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while he not only charges them to do what he says, but to be what he is. This will receive much illustration from its contrary.

A minifter who has a careless, untender walk, defeats, by his life, the intent of his preaching. Though in reafon, it cannot juftify any one in difobeying whole fome inftructions, that the inftructor defpifes them himself; yet it is one of the most common excufes men make for themfelves, and few excufes feem to fet their confciences more at ease. Loose and careless perfons think themfelves quite at liberty to despise the reproofs of their paftor, if, while he teaches others, he teaches not himself.

Nay, not only is it thus with the profane, but even those who have the greatest regard for religion, are not fo much affected with the fame truths, when spoken by one they think indifferent about them, as when spoken by one, who seems to feel what he speaks, and who lives as he teaches.

Experience greatly confirms the whole of this reafoning-for wherever an eminently pious minifter has lived, and laboured long, there is commonly to be found the most knowing, ferious, fober-minded, and judicious people; nay, the very memory of fuch a minifter is often long continued after he is gone, and his example is proposed by his hearers to their children's children.

From all these confiderations, I conclude, that the most important qualification of a good minister, is, to be a believing preacher, and that, if he faves his own foul, he will be the probable mean of faving them that hear him. I proceed now, to make fome improvement of the fubject.

Reverend Fathers and Brethren,

As we would with our people to do, let us take heed how we hear, and make a faithful application to ourfelves, of what hath been faid upon the fubject. Let it

engage

engage us to a serious examination of ourselves, left while we preach the gofpel to others, we ourselves fhould be reprobates. This ought to be the fubject of our frequent and ferious thoughts, for feveral reafons. We are in danger of thinking ourselves too eafily safe, by comparing that outward regularity, to which our office itfelf, even from fecular motives, obliges us, with the licentious extravagance of profane finners. We are in danger of miftaking our frequent thinking and speaking of the things of God, in the way of our calling, for an evidence of frue religion, in ourselves. We may alfo, perhaps, miftake thofe gifts with which God hath furnished us, for the benefit of his own people, as the fruits of the Spirit, and of gracious difpofitions in our hearts. A minifter is as much liable to felf-deceit as others, and in fome respects more fo. We have therefore much need, often to make trial of our ftate, as well as to give all diligence to make our calling and election fure.

But let us beware of imagining, that this difcourfe is only applicable to fuch, as have no real faith in Chrift. God forbid that there were any minifter among us, a complete unbeliever, counting the gospel a fable. But faith, and every other gracious difpofition grafted upon it, are capable of many degrees of improvement and ftrength; and in proportion to the ftrength of our faith, and the impreffion we have of divine things, will be our diligence, and confequently our fuccefs, in the work of the miniftry. Let us therefore imprefs our minds, with a more and more lively fenfe, of the important truths which we teach and hear. Let us not ftarve ourselves, while we are feeding others: but study to arrive at a greater degree of love to God, and delight in him; a greater conformity to his bleffed image, in purity of heart, and integrity of life. Let us in a special manner, study to attain to more and more intimate communion with God

God in fecret, which is the fign of our dependence üpóft him, and the very exercife of love to him, which is the mean of constancy, and the fource of joy in religion.

Above all, let us fet our affections upon the things that are above, where our Redeemer fits, at his Father's right hand. As our profeffion is to be pilgrims, and strangers in the earth, to live by faith, and not by fight; let us ftudy, to raise our hopes of, and defire after, the heavenly inheritance. By this, we fhall not only believe, but know and feel the value of true religion, which cannot fail to make us diligent in seeking the good of others.

Oh! my brethren, what reafon have we to be inwardly ashamed at the weakness of our faith, and the coldness of our love, as they fhew themselves, by our indifference in the duties of our office? We are often ready both to complain and wonder, that our hearers are fo little affected with the moft awful confiderations; that they can hear with indifference of everlafting happiness, and fit without fear under the denunciations of eternal wrath; that we cannot perfuade them, it is of importance to think what fhall become of them for ever. But is it not also to be wondered at, that we ourselves can often speak of these things with fo little emotion? Can we ever be fufficiently affected with the danger of our hearers, when we confider, that we must either save them by convincing and converting them now, or deliver our own fouls, by witneffing, justifying, and perhaps pleading for their condemnation at the last day? However plain and fimple these truths are, of the final judgment of minifters and people, they are quite unfathomable in their meaning | and importance to both. It is ftrange that we can think of them without the deepeft concern, or even speak of them without tears.

Let us pray that the Lord would increase our faith, that believing we may fpeak, and that our fpeech may

be with fuch efficacy, by the bleffing of God, as many finners may be thereby brought to everlasting life; that we may approve ourselves to Him that fent us; and that when Chrift, the chief Shepherd fhall appear, we may receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

SERMON II.

MAN IN HIS NATURAL STATE.

BY

JOHN WITHERSPOON, D. D. LL. D.

COL. N. C. P.

REV. iii. 17.

Because thou fayeft, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knoweft not that thou art wretched, and miferable, and poor, and blind, and naked.

order to preach the gofpel with fuccefs, it is neceffary that we should begin, by establishing the great and fundamental truths, on which all the reft are built, and to which they conftantly refer. Nay, it is neceffary that we should often look back to these, and fee that we

be

not off the foundation, or that it be not weakly, or imperfectly laid. Of this fort, I take the guilt, mifery, and

weakness

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weakness of our nature to be; and therefore have chofen the words now read, as the subject of discourse, in which the Spirit of God reproves the fufficiency, and felf-righteoufness of the church of Laodicea.

Because thou fayeft, I am rich, and increased in goods, &c. I fuppofe you will all eafily understand, that the words are figurative, and are fpoken entirely with a view to the fpiritual ftate of that church. In this light, let us confider what is precisely their meaning.

We may either fuppofe, that this charge is brought against the church of Laodicea, because there were many there, under the profeffion of the gofpel, who were notwithstanding, ftill in a natural unrenewed state-strangers to the power of religion; of which, their being thus unhumbled, and infenfible of their guilt and mifery, was the evidence; and for which, the remedy is prescribed in the following words: I counsel thee to buy of me gold, tried in the fire, that thou mayeft be rich, and white raiment that thou mayeft be clothed, and that the Shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-falve, that thou mayeft fee.

Or we may suppose, that this reproof was in a great measure applicable to them all in general, believers and unbelievers; the best of them, being exceedingly prone to truft in themselves, that they were righteous; inftead of that humble dependence on the merit and grace of their Redeemer, which ought not only to be the refuge of the finner, but the confidence of the faint. And there is no queftion, that this is a proper caution to profeffing Christians in every age, to beware of splitting on the rock of self-sufficiency.

But as this difpofition reigns in the heart of every one that is yet at a distance from God, is the foundation of their fecurity and impenitence, and is what they must be

brought

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