who before Pontius Pilate witneffed a good confeffion; that thou keep this commandment without fpot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jefus Chrift." I. Tim. vi. 12-14. I put thee in remembrance, that thou ftir up the gift of God which is in thee." II. Tim. i. 6. “Be thou not ashamed of the teftimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel, according to the power of God; who hath faved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Chrift Jefus, before the world began." II. Tim. i. 8, 9. "Hold faft the form of found words, which thou haft heard of me, in faith and love which is in Chrift Jefus." II. Tim. i. 13. "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good foldier of Jefus Chrift. No man that warreth, entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chofen him to be a foldier." II. Tim. ii. 3, 4. "Study to fhow thyfelf approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." II. Tim. ii. 15. "Flee also youthful lufts; but follow righteoufnefs, faith, charity, peace, with them that

call.

II.

call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” Tim. ii. 22. "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jefus Chrift, who fhall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, and his kingdom: preach the word, be inftant in feafon, out of feafon; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-fuffering and doctrine." II. Tim. iv. 1, 2. "Watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelift, make full proof of thy miniftry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 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 righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge fhall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also who love his appearing." II. Tim. iv. 5-8.

I

When we seriously confider our great concern in these folemn exhortations of the apostle, we shall be fully convinced, that there can be no reason for one clergyman to say to another, "Thou art righteous over much!" For what do they imply short of this that it is the duty of every one, without a fingle exception, who undertakes the work of the ministry, to give himself wholly to it, and to devote his time and every talent

lent to the service of God, and the good of fouls? And that he may do fo, the word of God declares, that they who preach the gofpel should live of the gospel. Every minister of the establishment is accordingly provided for by law, and is also by law prohibited from engaging in any worldly employ and furely this implies, that it is expected from him, both by God and man, that he should make the work of the miniftry the grand, the only bufinefs of his life; that he should give up himself to the diligent and faithful discharge of it. A perfon, without a fenfe of the importance of the minifterial office, without a zeal for God, or a love for fouls, may indeed run to the altar, as it is expreffed, for a morfel of bread; may have no other ends in undertaking it, than to procure a decent maintenance, and be able to live in an eafy, genteel manner. When this is

the cafe, no wonder if he endeavours to keep out of fight the folemn engagements he made; for if he feriously confidered them he could not be eafy. Having obtained all that he aimed at, we are not to be surprised if he neglects his duty, fits down to enjoy himself, and cries out against those who act more confcientiously than he does. But ftill the vows of God are upon him, C

and it is

juftly

justly expected that he fhould perform them. Inftead, therefore, of charging others with being righteous over much, he would do well to confider that he himself is righteous over little.

I would acknowledge with fhame and humiliation, that this was my own cafe. I entered the miniftry from mere felfish motives, without one ferious thought of God, of the nature of the office I was to execute, of the importance of my own foul, or of the fouls of others. Nor did I once confider what obligations I was under, nor whether I aimed to discharge them, for more than ten years after I was ordained. I had not, to my remembrance, one thought, in all this time, of my horrid prevarications both with God and man, nor of the awful confequences which must have enfued, if I had died in that state. On Sundays, indeed, I put on the form of godlinefs, went to church, read the appointed prayers, and fomething which. I called a fermon; though it was inconfiftent with the prayers I had ufed a little before, and contradictory to thofe articles I had folemnly fubfcribed to be agreeable to the Scriptures. Nevertheless, I know there is a God of mercy; and that even fuch cry

ing

ing fins as these may be pardoned through the blood of Jesus.

My cafe is indeed awful: the remembrance of it has often cut me to the heart, and often caused me to look upon myself as a monster of iniquity. But do you think, Sir, that it is fingular! I fear it is not; yet I judge no man. It fhould, however, be confidered, that God will judge the world, and that we muft appear at his bar to answer for all that we fhall have done in this life.

If

Religious establishments, when fet up with the best views, will foon be abused to selfish purposes, if a ftrict difcipline is not obferved; if great care is not taken who are admitted into, and how they act while they continue in them. But if they are planned, or used to fecular ends, they cannot long anfwer the grand defigns of Chriftianity. any difcipline is obferved, it will be far fhort of what it ought to be. Errors, both in doctrine and practice, will foon enter, prevail, abound. Offences will come, and perhaps at the times of ordination, the greatest care will be to keep out of the ministry those who are beft qualified to do the work of it.

Suppose our ecclefiaftical conftitution was to be made a mere engine of ftate-that the greatest emoluments and dignities in it were