cause to confefs and lament our impenitency, and neglect of obferving days of fafting and humiliation for our own fins, and the fins of the land and church of which we are members and office-bearers. Alas, what a bad token is it! When judgments are visibly impending over us, that there is fo little of an inclination or willingness to appoint and keep fuch days with our people, for enumerating, confeffing and fpreading out our heinous and God-provoking fins before the Lord, fuch as our ignorance, unbelief, atheifm, unthankfulness, unfruitfulnefs, treacherous dealing, &c. See a more full enumeration of our fins in the postscript of this difcourse.

11thly, If we would advance the church's credit, and avert her reproach, let us all be careful to preach to our people by our lives as well as by our lips, to confirm our doctrine in the pulpit by our converfation out of it. Let us mind, that a loofe way of living will foon demolifh all that is built by the moft lively way of preachings for our people have eyes to fee how we walk, as well as ears to hear what we fay. Hence it was that the Apostle Paul gave fuch a weighty advice to Timothy, a young minifter, 1 Tim. iv. 12. "Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in converfation, in charity, in fpirit, in faith, in purity." And as the Apoftle advised others, fo he lived himfelf: Obferve how he appeals to the Theffalonians, among whom he had laboured, concerning the exactnefs and exemplarinefs of his minifterial walk, 1 Theff. ii. 10. "Ye are witneffes, and God alfo, how holily, and juftly, and unblameably, we behaved ourselves among you that believe. And this holy and fhining converfation of the Apoftle contributed much to the fuccefs of his doctrine. Alas, fhining doctrine, without a fhining walk, will never enlighten nor enliven our hearers. If, after we have preached against pride, paffion, covetoufnefs, injuftice, intemperance, lightnefs, unchastity, contention, uncharitableness, unmercifulness, malice, revenge, &c. we ourtelves fhould be found guilty of any of thefe evils; if we be worldly, intemperate, malicious, unjuft, contentious, or unmerciful; if we be light or frothy; if a

ny

ny corrupt communication proceed out of our mouths ; then we just pull down with the one hand, what we build up with the other. We tempt people to think, we do not ourselves believe what we would perfuade them to believe; that we only talk of these things because it is our trade, and we get our living by it. It is not easy to exprefs the mischievous influence which loofenefs in a minifter's walk hath upon the intereft of religion amongst a people; hence it is that the Spirit of God faith to minifters, Ifa. lii. 11. "Be ye clean that bear the veffels of the Lord." And Chrift faith to his difciples, who were defigned to be minifters, Matt. v. 16. "Let your light fo fhine before men, that they may fee your good works." It adds greatly to the cre dit and profperity of a church, when her ministers have holy and fhining converfations; whereas it expofeth her to fad reproach when it is otherwife. "Lord give not up thy heritage in Scotland to this reproach."

Queft. When may it be faid, that a minifter's converfation is of a shining character? and how fhall we attain to it?

Anf. In order thereunto, let us, 1, Study Meeknefs, patience, and peaceableness of spirit; and, when we meet with provocations, let us labour to rule our fpirits, and keep reafon upon the throne. Let us neither be foon angry, nor long angry. To be patient under reproaches and bad ufuage, and ready to forgive injuries, is fuch a sweet Chriftian difpofition, as would very much adorn our character. That is a noble ad

vice the apostle gives, 2 Tim. ii. 24, 25. "The fervant of the Lord muft not ftrive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient; in meekness inftructing those that oppose themselves."

2dly, Let us ftudy juftice and righteousness in all our dealings with others, even to a fhoe-latchet, that we may be able to appeal to our people, with the prophet Samuel, whom have we injured or wronged?" So doth Paul appeal to the Theffalonians, with refpect to his juft dealing among them, Theff. ii. 10. The leaft appearance of injuftice or unfair dealing in a minifter, is most reproachful to his character, and ex

ceedingly

ceedingly marrs his fuccefs; and therefore the apostle directs the man of God to be juft, and follow after righteousness, 1 Tim. vi. 11. Tit. i. 8.

3dly, Let us be clothed with humility, which is a fhining ornament in a minister's converfation. We are not to be puffed up with our parts or attainments, or to defpife those who fall fhort of us; but we must be willing to become all things to all men, and fervants to every one, for the good of their fouls. And thus we would resemble our Mafter, who was meek and lowly, and taught us by his example to humble ourfelves to ferve one another. It hath been observed, that God uses to blefs the labours of those of meaner parts, who are humble and diligent, when thofe of greater parts, who are lifted up, are blasted.

4thly, Temperance, sobriety and chastity are very adorning to a minifter's walk. He ought to have power over his appetite, to restrain it, as to eating or drinking, and never to be enflaved to any bafe luft, Tit. 1. 7. 8. 2 Tim. ii. 22.

5thly, If we would adorn our character, let us be difengaged from the world as much as may be, that we may attend our fpiritual work of ferving God, and winning of fouls without diftraction. Our eyes fhould not be dazzled with the glittering luftre of gold and filver; but we ought to fhew a generous contempt of these things, as those who firmly believe the great and everlasting things of that world we preach to others, and unto which we press men to elevate their minds and affections. What a reproach is it to those who preach this doctrine to others, and live contrary to it themselves?

6thly, Let us ftudy, when we converfe with others, to mix fomething that is fpiritual and edifying. We are called the falt of the earth, and therefore ought to feafon the places and companies where we are, with fome favoury and ufeful difcourfe; this is much better than foolish talking and jefting, which is not convenient for those of our character, Eph. v. 4. For a minister to have nothing of God, of Chrift, of Heaven, or of serious godliness, in his mouth, but when he is in

the

the pulpit, is an evidence that he is not very zealous to promote the great ends of his office, the glory of God and the falvation of mens fouls; for, if he were, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth would fpeak, and be ready to drop fomething.now and then to the honour of God, and the confirmation of thofe truths we deliver in public.

Thus I have mentioned several things that would make a minister's converfation of a fhining character; which, if ftudied, would tend very much to promote the reputation and welfare of this church, and to avert her reproach. And, having faid fo much to my brethren of the ministry, I fhall now conclude with,

A WORD TO THE PEOPLE.

LET me exhort you to join with minifters in this neceffary work of weeping and wreftling for the church of God, and efpecially for his heritage in the land of your nativity. Though the command in the text be directed to minifters, yet elsewhere we find it extended to people of all ranks, Pfal. cxxii. 6. Pray for the peace of Jerufalem, they fhall profper that love thee. Well, then, let me befeech you all to weep, and cry with us, "fpare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach." And with your tears and prayers fee that ye join your most earnest endeavours to promote the credit and welfare of the church, according to the ftations wherein God hath fet you. Are ye magiflrates? Exert yourselves, both by your authority and example, to difcourage vice and immorality. 2. Are ye elders? See to affift minifters, by reproving fin, and informing against it. 3. Are ye teachers of youth? Labour to inftil the principles of religion and virtue into the young generation very early, and train them up in the abhorrence of vice, and whatever hath a tendency to it. 4. Are ye parents and heads of families? See that young ones be taught both to read and pray; catechife both children and fervants VOL. I. upon

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upon the fabbath-evening; call them to an account what they remember of the fermons they have heard ; perform family-worship with them in all its parts: Be careful to reprove fin, fuch as lying, swearing, fabbathbreaking, neglect of prayer, &c. And, whatever be your rank or station in the world, I exhort you to fet apart time for mourning and weeping for your own fins, and the fins of the land, which may provoke the Lord to leave us and give us up to reproach. Pray for the ministers which are planted among you; and pray earneally for a faithful foul-winning miniftry to be raised up in the church, and planted in vacant congregations; and that all impediments in the way may be removed, and the in-coming of a corrupt miniftry prevented, pray that the Spirit of God may be poured down from on high upon us and all our endeavours, which would retrieve the credit of the church, and avert her reproach. Amen.

POSTSCRIPT,

Containing an Enumeration of fome Sins to be confeffed and mourned over, upon Faft-days, and other occafions.

1. THE abounding atheism of many in the land, both in heart and life: the practical atheism of those who live as if there were no God nor Providence to govern the world, who put the creatures, the world, and felf in God's room, and afcribe their mercies to fortune, their own wifdom and industry, rather than to God.

2. The grofs immoralities which abound among us, as drunkennefs, uncleannefs, lying, backtiting, defrauding, profane fwearing, falfe fwearing in matters of commerce, profaning the Lord's day, by walking and travelling unneceflarily, tranfporting goods, and otherwife.