TRAIT XXXI.

His generous Fears and succeeding Consolation

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WHEN the church is threatened with a storm, t worldly pastor has no fears except for himself and relations. But the true minister, if he be at all d quieted with fear, when the Lord's vessel is driven w the winds, or appears to be in danger through the ind creet conduct of false or unloving brethren, he feels mu less for his own safety, than for the security of his co panions in tribulation. He fears especially for the we of the flock, and for those of the faithful who are exp ed to violent temptation: And these generous fea which equally prove his holy zeal and brotherly lo without robbing him of all his joy, afford him freque opportunities of exercising his faith, his resignation, a his hope. We are troubled,' saith St. Paul, on eve side; without were fightings, within were fears. fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled E through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupt from the simplicity that is in Christ. I fear, lest wh 1 come, I shall not find you such as I would.' (2 C vii. 5; xi. 3; xii. 20.) When we could no longer f bear, we sent Timothy to establish you, and to comf you concerning your faith, that no man should be mov by these afflictions: For yourselves know, that we a appointed thereto. For verily, when we were with yo we told you before, that we should suffer tribulation even as it came to pass. For this cause, when I cou no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by son means the tempter should have tempted you, and o labour be in vain.' (1 Thess. iii. 1, 5.)

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Though these fightings without,' and these fea within,' are always painful to the flesh, yet they a as constantly beneficial to the soul. If they subject t

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true minister for a season to the keenest affliction, they prepare him in the end for strong consolation.' Observe the manner, in which the great apostle expresses himself upon this point-We would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble, which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life. We had the sen tence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: In whom we trust, that he will yet deliver us.' (2 Cor. i. 8, 10.) 'I would ye should understand, brethren that the things, which happened unto me, have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; and many of the brethren in the * Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.' (Phil. i. 12, 14.) Hence, we glory in tribulations: Knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.' (Rom. v. 3, 5.) Blessed be God, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.' (2 Cor. i. 2, 5.)

If those who are honoured with a commission to publish the gospel were fully convinced how gracious and powerful a Master they serve, instead of being alarmed at the sight of those labours and dangers which await them in the exercise of their ministry, they would stand prepared to run all hazards in his service; as courageous soldiers who fight under the eye of a generous prince, are ready to expose their lives for the augmentation of his glory. Can it become good pastors to manifest less

nary warriors for the destruction of their prince's fo And if the Romans generously exposed themselves death, in preserving the life of a fellow citizen, for trifling reward of a civic wreath, how much grea magnanimity should a Christian pastor discover in cuing the souls of his brethren from a state of perditi for the glorious reward of a never-fading crown?

TRAIT XXXII.

The grand Subject of his glorying, and Evangelical Manner, in which he maintai his Superiority over false Apostles.

THE disposition of a faithful pastor is, in e respect, diametrically opposite to that of a worldly nister. If you observe the conversation of an E siastic, who is influenced by the spirit of the world, will hear him intimating either that he has, or tha would not be sorry to have, the precedency an his brethren, to live in a state of affluence and s dour, and to secure to himself such distinguished pointments as would increase both his dignity and income, without making any extraordinary additio his pastoral labours: You will find him anxious admitted into the best companies, and occasionally ming parties for the chase or some other vain amusem While the true pastor cries out in the self-renoun language of the great apostle: God forbid that I sh glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Chris whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto world.' (Gal. vi. 14.)

If the minister, who is really formed to preside in church, were singled out from among his brethren, placed in an apostolic chair, he would become the humble for his exaltation:-If such a one were slig and vilified by false apostles, he would not appeal.

the honour of his character, to the superiority of his talents, his rank, or his mission; but rather to the superiority of his labours, his dangers, and his sufferings. Thus, at least, St. Paul defended the dignity of his character against the unjust insinuations of his adversaries in the ministry-' Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more.' But in what manner did he attempt to prove this? Was it by saying, I have a richer benefice than the generality of ministers; I am a doctor, a professor of divinity, I bear the mitre, and dwell in an episcopal palace? No: Instead of this, he used the following apostolic language: • In labours I am more abundant, in stripes above measure,

in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. In journeyings often, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils by the Heathen, in perils among false brethren: In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak and I am not weak? Who is offended and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory in the things which concern mine infirmities.' (2 Cor. xi. 23-30.) From henceforth let no man trouble me: For I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.' (Gal. vi. 17.) Such are the appeals of holy prelates. But for a man to glory in having obtained a deanery, a professor's chair, or a bishopric, is in reality to boast of his unfaithfulness to his vocation, and to prove himself unworthy of the rank to which he has been injudiciously raised.

Ye who preside over the household of God, learn of the Apostle Paul to manifest your real superiority. Surpass your inferiors in humility, in charity, in zeal, in your painful labours for the salvation of sinners, in your invincible courage to encounter those dangers which threaten your brethren, and by your unwearied patience in bearing those persecutions, which the faithful disciples

world. Thus shall you honourably replace the firs Christian prelates, and happily restore the church to it primitive dignity.

TRAIT XXXIII.

His Patience and Fortitude under the severe Trials.

'CHARITY is not easily provoked;' but on the co trary thinketh no evil.' Full of patience and meel ness, Christ distinguished himself by his abundant lo to those from whom he received the most cruel trea ment. Thus also the ministers of Christ are disti guished, who, as they are more or less courageous a indefatigable in the work of the ministry, are enabled adopt the following declaration of St. Paul with mo or less propriety: Being reviled, we bless; being p secuted, we suffer it; being defamed, we entreat: V are made as the filth of the world, and are as the o scouring of all things unto this day.' (1 Cor. iv. 1 13.) Giving no offence in any thing, that the min try be not blamed: But in all things approving ou selves as the ministers of God in much patience, afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in in prisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by long-sufferin by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armo of righteousness on the right hand and on the left which enables us to attack error and vice, while shields us from their assaults; by honour and di honour; by evil report and good report; as deceiver and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; dying, and behold we live; as chastened and not killed as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet makin

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