to our weakness, but his strength, not in proportion to our defects, but by the measure of his own grace and goodness!

O God, who hast given thine only Son, to be for salvation to all the ends of the earth, raise up, we pray Thee, thy power, and come among us. Send forth, we beseech Thee, for his sake, throughout the length and breadth of the land, abundance of labourers for the work of thy vineyard. And move the hearts of many in each Christian country to go abroad into the heritage of the heathen, there to do thy work, by thy authority; there, in virtue of the commission of Jesus Christ, to make known salvation by his name. Amen.

SERMON II.

AT A VISITATION.

TEMPTATIONS OF MINISTERS.

1 TIMOTHY 4. 16.

"Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee."

In this epistle of St. Paul to his "own son in the faith," (1 Tim. 1. 2,) written with a view to teach him how to conduct himself in the "church of the living God," (1 Tim. 3. 15,) the apostle does not hesitate to acknowledge, that the office of a Christian minister is one which requires constant watchfulness, in order to the minister's own safety, as well as the salvation of his hearers. Let us re

view some few out of the many difficulties and dangers, which attend on the discharge of the sacred office. Let us examine them, that we may be the better on our guard, against the consequences of indolence or presumption. Let us remember that every opportunity of evil, is also, if rightly used, an opportunity of good. Let us watch, that instead of being disheartened by our difficulties we may be aroused to additional exertion. And let us pray, that God will enable us to rejoice in the midst of our divers temptations, by giving us the victory, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I. Now the difficulties of which it is proposed here to speak, are not those which arise from the heavenly nature of the doctrine we have to teach, nor are they those which are caused by the evil propensities of the flock committed to our charge; but they are such as concern ourselves personally, circumstances in our ministerial office, which unless we watch closely to the contrary, tend to hinder our own edification. And the first of

them which I would mention is this; familiarity with things sacred. That in the current of this world's affairs familiarity should often breed contempt, is easily accounted for, by the inherent imperfection of the objects themselves. The littleness of that which here is great, the meanness of that which here is noble, the nothingness of that which here is every thing, these circumstances become more manifest, in proportion as we become better acquainted with the world and all that is therein. That a consequence of the same kind should often follow, from a certain outward familiarity with divine things, is to be ascribed to gross negligence and coldness of heart, in those to whom it happens.

The duties of the minister of the Gospel, lie properly in things heavenly. The hours of his privacy are occupied, according to the tenour of his vows, in reading the holy Scriptures, and in such studies as help to the knowledge of the His public functions are, praying with the congregation, preaching the

same.

word, and administering the sacraments. His visits, whether to the whole or to the sick, are on the business of eternity. His conversation, whether at home or abroad, is, or ought to be, even more exclusively than that of other men, "that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." (Eph. 4. 29.) Thus at all times, and in all places, he is occupied with these heavenly subjects, which it is his duty at all times and in all places to recommend.

But it is the tendency of human nature, in such circumstances, to become indifferent to ideas of frequent recurrence. And they who fall into this snare, gradually lose the lively interest, which at first they felt on every occasion of ministerial duty; till at length they become callous to those most solemn appeals, which their own lips are enforcing on the consciences of their brethren. They preach effectively to listening congregations; but are all the while deaf themselves. The sacraments they administer over and over again, according to the decent order of the