very hard indeed, for such little things as these to be punished with everlasting destruction. And now, all this admitted, we shall naturally be blind to the necessity and glory of salvation by Jesus Christ. If sin is so trifling an affair, it will seem a strange and incredible thing that God should become incarnate to atone for it: and, hence, we shall be very easily persuaded to consider Christ as only a good man, who came into the world to set us a good example; or, however, that he is not equal with the Father. The freeness and sovereignty of grace also, together with justification by imputed righteousness, will be a very strange sound in our ears. Like the Jews, we shall go about to establish our own righteousness, and shall not submit to the righteousness of God. It will seem equally strange and incredible, to be told, that we are by nature, utterly unfit for the kingdom of God, that therefore, we must be born again; that we are so bad, that we cannot even come to Christ for life, except the Father draw us; yea, and that our best doings, after all, are unworthy of God's notice. It will be no wonder, if, instead of receiving these unwelcome and humiliating doctrines, we should coincide with those writers and preachers who think more favourably of our condition, and the condition of the world at large; who either deny eternal punishment to exist, or represent men in general as being in little or no danger of it. And, having avowed these sentiments, it will then become necessary to compliment their abettors, (including ourselves in the number,) as persons of a more rational and liberal way of thinking than other people. My dear brother, of all things, be this your prayer, Take not thy holy Spirit from me! If once we sink into such a way of performing our public work, as not to depend on his enlightening and enlivening influences, we may go on, and probably shall go on, from one degree of evil to another. Knowing how to account for the operations of our own minds, without imputing them to a divine agency, we shall be inclined, in this manner, to account for the operations in the minds of others; and so with numbers in the present age, may soon call in question even whether there be any Holy Spirit. 2. Being full of the Holy Spirit will give a holy tincture to your meditation and preaching. There is such a thing as the mind be ing habitually under the influence of divine things, and retaining so much of a savour of Christ, as that divine truths shall be viewed and expressed, as I may say, in their own language. Spiritual things will be spiritually discerned; and if spiritually discerned will be spiritually communicated. There is more in our manner of thinking and speaking upon divine truth, than, perhaps, at first sight, we are aware of. A great part of the phraseology of scripture is, by some, accounted unfit to be addressed to a modern ear ; and is, on this account, to a great degree laid aside, even by those who profess to be satisfied with the sentiments. Whatever may be said in defence of this practice, in a very few instances, such as those where words in a translation are become absolete, or convey a different idea from what they did at the time of being translated; I am satisfied, the practice, in general, is very pernicious. There are many sermons that cannot fairly be charged with untruth, which yet have a tendency to lead off the mind from the simplicity of the gospel. If such scripture terms, for instance, as holiness, godliness, grace, believers, saints, communion with God, &c. should be thrown aside, as savouring too much of cant and enthusiasm ; and such terms as morality, virtue, religion, good men, happiness of mind, &c. substituted in their room, it will have an amazing effect upon the hearers. If such preaching is the gospel, it is the gospel heathenized, and will tend to heathenize the minds of those who deal in it. I do not mean to object to the use of these latter terms, in their place; they are some of them scriptural terms: what I object to is, putting them in the place of others, when discoursing upon evangelical subjects. To be sure, there is a way of handling divine subjects after this sort, that is very clever, and very ingenious; and a minister of such a stamp may commend himself by his ingenuity, to many hearers: but, after all, God's truths are never so acceptable and savoury to a gracious heart, as when clothed in their own native phraseology. The more you are filled, my brother with an unction from the Holy One, the greater, relish you will possess for that savoury manner of conveying truth, which is so plentifully exemplified in the holy scriptures. Farther. 3. It is this that will make the doctrines you preach, and the duties you inculcate, seem fitted in your lips. I allude to a say 49 ing of the wise man; The words of the wise are pleasant, if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips. It is expected, that there should be an agreement between the character of the speaker and the things which are spoken. Excellent speech becometh not a fool, Exhortations to holiness come with an ill grace from the lips of one who indulges himself in iniquity, The opposite of this is what I mean by the doctrines and duties of religion being fitted in your lips. It is this that will make your face shine, when you come forth in your public labours, like the face of Moses, when he had been conversing with God in the holy mount. 4. It is this that will give a spiritual savour to your conversation, in your visits to your friends. Though religious visits may be abused; yet you know brother, the necessity there is for them, if you would ascertain the spiritual condition of those to whom you preach. There are many faults also, that you may discover in individuals, which it would be unhandsome, as well as unfriendly, to expose in a pointed manner, in the pulpit, which, nevertheless, ought not to be passed by unnoticed. Here is work for your private visits; and, in proportion as you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will possess a spirit of love and faithfulness, which is absolutely necessary to successful reproof. It is in our private visits also, that we can be free with our people and they with us. Questions may be asked and answered, difficulties solved, and the concerns of the soul discussed. Paul taught the Ephesians, not only publicly, but from house to house. Now, it is being full of the Holy Spirit that will give a spiritual savour to all this con. versation. It will be as the holy anointing oil on Aaron's garments, which diffused a savour to all around him. 5. This also will teach you how you ought to behave yourself in every department you are called to occupy. It will serve instead of ten thousand rules; and all rules without it will be of no account. This it is that will teach you to be of a meek, mild, peaceful, humble spirit. It will make such a spirit be natural to you. As touching brotherly love, said the Apostle to the Thessalonians, ye need not that I write unto you, for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. 6. In short, It is this that will denominate you the man of God. Such was Barnabas, and such, my brother, was your predecessor whose memory is dear to many of us; and such,according to all that I have heard, was his predecessor, whose memory is equally dear to many here present. Each, in his day, was a burning and shining light; but they shine here no more. May you, my brother, and each of us, be followers of them, as they also were of Christ! Another part of the character of Barnabas is, III. He was FULL OF FAITH. It may be difficult to ascertain, with precision, the real meaning and extent of this term; but, I should think, in this connexion, it includes, at least, the three following ideas having the mind occupied with divine sentiment; being rooted and grounded in the truth of the gospel; and daily living upon it. The first of these ideas distinguished him from those characters whose minds are void of principle; the next, from such as are always hovering upon the borders of scepticism; and the last, from those who, though they have no manner of doubts about the truth of the doctrines of the gospel, yet scarcely ever, if at all, feel their vital influence upon their hearts and lives. Let us review each of these a little more particularly. 1. His mind was well occupied, or stored, with divine sentiment. How necessary is this to a gospel minister! It is to be feared that many young men have rushed into the work of the Lord without any decided principles of their own; yea, and have not only begun in such a state of mind, but have continued so all through their lives. Alas! what can the churches expect from such characters? What can such a void produce? How can we feed others with knowledge and understanding, if we ourselves are destitute of them? To say the least, such ministers will be but unprofitable servants. But this is not all; a minister that is not inured to think for him *The Rev. David Evans, who was ordained pastor of the Church at Thorn, August 7, 1782, and died February 21, 1787. aged 31. + The Rev. William Butfield, who was ordained pastor of the Church at Thorn, February 15, 1755, and died March 23, 1778, of the small pox, aged 30. 51 self, is constantly exposed to every false sentiment, or system, that happens to be presented to him. We sometimes hear of a person changing his sentiments; and, doubtless, in many cases, it is jus and right he should change them; but there are cases in which that mode of speaking is very improper; for, in reality some persons have no sentiments of their own to change; they have only changed the sentiments of some one great man for those of another. 2. He had a firm persuasion of the truth of that gospel which he preached to others. He was rooted and grounded in the gospel, The great controversy of that day was, whether the gospel was true; whether Jesus was the Messiah; whether he, who so lately expired on the cross, was the Son of God; and whether his death was the way to obtain eternal life. There were great temptations for a person, who should view things through a medium of sense, to think otherwise. The popular opinion went against it. To the Jews it was a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness. Those who adhered to the gospel, thereby exposed them. selves to cruel persecutions. But Barnabas was full of faith; he was decidedly on the Lord's side; he believed on the Son of God, and had the witness of the truth of his gospel within himself. Preaching the gospel is bearing a testimony for God; but we shall never be able to do this to any good purpose, if we be always hesitating and indulging a sceptical disposition. There is no need of a dogmatical, over-bearing temper: but there is need of being rooted and grounded in the truths of God. Be not carried about said the Apostle to the Hebrews, with strange doctrines: it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace. But he elsewhere condemns the character of those who are ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 3. That gospel which he preached to others he himself lived upon. The word preached, we are told, did not profit some, because it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it. This will equally hold good in the case of the preacher, as of the hearer. If we mix not faith with the doctrine we deliver, it will not profit us. Whatever abilities we may possess, and of whatever use we may be made to others, unless we can say, in some sort with the apos |