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lofe no time, for they fee it at once: whereas, befides the neceffary expence of time, much skill and address must likewife be employed, to unfold it in fuch a manner as to make it thoroughly understood and relished.

In this way, my brethren, we may preach without ceafing and if we know any thing of the temper expreffed in my text, we fhall certainly be ambitious to hold forth the word of life continually; and fo to exhibit the religion of Jefus, that in our practice, all who behold us may have an eafy opportunity of reading the laws of Chrift every day.

More particularly: Were we poffeffed of this temper, we should equally difdain to court the great by a fawning fervility, or to catch the vulgar by a low popularity.

These are the dangerous extremes into one or other of which every unprincipled minifter is liable to be feduced.

The laft of them, which is reputed the moft bafe and contemptible, is commonly the refort of thofe only, who, having little to recommend them to the wife and good, can find no other way to emerge from obfcurity, and to thrust themselves forward into public view; for no man will stoop to this mean compliance, who is qualified to act in a higher fphere, if he is not forced to it by hard neceffity, either to cover a fore he wishes to conceal, or to bribe men to wink at fome criminal indulgence, which he cannot hide, and is unwilling to forfake.-But though the other extreme is generally fuppofed to be lefs ignominious; yet; when weighed in a

just

juft balance, I apprehend it will be found at least equally mean, and in fome respects far more pernicious.

The popular drudge muft always affume the appearance of fanctity: he muft declaim ftrenuoufly against vice, and study to have his outward behaviour decent and irreproachable.—Thus far the gratifications of his favourite paffion will conftrain him to plead the cause of religion, and to fay and do many things which may have a good effect upon the multitude, whofe favourable regard he is anxious to obtain.--And though his low ambition may, upon fome occafions, prompt him to take advantage of their weaknefs, by inflaming their zeal about matters of a trivial or indifferent nature; yet as he can only fucceed in this attempt by perfuading them that fuch things are important and neceffary, it is obvious, that however he may impose upon their understanding, and give them ftones instead of bread, yet he cannot be faid to corrupt their integrity, neither doth he weaken the authority of confcience.. He may render them ridiculous, but he doth not make them knaves.

Whereas the fmiles and rewards of political rulers (for these are the great ones of whom I now speak) are usually courted and obtained by very different means.

As a fupple complying temper, unfettered by confcience, or even a regard to decency, too of ten proves the best recommendation to their fervice; hence it is, that many who are candidates for their favour, are fo far from aífuming an air of fanctity, that they ftudioufly avoid whatever

can

can be deemed the peculiarities of their order, that they may have nothing to distinguish them from the men of the world, or to render them fufpected of the remoteft difpofition, either to canvafs the commands of their fuperiors, or to boggle at any measures they fhall please to adopt.

The pernicious tendency of fuch an infamous plan of conduct is too apparent to need much illaftration.Hereby they with-hold from their patrons the most convincing and obvious proof of the reality, the excellence, and the efficacy of that religion which the office they hold obliges them to preach.--Defcription and argument, if they are not accompanied with a vifible reprefentation of holinefs, will make but a feeble impreffion upon thofe who are continually befet with the fiares of profperity.Befides, it often happens, that fuch perfons, by means of a liberal education, are in a great meafure placed (if I may fo fpeak) beyond the reach of fermons: they have already got a theory of religion into their heads, and are not likely to hear any thing they knew not before; fo that they need striking examples more than verbal inftructions.-Thefe, and thefe only, are of fufficient force to rouze their attention, and to carry home conviction to their hearts with power.

Did they behold men of moderate, or rather of fcanty, fortunes, unbiaffed by worldly hopes or fears, confiftent and uniform in their whole behaviour, refolute in every part of duty, inflexibly honeft, and fortified againft all corrupt influence whatsoever;-fuch venerable, though imperfect images of God, would not only penetrate but. overawe their fouls.

A holy

A holy and upright minister of Christ never fails to poffefs a fecret dominion in the hearts of those who are of the most oppofite character. Hate him they may, and probably will; but at the fame time they are constrained to reverence and esteem him: even " Herod feared John, and ❝ obferved him, and did many things," because he knew "that he was a juft and holy man."

Whereas, on the other hand, when they fee those who are cloathed with the facred character, paying no regard at all to propriety of conduct, but mixing with the world, and living at large as other men do; when they fee them grasping at power, or scrambling for riches; fpreading their fails to every wind, and ready to embark in any cause that can recommend them to those who are able to gratify their ambition or covetoufness: -however they may avail themselves of their treafon, yet furely they muft defpife fuch traitors in their heart, and look upon them as the dregs and refuse of human kind.

But alas! ftrange as it may feem, it feldom happens that thefe perfidious men become fo thoroughly contemptible as to be altogether harmless. Even they who defpife them most, with a perverfe and fatal fubtilty, make their example an occafion of hardening their own hearts; fetching arguments from thence to extenuate their guilt, and to cherish their prefumptuous hopes of impunity for it has often been obferved, that no twig is fo flender that a wicked man will not cling to it, when he feels himself finking under the rebukes of confcience, and the overwhelming fears of approaching vengeance.

It is furely unneceffary to fhew, that the tem per I have been recommending would effectually guard us against both the pernicious extremes I have been fpeaking of, and render us equally independent of the high and of the low.Zeal for the honour of our Lord, and the falvation of precious and immortal fouls, would ennoble our minds, and break every flavish yoke in pieces. A true minister of Chrift will call no man Mafter like this great Apostle, he will en deavour fo to fpeak, and fo to act, in every fituation, not as pleafing men, but God, who trieth the heart. It will ever appear a small matter to him to be judged of man's judgment: this will be his labour, his only ambition, that "prefent or abfent, he may be accepted of his "Lord." Which leads me to obferve, in the

4th and last place, That the importance of this temper fhall be fully understood and felt by us all at the hour of death, and in the day of judgment.

We must shortly ficken and die :-that awful period can be at no great distance from any of us:-it may be nearer to fome of us than we are aware of--Let us confider it as prefent;

and fay, my Fathers and Brethren, were this the laft day, the laft hour, the last moment of life, what would support us beft? what would yield us the most effectual confolation?I need not wait for an anfwer: every heart muft have made it already. --The only triumph of a dying minifter is that which Paul uttered when the time of his departure was at hand: “I have "fought a good fight, I have finished my course, 1 "I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid CC up

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