lowed the authors of thy being to the

grave; and the time comes that thou lookeft for comfort from thine own * children, thou wilt then learn, in thine own parental feelings, what was the ex"pection, the forrow, the disappointment of those, who are now no more, when, alas! the time of thy filial duty is past for ever. "You will recollect a thousand "endearments, which before glided off

your mind without impreffion; a thou"fand favours unrepaid; a thousand duties unperformed; and wish, vainly wish for "their return, that you may recompence "that kindness, which before you never "understood. Your crime will now feem "irretrievable; it is indelibly recorded, "and the stamp of fate is fixed upon it *." May your filial piety prevent you this bitter hour! May every child in this as

* Rambler.

fembly

SERMON

VIII.

VIII.

SERMON fembly be the child of virtue, the child of God! and may every parent- be, bleft with fuch an offspring! May he have reafon to rejoice in the olive branches round about his table; and at the laft, when he has run his appointed courfe, may he defcend into the grave full of years, full of honours, full of comforts!

SERMON IX.

ON THE RELATIVE DUTIES OF MINISTER
AND PEOPLE.

I CORINTHIANS, chap. iv. verse 1, 2.

Let a man account fo of us, as of the ministers of Chrift, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Moreover it is required in ftewards, that a man be found faithful.

OUR bleffed Lord's defign in the

pro

mulgation of the gofpel, was to form

an univerfal church from all the na

tions of the world, which was to be con

tinued on earth, from age to age, till, at

the

Preached at Thrap

fton,

North

amptonfhire, Nov. 29, 1789.

SERMON the confummation of all things, it should

IX.

pur

be completed in one pure, fpiritual, and
eternal fociety in heaven. For this
pofe he himself appointed the twelve
apoftles, the feventy difciples, and the
prophets of the New Teftament; whose
ministry was to be fupplied by a constant
fucceffion of paftors and teachers, fet apart
and qualified to be "minifters of Christ,
"and stewards of the mysteries of God."
Their office is undoubtedly of infinite im-
portance, as to them is committed the
interpretation of the divine will; to them
it belongs to repeat and enforce the doc-
trines of the gofpel; and to encourage the
people in their holy profeffion, and in the
practice of the Chriftian virtues. As by
their zeal and fidelity Christianity was first
established; fo by the fame qualifications
of a standing miniftry muft Chriftian
knowledge be preferved, and by their
inftruction

inftruction muft Chriftian men be ed fied.

If the truft confided to the miniftry is fo important, their most effential qualification will be that which the apostle here mentions, viz. " that they be found faith"ful.".

The fidelity of minifters is of two kinds; one belonging to their general character, as members of a facred order, to whofe example the world naturally looks up; and the other belonging to their respective offices.

In the FIRST place I fhall confider the general character of a faithful" steward of "the mysteries of God." It is required of him, that his life fhould be the prac tical comment on thofe fublime truths, and that pure morality, which he inculcates from the pulpit: his private character, as well as his public ministry, should

be