The direct way to render a thing weak, is, to lean on it as strong. God is a jealous God; and will utterly abolish idols as means of success. He designs to demonstrate that men and creatures are what he makes them, and that only. This also should be your encouragement :-looking, in the diligent and humble use of means, to that Spirit of Life and Power without whose influence all your endeavours will be to no purpose, you have reason to expect help suited and adequate to all your difficulties.

Ill. BY UNNECESSARILY APPEARING IN DANGEROUS

OR IMPROPER SITUATIONS.

It is one thing to be humble and condescending : it is another to render yourself common, cheap, and contemptible. The men of the world know when a Minister is out of his place—when they can oppress him by numbers or circumstances—when they can make him laugh, while his office frowns. Weil will it be for him, if he is only rendered ABSURD in his future public admonitions, by his former compliances; well if, being found like St. Peter on dangerous ground, he is not seduced, virtually, at least, to deny his Master.

IV. By susPICIOUS APPEARANCES IN HIS FAMILY.

As the head of your household you are responsible for its appearances. Its pride, sloth, and disorder will be yours. You are accountable for your wife's conduct, dress, and manners; as well as those of your children, whose education must be peculiarly exemplary. Your family is to be a picture of what you wish other families to be: and, without the most determined resolution, in reliance on God, to finish this picture, cost WHAT IT WILL, your recommending Family Religion to others will but create a smile. Your unfriendly hearers will recollect enough of Scripture to tell you that you ought, like the Primitive Bishop, to be one, that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity: for if a

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VOL. III.

man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?

V. BY MEDDLING, BEYOND YOUR SPHERE, IN TEM

PORALS.

Your aim and conversation, like your sacred call, are to be altogether heavenly. As man of God, you have no concern with politics and parties and schemes of interest, but you are to live above them. There is a sublime spirit in a devoted Minister, which as one

a says of Christianity itself, pays no more regard to these things than to the battles of rooks, the industry of ants, or the policy of bees.

VI. BY VENTURING OFF GENERAL AND ACKNOW

LEDGED GROUND IN SPIRITUALS.

ACKNOWLEDGED TRUTH IN

By giving strong meat, instead of milk, to those who are yet but babes--by giving heed to les, which minister questions rather than godly edifying ; amusing the mind, but not affecting the heart; often disturbing and bewildering, seldom convincing; frequently raising a smile, never drawing a tear.

VII. BY MAINTAINING YOUR OWN SPIRIT.

Both food and medicines are injurious, if adminisicred scalding hot. The spirit of a teacher often effects more than his matter. Benevolerce is a universal language: and it will apologize for a multitude of defects, in the man who speaks it; while neither talents nor truth will apologize for pride, illiberality, or bitterness. Avoid, therefore, irritating occasions and persons, particularly disputes and disputants, by which a Minister ostenloses his temper and his character.

VII. BY BEING TOO SHARP-SIGHTED, TOO QUICKEARED, OR TOO READY-TONGUED.

Some evils are irremediable: they are best neither seen nor heard : by seeing and HEARING things which you cannot remove, you will create implacable adveksaries; who, being guilty aggressors, never forgive!

Avoid SPEAKING meanly or harshly of any one: not only because this is forbidden to Christians, but because it is to declare war as by a thousand heralds.

IX. BY THE TEMPTATIONS ARISING FROM THE FE

MALE SEX.

I need not mention what havoc Satan has made in the Church, by this means, from the Fall to this day. Your safety, when in danger from this quarter, lies in flight-to parley, is to fall. Take the first hint from conscience, or from friends.

In fine, Watch thou in all things: endure afflictions: do the work of an evangelist: make full proof of thy ministry and then, whether those around you acknowledge your real character or not now, they shall one day know that there hath been a prophet among them!

FRAGMENT.

A DYING MINISTER'S FAREWELL! WHEN a Christian Minister feels the springs of life giving away-his faculties decaying-his voice failing-his spirits sinking-though he may not have it in his power to say, as the Apostle did to his friends, I know that ye all, among whom I have preached the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more— -Yet he should stand ready to part from his flock, and every Sermon should be felt by him as if it were his last.

Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men: for I have not shunned to declare unto you ALL THE COUNSEL OF GOD. And what have I declared that counsel of God to be?

-All the curious distinctions of the schools?--All the peculiarities insisted on so strongly by different sects?-No such thing! I have followed the great Apostle in testifying REPENTANCE toward God, and FAITH toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

There has been a slander brought against religion-that we are NOT AGREED, as to the truths we should set before men. I say, It is false! We ARE agreed. All, who know any thing of real religion, are agreed, that the SUBSTANCE of the matter is contained in REPENTANCE toward God, and FAITH toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

If a man, like the Prodigal, feels that he has left his father's house-turned his back on God-and is become a fool and a madman for so doing-and that there is no hope but in his returning again: if such a change of mind is wrought in him by the Holy Spirit, as he wrought in David, when he cried, Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin: if, like Peter, he goes forth weeping bitterlyfeeling that he has acted foolishly and wickedly, and that his only hope is in the mercy of God through the Saviour-then the man enters so far into the spirit of religion-REPENTANCE TOWArd god.

But does he rest in this? Nay, he knows that if he could offer thousands of rams, and ten thousand rivers of oil, he could make no satisfaction for the sin of his soul. He looks to the atonement!-to Him, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. Repentance toward God must be accompanied by faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. These men are enabled to say with St. Paul, "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. I have no refuge but in him--no other hope-no other plea. All ny confidence before God is grounded on this-that He suffered, the just for the unjust, that he might bring its to God."

If a minister testifies these things-if he speaks

plainly and simply these grand essential truths of God's word-though he die before another Sabbath return, HE MAY REST IN PEACE-leaving the issue in God's hand.

The ground of a Minister's own solid satisfaction cannot be POPULARITY: for, even to Simon Magus all gave heed from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God !-neither can he ground his satisfaction on the exercise of strong and enlarged TALENTS ; for even Balaam was a man of extraordinary endowments--nor can it be on his sucCESS: For

many, saith our Lord, shall come to me and say, Have we not done many wonderful works in thy name, and in thy name cast out devils ? Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you! As though he had said, “I deny not the works, but ye are evil men!"

But a Minister's satisfaction must be grounded on the faithful discharge of his office in THE DELIVERY OF HIS MESSAGE. A Prince sends a special messenger to his rebellious subjects, with offers of pardon: in examining his conduct, he will not inquire whether they received and approved him or not: the question will _“Did you deliver my message ? Did you

deliver it as one that believed it yourself ?-as one in EarNEST ?" If a man should come and tell you, with a cheerful countenance and careless air, that your

house was on fire, and that

you
and
your

children would be burnt in the flames if you did not make haste to escape, you would not believe him.

You would say, He does not believe it himself, or he would not be so unfeeling as to speak of it in such a manner."

If a minister delivers his message, then no scorn, no reproach that may be cast upon him, can take away his rest-he has done his duty. When the King sent out his servants to invite men to His feast, they excused themselves on various pretences :--but the servant might say, "No matter!--I have declared the message--I may rest in having done my part, though

, no success seems to attend my pressing invitations.'

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