his behaviour in that way which may please them, and secure their favour, then is he most flagrantly preaching himself. He is not considering how he may advance the glory of God, or promote the salvation of the immortal souls committed to his charge. He is taking the oversight of the flock of God for filthy lucre, and not of a ready mind. Not so St. Paul; he suffered the loss of all things; he voluntarily endured poverty and want, and laboured to support himself and those that were with him, working at the business of a tent-maker by night, that he might preach the gospel by day, and make it without charge to those who heard him. In our time and in our country, the necessity for such labour has ceased. The benevolence and piety of our ancestors has made a provision for the support of the ministers of religion, of which they cannot be deprived, without the same injustice that would take away the property of any other class of persons in the kingdom. But if this be so, we are the more bound to give ourselves wholly to the work of the ministry. We have a provision made for us, on purpose that we should the more devotedly seek the everlasting good of the souls committed to our charge. We are therefore under the less temptation to preach ourselves, or to suffer our minds to be occupied with worldly interests, while discharging the sacred duties of our calling.

2. In the expression "we preach not ourselves,"

the apostle no doubt meant to intimate also, that a life of ease and enjoyment was not what he and his brethren sought after, when they became ministers of the gospel. If we look through the history of St. Paul, as we find it in the Acts of the Apostles, and in the Epistles, we shall at once see that such could not have been his object; for no other man ever went through such labours and fatigues, such trials and distresses as he did.

But circumstances are now changed. With us persecutions have ceased; the most faithful of all Christ's servants are not exposed to such things as St. Paul had to encounter. In consequence of this change, it is to be feared that too many have entered the church as ministers, with the idea that in this way they should live a more easy, genteel, and self-indulgent life, than they could otherwise do; that they should have more leisure for their favourite studies or amusements, and more opportunity for enjoying refined society. But here again we must be on our guard, lest we should be influenced by unworthy and unchristian motives. The orders of the ministry were instituted for the benefit of others, and not of those who are admitted into them. We are shepherds over the flock-we are watchmen over the souls committed to our care-we are labourers in the Lord's vineyard-we are soldiers in the army of Christ. All these representations teach us that we have a work to do, a labour to perform, and trials and difficulties to

encounter, quite inconsistent with a life of ease and indulgence. To this work we ought to give ourselves to it ought we to devote the best of our time and of our talents; none of us should live unto himself-none of us should die unto himself.

In the expression, "We preach not ourselves,' the apostle may be considered as also including another declaration, namely, that it is not the object of the minister to gain the approbation, or win the applause, or even acquire the affections of his people, unless he can do so by the faithfulness of his preaching, and the holiness of his life. We are indeed "to please all men to their edification." We are to seek to win the attention of our people. We are to endeavour to make not only the poorest, but also the most ungodly persons in our parishes feel that we are their friends, that we are affectionately desirous of their good, both in this world, and in that which is to come; that we are willing to do all in our power to promote their welfare, yea, that we deem ourselves bound to act always for their benefit ;-still we must not think that we have obtained our reward, when we see our churches well attended, or find that our preaching is acceptable to the people; or that they look upon us with respect and esteem. Were we satisfied with this, we might well be considered as preaching ourselves. Much higher objects are placed before us; we are to seek the approbation of HIM who hath put us into the ministry; we are to seek the

he

everlasting welfare of those to whom we preach. These are the only things which ought to satisfy the minister of Christ. If he gain not the first of these objects-if the great Head of the church do not approve him after he has preached to others, may himself be a cast-away. If he prove not the means of saving the souls of those who hear him, he may indeed, as is said of Ezekiel, be unto them as "the very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument," but he will have none who will be "his joy and crown of rejoicing in the day of the Lord Jesus."

But I must now proceed,

II. To consider what the apostle DID PREACH "We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake."

There were two parts, it appears, into which the preaching of St. Paul and his brother apostles might be divided; let us consider each of them separately.

1. The Apostle says, we "preach Christ Jesus the Lord." He says on another occasion, "We preach Jesus Christ and him crucified." And again, "A dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me;" and "woe unto me if I preach not the gospel." We see then, that preaching Christ Jesus the Lord; preaching Jesus Christ and him crucified; and preaching the gospel, are all one and the same

thing. Each describes the grand subject of the Christian ministry.

We cannot read over the expression of the text without being reminded of the words of the angel who was sent to tell the shepherds of the birth of Christ. "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." 1 The message of the angel, and the preaching of St. Paul were precisely the same. They both preached the gospel, for the word gospel means good tidings-" good tidings of great joy to all people. people. They each proclaimed a Saviour which is "Christ the Lord." And our errand to you, my brethren, is the same. We too, if we perform our duty, "preach Christ Jesus the Lord."

The Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, by whom all things that are in heaven and on the earth were made; who upholdeth all things by the word of his power-He whom all the angels of God were commanded to worship, came down from heaven, was born of a woman, and in order to be the Saviour of mankind he lived on earth a life of suffering and contempt, and at last died like a malefactor upon the cross, for us men, and for our salvation. This was the subject on which the apostle tells us he dwelt in his ministry, this was

Luke ii. 10, 11.