things are not expedient." He would not eat the flesh, nor drink the wine offered in oblation on heathen altars, no, not "while the world standeth," if" it caused his brother to offend.” 'There is no part of a minister's example that may be deemed unimportant, which seriously affects the interests of religion in the world. We may think little of these things abstractly; but they are of great moment in their bearing upon the cause of God. Men may be fatally led astray by the wrong impressions they receive from the heedless and untender walk of Christian ministers. We may sometimes complain of restricted influence, when the fault is our own. If all the disciples of Christ ought to be "living epistles, known and read of all men," much more his ministers. We depreciate this method of teaching. Men are not to be instructed by records and proofs merely; they reject the divine testimony even when it is spread before their minds. But there is one species of evidence which they find it hard to resist; it is the consistent example of its ministers. There is no preaching like a holy life. It is a death-blow to the Church of Rome, that so many of its ministers are ungodly and wicked men. No church can prosper without an exemplary ministry. Mitred heads and apostolical succession, are little matters compared with "the things that are of good report."

We are humbled in view of some of the thoughts we have suggested, and therefore dwell on them perhaps to the weariness of our readers. It is not enough for ministers to be men of piety; it must be a piety that lives, and acts itself out. Preaching is not piety. Men will not give the pulpit credit for a religion which it does not exemplify;-nor ought they to do so. It is not the eloquence of the pulpit alone that they look for. It is the silent eloquence of a heavenly example. The short epitaph inscribed by Nazianzen on the tomb of Basil, was, "His words were thunder, his life lightning." Where the life of a minister is conformed to the law of God, and illustrates the power of his Gospel ;--where the truth of Christ shines out in the walk and conversation;—where the whole testimony which a minister bears is in favor of the Gospel he preaches, and no part of it is arrayed against another part, but all bears the same witness;—it is not easily denied. The pulpit needs no more efficiency than that which, under the favor of its great Author, it possesses the means of exerting. Let it faithfully apply itself to these, and it lives only to bless the world. Its light is destined to shine not more in acts of splendid brilliancy, than in that steady uniform brightness, whith is lighted at the altar which is within the veil.

CHAPTER XV11.

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MINISTERS.

THE true influence of the pulpit will be found to be intimately connected with deep impressions of responsibility on the part of those who occupy it. Every thing that has been suggested in the preceding pages, is fitted to enforce this solemn thought. Nor is it one which the ministers of the Gospel can ever feel too deeply. The office they bear, the Master they serve, the interests committed to them, and the influence and power they exert, throw upon them a burden of responsibility which is borne by no other class of men, and will render their account at the bar of the Supreme Judge, solemn beyond any thing which the tongue of mortals can utter. It were no marvel if a deep sense of this responsibility should have deterred many a man from entering the desk, and made more tremble who have ventured to enter it, and have occupied it long. It is a responsibility which diminishes not with growing years; and which, could the whole

extent of it have been anticipated, would have presented an affecting, if not a fearful view to many a youthful aspirant for the sacred office.

There is responsibility in being clothed with an immortal existence; and in being gifted with powers and faculties of doing good in the humblest sphere. There is responsibility in the successful cultivation of those faculties and powers, by familiarity with the works, and providence, and truth of God, and in the communicated grace that calls the foreigner and exile into the divine family, and gives him a name better than that of sons and of daughters. But how is this responsibility enhanced, when to all these is added the call of Heaven to a work of which the holiest are unworthy, and Heaven's investiture with an office which might well constrain a seraph to exclaim, "Who is sufficient for these things?" Which of us who serves at the tabernacle, is awake to just apprehensions of this single thought! What a trust is this ministry! How solemn the account which must be given for it! If ministers remind others of their responsibility, may they not, in their turn, be also reminded of theirs? If they charge home their accountableness upon men of station and wealth; men of lofty calling, high associations, commanding authority, and controlling influence; shall not the solemn charge be brought home to

their own bosoms, who stand before their fellow-men as God's ambassadors, and in his name show them the way of life? But for him who has called us, and whose call we may not disregard; but for his grace that is sufficient for us, and his strength that is made perfect in human weakness; the office of a Gospel minister would be too heavy to be borne. God grant, that none of us may find to our cost that we had better have been any thing else ;—that it had been better for us to have been intrusted with the two talents, rather than the five;-better for us to have exchanged our responsibility even with the wicked and slothful servant, who hid his talent in the earth, because it is the one talent only for which he is responsible! Better, far better, to be the humble and unnoticed door-keeper in God's house, than to have occupied the most enviable pulpit in the land, either for selfish and vile ends, or not to have occupied it with honesty, care, and pains.

There is nothing which Christ's ministers are called upon to watch over more cautiously, to cultivate more assiduously, and to exert more wisely and benevolently, than the power of the pulpit. What effort, what study, what prayer;-what faithfulness, what devotement to God and their work ;-unwearied, repeated often, and repeated long and undiscouraged,