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everlasting gofpel, could not but have a powerful influence upon him and others, to prefs the important meffage, and watch over the fouls of thofe committed to their charge."

In difcourfing further at this time, I intend to confine myfelf to this fingle truth, which may be easily deduced from the text: that one of the * most effentially neceffary, and the most extenfively useful qualifications of a good minifter, is that he be a good man, that he have a firm belief of that gofpel he is called to preach, and a lively fense of religion upon his own heart. Af ter I fhall have explained and confirmed this obfervation, I will conclude with fome practical reflections.

Though I have mentioned real religion as one of the most effentially neceffary qualifications, I am not ignorant, that taking the words in a ftrict fenfe, gifts are more neceffary to the being of the ministry, than even grace itfelf. To make the efficacy of the ordinances to depend upon the inward ftate of the adminiftrator, is a Popifi error, and is exprefsly guarded against by the Affembly of Divines, in our fhorter Catechifms in the following words: The Sacraments,' and it is equally true of every other ordinance, be⚫ come effectual to falvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth adminifter them, but only by the blefling of Chrift, and the working of his fpirit in them that by faith receive them.'

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But fome degree of capacity is evidently necef fary in the moft abfolute sense. A man who is altogether void of knowledge and utterance, or who is deaf and dumb, may be a faint, but cannot be a minifter. This conceffion, however, takes nothing from the force of the observation, that real religion is of the greatest importance, and moft abfolutely neceflary to the faithful dif charge of a minifter's facred truft. That I may fct this in as clear and ftrong a light as I am able, let me intreat your attention to the following obfervations:

I. Real religión in a minifter, will make him knowing, and able for his work. It is neceffary for any one who intends himself for the office of the miniftry, by diligent ftudy, and the use of those means, with which God in his providence hath furnished him, to improve his understanding, and acquire a ftock of knowledge, that he may be a workman that needeth not to be afhamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. In this he can have no fuch incitement as concern for his master's glory. Nay, he that is truly religious, is taught of God, the beft of mafters, and will have fome of his moft profitable leffons from his own experience.

Let me the rather intreat your attention to this, that those who are moft apt to difparage piety are alfo apt to fpeak in terms of high approbation on the fubject of literature and science. -Obferve

-Obferve, therefore, that true religion ferves both to give a man that knowledge which is neceffary to a minifter, and to direct and to turn into its proper channel the knowledge which he may otherwife acquire. It is an approved max-im in every science, that practical and experi-mental knowledge far exceeds that which is merely speculative; at least, though the last may make the prettieft fhow, the first is by much to be preferred for ufe. Any wife man, if he was to go a dangerous voyage, would readily prefer, as his pilot, one, who had much experience, and had failed often that way himself, to one, who had studied navigation in the most perfect manner afhore. So, my brethren, every man who regards his foul would choofe for his fpiritual guide, one, who appears to have the wifdom to fave his own, and would expect by him to be beft directed, how to avoid the rocks and shelves in his paffage, through this dangerous and tempeftuous ocean of life.

But if this maxim holds true in other fcience, it holds yet more ftrongly in religion, which cannot be truly known unless it be felt. There is an infeparable connection between faith and practice, truth and duty; and therefore he that is a stranger to the one, is ignorant of the other. I am not infenfible that a bad man may espouse, and plead for a great part of the system of divine truth; but as he cannot cordially embrace it, fo I am inclined to think that he never truly understands

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understands it. The Apoftle Paul declares, that it is only by the Spirit of God which is given to every real chriftian, and more efpecially to every faithful minifter, that a man is enabled to treat rightly of divine things: Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the fpirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God; which things we speak, not in the words which man's wifdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing fpiritual things ⚫ with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, for they are fpirtually difcerned.' As the real Chriftian from that character is beft difpofed to feek after, fo he is by the fame means beft fitted to improve and apply his knowledge of fpiritual things. This will appear, if we confider what ought to be the great work of a minifter. He hath to do chiefly with the hearts and confciences of his people. His bufinefs is to convince the ungodly; to awaken the fecure; to enlighten the ignorant; to direct and strengthen the weak in the faith, and in general as a wife phyfician, to adminifter the medicine proper to the various conditions and diforders of his hearNow it must, at first fight, appear, that he who is a stranger to the power of godlinefs, and knows nothing of the fpiritual life himself, must be utterly unfit for difcerning how it thrives, or

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affifting and promoting it in others. That man muft furely be moft powerful in fearching, and most skilful in guiding the confciences of others, who has been accustomed to examine and direct his own.

I only farther obferve upon this particular, that true religion will purify, and direct into its proper channel, the knowledge he may otherwife acquire. It is a great mistake to think, found learning is an enemy to religion, and to fuppofe that an ignorant miniftry is the best or fafeft. There is no branch of human knowledge of which a divine may not be the better, or which a good man will not improve to the glory of God and the good of others; though fome of them are more important than others; and it is neceffary to give to any of them, only fuch proportion of our time, as is confiftent with our great and principal aim. Now true religion is the great prefervative against mistake or abuse of kind on this fubject. A bad man is apt to ftudy, merely to gratify his own fancy; and there is a falfe luxury and delicacy in feeding the mind as well as the body. A bad man is alfo exceeding ly prone to intellectual pride and felf-fufficiency; than which, there is not a vice more dangerous in itself, or more contrary to the character of a minifter of the New Teftament. But he who is fanctified by divine grace, as he has every motive to diligence in acquiring knowledge, fo the fingle

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