ON

A MINISTER'S

ENCOURAGING

ANIMADVERSION ON HIMSELF.

IT is a is a serious enquiry for a Minister, HOW FAR

HE SHOULD ENCOURAGE ANIMADVERSION ON HIM

SELF IN HIS HEARERS. He will encounter many ignorant and many censorious remarks, but he may gain much on the whole.

He should lay down to himself a few principles. It is better that a Minister smart than mistake. It is better that a traveller meet a surly, impertinent fellow to direct him his way, than lose his way. A Minister is so important in his office, that, whatever others think of it, he should regard this and this only as the transaction for eternity. But a man may be labouring in the fire: he may be turning the world upside down, and yet be wrong. You say he must read his Bible. True! but he must use ALL means. He must build his usefulness on this principle-if by ANY means. If the wheel hitches, let him, by ANY means, discover

where it hitches. This principle is to be worked continually in his mind. He must labour to keep it up to a fine, keen edge. Let him never believe that his view of himself is sufficient. A merchant, sailing in quest of gain, is so intent on his object that he will take a hint from any man. If we had all the meaning to which we pretend in our pursuits, we should feel and act like him.

A Minister must lay it down also as a principle, that he will never sufficiently understand his own pride and self-love; and that confidence in his own sense, which cleaves closely to every man. He must consider this as the general malady. Man is blind and obstinate-poor and proud. This silly creature, through ignorance of this principle, will not only not hear a vulgar hearer, who animadverts on him; but he will scarcely listen to a superior man among his hearers. He attends to such a one, because it would be indecent not to attend. But he finds some excuse for himself in his own bosom. He reverences what is said very little, if at all. He strokes and flatters himself, and makes up the affair very well in his own

mind.

A Minister should consider how much more easily a weak man can read a wise man, than a wise man can read himself: and that for this reason --no man can see and hear himself. He is too much formed in his own habits-his family notions

his closet notions-to detect himself. He, who

desirous to occupy faithfully till his Master come, leaving his brethren to stand or fall to their own Master.

Too much dependence is often placed on a system of RATIONAL CONTRIVANCE. An ingenious man thinks he can so manage to preach Christ, that his hearers will say " Here is no thing of Methodism! This has nothing to do with that system!" I will venture to say, if this is the sentiment communicated by his ministry, that he has not delivered his message. The people do not know what he means, or he has kept back part of God's truth. He has fallen on a carnal contrivance, to avoid a cross; and he does no good to souls. The WHOLE MESSAGE MUST be delivered; and it is better it should be delivered even coarsely, than not at all. We may lay it down as a principle-That if the Gospel be a MEDICINE, and a SPECIFIC too-as it is-it must be got down sUCH AS IT IS. Any attempt to sophisticate and adulterate will deprive it of its efficacy; and will often recoil on the man who makes the attempt, to his shame and confusion. The Jesuits tried to render Christianity palatable to the Chinese by adulterating it, but the Jesuits were driven with abhorrence from the empire.

If we have to deal with men of learning, let us shew learning so far as to demonstrate that it bears its testimony to the Truth. But accommodation in manner must often spring from

humility. We must condescend to the capacities of men, and make the truth intelligible to them.

If this be our manner of preaching Christ, we must make up our minds not to regard the little caviller, who will judge us by the standard of his favourite author or preacher. We must be cautious, too, since men of God have been and ever will be the butt and scorn of the world, of thinking that we can escape its sneers and censures. It is a foolish project-To AVOID GIVING OFFENCE; but it is our duty, To avoid giving UNNECESSARY offence. It is necessary offence, if it is given by the Truth; but it is unnecessary, if our own spirit occasion it.

I have often thought that St. Paul was raised up peculiarly to be an example to others, in labouring to discover the wisest way of exhibiting the Gospel: not only that he was to be a great pattern in other points, but designedly raised up for this very thing. How does he labour to make the truth REASONABLY PLAIN! How does he strain every nerve and ransack every corner of the heart, to make it REASONABLY PALATABLE! We need not be instructed in his particular meaning when he says, I became all things to all men, if by any means I might save some. His history is a comment on the declaration.

The knowledge of Jesus Christ is a wonderful mystery. Some men think they preach Christ gloriously, because they name him every two

minutes in their Sermons. But that is not preaching Christ. To understand, and enter into, and open his various offices and characters- the glories of his person and work-his relation to us, and ours to Him, and to God the Father and God the Spirit through him-this is the knowledge of Christ. The Divines of the present day are stunted dwarfs in this knowledge, compared with the great men of the last age. To know Jesus Christ for ourselves, is to make him a CONSOLATION,

DELIGHT,-STRENGTH,-RIGHTEOUSNESS,

-COMPANION,—and END.

1

This is the aspect in which religion should be presented to mankind: it is suited, above all other, to produce effect; and Effect is our object. We must take human nature, as we find human nature. We must take human nature in great cities, as we find human nature in great cities. We may say " THIS or THAT is the aspect which OUGHT to have most effect: we must illuminate the mind: we must enlist the reason: we must attack the conscience." We may do all this, and yet our comparative want of success in begetting and educating the Sons of Glory, may demonstrate to us that there is some more Effective way; and that sound sense and philosophy call on us to adopt that way, BECAUSE it is most Effective.

Our system of preaching must meet mankind: they must find it POSSIBLE to live in the bustle of the world, and yet serve God: after being