and stripes, must we be engaged to discharge by emoluments and honours? And, after all, shall we limit our constrained obedience precisely to that point which will merely secure us from public deposition and disgrace?

3. What was the error of Demas; a man as notorious by his fall among the evangelists, as Judas among the apostles? Demas "loved this present world," (2 Tim. iv. 10,) and, ceasing to imitate the diligence of St. Paul, ungratefully left him to labour almost without a second. And will unfaithful evangelists presume, that they may imitate without fear the apostasy of Demas, and renounce with impunity the example of St. Paul? If such is their unhappy persuasion, we submit the following queries to their serious consideration. Are the souls of men less valuable; is sin of any kind less detestable, or the law of God less severe, in the present day, than in the earlier ages of the Christian church? Have pastors a right to be remiss, while the night of incredulity is blackening around them? Are the attacks of antichristian philosophers less frequent and audacious at present, than in former times? Or, finally, is the appearance of our omnipotent Judge no longer expected in the world?

4. If the apostles and primitive pastors have removed many threatening impediments out of our way; if they have procured for us our present advantages, by the most amazing exertions, and at the prodigious price of their blood; surely it can never be imagined, that they acted with so much resolution, and suffered with so much constancy, that we might become the indolent readers of their unparalleled history. Was it not rather, that, animated with a becoming sense of their great example, we might make the highest improvement of our inestimable privileges?

5. The mountains are now laid low, the valleys are filled up, the crooked ways are made straight, and we have only to carry that salvation to sinners for which such wonderful preparations have been made. And are we negligent in running on the errands of everlasting love? And are we backward in bearing the happiest tidings to the most hap

less of creatures? No excuse then can possibly be made for this coldness, except that which the author of "Emilius" has put into the mouth of a fictitious character: "Of what importance is it to me," says the vicar Savoyard, "what becomes of the wicked? I am but little concerned in their future destiny." An excuse for the want of zeal, which can never be pleaded without reflecting the utmost disgrace upon humanity.

6. Ye pastors of a flock ever prone to wander! choose whom you will follow, philosophers or apostles; the indefatigable zeal of St. Paul, or the cruel indifference of the sceptical vicar. But, if you take the latter for your model, we solemnly entreat you to lay aside the profession, while you so shamefully renounce the duties, of the holy ministry. "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way, and live." Ezek. xxxiii. 11. With you, however, it is a matter of very inconsiderable importance, whether the wicked be finally saved or destroyed. And yet, careless as you are of its weal or woe, you presume to appear as ministers of the church, and as pastors over that little flock for which the good Shepherd was content to lay down his life. To rank with the watchful attendants of the fold is an honour of which you are altogether unworthy; but you may with propriety be counted in the number of those ungrateful hirelings who "care not for the sheep." John x. 13.

8. It is true you are not without companions, as well ancient as modern. You have Hophni and Phinehas, Gehazi and Balaam, to keep you in countenance; you have the prophets of Jezebel to plead in your favour, and every worldly ecclesiastic of the present day to approve your choice. But apostolical men will resolutely withstand you, like Elisha and his master, in the cause of deserted truth.

Ye slothful domestics of the most diligent Master! ye cruel attendants of the tenderest Shepherd! say, have ye never heard that Master crying out, with the voice of affection, "Feed my sheep?" John xxi 17. Have ye not seen him conducting his flock to an evangelical pas

ture, in the temple, in synagogues, in villages, in houses, in deserts, on the sea-shore, and on the tops of mountains? He anxiously sought out the miserable. Truth was the guide of his way, charity accompanied his steps, and his path was marked with blessings. His secret efforts were more painful than his public labours: he publicly instructed through the day, but he privately agonized in prayer through the night. His first disciples were anxious to tread in the steps of their adorable Master. They exercised their ministry within sight of torments and death. And will you dare to neglect it now the cry of persecution is hushed? Will you equally despise both the promises and threatenings of the gospel? Will you hasten the times of antichrist, by an antichristian conduct? And when the Son of man shall come, shall he find you trampling under foot the gospel of his grace? or shall he surprise you distributing cards round the tables of your friends, rather than earnestly inviting those friends to the table of your Lord?

O that we could prevail upon you to stand in your proper post, and act in conformity to your professional character! While you dream of security, you are surrounded with the most alarming dangers. "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth; having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplications for all saints," and for the ministers of the gospel in particular, "that they may open their mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel," and to diffuse abroad "the unsearchable riches of Christ." Eph. vi. 14–19; iii. 8. Thus, quitting yourselves like men in this sacred warfare, after steadily resisting, you shall finally overcome all the strength of the enemy, "by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left;" 2 Cor. vi. 7; till, having

weathered out the evil day, continuing "faithful unto death," ye shall be rewarded with "a crown of" everlasting "life." Rev. ii. 10.

CHAPTER IX.

A FURTHER REFUTATION OF THE SAME OBJECTION.

1. WHEN we see a number of persons in perilous circumstances, charity constrains us to make our first efforts in favour of those who appear to be in the most imminent danger. Such are unholy Christians. Sinful heathens are doubtless in danger; obstinate Jews in still greater peril; but impenitent Christians are in a situation abundantly more lamentable than either, since they offend against clearer light and knowledge, equally inattentive to the most gracious promises on the one hand, and the most terrible menaces on the other. To sin with the new testament in our hand, and with the sound of the gospel in our ears; to sin with the seal of baptism in our forehead, and the name of Christ in our lips; to sin, and receive the holy communion; to ratify and break the most solemn engagements; what is this, but earnestly labouring out our own damnation, and plunging ourselves into those abysses of wretchedness which pagans and Jews are unable to fathom? How eagerly, then, should every believer attempt to rescue his falling brethren! and especially, how anxious should they be to arrest those leaders of the blind who are drawing on their followers to the brink of perdition! As this is one of those arguments upon which the truth here pleaded for must principally rest, we shall consider it in the several points of view under which it is presented to us in the gospel.

2. The commission of St. Paul was particularly directed to the gentiles; yet, before he visited their benighted nations, he judged it his duty to make a full and free offer of the everlasting gospel to the people of the Jews. For the conduct of the apostle in this respect the

following reasons are to be assigned :-First, the promises pertained to the Jews in a peculiar manner. Rom. ix. 4. Secondly, the children of Abraham, according to the flesh, had a more threatening prospect before them, in case of final im penitence, than any other people upon earth: "Tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the gentile." Rom. ii. 9.

3. The same reasons, though chiefly the latter, are still to be urged, why the ministers of Christ should principally labour among Christians. For, if sinners of the circumcision shall be more severely punished than the ignorant heathen, so the apostle declares, that sinners who are baptized into the name of Christ shall be treated with still greater rigour than impenitent Jews. "He that despised Moses's law," saith he, "died without mercy under two or three witnesses; of how much sorer punishment," then, "suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" Heb. x. 28, 29. If this consideration was accompanied with its due effect, it would fire us with the most unconquerable zeal for the salvation of negligent Christians.

4. In one of the last discourses our Lord addressed to the cities of Galilee, we find him reading over them this dreadful sentence of condemnation : "Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which," by thy religious privileges, art exalted unto heaven, shalt," for the nonimprovement of them, "be brought down to hell." Yea, "it shall be more tolerable in the day of judgment for the land of Sodom," which has been already consumed with fire from above, "than for thee." Matt. xi. 21—24.

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5. To draw the just consequences from this affecting menace, we must recollect, that, when it was pronounced, the inhabitants of the above-mentioned cities had been