live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present world. True converts to the Lord Jesus Christ regard a pompous and blazing profession of great spiritual attainment, as being too much allied to primitive pharisaism, to warrant general confidence. And indeed the going about to tell men we are good and holy is perfectly unnecessary. If we are really so they will not fail to perceive it. "A city set on a hill says our Saviour "cannot be hid." Neither can true and persevering piety be hid.

But if the conduct of men does not correspond with their profession, they must expect, when they tell us what great good they have got, to be asked this shrewd question.-" Why then did you not keep it."

Now I mean to insist upon it, that good effects do follow the labours of superior preachers; and that these good effects are in many instances permanent and extensive. This is particularly the case when the sermons which produced such blessed effects when delivered from the pulpit, are given to the public, through the medium of the press.

The Rev. James Saurin, a very eminent french preacher, was remarkable for extensive popularity and extensive usefulness. His preaching, it is said, resembled a plentiful

shower of dew, softly and imperceptibly insinuating itself into the minds of his numerous hearers, as the dew into the pores of plants, till the whole church was dissolved, and all in tears under his sermons. When this minister was settled at the Hague, he was constantly attended by a crowded and brilliant audience; and the effects of his labours were seen in the holy lives of great numbers of the people.

Again, and again, I say that superior popular ministers are always useful. Suppose a preacher to be remarkable for devoutness and solemnity; he then diffuses a love for the seriousness and becoming gravity of pulpit instruction, and gives a practical rebuke to the levity of careless and trifling hearers.

Suppose another to be popular on account of his beautiful imagery, powers of description, and general elevation of style: this man often brings home the hallowing truths of the gospel to the hearts of men, who receive those truths more readily under this kind of preaching than any other. Another minister shall be admired for his didactic style of preaching, and rendering himself very serviceable in the exposition of the scriptures; judiciously interpreting difficult texts, and dispelling the mists of error and delusion. This man does good by inspir

ing a love for pure truth. Another shall be much followed for a highly impassioned and noble vehemence. This man arouses the dull and torpid, rebukes the sins of the age, and brings many sinners to God.

But truly great is he who possesses all these, and other good qualities, in combination.

Great is the man who can rise or fall with the occasion. Who can preach well and effectually to the learned and to the ignorant. And who can adapt himself to the wholesome, though diversified, tastes of his hearers. Who can with equal ease dispose men to pray, charm them into a practical acknowledgment of the truth, by his powers of imagination and description; shed a light upon scripture difficulties by his correct expositions, or alarm the slumbering sinner by his well-timed thundering. Happy is he who can talk instructively to the man of science, and to the little sunday schollar-who can be profoundly solemn, or innocently familiar in his sermons. Such an one is a great public blessing. He is truly a "light in the world." His congregations, particularly such among them as minister little or nothing to his support, are under great obligations to him. And should his life and labours be protracted to old age, he will be greeted in the hea

venly world, by the grateful plaudits of thousands who were converted and helped to their reward by his valuable and effective ministrations. And whether he be permitted to see any considerable fruit of his labours in this world or not, he will see the fruit of them, to his joy and delight, in the world to come. Thousands of thoughtful and well-judging hearers will be found to have been instructed—persuaded— directed-comforted-and blest by his labours.

Numbers indeed of such hearers and "doers of the word" also may now be found by a little diligence of enquiry, mingling with the mass of christians, and quietly adorning christianity by the solid virtues of unostentatious private and domestic piety. Shewing by their wellordered affections-uprightness and integrity in the world-steadiness in the church-and well-regulated families at home-that they have not heard the word of God in vain.

SECTION V.

III. Make some admonitory reflections : In the first place I remark that popularity, though valuable, is not essential to the success of the christian ministry.

The majority of preachers in all denominations are not popular, but they are acceptable and useful. Every pious pastor in the world is useful to the souls of men; and so is every pious local preacher in the Wesleyan and other connexions-they never preach in vain. Some of them are teachers and preachers of a superior order, but their excellencies are only perceived by the well-judging few. They do not bring men to religion in great numbers, but those that they do bring, become christians of the best sort.

There are degrees of excellence, and divers

qualities, in christian character and habit, and the highest degrees of excellence in the exemplification of the best qualities, are usually manifested by those who embrace the truth for its own sake, and are much more attracted by