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which now worketh in the children of disobedience."* We may perceive the same principle at work in the natural enmity of the heart to the followers of Christ, and the incessant malignity with which tongues, pens, and influence are employed against the cause of God. Thus are the scriptural characters of the Evil principle illustrated and sustained-as the "Prince and the God of this world,"-" the father of lies."-" that old serpent which deceiveth the whole world. "‡

In the church of Christ--this restless enemy works his artful leaven with "all the deceivableness of unrighteousness," covering his spiritual wiles with some new and pleasing doctrines, adapted to the taste of the times; thus poisoning the bread of life by the adulteration of man's devices. His subtlety is peculiarly marked in the accommodation of the forms of deception to the different temperaments of his victims. Carnal security suits with the world, and succeeds to the utmost of his desires in keeping "his goods in peace." But such schemes would fail of their purpose under a nominal recognition of serious religion. For the church, therefore, he exhibits the attractive idol of self-righteousness; or, that most inveterate form of antichrist, the dependence on the profession of a pure doctrine--thus "transforming. himself into an angel of light."§

The apostle intimates, that the general symptoms of ministerial ineffectiveness may be traced to this source. And indeed we are at no loss to discover his active influence in every point of detail. The simple explanation of the growth of the tares among

* Eph. ii. 2. † Comp. Gen. iii. 15. Rev. xii. 17.
John xii. 31. 2 Cor. iv. 4 John viii 44. Rev. xii. 9.
§ 2 Cor. xi. 14.
1 Thess. iii. 5.

The the whole is "An enemy hath done this."* serpent that beguiled Eve through his subtlety" still "corrupts" the minds of the weak and the sincere "from the simplicity that is in Christ." The Ministerial hindrances from divisions and want of love among Christian professors--the successful opposition that has sometimes been made to schemes of Ministerial usefulness-are traced to the secret

operation of the same active cause.§ The hypocrisy of professors within the church||-or their apostacy from her communion; all the successive vicissitudes of her history, all the drawbacks to the full energies of the Christian Ministry, flow from this "fountain" of evil, which is continually "sending forth bitter waters."

Individual experience discloses the constant exercise of the same active principle. To this source the Christian traces his subtle workings of unbelief**. the wanderings of his heart in prayer+t-his occasional indulgence of self-confidence, spiritual pride,§§ and worldliness | |--the injection of blasphemous thoughts ¶¶ --the power of evil tempers***—and the general commission of sint-all which are positive hindrances, according to their prevalency, to the holy and blessed influence of the Gospel Ministration. The state of the world, therefore, within the sphere of the Christian ministry, exhibits the appalling conflict between the powers of darkness and light--" the god of this world blinding the eyes of them that believe not"--while the ministry of the gospel exhibits "Christ Jesus the

Matt. xiii. 24-28.
§ 1 Thess. ii. 18.
** Gen. iii. 1-3.
§§ 2 Cor. xii. 7.

† 2 Cor. xi. 3.

† Ibid. ii. 10. || Acts v. 1-5. ¶ Luke xxii. 3. Rev. xii. 3, 4. †† Job i. 6. ‡‡ 1 Chron. xxi. 1. Luke xxii. 31. Matt. xxi. 23. ¶¶ Eph vi. 16. ttt 1 John iii. 8.

*** Eph. iv. 27.

Lord" as the medium, by which "God, who commandeth the light to shine out of darkness, shines into the hearts" of his people with the revelation of his "glory in the face of Jesus Christ."* And thus, while the active agency of the Evil Spirit, by his direct influence, and mediate instrumental operation,† is counteracting the direct progress of our Ministry, we may be said indeed to "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, again the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."‡

CHAPTER V.

LOCAL HINDRANCES TO MINISTERIAL SUCCESS.

We have already incidentally glanced at some of the main drawbacks upon the Christian Ministry, and others in a more minute detail will hereafter come under consideration. Our present business is with those impediments to the effectiveness of the Ministry, that depend not so much upon the personal or official character of the Minister, as upon extrinsic causes, connected with the circumstances of his individual sphere. Thus a town presents many hindrances to Ministerial efficiency, which in the same degree do not belong to the superintendence of a country parish. There is often the moral impossibility of penetrating the dense mass of the population, and of insulating the several component parts, so as to bring them

* 2 Cor. iv. 6.

† Homines instrumentaliter, mundus materialiter, Satanas officienter. Sclater on 1 Thess. iii. 5. Eph. vi. 12.

under the direct power of the Public or Pastoral Ministration. Hence there is a want of close dealing with individual consciences, and of that personal application of the word to the heart, which is so powerfully effective for the great purposes of the Pulpit Ministry. The course also of public instruction is necessarily of a more general complexion. The exercises of the Minister's experience may indeed give an individual caste to its character; but the want of particular acquaintance with his people must be attended with a proportioned want of adaptation of his Ministry to the specialities of their respective cases. There are also local habits, which tend materially to counteract the direct power of the Ministry. Large congregated bodies, (as in manufacturing districts) are in ordinary cases most corrupting pests"hand joining in hand" and " every man helping his neighbour" in the way of sin, and saying to his brother-"Be of good courage."* There are also hindrances of a local character connected with the constitution of the Ministry. A co-partnership in the sacred work often excites most painfully the Corinthian heresy of a party spirit among the people.— Mutual jealousies are fomented (which it is well if they do not reach the bosom of the labourers themselves)-men" are puffed up for one against another" -they learn to "glory in men”—and with all the high advantages of the most spiritual Ministration, their Ministers are constrained still to " speak unto them" not as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ " walking as men." The rise and progress of various heresies may also be

*Isaiah xli. 6.

See 1 Cor. i. iii. iv.

strengthened by local combinations not immediately under Ministerial controul. The want of insight into the real state of the several departments of the flock in an extensive sphere, gives occasion for the watchful enemy to cast in his leaven, which, with a deadly influence, threatens "to leaven the whole lump." The Ministration of some of the most eminent servants of God* have suffered severely from this source It was probably as needful a trial of faith, patience, and humility in the midst of their successful energy, as was "the thorn in the flesh" to the great Apostle, to save him from the impending danger of being "exalted above measure."†

Other hindrances also of this local character belong more immediately to the Ministry of the Establishment, and often act unfavourably even upon faithful and laborious exertions. The ground may have been pre-occupied by one or more of the organized systems of dissent, recognizing the grand principles of the Gospel, but under a form in many particulars opposed to the frame-work of our own system. This, under the most favourable circumstances, must be regarded as an evil. The want of Christian unity, diminishes proportionably from the native power of the Gospel. Even if the respective Ministers are men of forbearance and brotherly love, and in the true spirit of their commission laying far more stress upon their points of agreement than upon their points of dif ference-it is not likely that the same spirit should universally spread through their congregations; and

* Cecil's Life of Cadogan, (Works i. 252.) Vaughan's Life of Robinson, pp. 188-195. † 2 Cor. xii. 7. See some valuable remarks on this subject by Mr. Budd, in his work on Baptism, pp. 282, 283.

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