bour should ever be the Christian's first and principal object. An ambitious prince like Alexander, will undoubtedly at the last day be answerable for a dreadful degree of guilt; but let it not be supposed that he alone will bear the whole charge of it. His courtiers will bear a part. Their discourses cherished in him the love of ambition, and the thirst of glory. They fed the flame which consumed him. In like manner it is to be feared, that every man in a superior station has a circle round him which flatters his vices; and pushes him forward in the career of sin, instead of checking him in it. And none do this so effectually as those whose character, profession, or age, render them respectable. A word from them, not of explicit approval of vice, for that would revolt their principles and feelings-but of extenuation of human frailty in general, or of ill timed commendation even of candour; any thing, in short, which may be brought distantly to bear in palliation of their failings, will have more weight with them than the loudest applauses of the profligate. Such cha, racters, therefore, ought particularly to weigh their words, lest they should be hereafter found to have encouraged sin. It is not intended to lay down any precise rule with respect to the duty of reproof, or to say in what way it may most effectually, and therefore most prudently, be administered. When injudiciously administered, it defeats itsown purpose: but still the Christian must remember the command to reprove his brother, and in no wise to suffer sin upon him. He will consider that he that rebuketh a man shall afterwards find more favour than he that flattereth with his tongue." There is another evil against which a religious man will carefully guard in his conversation with the men of the world, viz. the so concealing his true sentiments as to appear to think in no respect differently from themselves. It is not enough that he does not directly approve of their maxims and ways of thinking. If he studiously is silent when these are advanced; if he indirectly countenance their modes of living and acting, by appearing to fall in with all they say, and by his shewing no disapprobation of their views and sentiments, he will not act the part of a faithful servant of his God. Every man who goes into company with others, has duties towards them to discharge to these the Christian will never be inattentive, To his superiors, it is his duty, in conversation, to shew respect," to give honour to whom honour is due :" he will therefore take care to utter nothing arrogant, or unfit for his station. In company with his inferiors, it will be his care to manifest a spirit of meekness, and kind-ness, and that true condescension which does not appear sensible of superiority. In company with equals, his conversation ought to convey the ideas of mildness, goodwill, and peace, and to aim, as a branch of Christian love, to communicate pleasure, and to do good to all with whom he associates. It seems superfluous to urge here the duty of avoiding to give in any way unnecessary pain to those with whom we converse. The duty of love and kindness is so binding upon a Christian, that one can scarcely conceive that person to be entitled to the name who can knowingly inflict a needless wound on the feelings of others. In matters of trade and commerce, a real Christian will find abundant cause to guard his conversation. "Between buying and selling there generally wanteth not sin."" It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer, but when he is gone his way then he boasteth." In all transactions therefore of commerce, a true Christian will be much on his guard against speaking what is not strictly true for the sake of his own advantage. He will not, in buying, take advantage of the ignorance or necessity of the seller, to depreciate his goods; and, in selling, will rather abide by loss himself than deceive his neighbour by an untruth. It may be said perhaps, that if all this strictness were practised, trade could not be carried on. Undoubtedly it could not, as it too generally is carried on. One of the sacrifices which a Christian is called to make for the sake of religion, is to give up many opportunities of gain; and it is in such cases that a conscientious regard to the law of God will discover itself. The man who truly fears God will preserve his integrity inviolable, cost him what it will. But even in this life he will seldom eventually be a loser by such conduct. For so much value is necessarily affixed, in commercial transactions, to the principles of the parties; and so much confidence must necessarily be reposed in them; that it will not often be found, that the truly upright will ultimately sustain any even worldly disadvantage, from a rigid adherence to the rules of integrity. From what has been said, the reader may perceive of how practical a nature is true religion. We seldom open our mouths, but we find occasion for the exercise of religious principle. Those, therefore, greatly err who would confine religion to the Church or the closet. There indeed principles are acquired; but the world is the theatre in which those principles are to be carried into exercise. By meditation and prayer the heart is cleansed; but it is in the ordinary intercourse of society that the Christian's light is so to shine before his fellow creatures, that they may see his good works, and glorify his Father which is in heaven. In fine, the conversation of Christians should be so regulated that it "minister grace to the hearers." Let us then guard our words. "Putting away lying, speak every one truth with his neighbour."-"Let all bitterness and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from us with all malice."" Lay aside all malice and guile, and hypocri- LETTERS TO A YOUNG CLERGYMAN. ON MINISTERIAL SUCCESS. In my last I endeavoured to shew office has a ready access to his flock in private; and a faithful admonition from him will be received only as the just discharge of his official duty. Are the seasons of adversity and affliction peculiarly favourable for the introduction of lessons of wisdom and truth? The house of mourning is readily opened to the pastoral call. The minister visits officially the chamber of the sick, and consoles the bereaved and desolate. Are the minds of the young peculiarly susceptible of impressions? It is part of the minister's duty to collect the young of his flock, and to instil into their tender minds the principles of truth and virtue. Is any influence derived from speaking in an authoritative character, and upon subjects which lie peculiarly within one's proper province? This influence a minister possesses, who is set apart for the study of religion, and authorized by the state to be a guardian of morals, and a public instructor in religion. As far, therefore, as external advantages, and the convenience of favourable opportunities extend, it cannot be denied that a minister is amply furnished with the power of being useful. It is hard to conceive how greater facilities of doing good could be communicated, than are already enjoyed by every established minister of a parish. But these external advantages form a very small part of a minister's powers of usefulness. The subjects themselves, upon which he addresses his hearers, are of the highest importance, and possess an intrinsic energy capable of producing much effect, even under many disadvantages of delivery. Whatever can alarm fear, or excite hope: whatever can produce peace, or sooth the troubled mind, he is conversant with. There is a natural correspondence between the state and feelings of his audience, and his topics. They are diseased, and he administers a remedy. They are afflicted, and be comforts them with glad tidings. They are perishing and he proclaims to them a Saviour. They are frail and dying creatures, and he reveals to them life and immortality. He addresses them in the name of God, and delivers a message from God, which is experienced to be the power of God unto salvation by every one that believeth. Add further, that an efficacy is attached to the subject of his preaching peculiar to itself. It possesses not merely the proper effect of moral suasion, or the natural force of sound reasoning, but a secret influence from which an extraordinary effect may justly be expected. The Holy Spirit will bless the faithful preaching of the WORD OF GOD; and the powerful presence of the great head of the Church will accompany the pious endeavours of his ministers. "Lo I am with you al ways even unto the end of the world." Whoever justly appreciates the value of these advantages, may reasonably expect great benefits to accrue from ministerial labours. And in some instances the event has fully justified the expectation. By the exertions of a zealous and judicious minister, notorious sinners have been converted, many exemplary characters formed, and a whole parish has been visibly improved. I would not however encourage extravagant expectations, or lead you to hope for a greater degree of success than may reasonably be looked for, by every faithful and zealous minister. With all his advantages the pious minister has to encounter very great difficulties, which I would neither conceal nor undervalue. The corruption of human nature and its pernicious consequences,-a stupid and brutal insensibility, a disregard of reason, an indifference to spiritual good, a sordid attachment to worldly things, an insatiable appetite for the pleasures of sense, a decided preference of present enjoyment to future good, however superior:-these, and various other corrupt propensities re sist, often with too successful obstinacy, the warmest and wisest exhortations of the preacher. All therefore which a minister can do is carefully to look to himself, that the blame be not justly imputable to him; and then he must leave the event to God. Now the principal points in which a minister may be blameable are the following: 1. He may not properly employ the external advantages afforded to him. Preaching is the grand instrument by which his success is to be obtained. But preaching implies understanding and attention on the part of the hearers; and of course subjects ought to be selected by the preacher, adapted to excite their attention, and to exercise their understanding. But if the subjects chosen by the minister are too deep and abstruse for the congregation, or too trite and uninteresting; if they are delivered in a cold and drawling manner, or treated superficially and carelessly; if the attention is not at all excited, or if it is fatigued by dulness, perplexed by obscurity, or diverted by eccentricity and oddness; let not the blame be imputed to the people alone, if they do not profit by the preaching: in fact the message of the Gospel cannot be said to have been fairly delivered to them. It is a happy circumstance, that all the impediments to gaining the attention stated above may be easily removed, if a preacher will be humble enough to learn, and wise enough to correct his imperfection. Let every preacher then lay it down as a maxim, that if he does not completely gain the attention of his audience, there must be something amiss in his manner or matter which it is his first duty to amend. 2. But a still more serious defect in a preacher may be a false or imperfect system of doctrine. The minds of men are illuminated and changed by the FULL exhibition of the gruth as it is in Jesus. The Gospel of Christ is the display of the glory of God, the revelation of the light and purity of heaven; and by the manifestation of this Gospel, the Holy Spirit purifies and exalts the sinful nature of man. But if a minister of Jesus Christ delivers only the cold and imperfect morality of Socrates or Seneca; if he exhibits only the light of natural religion, or enforces nothing more than what was generally known to the pious who lived under the Jewish Dispensation; can we expect that the Holy Spirit should crown his ministra tions with success? Would not this be to derogate from the honour of Jesus Christ of whom the Spirit was sent to testify? Is not such preaching a slight put upon the Sou of God, who is the light of the world, is constituted the Saviour of sinners, and is made of God unto us wisdom and righteousness, sanctification and redemption? It is not enough, there. fore, that what we preach is true, it must be an exhibition of the whole truth. No partial representation, not even if it include the most important doctrines of the Gospel, is fitted to build up the Church, and to "make the man of God perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 3. But a defect equally serious may perhaps be found in the spiritual state of the minister himself. If he is not a partaker of the grace of God, there is little prospect of his commu. nicating it successfully to others. This unhappy defect will manifest it self in every branch of his ministrations. His daily conversation will be worldly, vain, and unprofitable; the subjects which he will choose for his sermons will be uninteresting, abstract, and merely speculative; his manner of delivering them cold and unimpressive, or forced and unnatural, like that of a person acting a part. He will preserve no consistency of graces, or harmony of character. All his labours will be deficient, spiritless, desultory. He will ea sily fall into errors, and manifest a proud, contentious, or ungoverned spirit. Though he should be possessed of an excellent understanding, and have acquired a clear knowledge of the truth, there will be something wanting in his views and statements, which will render his discourses lifeless, and diminish their usefulness. There may be nothing particularly censurable in them, and much to commend in point of talent and just remark, but the congregation will be little impressed, and feel a want of something which they may not be able easily to explain, and which has been expressively denominated by the French an unction. And, indeed, if the spirit of God is the grand agent in sanctifying mankind, I do not say that he will absolutely refuse to use as his instrument an unholy man; for God often uses the wicked to fulfil his purposes; but surely it cannot be expected, that he will remarkably bless his labours, or sanction his conduct, by the seal of success. The true Christian preacher is one who feels in his heart all that he utters to others; who is deep ly interested in his work, because he loves his God and his fellow creatures, and feels the importance of the truths which he delivers. There is a simplicity and force in nature, which art cannot imitate. His words therefore coming warm from his heart, naturally address themselves to the hearts of his hearers. He converses with God in secret, and kindles, at the altar of God, a fire which glows in his thoughts and words, and communicates life and ardor to his flock. He speaks with confidence, because he speaks from experience, while he declares the bitterness of sin, explains the mode of being delivered from its guilt and power, and expatiates on the blessedness of the service of God. His feelings are in unison with those of all amongst his flock who are devoutly endeavouring to serve God, And thus, though perhaps deficient in the graces of elocution, though not distinguished for talents or intellect, yet acting in the integrity of his heart, his defects will be greatly supplied, and his imperfections covered, and he will be honoured by God and man as a faithful and useful minister of Jesus Christ. When I consider how much a congregation will be what their pastor is; ignorant and careless if he is so; enlightened and reformed if he is zealous and holy; I cannot too earnestly wish that you, my friend, may be found upright and faithful, and not have to answer for the guilt of a neglected and corrupt parish. I am, &c. S. E. To the Editor of the Christian Observer. In a late number of the Christian Observer there is a letter signed "A Christian Parent," the writer by you, or by some of your able of which requests to be instructed correspondents, respecting the best means of impressing the minds of children with religious truth. I had this request been complied should have been much gratified in the solution of the difficulty prowith; for I also am much interested in the solution of the difficulty proposed by your correspondent. As it has not, permit me to recommend to his perusal, and to that of all Four Sermons on the Religious EduChristian parents, Doddridge's cation of Children; the third of which contains, as I think, a very full and excellent answer to the Christian Parent's anxious enquiry. It treats upon the best method of conveying religious instruction, and enlarges on the duty of giving this instruction plainly, seriously, tendery, and patiently. Should my recommendation of this work appear to you to be just, let me request you to signify your sense of it by inserting these lines. If not, you will of course exclude my letter from your miscellany. I am, yours, &c. A CHRISTIAN MOTHER. |