of God when your doctrine must sear, and scathe, at every step, men highly useful in the community, men of amiable and generous tempers, men with whom you are in the habit of personal intimacy, and who may be in many respects your kindest and most valuable friends. I speak not of invidious personalities, nor of discourses so constructed as to be aimed at individuals; than which nothing can be more mean and cowardly, nor more unworthy of a minister of the cross. But in stating and urging general truths, in describing characters as they appear in real life, and of which the originals meet you by thousands in every crowd, principles, affections, habits, must be touched in a manner that will be very sore to some, and those whom you think not, in every assembly that can be collected. And the more plainly and faithfully you perform your duty, the more frequently will this recur. But blows often repeated, however unintentionally as to the individuals, excite first pain, next irritation, and then alienation. It is not in human nature, where the conscience has not become callous, and is not driven to Jesus Christ, to endure patiently those flagellations which it is the business of truth to inflict upon every form of error and ill conduct. Even zealous friendship at length gives way, and is succeed

ed by dislike, if not by hatred. These things are exceedingly distressing, especially to minds of a softer mould: and they beset a man with more dangerous snares than can be laid by open hostility. The appeals which they make to kindness, to tenderness, to gratitude, though altogether misplaced, will go much farther to stagger resolution, and to undermine fidelity, than the most vehement direct attacks. Against an avowed adversary, it is comparatively easy to hold your position. The mind braces itself up, and the very principle of resistance furnishes both resource and energy. But against the gentle, the friendly, the humane, it is very hard to keep up a warfare, and very natural to relax what may be thought the harder features of truth. Yet this must be done;' done steadily, done without respect of persons, by him who, in the language of the text, speaks well. His anxiety must be, and is, not to commend himself to men's notions, to their prejudices, to their wishes, but to their consciences in the sight of God; and to acquit himself, not as one that pleaseth men, but God who searcheth the hearts. Infinitely more valuable in his eyes, than all the applauses of perishing judges, is his ability to say to his hearers, I take you to witness, that I am pure from the blood of all men.

And more deep and lasting is the respect given to such a declaration, backed by the testimony of conscience, than by the loudest peals of popular applause.

Such is the duty and such the present recompense of them who "speak well." Let us now turn to the

II. Point of consideration, the duty of those who hear, to refrain from hasty and intemperate judgments. If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?

The earth scarcely furnishes a more interesting spectacle than an assemblage of sinful men met together in the presence and for the purpose of worshiping God. The glorious majesty of their King-the contrast between his infinite holiness and their unworthinesshis wonderful condescension in treating with them at all the nature of their employment in the house of prayer-the homage which they are to render to him as the universal Sovereign -their sins to be confessed-their complaints to be poured out before him; their wants their weaknesses, their perils, to be spread before his gracious notice--that exhibition of his doctrine-that correction of their errorsthose rebukes for their faults; that instruction in righteousness for which his word is profitable

and is intended to convey; the tremendous consequences which hang upon them; what calmness, what tenderness, what a subdued spirit, what candor, what docility, do they not require and imply? Surely we have a right to expect a disposition like that of the centurion's friends, when Peter as a minister of grace visited them. Now therefore we are all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.

But the depravity of men abusing their great privileges, the frequent recurrence of divine worship, has perverted this majestic scene to quite other ends, has almost driven the thought of God out of their minds, and to account the assembling of themselves together to be little else than a means of their own gratification. To entering within themselves and there instituting a fair self-examination they are utter strangers; but are either fond admirers, or listless hearers, or fastidious critics and imperious judges. Yet every one expects that his particular humor shall be pleased. The consequence is exactly what might have been anticipated. No man who intends to be faithful, can possibly perform an exercise without displeasing somebody.

When the pulpit arraigns prevailing sin, calls it by its own name, and points the divine

denunciations against it, some, whom the remarks of the preacher happen to strike, immediately take fire. They cannot deny the truth, but think "there was no necessity for being so particular." They even imagine that he must have received some information concerning them, and that he has been exposing them to the whole congregation. The affair becomes personal; the hearer is not profited, and the preacher is abused. In the meantime he was perfectly innocent of the design imputed to him, and his angry auditor does not suspect or wish to conceal the fact that the supposed informer has never been out of his own bosom. And although, " in drawing his bow at a venture," the speaker may not exactly hit an individual, yet his shaft may fly farther, and do severe execution among a class, whom some present reckon among their friends; and forthwith the feelings of friendship are kindled, and a man deems it necessary to be highly indignant because his friends are touched. Their offenses may be very flagrant, the general description very just, and the censure indisputably scriptural, yet the zeal of friendship cannot be satisfied without lighting, if possible, a fire of high, flaming resentment against the preacher. It is indeed setting a high value upon his friendship to suppose that it shall