purity itself.

Upon this sentence thus pronounced, the following beautiful paffage in Job, may be

a comment,

How then can man be juftified with God, or how can he be clean that is born of woman? Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea the stars are not pure in his fight. How much less, man, that is a worm, and the fon of man, which is a worm.'

As the first neceffary step towards getting into a good habit, is to get rid of 8 bad one, I fhall point out the faults that are usually committed in reading the service; and afterwards propose the amendments.

The Exhortation I have often heard delivered in the following manner :

Dearly