in view, so noble and so benevolent, you can hardly fail of adopting the most judicious means of attaining it. You will contend earnestly, by how much you love the souls of men and desire their salvation, but you will not contend impatiently and angrily. If pity move, passion cannot agitate you. There is an impatience often exhibited in controversy even by those who carry no worse feeling into it. We get wearied and fretted with persons that are in error. We see a thing clearly ourselves, and we are out of patience with others that they cannot discover it too. We are amazed at their stupidity or obstinacy, and exclaim against it. But this is not "in meekness instructing them, that they may recover themselves out of the snare." That charity which rejoices in the truth, suffereth long, and is not easily provoked.

But

It is the manner in which religious controversy has been conducted, that has brought it into disrepute, and not any thing unworthy in the thing itself. Controversy is worthy, is lawful, yea, often obligatory. Every minister is bound in some sense to be a controversialist, much more they who are set for the defence of the Gospel. We must "contend earnestly for the faith." some have understood "earnestly" to mean angrily; and for the warmth of love, have substituted that of passion. Ambition having too often been their motive, and victory their object, their measures have been violence, denunciation, sarcasm, intolerance. Selfish, rather than benevolent considerations, influencing them, they have tried how severe and cutting they could be, and what smart and sarcastic things they could say,

and how they could provoke or expose an antagonist. And an observant world looking on, and being disquieted, has, in its haste, condemned all controversy, and suffered even truth to sink in its estimation. Such unfriendly turn have the avowed friends of truth too often done her.

THE MINISTRY.

What holiness and gifts are required in the ministry. Look at one duty. Every administration of the Lord's supper, ought as far as possible to be like its first celebration. At such a time, it falls to the minister of Christ to take the head of the table, to sit (who does not tremble at the thought) in the seat which the Lord Jesus Christ occupied, to do his actions and say his words. "Who is sufficient for these things?"

We ought to preach as if the whole success of the Gospel depended on our manner of presenting the truth; yet we ought humbly to pray, remembering that the whole efficacy of our preaching depends solely on God.

There is a great deal of preaching which is only didactic, coldly argumentative, merely indicative, simply inviting. It teaches, reasons, points, and invites; but does not apply, entreat, warn, expostulate, persuade.

The preacher seems satisfied with having done, as he supposes, his duty, and does not appear to care much whether the hearers do theirs or not. Such preaching

will not do. It does not succeed. It does not fulfil the commission. It does not please God.

We have sheep wandering without a shepherd, and we have almost as many shepherds wandering without sheep. Formerly it was not so. Then the lack was of laborers. Now many stand idle, because none employs them. They cannot find any part of the harvest where it suits themselves and all hands, that they should thrust in the sickle and reap. This is a very popular objection now to the education cause.

Ye ministers of Christ, let the ardor ye diffuse, be that of the Gospel. Let it not be even scented with your own philosophy. And think not to make it agreeable to natural sense.

It is a strange mistake of some, that the authority and obligation to preach the Gospel to any creature, is founded upon his conviction of his need of it and his disposition to receive it.

What if some of us make you promises of salvation on such and such terms, provided God does not? We may soothe you, but can we save you? What will our passport avail ?

If God did no more for sinners in regeneration, than some affirm he does; if, as they say, he went no farther than to employ moral suasion, never a sinner would be saved. At all events, it would be improper for us to pray for any one's salvation, for then we should be asking God to do more than it is proper for him to do.

There was never a more absurd and unscriptural ⚫ assertion made, than that in preaching the Gospel and persuading men to repentance, no appeal should be made to fearful apprehensions. It arraigns the conduct of the Son of God, and condemns the practice of his apostles, who, because they knew the terrors of the Lord, persuaded men.

In preaching the Gospel, let all sinners know that we never see so much depravity in ourselves, as Christ saw in us, when he consented to die for us. Let this encourage all to come to him.

There is a point, beyond which, to seek the assistance of a brother in an excited state of feeling, in a pastoral charge, is leaning on an arm of flesh.

As a general fact, the relations of the present life cease, when life itself terminates. These silken threads part when the silver cord is loosed. But there is one tie connecting souls, that does not part even then. There is one relation that survives death, that will outlast the resurrection, that will be recognized at the judgment, and be dissolved only when the business of that important day is finished; and that tie, which death, that sunders every other, shall respect, is the moral tie that binds the pastor, in all his conscious imperfection and unworthiness, to his congregation, and which connects, though not so closely, every one that only preaches the Gospel to those who hear it from him. We meet not each other for the last time, when one of us closes his eyes in death. We part not finally at the dying bed. Oh, no, we shall meet again, if not before, yet on the morning of the resurrection day; and by the light of the

last sun-rising, we shall assemble in the great concourse before the tribunal that shall be erected in midheaven. But we shall not merely meet. We shall meet as pastor and people. The judge will have respect to this relation, and we shall vividly remember it. This doctrine is plainly taught by Paul, when he speaks of "presenting his hearers perfect in Christ Jesus," when he says, that his spiritual children are to be his "hope and crown of rejoicing in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, at his coming," and when he says that those "who watch for souls must give account."

VISITATION OF THE SICK.

There are two classes of men to whom the world presents itself in an aspect which is hid from the mass of mankind. The physician and the pastor look on men from a prospect-ground peculiarly their own. They see man not in the might of his mind, or in the vigor of his frame, when he comes out in the morning the fair handiwork of Heaven, and conscious sovereign of all under God. They look on him in his prostration and misery; visit him when under the depression of grief, and in the impatience and feverishness of pain; they hear all his repinings-see all his weaknesses and tears, and know better than others, how poor and humble a thing he comes to be before he dies. They see