are this day invested. It would not be exaggeration to call it the most dignified and honourable office on earth. You are a "steward of the mysteries of God." An “ am bassador" from the Prince of peace. You stand in God's stead, to beseech sinners to be reconciled to him. You are a "fellow-worker together with God," in the accomplishment of his eternal purposes of grace and love. To you is this grace given, that you should make known to sinners, the "unsearchable riches of Christ." Your Master's glory, your people's salvation, must now be your chief end and aim; your chief employment, " prayer and the ministry of the word."

Your first and most important duty will be, to " preach the Gospel" the whole Gospel-nothing short of itnothing beside it-nothing beyond it. Your commission is summed up in two words, preach the Gospel. This glorious Gospel of the Blessed God, you will set forth, in all its fulness, and in all its freeness-in all its suitableness, and in all its sufficiency. Labour hard to convince sinners of their lost estate-except this be done, nothing is done. Without this be known and felt, the Gospel cannot be understood, valued or embraced. You will often trace salvation up to the unchangeable and everlasting love of " the Father," as its original cause. The deity and atonement of the "Lord Jesus Christ;" the personality and deity, regenerating and sanctifying work of the "Holy Spirit," must form a prominent part in all your ministrations. These doctrines constitute the essence of the Gospel. Destitute of these, it will be like Sampson shorn of his hair, it will be no longer the "rod of God's strength;" not as matters of controversy, but as practical and operative principles, for such they are, should these doctrines be pressed. In this view you cannot contend too earnestly for "the faith that was once delivered to the saints." The doctrine of justification by faith alone, that doctrine by which the immortal Luther has said, a church shall stand or fall, must be prominently put forward. Distinguish accurately between faith and works, as cause and effect, foundation and superstructure. Here the ignorant are most liable to stumble. They think we make void the law, while we preach salvation by faith alone. Take much pains to convince men that we do not make void the law by faith; that we establish the law. In reference to this point, Paul's exhortation to Timothy may be ad

dressed to you. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God-a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth"-but though some should stumble, and others count it foolishness preach Christ crucified-determine after Paul's example to know nothing, to make known nothing, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Lift him up before the eyes of the world, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. Point the eyes of all to him as John did, saying, "behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Let Jesus Christ be the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of all your ministrations.

I do not mean by this, that you should be confined in the range of your subjects. Preaching Christ is consistent with the greatest variety. The whole Bible is your text-book, and from every point in it you can behold Christ yourself, and call on sinners to behold him. The Bible presents an almost infinite variety. The Bible history, biography, types and ceremonies, prophetic announcements, devotion and experience, doctrine and duties, will form à wide, pleasant, profitable field for your cultivation, and your people's instruction. It is a good rule to give every subject the same degree of prominence in your ministrations that it has in the word of God. You must not shun to declare the whole counsel of God; otherwise you will not be found pure from the blood of all men. Let all your arguments, proofs, illustrations, be drawn from the word of God, chiefly, if not exclusively. The weapons drawn from the armoury of heaven will be of celestial temper, and most effective in overturning the kingdom of Satan. A doctrinal truth or a moral duty enforced by, "thus saith the Lord," will come home with more efficacy to the conscience, than if backed by all the reasonings of all the philosophers on earth. When all your warnings, proofs, illustrations, arguments, flow from the word of God, your people will recognize in you what St. John saw in the Apocalypse, "an angel standing in the sun."-Rev. xix. 17. In a word, "I charge thee," dear brother, "before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead, at his appearing, and his kingdom, preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and doc. trine." "Take heed to yourself and to the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseer; feed the

church of God, which he hath purchased with his own. blood."

It will also be your duty to administer the sacraments. In dispensing the sealing ordinances of the Gospel, exercise the utmost vigilance. Keep the line of distinction between the church and the world as well defined as possible. Though the church is in the world, it should be separate from the world. Absolute purity of communion may not be attainable, but we should approach as near it as we can. The better the fences of discipline are kept up around the church, the better will the trees of the Lord's planting flourish within it.

The instruction of the young must be another object of your most attentive regard. He cannot be the Minister of Christ who disregards that injunction, "feed my lambs." On the religious instruction of the young the future prosperity of the church mainly depends. If the nursery be neglected, the plantation cannot flourish. The present generation of men must soon pass away. The young will then be called to occupy their places-to support the Gospel-to witness for the Gospel. Prepare them for doing so for receiving the Gospel in all the purity of its truth for handing down its doctrines and ordinances, unmutilated and uncorrupted, to future generations. O labour diligently in catechising the young, instructing them from the Scriptures; in superintending the sabbath schools and day schools of your congregation. Incalculable good will attend these labours.

Visiting and teaching your people from house to house will form another important part of your duty. So the apostles taught-so we must teach if we would walk in their footsteps. It is a laborious duty, painful to flesh and blood, but love to souls requires that it should be done. Many who should attend your ministrations will not come to you; you have no other alternative but to go to them, using what has been called the aggressive mode. The Gospel commission is not, when the people come to you, teach them; but, "go ye." By visiting from house to house, you will do much good to your people; attain such a knowledge of their wants, and attainments as will render your public instructions more applicable and effective. Bend all your energies to establish among them a regular system of family instruction and family worship. If you can bring the parents and masters of your people,

to resolve as Joshua did, that "they and their house will serve the Lord," you will confer incalculable benefit on them and on future generations.

To visit the afflicted and the dying is another important part of a Minister's duty. Such persons need comfort, which the Gospel alone can impart. God commands it to be given. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people saith your God." If the afflicted and the dying have withstood the overtures of Gospel mercy, the season of sickness may give the heart a peculiar softness and susceptibility. Such seasons dispel the enchantments of sin, shew the vanity of the world, and awake the soul to the great realities of eternity. The sinner who never before inquired about the way of acceptance with God, may then be asking, "what must I do to be saved ?" O what a time to point to the Lamb of God! And though death-bed repentances are not to be depended on, yet we do know that salvation is attainable, even by the chief of sinners, and that even to the last hour. As long as there is hope, press the offers of Gospel mercy on the afflicted and the dying. Mingle your prayers and your tears with theirs before a throne of grace; and who knows when God may glorify himself, by making a monument of his free and sovereign grace.

Though localized in this place, cherish a missionary Spirit, for that is the Spirit of the Gospel. Use all the means in your power to extend the boundaries of the Redeemer's kingdom abroad and at home. Let the wants of the Heathen call forth the sympathies, the prayers, and exertions of yourself and people. "Preach the Gospel to every creature," is the commission under which you act,-fulfil it, and cause it to be fulfilled as far as you can. To fill the office of the ministry in the most obscure corner of our church, puts a man prominently before the world. How much more in this large and populous town, the metropolis of the first county in Ireland. You are as a city set on a hill which cannot be hid. On your life and ministry the triumph or the overthrow of evangelical religion, in this place, is suspended. Be jealous for the honour of your Redeemer and his Gospel with a godly jealousy. Hold forth the word of life.-Shing as a light in a dark place.

These, dear brother, are some of the numerous, important, and arduous duties of your offices. While they pass

on away before you, you will be ready to say," who is sufficient for these things?" The grace and strength of the Lord Jesus, whose you are and whom you serve, are sufficient for these things. I say to you then," be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." He who sends you says, my grace is sufficient for you." "Lo! I am with you always to the end of the world." Wherefore then should you doubt? Are not these promises adequate to your necessities? Rise to the occasion and say, "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me." To qualify you for the work you are engaged in, many things are requisite. Two are indispensable. Learning and piety. These combined make a Minister apt and able to teach. Learning is valuable, essential; not for vain display, but for the illustration and defence of the truth. In these days of error, scepticism, and infidelity, the Gospel is often assailed. The Gospel Minister must defend himself. He must often buckle on his armour and enter the lists of controversy against the Arian and Socinian, who would mutilate the Gospel; against the Deist and the Infidel, who reject the Gospel. He must unweave their webs of sophistry, and expel them from their refuges of lies. In the present age of the church, when miracles and inspiration are withdrawn, sanctified learning appears the best means of supporting and defending the truth.

But the pre-eminent qualification of a Gospel Minister, and that for the want of which all the learning on earth would not atone, is personal piety, A Gospel Minister should be a "Christian," literally, "an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile." One who experiences the efficacy of the Gospel in his heart, and exhibits its power in his life. The amount of this is, that he should know himself what he undertakes to teach others. Before he can feel the value of the souls of others, he must first have learned the value of his own.

It is not enough that he stand like a finger-post, pointing the way. He will give a far more powerful demonstration of the way of life, while he is at the same time going foremost in the path. His experience should be, "we believe, therefore we speak"-"we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard"-" that which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, and our hands have handled of the Word of Life, declare we unto you." Personal piety will make a Minister zealous in the Lord's service. He will be willing to spend