vain, and self-confident men are either hated or despised; harsh men are loathed of course; and vehement men distrusted and dreaded. He, who would be loved and trusted, must distinguish himself by a character, directly opposed to all these disagreeable defects.

But the chief ingredient of Prudence is "watchfulness over the tongue." "My Brethren," says St. James, "if any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, that man's religion is vain." And again, "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." "By thy words," saith our SAVIOUR, "shalt thou be justified; and by thy words shalt thou be condemned." "Death and Life," says Solomon, “are in the power of the tongue, and whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles." With these solemn declarations in view, every Minister is powerfully called on to unite with David in that earnest prayer, "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, keep the door of my lips!" The evils, especially opposed to this great ministerial duty, and from which incalculable mischief sometimes flows, are particularly the following. Giving characters; reciting private history; uttering sentiments and expressions of levity, passion, and contempt; delivering sudden and rash opinions; attacking with bitterness such as are opposed to us, either in opinion, or conduct; and discovering strong wishes to shine, by attempting frequently bold, brilliant, and witty observations; assuming the character of satirists; embarking in our conversation in private contentions; and thus shewing, that we enter unduly into the wishes and resentments of others. He who does these things will, after all the warnings of St. James, not unfrequently be surprised to "behold, how great a matter, a little fire kindleth."

All the observations, which I have made under this head hitherto, respect merely the avoidance of doing evil. This, though perhaps the most difficult part of a Minister's duty, is yet only an indirect manner of doing good. Purity of life demands of the

Preacher, that he do good directly also; and that in this honourable employment he exert an unceasing Activity.

Sloth is the
Sloth is ne-

In his study this activity is first to be employed. source of almost all serious defects in a Preacher. cessarily, and regularly, the source of ignorance; and an ignorant Teacher is a self-contradiction. Sloth is also the source of barrenness of thought and therefore of dullness in the Preacher, and inattention in his hearers. Sloth is also the source of barrenness of instruction; and therefore of ignorance, error, and stupidity, in his hearers. Few employments are more laborious and difficult, than to preach continually, and yet acceptably and usefully, for a considerable series of years. Almost any man of tolerable information, choosing the happiest seasons of thought, and the subjects with which he is best acquainted, may form a few good Sermons, with no other labor than that of composing them. The difficulty lies in providing such Sermons for ten, twenty, and thirty years in succession. No man, who does not study, can overcome this difficulty. Whatever powers of imagination or eloquence he may possess; he will still be defective in useful information, sound sense, and solid thought; and will soon find, that for these, as the means of entertaining, as well as profiting, his audience, there can be no substitute. The great business of a Preacher is to preach the Truth. Without diligent study the Truth cannot be known by him: without study, therefore, his prime duty cannot be faithfully performed. At the same time, his sloth will be a wound to his conscience, which he cannot heal; and a reproach to his character, which he cannot wipe

away.

Abroad, his Activity must be extended to all his concerns. He must visit, instruct, and comfort, the sick and the distressed; allay, as much as in him lies, the heat and violence of contention; reconcile such as are employed in it; and preserve peace and good neighbourhood among his people: remembering, that "the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace, of them who make peace." He must also devise, encourage, and invigorate, all

prudent, charitable efforts; strengthen the hands of parents and instructors in the virtuous education of children; and promote by every proper means the good order and welfare of his country. In all these desirable things he must not be merely an adviser, and exhorter, but an eminent and distinguished example. "His light must so shine before others, that they, seeing his good works, may," by approving and imitating his amiable conduct, "glorify our Father who is in heaven;" and that his flock, by his life, as well as his preaching, may be drawn after him in his way to eternal glory.

REMARKS.

From this summary account of what is included in the purity of the Ministerial character its nature may, I hope, be in some good measure discerned. The importance of this attribute is in the most forcible manner displayed in the text. "If the salt have lost its savour, it is thenceforth good for nothing; but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men." An entire want of purity is, to a Minister, an entire want of worth; in the eyes of both GoD and men. Beyond this, it is a character loathsome and contemptible, a violation of all his professions, a sacrifice of all his duty. Every approach towards it is, therefore, to be dreaded, and shunned.

When a Minister, then, calls to mind the commission which he has received, the hand by which it was written, the employment to which he is consecrated, and the divine end for which his office is instituted by GoD; will it be possible, that he should fail to cultivate with unceasing earnestness and zeal Purity of preaching, of administrations, and of life? Can he fail to "watch thereto with all perseverance?" Will he not "bow his knees" daily "to the Father of all mercies, for wisdom to direct" him, and for "grace to help in time of need?" Will he not “seek for it, as for silver; and search for it, as for hidden treasure?" Purity is the seasoning of his Ministry, the sweetness and ami

ableness of his character, and the means of preserving his flock

from corruption and ruin.

"I venerate," says the illustrious Cowper,

"I venerate the man, whose heart is warm,

Whose hands are pure, whose doctrine and whose life,
Coincident, exhibit lucid proof,

That he is honest in the sacred cause."

What man of common candour, or even common sobriety, would not subjoin to this sentiment his solemn Amen? What Minister would not watch, and strive, and pray, unceasingly, that, in an office so sacred, with a destination so dignified, and in a cause so momentous; he may establish, preserve, and exhibit, a character, on which all his usefulness and peace of mind so evidently depend? At the same time, let every Minister, and every church and congregation, strongly realize the excellence as well as the importance, of this office; and of that evangelical Purity of heart and life, which is its soul and substance. "Ye are the Salt of the earth," said our Lord Jesus Christ to his disciples; including probably some, who through life continued to be private Christians, as well as others, who were destined to the apostleship, and to the ministry. The excellence of all christians is their christianity. The peculiar excellence of Ministers lies in the diligent, zealous, and faithful application of their christianity to the great purposes of persuading others to become Christians, and of preserving and edifying those who have already assumed the Christian character. "Ye are the Salt of the earth :" the means of preserving it from final and fatal corruption. This great world is every where, naturally, an immense mass of putrefaction; corrupted with error; tainted with sin; and, left to itself, tending rapidly to absolute ruin. The great instrument in the hands of God, both for restoring and preserving it, so as to be fitted for the use, of which it is capable, and rendering it again an object of the divine complacency; is unquestionably the ministry of the Gospel.

The Pulpit, says the excellent Poet, whom I just now quoted,

"I say the Pulpit (in the sober use

Of its legitimate, peculiar powers)

Must stand acknowledged, while the world shall stand,

The most important and effectual guard,

Support, and ornament, of virtue's cause.

There stands the messenger of truth. There stands

The legate of the skies. His theme divine,
His office sacred, his credentials clear.

By him, the violated law speaks out

Its thunders; and by him, in strains as sweet
As angels use, the gospel whispers peace.
He stablishes the strong, restores the weak,
Reclaims the wand'rer, binds the broken heart;
And, arm'd himself in panoply complete
Of heavenly temper, furnishes with arms,
Bright as his own, and trains by every rule
Of holy discipline to glorious war,

The sacramental host of God's elect.

If any man demands evidence of the soundness of these declarations let him cast his eyes, for a moment only, on those countries, or even on those parts of his own country, which have been long destitute of the ministry of the Gospel; and he will find proofs, of the most convincing kind. He will find religion unknown; morals languishing, or dead; extreme ignorance universally prevalent; knowledge neglected and despised; vice reigning triumphantly; virtue expiring at her feet; the Bible unread and forgotten; the Sabbath devoted to horse-racing, visiting, revelling, and riot; the tongue an instrument of profaneness and blasphemy; the hands mere weapons of injustice and violence, or mere tools of avarice and fraud; the salvation of the soul unattempted, and unthought of; the life of man that of a profli gate; and his death that of a brute. From this miserable prospect let him turn his eye to the "Mount Zion" of Christians," and go round about her. Let him tell the towers thereof; mark well her bulwarks, and consider her palaces." Then let him, if he can, refrain from exclaiming with David," Beautiful for situation,