SERMON XXIV.

INFLUENCE OF A HOLY HEART ON A CHRISTIAN

MINISTER.

FUNERAL OF REV. DAVID SANFORD, A. M., MEDWAY, WHO DIED APRIL 7, 1810, AGED 73.

FOR he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith; and much people was added unto the Lord. — Acrs, xi. 24.

AFTER Our Saviour had risen from the dead, he directed his apostles to preach the gospel first at Jerusalem; where his enemies had imbrued their hands in his blood, and where they were prepared to make the greatest opposition to the doctrines he had taught. But Peter and John had been so long with Jesus, and imbibed so much of his spirit, that they were not afraid to preach his gospel in the face of his bitterest enemies. By some of their first and most successful discourses, they awakened the enmity and opposition of the ecclesiastical rulers, who laid hold on them, and put them in prison. The next day, however, they set them at liberty, after expressly forbidding them to speak or teach any more in the name of Jesus. But the apostles chose to regard God rather than man, and continued to preach with great success, without farther opposition, until Stephen, who was full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then his enemies arose, and procured his condemnation and death. "And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles." "Now," says the sacred historian in the context, "they who were scattered abroad upon

the persecution that arose about Stephen, travelled as far as Phenice and Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they came to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus; and the hand of the Lord was with them; and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was at Jerusalem; and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith; and much people was added unto the Lord."

Barnabas was a Levite, of the country of Cyprus, and was, probably, converted by the instrumentality of Peter, on the day that five thousand embraced the gospel; and when perhaps a great company of the priests became obedient to the faith. He was one of the most eminent preachers in his day, and attracted the particular notice of the apostles, who changed his name from Joses to Barnabas, which is, being interpreted, the son of consolation; or, as it might be rendered, the son of exhortation, or the son of a prophet. But his character, rather than his name, deserves peculiar attention. "He was a good man." His heart had been renewed and sanctified by the special grace of God. And besides, he was "full of the Holy Ghost and of faith." These are phrases that properly signify his supernatural and miraculous gifts, which were then very common to private christians, as well as to ministers of the gospel. His saving grace and supernatural gifts both concurred to qualify him for his sacred office, and had a happy influence upon his ministerial labors. For it is said, in plain reference to his excellent character, "and much people was added unto the Lord;" that is, by his preaching and pious exertions in the work of the ministry. But since the faith of miracles and all other supernatural gifts have long ago been withdrawn from the church of Christ, it is only the holiness, the benevolence, or saving grace of Barnabas, that applies to the ministerial character at the present day. And taking the text in this restricted sense, it naturally leads us to inquire, what peculiar influence a holy heart will have upon a minister of the gospel.

A holy heart is the seat of all holy or gracious affections; and these are the source of all the holy and virtuous actions which are really acceptable in the sight of God. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." A good heart constitutes a good man. A new heart constitutes a new man. As soon as God gives a

man a new heart, he becomes a new creature; old things pass away, and all things become new. As soon as God gave Barnabas a good heart, he instantaneously became a good man, and morally prepared for every good work. And this is true of every one to whom God gives a new, a holy, or a gracious heart. Such a heart will have a governing influence over all the powers and faculties of his mind; over all his internal views, purposes, and designs; and consequently over all his external conduct. It is not the understanding, nor any other natural faculty of the soul, that governs a man in all his moral actions; but his heart alone. So far as his heart is holy and benevolent, just so far it will sanctify whatever he does; whether he acts in a private or public capacity, or whether he sustains a civil or sacred office. But we are now to consider only that peculiar influence, which a holy heart will have upon one who designs to preach the everlasting gospel.

First: A holy heart will influence him to desire and undertake the sacred work of the ministry from the only pure and proper motives. Under the influence of grace, he will not desire to preach the gospel and take the charge of souls, merely because he has had a public education, nor merely because he cannot pursue any other business with equal reputation and profit; but he will desire the office of a bishop, because it is a good office; and affords the best opportunity of promoting the glory of God, in the conversion of sinners and the edification of saints. Having been thoroughly convinced of his own moral depravity and just desert of eternal destruction; and having been made a partaker of the divine nature, by having the love of God shed abroad in his heart; he will feel a tender and benevolent concern for perishing sinners, and ardently desire to be made the happy instrument of saving them from the wrath to come. Accordingly, he will undertake the work of the ministry, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. He will seek first the kingdom of God, and make all his own interest subservient to it. The benevolence of Barnabas led him to preach the gospel from pure, disinterested motives. "Having land, he sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet." He meant to endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ; and not entangle himself with the affairs of this life, that he might please him who had chosen him to be a soldier. Though Paul was a young man of high expectations and worldly prospects, yet, as soon as his heart was moulded into the spirit of the gospel, he chose to preach it at the risk of every earthly interest. He solemnly declares that "when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that

I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood." As soon as Christ called Matthew, he left his lucrative office, and as soon as he called Simon and Andrew, James and John, they left their nets, to follow the Saviour and preach the gospel. It was a benevolent heart that influenced each of these primitive preachers to obey the call of Christ, take up the cross, and plead his cause, even at the risk of life. And it is always owing to the peculiar and powerful influence of a gracious heart, that any man ever undertakes the self denying work of preaching the gospel and of feeding the flock of God, from truly Christian and laudable mo

tives.

Secondly: The heart of benevolence will sweetly constrain a minister of the gospel to devote himself unreservedly to his great and good work. Having undertaken it of choice, he will pursue it of choice. He will feel a reluctance to intermeddle with any secular concerns, and regret even necessary avocations from his high and holy calling. He will find his need of all his time and of all his talents, to fulfil the duties of his sacred office. He will not unnecessarily suffer any of his personal or domestic concerns to divert his attention or his affections from his ministerial duties. He will read, he will study, and he will employ every proper method to qualify himself more and more for his arduous work; to which, after all, he will feel himself very unequal. Agreeably to the apostle's direction, he will give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine; he will habitually meditate upon these things, and give himself wholly to them, that his profiting may appear to all.

Thirdly: The good and honest heart of a minister will always cause him to preach what he believes to be the most essential and profitable truths of the gospel, however displeasing they may be to many of his people. He will not shun, through fear or favor, to declare what he considers as the whole counsel of God; but will endeavor, by the plainest manifestation of the truth, to approve himself to his own conscience, and to the conscience of every one of his hearers. Christ and his apostles found great opposition to the pure and unpalatable doctrines which they preached; and every faithful minister ever since their day, has found the same kind, though not the same degree, of opposition. But the heart of benevolence is the heart of a martyr, which takes away the fear of man, and gives a mouth and a wisdom which none can gainsay or resist. How often did Barnabas and Paul meet with violent opposition on account of the doctrines they taught! But their benevolent hearts would not suffer them, on any considerations, to withhold or to disguise any of those important truths, which Christ had

commanded them, and which they had solemnly engaged to preach. They could both sincerely say, "We are not as many which corrupt the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, speak we in Christ." And Paul was not afraid to ask his own conscience, "Do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Though some thought Paul was their enemy because he told them the truth, yet his benevolent heart would not permit him to keep back any thing which he supposed would be profitable to them. And an honest and benevolent heart will have the same happy influence upon any minister of the gospel; and never fail to dispose him to preach what he believes to be the most important truths, whether they please or displease his people.

Fourthly: A holy heart will inspire a minister of the gospel with a holy fervency and zeal in discharging the duties of his office. Pure benevolence is the most active principle in the universe. It will always kindle into zeal in the pursuit of any noble and important object, which cannot be attained without vigorous and ardent exertions. God's love to mankind kindled into zeal to overcome every thing that stood in the way of the work of redemption. Christ's love to his Father kindled into zeal to purge the temple, and maintain the purity of his sacred institutions. Love to God and love to men in the heart of a minister will operate in the same manner; and kindle into zeal to fulfil the ministry which he has received of the Lord Jesus, and to promote the great design of the gospel. The benevolence of Barnabas and Paul fired them with a holy and ardent zeal to travel from place to place, and from one country to another, and to expose themselves to every species of dangers; for the sake of extending the Redeemer's kingdom, and of saving immortal souls who were perishing for lack of vision. They were not slothful in business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. They prayed, they preached, and they exhorted, with a zeal and animation which carried conviction to every mind, that they were sincerely engaged to promote the glory of God and the salvation of sinners. Their zeal was always in proportion to their benevolence, to their success, and to the difficulties which they had to encounter. Success inspired them with a zeal to pursue their great and good work. But we never find them more animated and zealous, than when they were violently opposed by men of power, men of learning, and the malignant populace. Their zeal rose superior to all opposition, and never failed to overcome it. Holy love is the essence of holy zeal in a minister of the gospel, and will keep pace with both his success and his want of success among his