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miniftry be to turn many finners from the error of their ways, and to make an intelligent, ferious, regular people, the accufation will not be received: and who will fay that it ought? On the other hand, is any minifter more covetous of the Aeece, than diligent for the welfare of the flock; cold and heartlefs in his facred work, but loud and noify in promifcuous and foolish converfation; careless or partial in the exercise of difcipline; covering or palliating the fins of the great, because they may promote him; making friends and companions of profane perfons; tho' this man's zeal fhould burn like a flame againft Antinomianisin, and though his own unvaried ftrain should be the neceffity of holiness, I would never take him to be any of its real friends.

Let us not, my brethren, deceive ourselves, or attempt to deceive others by plaufible pretences. Let us all be zealous for good works; not the name, but the thing. Let us not expect to promote them by a little cold reasoning, or affected flowery declamation; but by the fimplicity of the gofpel; by the doctrine of the crofs, which will not only tell men that they ought to be holy, but effcctually bring them to that happy ftate. The leading principle of true holiness, according to the gospel, is a deep and grateful sense of redeeming love. "For the love of Chrift constraineth us, "because we thus judge, that if one died for all

"then

"then were all dead: and that he died for all, "that they which live, fhould not henceforth "live unto themselves, but unto him which "died for them, and rose again *.”

In the 3d place, from what has been said on this fubject you may fee, in a very strong light, how neceffary it is, that minifters should be, not only really but visibly and eminently holy; and with how much care they are bound to avoid every appearance of evil. There are fome minifters who ftrongly plead for liberty and freedom, and loudly complain of the malice, uncharitableness, and cenforioufnefs of the world. They feem as if they defired, nay, which is still more foolish, expected, that no part of their conduct fhould be attended to, or any inference drawn from it with refpect to their character. This will never be the cafe till they are invisible. It appears, from what hath been faid in the preceding difcourfe, that it is the right and the duty of every man to try a minister by his fruits. Ignorance indeed, may fometimes be guilty of miftakes to our prejudice, and malice or envy may go too far; yet this is only what we ought to lay our account with, and it should excite us, not to a contempt of the judgment of others, but to greater ftrictness and circumfpection, that

2 Cor. v. 14.

they

they may be afhamed who falfely accufe our "good converfation in Chrift."

It is very hurtful in this as in many other cafes, when a man views things only on one fide. Some are apt to impute fo much to the malice and uncharitablenefs of the world, that they feldom or never think themselves as truly guilty of any offence or mifcarriage. I am perfuaded many are in a manner blinded to the errors of their own conduct, by this very circumftance. Or, if they cannot but be fenfible that they have been guilty of fomething that was wrong, when the fault is aggravated by report, they seem to think that this atones for any thing really blameworthy, and fo are hardened both against confeffion and repentance. To fpeak without prejudice, it is more than probable, that we are as much chargeable with unguarded and offenfive conduct, on the one hand, as the world with precipitate or partial judgment on the other. It hath been sometimes obferved, that the multitude or common people are but poor judges of a man's ability or learning, but they are very good judges of his life. There is a great deal of truth in this observation; and to fupport it I add, that even a hypocritical pretence is extremely hard to maintain, and fo often betrays itself by little circumftances, that there are very few whose real character is not better underflood by the world

than

than themselves. The chief exception I know to this is the cafe of violent party difputes. The injustice done to characters on each fide there, is very great. If you take a man's character from one to whom he ftands in party oppofition, you must conceive him not a man but a monster. But (fetting this afide, which does not fall within the compass of our prefent fubject) in general, it is furely much more becoming, and it is infinitely more fafe for us to fufpect ourselves, than to complain of hard measure from the world. Let us therefore, by doubling our diligence in every perfonal and minifterial duty, endeavour to "make our light fo fhine before men, that they "may fee our good works, and glorify our Fa"ther which is in heaven *.'

In the 4th place I must now take the liberty, in fidelity to the truft committed to me, to be a little more particular in the application of this fubject, and to enquire, whether minifters are not, in a good meafure, chargeable with the low state to which religion is at prefent reduced. May I not fay without offence, that an eminent, holy, diligent, and successful gospel ministry was once the glory and bleffing of this part of the united kingdom! But how are we fince fallen afleep!" How is the gold become dim! How "is the most fine gold changed!" That there

Matt, v, 16,

is a difference is plain; and that this difference does not lie in inferior abilities or a lefs proportion of learning, is equally certain. I am fenfible, that this is a part of my subject which would require to be touched with a very tender and delicate hand, and that, perhaps, I run as great a hazard to inflame and exafperate the fore, as to bring any effectual cure. This is, indeed, itself, one strong fymptom of our disease, that we cannot endure plain dealing; and there is not a single circumstance, in which there is a greater difference between this and the preceding age. What in former times would have been reckoned (to speak in their language) no more than plainness and minifterial freedom, would now be called the most flanderous invective and unpardonable abuse. Inftead, therefore, of taking upon me to fay who are chiefly to be blamed as the criminal causes of it, I fhall only affirm and lament the melancholy effect, that we have in many places of this church a defpifed, forfaken, useless miniftry; that many of the people have gone from mountain to mountain, and forgotten their resting place, while a ftill greater number is faft afleep in ignorance, fecurity, and floth. Where is that union, that mutual efteem and affection, which once fubfifted between minifters and their people. It must be acknowledged, that their influence and authority is now in a great measure VOL. I.

I

loft,

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