but acceptable words; such as shall fasten upon the conscience and upon the heart; such as shall affect your own conscience, and lodge in the consciences of your people. But in order to this you must "meditate on these things, and give yourself wholly to them." The angels are represented as being in the attitude of study, that they may know something of the mystery of redemption. hence he sought out acceptable | depths beyond his reach, then words, even words of truth. "The meditate upon divine truth. words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the mas. ters of assemblies." These are the words that will do good. My brother, do not study fine words," Which things," says the apostle, "the angels desire to look into. If then the highest orders of beings desire to look into them, it implies that there are great depths in the work of redemption. Mix faith with what you read, and there is no subject in all God's works like this. To meditate on this is the work of the blessed To meditate, &c. supposes that above. And it is beginning the there are great depths in the gos-work of heaven to begin to medi pel,-in the things of God. This tate on these things here in this is everlasting; it is ever-during world. Then meditate on these truth. The gospel is the wisdom things. of God, and the power of God. Here is great scope for you to meditate. We may read the scriptures a hundred times, and yet be on the surface of its contents. It is by meditation that we dig into these mines of truth. Never imagine that you have fathomed the subject; that you know all the truth: there will always be depths beyond your discovery. It hath often been pleasing to me, that after I have thought the most upon a subject, some one of my brethren takes a new view of it. I have been ready to say, Ah! I never thought of that. Then meditate still. Never say, "I have meditated on that subject." ditate upon it again. 2. Not only "Meditate," but "Give thyself wholly to these things." Why are we exempted from the avocations of life? Why is it that they who preach the gospel must not be entangled with the things of this world? Why is it that they who preach the gospel are to live of the gospel? It is not that we should spend our time in idle gossipping, in saying How do you do? &c.; but that we may give ourselves wholly to the work of the ministry, to meditation and prayer. Industry in mental and spiritual concerns is of the first imMe-portance to a christian minister. To feel at home in the study; to feel that when you are interrupted, it is an interruption in your work; this is to exemplify what is here taught, "Give thyself wholly to these things." Paul speaks as if he had every thing to learn, when he had been years in the work. Hence his language, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection!". It seems as if this language would have fitted his lips when he first set out in the work; but we find it fitted his lips till he became hoary in the Lord's service. If Paul found there were This is a work that is enough for a mind of the greatest strength. It is work that filled a Saviour's hands. It is not a light work; it merits all your care. I grant that many who sustain this character seem to have but little to do. They seem to be sauntering from place to place, from one end of the week to the other. It is not, however, because they have nothing to do, but because they have no heart for it. Such a man had better pursue any vocation than that of the ministry: he had better be any thing than stand up to preach the gospel, unless he can give his whole heart to it. It is giving himself wholly to this work, that will be the great preservative against temptations. If we be idle, we shall find temptations enough to lead us from the paths of purity. But to give ourselves wholly to these things, will be the great preservative against these evils. to others, unless they are prefaced by example. Watch over your own spirit. Be concerned to walk with God, or you will not feel that zeal which it is necessary to feel in the discharge of your work. The people expect that you should be alive. But if you walk not with God, that zeal, that love, that ardour you discover, must all be put on. And what an awful thing that is! This is hypocrisy! My brother, take heed to thyself. Neglect not private prayer. This is the means by which the lamp is filled. The lamp must be filled, or you will not make manifest the truth. O take heed to thyself. How can you recommend the Saviour to others, unless you are in the habit of committing your own soul to him. But if you are in the habit of doing this daily, then you can say, That which we have handled and felt of the good word of life, that declare we unto you, that ye may have fellowship with us. Some read these words, "Meditate on these things, and be thou in them." Which intimates not only that the whole time, but that the whole heart must be in them. It is dreadful work to be engaged in the ministry if the Do not barely watch your heart is not in it. To deliver a behaviour and conversation. sermon or two on a Lord's-day There is such a thing as being from habit, is very easy; but not prudent and circumspect here; to have the heart engaged in this but if it be not accompanied with work is shocking. You had bet- a watchfulness of the heart in ter do any thing than be a minis-private, according to that advice, ter, if your heart is not engaged in it. Then meditate on these things, and give thyself wholly to them. 3. "Take heed unto thyself." It is not unusual for the apostle to begin with this exhortation. It was thus when he addressed himself to the elders of the church at Ephesus. "Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost," &c. Acts xx. 28. It is but to little purpose to watch the souls of others, if we neglect our own. There is but little ground to hope that our counsels will be of use Keep thy heart with all diligence," it will only be a guise of hypocrisy, which will be seen through; or if men see it not, remember God does. Take heed then to thyself. Look to your heart, to your motives, to the state of your soul before God. If all be right with God, it will not be difficult to persevere in your work. If all be right with God, it will not be difficult to preserve all right with your fellow-creatures. This will follow of itself. 4. "Take heed to the doc. trine." It is of great concern that a minister keep to the proper point of evangelical doctrine. We must take heed that we swerve not from the truth. We are in danger of losing the simplicity of the gospel. We may be in dan ger from the authority of great names; or the well-known views of those we preach to. It is a great temptation, "We ought not to displease the people." It is true we ought not to displease them, out of humour; we ought to please every man for his edification. But if the question be whether we shall please men or God, do not hesitate here. Preach the gospel as contained in the scriptures, that you may be able to say, It is possible for a minister not to go into any remarkable errors, and yet all his life he may be on one side of the doctrine of the cross. We may deliver sermons, and deliver them well; and yet they may have very little of the savour of Christ in them. The leading theme should be the doctrine of the cross. Otherwise it is like a speech uttered by a bad character unto them that are the sons of the most high God. all we preach have some relation to the cross. 5. Not only Meditate upon them, but "Continue in them." There is enough in the gospel to last your whole life. It is an awful thing when a man sets out well, but ends ill; to set out well, but before he finishes for all to be covered with a cloud. Then not only meditate upon them, but continue in them. II. Consider the MOTIVES by which this stands enforced. Motive 1. By meditating on these things, &c. thy profiting will appear to all. God's gifts will grow; they will grow in grace and acceptableness. It is pleasing to see in a minister a growth. You pray that your people may profit, but that is not likely to be the case unless you grow. If your heart is in these things, then your profiting will appear. Many ministers are stationary through life; they seem to make no progress. Their hearts are no more imbued with the gospel than at first, perhaps not so much. Their youthful zeal has expired, and how do they appear? Do you give yourself wholly to these things, that your profiting may appear to all. There is room for growing; and the longer you continue in the work, the more you may grow. Those who thus grow, when vivacity fails, will yet bring forth the fruits of meekness and wisdom. It is of importance that every sermon have something of the doctrine of the cross in it. For it may be a stranger comes in to hear us, but there is nothing that is suited to his state and condition. Suppose the day of judg- There was a man that said, ment comes. This stranger is when hoary locks covered his interrogated, "Do you know no-head, "I have fought a good thing of the way of salvation by fight, I have finished my course: Jesus Christ?" He replies, "No. henceforth there is laid up for I went once to such a place to me a crown of righteousness." hear, but the subject that morning did not relate to Christ, and so I am lost, for ever lost." Let Do you think that this great man declined when youthful vigour declined? No, he continued to grow even to the last. Do you | gaged for £10,000, which sum is go on to grow that your profiting covenanted to be paid in five may appear unto all. years. To pay off this sum, weekly and monthly subscriptions are already commenced. To encourage contributions towards a chapel at Westminster, it is said, that " on the first Sunday in each month the mass at eleven o'clock, with benediction of the sacrament, is offered up for the bene Motive 2. Your own salvation. "That thou mayest save thyself." | I trust I need not say to you, that you cannot save yourself in one sense. No; this is altogether from the Saviour. Yet you may be active in one part of it. "Save yourselves from this untoward generation." In fleeing to the re-factors of the chapel both living fuge that is set before us, we are active. If in the ministry you faithfully and humbly declare the whole counsel of God, in the spirit that is here described, it will issue in your own salvation. But if you give yourself not wholly to these things, if you cease to continue in them, it may be your own soul may perish for ever. Motive 3. The salvation of others. It is only instrumentally that you can save any. We preach the gospel, but it is the power of God that makes it effectual. Meditate then upon these things; give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all: take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine; continue in them for in doing this, thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. If these considerations do not possess a weight to enforce what hath been said, I know of none that will. Consider what I say, and the Lord give you understanding in all things. Increase of Popery in England. By the "Laity's Directory for 1823," it appears, there are in London and its vicinity twentytwo Roman Catholic chapels; in other parts of England and Wales, eighty-four; and one in Glasgow. The new chapel in Moorfields, called "St. Mary's," is mort and dead." For the Somer's-town chapel, "benediction of the Holy Sacrament on Wednesday's at six in summer, and at five in winter. Every second or last sunday in each indulgence, instead of catechism, the Sodality will join in the office for the dead, which will be followed by prayers in preparation for a happy death." At Liverpool, it is said, "There is no instance in which the rapid increase of those professing the Catholic religion, can induce greater surprise and satisfaction, than in that of the town of Liver pool; it appears that more than thirty-three thousand Catholics are resident therein. The whole number of its inhabitants according to the last census, is 141,487." From this it appears, that nearly one-fourth of the total population of that large commercial town are Papists, confiding in the intercession of the Virgin Mary, and adoring a consecrated wafer. I have no wish that the religi ous liberty of even the professors of such a corrupt christianity should be restrained from professing and propagating their sentiments, but I am exceedingly desirous that their zeal should not outstrip that of Protestants, more especially of Protestant Dissenters! We cannot indeed flatter persons by promising to assist them by our prayers after their deaths, nor to grant them plenary indulgencies and pardons during their lives, if they will con tribute towards building our chapels, or supporting our schools; but we should certainly exert all our energies in “ commanding all men every where to repent" and in directing them to Christ the only sacrifice for sin, and the only intercessor at the right hand of God. Let us preach to them to "turn from these vanities to serve the living God." MR. SCOTT'S COMMENTARY. the late Rev. T. Scott, (ed 1809) over. P.S. If the reader pause at the end of Mark's gospel, and begin Luke Oct. 1st, he will find the above work reach exactly to the 31st of December, with only three sections for the closing day of the year. I can testify, with gratitude to God for the sweet fruits of the revered author's labour, that reading the sacred scripture with the comment daily, on the above plan, is the most delightfully profitable exercise I ever engaged in. The connection and beauty of divine truth, with the excellent reinarks of the commentator, and the unequalled practical observations on every part, render the Bible daily more and more lovely in my eyes: may your readers try this plan, and I doubt not they will find it so too! It is very easy to mark, with a pen or pencil, the places where each day's reading should begin; this may be found very useful to the careful reader. If the insertion of these hints should promote, in the smallest degree, attention to the sacred word of life, and thereby benefit The New Testament coutains 774 sections of practical obser vations; add to this the introduction to the New Testament, and those to the 27 books of the same, and the whole will be 802 sections, which, if begun on the 7th of September, may be read precious souls, great will be the through, at 7 per day, and the joy of your constant reader, last two or three days of the year will be vacant. Thus may the whole of this laborious work, so full of rich devotional theology, be perused in less than one year. B. H. B. HUMILITY. "HUMILITY is the source of true meekness To be meek towards others we must renounce ourselves. He who despises himself is content to be despised. He who thinks nothing due to him, will not think himself neglected" FENELON. "Whenever I spy a fault in another, I am determined to look for two in myself, aud they will not be far to seek." ADAM. |