divine revelation. They pretend to reject the Bible, because they cannot understand it. They say, if it had any plain and consistent meaning, those who believe it to be divine, would explain it in the same manner, and derive from it the same doctrines. And since the professors of the gospel themselves, make it mean any thing, every thing, or nothing, they say they choose to reject it, and adhere to the plain and intelligible book of nature, which speaks the same language to all, and which cannot be corrupted, or misinterpreted, by ignorant or designing men. But, however unjust this mode of thinking and speaking is, christians are under peculiar obligation to remove the occasion of it, by uniting in the belief and profession of the first principles of the oracles of God.

And by doing this, they will not only stop the mouths of cavillers, but at the same time, strengthen and animate one another, in promoting the cause of Christ. When they are united in the belief of the same truths, and in the pursuit of the same objects, they will appear formidable to the unbelieving world; and convince them of their folly as well as guilt, in opposing a cause which will certainly prevail, and triumph over all opposition. Many are ready to imagine that the cause of religion will fail, just like the cause of particular denominations of christians. They know that one sect has flourished and triumphed for a while, and then gradually decayed and become extinct; and they expect that all denominations will share the same fate, and Christianity itself be erased from the earth. But if christians were united in the truth, they would destroy these vain hopes and expectations of the ungodly, and feel a peculiar courage and resolution to use every effort to bring mankind to the obedience of faith. They are entreated, therefore, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to become of one mind; that they may, with one heart and one hand, promote his cause and interest in the world.

Now, my brethren, may we who are "stewards of the mysteries of God," apply this interesting subject to ourselves. Let us remember that we must stand before the judgment seat of Christ, who will expose and condemn every one of our errors, before the assembled universe; for he has told us that "every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." The apostle Paul also assures us that men's principles will be brought into view, and either approved or condemned, in the great day of decision. "I have laid the foundation; - but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's

work shall be made manifest. For the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." It is our interest as well as duty, to come to the light, and renounce every false sentiment which we have ever embraced. If we believe the truth, if we love the truth, if we preach the truth, it will afford us peculiar consolation in the close of life, and enable each of us to say, in the nearest view of eternity, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." Amen.

SERMON XIV.

FAITHFUL MINISTERS SEEK THE SALVATION OF THEIR PEOPLE.

ORDINATION OF REV. JAMES TUFTS, WORDSBOROUGH, VT., NOVEMBER 4, 1795.

FOR I seek not yours, but you. -2 CORINTHIANS, Xii. 14.

THE false teachers who had crept into the church of Corinth, endeavored to sink the reputation of the apostle Paul. This laid him under the disagreeable necessity of speaking in his own defence. He first reminds the Corinthians of the miracles which he had publicly wrought, to confirm his divine mission. He next appeals to the reproaches, necessities and persecutions which he had cheerfully endured in promoting the cause of Christ. And, in the last place, he meekly but confidently professes his pure and disinterested motive in preaching the gospel. "Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you; for I seek not yours but you." Though his enemies charged him with preaching from mercenary motives, yet he was conscious to himself that he had preached with a uniform desire to promote the salvation of souls. And as in water face answereth to face, so does the heart of one faithful minister to another. They all propose the same noble and benevolent end in preaching, that the apostle Paul proposed; though they are far from being agreeably wise, faithful and successful in pursuing it. Agreeably, therefore, to the spirit of the text, I shall endeavor to illustrate this plain and practical truth; that faithful ministers preach the gospel with a desire to promote the salvation of souls.

The great apostle frequently and solemnly declares that this was

his governing motive in preaching the gospel. To the Corinthians he says, "Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you; for I seek not yours, but you; for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved." Again he demands, " Think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? We speak before God in Christ; but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying." To these same persons he makes the same profession, in his first epistle to them. "Though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; yea, wo is unto me if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. What is my reward, then? Verily, that when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law; to the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak; I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." When he had called the elders of the church of Ephesus to Miletus, he said unto them, "Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you, at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews; and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." "Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." His appeal and profession to the Jews was still more solemn and striking. "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh." "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved."

Thus Paul uniformly and sincerely aimed, in preaching the gospel, to promote the salvation of his hearers. And this is the great object which all faithful ministers pursue, in the course of their ministry. Like the primitive preachers, they "warn every man, and teach every man in all wisdom, that they may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." They consider their hearers as probationers for eternity, and labor to promote their future and eternal good. This is so evident that nothing farther need be said to illustrate it. But yet it may be proper and useful, on this occasion, to inquire why faithful ministers preach the gospel with a desire to save the souls of men.

In answer to this inquiry, I would observe, first: Faithful ministers desire to reach the end of their appointment. Christ hath let them know that he instituted their sacred order to prepare men for a future and eternal state. For this purpose he hath given them their commission to preach the gospel. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." This general commission is explained by Christ's particular commission to Paul, which runs in this solemn form, "Rise, and stand upon thy feet; for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee; to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." This design of the ministry is confirmed by another passage in the fourth of Ephesians. "Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." "And he gave some, apostles, and some, prophets, and some, evangelists, and some, pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." These passages represent ministers as appointed for the great purpose of preparing man to appear in the beauties of holiness, in a future state. And this design of their appointment, all faithful ministers sincerely wish to answer. They desire to fall in with the designs of Christ, and to be workers together with him, in accomplishing the purposes of his grace. So Paul professes in the name of all his faithful brethren in the ministry: "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we