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successful in my work.'* How affecting is the thought, that our Ministry hardens and kills, as well as softens and quickens; that we are set, like our Divine Master, "for the fall and rising again of many in Israel." To the one we are "the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life." It was the recollection of this fearful responsibility, that forced from the Apostle the exclamation, (and what serious Christian Minister but sympathizes in the burden?) "Who is sufficient for these things ?"+ Who that has not realized the terrors of hell, and the glories of heaven, can be duly furnished for a work so deeply connected with the eternal world?

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Then there are the difficulties with the world, from which unfaithfulness to our Master furnishes the only way of escape." The subject-matter of our commission is not speculation, such as furnishes food for intellectual interest or disputation it is truth, that comes into immediate contact with latent and deeprooted prejudices. The strongest feelings of a proud and corrupted nature are brought into constant play against us and our unwelcome tale; so that we "become the enemy," instead of the friend, of our fellow-sinners, because we tell them the truth. The sacrifices which we call them to make of the cherished objects of misplaced affections; the exhibition which we set before them of heavenly pleasures, (which, though far nobler in their character, and more permanent in their enjoyment, are most distasteful to the

* Brown's Life and Remains, p. 18.

† Luke ii. 34. 2 Cor. ii. 16.-Luther entered deeply into the feelings of the Apostle when he said, 'Etsi jam senex, et in concionando exercitus sum, tamen timeo, quoties suggestum Gal. iv. 16.

conscendo.'

natural mind,) the certain prospects of the endurance of reproach in the service of the Gospel-these are component parts of our commission, which even from the voice of the most alluring charmer, excite the enmity of the carnal mind to our message, and to the messenger for his work's sake.* Does our personal experience furnish us with no recollections of the mighty influence of this innate indisposition to the Gospel, and of the peculiar wisdom, patience, and faithfulness needed for the work of its subjugation?

Sometimes, however, the difficulties from the world are of a different character. Some of us, from adventitious accomplishments, may be to the world "as a lovely song of one that playeth well upon an instrument." The enmity of the world, though not radically subdued, may be restrained, and even clothed with much of outward courtesy. The difficulty of faithfulness is much aggravated by these circumstances. To meet it with gontlonose, and yet to detect and uncover the evil, requires a rare combination of firmness, wisdom, and consideration. To risk the almost certain consequence of a change of feeling towards us, requires the exercise of much prayer and faith. The kindness of the world is far more formidable than its enmity. Many, who would have been ready to stem the torrent of its opposition, have yielded with compromising indulgence to its paralyzing kindness.

These difficulties however, arising from exterior sources, great as they confessedly are, will bear no comparison with others that yet remain to be mentioned; those that derive their origin and power

* Rom. viii. 7. John iii. 19, 20, with 1 Kings xxii. 8. Prædicare nihil aliud est, quam derivare in se furorem mundi. Luther.

from ourselves.

"When a Minister, deeply impressed with the important difficulty of his work, looks into his own heart, to explore the resources with which he is furnished for so difficult a service, there, alas! he meets with little that does not serve to increase his sense of weakness, and to confirm his fears. For it must be remembered, that he is a man of like passions with his flock, inheriting a body of corruption ;-that he is perhaps deficient in ability-perhaps unfortunate in the natural constitution of his mind-that at all events he has to struggle with infirmities, is exposed to temptations, has more to accomplish than others, as well as greater difficulties to surmount; and that, whilst more will be expected from him, in himself he may have no resources above those of his congregation."*

The spiritual character of our employment no more protects us from the excitement of internal corruption -the unfavourable influence of external associations-or the restless and subtle activity of the tempter, than occupations of a character wholly secular. Indeed, many circumstances connected with the Ministry have a peculiar tendency to excite the rising of corruption. Our office obliges us to labour, when our hearts are in a cold and languid state. Hence the danger, lest the powerful energy of the word should be weakened in its application to ourselves, lest we should gradually lose our relish for our work, excuse ourselves from its self-denying exercises, and sink into heartless despondency. A course of opposition also to our message, if it be not met in the spirit of meekness, will stir up a spirit not of the Gospel. Popularity is yet more

* Venn's Sermons, vol. i. p. 9.

dangerous. Few have escaped its influence unhurt; and that only by such exercises of painful conflict as have shewn their deliverances from this fiery trial to be nearly miraculous. Favourable symptoms of success, unless tempered with personal abasement and habitual watchfulness, exhibit the baneful principle of self-confidence. The want of these tokens, on the other hand, is too often accompanied with impatience, fretfulness, or despondency: so that, assaulted as we are at the extreme points, and from opposite directions, we need "the armour of righteousness on the right-hand and on the left." The following extract from the diary of a late excellent Minister, will give a graphical delineation of these exercises, familiar to many of us in the private walk of Ministerial experience. 'I almost constantly find the following temptations, the one or the other, assaulting me in the discharge of my office as a Minister. 1st. If I think that I am unsuccessful, I am in danger, through an unbelieving despondency, of being discouraged, of becoming remiss, and cold, and more indifferent respecting the success of my Ministry. Though this should have a quite contrary effect, yet this is the use which the devil and my own corruptions try to make of it. 2dly. If I am, or think I am, successful, this also hath a tendency to take me off my guard, and to make me less careful in watching against sin, and in mortifying universally its whole body. Spiritual pride, I suppose, comes in through my success and applause, by drawing a favourable comparison between me and others, as if I were better than they. And in proportion to my want of constant thoughts of my own vileness in the sight of God, and to the good opinion I have of myself, is always my remissness, and

want of vigilance and exertion to press forward. I see now the wisdom of the caution which the Apostle gives to Timothy, not to admit a novice, one who hath but little experience of the workings and deceit of sin, and hath made but little progress in the ways of God -not to admit such into the office of the Ministry, "lest he should be lifted up with pride, and fall into the condemnation of the devil." The Apostle himself was not without some danger from this quarter, 2 Cor. xii. Considering the greatness of my danger, how should I "work out my salvation with fear and trembling!" None but the Lord can keep me.'*

Perhaps many of us may have entered upon this work with no other anticipation of its difficulties beyond the conscientious discharge of its official duties. And it is this want of acquaintance with the real difficulties connected with every part of the function, that, by exciting self-confidence, is one main cause of its unfruitfulness. None of us will find this " 'pleasure of the Lord to prosper in our hands," except every effort is grounded upon the practical conviction that no strength but the arm

*Life of Rev. T. Charles, of Bala, pp. 133, 134. From the diary of Mr. Shepard, of New-England, author of several searching treatises upon experimental divinity, a parallel to the above is extracted, as marking the uniform character of Ministerial temptation. I saw on the Sabbath four evils which attend me in my Ministry. First, either the devil treads me down by discouragement and shame; from the sense of the meanness of what I have provided in private meditations. Or, secondly, carelessness possesses me; arising because I have done well, and been enlarged, and been respected formerly; hence it is not such great matter, though I be not always alike. Thirdly, infirmities and weakness, as want of light, want of life, want of a spirit of power to deliver what I am affected with for Christ; and hence I saw many souls not set forward, nor God felt in my Ministry. Fourthly, want of success, when I have done my best.' Math. New-England, book iii. p. 91.