whom the Father hath sent. No clime, no class, no character, should be excluded from our benevolence. A minister, therefore, should be enabled to gain admittance into every rank of society. He should not be so exalted as to be beyond the reach of a poor man, nor so depressed as to be beneath the notice of the rich; but should stand in that happy mediocrity, that will permit him to lay his hands on both extremes. I plead not for great wealth. Of the revenues of Durham we are in no danger. If, however, ministers are so poor as to be unable to gain access to persons of wealth, who have souls to be saved or lost, as well as others; how can we be said to do our utmost for the salvation of men? A minister should be rich enough to give a shilling, or, if needful, a guinea, to a case of distress. In fact, the men of the world, both rich and poor, do expect a minister to give; and they will very much esteem, or despise him, according as they find him generous or covetous. Of our doctrines they know but little they judge of them by our practice. Nor is it a secret, that they think our conversion has only been an exchange of one sin for another; the generous vices of the rake, for the meaner sins of the miser. Upon some of these accusers, we might fling back the accusation; for it is with an unblushing effrontery that they first take our money, by force of unequal laws, to support their religion, and then accuse us of want of liberality; and it, perhaps, might not be an unjust suspicion, that a principal reason why they cannot see the evidence of our principles is, because they are affrighted at the expences of our religion, and allured by the emoluments of their

own.

But a minister should be enabled to shew a generous spirit, by having a liberal income. On the conversion of the world he should set his heart, and for this he should "devise liberal things." Poverty, however, shrivels the soul, unless Divine Grace counteract its effects. And what right have we to expect, that God will work miracles of grace, to prevent the consequences of our covetousness? Let, then, your ministers find access to every class of society; be men of general science and literature, who can mingle in conversation on every subject, to turn it to good account; and, by the stimulus of their own example, teach the world the love of God and man.

I have but one more head of discourse to call for your patient attention. Permit me then to shew

IV. The agents by which this work must be accomplished. So important is the affair of finance, in the church of Christ, that he has instituted an office to secure a due attention to the object. But as these officers must make their appeal to the whole body, I now attempt to shew how the due support of ministers may be secured, by the Stewards, and by the people.

1. The Stewards.

It has been usually observed, that these have to attend to three tables, that of the Lord, and that of the poor, and the minister's table. The two former are of high importance, and I should be happy to give stimulus and encouragement to our friends in their attention to them; but the large demands I have made on your patience, compel me to turn immediately to that part of the Stewards' duty, which provides for the table of the minister. Of this, however, some, who hold the office, scarcely ever think. But I know there are others who bear it upon their hearts continually, and in their efforts to procure their minister a suitable income, endure considerable labour, anxiety, and pain. That ardent zeal, which you so much admire; at which you often re-kindle your own languishing fires; that indefatigable labour, at which you of ten wonder as more than mortal, are the result of the exalted, lofty views, which the man has formed of his own ministry. He has conceived to himself of such a combination of the Apostle and the Seraph, that he is continually falling below his own mark. For they who satisfy themselves, satisfy no one else.

In the same manner, a good Steward, with a large and generous heart, will often think of the handsome manner, in which a whole people ought to support that one man who is incessantly labouring for their good. He spurns at the thought of clogging the wings of an angel, or pressing down to earth, one who would bear others with him in his flight to heaven.

For "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth will speak;" and he, who has just views himself, will aim to inspire them in the minds of others. This is particularly the Steward's duty with regard to a minister's income. It is for want of this that many a minister is poor. For if any one, on hearing the miserable pittance that some churches give, should exclaim against them, “covetous wretches!" I should not wonder, but I should not consent. For I would say, look at their subscriptions to other objects. They give to the Missionary Society, almost as much as they raise for their minister; they add to this, liberal contributions to the Bible and Tract Societies, to Sabbath Schools, Hospitals, and Dispensaries, till their charities double or treble their contributions to their minister's support. Nay, they even subscribe to other ministers, if they do not support their own. If to this the person should reply, the more shame for them! Do they not know, that the God who says, "I hate robbery for burnt offering," and bids them be just before they are generous, must blow upon their charities, taken from their pastor's just recompense; as men would upon the alms of him, who should keep back the wages of his labourers, and then say, "but look upon my charitable subcriptions."

But leaving these strange facts, my object is to answer him, who should inquire after the cause of this contradiction, between you and yourselves. How is it, we are asked, that the same men are

at once covetous and liberal, generous to those whom they never saw, and unjust towards the man, whom they profess to see every sabbath as an angel of God? I can easily solve the mystery. It is because ministers are modest, disinterested men. You exclaim, this only increases the difficulty it professes to remove. I mean, then, that ministers plead every other good cause but their own." Their zealous advocacy has displayed the claims of the Missionary, Bible, and Tract Societies, and called forth the liberal zeal of christians, till all these excellent institutions are furnished with funds. But they cannot, will not plead for themselves. What, exclaims some generous stranger, and is there no one else to preach for them? Shall they be suffered to pine in poverty, because they are modest, and devoted to the interests of others? No, replies the faithful Steward, I will plead their cause. They shall not suffer for their excellence. As they place every other good cause in all its lights, till men feel and meet their claims, I will shew their claims on our generous support, and wipe away the infamy that hangs on us, as long as it can be said, the advocate of all is left himself unrewarded, because there is no one to advocate his

cause.

I urge this with a warmth, to which no words of mine can give adequate expression; because I know that every thing depends on the spirit of the Stewards. One narrow-minded man among them, will often prevent all the rest, and the whole people from doing their duty towards their minister. I know of no way by which that man can escape the condemnation of Christ for robbing the minister, not only of what he himself owed to his support, but also of all that he prevented others from giving, except by retiring from an office, for which the soul of a niggard is unfit, or obtaining from Christ a generous heart more like the Saviour's

own.

Somé, however, sooth themselves by saying, but our minister is contented. How do they know? Because he does not complain. What then, must a minister's delicacy always be tried, by being left to suffer until he is compelled to complain? Is this generous? Ought not his charge to think it their duty to consider, whether he has not reason to complain, and if they are conscious that he has; should they not determine to spare his feelings, by never leaving him to ask for that addition to his income, which they feel to be his due?

But the Stewards cannot accomplish their object, without appealing to

2. The people who compose our flock.

All I ask is, that every one should discharge this duty according to the ability which God has given. This, which is so obviously right that it cannot need proof, is too general to be of much use. Accuracy in doctrine, and piety in duty, require that we should descend to particulars.

VOL. V.

7

The mischief done by want of liberality among the rich, is incalculable. It is a blight that withers the fruits of all around. For a plain, and even poor man, would willingly give his proportion but he says, if such a rich man gives only five dollars, five shillings, or even five cents are as much as can be expected from me. But the rich man replies, I have so many other expences which you do not know. True says the other, I give you credit for them; but then, you support all the other expences, and think you must, in order to maintain your station in society. Why is this which you owe to a minister, the only expence you throw off from your shoulders? Or is it only in religion, that it is genteel to be shabby? But as, when wise people find their expences beyond their income, they begin to reduce them; we must suppose that you are doing so, and have begun with religion, as that for which you care least. But you have begun there many years ago, and we have not seen the reduction in other things yet. One grand cause of all this evil is, that you do not devote a certain portion of your substance to the cause of benevolence. Were you to imitate those, who set apart a tenth of their income to this object, it would amount to several hundreds per annum; and then you would think little of twenty or thirty pounds, to pay a just debt. But nothing has contributed more to that fatal consummation, so generally deplored, the apostacy of the rich, and the departure of their families from the churches of Christ, than the sin of covetousness, in which many of them lived, while they were among us. For if the Gospel does not drive men away from their sins, their sins will drive them from the Gospel.

O Thou, whose omnipotence can accomplish, what to us is impossible, and cause even a rich man to enter thy kingdom; make them, to whom thou hast committed ten talents, faithful over many things; and inspire, in their hearts, the language of thy servant, "Lord deliver me from men of the world, who have their portion in this life; who are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes. As for me I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake in thy likeness."

There are, however, many who would not be placed among the rich, but are persons of very comfortable incomes, whose expenditure is several hundreds a year; who get their own praise, at the marvellously cheap rate of giving one guinea every year, to support a minister to whom they profess to be attached. Were I to speak as a man, I should pour the full torrent of indignant contempt on their beggarly benevolence. But as a Christian and a minister, I had rather drop the tear of bitter regret, and deep commiseration;-regret, for the religion of Jesus, that it should be burthened with the disgrace of such names; and the commiseration for the men, who had not learned, even from such a master as Christ, how blessed it is to give.

But I should hope, that these persons have erred, in a great measure through inconsideration. They have never reflected, what proportion their expenses for religion bear to all their other expenditures. They have never once thought, that they give to a minister one seventh part of what they pay to a maid servant: and perhaps, they keep two or three of these. It is not, indeed, the thirtieth part of the cost of a domestic servant, if to the wages we add the board. To this some will object, that our servant is our own, who spends all her days for us alone; while the minister serves many others, every one of whom ought to contribute.

This I do not forget. But you say, that from the gospel you receive more delight, than from any earthly service; and all we wish is, to bring you, and every other person who enjoys the sound of the Gospel from the minister's lips, to contribute in such proportion, as will produce a comfortable income.

As we come down to the lower ranks of life, we are reminded of what a shrewd person once said, "I pay more for the lowest article of my dress than for my soul." It costs multitudes much more for insuring their houses, than for instructing their souls.We are also compelled to say, that the very persons who are excused, through mere poverty, from contributing at all to support the man by whom they are taught, often spend as much on their pleasures, as others give for the pastor's support.

But as each should give according to his means, great care should be taken that none be exempt. When a child comes of age, the parent often deems it prudent to assign to her a certain sum for her own expenses; that she may, by the due management of it, gradually acquire the habit of frugal care. The parent will then give a hint of the various objects, to which the money should be devoted. And should he not teach the child justice to wards the person who teaches her the way of salvation? Oh, but she sits in my seat! What has that to do with her obligations to her spiritual guide? If, in other things, she pays her own expenses, should she not in this too? Or, is it only in the church of God that she is to sit in the seat of the minor, or the pauper?— Young men, also, when they commence business, should assign a proper sum to this most important object. "Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine."

I know, however, that the Stewards are often severely tried, by the covetousness and injustice of others. Sometimes they cannot obtain at all, what persons have engaged to give. Is this because the defaulters know, that, for debts due to religion, no constable or bailiff will be sent? Therefore, ministers are left to be "recompensed at the resurrection of the just." The Lord grant, that these hearers may find mercy at that day!