7. On the contrary, a minister who is distinguished by the second trait of the character of St. Paul, at the same time proportionably possesses every disposition necessary to form an evangelical pastor; since it is not possible for Christian piety to exist without the brilliant light of truth, and the burning zeal of charity. And every minister who has this light and this love is enriched with those two powerful resources which enabled the first Christians to act as the citizens of heaven, and the first ministers as ambassadors of Christ.

TRAIT III.

HIS INTIMATE UNION WITH CHRIST BY FAITH.

John viii. 12.

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"I AM come," said the good Shepherd, "that my sheep. might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John x. 10, 11. "I am the light of the world." "I am the way, the truth, and the life." John xiv. 6. "I am the vine; ye are the branches." John xv. 5. The faithful minister understands the signification of these mysterious expressions. He walks in this " way," he follows this " light," he embraces this truth," and enjoys this "life" in all its rich abundance. Constantly united to his Lord by an humble faith, a lively hope, and an ardent charity, he is enabled to say, with St. Paul, "The love of Christ constraineth" me; “because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him, who died for them, and rose again." 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. "We are dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory." Col. iii. 3, 4. "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more, but

liveth unto God; we likewise reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Christ our Lord." Rom. vi. 5, 9—11.

This living faith is the source from whence all the sanctity of the Christian is derived, and all the power of the true minister; it is the medium through which that sap of grace and consolation, those streams of peace and joy, are perpetually flowing which enrich the believing soul, and make it fruitful in every good work; or, to speak without a metaphor, from this powerful grace proceeds that love of God and man which influences us to think and act either as members or as ministers of Jesus Christ. The character of the Christian is determined by the strength or weakness of his faith. If the faith of St. Paul had been weak or wavering, his portrait would have been unworthy our contemplation; he would necessarily have fallen into doubt and discouragement; he might probably have sunk into sin, as St. Peter plunged into the sea; he must, sooner or later, have lost his spiritual vigour, and have made the same appearance in the church as those ministers and Christians who are influenced by the maxims of the world. The effects of faith are still truly mysterious, though our Lord has explained them in as intelligible a manner as their nature will permit: "He that abideth in me," by a living faith, "and in whom I abide," by the light of my word and the power of my Spirit, "the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If any man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and" being withered, is cast into the fire, and burned. Herein is my Father glorified, that," united to me as the branches to the vine, "ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." John xv. 5, 6, 8.

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Penetrated with these great truths, and daily cleaving more firmly to his living Head, the true minister expresses what the natural man cannot receive, and what few pastors of the present age are able to comprehend, though St. Paul not only experienced it in his own heart, but openly declares it in the following remarkable passage: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet, not I, but

Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Gal. ii. 20.

TRAIT IV.

HIS EXTRAORDINARY VOCATION TO THE HOLY MINISTRY, AND IN WHAT THAT MINISTRY CHIEFLY CONSISTS.

EVERY professor of Christianity is acquainted with the honour which our Lord conferred upon the apostle Paul, in not only calling him to a participation of the Christian faith, but by appointing him also to publish the everlasting gospel. A just sense of this double honour penetrated the heart of that apostle with the most lively gratitude: "I give thanks," saith he, "to Christ Jesus our Lord, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant in me, with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to everlasting life.” 1 Tim. i. 12-16. The evangelical ministry, to which St. Paul was immediately called, is in general the same through every age enlightened by the gospel; and consists in publishing the truth after such a manner that the wicked may be converted, and the faithful edified. The commission which this great apostle received from Christ contains, essentially, nothing more than the acknowledged duty of every minişter of the gospel. Leave out the miraculous appearance of our Lord; pass over the circumstance of a commission given in an extraordinary manner; substitute the word "sinners" for that of "gentiles,” and instead of “Jews" read "hypocritical professors ;" and you will perceive that with these immaterial alterations, the commission of St.

Paul is the commission of every faithful minister in the church. Observe the tenor of it. In person or by my ambassadors, in a manner either extraordinary or ordinary, "I appoint thee a minister and a witness of those things which thou hast seen," or experienced, "and of those things in the which I will appear to thee; and I will deliver thee from the hands of the people, and from the gentiles," (that is, from the hands of hypocritical professors, and from ignorant sinners,) "unto whom I now send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from" the "darkness' of error "to" the "light" of truth, "and from the power of Satan to God," (that is, from sin, which is the image of Satan, to holiness, which is the image of God,)" that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." Acts xxvi. 16-18. Such was the office to which St. Paul was appointed, more especially among the gentile nations; and such, without doubt, is the office of every pastor, at least, within the limits of his particular parish. As for taking the ecclesiastical habit, reading over some pages of a liturgy, solemnizing marriages, baptizing infants, keeping registers, and receiving stipends, these things are merely accidental; and every minister should be able to say, with St. Paul, “Christ sent me not," principally, "to baptize," but to preach the gospel." 1 Cor. i. 17.

It is evident, from various passages in the different offices of our church, that our pious reformers were unanimously of opinion that Christ himself appoints, and, in some sort, inspires, all true pastors; that he commits the flock to their keeping, and that their principal care is the same with that of the first evangelists, namely, the conversion of souls. And, truly, the same Lord who appointed his disciples, as apostles, or ocular witnesses of his resurrection, has also appointed others as pastors, or witnesses of a secondary order, and suffragans of the first evangelists. If the witnesses of a higher order were permitted to see Christ after his resurrection, those of a secondary order have felt the efficacy of his resurrection, "being raised together with him," or regenerated through the reception of "a lively hope, by the rising again of

Christ from the dead." 1 Peter i. 3; Col. iii. 1. So that every true minister, who bears his testimony to the truths of the gospel, whether it be from the pulpit, or before tribunals, is supported by his own particular experience of Christ's resurrection, as well as by a conviction founded upon the depositions of the first witnesses. Now, this conviction, and this experience, are by no means confined to the ministering servants of God: the hearts of the faithful, in their several generations, have been influenced by them both, if it be true that they have constantly stood prepared to seal with their blood these two important truths,-Jesus Christ "died for our sins, and rose again for our justification." Millions of the laity have been called to give this last proof of their faith; and, beyond all doubt, it is abundantly more difficult to bear testimony to the truth upon a scaffold, than from a pulpit.

If St. Paul and the other apostles are considered as persons of a rank far superior to ours, they themselves cry out, "O sirs, we also are men of like passions with you!" Acts xiv. 15. If it be said that God inspired the apostles with all the wisdom and zeal necessary to fulfil the duties of their high vocation, it may be replied, that our churches implore for their established pastors the same wisdom and zeal, grounding such prayers upon the authority of many plain passages of holy scripture. "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end." Eph. iii. 20, 21.

Moreover, it is an error to suppose that the apostles needed no augmentation of that divine light by which spiritual objects are discerned. St. Paul, who was favoured with an extraordinary inspiration, and that sufficient to compose sacred books in which infallibility is to be found, writes thus to believers: "Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." 1 Cor. xiii. 12. An humble, but happy confession, which, on the one hand, will not suffer us to be discouraged when we are