wants and woes in their own habitations, as well as bid them come and tell their sorrows in his. Let him be full of compassion and tender hearted; let his eyes drop pity, while his hands dispense bounty; let him be affable and kind as well as attentive. And such a man shall want neither honour nor power amongst his brethren, although, at the same time, he be peaceful as a dove, meek as a lamb, and gentle as a little child.

The apostle is very explicit in his statement of the qualifications which the deacons should possess. "Likewise must the deacons be grave," i. e. men of serious and dignified deportment; "not double tongued," i. e. sincere, not addicted to duplicity of speech; "not given to much wine; not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience," i. e. attached to the doctrines of the gospel, and exhibiting their holy influence in a spotless life;" and let them also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Let them be the husband of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well." 1 Tim. iii. 8-13.*

Deacons should remember, that all these qualifications should be found embodied, as much as possible,

*The allusion made to the deacons' wives, appears to me to be a mistranslation, and in the original refers to a class of female office bearers in the primitive church. "Even so the women." As the manners of the Greeks and Romans, and especially of the Asiatics, did not permit men to have much intercourse with women of character, unless they were relations, it was proper that an order of female assistants should be instituted for visiting and privately instructing the young of their own sex, and for catechising females of any age. And as the church was then much persecuted, and many of its members were often condemned to languish in a prison, these holy women were, no doubt, peculiarly useful in visiting the captive Christians,

in each individual, holding the office; and not merely some in one and some in another, till the character is formed by the joint number, but not in each member of the deaconry. Some have contended for plurality of elders in a church, because it is impossible to find all the qualifications of a Christian bishop stated by the apostle, in one person. We are to look for one excellence in one man, and another in the second, and what is wanting in one will be made up in another, until their defects and attainments are made to unite, like the corresponding parts of a dovetail joint. I confess, however, that this way of making church officers, as it were by patch work, appears to me a most absurd idea.

The deacons, from their being officers in the church, although their office refers to temporalities, and also from their being generally acquainted with the affairs of the church, will be considered by every wise and prudent minister, as his privy council in his spiritual government, and should be always ready to afford him their advice in a respectful and unobtrusive manner. "Christian brethren," said a preacher on this subject, "give to the minister I love, for a deacon, a man in whose house he may sit down at ease, when he is weary and loaded

and performing for them many kind offices which their sex can best render. Such an one, in all probability, was Phebe, mentioned Rom. xvi. 1. Such were the widows spoken of 1 Tim. v. Such were Euodia and Syntyche, Phil. iv. 3. Clement of Alexandria reckons widows amongst ecclesiastical persons. "There are many precepts in Scripture for those who are chosen, some for priests, others for bishops, others for deacons, others for widows." Pliny, in his celebrated Epistle to Trajan, is thought to refer to deaconesses, when, speaking of two female Christians whom he put to the torture, he says, "quæ ministræ dicebantur;" i. e. who were called deaconesses.

with care; into whose bosom he may freely pour his sorrows, and by whose lips he may be soothed when he is vexed and perplexed; by whose illuminated mind he may be guided in difficulty; and by whose liberality and cordial co-operation, he may be animated and assisted in every generous undertaking." And I would add, who would do all this in the spirit of humble, modest, and unauthoritative affection.

In the transactions of church business, the deacons should exert no other influence than that which arises from the esteem and affection in which they are held by the people. All personal and official authority should be abstained from. Their opinion should ever be stated with pre-eminent modesty ; for if it be a wise one, its wisdom will commend itself to the judgment of the people, whose hearts are already prepared by affection and esteem to yield to its influence. Whereas, the wisest opinion, if delivered dogmatically, will often be resisted, merely because it is attempted to be imposed.

If a man deserve influence, he will be sure to have it without seeking it, or designedly exerting it; if he do not deserve it, and still seek it, he is sure to be resisted.

"The deacon's duty to the people, is to promote, so far as he is able, the happiness of individuals, and the welfare of the society. In his intercourse with them, he should be firm and unbending in principle, but kind and conciliatory in temper and in manner. In those parts of his office, which are sometimes very irksome and arduous, from the difficulty of serving all according to their wishes, he should guard against every thing which even appears to be harsh and unkind. More especially should he do this, when he finds it impossible, in consistency with his duty to others, to fulfil their desires. The apparently insig

nificant circumstance, which will often occur in our congregations, of being unable to accommodate an individual, or a family, with a seat, may be mentioned with so much kindness, and with such unfeigned regret that it is so, as to lead the individual, or the family, patiently to wait for a more favourable opportunity; or it may be done, although without design, in a tone of so much indifference, as to lead the disappointed applicant to relinquish the hope of success, and to leave the place. The secret charm by which the deacon's office may be rendered comfortable to himself, and beneficial to others, is that golden precept of inspiration, "Let all your things be done with charity;" or, as Dr. Doddridge better translates the passage, "Let all your affairs be transacted in love." 1 Cor. xvi. 14. III. Heads of families.

The station occupied by such persons, is exceedingly important, and therefore very responsible. We naturally look to the families of professing Christians for the materials with which the "spiritual house" is to be repaired amidst the spoliations of sin and death. A large proportion of our members are the children of the righteous, and our churches would be still more enriched with the fruits of domestic piety, if that piety itself were more ardent and more exemplary. It is impossible to urge in terms too strong, the sacred duties of Christian masters, mistresses, and parents. Their influence on the prosperity of the church is greater than is generally conceived, or can be fully stated. The duties of such persons are of a two-fold nature.

1. The primary ones, of course, relate to your CHILDREN. It is the command of God to train them up in the fear, and nurture, and admonition of the Lord. Let your first, and deepest, and most lasting

Let this reg

solicitude be for the formation of their religious character, and the salvation of their souls. ulate all your conduct towards them. Let it impel you to adopt a system of instruction and discipline, which shall have a close and constant bearing on their moral and religious habits. Let it guide you in the choice of schools where they are to be educated, the families into which they are to be apprenticed. Act so, as that they may clearly discern, that your most ardent prayer, your most anxious concern, is, that they may be truly pious. They should see this interwoven with all your conduct towards them; and behold a uniform, consistent, constant effort to accomplish this object. Let them hear it expressed in your advice and prayers, and see it manifested in all your arrangements. Alas! alas! how many children of church members are there, who, if they were asked the question, “What is your father and mother's chief concern for you ?" would be obliged to reply, "That I might excel in fashionable accomplishments, and make a figure in the drawing room." There appears to me to be, at the present moment, a most criminal neglect, on the part of Christian parents, of the RELIGIOUS education of their children. Every thing is sacrificed to the lighter and more frivolous accomplishments of the female character, and to the literary and scientific acquisitions of boys. Religion is a secondary matter. But ought it to be so? Ought it not rather to be the one thing needful for our children, as well as for ourselves?

That Christian who would carry on a system of religious education with success, should enforce it with all the commanding influence of a HOLY EXAMPLE. Let your children see all the "beauties of holiness," reflected from your character, and the