was nature that furnished them: both order and elocution are the offspring of a warm and understanding heart. Let us only feel to purpose, and then we shall speak with propriety and energy.—— -Did we, like Paut, travail as in birth till Chrift were formed in the fouls of men, would not our tongue be as the pen of a ready writer?-Did we confider that we speak in the name of God ;-that we speak to the creatures of God;-to them, I fay, and not merely before them ;—that we publish those truths by which only they can be faved, and proclaim that law by which they shall be judged :-did we confider that they and we are fast haftening to judgement, and that neither of us can know how foon the fummons of removal may be put into our hands :—what fhall I fay?— would not Elihu's fituation become ours, when he thus expreffed himself, 66 I am "full of matter, the spirit within me con"ftraineth me: behold, my belly is as wine "that hath no vent; it is ready to burst "like new bottles; I will fpeak that I may "be refreshed?" Job xxxii. 18, 19, 20. Nay, my brethren, with fuch great objects

in our eye, we fhould not only speak, but we should speak as Elihu refolved to do i the following part of the quotation, we fhould fpeak with an honeft and impartial freedom; for thus he for thus he goes on:

"Let me

<6 not, I pray you, accept any man's perfon, "neither let me give flattering titles unto for I know not to give flattering "titles; in fo doing, my Maker would foon "take me away."

"man;

3dly, This temper would likewife have a happy influence upon all the parts of our external conduct. We fhould not think it enough to abstain from evil; we fhould carefully avoid every thing that had the appearance of evil, that our conduct might have nothing in it of a doubtful nature, nothing ambiguous, or that needed to be explained.He lives, alas! at a poor rate, and far below the dignity of his facred office, who is frequently put to it to vindicate his conduct, and to prove that he hath not exceeded his Christian liberty. A minister of Christ ought to go before his people in every thing that is true, juft, pure, lovely, and of good report. His light ought to fine

in the eyes of men; nay, to fhine with fuch ftrength, that they may fee his good works, and be constrained to glorify his Father in heaven.

A holy life is the most perfuafive fermon, expreffed too in a language which men of all nations equally understand. It even explains what other fermons mean, instead of needing to be explained by them. Men will fee more beauty in a truly virtuous action, than in the most rhetorical description we can give of it; and then they lofe no time, for they fee it at once: whereas, befides the neceffary expence of time, much skill and addrefs muft likewife be employed, to unfold it in fuch a manner as to make it thoroughly understood and relifhed.

In this way, my brethren, we may preach without ceafing and if we know any thing of the temper expreffed in my text, we fhall certainly be ambitious to hold forth the word of life continually; and fo to exhibit the religion of Jefus, that, in our practice, all who behold us may have an easy opportunity of reading the laws of Christ every day.

VOL. I.

C

More

More particularly: Were we poffeffed of this temper, we fhould equally disdain-to court the great by a fawning fervility, or to catch the vulgar by a low popularity.

These are the dangerous extremes into one or other of which every unprincipled minifter is liable to be feduced.

The laft of them, which is reputed the moft bafe and contemptible, is commonly the refort of thofe only, who, having little to recommend them to the wife and good, can find no other way to emerge from obfcurity, and to thrust themselves forward into public view; for no man will stoop to this mean compliance, who is qualified to act in a higher sphere, if he is not forced to it by hard neceffity, either to cover a fore he wishes to conceal, or to bribe men to wink at fome criminal indulgence, which he cannot hide, and is unwilling to forfake.

But though the other extreme is generally fuppofed to be lefs ignominious; yet, when weighed in a juft balance, I apprehend it will be found at leaft equally mean, and in fome refpects far more pernicious.

The popular drudge must always affume

the appearance of fanctity: he must declaim ftrenuously against vice, and study to have his outward behaviour decent and irreproachable. Thus far the gratification of his favourite paffion will constrain him to plead the cause of religion, and to fay and do many things which may have a good effect upon the multitude, whofe favourable regard he is anxious to obtain.-And though his low ambition may, upon fome occafions, prompt him to take advantage of their weakness, by inflaming their zeal about matters of a trivial or indifferent nature; yet, as he can only fucceed in this attempt by perfuading them that fuch things are important and neceffary, it is obvious, that however he may impose upon their understanding, and give them ftones instead of bread, yet he cannot be faid to corrupt their integrity, neither doth he weaken the authority of conscience. He may render them ridiculous, but he doth not make them knaves.

Whereas the fmiles and rewards of political rulers (for thefe are the great ones of whom

C 2