penitent men, but it would not be the gospel, and the preaching would be useless. They would sleep under it till they waked in perdition. They would neither quarrel nor repent. There are such preachers, and the effect of their labours is exactly what we should expect. Their "burden of the Lord" is a mere heathen morality, and the best effect a mere reform of some grosser vice, leaving the moral character unbleached, and the heart unchanged.

But it should be the wish of perishing men to hear another gospel, one that will alarm their fears, cut off their false hopes, arouse their consciences, and renew their hearts. It is pleasant to find that men are pleased, but far more important to find that they are sanctified. And those act a very weak part, who are conscious of impenitence, and yet prefer a gospel that is not truth, and can never point them to heaven.

Finally, the subject will help us to account for the stability of the christian character. It has its foundation in truth, the same that is the basis of the divine character, and of the throne itself of God. So the character of angels, and of all holy beings is built on the truth. Hence a holy character will differ as to its permanency, from the character of the sinner, as much as the truth differs from falsehood. Every christian principle is some truth of God, every grace some impress of truth upon the heart. Hence we expect the christian character, and no

other, to have permanency, unless that truth could become mutable on which it is founded. Christ styles himself the truth, and is that rock on which his people build their character and their hopes: "Christ in you the hope of glory."

Hence the believer, though "Kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation," has a permanency of character, from the fact, that God sanctifies him through the truth. He grows in grace and in the knowledge of the truth; and to whatever moral stature he attains, truth secures his standing, "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Thus it is made certain that the saints

shall never fall.

But we do not wonder that those who have no such idea of the permanency of truth, doubt whether the believer will assuredly persevere. Those who suppose him to build his house upon the sand, must fear, lest when the floods come and the winds blow, its foundations be removed, and it fall. But he builds upon a rock, firm as heaven itself, and we shall see him safe, when every other rock, but that which he makes his foundation, is melted down; and when those who have not built on Christ and on truth, "Shall call upon the rocks and mountains to fall on them, and hide them from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb."

May God bless his truth, to the sanctification of his people; and make them zealous to learn it, and to propagate it. May he give us a high esteem for our bibles, and sabbaths, and sanctuaries, and a preached gospel, by the aid of which we learn truth. And may he sanctify his ministers, and leave none of them to "Depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." And may he through the truth glorify his own name, and and prepare a great multitude, that no man can number, to worship about his throne forever and ever. Amen.

SERMON 12.

AN HONEST MINISTRY.

66

2 COR. IV. 1, 2.

Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God."

Men

THE ministry of the reconciliation is an office peculiar as to its responsibility, its trials, its honours, and its enjoyments. We are placed in the office through the instrumentality of men, but have our commission from heaven. We negotiate a reconciliation between God, and a rebel world. are saved by our ministry, if we do our duty, if we are unfaithful they are lost. If we give them not the timely alarm, we must answer for their blood. We must meet our hearers in the last day at the judgment seat, and must know, when no mistake can be corrected, what has been the bearing of our ministry upon their everlasting destiny.

Hence we must do our duty, at the risk of interest, reputation, and life. the messengers of God

Under every dispensation, have but one plain track,

they must hazard the danger of being faithful. Jeremiah might not withhold his message, when he must write it in a dungeon, when he must anathematize the monarch who imprisoned him, and when his message would impeach his loyalty, and his patriotism, and endanger his life.

cross.

Paul must do his duty in the face of stripes, the dungeon, and the To hope that we can fully please the holy God, who sends us, and the disloyal to whom we are sent, is a fruitless hope; and none but the traitor will ask, whose pleasure he shall seek. If we had no interest of our own to risk, the honest man would aim to do his Master's honour. But personal perdition hangs over us, if we compromise the honours of our Lord. Men should be pleased with us when we do our duty, but men are not what they should be, else they had needed no gospel. The same depravity that prompts them to hate the government of Jehovah, renders them hostile to any conditions of peace, that will consist with his honour. Hence the minister of Christ, who cultivates a bending conscience, and is seen carefully providing for himself, at the expense of his Master, is of all men the most miserable, and the most contemptible.

But upon a ministry thus exposed, God has poured the highest honours. Not the gospel simply, but the gospel in the lips of men, he has pledged himself to use as the grand instrument of redeeming the world. "Now then we are ambassa