Although I lived an abftemious, felf-denying life, yet I had very little happiness, except at thofe times when I felt a degree of willingness to labour in the LORD's vineyard. I have frequently stood aftonished, wept and mourned in fecret before the LORD, and intreated him to fend fome one elfe, that was more fenfible, and better qualified for the work; mentioning fuch and fuch perfons, whom I looked upon to be more fit for the miniftry, than fuch an unworthy, ignorant creature as myself. When on the way to my occafional appointments, I promised the LORD, that if he would attend the Word with great power, I would yield to give up myself to labour for him.

At fuch times I have

feen great difplays of the divine goodness, and finners weeping all around me. And although my mind, at the prefent, would be refolved, yet unbelief again affaulted, and overpowered me.

In the month of March, my conflicts were fo great, that I almost funk under them. My irreligious acquaintance knew not what was the matter with me. Some afked, if I was fick; others would fay behind my back, "He will come to nothing." I believe I went through a more fevere travail of foul, before I fubmitted to be an Itinerant Preacher, than what I endured while feeking for juftifying grace. One day, being almoft weary of life, and under deep dejection, I thought, if the LORD would but manifeft his Will, I would, through grace, obey it, I then kneeled down, and intreated the LORD to make a clear discovery of what he would have me to do. I arofe from my knees, much burdened, and fore diftreffed. I threw myfelf upon the bed, and in two minutes was in a found fleep. I faw in a dream, the Enemy approaching towards me. I likewife thought a good Angel was prefent, who faid to me," Will you go and preach the Gofpel ?" I answered, "I am unworthy; I cannot go." Inftantly the enemy laid hold of my hand, and I began to ftruggle to get from him. I faw but one way to escape, and that a very narrow one. The good Angel faid to me again, "There is a difpenfation of the Gofpel committed to you; and woe unto you, if you preach not the Gofpel!" For fome time I ftruggled in vain to get from the Enemy; and at length cried out, "LORD, fend by whom thou wilt; I am willing to go and preach thy Gofpel." When I awoke, the Love of Christ filled my foul, and difpelled every cloud of darknefs and evilreafoning.

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[To be continued.]

Mr.

Mr. BENSON's SERMON.

[Concluded from page 18.]

MARK XVI.

15, 16.

Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gofpel to every creature. He that believeth, and is baptized, fhall be faved; but he that believeth not, fhall be dainned."

11. W

E come now to confider, as was proposed, fecondly, To whom the office of preaching the Gospel belongs ? or, To whom this charge of our LORD is given?

1. Although this command, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gofpel to every creature," was primarily ad dreffed to the Apoftles, as appears from the preceding verfe, yet that it was not confined to them, is evident from divers confiderations. 1ft. Our Lord had before this fent out feventy, (Luke x. 1.) making, at the fame time, this remarka. ble obfervation, "The harveft is great, and the labourers are few ;" and exhorting them to pray "the LORD of the harveft to fend forth labourers into his harvest." Now thefe feventy he certainly never afterwards prohibited from preaching. 2dly, Some of the deacons, chofen merely to a temporal office, fuch as Stephen and Philip, preached frequently, and no doubt, were countenanced by the LORD in fo doing. Acts vi. 8. viii. 5. 3dly, Many of the members of the church of Jerufalem fcattered abroad through the regions of Judea and Samaria, by the great perfecution raifed against them after the death of Stephen, went every where, we are informed A&s viii. 4, preaching the word. And that the Apostles were not the perfons meant is certain, for we find them exprefsly excepted verfe 1. Now they are fo far from being cenfured by the Holy Ghoft for this conduct, that this is manifeftly recorded of them to their praife. Hence we find Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Titus, Apollos, and divers others, who were not Apoftles, preaching the Gofpel. And 4thly, that the command was not intended to be confined to that period of time, but was given to all, in every age, that are properly called and qualified, appears from the parallel paffage, Matt. xxviii. 20 where our Lord promifes his prefence to the minifters of his word, to the end of the world.

2. But the great difficulty is, who are thus called and qualified? And yet this point, it appears to me, may be determined by attending fimply to what has already been obferved, with regard to the nature of the Gofpel, and what is implied in preaching it, But before I enter upon this fubject, I must allure my hearers, it is not my intention, in

what

what I fhall advance, to reflect upon the Clergy of the eflablished Church, or thofe of any other denomination of Chriftians, but merely to fhew what warrant we have from Scripture and Reafon, to take upon us the office of preaching the Gofpel, and to lay before this congregation the rules, according to which we proceed, in our choice and appointment of

Preachers.

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3. And first, we have feen above, that to preach the Gofpel, is to teach the many great and important Truths of it. Now fince God is a God of Reafon, and it is certainly unreafonable to fuppofe that a man can teach what he does not know; therefore, in order that a perfon may be qualified for this office, we judge it necessary that he should be acquainted with the nature, variety, and importance of Gofpel-Truths. But this, we believe, no one can be without fupernatural illumination; the Old and the New Teftament agreeing to aflure us, that The things of GOD knoweth no man, but by the Spirit of GOD." Hence, it appears to us abfolutely neceffary, that a man fhould be taught of God, taught by the Spirit as well as the Word of Truth, in order to his being qualified for the office of a Teacher of Chriftianity. Further: Inafmuch as GOD is a Gon of Truth, and requires truth in the inward parts; requires that those who preach in his name fhould do it fincerely; therefore, we confider it as being of equal neceffity and importance that a person fhould firmly believe, or be fully perfuaded of the certainty of divine truths, that he may be qualified and called to teach them. "I have believed, and therefore have I fpoken," faid one. He must believe, and therefore peak. Again: GOD is a SPIRIT, and his word is fpirit, and life, and power, and must be fpoken in "demonitration of the "Spirit and of power;" and from the heart, that it may reach the heart. In order therefore, that a man may be qualified to preach the Gofpel, we believe he ought to have a deep and lively fenfe of the importance of divine truths upon his mind, and that his spirit and behaviour should be duly infiuenced thereby

4. We have obferved, fecondly, that to preach the Gofpel, implies, the making a fincere and free offer of Gofpel Privileges But before a perfon can be qualified to do this, it is requifite that he should know what thefe privileges are, and that he fhould believe them to be free for, and attainable by his hearers. And as this offer is to be made freely, affectionately, and urgently, it is neceffary it fhould be made from Experience. They who preach the Gofpel, and offer its privileges to mankind, fhould firft themfelves have received thofe privileges; at leaft, in part; and fhould have a well grounded and lively hope of obtaining thofe that yes remain. Thus our Lord,

LORD, "We fpeak what we do know, and teftify what we have feen." And thus St. John, and the firft minifters of the word, "What we have feen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye alfo may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift." They, therefore, who have not received thefe privileges; for inftance, who have not obtained remiffion of 'fins, the favour of GoD, and a new and divine nature, are not qualified, and therefore not called to preach the Gospel. In other words, those only are qualified to teach Chrift, who have learned him; and, if we are to believe the declaration of St. Paul, Eph. iv. 20-24, only thofe have learned him, who have "put off the old man, and put on the new, and are renewed in the fpirit of their mind." Hence it pleased 'GoD, as we learn, Gal. i. 16, "to reveal his Son," in Paul, before he 'fent him to "preach among the Gentiles."

5. We have feen 3dly, that another particular implied in preaching the Gofpel, is to enforce the Precepts of it, and that this must be done boldly, plainly and impartially. Now, it is certain only the can do this, who themfelves obey thofe Precepts. For they alone will be able to speak with confidence and courage. It follows from hence, that those who live in known fin of any kind, in difobedience to any of the commands of Chrift, as they are not qualified, so neither are they called to preach the Gofpel. Accordingly, "unto the wicked, God faith, (Pfalm 1. 16, 17.) what haft thou to do to declare my ftatutes, or that thou fhouldeft take my Covenant in thy mouth, feeing thou hateft inftruction, and cafteth my words behind thee." And St. Paul, in the directions which he gives to Timothy and Titus, refpecting the perfons proper to be chofen to the paftoral office, requires, first of all, that they fhould be blameless, viz. at least as to their outward conduct, ftanding at a distance from all known fin, whether of omiffion or of commiffion. All these qualifications are effentially neceffary, and without them, it is abfurd to fuppofe, that any perfon is called of GOD to preach his Gospel.

6. But there are other endowments alfo, which, though fome of them of an inferior nature, are yet not to be overlooked. For inftance, it is to be obferved, that the Preachers. of the Gofpel, are to addrefs rational creatures, poffeffed of Minds to be informed, Judgments to be convinced, Con. fciences to be pierced, Wills to be perfuaded, Fears to be alarmed, Hopes to be excited, Affections to be won; and hence we may infer, that it is neceffary they should be qualified to fpeak in an intelligible, convincing, perfuafive, and XVII. Feb. 1794. affecting

affecting manner, and that therefore they ought to poffefs a degree, at leaft, of elocution, and even of eloquence. Add to this, that as many perfons will, if not ftatedly, yet occafionally hear them, who will be keenly fenfible of any impropriety of language, weaknefs of argument, or mifinterpretation of Scripture, it is, if not abfolutely neceffary, yet very defirable, that they fhould be perfons of good sense, well acquainted with the Scriptures, and with Divinity, and able to fpeak their own language grammatically.

7. It is, however, of much more importance to obferve, that as their fuccefs in their labours, depends entirely on the prefence and bleffing of the LORD JESUS; it is above all neceffary, that they fhould enfure this." Without me." fays the Lord Jefus to all his followers, and especially to the Minifters of his Gofpel, fent forth to enlighten and convert the nations, "ye can do nothing." "We are not fufficient of ourselves," fays St. Paul, "to think any thing as of ourselves, but our fufficiency is of GOD; who hath made us able,' or rather (xavovs) fuitable, fit, or proper,

minifters of the new covenant; n of the Letter, but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life." This one circumftance, that the Preachers of the Gospel are to be Ministers of the Spirit, that they are to communicate, not merely the literal, but alfo the fpiritual and experimental knowledge of the Gofpel, demonftrates that they need, and can do nothing to purpose, without the Lord's prefence and influence. This he hath accordingly promised to all that are called and fent by him, declaring to them, "Lo: I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."

8. Those called and fent by him, I fay; for it is not to be fuppofed that he will be prefent with, or that he will give fuccefs to the labours of thofe he has not called or fent. This leads me to obferve that it is not only neceffary that a Teacher of Chriftianity fhould have the fore-mentioned qualifications, but that he fhould be properly called to the work. Thus the Lord Jefus called the twelve, and the feventy, and afterwards faid," Separate me Barnabas and Saul to the work whereunto I have called them." Hence the Church of England requires the Candidate for Holy Orders, to declare that he trufts he is moved by the Holy Ghoft to "take upon him that office and miniftry." Now though it may not be eafy to define this call, it will be readily allowed, that it muft, at leaft, imply, through the influence of the Holy Ghoft, firft, A fervent Love to fouls, and a deep concern for their Salvation. Secondly, fervent Love to the LORD JESUS, and an earneft defire to advance his honour and in

tereft