not hereafter be found in his skirts, requires a thorough knowledge of his own heart; an intimate acquaintance with christian experience; and with the scriptural standard of piety. If I mistake not, a greater prominence ought to be given to this point in our schools of theology. Some of the old divines, Baxter, and Doddridge, and Flavel, and especially Edwards on the affections ought to be carefully studied and made familiar. To distinguish the true from the false evidences of gracious affections, is one of the most difficult and responsible duties of a minister. At the same time, it is attended with vital interest to the church, and with everlasting importance to the salvation of souls.

Besides, it is a day of peculiar trial to the church in this respect. The prince of darkness, who has from age to age marshalled and directed the authority and influence of this world against the church, has more than once changed his mode of warfare. In the first ages of christianity, he gave to every enemy of Christ a sword and a faggot, with the command to slay and burn, till they had worn out the saints of the most high God by persecution, and crushed the church by the sword. But after rivers of blood had flowed for centuries, and the church had endured every kind of suffering, it was found, that this mode of warfarė against her was all in vain. That the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church, and where one fell for the cause of Christ, two rose up to support it. Another mode of opposition was then invented. The influence of false philosophy and corrupt morality, the power of the Papal throne, and the armies of Northern Barbarians, were all put in motion, to envelope

the world in mental and moral darkness, and thereby extinguish forever the light of christianity. This warfare was carried on against the church, by the combined powers of earth and hell, for more than a thousand years. It failed, however, when the light of the reformation broke forth upon the moral darkness of the nations, for the gates of hell cannot prevail against that rock on which the church is founded. The god of this world has now commenced a different warfare against the church, the object of which is, to confound it with the world. It is now affirmed, that there is nothing peculiar in the doctrines and duties of true christianity; that what has been deemed her peculiar faith, is found to be nothing more than superstition; which is fast vanishing away before the lights of science, the march of reason, and the wonderful improvements of the age. That the time has come, when the doors of the church should be widely opened,

These things call loudly to

that all may freely enter. the watchmen, to set a double guard at the gates of Zion, and let no one enter, unless he can clearly speak the language of Canaan without "the shibboleths of earth."

Another important qualification of a minister is a knowledge of systematic theology. By this, I would not be understood to mean an intimate acquaintance with any uninspired author, either of ancient or modern times; nor a general acquaintance with theological works. Systems of theology have been highly useful in the world; but they have also been one of the fruitful sources of error in the church. They have often exalted some doctrines to an undue place in the christian system; and sunk others below their

proper level, by which the beautiful symmetry of the gospel has been impaired. By a knowledge of systematic theology, I would be understood to mean a clear understanding, and comprehensive view, of that circle of doctrines and duties, which make up the essential parts of the christian system. This a minister of Christ should endeavor to obtain, by a careful perusal of the bible, and especially, the new testament, together with the best human helps. know the relation which these doctrines and duties bear to each other; the rank, both as to place and importance, which each holds on the scale of divine truth; together with the arguments, both from scripture and reason by which they are supported. He is then prepared, as far as in him lies, to declare to his people the whole council of God.

He should

There is also another reason for this. It is a day of controversy in the church; and the controversy is not so much about the forms, as about the substance of religion. The enemies of the gospel have grown wise by the experience of ages. They have become convinced, that no human efforts, and no earthly power can stop the progress of Christ's kingdom through the earth, so long as those heart-searching doctrines and duties, which constitute the substance of our religion, remain unshaken. After an unsuccessful warfare of ages, they have at length openly defied the God of heaven; and over against all the peculiar doctrines of his religion, they have solemnly inscribed" Carthago delenda est." To this unholy work, they have girded themselves with unwonted zeal and boldness. I need not add, that in such a day, it well becomes the captains of the Lord's host, carefully to

survey the bulwarks of the christian faith; to try the foundation on which every post and pillar stands; and to plant high the standard of the cross on every battlement.

Some perhaps may object to this view of the qualifications of a minister, as attaching too much importance to worldly wisdom. To such I reply, it is plainly agreeable to the will of God, that those who instruct in divine things, should, in addition to piety, furnish themselves with the aids of human learning. He has manifested his will on this point with sufficient clearness, under the three great dispensations of the church, the Patriarchal, the Jewish, and the Christian. During the patriarchal age of the church, which extended from Adam to about the descent of the children of Israel into Egypt; God often held converse with men, as he did with Noah and Abraham, and instructed them in divine things. But even in this early period, there was one important source of human learning, from which he commanded them to seek instruction respecting his moral government. Job, who lived near the close of the patriarchal times, from which poets and orators have drawn their descriptions of the golden age; and who laid in them the scene of his wonderful poem, that he might preserve the remembrance of days fast fading away from the earth, says respecting the government of God, inquire I pray thee of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of the Fathers. Shall they not teach thee and tell thee? To inquire of the former age, and search of the fathers, which is here enjoined, is the chief object of human learning.

Another evidence of his will, on this point, may be

drawn from the Jewish dispensation. The Levitical priesthood, so far as we are informed, gave no special instruction to the people. They devoted their attention wholly to the sacrifices and ceremonies of the temple worship. The prophets were the teaching priests in Israel. This holy and venerated class of men, at once the fear and the boast of Jacob's race, were specially inspired, and directed by God. Still, even before the days of Samuel and onward till the Babylonish captivity, about which time this office ceased in Israel, the prophets had their schools of sacred learning in Bethel, Naioth, and Jericho. In these schools, those who aspired to be the future prophets of the Lord, were instructed in the scriptures, in a life of self-denial and holiness, and in whatever pertained to the sacred functions of the prophetical office.

When Christ established his kingdom on the earth, he appointed for his church a numerous and extraordinary ministry. God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. This numerous ministry were far from being uninstructed and, as it is often affirmed, proof that learning is not needed in the teachers of the church. The apostles and many of the evangelists and teachers, were about the person of Christ, and attended on his ministry for the space of three years. From him they daily received the most important instruction. Nor were this extraordinary ministry indifferent, or uninstructed, about the qualifications of their successors; those, who were to expound the scriptures to the future disciples, to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the