"Before

and fall in deep abasement at his feet. honour is humility." "He filleth the hungry with good things, but the rich he sendeth empty away." My dear R-, search, diligently search, the motives that govern you, and the end you prevailingly aim at. See that you are actuated, not by self-love, but by the love of Christ; that you seek to recommend, not yourself, but your Master; that you labour to gain, not the applause of men, but the approbation of Christ; that you aim to promote principally, not your own temporal interest, but the Divine glory. This, my dear, is indeed a noble end to pursue: if with simplicity and godly sincerity you are enabled to seek it; if your heart be fixedly directed to the glory of God, and the manifestation of it in the salvation of man; you will so far resemble the blessed angels: nay, you will have the mind of Christ, who, at the close of his ministry and of his life, could say, "Father, I have glorified thee on earth." Such a heart as this was never found in a graceless minister; and even the best, on a careful observation of their own spirit, may see very much to grieve and humble them in this respect. Further, let me charge you, my dear R-, never to determine on the choice of a subject for public discourse, without first seriously reflecting, what is the great end you should be aiming at, what is the substance of the message you have to deliver, and what particular views of this message would at this time be

most likely to secure this great end. Never preach a sermon to others, without first preaching it to your own soul, and receiving the truth it contains in the love of it. I have already said, Read those books which contain the liveliest and the fullest representations of the religion of Christ, and of the heart; converse much with those Christians who habitually live near to Christ, and have drank deep into his spirit; and I now add, Improve every opportunity of hearing those ministers, in whatever class they are found, whom the Lord Jesus appears to honour with his richest blessing; who are wise to win souls, and in whose ministry the great end of its institution is most happily answered. Let me especially say, Never attempt to study or to preach a sermon, without lifting up your heart in earnest prayer to Him in whom is all your sufficiency, whose almighty grace alone can secure the success you would wish. Fi nally, let nothing appear in your temper and conduct to prejudice the minds of any against the doc trine or the religion you preach, or that might lead them to suspect the sincerity with which you profess to seek their everlasting interests. For other useful hints, let me recommend to your perusal a valuable letter of Mr. Morton's, one of the ejected ministers in Cornwall, which you will find in the third volume of Calamy's abridgement, page 198. May that God, with whom is the residue of the Spirit, make you full of the Holy

Ghost, and of faith, and crown your labours with

success!

I am,

My dear R

Your truly affectionate father,

J. BOWDEN.

LETTER XXVI.

TO THE REV. RB,

Nov. 24, 1799.

MY DEAR R

On Saturday last, I received your letter, mentioning an invitation you had received from D—, in Lancashire. I have an idea, that the congregation there was many years under the pastoral care of Mr. S-, whom I formerly was acquainted with, and have heard at T; if so, there are many among them who know the precious truths of the Gospel, and love the unadulterated word of God. Through whatever channel the invitation has reached you, I am by no means disposed to discourage your visit to such a people; and noticing the leadings of Providence respecting the line of your farther duty, I would hope that the hand of a kind Providence is directing your views to them, and that it may prove a sphere of usefulness to yourself, and of high importance to the souls of others. Though the people in general may be poor and illiterate, dwell

ing in an obscure part of the land, yet their salvation is of equal importance with that of those who are placed far above them in worldly advantages. To deal with the souls of men, and especially with a multitude, about their eternal concerns, is a matter of the last importance. I thought very seriously of it many years ago, but in every view I feel it more and more. I see more and more reason to be assiduous and diligent, to be affectionate and faithful, in the discharge of the various duties relative to this important function, both public and private. I see more and more the necessity of having a deep and experimental acquaintance with the disease of sin, the awful debility of man's fallen nature, and of having the heart habitually impressed with the affecting consideration. I see and feel the need, and, I trust, something of the advantage, of having my own soul kept continually looking to Jesus, applying to that effectual remedy, and conversing with the doctrine of the cross, so as to feed on the bread of life, and to come, with repentance and faith, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling. I still see and feel the necessity of exercising a jealousy over my own heart. Time was, when I little suspected that I could be justly charged with so great a measure of self-confidence and self-seeking as I have since found reason to be deeply humbled on the account of. Oh! I find it no easy

matter, under fair professions

and after long expe

rience, to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, and seek

his glory "with simplicity and godly sincerity." I do not wonder at the many exercises, and some of them very painful ones, to which my great Master has been pleased to call me, in order that I might indeed be a vessel of honour prepared for his service. I still find more and more need of humble dependence and prayer; more necessity for abiding in Christ, separate from whom I can do nothing: and something, I hope, I feel in myself, and something I see in the fruit of my labours, of the benencial effects of an increasing acquaintance with, and watchfulness over, my own heart, and a more humble and habitual dependence upon the Spirit of God. For, after all, salvation is God's work in every view: it is wholly his work, and he will have it to appear, and to be acknowledged to be his work: and the more humble, the more self-emptied, and self-abased, the instrument is whom he employs, the more reason we have to expect, that God will put honour upon it. May the Spirit of God, my dear R—, give you an increased acquaintance with your own heart, and direct and enable you to abide in Christ, as the source of all your sufficiency, that you may be found a scribe well-instructed unto the kingdom of God! If that blessed Agent should be pleased to glorify Christ, exalting him in your estimation by an impressive display of his excellencies; and in the estimation of others, by enabling you to recommend him with effect; he will, at the same