as the order of grace resembles that of nature, it is necessary, in a spiritual sense, to minister nutriment to the healthy in much greater quantities than medicine to those who are diseased. Thus believers, who constantly hunger and thirst after greater degrees of grace, should more frequently receive the living word, that they "may abound yet more and more in knowledge," till they are "filled with the fruits of righteousness."

4. We find the following expressions in the epistle of St. Paul to the Romans: "I am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able to admonish one another. Nevertheless I have written the more boldly unto you, as putting you in mind." And "I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established." Now, if St. Paul could express so earnest a desire to instruct those Christians who were perfect strangers to him, and who were already so divinely enlightened; far from being imitators of this great apostle, do we not forfeit all pretensions to charity, while we suffer those ignorant Christians to perish for lack of knowledge, who are not only of our neighbourhood, but probably of our very parish?

5. Though St. Paul was assisted with miraculous endowments, yet how anxiously did he endeavour to fill up the two-fold duties of a believer in Christ, and a minister of his gospel. And shall we refuse to labour with equal earnestness, whose gifts are so mean, and whose graces are so inconsiderable? Appointed, like the primitive preachers of Christianity, to be fishers of men, is it not perfectly reasonable that we should manifest as great activity with our feeble lines, as St. Paul was accustomed to discover in the use of his capacious net? If that apostle, filled with holy zeal, was enabled to convert more sinners at a single discourse than many pastors are known to convert in a thousand sermons, should we not, by our uncommon assiduity, supply as much as possible the want of that incomprehensible energy which accompanied his ministerial labours?

6. Ministers are compared to labourers who go forth to cultivate the lands of their Master. Now St. Paul, as the foremost of these labourers, wrought night and day with an extraordinary instrument, which marked out furrows

of an uncommon depth, and ploughed up entire provinces on a sudden. He made the fullest proof of his ministry, and by the most astonishing efforts, spread the seed of the gospel from Jerusalm round about unto Illyricum. How vast a difference between the former and latter pastors of the Christian church! Many of us are content to stand altogether idle, till "the night cometh in which no man can work:" while others, who are disposed to some little occupation, employ themselves as workmen who have need to be utterly ashamed of their insignificant labours. At best we hold but a tardy instrument; an instrument, which with immense toil will but barely graze the earth we are called to cultivate. And shall we, thus unhappily circumstanced, permit our plough shares to gather rust during six successive days, and then leisurely employ them about an hour upon the seventh: surely such a mode of conduct is as contrary to common sense, as to the example St. Paul has left us.

7. So astonishing is the inconstancy, the weakness, and the depravity of the human heart, that in spite of all the persevering industry of this apostle in the vineyard of his Lord, it still brought forth briars and thorns, to the anguish of his soul. Behold," saith he to the Corinthians, "the third time I am ready to come unto you, for your edifying. For I fear, lest when I come I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults and lest when I come, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already and have not repented."

We shall close this chapter by proposing the following queries, which may be reasonably grounded upon the preceding passage. If the natural and supernatural talents of St. Paul; if his zeal, his diligence, and his apostolic authority, were insufficient to engage his flock to conduct themselves as followers of Christ; if their want of piety drew from him tears of lamentation, and obliged him to renew his painful efforts with redoubled solicitude; can those pastors be said to possess the spirit of the gospel, who behold with indifference the disorders of that falling church, which Christ has purchased with his own blood? And if the extraordinary labours of St. Paul were not su

ficient fully to answer the design of the sacred ministry, is it not presumption indeed to imagine, that our trivial services are sufficiently complete?

CHAPTER VIII.

A further reply to the same objection.

WHEN we attack a prejudice that is obstinately defended, it is frequently as needful to multiply arguments, as it is necessary in a siege to multiply assaults. Pursuing this method, we shall endeavour, upon new grounds, to establish the doctrine contended for in the two last chapters.

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1. After exhorting Timothy to labour without ceasing, St. Paul assigns the following reason for such injunction : Know," saith he," that in the last times" of the Christian church, "men" who make a profession of faith "shall be lovers of their ownselves, despisers of those that are good; lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." Now, if Timothy was exhorted to use all diligence in opposing those evils, which were then only making their approach, is it reasonable that we shoud be remiss, who are unhappy enough to see those last times, in which the decay of piety, predicted by the apostle, is become universal? On the contrary, is not this the moment in which we should strenuously resist the overflowings of ungodliness, and fortify those who are not yet swept away by the impetuous torrent?

2. When the great apostle benevolently carried the word of God to sinners of every different nation, he thereby armed against himself the authority of magistrates and priests, as well Jewish as Pagan. His universal philanthropy exposed him to the most cruel persecutions. Thousands and ten thousands were set in array against him, and the inhabitants of every kingdom seemed determined to resist or destroy him in his spiritual progress. He saw these surrounding dangers; but he saw them without discovering any symptom of fear: and rather than discontinue his painful labours, he cheerfully proceeded to encounter every threatening evil. We, on the contrary, are appointed to build up the children of the kingdom in their

most holy faith. And shall we labour less, because we can labour with less danger? Shall we neglect the duties of our sacred function, because our superiors in church and state permit us to convert sinners, command us to preach the gospel, erect us temples for the public celebration of Divine worship, and allow us salaries, that our ministry may never be interrupted by secular cares? The ministerial services which St. Paul performed with such unabating zeal, when his reward was imprisonment and stripes, must we be engaged to discharge by emoluments and honours? And, after all, shall we limit our constrained obedience precisely to that point which will merely secure us from public deposition and disgrace?

3. What was the error of Demas; a man, as notorious by his fall among the evangelists, as Judas among the apostles? Demas loved this present world, and ceasing to imitate the diligence of St. Paul, ungratefully left him to labour almost without a second. And will unfaithful evangelists presume, that they may imitate without fear the apostasy of Demas, and renounce with impunity the example of St. Paul? If such is their unhappy persuasions, we submit the following queries to their serious consideration. Are the souls of men less valuable; is sin of any kind less detestable, or the law of God less severe, in the present day, than in the earlier ages of the Christian church? Have pastors a right to be remiss, while the night of incredulity is blackening around them? Are the attacks of antichristian philosophers less frequent and audacious at present, than in former times? Or, finally, is the appearance of our omnipotent Judge no longer expected in the world?

4. If the apostles and primitive pastors have removed many threatening impediments out of our way; if they have procured for us our present advantages by the most amazing exertions, and at the prodigious price of their blood; surely it can never be imagined, that they acted with so much resolution, and suffered with so much constancy, that we might become the indolent readers of their unparalleled history. Was it not rather, that, animated with a becoming sense of their great example, we might make the highest improvement of our inestimable privileges?

5. The mountains are now laid low, the valleys are fill

ed up, the crooked ways are made straight, and we have only to carry that salvation to sinners, for which such wonderful preparations have been made. And are we negligent in running on the errands of everlasting love? And are we backward in bearing the happiest tidings to the most hapless of creatures? No excuse then can possibly be made for this coldness, except that which the author of Emilius has put into the mouth of a fictitious character: Of what importance is it to me, says the vicar Savoyard, what becomes of the wicked! I am but little concerned in their future destiny. An excuse for the want of zeal, which can never be pleaded without reflecting the utmost disgrace upon humanity.

6. Ye pastors of a flock ever prone to wander! choose whom you will follow, philosophers or apostles; the indefatigable zeal of St. Paul, or the cruel indifference of the sceptical vicar? But, if you take the latter for your model, we solemnly entreat you to lay aside the profession, while you so shamefully renounce the duties of the holy ministry. "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from

his way and live." With you, however, it is a matter of very inconsiderable importance, whether the wicked be finally saved or destroyed. And yet, careless as you are of its weal or wo, you presume to appear as ministers of the church, and as pastors over that little flock, for which the good shepherd was content to lay down his life. Το rank with the watchful attendants of the fold is an honour, of which you are altogether unworthy; but you may, with propriety, be counted in the number of those ungrateful hirelings who care not for the sheep.

7. It is true, you are not without companions, as well ancient as modern. You have Hophni and Phinehas, Gehazi and Balaam, to keep you in countenance; you have the prophets of Jezebel to plead in your favour, and every worldly ecclesiastic of the present day to approve your choice but apostolical men will resolutely withstand you, like Elisha and his Master, in the cause of deserted truth.

Ye slothful domestics of the most diligent Master! Ye cruel attendants of the tenderest shepherd! say, have ye never heard that Master crying out, with the voice of affection, Feed my sheep? Have ye not seen him conducting