unimpreffive manner. Beware of rendering yourself dependent on others for loans, or even for prefents, if they have any tendency to beget or nourish a fervile spirit in you. Let unaffected gravity mark, not your words and deeds only, but even your gestures, countenance, and the whole of your deportment. * 2. While you prudently provide neceffaries for yourself and family; and expend your income in the moft frugal manner, that you may owe no man any thing, and have to give to him that needeth; t never manifeft, or even be in anxious care about worldly things, arifing from diftrust of God's providence, or from the defire of living fumptuoufly in regard to good clothing, furniture, or from the inordinate and covetous love of riches. Such anxious care decoys a minister from his infinitely more important work. § It renders his mind earthly and grovelling; difgraces his character; and brings him into contempt. Never indulge in the love of inoney, by ardent affection, and by unlawful means tending to dif honour your reputation, or your God and his religion, or to injure your neighbour. | Beware of being tenacious of retaining it, when God in his providence, calls to expend it on the poor and fimilar purpofes. Above all, beware of ever trusting to, delighting or glorying in it. ** Such a temper will render a minifter unfit to call others to prefer fpiritual and eternal things before the things which are feen, and which perifh in the ufing. It will lead him to pervert the word of God, or deal unfaithfully with men's fouls for the fake of gain. ++ It will make him careless about the falvation of fouls. ‡‡ He will alfo thereby ex pofe himself to the prejudice of his hearers at his minif trations; on which account faithful minifters have been fo careful to clear themfelves of it. §§ 3. While you avoid every mean grovelling difpofition, beware on the other hand, of indulging in ambitious inclinations, in eagerly feeking after outward fame, honour, and advancement; in ufing unlawful means to obtain them; in feeking them to gratify your own pride, not for the glory of God or edification of his church; or, in defiring more of

Prov. vi. 12, 13. Job xxix. 8, 14, 22. 1 Tim. iv. 12. † 1 Tim. v. 8. Rom. xiii. 8. Eph. iv. 28. Matt. vi. 2534. § Matt. x. 9. & vi. 24. Acts vi. 2, 3. 2 Cor. ii. 16. Tim. iii. 3, and vi. 9, 10. 1 Jo. ii. 15, 16. Jam. iv. 4. ¶ If. xxxii. 7, 8. **Job xxxi. 24, 25. Jer. ix. 23, 24. ++ Ezek. xiii. 19. 2 Pet. ii. 3 1 2 Tim. iv. $$ Num. xvi. 15. 1 Sam. xii. 3. A&s xx. 33. 2 Cor. xii. 14. 1 Tim. vi. 9.

10.

them than you deserve. * Let the corruptions of a church give whatever poffible occafion or encouragement to this luft of pre-eminence, the indulgence of it will difpofe you to trample all the commands of God under foot; will fearfully root out all proper regard for holinefs; will lead you to make shipwreck of faith and of a good confcience; and tempt you to fay and do any thing to pleafe fuch as can promote your ambitious defigns. It will feparate you from God as far as poffible, and render you an enemy to him. † It is the ordinary mark of falfe teachers. Never hunt after vain glory and applaufe from men; efpecially, in feeking it on account of what is not truly praife worthy, as language, external appearance, and other trivial objects, on which little and vain minds are intemperately fet; § or in feeking it from what you really have not; or by improper and unfeasonable manifeftation of your real excellencies; or even by affecting to disparage and difcommend yourself and your works. This temper of mind is contrary to the temper of Chrift, of his Prophets and Apoftles. It will lead you to rob God of his due honour. ¶ It will deprive you of a gracious reward from God for your labours ; or even provoke him to render you contemptible before men, and an example of his deftructive vengeance. ** It will rob you of the joy of a good confcience, when men fpeak evil of you. ++

I am yours, &c.

. ON THE DUTY OF PRAYER FOR MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL.

CH

HRISTIANS are divinely commanded to pray without ceafing. It is our duty to intercede with God, through Chrift, not only for ourselves, but likewife for others. No defcription of perfons claim fo large a fhare in our requefts, as Minifters of the Gofpel. The fcriptures very frequently and exprefsly direct us to be fervent and importunate in our fupplications to God in their behalf. By this paper, I addrefs myfelf to the churches of Chrift diftinctly, and to each of the individuals who compofe them, urging

Phil. ii. 21. Ecl. x. 5—7. Luke xxii. 25, 26, and § 1 Cor. ii. 1, 4, 13. Prov. xxv. 14. ¶ Jo. viii. 50, & vii. 18.

3 Jo. 9. 2 Pet. ii. 16, with Num. 22. + 1 Jo. ii. 15, 16. Ja. iv. 4. Jer. xlv. 5. xiv. 7—11. Mati. xxiii. 5-8. If. lxv. 2 Sam. xiv. 25, 26. 1 Theff. ii. 6. Matt. v. 16. 1 Pet. iv. vi. 2, 16. Mal. ii. 9. Acts xii. 22, 23.

II.

5.

Phil. iv. 8.

tt 2 Cor. i. 12.

** Matt.

their

their attention to this important duty, with refpect to minifters in general, and their own in particular.

It is a duty which, like many others, I fear, is too little regarded. A comparative indifference to the cause of Chrift, and the fuccefs of the gospel benumbs the religious, feelings of fome profeffing Chriftians. They are more anxiously concerned about other things. We cannot suppose that fuch perfons are fervent in prayer for their minifter. Another difpofition too frequently prevails, efpecially in young converts. They have been exceedingly edified in hearing fome particular minifter; they conceive he is poffeffed of the moft fhining gifts and graces, without an equal; hence they are inclined to place a very undue dependance on him and his labours. This carnal confidence difpofes them rather to idolize than to pray for him, and to come to the house of God looking more to the man than to God. In direct oppofition to this temper, fome are infected with the gangrene of prejudice against their minifter. This not only diforders the fpirit of prayer, but caufes them to mifreprefent every thing he fays and does. With perfons of thefe, defcriptions, there are generally, in each congregation, a few, and these not often the wifeft, who affume a dictatorial fpirit, and are far more difpofed to teach than to pray for their minifter. All fuch principles need correction. May God root them out of the churches, and difpofe the members thereof to ftrive together in their prayers to God for him who labours among them in word and doctrine !

Brethren, there is a large fcope for fupplication in behalf of your minifter. The word of God is to be the rule of your requests in this, as in every other matter.

ever God has commanded his miniftring fervants to do, pray that your minifter may have grace to attend to it; whatever God has promifed them, requeft that he may enjoy it. You should remember him at a throne of grace in his private character, as a Chriftian, befeeching God that he may experience much of perfonal religion, and that he may be preferved from every error in principle and practice. This is the more neceflary, becaufe he is but a man of like paffions with yourfelves, as liable to fin: fome minifters have been left to improprieties, and yours hath no fecurity against them but in the protection of God. Thefe reflections fhould excite you to prayer, especially when you confider that the mifconduct of minifters is peculiarly injurious to the cause of Chrift. But you should intercede

Y y 2

intercede for him, in his official capacity, as the meffenger of the Lord of Hofts to you.

Pray that he may conftantly enjoy the liberty of preaching the gofpel, wherever he may have opportunity. In times paft, this right has been reftrained by fanguinary laws, and cruel perfecutions. God only can open, and keep open, a great and effectual door for the wide diffemination of Divine truth; and to him fhould we look for this purpose.

Humbly beg of God that your minifter may have fidelity and boldness to preach the gofpel, improving the liberty and opportunities which he may enjoy. A minifter may be faid to speak boldly, when he declares the whole counfel of God without referve; when he exhibits a juft defcription of characters, feparating between the precious and the vile; and when he points out their feveral duties and portions, without partiality. He has need of your prayers in this particular. A variety of circumitances occur that have a tendency to intimidate, and to bring him under the influence of a temporizing fpirit. Some natural difpofitions are peculiarly expofed to fuch temptations.

Ever request that God would direct your minister to fuitable portions of his word, as the foundation of his ministerial addreffes. The choice of texts and fubjects is one very important and difficult part of his employ. If he were only concerned to purfue a regular course of divinity, or to catch at the paffage which he could most readily preach from, it would be comparatively eafy. But befides the general doctrines and duties of the gofpel, there are peculiar providences to be obferved and improved; various circumstances, in the congregation at large, and in the experience of individuals in particular, which require attention and investigation; many of these too are held in fecret by the perfons immediately concerned, fo that God alone is acquainted with them, and he only can influence a minifter's mind to touch on them feafonably.

Let me befeech you to intercede with God, through Chrift, that your minifter may have wifdont and utterance to conceive and fpeak of every fubject in a juft and proper point of view. To poffefs a certain fet of ideas, and to keep his mouth open before you, is not enough. It is of the utmost importance that he fpeak according to the oracles of God, rightly dividing the word of truth, and not

* Eph. vi. 19, 20.

darkening

It is

darkening counsel by words without knowledge. dangerous indeed to riik fentiments, or even sentences at a venture, when the edification of your fouls is at stake. That he may conceive and speak aright, he feels his need of attentive study, of divine illumination in ftudy, and of the Spirit's influence both in ftudying and preaching. Unite with him then in prayer for this purpose.

Plead with God that your minister's aim, in the discharge of his office, may be fingle. Too many, alas! engage in the works of the miniftry, merely, or principally, from mercenary motives, or to anfwer the defign of their education; from a fpirit of envy, or the deteftable itch of popularity. Superior to fuch base principles, pray that your Minifter may aim only, as he ought to do, at the manifeftative glory of God in the convertion and edification of precious fouls.

I especially entreat you to ftrive earneftly with God for the fuccefs of your Minifter's labours.* Then are his endeavours owned of God, when they become the means of expofing falfe doctrine; of alarming carelefs finners; of detecting hypocrites; of drawing fouls to Chrift; and of building up, thofe who have believed in their moft holy faith. To labour without evident fuccefs, is difcouraging to one whofe heart is in his work. Pray therefore that your minifter may have fruit among you.

However exemplary your minifter may be, he will have his infirmities: humbly beg of God that thefe may be covered with the vail of charity. The flightest inadvertencies of minifters are often reflected on with the most unfeeling cruelty. God will resent fuch mischievous wickednels.

Were arguments neceffary to enforce the duty of ftriving in fervent prayer for your minifter, many offer their fervice. If your mind is fo indifpofed to it as to need arguments, it is a too evident token that you are at once indifferent to the caufe of Chrift, your minifter's comfort, and the welfare of your own foul. Can you reflect on the importance of the work he is engaged in, his own infufficiency for it, and the peculiar difficulties he has to encounter in the difcharge of it, without feeling at once a heart fervently difpofed to prayer for him? No office in the world has fuch eventful confequences depending upon it as hist. The prophicts and apoftles themfelves, though im† Ezek. xxxiii. 1—9.

2 Theff. iii. I.

mediately