pel in their difficult and important work. If Christian professors would unite with Christian ministers, in the common cause of Christianity, we might reasonably hope that religion would gain ground, and vice and infidelity would every where fall before it.

But it is time to conclude the discourse, with such addresses as are usual on such an occasion as this. And, in the first place, I turn to him, who is about to take the pastoral care of this people.

Dear Sir, You are entering upon a work of great difficulty and danger. You will fare better than any who have gone before you in the ministry, if you should not meet with any who wish and endeavor to draw you from the path of duty. The people to whom you are going to minister, we presume, are as well disposed towards the gospel, and towards the preachers of it, as religious societies in general. But the corruptions of the times have reached this as well as other places. You are, therefore, entering upon the work of the ministry at a very dangerous period. And though we hope you are really friendly to God and to his cause, yet the seeds of rebellion are not entirely destroyed in your own heart. There is something still within you, which exposes you to be moved from your steadfastness. Moral corruption spreads its poison very insensibly, and often gains the possession of the heart before the man is aware. You cannot, therefore, be too watchful against its pernicious influence. To defeat the designs of those who may wish to weaken your hands and heart in the cause of God, you cannot take a more direct and effectual method, than to become "an ensample to the flock." It is the proper business of ministers to set, and not to follow example. Instead of suffering yourself to be formed to the spirit and manners of others, make it your constant aim and endeavor to form others to the spirit of the gospel and the life of religion. If your people perceive this to be your steady and governing principle of action, they will have but little hope, and of consequence but little courage, to make the attempt of corrupting either your heart, your life, or your preaching. If you appear to regard God more than man, and the good of your people more than their censure or applause, they will feel a power in your preaching, and force in your example, which they can neither gainsay nor resist; especially if you discover at the same time a readiness to please, and even to oblige them, in all things which are consistent with the duties of your office. Conscience is always on the side of the faithful minister, and against every rebellious child of Adam. And it is this which gives every minister, who speaks for God, and with his words, the ascendency over the most hardened and obstinate sinners. Only fear God, and

make his word the standard of your preaching, and you need not fear to deliver the most disagreeable truths to your people, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear; for they will feel that there is a man of God among them.

A good soldier esteems it an honor to be called to the post of danger. And if you are a good soldier of Jesus Christ, you will esteem it an honor to plead his cause in a day of declension. It is a cause which will certainly prevail somewhere; and if you do your duty, you may humbly hope that it will prevail in this place. But, should you be so unhappy as to find religion decaying among your own people, and among those around you, let it not damp your spirit, but awaken you to be more fervent in your devotions, more indefatigable in your studies, more zealous in your preaching, and more holy and exemplary in your living. The united exertions of the enemies of religion, ought to rouse the united exertions of those who are set for the defence of the gospel, to put a check upon the growing spirit of irreligion; and we hope you will not be wanting, in your desires and endeavors, to awaken stupid sinners to a sense of their danger and duty.

There can be no neuters in the cause of Christ. He that is not for him, must be against him; and he that gathereth not with him, must scatter abroad. You must be conformed either to Christ or to the world. You must either preach rebellion against God, or bear your public testimony against it, both in preaching and in practice. On this day of your solemn consecration to the sacred office, you are solemnly called upon to choose whom you will serve, whether Christ or his enemies. Be entreated to make a wise choice, and never depart from it, because the consequences will be infinitely important. So our Lord hath taught you, in the most striking language: "Who then" says he "is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Son of man, hear what your Lord saith unto you, and be not thou rebellious, like such a rebellious servant; but be thou faithful unto death, and the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give you a crown of life which shall never fade away.

The church and congregation in this place, will now indulge

me in a free and friendly address to them, on this solemn occa

sion.

Brethren and Friends, Behold the man, whom you have so unanimously chosen to take the pastoral care of your souls. Receive him as a messenger of the Lord of hosts, and seek the law at his mouth. Esteem him highly in love for his work's sake. Consider him as a minister as well as a man, and pay respect to the minister in the man. Cease not to pray for him, and to join with him in building up the Redeemer's kingdom. In this, and in this alone, you may reasonably desire him to be one with you; and in this, and in this alone, will he be willing to join with you, if he is a faithful servant of God. Never desire him to regard you more than God; and never become his enemies because he tells you the truth. This will be distressing to him, and destructive to yourselves. He cannot serve you any longer than he serves God. If you should be so unwise as to desire him to conform to your unreasonable wishes, and so successful as to bring him to a conformity, you will injure both him and yourselves. It appears from what has been said, however, that the people are extremely prone to corrupt their ministers; and this affords ground to fear, that this people, who have been so remarkably unanimous in the choice of him who is now to be set over them in the Lord, may nevertheless become disposed to weaken his hands and discourage his heart in the service of their souls. Should you endeavor to do this, and succeed in it, how dreadful will be your situation when you come to see, at the last day, that you have grieved the heart and destroyed the influence of one, who desired, and endeavored to promote, your eternal good! But, on the other hand, what can afford you greater joy, than to be presented before the universe, as friends to God, and to them who were workers together with him in building up his kingdom? You and your pastor are both in danger. He is in danger from you, and you are in danger from him. The connection which may be this day formed between you, will be infinitely interesting to you all. We beseech you, brethren and friends, to take heed how you hear your minister, how you feel towards him, and how you treat him. He can do but very little without you. He needs your love, your prayers, and your assistance. He is called, like young Samuel, to bear the messages of God to you, in a day of great declension. And if it be his heart's desire and prayer to God, that you may be saved, let it be your heart's desire and prayer to God, that he may be both faithful and successful. And if you receive a prophet in the name of a prophet, you shall receive a prophet's reward. Amen.

SERMON IX.

PURPOSE OF REDEMPTION.

ORDINATION OF REV. JOSEPH EMERSON, TO THE PASTORAL CARE OF THE THIRD CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH IN BEVERLY, SEPT. 21, 1803.

TO THE intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. - EPH. iii. 10, 11.

THE Jews were the seed of Abraham, to whom the promises of the Messiah were made; and from this circumstance they were led to imagine that salvation was confined to them, in distinction from all other nations. This was their prevailing opinion, both before and after the crucifixion of Christ. Nor were the apostles themselves, at first, altogether divested of this national prejudice. But Paul, the great apostle of the Gentiles, was early favored with more enlightened and enlarged views of the gospel. He knew that it comprised the whole counsel of God; that it was intended for the benefit of all nations, and that it would, in its final operation, give the brightest display of the divine attributes to all intelligent beings. This sublime idea of the gospel inspired him with gratitude to Christ, for giving him the peculiar privilege of unfolding the great scheme of salvation to all men, whether Jews or Gentiles: "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by

Jesus Christ, to the intent, that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known, by the church, the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.",

These last words, in this connection, naturally lead us to inquire who are meant by the church; when God formed his purpose of redeeming the church; and why he formed this gracious design.

I. Let us consider who are meant by the church.

Paul sometimes uses this appellation to denote a single society of christians; but he more commonly uses the term to denote the whole number of the elect, or all who shall finally be sanctified and saved. This portion of mankind he considers as composing the church universal, which is a spiritual body, of which Christ is the spiritual head. To this purpose he speaks in the first chapter of this epistle. He says, God hath set Christ" at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body." In this comprehensive sense the apostle uses the term church in the text. He means to signify by it the whole church of the first born in heaven, or all who shall be set up as monuments to display the riches of divine grace to the whole intelligent creation.

Let us next inquire,

II. When the Deity formed his purpose of redeeming the church from among men.

God was under no natural necessity of forming this or any other purpose. His nature did not irresistibly constrain him either to create or to redeem the world. It depended solely upon his will, whether he should bring angels and men into existence; whether he should make them in his own moral image; whether he should suffer any of them to fall into sin; and whether, if any of them should fall into sin, he would save the whole or only a part of the guilty, through the sufferings and death of a Mediator. In a word, God was perfectly free and voluntary in forming the whole scheme of redemption. Hence it is called "his purpose," "his counsel," and "the good pleasure of his will." But still it is a question, when he formed this benevolent purpose, whether in time or eternity. The text tells us it was in eternity: "According to the eternal purpose, which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." All the elect are said to have been "chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world." Christ is called "the Lamb slain from the foun