fcriptural they may be. There is really no true sobriety, no good fruit, no increase, no spiritual harvest, besides that which God giveth, even tho' a Paul planteth, and an Apollos watereth: As, indeed, there is not any fruit, any harvest produced even in the natural world, without his fecret energy and bleffing, however diligent or fkilful the husbandman may be.

(7.) CHRISTIAN and ministerial exhortation implies in it, a kind, friendly and courteous manner of addrefs, in oppofition to a rough, haughty and imperious one. The apostle well knew, that it was by gentle and paternal treatment, rather than by harshness, rigor and feverity, that young men are, by the bleffing of God, to be made fober-minded, virtuous and good. He therefore directs Titus to "exhort" them to be fo. The fame apoftle in his first epiftle to Timothy, written with the like general design with this to Titus, particularly enjoins upon him a refpectful, courteous and obliging manner of treating all, both the old and young of both fexes. Rebuke not an elder," fays he, (by an elder, here, doubtless meaning an old man only, not a paftor or bifhop) " but entreat "him as a father; and the younger men as "BRETHREN; the elder women as mothers, "the younger as fifters, with all purity." And in his fecond epistle to the same person, he gives him the following caution against a rough and arrogant behavior in his minifterial capacity. "The "fervant of the Lord must not strive," fays he, "but be gentle unto ALL men, apt to teach, pa

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C4

"tient,

"tient, in meeknefs inftructing those that oppofe "themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging the truth. The fame great apoftle appeals to the Theffalonians as witneffes of the kind and paternal manner, in which he conducted himself towards them, when he preached the gospel among them: "know," fays he, "how we exhorted, and com"forted, and charged every one one of

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A FATHER DOTH HIS CHILDREN,

"Ye

you, as that ye "would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory."‡

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THESE paffages may help to informs us, what fort or manner of addrefs the apostle intended, by the word" exhortation ;"-how great a regard he had for decorum, meeknefs and decency, in the minifters of the gofpel; and how tenderly, kindly and courteoufly he would have even 66 young men" treated by them. If these rules have not been duly obferved by all minifters fince; if ill-natur'd reproaches, revilings, angry invectives, and harfh, imperious menaces, have been fometimes heard, instead of the kind voice of exhortation and gentle perfwafion, in the fpirit of meeknefs and charity; it is not because the minifters of the gofpel are not fufficiently warned against such a proftitution of their facred office and character, in the holy fcriptures. Besides: religion is a reasonable fervice. It requires in the very nature of it, an enlightened mind, a convinced judgment, the confent, approbation and love of the heart; as being in itfelf most amiable,

Epif. Chap. II.

the

the foundation of all true happiness here and hereafter. And, furely, this conviction of its excellency, this complacency in, and love to it, are not to be produced, either in the old or young, by reproaches, invectives, or an imperious addrefs, in the teachers of religion. In this refpect, very particularly, the apoftolic maxim will ever hold true; that "the wrath of man worketh not the righteoufnefs of God." And thefe rules of charity and decorum, my beloved young brethren, shall stand as a perpetual reproach to my felf, if I deviate from them, by railing at, reviling, or lording it over you, inftead of "exhorting you to be fober-minded."

But,

(8.) IT would be a wrong inference from what has been faid refpecting this point, that these ministerial exhortations may therefore be innocently difregarded: Or, that those to whom they are given, are at liberty either to receive or reject them, without any danger of incurring the difpleafure of God. Exhortations that are founded in truth and reason, and are according to the word and will of God, by whomfoever given, cannot be despised, or fet at nought, without guilt and peril. The minifters of the gospel are indifpenfably obliged to take heed, what they deliver as his word and will; what they exhort you to; not" teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.' And if they do the latter, either knowingly and wilfully, or thro' a criminal neglect to inform themselves what they ought to preach, great is their guilt, and great the condemnation which belongs to them. Neither, on this fuppofition,

are

are you obliged to believe them, or to regard their exhortations; nay, you are bound in reason, duty and conscience to reject them. But, on the other hand, if they deliver to you real and important truth; if they exhort you to what is according to the word and will of God; certainly such exhortations as thefe are, in their own nature, binding. I mean, they are obligatory upon your confciences: You cannot difregard them, without acting contrary to reafon, without finning against God, and expofing yourselves, hereby, to his righteous difpleasure. What tho' the minifters of the gospel are not your mafters, or lords? What tho' they have no authority to command you how you shall conduct yourselves? What tho' they have no right to call you to an account, for contemning and difregarding their exhortations? or to harm you in any refpect whatsoever, as certainly they have not. Yet are you not accountable to God? Are you not accountable to yourselves? Are you at liberty to act unreasonably? Have you a right to reject the truth? the commandments of God? Are you without law to him? Have you, in fhort, a right to reject any exhortations that are given you agreeable to his word and will, by thofe who, in his providence, fuftain the character and relation of teachers and inftructors to you? or even by any other perfon? You cannot think you have any fuch right as this, to do wrong; or that you may "ufe liberty for a cloak of malicioufnefs."

IN many cafes, counfels and exhortations are refufeable; or they may be rejected without guilt

or

or danger. But this is only when they are in their nature bad, or indifferent, doubtful, or merely prudential. No exhortations of this nature, are binding upon the conscience; but the persons to whom they are given, are at liberty to reject them, if they chufe to do fo; yea, they are in reason and confcience bound to do it, as to those counfels that are pofitively bad; as was obferved before. But when you are exhorted to be foberminded; when you are counselled to receive and embrace the truth, fufficiently proved to be fuch; when you are perfwaded to do what is in its nature fit and reasonable to be done; when you are admonished to fear God, and keep his commandments; in a word, when you are exhorted to do your duty, and what God himself requires of you; certainly thefe are counfels and exhortations of fuch a kind, that they cannot be difregarded without great guilt and danger. They do not come under the head of indifferent, doubtful, or merely prudential counfels; much less, under that of bad ones: But they are fuch as ought to have all the weight and influence of commands; even the commands of God himself. Such, indeed, they are, in one fenfe: For God authoritatively requires of you, whatsoever you are exhorted to, conformably to reason, his word and will, whoever the exhorters themselves may be; and altho' they have no dominion over you, nor any right to exact an account of your behaviour, except in the way of fober remonftrance, expostulation, and friendly reproof, if there should be occafion for it.

IF