ceive affistance from them in compofing for the pulpit. Thus, Sir, have I largely purfued the first part of the apostle's direction, to "take heed "to yourself," as a chriftian, and as a minifter; that is, with refpect to your morals, religion, prudence, and learning. It may perhaps have been expected, that I fhould alfo confider the latter part of the advice, "take heed to thy doctrine," or to your preaching, and the other branches of the ministerial office. Serioufly attend to the discharge of your ministry, in fuch a manner as to be most useful therein; which may relate to preparation for it and the actual exercife of it. But the former having taken up so much of your time, and as what I have now mentioned would open fo large a field, I fhall wave the confideration of it. And indeed I look upon it, that what has been already insisted on is of much the greatest importance; that to be a learned, wife and good man, are the grand qualifications and preparatives for being a useful minifter; that the best preparation for pulpit compofitions is fapere, to understand your fubject; and the beft rule for delivering them, to feel it. The rest is to be learnt as other profeffions are, and is learnt in our feminaries, where, Sir, you have had ample and particular directions, relating to the discharge of the feveral branches of your miniftry; and have profited by them, fo as to meet with much acceptance, and to have the prospect of being very useful. And as you have thofe direc N directions by you, for your perufal, I hope you will continue to improve by them and improve upon them. And you will do well, Sir, to join with them fuch excellent, printed treatises, as Mr. Mafon's Student and Paftor, an ordination charge of his, published in the form of a letter to a friend, entering on the minifterial office, Dr. Watts's Humble attempt, Bishop Burnet's Paftoral care, Jennings on preaching Chrift and experimental preaching, the abridgment of Baxter's Reformed Paftor, and fome others, which fhould be always at hand, and read fo frequently as to be rendered quite familiar. For the real usefulness of such rules, Sir, you will obferve, like thofe of rhetoric and the laws of poetry, refults from their being confidered, and digefted, and applied in our reading and observation of the works, or conduct of others, 'till they form our taste, give our minds and tempers their proper caft, and come to enter habitually and imperceptibly into our compofition or behaviour; for if either appear artificial, it will never be acceptable. As a ftudied behaviour in company will be formal and ungracious, fo he who fets down to compofe a difcourfe with a heap of rules before him, to be continually turned to as he proceeds, may indeed efcape thofe faults which might make an audience laugh, but I will anfwer for it, he will make none of them weep, he will touch no affections; fleep perchance many may. Inftead Inftead therefore of particular directions, let me exhort you in the general; to give yourself wholly and in earnest to the work of the ministry, as you have now profeffed to do; to be ferious, confcientious, faithful, evangelical and practical in your private preparations, and in your public miniftrations; and to follow your public labours with fervent prayer for the divine bleffing to give them fuccefs, and with private inftructions, as opportunities may offer, and above all, with fhewing the influence of your doctrine upon your own heart and life. If, Sir, you thus profecute your work with diligence and perfeverance, you will " fave ́your own foul," and be an instrument of faving", fome, perhaps many of the fouls of them that hear you. And do you confider the worth of fouls, of immortal fouls, made in the image of God, and redeemed by the blood of the Son of God? And will you think much of the labour, felf-denial and difficulty attending the miniftry? Will you not readily spend and be spent in fuch a fervice? Are you not glowing with holy ardor, to be an inftrument in the divine hand of faving the fouls of your hearers? especially, Sir, if you take in the awful confideration, that this is abfolutely neceffary, in the ftation and office you have taken upon you, to your own falvation. Permit me therefore, as the conclufion of the whole, my reverend and dear brother, to remind you of our apostle's folemn words to Timothy, in the clofe both of this and of the 2d Epistle, and to leave them as a facred bond upon your foul. * "I charge you before God and the Lord Jefus Chrift, who fhall judge the quick and "the dead, at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word, be inftant in season, out of "feafon; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-fuffering and doctrine. Watch thou "in all things, endure afflictions, do the work "of a gofpel-minifter, fulfil thy ministry." And again," O man of God, flee" the enticements of this world," and follow after righteoufnefs, godlinefs, faith, love, pa"tience, meeknefs. Fight the good fight of "faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto "thou art alfo called, and haft profeft a good profeffion before many witneffes. I give thee charge in the fight of God who quickeneth all things, and before Chrift Jefus, "who before Pontius Pilate witneffed a good "profeffion, that thou keep this command«ment without fpot, unrebukeable, until the 168 appearing of our Lord Jefus Chrift, which in his times he fhall fhew, who is the bleffed "and only Potentate, the King of Kings, and "Lord of Lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light, which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath feen, nor can fee; to whom be honour and power everlafting. Amen.". * 2 Tim. iv. 1, 2, 5. 3 + 1 Tim. vi. 11-16.` THE EN D.. |