fright us, from delivering our mafter's meffage. I mean not to vindicate pride or paffion. A proper decorum fhould be obferved, especially in adminiftring reproof. It is not fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked, or to princes, Ye are ungodly, Perfons in public characters must be treated with a deference fuited to their station; and even the meanest must not be infulted. Courage, however, and faithfulness, are by no means inconfiftent with meekness and discretion. And if the greatest dare grofsly and openly to tranfgrefs, the minister of Christ should dare to reprove.

Befides the meannefs of fome, in conniving at fashionable vices, there are others, whofe thoughtless unconcerned gefture and pronunciation greatly diminish the dignity of their pulpit-performances, and make them received with indifference, perhaps indignation, inftead of refpect. A light and merry air, an antic jovial carriage, in executing the weighty commiffion with which God has intrufted us, is contrary to the rules of decency, and cannot fail to prejudice the hearers. It is impoffible to be too grave and serious in addreffes, on the fuccefs of which the happiness of immortal fouls in fo great a measure depends.

But though our language is plain and elegant, our method accurate, and our manner grave and folemn ; yet, if our discourses are flat and lifeless, they will feldom warm the heart. Mr Melmoth has observed, that in Archbishop Tillotson's fermons, a pathetic animated addrefs is often wanting, even on occafions when naturally we would have expected most of it. Abundance of fpirit, however, appears in fome of his difcourfes, especially in expofing the abfurdities and

impieties

impieties of the church of Rome. And it might have been remarked with equal juftice, that numerous volumes of fermons published in England fince that time, while inferior to the Archbishop's in many genuine beauties of style, refemble them only in that languid manner of which Melmoth complains. Alas! my brethren, dull and pointless arrows are ill fuited to pierce the confcience of hardened finners. Soft and drowsy harangues, instead of roufing a fecure generation, will rather increase their fpiritual lethargy; and a cold preacher will foon have a cold auditory. Jefus has intrufted us with the concerns of his people, a people dearly bought, and greatly beloved; we have to do with fouls, that must be happy or miserable for ever; we addrefs them, in the name of God, upon matters of infinite importance: and is it not an indignity to him whofe ambaffadors we are, to execute our commiffion coolly, and as if half afleep? Will it not tempt others to flight our meffage,. if, by the manner of delivering it, we appear to flight it ourselves? When our own hearts are moft impreffed with the ineftimable worth of immortal fouls; when out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh; when our fentiments, style, voice, and gefture, difcover how much we are in earneft; then we are most likely to touch the hearts of our hearers, and make them feel the force of what we say.

I have said so much upon preaching, as there are more directions and exhortations in fcripture with relation to it than with relation to any other branch of our office, I must barely hint the remaining particu

lars, left I incroach too far on your time and patience.

4. We may give offence, not only by an improper manner of preaching, but by a neglect or undue performance of the other public offices of our station.

In leading the devotions of the church, we give offence, when either the matter, expreffion, or manner, is unfuitable; when we are long and tedious; mingle our own paffions and prejudices with our addreffes to God; introduce difputable matters, in which many fincere Chriftians cannot join with us; when we adapt not our prayers to the particular circumftances and neceffities of our people; hurry them over carelessly; discover no becoming ferioufness and folemnity of fpirit, no realizing fenfe of the value of the bleffings for which we plead; and when we seem to forget that Jefus is the way, the truth, and the life, through whom alone our guilty race can obtain access to God, and acceptance with him.

It is juft caufe of offence, and, did vital piety flourish, would be offenfive to our people, that the Lord's fupper is fo feldom difpenfed. And as our manner of dispensing that ordinance is one chief hindrance of its frequency, it is worthy our inquiry, how far that alfo is blameable. Undoubtedly we give offence, if, for trifling unwarrantable caufes, we put off adminiftrating it; or if we

furp the prerogative of Christ, as fole lawgiver of the church, by making the terms of Chriftian communion either wider or narrower than he has made them.

And this leads me to obferve, that as the discipline of the church is in part committed to us, we give offence if we exercise it with respect of perfons; and, through

through a mistaken tenderness for any, or a fear of incurring their displeasure, allow them to live without due cenfure, in the open practice of scandalous crimes, instead of rebuking them with authority, that others alfo may fear. At the fame time, we give offence, if we claim a right to judge them that are without. It is an offence against common sense, to expel men from a fociety to which they never seemed to belong, and to debar them from privileges, to which they never had, or pretended to have, any title.

Probably fome or other might be offended, and none greatly edified, should I say much on our conduct in judicatures. Of this fubject much has been faid from the pulpit, and, on occafions too, where no purpose of edification could be gained by saying any thing. This much, however, may, I hope, be said, without impropriety, on such an occafion: To act a juggling unsteady part, and, from connections of any kind, to vary from our profeffed principles; to fneak, and cringe, and prostitute our confciences, either to the humours of the great, or to the prejudices of the populace; to behave with insolence to men our fuperiors in age and experience; to liften with avidity to one fide of a queftion, while we deny a fair and full hearing to the other; to filence fober reasoning by raillery, by dark malicious innuendoes, by bitter fatirical invectives, or by noify cries for a vote; to treat one another with harshness and severity for different fentiments and different conduct in matters of doubtful difputation, cannot fail to offend every cool and impartial obferver. Nor can it, I think, be difputed, that we give offence, if we examine flightly the opinions,

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nions, difpofitions, and abilities of those we recom mend to important offices; and folemnly atteft, that men have qualifications, which either we know that they want, or at leaft know not that they have.

In ordaining to the ministry, we act in the name of Chrift; and therefore give offence if we act against his authority, or without it. Genius, learning, prudence, aptnefs to teach, are all neceffary parts of furniture for a minifter; and, in ordinary cafes, without fome measure of them, none ought to be fet apart to that honourable fervice. But the moft eminent gifts and abilities, when grace does not direct the proper use of them, may too probably qualify men to be plagues instead of bleflings to the church of God. Jefus would not commit his fheep to Peter, till he had answered fatisfyingly the question, "Lovest thou me?" He who knows all things, knew the love of his difciple; and therefore thus inquired, chiefly for our fakes, that in committing to others the miniftry of reconciliation, we fhould follow his steps. They who have seen Christ's beauty, tasted his love, and felt the pleasures and advantages of religion, are peculiarly qualified, by this their Chriftian experience, to recommend them to others with dignity and freedom. Singular activity is requifite in the many labours, and fingular fortitude and firmness of mind in the many difficulties and afflictions to which faithful ministers are exposed. Now, love, and love alone, will reconcile to thefe; nay, render them a delight. Untender, therefore, and unkind, we are to the feeble flock of Chrift, if we commit them to men who, for aught we know or fare, bear them no affection; and probably, instead of

feeding