they would be exhorted to break off their fins by repentance, and their iniquities by turning to the Lord; with this dreadful certification, that if they did not, they should bear their punishment, whoever they were. They would, at the fame time, be told, what an awful rifk they ran, by having God's oppreffed people crying day and night against them. If the prayers of a Knox were more terrible to an imperial princess, than thousands of armed men; how terrible, to the troublers of the church of Chrift, fhould be the prayers of thoufands, and ten thousands of the excellent ones of the earth!But, as it is not our bufinefs to make a fuppofition of this kind, the neceffity of fuch an exhortation is altogether fuperfeded.

Upon the whole, reverend and dear Sirs, let us, who bear office in this church, be concerned particularly for her profperity; concerned, that what. ever mars edification and enlargement may be removed; that whatever can contribute toward her tranquility and welfare may take place; that her priefts may be clothed with falvation, her faints may be filled with joy, and that, in every respect, she may be "fair as the fun, clear as the moon, and terrible as an army with banners." Let us, in the dif charge of our feveral trufts, difregard the fmiles and frowns of the world; remembering, that the first, as well as the laft, are dangerous and enfnaring. Let us, in our perfonal, private, and public, characters, endeavour to act fuch a part, as the friends of Chrift fhall have no occafion to wish or pray for our excifion; or, if, through mifiaformation, or narrownefs of foul, they fhould look upon us as troublers of the church; let our conduct give the lie to that reproach, and fecure the teftimony of our consciences at the fame time. In a word, let us "take heed to ourselves, and to all the flock over which the

"Holy

"Holy Ghoft hath made us overfeers, to feed the "church of God, which he hath purchased with "his own blood,” Acts xx. 28.

2. This fubject falls next to be improved in an addrefs to the reverend brother who is now * admitted to the perfonal charge of this congregation.

It is happy, my reverend and dear brother, that none can, with truth, imagine I have any apprchenfion of your proving a troubler of the church of Chrift; nor, confequently, infer the least intention of a direct or an oblique thruft at your principles or character, by the difcourfe with which your admiffion was introduced: quite the reverfe have my expectations been, fince the commencement of our acquaintance; nor have I the smallest reason to dread that your after conduct will render them abortive.

The obligations, Sir, under which you have this day laid yourfelf, are of fuch importance, as will fully juftify the warmest exhortation to remember and fulfil them. Have you undertaken the pastoral charge of this congregation? Have your time, your talents, your influence, and whole endeavours, been publicly, folemnly, dedicated to the fervice of thefe fouls? Then, you must not henceforth confider yourself as your own; but, as you are a fervant of Christ, so, as a servant to them for Chrift's fake Your concern and minifterial endeavours muft not be confined to one, or more, or moft; but, without exception, extended. to the whole of this flock for, whatever difference the providence of God may have made between one perfon, or family, and another; their fouls, you know, are equally precious, and claim, therefore, an equal attention from you. As, by their capacities, circumstances, and

:

This and the addrefs to the people followed the admiffion.

and tempers, they may be no lefs diftinguished, than they are by their features or complexions; it is your bufinefs to understand fuch diftinctions, that your paftoral labours may be particularly accommodated to them: for, it is evident, to every ftudent of the fcriptures, at least to every adept in the knowlege of human nature, that the fame method and manner of dealing will not equally fuit all the fubjects of your ministry; more than the fame recipe or regimen could be fuppofed equally proper for all difeafes and conftitutions. By an acquaintance, Sir, with the ftate of this flock, you will probably find, that fome need to be dealt with as faints, and others as finners; that knowlege must be adminiftered to one, and reproof to another; that difcipline is neceffary here, and confolation there; that this hearer reaps most advantage from the reasoning, and that from the declamatory, way you will find that either refervednefs or familiarity will mar the ends of edification, if the choice of those, with whom the one or other is used, be not judiciously made; that neither the forbidding nor engaging, the auftere nor affable carriage must be promifcuoufly obferved: and, in a word, Sir, you will certainly find the neceffity of becoming, in the apoftle's fenfe of the phrase, "all things to all men, that, by all means, you may fave fome," 1 Cor. ix. 22.

:

With whatever unanimity, my dear brother, they have called you to labour amongst them, in the work of the gospel, you are by no means to expect that, in every measure, they will be unanimous with you. The contradiction of finners, and fometimes of faints too, is what every fervant of Jefus Christ may lay his account with; and, therefore, you will forgive me in fuggesting a caution against two extremes, to which oppofition from our people may readily tempt.-Guard, on the one hand,

against

against yielding to oppofition, from whatever quarter, where your doing fo would difhonour the Lord, and be breach of that truft he hath com mitted to you: but, on the other, be no less aware, left a weakness of mind, or stiffness of temper, to which the holielt on earth are liable, get the better, at any time, of reafon, and infenfibly block up the avenues through which proper con-> viction may be introduced: for, as it is certain, that gospel minifters ought much rather to fuffer, than fin; fo, that an ingenuous yielding to the force of argument is more-much more virtuous and praife worthy, than a tenacious adherence to any measure or refolution, unfupported by fcripture or reafon.In the course, Sir, of my own miniftry, I have found manifold need of this caution; and I perfuade myfelf that all our fathers and brethren prefent will justify me in thinking your attention to it, and compliance with it, highly neceffary.

You will not, I truft, look upon the ministry you have received of our Lord Jefus, as a by-work; but confider it as claiming all the application and diligence you are capable of: if, in order to Timothy's exhorting and teaching, it was neceffary that he gave attendance to reading; if, that his profiting might appear to all, he behoved to ftir up the gift that was in him, to meditate on divine things, and to give himself wholly to them; and if, that he might fave himself, and those who heard him, Timothy behoved to take heed unto himfelf, and unto his doctrine, and to continue in them: 1 Tim. iv. 13, etc. if, Sir, fuch diligence and application were incumbent upon Paul's own fon in the faith, can it be thought unneceffary, even in an unworthy fervant of Chrift, to ftir up, your pure mind by way of rememberance?-What

you

you prepare for the public entertainment of this congregation, as it fhould not be above the reach of the most illiterate, fo, it must not deferve the contempt of the most intelligent: both thefe extremes are fo pernicious to the interefts of Chriftianity, that it is impoffible to fay which fhould be avoided with the greatest care.

In your teaching capacity, every gospel doctrine claims its own room; and, therefore, with whatever zeal you may fee caufe to infift upon certain topics of Christianity, the rest should by no means be neglected. Some are blamed for dwelling on the credenda of religion; others, for confining themfelves to the doctrine of works; but, would you be a workman that need not be afhamed, both muft be regarded by you, and recommended, in their proper place, to this people.

As a ruler, Sir, in the church of Chrift, and a co-prefbyter with thefe reverend fathers and brethren, the duties formerly, though with all imaginable deference, recommended to them, are equally binding on you. With regard to your coprefbyters themselves, brotherly affection and obedience, in the Lord, become indifpenfible duties : without the former, gospel communion is interrupted; and, without the latter, church order is at an end. Though, in things of a difputable nature, you should, perhaps, be obliged to differ in your judgment from fome of us; yet, in as far as we are agreed, cease not to walk in the love of the gofpel; nor to pray, that, wherein you are otherways minded, God may difcover the mistake to them or you, upon whomfoever it is chargeable.

In a word, give me leave to add, how neceffary it is, that you exhibit fuch a converfation before this people, as it thall be impoffible for them to explode your doctrine, by contrafting it with your practice.