to it; but in my view it is tha more important, inasmuch as it furnishes a severe reproof to those who are looking and waiting for the operations of the Holy Spirit, but at remote periods or with or church, go work to-day in my vineyard," is the language of Christ to his people, individually and collectively; and "His promise is sure," and "His reward is with him." stance of the faithfulness of God to his promises, how solemnly should we call upon negligent ministers and churches to arise and imitate the example of this church, which has been and still continues to be so highly favoured. Surely, church-long intervals. Son, daughter, es as well as individual Christians, may be admonished, and exhorted to be up and doing; for they cannot reasonably expect to reap, unless they sow. If God so blesses a constant and faithful attention to the ordinary means of grace, as to add fifty to one small church in the course of two years, what would be the result were all our churches equally faithful? And what excuse can be rendered for those who refuse to go and do likewise?" 66 No account has appeared in the papers of the addition to the church | in Ovid, perhaps because the name of revival has not been attached I hope that this communication may prove a "word in season" to some individuals and churches. The statement in the first paragraph is substantially true; and it should operate as an incentive to the lukewarm and inactive to be followers of those" in Ovid "who through faith and patience inherit the promises." H. T. ORDINATIONS. 1825. July 23. Ordained to the work of the Christian Ministry,' at NorthStonington, Con. Rev. JOSEPHATER, jun. 1825. August 17. Ordained, Rev. LrMAN STRONG, as Pastor of the Congregational Church, Hebron, Conn. 1825. August 25. Ordained, the Rev. SAMUEL H. WORCESTER and Rev. ELSATHAN GRIDLEY, in the city of Boston, as Missionaries to the Heathen. Sermon by Rev. Leonard Worcester of Vt. from Rom. i. 14, 15. 1825. August 31. Ordained, Rev. SWAN L. POMROT, as Pastor of the 1st. Congregational Church, in Bangor, Me. Sermon by Rev. Dr. Payson, from Luke, xx. 36. 1825. August 31. Ordained, Rev. WILLIAM FOWLER," over the 2nd Congregational Society, in Greenfield, Mass." Sermon by Rev. Professor Fitch, of Yale Collège. Errata. In the last No. p. 464, 1st column, line 2, after his, insert impartial, universal and disinterested benevolence, is the foundation of bis-p. 467, 2nd column, line 35th, after be with you, insert, and act for you-p. 472, 2nd column, line 28th, for prominent, read. primeval-p. 475, 2nd column, line 33. for hand, read, order. This was a mistake in the copy. THE HOPKINSIAN MAGAZINE. VOL. I.] OCTOBER, 1825. [No 23. [The following sermon is less accurate, than the productions of the same able pen usually are. It is evidently a hasty production which the writer had not leisure to transcribe. But, if the plan comprises more, than there is in the text, it does not comprise more, than there is in the Bible; and if the style be plain, it is perspicuous and forcible. The discourse contains too many good thoughts, to be excluded from our pages.] EDITOR. ARDUOUS LABOURS IN THE SERMON. MINISTRY ESSENTIAL TO THE SALVATION COLOSSIANS i. 29. Whereunto I also labour, striving, according to his working which worketh in me mightily. was, man." which he wrought in him mighti By this text we find two important ideas suggested. THIS text was introduced by the apostle Paul, stating his greatly. Neither Paul nor any other and arduous labours in the minis- man, ever had a good desire, or try. The theme of his preaching, performed a good and virtuous acwhich was addressed to the saints, tion, but by the mighty working of "Christ in you, the hope of the Holy Spirit. "It is God who glory"-"Whom we preach, warn- worketh in you, both to will and to ing every man, and teaching every do, of his good pleasure." Paul in particular, was powerfully excited to labour and strive for the salvation of sinners, and the advancement of Christ's kingdom. And his success was in full proportion to his labours and toils. He was, probably, instrumental of the salvation of more sinners, than any other preacher, since the Christian era. But, notwithstanding all his labour and success, there is a consideration in the text, which effectually prevents all ground of boasting: for all the labour and striving, in Paul's case, were according to God's working, I. The promotion of Christ's cause, in the conversion of adult sinners, is rarely or never effected, without the arduous labour of his ministering servants. This is the chief and most powerful means of salvation. And, II. That all the success of Christ's ministering servants, depends upon the mighty working of God, by the agency of the Holy Spirit. 1. The promotion of Christ's cause, in the conversion of adult sinners, is rarely or never effected, without the arduous labour of his ministering servants. succession of the ministers of God, who have laboured and striven to promote his kingdom on earth.This succession of ministers commenced with Enos, the third from To some it may appear, by reading the promises of God, that they must, at all events, be accomplish-Adam, and was never wholly ined; that whether ministers preach terrupted, till the coming and minor not; and whether people hear or istry of Christ and his apostles.forbear; yet the great and precious At some periods, the means of grace promises can never fail. God will were more abundant than at others: vindicate his own cause; and he and when the means have abounded, needs no finite aid to accomplish grace has abounded; and when the his great and glorious purposes. means were small and feeble, such This is the opinion of many, if not was the success. Before the flood, of most people, who wish to be ex- the preachers of righteousness were cused from labour and exertion in few in number, and on this acthe cause of Jesus Christ. But count, the earth was filled with vioin this case, the question is not, lence. Had there been hundreds what is possible with God, nor what or thousands of faithful labourers in his purposes are, but what is re- word and doctrine, it is highly probquired of men? It is required of able, that the kingdom of Christ men, and especially of ministers, would have flourished in due prothat they labour, and strive to pro- portion. And in this case, what mote the great work of salvation, need would there have been of the not expecting, nor desiring the pro- awful deluge? Again: God absogress of this work, by any other lutely threatened the destruction of means. No others are devised.- Nineveh; but, by the faithful laWe are to contend earnestly for the bour of only one of the prophets of faith which was once delivered to the Lord, Nineveh was spared and the saints; and this is an indispen-saved, at least with a temporal salsible duty. This was exemplified, vation. as well as commanded, by the apostle Paul. Who was ever in labours more abundant than he? "I endure all things for the elects' sake, that they may obtain the sal-had, undoubtedly, decreed, from vation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory," Had not God sent Jonah, as a preacher, to sound an alarm in the city of Nineveh, the devoted city must have been destroyed. God eternity, that the king and people of Nineveh should repent and humble themselves, and put on sackcloth; and, in short, that they should be reprieved from the threatened destruction. But in the divine decree, strictly considered, there is no agency, no efficiency at all. Efficiency consists in the execution of the decree. How doth Thus it appears, that not even the elect of God can obtain salvavation in Christ Jesus, without the labours and toils of the Christian ministry. The election of God is indeed established; and so are the means by which it is established. Neglect the means, and the end will fail. This is a point, confirm-God execute his decrees? God exed in the Scriptures, and agreeable ecuteth his decrees in the works to common observation. Never has there been an instance of the prosperity of the church, without the appropriate means. Take a reTake a retrospective view of all antiquity, and you will find an uninterrupted of creation and providence." A divine decree gives security for the existence of all decreed events; but it is not the operating power and agency, by which they brought into existence. Absolute Sermon. then. "They are to be given to Christ for an inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for a possession." This is according to the decree of God: otherwise it could not have been foretold. Prophecy knows nothing about any events, which are not recognized by a divine decree, and effected by divine power and agency. fore-knowledge, also, gives assur- The means ed. A divine purpose would be of no avail, if it were never to be carried into operation. Such is the condition, and such are the means of salvation by divine grace. But how are all the millions of Jews and heathen to be brought into the kingdom of Christ ? Certainly, by the labours, strivings and prayers of the saints. and we trust, with great success. For To me it appears, that the first proposition is proved, viz. That the promotion of Christ's cause, in the conversion of sinners, is never, or very rarely effected, without the arduous labour of his ministering servants. Other servants of Christ delight to take their due share of labour, in this glorious cause. And in fact, there must be labourers, and labourers of various descriptions, to carry on this necessary labour of love. It is a labour of extreme difficulty and hazard.Thousands of thousands, first or last, must lay down their lives for Christ and the brethren. Persecution will be, more or less, the comTo believe in Christ, where mon lot of all saints. But, at all events, the saints must put on the Christ is known, is essential to salweapons of the spiritual warfare; vation. But how arduous and laand in this way, "take the king-borious a task it is, to bring a sindom and possess the kingdom, for- ner to the humble acknowledgment "And the gospel of Christ, in his real character. To ever and ever." must be preached in all nations," as produce the Christian faith, is the and salvation. end and extent of all human means means of grace The human race will be furnished to advance the kingdom of Christ. with a competent number of minis- On the whole, the labour and strivters and bibles. The gospel will ing, spoken of in the text, is the run and be glorified. The field of only way in which the promises extra labour, at the present day, is will ever be fulfilled. Look which chiefly among the Jews and hea- way we may, and we see a world a " Christ. "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." It is said, "that God hath wrought all our work in us." No man was ever self-moved to be devoted to the service of Christ. Thus we see, that Paul, though the chief of the apostles, could la lying in wickedness; and is there nothing for us to do? The case was the same, in the days of the apostles, and even more deplorable. The Christian world was small and weak and persecuted. But did the apostles and ministers and brethren lie still, and wait for Christ, by his Holy Spirit, to convert the world?bour and strive, and exert bimself Did they not rather, solemnly lis- successfully, in the cause of Christ, ten to their great commission, "Go only so far as he was caused to do ye into all the world, and preach it by the almighty agency of God on the gospel to every creature" "go, his heart. teach all nations;" &c. It is said, "They went forth and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming their words by signs following." But, in the great and marvellous success of their ministry and mission, was there a single convert among the heathen whom they visited, until they had heard the gospel preached from the lips of these missionaries. No: not one. Salvation never extends much beyond the sound of the preached gospel. It is necessary, therefore, that the gospel be preached abundantly and critically and powerfully, if ministers would save themselves and those that hear them. This is the great end of preaching the gospel. 1. As an improvement, of the subject, we may attend to a common objection. It is urged by some, that if mankind are dependent on the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, to engage them to labour in the service of Christ; then those, who are not favoured with his almighty aid, are under no obligation to labour in this service. But what is the ground of obligation? Why ought we to love God, with all our heart, and to love our neighbour as ourselves? Does the obligation arise from this, that our minds are constrained, by the almighty power of God, to exercise this love? It is said of Christ in prophecy, that his people should be willing in the day of his power: i. e. they should Having shown that the promo- be willing to devote themselves to tion of Christ's cause is never to his service, and to labour in his be effected, without the arduous cause. But supposing they are not labours of his ministering servants, made willing to do these things; and of all his friends and followers: supposing there comes no day of II. We proceed to state, that divine power, no revival of religion, the success of all the labours of no special influence of the Holy ministers and others in Christ's Spirit. Does all this afford an excause, depends on the mighty work-cuse for people to live in sin and ing of God, by the agency of the impenitence? By no means. Holy Spirit. "Paul may plant, son dictates, that every intelligent and Apollos water, but God giveth creature, in heaven, earth and hell, the increase." "Not that we are is under obligation to be holy and sufficient of ourselves, to think any upright and perfectly benevolent. thing, as of ourselves; but our suf- And since Christ, and the gospel ficiency is of God." It is clearly of his grace, are revealed from hearevident from the text, and from en, pointing out the way of salvamany passages of scripture, that it tion by the blood of atonement ;is by the mighty power of the Holy surely, mankind are under all posSpirit on the hearts of sinful men,sible obligation to repent and bethat they are disposed to labour for|lieve the gospel," and to walk in Rea |
