and essential truths of the gospel clearly explained to them, and strongly impresed upon them. There are many, in most places, who will either leave their minister, or cause their minister to leave them, rather than to suffer him to penetrate and impress their minds by divine truth. Such flying from pungent to smooth preachers is a dreadful thing. God represents it so in his own people. "A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so." If ministers are right, in preaching plainly and pungently, then people are certainly wrong in complaining of it. They act a most unreasonable as well as sinful part. Pungent preaching is for their own good, and they ought to desire it, and seek after it. It is their highest interest to have their minister penetrate their hearts, and discover to them the true state of their souls. They always desire such plainness and fidelity in other men, whom they employ to promote their temporal good. They wish their attorney to examine their cause with care, discover every flaw, and tell them the plain, naked truth. And they heartily desire their surgeon to probe their wounds to the bottom, and apply the most effectual remedies, though ever so painful and distressing to endure. Why then should they complain of their minister, for dealing plainly and faithfully with their souls? This is an absurdity in its own nature, an injury to their minister, and may be eternal destruction to themselves.

"The

7. If it ought to be the aim of the minister to penetrate and impress the minds of his hearers, then there is blame somewhere, if their minds are not penetrated and impressed. Either the minister does not aim to impress their minds, or they mean to resist the impressions of divine truth. But if the minister really means to impress the minds of his people, it will be very difficult for them not to feel the force of his preaching. words of the wise are as goads." This means, at least, that the words of the wise preacher will generally penetrate and impress the mind. It is true, hearers may be so inattentive and stupid, as not to understand the great truths of the gospel, when plainly and pungently delivered; and in that case, their minds will not be penetrated and impressed. But this rarely happens. A plain, pungent preacher will scarcely ever fail of making sensible impressions upon the minds of his people. The impressions, indeed, may be extremely different upon different persons. Some may feel pleased, and others displeased. Some may feel happy, and others unhappy. Some may feel comforted, and others feel reproved and condemned. Some may feel their hopes enlivened, and others feel their hopes totally

destroyed. If such impressions as these are not made upon the minds of hearers, it is generally owing to the want of pungent preaching. The blame, in the first instance, falls upon the minister. And he must be exceedingly criminal to preach so as to soothe and stupify, rather than to penetrate and impress the minds of his people. But, on the other hand, the blame will fall on the hearers, if they remain stupid and unfeeling under plain and pungent preaching. This is a sin which exposes those who are guilty of it, to the heaviest condemnation. "Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish."

Let me now apply the thoughts which have been suggested, to him for whom they were principally designed.

Dear Sir, You are this day dedicating yourself to the sacred and important work of preaching the gospel. Preaching is to be your business. And the business of preaching is to penetrate and impress the minds of men, by the force of divine. truth. Make this, therefore, your supreme object in all your discourses. Never keep back any thing, which you verily believe will be profitable and penetrating. Shun not to exhibit, and to apply the great truths of the gospel to the minds of your people. Let their aim and desire be what it may, in hearing; let it be your aim and desire, in preaching, to fasten truth upon their consciences. Spare no pains in preparing your discourses, and neglect no proper method to make them pungent. The way is already paved for you. Your worthy and venerable colleague has set you an example of great plainness and pungency in preaching. And his success enforces his example.

You know, by your own experience, we trust, the natural stupidity, blindness and obstinacy of the human heart. And you know, that the word of God is mighty to bow and subdue the hearts of men. This knowledge will both qualify and dispose you to preach in the most plain and pungent manner. Nothing but a desire to please, or a fear to offend, can prevent your being a plain, penetrating, searching preacher. But these powerful temptations to unfaithfulness, you must, you will, constantly and obstinately resist. You come into the field in a favorable season, when it seems to be white already to the harvest. Be industrious and faithful, and you may expect a rich harvest of souls, who shall be your joy here, and your rejoicing for ever.

One word to this numerous assembly will conclude my dis

course.

If the words of the wise and faithful ministers of Christ be so powerful and penetrating as we have heard, how much more irresistible and insupportable will the words of Christ himself be, at the great and last day! Then he will tell sin

ners all that they ever heard, as well as all they ever did in their lives. Then he will make them hear all the sermons which they had neglected to hear, and make them feel all the truths which they had refused to feel. And then he will give divine truth such an energy, as to penetrate and impress their guilty consciences to all eternity. This will be a source of intolerable misery.

"The keen vibration of bright truth is hell."

Let all, therefore, who have hitherto resisted the preached. gospel, be entreated to hearken to it speedily, while it may be a savor of life unto life to their souls. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." The gospel will, sooner or later, penetrate the hearts of sinners. If they resist the force of it in time, they must feel the weight of it in eternity. "O that they were wise that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!" Amen.

SERMON VIII.

MINISTERS EXPOSED TO CORRUPTION BY THEIR PEOPLE.

ORDINATION OF REV. JOHN SMITH, AT SALEM, N. H., JANUARY 4, 1797.

Bur thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee: Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house. EZEKIEL, ii. 8.

THE children of Israel were once holiness to the Lord, and the first fruits of their increase. They served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua. But ever after that memorable period, they began to lose the spirit of religion, and became more and more corrupt, until they were carried into captivity, as a just punishment for their deep declension. In this deplorable situation, they continued to harden themselves in sin, and to pine away in their iniquities, until every appearance of spiritual life was gone. Then God was pleased to send Ezekiel to prophesy over the valley of dry bones, in order to raise them from spiritual death to spiritual life. And to prepare him for his arduous task, he forewarned him of his danger, and charged him to guard against it. "Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel. -Be not afraid of them, though briars and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions; be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear; for they are most rebellious. But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee: Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house."

This was the same as to say, "I know the degeneracy of the times. I know the corruption and obstinacy of the people. I know they will stop their ears and harden their hearts against divine truth. And I know that for this purpose, they will use every method, by words and looks, to corrupt your heart, poison your sentiments, and destroy your influence. But I warn you to beware of men; and never suffer yourself to be corrupted by those whom you are sent to reprove and reform." This divine caution applies to all who are called to bear the messages of God to men, and naturally leads us, on this occasion, to show, I. That ministers are exposed to be corrupted by the people; and,

II. That it is their indispensable duty to guard against it. I. Let us consider that ministers are exposed to be corrupted by the people.

Though this be a very humiliating truth to ministers as well as people, yet let us attend to the evidence of it with seriousness and impartiality. And here I would observe,

1. That ministers have been corrupted by the people. This was the unhappy case of Aaron. While Moses was detained on the mount, the people were uneasy, and came to Aaron, and desired him to make them an idol. Though he knew that he had no right to comply with this unreasonable request, yet he finally yielded to the importunity of the people, and made them a golden god. Accordingly, when Moses returned and reproved him for his conduct, he made no other excuse than the pressing importunity of the people. "And Moses said unto Aaron, what did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?" This very question carries an implication that Aaron was corrupted. "And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot; thou knowest the people that they are set on mischief. For they said unto me, Make us gods which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him." This was a base insinuation to the dishonor of Moses, and an artful address to the vanity of Aaron; which was exactly suited to corrupt his heart, and draw him from the path of duty. The event answered the desire and expectation of those who were set on mischief; for Aaron was corrupted and became "rebellious. like that rebellious house." The same thing happened to the sons and successors of Aaron; for we find that they were always corrupt, when the people were corrupt. There was a great degeneracy in the time of the judges, when every man did what was right in his own eyes; and that day of declension proved a day of temptation to the priests, who were carried away by the stream of corruption. When Asa came to the