spiritual enjoyments have been procured at such an infinite expense. men ought to be far more engaged to secure them, than to secure an thing which this world can afford. This Christ suggests, immediately after the words of the text: "Labor not for the meat that perisheth, bui for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of ma shall give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed." Spiritual enjoyments all come through the hand, the heart, and even the life Christ. They cost him his life. Hence, they are worthy of all acAnd this bids me to observe,

ceptation, by ill-deserving creatures. 2. Men stand in more need of spiritual enjoyments than temporal and therefore ought to be more engaged to secure them. The meat that perisheth, which includes all the supports and comforts of life, is necessary. But were this withholden, it would only shorten a very short and uncertain life. Our days on earth are already numbered, and though we do not know the exact number, yet we know, that the longest period of human life is extremely short. So that earthly enjoyments cannot be of very great importance to such creatures as we are, who brought nothing into the world with us, and who can carry nothing out. But spiritual enjoyments are absolutely necessary for us in 1 future state. The soul survives the body, and will exist beyond the grave, and after the body is crumbled to dust. All men will need the means of happiness, that is, spiritual enjoyments, when all others will be of no service to them, and totally out of their reach. Hence, they ought to be more engaged to secure spiritual, than temporal enjoyments. This our Saviour often represented in a clear and striking light. He said, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal : But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal. Wherefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat, or what shall we drink? or wherewithal shall we be clothed? But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." When one of his followers appeared too much engaged in the concerns of the world, he rebuked her, saying, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." And on another occasion he appealed to the consciences of his hearers, whether they ought not to be unspeakably more concerned to secure spiritual, than temporal enjoyments.— "For what is a man profited, said he, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

3. Men ought to be more engaged to obtain spiritual enjoyments, than temporal, because spiritual enjoyments are far more difficult to obtain, than temporal. Almost every person, who really endeavors to obtain the enjoyments of this life, eventually succeeds. Whoever will

take pains to obtain any earthly good, on which his heart is set, will generally secure the object of his pursuit. But multitudes, who seriously, and anxiously seek after heavenly and divine enjoyments, finally fail of obtaining the favor of God. This shows, that there are some peculiar difficulties to be surmounted, and great exertions to be made, in order to enter into the kingdom of heaven. On this ground, our Saviour abundantly inculcated the necessity of seeking and striving for future and eternal blessedness. He said to his hearers, at one time, "Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat : Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." At another time he said, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." The great difficulty that lies in the way of men's obtaining the enjoyments of heaven, is that self-denial which is absolutely necessary, and to which they are naturally and totally opposed. Our Saviour made it his common practice in preaching, to propose this difficulty, and urge men to surmount it. In Mat. xvi. 24, 25, we read, "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it." To the same import, we read again in Luke xiv. 25, and on. "And there went out multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he hath sufficient to finish it? So likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." Our Lord preached upon this subject to the young man, who very devoutly and seriously desired to know the indispensable condition of obtaining eternal life. "Jesus said unto him, If thou will be perfect, go, and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." This was a solemn scene, upon which Christ took occasion to address his professed followers."Then said Jesus unto his disciples, verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." The Evangelist adds, "When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, who then can be saved?" The things of the world, and the men of the world, and the god of the world, all stand opposed to those, who are travelling in the straight narrow way to eternal life.--

Hence, they must constantly deny themselves, and take up their cross. Self-denial must attend every step they take. They must resist and overcome the world, and contend with principalities and powers, and conquer all their spiritual enemies. And this will require the most vigorous and unremitted exertions. They must patiently suffer the common evils of life, cheerfully endure the afflictions of the gospel, courageously oppose whatever opposes the cause of Christ, and cordially give up every thing which stands in competition with his glory. In a word, they must overcome all opposition from within and from without, and take the kingdom of heaven, by violence. I must add,

4. That men ought to be more concerned to secure spiritual, than temporal enjoyments, because spiritual enjoyments are infinitely more durable. This is the great motive, which our Saviour exhibits in the text. "Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life." And he goes on in the subsequent verses, to illustrate this motive, and set it in the strongest light before the Jews, who were slow of heart to believe, and prone to object against every thing he said. "They said unto him, What sign showest thou then, that we may see and believe thee? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. I am the bread of life.— He that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. I am the living bread, which came down from heaven, if any man eat of this bread he shall live forever." Spiritual enjoyments are not only satisfactory in their nature, but perpetual in their duration. They run parallel with the immortality of the soul.— And as Christ brought life and immortality to light, he insisted more than any other teacher, upon the perpetual duration of divine enjoyments. He said, "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life." The enjoyments of heaven must be eternal, because they flow from sources, which will never fail. Those who are admitted into the mansions of the blessed, will forever have opportunity of seeing, loving and serving God, of holding intercourse with their glorious and divine Redeemer, and of enjoying communion with the general assembly and church of the first born in heaven. And there will be nothing to suspend, or interrupt, or put an end to their enjoyments, to all eternity. "The perpetuity of bliss, is bliss." The thought of the eternal duration of their felicity, will greatly enhance it forever. And since spiritual enjoyments are infinitely superior to temporal, in their nature and duration, men ought to be far more concerned to secure an eternal, than a tem

poral inheritance. Every thing valuable in this world rises in its value according to its duration. And if we measure spiritual and temporal enjoyments by this standard, then spiritual enjoyments are infinitely more valuable and worthy of pursuit, than all the perishable things of this perishing world. By this mighty motive, the apostle urges men to put forth all their exertions, in order to obtain the prize at the end of the Christian race. "Know ye not that they who run in a race, run all, but one receiveth the prize? so run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”

HEADS OF THE IMPROVEMENT.

1. If men ought to be more concerned to secure spiritual than temporal enjoyments; then secure sinners are extremely stupid. They are not so much concerned about spiritual as temporal enjoyments— For they neglect the former, and eagerly pursue the latter-and give up spiritual, in order to obtain temporal enjoyments.

2. If men ought to be more concerned to secure spiritual than temporal enjoyments; then awakened sinners are extremely criminal.—— They prefer the enjoyments of the world, to the kingdom of heaven, with their eyes wide open.

3. If men ought to be more concerned to secure spiritual than temporal enjoyments; then Christians are extremely inconsistent: For they are often more concerned for temporal than spiritual enjoyments.

4. If men ought to be more concerned about spiritual than temporal enjoyments, then supreme love to temporal enjoyments, is totally inconsistent with true love to God, and spiritual enjoyments. These must be loved supremely, if really loved at all-So our Saviour taught. Ye cannot serve God and mammon-Seek first the kingdom of God. The apostle also says, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world; for if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

5. If men ought to be more concerned to secure spiritual than temporal enjoyments; then a change of heart will alter their feelings as much towards the world as towards God; and will be more visible to others.

This was the case with the apostles-They forsook all and followed Christ.

This was the case with Zaccheus, he gave half his goods away.' This was the case with the primitive Christians. They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing that they had a more enduring substance.

6. If men ought to be more concerned to secure spiritual than temporal enjoyments; then we have reason to think, that love to the world, and an engagedness to obtain worldly enjoyments, are the principal causes of men's destruction under the light of divine truth.

These were the causes of the ruin of the young man-of the rich fool-and of Dives.

7. If men ought to be more concerned to secure spiritual than teraporal enjoyments, then God is perfectly just in giving up the worldlyminded to their own choice-and in giving them their whole portion in this life.

8. We learn the dangerous situation of sinners-wholly involved in the world-wasting their precious seasons of grace-pursuing the vanities of time and sense, to the utter neglect of durable riches and right

eousness.

9. This subject reproves Christians for their slothfulness, inactivity, and deadness, in the pursuit of heavenly things-The world condemns you-You condemn yourselves-and injure the cause of Christ. SENEX

From the Massachusetts Missionary Magazine.

EXAMINATION OF CANDIDATES FOR THE MINISTRY. Is it necessary for an Ecclesiastical Council to examine a Candidate previously to his Ordination?

The following are some of the reasons, which induce me to answer in the affirmative.

FIRST reason. Scripture is decidedly in favour of examinations. Paul says to Timothy, Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins. The true meaning of this caution is undoubtedly given in the following paraphrase of Doddridge. "As it is a matter of so great importance to the Christian church, what persons are admitted to minister in it; I charge thee that thou lay hands suddenly and rashly on no man, to set him apart for that sacred trust, before his qualifications have been fully examined and thoroughly approved. Neither make thyself partaker in the sins of others; as thou wilt certainly do, if thou art the means of bringing those into the ministry, whom thou mightest have discovered to be unworthy men." The apostle's caution should keep ministers not only from introducing into the sacred office men who are not qualified, but from introducing even those who are qualified, without suitable inquiry respecting their qualifications. What the requisite qualifications are, we learn from the same apostle. A Bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, apt to teach, holding fast the faithful word, &c. This particular description of a Bishop's character, is designed not only as a standard to which every minister ought himself to conform, but as a directory for those, who are concerned in ordaining others. This was the special design of the description, as appears beyond all doubt, from the connexion. For this cause, says Paul to Titus, I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldst set in order the things which are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed