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ITHE ACCEPTAELENESS 4^" WORE OF THEii\
t'AlTHFUL GilliiJBfc^STEltt.

I ;

1 1

Hi)i>

THE

A -

%tm\\U\ ttjrott Wit ^mvimn :

THE ACCEPTABLENESS AND WORK OF THE
FAITHFUL GOSPEL MINISTERS.

A SERMOK

BY BEV. JAMES WATSON,

NEW ANNAN."

PUBLISHED BV REt^UEST.

HALIFAX, N.S.:

A. & W. MACKINLAY.

1863.

•

Printed at the "Citiien" Office, City Buildings, South Ferry Wharf,

Halifax, N. S.

Tf,

The following extract will explain the origin of the publica-
tion of this sermon. Perhaps, also, it may be useful to add»
that it was preached on "Wednesday, 13th Dec, 1865, at River
John, before the Presbytery of Tatamagouche, at a visitation of
River John congregation. J. W.

River Jon ^, December 13th, 18G5.
The Presbytery of Tatamagouche met and was constituted :

Inter alia
The R«r. H. B. McKay moved — That the thankg of the
Presbytery be given to the Rev. James W&tson for his sermon
of this morning ; and that he be requested to furnish a copy
of the same for publication; — which motion being seconded,
passed unanimously. Rev. J. Watson intimates his readiness
to comply with the wishes of the Presbytery.
Extracted from the Minutes of Presbytery.

THOMAS SEDGWICK,

Presbytery Clerl-.

■m

»•

SERMON.

Isaiah Hi. 7. " How beautiful on the mountains, are the feet of
him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace ; that publisheth
pood tidings of good ; that publisheth salvation ; that saith unto Zion,
Thy God reigaeth!"

Commentators in general apply this passage to
the deliverance of the Jews from their captivity in
Babylon. Cyrus had accomplished the glorious
work assigned him ; Babylon had been besieged and
taken ; its king had been slain, and the Jews had
been liberated. Messengers had been despatched to
all quarters with the joyful tidings; and one to
Jerusalem as well as to other cities. The prophet,
full of imagination, sees that messenger coming over
the mountains, and skipping along the hills of
Judea J and then gives vent to his own feelings, and
to the enraptured feelings of his countrymen at the
spectacle : " How beautiful on the mountains are
the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that pub-
lisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good,
that publisheth salvation ; that saith unto Zion : Thy
God reigneth."

But the application of these words is not to be
confined to the liberatior^ of the Jews from their
Babylonish captivity. These words are to be viewed
as an emblematic description of the publication of

J 7 ^L S

the glorious redemption of the world by the Son of
God. The captivity is typical of the bondage of sin
and Satan ; the deliverance— of tko deliverance of
mankind from condemnation ; and the messenger or
herald, of the faithful gospel minister. This typical
interpretation is no fancy. We have the clearest
and strongest authority for it, given us by Paul in
the tenth chai)ter of Ids epistle to the rtoraans; for
thus he reasons : " How shall they call on him, in
whom they have not believed ? And how shall they
believe in him of whom they have not heard ? And
how shall they hear without a preacher ? And how
shall they preach except they be sent? As it is
written : ' How beautiful arc the feet of them that
l)rcach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of
good things!'" Thus, the manner in which the
quotation is introduced, the use of the special phrase,
" preach the gospel," and the argument it is intended
to support— all put it beyond a question that the
passage is as applicable to ^lithful, gospel ministers,
as it was to those heralds or messengers, who sped
their way over the mountains of Judea.

But w^e do not dwell on this topic. We take it
for granted that the text admits of this interpre-
tation, and wo trust, you take it for granted too.
Wo proceed, therefore, without any farther prelimi-
ries to illustrate this view of the text.

It appears to lis that there are tw^o leading ideas
in the text ; the first is the acceptahleness of the faith-
ful gospel minister ; the second is, his work. It is to
these two ideas, we propose, with the assistance of
the Spirit of God, atpresent to direct your attention.

I. The AcCEPTxiBLENESS OF THE FAITHFUL G0SI»EL

MINISTER. " How beautiful I" The idea of accepta-

«i»

«li

McncsB ifl, wo arc pcrsnadcd, contained in these
words ;— How beautiful ! How lovely ! How accept-
able ! And is not this a fact ? Is it not a fact
corroborated by many incidents and testimonies,
tliat to multitudes the gospel minister is acceptable ?
True it is, there are some to wliom neither ho nor
bis services are agi'eeable. There are some— but
they are awfully mistaken ones— who would dispense
with his visits and bis prayers and his exhortations
altogether, and would much rather that ho would pass
by on the other side. The wicked and ungodly seldom
give him a cordial welcome; the ignorant and unin-
Btructed do not appreciate liis labours ; and worldly
men frequently look at him askance, and treat him
as if he and his efforts were of no great importance.
The number of such is not small ; perhaps it is the
majority in some communities denominated Chris-
tian j but if these, and such as these, do not cordially
bail " him that cometh with good tidings," there are
others who most cheerfully do so. " To " the weary
and heavy laden " — those burdened with their sins
and groaning under their iniquities—is he not a most
welcome messenger? O who can picture out the
state of such souls, when the hurricane of God's
wrath seems to sweep around them ;— when " deep
calls to deep at the noise of his water-spouts, and all
his waves and billows go over them '' ;— when " the
sorrows of death compass them, and the pains of
hell get hold of them " ;— when they find nothing
but " trouble and sorrow " ! Say, if to such, he
" that pubhsheth peace "—he 'Hhafc publisheth sal-
vation " — is not a most weclome herald ! Hundreds
of those around the throne of the Eternal will one
day bless him, and will point to him and say : '' I

was lost, but under God, he found me out and saved
me; I was perishing, but under God, he delivered
me from going down to the pit; I was an outcast
and a weary wanderer in the bleak and howling
wilderness of that sinful world, but under God he
brought me within the sheepfold of the Chief Shep-
herd of Israel ; and he rested me, and he comforted
me, and he led me to the Saviour." Many are the
gems which will adorn " the crown that fadeth not
away," and which will be placed on the head of the
faithful gospel minister; but none will shine with
greater beauty or a more sparkling lustre than these

will.

If to the weary and heavy laden, the faithful
gospel minister be a welcome messenger, no less ac-
ceptable to the sick and dying. Sickness will over-
take us all; death will one day arrest our every
pursuit in this busy world. It is often a sad and
melancholy thing to note the effects of sickness,
especially upon the young. What a change from
days of health and strength ! Where now is that
healthy cheek that rivalled the rose ? Where that
sparkling eye that beamed out light and joy?
Where that elastic step that equalled in fleetness the
roe? And where that happy, happy ringing laugh
that made the welkin echo back again ! Ah I sad,
weary, melancholy sickness has transformed them
all. The cheek is blanched and pale ; the eye is dim
and watery; the step is slow and feeble; and the
joyous laugh is exchanged for sighs and groans. O
what a stera revolutionist is sickness ! Friends
visit the sick, and it is right they should do so.
They arc all welcome, and thoir counsels and conso-
lations and pravers are all well received. Thousanda

have been comforted by such visits. But tell me, is
there, in that sad hour, one v/hose visit is more wel-
come, or more kindly appreciated, than that of the
man of God? Ah ! many, many even among the
ungodly, 4iave been heard to say in that gloomy
hour, what they would not have cared to say in the
sunny day of health : " IIow beautiful upon the
mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good
tidings !" And should this sickness bo unto death ;
---should the feeble body become foebler and feebler,
and the wasting form waste more and more rapidly,
till the exhausted spirit at last takes its flight to
eternity; — who more welcome to pray over the re-
mains of the departed dear one, than the faithful
gospel minister ? — who more acceptable to comfort
and console, and cheer the bereaved relatives ? —
Avho better qualified to admonish with these words :
— " But I would not have you be ignorant, brethren,
concerning them that are asleep, that ye sorrow not
even as others who have no hope ; for if we believe
that Jesus Christ died and rose again, even so them
also whicli sleep in Jesus, will Cod bring with him/'
To the decidedly inoiis and godly ^ the faithful gos-
pel minister is always welcome. He edifies and
builds them up in their most holy faith ; he refreshes
them with gospel truth ; reminds them of gospel
duties, warns them against temptation, and teaches
them to fiirht the battles of the Lord. And when
darkness — spiritual darkness — comes down brooding
on their hearts ] — when the dreary wail is heard sent
out from all that is within them : — " Oh ! that I were
as in months past, as in the days when God preserved
me ; when his candle shined upon my head, and when
'ty his light I walked th*ough durkness !" Who so

■WIBIIHilH l ll i mHI.,ili

fitted and who bo Trelcomeand acceptable as the faitii-
ful gospel minister, with the blessing of God, to dis-
pel this darkness— to re-invigorate their faith— to
restore their confidence in Jehovah— and once more
to make them joyful in the sensible presence of the
God of their salvation ? But on this topic we do not
at present dwell longer.

Wo cannot, however, leave this part of our dis-
course without remarking, that if we, ministers of
the gospel, mean to be thus acceptable, we must cul-
tivate those graces and dispositions which will tend
to make us so. For this purpose, let us think over
and do " whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsover things are just, what-
soever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,
and whatsoever things are of good report;" and
every other virtue, and every other thing worthy of
praioe. Let us take as our model our great exemplar,
Christ Jesus our Lord. What heavenly graces, what
moral beauties, shine forth in him ! In manner, how
gentle ! in language, how sweet ! in conversation,
how affable ! in conduct, how condescending, yet
circumspect ! in common intercourse, how affection-
ate ! in all things, how " holy, harmless, undefiled
and separate from sinners!" He was "the Son of
Man," and he thought as a man, and he felt as a man,
and he spake as a man, and he acted as a man -, he
was a true specimen of humanity; but it was a hu-
manity refined, purified, sublimated. Ye sages of
Greece and Kome, — Socrates and Plato and
Seneca, hide and hide forever your diminished
heads before him ! Hear what an apostle says :-—
" For even hereunto were ye called ; because Christ
also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we

should follow in his steps j who did no sin, neither
was guile found in his mouth ; who, when he was
reviled, reviled not again j when he suffered, he
threatened not; but committed himself to him that
judgeth righteously." With such a pattern before
us, let us endeavor to copy it as nearly as poor,
weak, erring humanity can do, and we shall hear,
not one or two, but a multitude of voices laying of
us, what the prophet said of the messenger to Jeru-
salem : " How beautiful upon the mountains ai*© the
feet of him that bringeth good tidings."

We come now to consider,

II. The work oy the faithful gospel minister.
This we reckon to be the more important topic of
the two ; at least, it is the one to which we solicit
your earnest and undivided attention. We shall
illustrate it in a few particulars.

1. Preaching is the grand work of the minister of the
gospel. In the text, it is again and again referred to.
He brings good tidings — publishes peace — brings
good tidings of good — publishes salvation — and says
unto Zionor the church, Thy God — thy King — King
Jesus — reigneth. What are all. these, but so many
different modes of saying, he preaches the gospel ?
How like are these phrases to the language in which
the gospel was announced by the angel to the shep-
herds : " Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy
which shall be to you and to all people." The one
communication seems to be a transcript, or rather
an echo of the other. But to place this beyond all
doubt, Paul uses the very phraseology which we use.
How aoes he quote the text; is it not thus: " How
beautiful arc Ihc feet of them ihai preach the gospel T

Paul, then, considers the whole passage as referring
to the preaching of the gospel, and so do we.

Now, we have Bald that preaching is the grand uwric
of the faithful gospel minister; and on this ground
wo wish to take a high and a firm stand. We wish
to say, it is the most useful and most important work
of a minister. We wish to say that every other work,
no matter wdiat it maybe, must give place to this-
Wo wish to affirm and maintain, this is the strong
light in which it is i:)rcsented to us in Scripture; and
this is the doctrine taught us by Christ and his
apostles. We know that some hold out that visiting
from hoLise to house, and [particularly visiting the
Bick, attending funerals and similar duties, will do
more good than studying out sermons. We knov^
that others assert, prayer-meetings are of greater
utility than preaching the gospel ; and that, come of
his sermons what may, the faithful minister must not
forget the prayer-meeting. We know that others
Btifl, attribute a like efficacy to Sabbath schools^
Bible classes, and the general instruction of the
young. Most certainly we admit, that all these arc
important duties and institutions. Most certainly
•wo acknowlege, that they are excellent,— and if you
^vill — necessary, means for drawing out men to hear
the gospel preached. In this light, w^e say, let them
have all praise, all honor, and all attention given
them. But if any man pv-t these in the room of
preaching ; if any man affirm that those arc more
efficacious to the saving of soids than preaching ; if
any man assert that they are of greater use in the
church than preaching; then we hold that man is
not teaching " the truth as it is in Jesus." He is
running headlong against the Scriptures; he is pre-

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ferring bis own wisdom to the wisdom of God ; ho is
exalting work above that work w^iieb God bimsclf
bah pronounced to be tbc most important for sancti-
fying as well as saving souls.

Tbe Scriptures clearly support this view of preach-
ing. The passages which might bo made to bear on
tljis subject, are numerous. In particular, four arc
commonly quoted. These arc — 1 Cor. i. 21,
" For it hath pleased God. by the foolishness of
preaching, to save them that believe." Ephes. iii.
8, " Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints
is this grace given, that I should preach among the
Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ." Titus
i. 3, " God hath in due time manifested his word
through preaching, w^hich is committed unto mo,
according to the commandment of God our Saviour."
And 1 Cor. i. 17, " For Christ sent me, not to
baptize, but to preach the gospel." These are the
four passages commonly quoted to support and prove
the pre-eminence of preaching as a gospel ordinance ;
and with a yttle illustration, they might be shewn to
bo quite conclusive and satisfactory. But it is not on
particular passages that we rest our belief, it is upon
ihc tenor of the wliolo Kew Testament Scriptures,
l^verywhere preaching is held up as the great and
appointed instrument by which men arc to be con
verted and oaved. Observe in the history of Christ,
how often it is particularly noticed that he preached
to the people. Especially is this to be remarked In
the case of the Apostle Paul. In his journoyings, ho
went from city to city and from province to province,
and as ho w^cnt, he preached again and again, and
again. One would almost imagine that preaching
ras the very atmosphere in which ho lived and

moved. He went to Antioch and he preached there;
he went to Cyprus, and in all prohr.bility he preached
there ; he v/ent to Antioch in Pisidia, and he preached
there; he went to Iconium, and he preached there;
he went to Lystra, and he preached there; and ho
we ut to Derbe, and he preached there; and he
went to Corinth, EphcRus, Phillippl, Colosse, Thes-
salonica, Macedonia, and liome ; in all these places
he preached, and in some of them almost never ceased
to preach. In these instances, no mention is made
of his visiting from house to house, attending prayer-
meetings, or speechifying at public secular assem-
blies. At the same time, we have no idea that Paul
neglected these duties, so far as he considered them
duties. But mark it well ; his preaching is never
forgot ; it is regularly and duly chronicled ; and
chronicled in such a way as to occupy the foreground
in the historical record. Are we wrong, then, in
coming to the conclusion, that, according to the
Scriptures, preaching is the grand and most im-
portant work of the faithful gospel minister?

If, then, it be a work so important and so pre-
eminent, ministers must see to it, that they give it
a proportionate and important attention. The Sab-
bath sermon must be uppermost in their thoughts.
Its preparation must not be driven into a corner of
the week ; to some extent it must cover the whole
week. When they read the newspapers or magazines
of the day, they must ask, — what can I gather from
this for the Sabbath sermon ? When they read his-
tory, biography, or philosophy, they must repeat the
same question — what can I learn here for the Sab-
bath sermon ? When they go into company and
engage in conversation, again retiring to their homes,

wi^

they must put the same interrogation — what can I
pick out of this for the Sabhath sermon ? When
they visit among their people, and particularly when
they visit the sick and djnng, they must subject
themselves to the same cross examination — from the
remarks and conversation of these healthy ones, and
from the pains and sighs and groans of these sick
and dying ones, what can I extract or draw out for
the Sabbath seimon? The sermon, the Sabbath
sermon, is the grand work of the faithful gospel
minister. He must spare no pains, neglect no effort,
overlook no means, to make it the very best he can
produce ; — the best in style, the best in matter, the
best in manner, and the best in efficiency. Souls are
to be saved, and God has appointed sermons as the
means by which they are to be saved. '• For it
pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save
them that believe."

There is a tendency in the present day, to over
look this importance of the Sabbath sermon. In
many cases the platform or something akin, seems
to usurp its place. Ministers are called upon to take
a part in almost everything of a public nature. If a
prayer-meeting be held, he is expected to be thei-e;
if a funeral take place, he must be there ; if a mis-
sionary-meeting be held, he is looked for there ; if a
soiree be got up in the neighborhood, without doubt
his presence is calculated upon there; and if there be
a meeting of a young men's Christian association or
a Temperance society, for decency's sake and as an
exaraj)le to others, he should be there ; and en all
these occasions, as a matter of course, he is the one
to counsel, and direct, and speak, and lecture, and

^1^

chifv and pray. All this while, like an under-

current, quid-kly and almost imperceptibly, his cnli-
uary coii^regutioiuil duticH uro goiiig on ; — his
visiting from house to house, visiting the sick,
and other ministerial offices. Kow, to all this wo
do not object, provided it can be done without in-
fringing on the time of preparation for the pulpit Wo
do not object to all this, with such a proviso; on the
contrary wo' say it is very right, and very proper,
and very useful. But on the other hand, if it do
throw any obstruction in the way of preparation for
tlie pulpit, tiien we protest, earnestly protest against
it. AVo would say to our brethren in the ministry,
" give place to such temptations, no, not for an hour.
Stand up like men and vindicate the dignity and
necessity and importance of your w^ork. Magnify
your office, llemember, O we beseech you, remem-
ber, it ^is God who, through his apostle says :
"Preach the gospel; and be instant in season and
out of season.''

It is the w^ork of the faithful minister,
2. To preach the gospel. He is notonly to^rcac^,
but he is to preach the gospel. The text says so. Ho
is to "publish peace;" "publish salvation;" and to
" sayj-into Zion Thy God reigueth"; that is, main-
tain the divinity and kingship of Jesus. The version
of Paul confirms this view — "them that preach the
gospel of peace." His preaching must be, not
philosophy, not pagan morality ; it must be evange-
lical ; it must be " Christ crucified." There can bo
no doubt, therefore, that this is an essential element
in the work of the gospel minister.

But what is evangelical preaching? What is it to
preach Christ rucificd ? Different views have been
taken of this subjc-t ; but, without entering too

minutely into it, we do not consider it difficult to
give a general outline of it. Let a minister preach
ruin by the full, redemption by Christ, regeneration
by the Spirit, the resurrection of the body, a general
judgment, the immortality of the soul, the glories
of heaven, and the eternal punishments of hell ; — let
him preach these, according as they are revealed in
Scripture, and his preaching cannot fail to be
evangelical. But still a man may preach evangeli-
cally, and yet inefficiently. There may be a want of
heart in it, a want of adaptation, and a want of per-
sonal and individual application. Hence it is that
Br. Chalmers says of this very preaching at the
present day, that " it is effete ;" and who among us
docs not admit, in too many cases, the truth ot the
statement of that Prince in Israel, syd and melan-
choly though it be.

It is easier to point out a deficiency than suggest
a remedy. At the same time, no one can be blamed,
who, in all sincerity and without censoriousness, at-
tempt such a remedy, though he should fail. Several
such have been proposed ; but at present we can
onl}- note one. Our preaching, we would say, for
want of a better expression, should be more local
than it commonly is. It should be more adapted to
the settlement, the village, the town, the city, the
country in which wo reside. The Reformers,
Puritans and Covenanters excelled in this kind of
preaching. Especially did they surpass in holding
up the sins of their times and particular localities, in
the light of the cross of Christ. It is true, human
nature is the same everywhere ; but it is also true
that some sins are more enormous in one place than
another. Some sins are more common in Franco

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than in Britain; Bomo in London than in Oxford;
Homo ill Halifax than in River John, Tatamagoucho
or New Annan. And the reverse of this holds
equally true. Now, would it not add to the piquancy
of our sermons tojsinglo out these sins, to dwell for a
time upon them, to hold them up before the cross of
the blessed Jesus, and to show that these sins, and
such as these, nailed him to the accursed tree?
Would this not be preaching Christ erucified ?

Some churches finding that they cannot make the
simple preaching of the gospel attractive enough,
have resorted to means most objectionable, and in
cases not a few, most unscriptural. Hence it is that
we hear so much of the mummeries of Puseyism,
with its garish robes, its burning candles, its deco-
rated altars, and its endless chantings and pro-
cessions. Even among us Presbyterians, there is a
leaning towards the same sensuous modes of worship.
Wo must now have our organs and large choral
bands; and some will even have their litany and
read prayers. But what docs all this intimate?
Does it not distinctly say, that the simple preaching
of the cross is not sufficiently attractive for some
classes of men, and that other Jmeans must be em-
ployed to attract them? This is the opinion of the
world, and the world is not far wrong; this is the
cor.fessed motive of these new-fangled preachers
thomselves; — i*. motive which they have aeknow-
ledged; and this acknowledgment they have printed
and circulated throughout the world. But souls are
never to be scved bj^ such fooleries as these. To
our brethren, we would say, keep all such things at
arms' length from you. "Hold fast the form of
sound words." Hold fast the good old doctrines

]

and practices of the licforraation. Better still, hold
fast the grand, the glorinis doctrines of the New
Testament. Preach thes doctrines, and if these do
not save souls, none other will. Let your motto bo
whether the world smile or frown — " I am de-
termined not to know anything among you, but
Christ Jesus and him crucified."

It is the work of the gospel minister,
3. To prepare his hearers for appreciating the
preaching of the gospel. We have left ourselves time
to make but a single remark on this part of our

subject.

Unless the husbandman prepare the soil for the
reception of the grain, it will not yield an abundant
and valuable crop ; so, unless the young mind acquire
a taste for the gospel, and secure a knowledge of its
principles, that mind will care little for thein'eaching
of it. And who, in these days, is to superintend the
religious education of the young, but the faithful
minister. Wo have already said, this is a work sub-
ordinate to the work of preaching; nevertheless, it
is a most necessary and important work. One
strong reason why sermons are not appreciated, is,
that the people are not sufficiently educated in re-
ligion to appreciate them. At the present day much
is doing for secular education. Free schools are
established in every settlement, and a very suitable
uniform system of instruction is introduced. For
these, and all such blessings, let us be thankful to
Almighty God. They will aid not a little in making
our sermons understood and valued. But we must
not forget that there is no special time— no special
exercises — no special books for religion, in these
schools Above all, we must not, we cannot forget,

that our long-loved and favorite and venerated
shorter catechism is excluded from them. It is
obvious, therefore, if wo would have our sermons
duly appreciated, and religion duly cultivated by the
young— as we would have them to be — we must tend
and watch over them ; wo must early season their
minds with gospel ^facts and gospel principles; we
must accustom them to gospel duties and gospel
exercises ; wo must tutor them as much as may bo,
in the way of life — tho way in which they should
walk. Teachers may do much, especially Sabbath-
school teachers; parents may do more; parents may
do "all; but still ministers must superintend. If
ministers neglect these all important offices, it may
be that a generation will rise up around them, of
anything but God-fearing men and God-fearing
women. It may be that a race will appear well in-
structed and well educated, but withal infidel, sceptic,
and unbelieving. It may be that the church, if faith-
less to her charge now, will one day have to weep
and mourn and lament, when it will be too late; and
will try to cast in a branch into this Marah, to
sweeten its bitter waters, but will cast it in, in vain.
" Train up a child in the way he should go, and
when he is old, he will not depart from it."

One word to hearers, before we close. This sub-
ject should teach hearers what the dutiet of a ministpr
are. One would almost think a cloud of ignorance
has settled on the minds of some, if not many men,
on this subject, and yet men of intelligence and
and piety. They seem to think that many things in
ministerial duty are more important than preaching
the gospel But we trust our hearers have now, if
thc^ hid not formerly a full sense of its value and

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pre-eminence. We trust that they have a deep con-
viction, that, according to the Scriptures, it is tho
most important duty. Wo call upon you then,
hearers, to go out into the world and act upon
your convictions. If any man say to you that
preaching is less important than this duty or that
other, wo call]upon ^ou to rise up and vindicate the
supremacy of i)roaching; show him tho lofty stand
which it occupies in God's arrangement of his
ordinances; and with your Bibles in your hands,
read to him again and again on this subject, " Thus
saith tho Lord."

But if preaching be so important, hearers should
take care to give to ministers abundant time and
opportunity to prepare for this duty. Let there be no
unnecessary calls, no unnecessary meetings rn the
days for preparation. Without time the carpenter
cannot make a table, or cor struct a chair ; without
time a painter cannot draw out a figure, or adorn it
with its beautiful tints and colors ; and without time,
who, for a moment, can imagine that a minister of
Christ can throw off a sermon that will prove effica-
cious in saving souls, or is even worth listening to ?

The most important practical lesson to hearers
remains yet to be read. If preaching be so precious
and important an ordinance, hearers should mak$ at-
tendance on it one of their most important duties. I^
this were the case, seldom would we witness empty
pews and half empty churches. O, it is pitiable in
many places to see public lectures, soirees, frolics,
and meetings of associations, crowded to the door, on
the busiest days and nights of the week j but when
the holy Sabbath comes round, the house of God is
occupied only by a few straggling worshippers!

piwwpiuuy^i

Forget not, nearers, forget not the apostle's warn-
ing : " How shall we escape, if we neglect this great
salvation."

We conclude with the well known lines of Cowper
— lines which every minister should know and have
•ngraven on his memory as on a tablet of brass.

" The pulpit, therefore, (and I name it, filled

With solemn awe, that bids me well beware

With what intent I touch that holy thing) —

The pulpit (when the satirist has at last

Strutting and vaporing in an empty school,

Spent all his force, and made no proselyte,)

I say the pulpit ( in the sober use

Of its legitimate, peculiar powers),

Must stand acknowledged while the world shall stand

The most important and effectual guard.

Support and oraament of Virtue's cause.

There stands the Messenger of Truth : there stands

The legate of the "^kies ! His theme divine,

His office sacred, his credentials clear.

By him the violated law speaks out

Its thunders ; and by him in strains as sweet

As angels use, the gospel whispers peace.

Ha establishes the strong, restores the weak,

Reclaims the wanderer, binds the broken heart.

And armed himself in panoply complete

Of heavenly temper, furnishes with arms

Bright as his own, and trains by every rule

Of holy discipline, to glorious war.

The sacramental host of God's elect."

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