weary of the Sabbath, and give themselves to vice and folly. In his high and holy calling he may labor from year to year, and yet see those, for whom he watches and prays, neglecting the great salvation. He may cry to Him, with whom is the residue of the Spirit, while no Spirit comes down, no rain or dew descends. And his own soul may feel the horrors of a spiritual drought.

Or if the mercy of God should preserve a minister from these afflictions, he may have to encounter others. His heart may be grieved to find the want of union and coöperation among those who sustain the sacred office, and to see, in consequence, how little can be done to check the career of iniquity and error, and promote the cause of learning and religion. Or he may have domestic affliction. It may be his sorrowful lot to see a pious partner expire, and find himself a solitary mourner; or to see children grow up in disobedience, or die in sin. Distressing pain, or lingering sickness may befall him. And he may begin to find that the vigor of his health and spirits is breaking, and the end of his usefulness drawing nigh.

Now whatever trials may be allotted to a faithful minister, it will be of great use to him, to look forward to the day of account. It will afford him no slender support, to fix his thoughts upon a time, when all his sorrows will be ended, and when he will know by experience what is that exceeding great and eternal weight of glory, which his trials have been working out for him. With such an expectation, he will regard every affliction as light and transient. Devout anticipation of the last day, and of its glorious transactions, will strengthen his heart and prompt him to diligence in duty, and diligence in duty is one of the best supports and comforts for a day of adversity. It keeps him near the God of all grace and comfort, and gives peace which the world cannot give.

Let me add, that the contemplation of a day of such solemn import, and of business so incomparably interesting to every immortal soul, and so immediately connected with an eternity of bliss or wo, must take such hold on the heart of a minister, as in a great measure to contravene the unhappy effects of adversity;

must impress on him the character of fortitude not to be subdued, and of tranquillity not to be ruffled; must preserve him from impatience and fainting in the day of trouble, and open to him sources of comfort forever inaccessible to the worldly mind.

MY DEAR BROTHER,

I have confidence in you, that through the grace of Christ, you will watch for souls as one who must give account. The day of judgment is to be solemnly remembered. Better be anything than a minister, if you forget it. The remembrance is to have an influence upon all parts of your life; upon your studies, your secret devotion, your public ministrations, and your pastoral visits. In cases of doubt and difficulty, lift up your eyes to your Lord and Saviour, just ready to come to judgment, and ask yourself, what will appear best, when reviewed before his tribunal; and how you shall dispose of your difficulties, and regulate your conduct, so that you may be prepared to give up your account.

I hope, that neither youth, nor health, nor the affection of this beloved society, nor any of the pleasing circumstances of your situation, will lead you to view the day of account as far distant. It will be present; and you will ere long look upon it as past. Your venerable predecessor could tell you, how short was the interval between the beginning and the end of his ministry. He had his day of ordination. He preached the unsearchable riches of Christ, counselled sinners, comforted believers, visited the sick and dying, endured affliction, and finished his work. You are commencing the same course, and in all probability, the days of your ministry will as soon be ended. The Lord grant that the period of your ministry may be long. But the longest is short. You will soon stand, with your fathers and brethren, before the Judge of the world, to give account of your stewardship. The event is so certain and so near, that I seem to see it already come. you looking up with a countenance full of joy, to behold your glorious Redeemer on the throne of judgment.

I see

You turn your

mortal state your

your

child

thoughts back the scenes of upon hood and youth—the season of your education—the years you

spent in our beloved Seminary-the day of your induction into the holy ministry-the truths inculcated and the prayers offered up on that solemn occasion. In the clear light of this day of glory, you look back upon your ministry. Say now, did you feel too seriously the magnitude of the sacred office? Did you devote yourself too exclusively to the great end of your ministry? Did you love the children of God with too much tenderness; or labor, with excessive solicitude, for the salvation of sinners? Did the cause of Christ lie too near your heart? Or did you keep your eye upon it too steadily? Did you preach too affectionately, or too faithfully? Did you pray with too much fervor? Did you make it a subject of too deep concern, how you should live, and how you should die? Did you think too much of this day of account? Has it not arrived as soon, and is not its importance as great, as you expected? And did you ever set too high a price upon the approbation of your Saviour and Judge, or upon this redeemed, spotless church, now presented before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy?

BRETHREN AND FRIENDS OF THIS SOCIETY,

You too are going to judgment. The time is as important, and as near to you, as to your minister. And it is as important both to him and to you, as though it were now present. When you witness its transactions, and bear a part in them, eternal happiness will be as dear to you, and endless misery as dreadful, as they would be, if you were now listening to the last sentence of your Judge. Regard then, the day of God, so long desired by the saints and so dreadful to sinners, as a present reality-as actually come; and looking back from this scene of ineffable solemnity, say did your ministers ever paint in too strong colors the evil of sin, the vanity of the world, or the dreadfulness of endless punishment? Did they ever urge you too earnestly to repent, and prepare to meet your God? Did you offer up too many prayers for your minister, or for the church? Did you strive too earnestly to enter in at the strait gate? Do you regret it now, that you forsook all for Christ, or did so much for his cause?

Where now, Oh ye children of God, where now are those worldly attachments and cares which hindered your growth in grace, and kept you poor, when all the riches of Christ were before you? Where, now, Oh sinners, are those days of mercy you once enjoyed? And where are those shadows of time, for which you turned away from the Saviour, and despised the joys of his king

dom?

A SERMON

DELIVERED IN THE SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH IN BOSTON, OCT. 28, 1821, AT THE ORDINATION OF REV. ALVA WOODS, D. D.

1 COR., PARTS OF CHAP. XII.—Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God who worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one man is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom;to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy. But all these work

eth that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?— And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee; nor again the head to the feet I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

WHEREVER the author of this Epistle went, he found nothing so active in withstanding the influence of the Christian religion, or in marring its divine form, as the selfishness of the heart. Even those who professed to love God supremely, and their neighbors as themselves, showed frequently, that they were still chargeable with the spirit of pride and emulation, and needed the purifying