that proud, felf-fufficient young Pharifee, what lack I yet?" And to blefs themfelves, like another of the fame temper, faying (in their hearts at least) God I thank thee, I am not as other men." How many content themfelves with negatives? Perhaps they fay, I am no liar, no drunkard, no profane fwearer, no thief, or unjust perfon, &c. And in thefe and fuch like negative virtues they place their confidence. Or, perhaps, they perform many external duties to God and man; and hence they feel rich and have need of nothing further to recommend them to God. And how many depend on their external privileges, as well as performances-like the Jews, we have Abraham to our father; and flatter and deceive themselves in one way or another in the concerns of their fouls? For fuch reafons how many feel alive? Such confidences may be termed the frong holds of Satan; for fo long as fuch perfons continue under the influence of their prefent felf-righteous temper, they are his faithful fervants. And indeed, thefe may be called the finners' frong bold-that in which they intrench themselves, and feel fecure; from which all the thunders of Mount Sinai, and fhafts of the divine law will not diflodge them. Nothing fhort of the irrefiftible, almighty power and fovereign grace of God will beat them off from their vain confidences. Poffibly perfons may be awakened by the fpirit, fo that their attention to their danger may be greatly called up; but this will not materially alter the cafe with them; they will be of the fame legal fpirit ftill; they will naturally betake themfelves to fome external duties for fhelter, but not to Chrift; none will ever bow and fubmit to him, till it is a day of his mighty power on their hearts. Poffibly fome may imagine, that they are willing to accept of Chrift on his own terms, and that he should have all the honor of their falvation; but this is their great mistake, if they do not in very deed embrace him by faith. To yield to fovereign grace, is fo exceedingly contrary to the pride of the human heart, that if prayers, alms, penances, and corporal punifhments might take away guilt, and remove the curfe, we should fee none proftrate at the foot of Chrift. If the fruit of the body would atone for the fin of the foul, it is thought, men would rather give their first born for their tranfgreffions than lie empty at the foot of mercy, and receive grace as grace. Hence is there not propriety in faying, that carnal unrenewed finners are alive? (To be continued.) On the duty of praying to God to raife up good minifters. "But when he faw the multi tudes, he was moved with comfainted and were fcattered abroad, paffion on them, becaufe they as fheep having no fhepherd. Then faith he unto his difciples, the harveft truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will fend forth laborers into his harveft." Mat. ix. 36, 37, 38. out an important duty; a HIS paffage clearly points duty important at all times, but peculiarly fo at particular feafore of which the prefent is thought to be one. It was the holy Jefus, who was moved with compaffion. At what was his compaffion moved? It was moved at feeing a multitude of fouls, unprovided with fuit able fpiritual guides. The pitiable ftate of fuch he holds up to our view in this paffage, under two fimilitudes: 1. He likens them to a flock of sheep, ftarving and fcattered for want of a fhepherd to feed, guide and protect them. 2. He compares fouls in this deftitute condition to a large and promifing harveft, which is going back into the ground, and is like. ly to be loft for want of reapers to gather it in. With this laft fimilitude in view, he calls upon his difciples to pray the Lord of the harvest to fend forth laborers into his harvest. This was as much as to call upon them to cry mightily unto God, that he would, in his wifdom and mercy, raife up, qualify and fend forth holy minifters of the gofpel, who fhould, through his bleffing, turn finners from Satan to God, and build up the faints in faith and holiness. With this command of Chrift before us, we propose to make feveral remarks upon the duty of praying to God to raise up good and faithful minifters of the gofpel. 1. It is important that we fhould have it fixed in our minds, that the gofpel miniftry is divinely appointed; and that it is an appointment of the highest confequence to the interefts of Chrift's kingdom. There were always teachers of religion from the beginning of the world. Noah was a preacher of righteoufnefs before the flood. The prieft's lips, under the Mofaic difpenfation, were to keep knowledge, and the people were to feek the law at his mouth. It was the work of all that fucceffion of prophets, whom God raised up in L rael, to teach the things of the kingdom of Chrift. Chrift himfelf, in the day of his flesh, preached righteousness in the great congregation. And when he afcended up on high, he gave gifts unto men, even to the rebellious: And among his afcenfion gifts, these are mentioned as fome of the moft precious, apoftles, prophets, evangelifts, paftors and teachers, "for the perfecting of the faints, for the work of the miniftry, for the edifying of the body of Chrift." It is very evident, that Chrift viewed a good miniftry as one of the greatest bleffings enjoyed by his people on earth. He requir ed Peter to teftify his love to him, by feeding his fheep, and lambs. Sheep need a fhepherd to lead them from one feeding place to another; to protect them from beafts of prey, and to go in and out before them. We know that Chrift is the great Shepherd and Bishop of fouls; and that if he does not feed and keep the fheep, they will faint and be feattered, notwithstanding all that men can do. But as Chrift works by means and inftruments in other things, fo he does in his kingdom of grace. Peter, as an inftrument in the hand of the glorious Redeemer, did, on the memorable Pentecoft, turn three thousand of the murderers of Chrift into his difciples. Paul was fent of Christ to open blind eyes and turn men from Satan to God. In this good work he profpered exceedingly. Apollos, tho' a man, helped them much, which had believed through grace he mightily convinced the Jews, that Jefus was Chrift." There are witnesses enough among the readers of the Maga zine, who can testify, either that | priefts murdering in the way by they have had their eyes opened, confent. Hof. vi. 9. or their bowels refreshed by the minifters of Chrift. This does not diminish their love for their great Mafter. No, they blefs him for fending his fervants and enabling them to be useful to their fouls. But they are moft feelingly convinced, that Chrift has appointed, and does own the labors of his miniftring fervants. Good minifters enter upon the ministry, out of love to Christ and the fouls of men. They are com pared to watchmen, who keep awake, and give the warning voice, when danger approaches. They are good stewards of the myfteries of the kingdom of God, who bring out of their treasure things new and old. They are workmen, who need not be afhamed, rightly dividing the word of life. They give themfelves wholly to their holy work, that their profiting may appear unto all men. A good minifter is a man, who takes heed to himself and to his doctrine. He is eminently a man of prayer. He keeps his heart with all diligence; and feeks to be an example to others in all holy living. He not only preaches the word in season, but out of feafon. He does not content himself with that merely, which will procure him the reputation of a good clergyman: It is the good of fouls and the glory of his Mafter, which he feeks. Thefe conftrain him to fill up his time with ufefulness. And when he has done all, he feels like an unprofitable fervant. If he has not come behind the chiefeft apoftles, still he will feel that he is nothing 2. Let it be remarked, that there is an important diftinction made, in the fcriptures, between good and bad ministers. Chrift directs us to pray for laborers, not idlers. Minifters of religion are a bleffing or a curfe, according to their character. If they are pious and faithful, they are a great bleffing; if they are themfelves unacquainted with religion, they are commonly a heavy curfe. At the time when Chrift's compaffion was moved at feeing the people like sheep scattered without a fhepherd, there was no want of teachers, such as they were. The land was full of priests and levites, fcribes and lawyers. Thefe pretended to inftruct the people in the knowledge of God: But, alas! they had taken away the key of knowledge: They had fhut up the kingdom of heaven against those who were entering, Chrift compared them to blind-that it is by the grace of God, men, who had undertaken to lead and guide the blind. He told what the natural confequence would be, that both the guides and the guided would fall into the ditch, that is, into remedilefs ruin. In the ancient church we read of falfe prophets, who prophefied fmooth things; who prophefied deceits; who cried peace, peace, when there was no peace: And what is very furprifing, we read of a company of that he is what he is, and that he has done what he has done. He will alfo feel, that with all his ufefulness, he is infinitely in debt to divine juftice and for many things needs pardon. It is men of this ftamp, whom we are to defire to be fent into Christ's harveft.Such, and fuch only will laber to gather the harveft into the Lord's garner. 3. The Lord of the harvest, that is, the God of the fpirits of all flesh, can fend forth laborers nifh us with good minifters.into his harvest. This thought" Pray, ye therefore the Lord of fhould be deeply impreffed on our the harveft, that he will fend forth mind, or we fhall not comply with laborers into his harveft." This the duty enjoined by Chrift, in is one important way of obtaining the fcripture now before us. It every bleffing, which we need. is the God of Zion, who makes" In every thing, by prayer and every man, and endues him with fupplication, with thanksgiving, fuch powers and talents as he fees let your requests be made known fit. Certain peculiar natural en- to God." This is a matter of the dowments are neceffary to make highest confequence, therefore we a man very useful in the gofpel fhould pray much about it. We miniftry. Thefe the Creator can fhould go to God, with a coninterweave in the very conftitu- fidence, that he feels infinitely tion of the creature he is forming. more interested in this matter than Divine grace, or a renovated heart, we do--that he is perfectly able is an indifpenfible requifite for a to grant our most enlarged regofpel minifter: This it is the quefts, and that he will be fought work of God to beftow. All unto by the house of Ifrael to do hearts are in his hand, and he can fuch things for them. When we create anew just as many as it pray to God for this bleffing, we pleaseth him. In addition to afk for that, which is nearly connatural gifts and fupernatural nected with his glory and the grace, fome appropriate inftruc- good of immortal fouls. This tion is neceffary to qualify one to will embolden us in our petitions, become an able preacher of the and lead us to be importunate at word. This alfo God can be- the throne of grace. If prayer flow; that is, he can order it fo would do nothing towards obtainin his providence, that thofe, who ing holy laborers to work in are otherwife qualified, fhould not Christ's harveft, he would not be wanting in education. The have directed his difciples to pray Head of the church is never at for them. Neither let us fuppofe a lofs for means and inftruments that he directed them to pray for for the edification of his body. a bleffing, which he was not wilHe can raife up, qualify, and fend ling to beftow. He is more wilforth fuch men as are needed.- ling to bestow good minifters on To fend forth laborers requires his churches than they are to afk the great power of God. He can for them. make them willing to go into the wildernefs and look up his feattered fheep; he can make them willing to go among the favage tribes, and jeopard their lives, to win fouls to Chrift. He can fo difpofe of his laborers, that there fhall be no part of his vineyard left uncultivated. The providence of God is very much concerned in this matter. 5. It appears from the paffage before us, that there may be times, when there is a fpecial call, in providence, to the duty of praying to God to raife up and fend forth laborers into his harvest. Chrift called his difciples to this duty, in view of multitudes, who were fcattered like fheep without a fhepherd. He tells them, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the 4. Chrift has evidently made it laborers are few. There seemed, our duty to pray to God to fur-at that time, to be a peculiarly great difproportion between the work, which needed to be done, and the laborers to do it. There were many people in the land of Ifrael: these had very few teachers, whom Chrift reckoned of any value. The time had now almost come, when the word of life was to be fent to the gentiles. These made an extensive harveft, into which it was neceffary that laborers fhould be fent. It needed many fpiritual reapers to gather in fo large a harveft; "but the laborers were few" This gave force to the command of Christ, to pray for more laborers. herd. The Miffionary Societies have done much; but fill the people muft be, in a great meafure, in a fcattered condition, for want of more stated pastors. A fupply of these cannot be obtained, because the laborers are few. A view of their deftitute condition fhould move our compaffion, and lead us to pray earnestly to the Lord of the harveft to fend forth laborers. Think, you, who fit under the droppings of the fanctuary, and every fabbath day hear the preached gofpel,-think how you would feel to be placed in fuch a fituation, as to fee no house of worship, once a year, nor hear the found of the preached gospel, unless there should chance to come a travelling preacher that way. While you prize your privilege of the preached word, pray that your fellow Chriftians, and fellow men may enjoy the fame. It has already been fuggefted, that the present is an important crifis, in which the duty, enjoined by Chrift, is peculiarly urgent. The harveft now is truly plenteous; but the laborers are few. The fields in many parts of Chriftendom, appear to be whitening to the harveft; and more laborers feem to be needed to gather in this harvest of fouls. There is more of a hearing ear than there has been for years paft. Now good minifters have a good opportunity to be ufeful to their fellow men. There is a great and effectual door fet open, and there are many adverfaries. This makes a peculiar call for able, pious and indefatigable minifters, who will be inftant in feafon and out of feafon. The new fettlements in this country open a very extenfive field for fpiritual laborers. There, the words of Chrift may be adopted, with the utmost propriety, "The harveft truly is plenteous; but the laborers are few." Hundreds of minifters are very much needed to fupply the new American fettlements. In those fettlements, from all that we can learn, the people are fainting, and fcattered abroad, as fheep having no fhepVOL. III. No. 8. There is a wide field now opening in the heathen world, in which the minifters of Chrift are called to labor. "How fhall these Pagans believe on Him, of whom they have not heard? And how fhall they hear without a preacher? And how fhall they preach except they be fent?" And we may add, how fhall we expect the Lord of the harveft will fend them forth, unlefs, according to his command, we pray to him that he would do it? There are millions of men, in heathen countries, perifhing for lack of vifion. God has of late made them to be pitied of their fellow finners, who enjoy the light of the gofpel. Something is done; more is attempting; and there is room for ftill greater exertions. Money is wanted to carry these benevolent defigus into effect; but holy minifters are needed more. It requires men of an apoftolic fpirit to go forth among the hea PP |