yet unreconciled to God, and the edification of every one who sustains the hopes of a reconciled believer; a purpose to seek the salvation of every individual among them, whether affluent or destitute, whether learned or ignorant, whether correct or erroneous in belief, whether hardened or humble in spirit, whatever be his condition here, or to human view his prospects for eternity. With a charity that is without partiality and without hypocrisy, and full of heavenly fruit, he is to bind his heart to every individual of them, as being one of the lost children of Adam, infinitely needing an interest in the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with the eternal glory, and try, by every method of love, to lead him to the heavenly Shepherd of souls.

But how shall the minister who enters with his heart into this design of benevolence, attempt to accomplish it? With this inquiry before us, I proceed to examine;

II. The means by which he should endeavor, if possible, to accomplish the design. And here, so far as the conduct of his ministrations is concerned, the means adopted by the apostle, require his faithful attention: "whom we preachwarning every man and teaching every man-in all wisdom."

The minister bent on the accomplishment of so merciful a design, must, like Paul, preach Christ. The mediation of the Lord Jesus, as it is exhibited in the gospel, is the grand expedient which God has adopted to recover lost men to his favor and his holy kingdom. His death on the cross, considered in its connection with the constitution of his person, and in its relation to the moral government of God over us, accompanied with those other acts in which he engages on the throne of heaven in behalf of sinners returning to God, shows us what Christ is; and arrays before us that atonement which reconciles God to us, and that infinite compassion which moves us to return; and from Christ, a renovated world derives its being, its breath, its life. Though every doctrine and precept of revelation has such a connection with the designs of Christ, as that, allowing the existence of his mediation, it were necessary to exhibit it in order to preach Christ faithfully, and nothing can be kept back of the whole revealed counsel of God, because all is obligatory and profitable: yet, destitute of his mediation, the whole were a dead letter, unable to effect a reconciliation between God and man, or break down the empire of sin in any soul; and it is his mediation in subservience to which they are now preached, and he himself is to

to be preached as the great theme of Christianity, as the grand fountain of light and of life to the world: he, the crucified Lamb of God; the ascended Advocate of his people; the royal King of Zion, subduing by his glorious beauties the hearts of the people to his love; from whom proceeds the influence that converts the erring, melts the stubborn, sanctifies the unholy, and keeps the believer, with mighty power, in the way to salvation.

Further The minister in endeavoring to effect such a purpose, must apply his instructions to every one of his people; "warning every man and teaching every man." No one, whom in public he addresses on the truths of the gospel, should he fail to reach with the pointed force of his applications to the judgment, to the conscience, to the heart; but endeavor to rouse up every individual mind to its spiritual concerns, with all the impassioned love that is awakened in him while he connects the destinies of every one with the final appearing of Jesus Christ. Nor should he fail, in selecting subjects out of the rich store-house of the divine word, to bring to the sanctuary, in due season, a portion for all, in order to reach, if possible, with the salutary influence of the gospel, every case of ignorance, error, sin, unbelief, prejudice, which may be a barrier in the way of the salvation

of any hearer. On this same distinct errand of love, he will meet them, likewise, in private, and give them the particular warnings and instructions, which are more appropriate to them as individuals, which are distilled on the ear of private confidence, and which gain on the heart by the silent force of love; and endeavor to reclaim, to restore, to strengthen, to confirm, to advance, accordingly as the spiritual state of each may require, in relation to his appearing at last before the Son of Man.

Still further: The minister should endeavor to accomplish such a design of mercy, by conducting his ministrations, like Paul, "in all wisdom." Though, as an ambassador for Christ, he has received the grand outlines of his instructions, which he must not fail to communicate, and from which he is never to swerve; yet there is much room left for wisdom in the manner of conducting his embassy. He must so adapt his instructions to the varied circumstances of his people, as to unbiassed judgment (and for such a judgment he must crave, of God who giveth liberally, the wisdom which is from above) appears most conducive to their spiritual interests: as Paul, when preaching Christ to the Jews, approached their minds through the revelation of the prophets; and when, to the Athenians, through the first principles of natural religion,

evinced by the works of creation; becoming "to the Jews, as a Jew, that he might gain the Jews; to them that are without law, as without law, that he might gain them that are without law; to the weak, as weak, that he might gain the weak; made all things to all men, that he might, by all means, save some." On the one hand, he should avoid every thing, in the manner of conducting his ministry, that would excite a needless prejudice in any of their minds, and place a barrier between the influence of his ministry and their salvation; and on the other, by a wise adaptation of truth to their various circumstances, extend, as far as possible, the positive influence of it to every soul: being pa tient toward all; warning some, comforting others; rebuking with all long suffering the hardened, and meekly instructing those who oppose themselves; of some, having compassion and using sharp remedies with others; making a prudent difference, that through the various tempers and states of his people, his grand design of love in the ministry, may flow, unobstructed, to their hearts, with a healing and sanctifying vigor.

With this view of the purpose to be cherished by the minister of the gospel in regard to his people, and the means by which he should endeavor, if possible to accomplish it, I proceed, as was proposed, to exhibit;