TRAIT VIII.

The earnestness with which he began and continued to fill up the duties of his vocation.

THE true penitent, having renounced himself for the honour of following his exalted Lord, stands faithfully in his own vocation, whether it be secular or ecclesiastic. He is prepared, upon all occasions, to perform the will of his gracious Master; and if he is commissioned to act as a minister of Christ, after furnishing himself with "the whole armour of God," he will expose himself, without fear, to the most threatening dangers, that he may compel sinners to come in to the marriage supper of the Lamb. "I rejoice," saith St. Paul, "in my sufferings for the body of Christ, which is the church, whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages, but which is now made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus; whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you,” and for all those among whom the word of God is preached, "that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Such are the great ideas which the apostle Paul entertained of the ministry he had received; and observe the assiduity with which he discharged the duties of so important an office-"Ye know," says he, speaking to the pastors, to whom he committed the care of one of his flocks, "from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears. and temptations; and how I kept back nothing that was

profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves; for I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves," unfaithful pastors, "enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Therefore watch and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears." In every place he discharged the obligations of a minister with the same application and zeal, travelling from city to city, and from church to church, bearing testimony to "the redemption that is in Jesus," and declaring the great truths of the gospel. When the synagogues were shut against him, he preached in the schools of philosophers, upon the sea shore, on ship board, and even in prisons; and while he dwelt a prisoner in his own house at Rome, "he received all that came in unto him, to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses and out of the prophets, from morning till evening."

Thus the Son of God himself once publicly laboured for the conversion of sinners, sometimes going through "all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel;" and at other times instructing the multitudes, who either followed him into the fields, or resorted to the house where he lodged; "for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.' And when through the pleasure of bringing the Samaritans acquainted with spiritual truth, he disregarded the necessities of nature, his disciples, requesting him to partake of the food they had prepared, received from him this memorable answer: “I have meat to eat that ye know not of; my meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish his work ;" that is, to enlighten and save sinners.

Thus St. Paul was diligently and daily, occupied in fulfilling the duties of his apostolic vocation; and thus every minister of the gospel is called to labour in his appointed sphere. It remains to be known whether all who do not labour according to their ability, are not con

demned by the following general rule: "If any will not work, neither should he eat:" for these words signify, applied to the present case, that they who will not labour as pastors, should by no means be permitted to eat the bread of pastors; an evangelical precept this, which deserves the strictest attention, as the bread of pastors is, in some sort, sacred bread, since it is that which the piety of the public has set apart for the support of those who have abandoned every worldly pursuit, that they might dedicate themselves freely and fully to the service of the church.

TRAIT IX.

The manner in which he divided his time between prayer, preaching, and thanksgiving.

THE minister of the present age is but seldom engaged in publishing to his people the truths of the gospel; and still more rarely in supplicating for them the possession of those blessings which the gospel proposes. It is chiefly before men that he lifts up his hands, and affects to pour out a prayer from the fulness of his heart; while the true minister divides his time between the two important and refreshing occupations of preaching and prayer; by the former, making a public offer of divine grace to his hearers, and by the latter, soliciting for them in secret the experience of that grace. Such was the manner of the blessed Jesus himself, who after having reproved his disciples for the low degree of their faith, retired either into gardens, or upon mountains, praying that their "faith might not fail." The good pastor, who constantly imitates the example of his divine Master, is prepared to adopt the following language of St. Paul, in addressing the flock upon which he is immediately appointed to attend: "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be filled with all the fulness of God. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet

more and more in knowledge, and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." By prayers like these, the apostle Paul was accustomed to water, without ceasing, the heavenly seed, which he had so widely scattered through the vineyard of his Lord, manifesting an increasing attachment to those among whom he had at any time published the tidings of salvation, and breathing out, in all his epistles to distant churches, the most earnest desire that God would fulfil in them 66 all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power; that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ might be glorified in them, and they in him."

Pastors, who pray thus for their flocks, pray not in vain. Their fervent petitions are heard: sinners are converted, the faithful are edified, and thanksgiving is shortly joined to supplication. Thus the same apostle: "I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God, which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge. So that ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Having heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and your love unto all the saints, I cease not to give thanks for you."

Worldly ministers have no experience of the holy joy that accompanies these secret sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving. But this can by no means be considered as matter of astonishment. Is their attachment to Christ as sincere as that of his faithful ministers? Are they as solicitous for the salvation of their hearers? Do they teach and preach with equal zeal? Do they pray with the same ardour and perseverance?

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TRAIT X.

The fidelity with which he announced the severe threatenings and consolatory promises of the gospel.

THE worldly minister has neither the courage nor the tenderness of the true pastor. He is fearful of publishing those truths which are calculated to alarm the careless sinner; and he knows not in what manner to apply the promises of the gospel for the relief of those who mourn. If ever he attempts to descant upon the consolatory truths of the gospel, he only labours to explain, what is nearly unintelligible to himself; and all his discourses on subjects of this nature are void of that earnest persuasion, and that unction of love, which characterize the ministers of Christ. On the other hand, his dread of giving offence will not suffer him to address sinners of every rank, with the holy boldness of the prophet Samuel: "If ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you. If ye still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed." The faithful pastor, on the contrary, conscious that the harshest truths of the gospel are as necessary, as they are offensive, courageously insists upon them, in the manner of St. Paul: "Thinkest thou, O man, that dost such things, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?" Know this, that "after thy hardness and impenitent heart thou treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God: for indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, shall be upon every soul of man that doeth evil. If every transgression" under the first covenant "received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him. This ye know, that no unclean person, nor covetous man, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God: let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh: for if they escaped not, who refused him that spake on earth," viz. the prophet Moses,