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who lay the true foundation of all doctrine, Jesus Christ and him crucified; and who build on it gold, silver, precious stones.

But, (2d,) What does the Scripture say to these ministers? Thrice did our Lord say to Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me ? and thrice enjoined on him, as the greatest proof of that love," Feed my sheep, feed my lambs." The love of Christ is to be our supreme motive in our ministry, so that we may take delight in feeding his flock.

The same Apostle who received this command, speaks thus, chap. v. of his First Epistle, "The Elders which are among you, I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory which shall be revealed: feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind: neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory which fadeth not away." This address I have endeavoured to make my rule throughout my ministry.. Especially consider the words "not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind."-Lucre is always joined in the New Testament with the epithet filthy, and is always used of ministers, pointing out one principal snare to which they would be exposed.

Again, St. Paul said to the elders of Ephesus, "Take heed unto yourselves and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, that is bishops,-for it is agreed, I believe, that the word was used at first both of bishops and elders-"to feed the flock purchased with his own blood-for grievous wolves would enter in, not sparing the flock; and of their own selves would men arise speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them."

But I must forbear. I will only

quote two or three passages more from the Epistles of St. Paul to Timothy and Titus.—“ Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an exainple to the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee......Meditate upon these things, give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear unto all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrines; continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee." 1 Tim. iv. 12-16.

Again, 1 Tim. vi. 11. "But thou, O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”

Lastly, Titus, ii. 7. "In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works; in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you."

My brethren, I would magnify mine office, though I would abase myself. The work of the ministry appears to me so great, that nothing else comparatively seems worth doing. Christ would not lead an army, nor divide an inheritance, nor be made a king, nor sit in the great council of the nation; but he would preach the Gospel to the poor.

This Gospel tends immediately to promote all that is good and praiseworthy among men. It not only teaches men to save their souls, but it makes them good subjects, obedient servants, faithful friends, upright tradesmen, just and equal masters. It does more to bind men to each other by the strongest bonds of moral obligation, and thus to preserve good or. der in civil society, than parliaments, and laws, and magistrates, and prisons. A gentleman of large landed property lately declared, that on one of his estates the people were quiet, and suber, and industrious, and were '

never disposed to injure his property; whilst on another they were turbulent and profligate, and idle and injurious. And he publicly confessed that the difference arose from the one people having the instruction of faithful, pious ministers, and the other not. If pure Christianity were universally known and obeyed, the whole face of human society would be changed.

But, "who is sufficient for these things?" for preaching a doctrine so pure, for living a life so holy, for answering the demands which the passages I have quoted clearly make on them? Especially when we consider further, that all this is to be done by them in a wicked and corrupt world. When men in general are engaged in a great and arduous work, they commonly are supported by the honour and praise of men. Fame is their stimulus and reward. But we have often to preach the Gospel under hardship, ill-usage, and misrepresentation. We have to go through evil report and through good report. We have to bear the calumny and unkindness of men, for declaring the very truths which our Articles require us to preach, and which we have solemnly promised to preach. And in return, we are to arm ourselves with meekness, patience, prudence, and fortitude. To persevere in faithfully preaching the Gospel, requires more courage and boldness than to be a hero, and as much meekness and willingness to endure suffering as a martyr.

But I must not dwell longer on these points, I come,

II. To consider who we are who are employed about "these things." Whom does God commission to preach the Gospel?

Not angels though we might have thought that this office would best have become them, but us men. Angels could not have spoken in the same manner as sinners who had tasted the bitterness of sin, and the sweetness of mercy. We, my brethren, whom God condescends to use, are of the same nature as yourselves,

born in sin, children and vessels of wrath in ourselves; vessels of mercy by the alone grace of God. We were enemies and alienated in our minds by wicked works; but God hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, and sent us to say to our fellow-sinners, " Be ye also reconciled to God.” We are men of like passions with you; not men of like passions in the sense of being men under the influence of sinful affections, like the worst of mankind, but men of the same fallen nature with you; the same evil propensities, the same appetites, the same indwelling sin, the same dislike of shame, hardship, reproach, and pain as others; men just like others, except as the grace of God has made them to differ, and as they possess qualifications for their peculiar work. But many of us have not been like Samuel, John the Baptist, and Timethy, who served God from their earliest infancy, and entered on their ministry with all the advantages of long habits of piety, and with a previous stock of knowledge, and who had happily been preserved from sinful habits and connexions. Many of us have entered the ministry with corrupt and worldly motives, and have afterwards been awakened to a sense of our duties. Or, if we have begun our ministry in some measure aright, yet we have to look back with shame on our youth wasted in folly and sin; and thus, though we have to adore that grace of God which first converted and pardoned us, and then condescended to send us out for the conversion and salvation of others; yet we have to lament opportunity and time lost beyond recovery, and mischief done to ourselves and others.

The reason why we have this treasure of the Gospel in earthen vessels is, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of man; and this excellency often appears most clearly when the frailty and weakness of the instrument are most apparent, perhaps even when the vessel itself is

broken to pieces. "Not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble are called." There are a few ministers in every age who are men of considerable talents and learning, and some have natural powers of persuasion and eloquence; but in general ministers are men of an ordinary stamp, and not remarkable for genius, learning, or accomplishments. I doubt much whether St. Paul had the extraordinary genius which it is the fashion to ascribe to him. He was undoubtedly a man of sound understanding, a conclusive reasoner; and capable of delivering his message in a commanding and most impressive manner. The force of his language is also at times surprising. But he does not appear to me to have been a man of brilliant genius and firstrate talents. He tells us himself that he was rude in speech. This plainness of speech arose, no doubt, in part from his determining to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified; but I confess I see nothing in his natural endowments beyond what was solid and manly. I find something like the energy of Demosthenes in his writings, but little of the splendid genius of some other writers.

In this indeed I may be wrong; but it is quite certain that the ministers of God in general are not men of very great learning or attainments, as to worldly matters. God never indeed sent a man on a message who was naturally incompetent to the delivery of it, and all means of study and improvement are to be diligently used: but our trust is not in the flesh; we claim no human ability or skill, but are content to be poor and lowly.

If there are two ministers, the one brilliant and admired,—the other of inferior parts, but fervent devotion; the more pious man will on the whole be decidedly the most usefuland for this plain reason, that the excellency of the power is of God, and not of men.

Still, if we united all the wisdom of Solomon, with all the meekness of

Moses, and all the courage and zeal of St. Paul; if we possessed besides all the talents and learning and powers of persuasion-and, what is more, all the holiness and love to the Saviour of all the saints in every age; we might even yet well exclaim, "Who is sufficient for these things?" I come now to shew,

III. The effect which these considerations should have, not to dismay us, but to humble us, and to teach us that our sufficiency is of God.

What we have been stating should not lead to despondency or distress, but should quicken us from our sloth and self-dependence, and shew us where our sufficiency must be, and excite us to diligence and prayer. You cannot derive your sufficiency from universities and schools of learning; nor, on the other hand, from an untaught genius which despises them. It is not the learning, nor the want of learning, which is dangerous in itself. It is the pride of learning, and the pride of talent which form the disqualification-not the learning, but the pride of it; and accordingly those who have superior abilities and attainments have generally need of greater trials, sufferings, thorns in the flesh, messengers of Satan to buffet them, lest they should be exalted above measure. They are thus kept under by severe discipline.

Ministers are officers and soldiers of Christ they lead on the army, and therefore are peculiarly the ob. ject of Satan's enmity and opposition. And God permits this state of temptation and difficulty, in order to humble us and prove us, and also to teach us to speak a word in season to him that is weary.

"Our sufficiency is of God." We must become as little children; we must "be fools, that we may be wise;" we must sit down and learn at the feet of Christ, if we would teach others. A minister must be a learner himself as well as a teacher. He who is always spending and never collecting, will soon be a bankrupt.

The more a minister teaches, the more he must learn of his Master; and this not only for a few years, but he must be a scholar in Christ's school all his life he must be in the posture of one who says, "Lord, I have no wisdom, I have no strength, I have no power in myself: supply me with all I need out of thy fulness!"

A beautiful passage in one of our collects expresses exactly what I mean: "Without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy." The unsearchable riches of Christ are our only resource. We want no other supply. We go not to schools of learning or philosophy. We want no new revelation, we trust to no wild and enthusiastic spirit. We apply humbly to God alone, believing that he will supply all our need out of his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

"Sufficient" but for what? To be apostles and evangelists? No.We claim no miraculous powers nor extraordinary commission. We are ordinary, humble ministers of God's word. We pray to be sufficient for the quiet and retired duties of our country parishes, where most of us are placed. God gives each minister a sufficiency for the post to which he has called him. A man may be equal to a village church, and not to one in a populous town. Many ministers have erred wofully by forgetting this. They were humble, and useful, and sufficient for their work in a retired situation; but the devil tempted them to discontent: they began to think they were buried alive, were lost, were in a situation below their talents they left their situation, and went up to Loudon. God had not given them talents and grace for the new part to which he had not called them: they lost their usefulness, and dwindled into insignificance. Discontent is a bad guide. Ministers should wait till they are first invited by others, and encouraged by the calmer judgment of their older friends, and not take hasty steps themselves. We must simply aim at the glory of God, and continue labouring in our

proper station, if we would hope that his grace will be sufficient for us.God will teach and support us day by day, week by week, and month by month. He will carry us on and support us through all, and will accept us in our work. The minister's mot to should be, "I seek not your's, but you."

I have now, IV. To conclude with some practical addresses to the different classes of my hearers.

I shall first address the congregation generally, and then my reverend brethren in the ministry.

1. I speak to my congregation. I shall not flatter you, my brethren, by telling you that I think you are all in the way to heaven. I do not think that half of you are in the way to it. Many will come and hear sermons who have only a form of knowledge and of truth in the law, just as others have only a form of godliness. Remember then, in proportion as your ministers are humble and diligent and faithful, your doom will be more dreadful if you perish. As to myself, I have done what I could; I have preached to you the plain truths of the Gospel; and though I cannot say such striking things, and speak in the way some others do, yet I have not shunned to declare to you all the counsel of God. Remember then, if we are not a savour of life unto life, we shall be a savour of death unto death. If you die in your sins, and hear at last those awful words, " Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels," I shall say and testify before God, that it is not my fault, for that I warned and exhorted and intreated every one of you, as a father doth his children: the fault is entirely your own, and your judgment will be just.

But I would rather speak to those of you who have obeyed the Gospel. I would speak to you of the duties which you owe your ministers. I do not mean as to temporal things. some occasions, it might be proper to dwell on the support which a people owe to their minister. But I have

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never sought much of these things. Nor would I dwell on the kindness 5 and civility which you should shew us. We thank you for this; but this is not enough: we want far more than this. We want you to feel the immense difficulty of the work in which we are engaged, and to consider how much we need on your part meekness, patience, and forbearance. Do not think we are angels, do not expect us to be faultless. Do not suppose, if you see faults in us, that our ministry is to be blamed and neglected. But bear with us.

We want your prayers. Those who are most ready to find fault with their ministers, are generally the last to pray for them. How can you expect them to come to you in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of peace, if you do not labour constantly in prayer for them?

We need your help with your children, neighbours, and the poor. You must do much; a minister cannot do every thing. Where much is to be done, if all is to be left to the minister, much will be left undone.

We want your example to confirm what we preach; that whilst we explain what Christianity is, you may exhibit what it is, in your spirit and conduct. Ye should be our epistles, known and read of all men.

2. My brethren in the ministry, I turn to you. I know I cannot say to you absolutely, as St. Paul did, "I $ shall see your face again no more;" but I think it most probable I never shall. I may see the face of some of you individually; but I shall never meet you as a society again. I have no right to speak to you. I need to be exhorted myself. But I must ex=press the joy I feel in once more addressing you. I bless God I have lived to see this day; and I pray Him to strengthen me this once in speaking to you. I ought not perhaps to speak of myself; but as an old man Imay be allowed to say, that it has always been my earnest desire to encourage and strengthen my younger brethren by every means in my pow

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er. I rejoice that the number of those who preach Christ crucified, and live to his glory, is so greatly increased. My prayer is, that while 1 decrease, they may increase in number, wisdom, courage, meekness, disinterestedness, heavenly-mindedness, and zeal, a thousand fold, they and their children.

1 would wish to encourage you now this last time. I would I could say more in the spirit of the Apostle, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course; I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of glory which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me in that day." On looking back, I view my past life very differently from what I did some years ago. I have not been zealous enough, nor diligent enough. I have not lived as I could wish, as I ought, to the glory of him who loved me and gave himself for

me.

Beware, O beware, my brethren, of blotting your ministry, and dishonouring it by your inconsistent spirit or conduct. A holy life is the minister's strength. And if you lost your time in early life, before you knew the grace of God, redeem it now by walking circumspectly, because the days are evil. Alas! in my own case, though I have now been serving God so long, yet I served sin almost as long before I began.

It is above forty years since God of his mercy brought down my stubborn heart to true repentance. The first sermon I preached afterwards was from Gal. iii. 22. "But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." This very discourse was the means of bringing some of my people to feel their danger, and to come to me saying, "What shall I do to be saved ?" when I hardly knew how to answer the question. Begin, my brethren, and continue in the same way. Shew the people that they are concluded under sin. Tell them plainly of their lost condition.

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