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fishers of men. Persons who partake of the same nature are involved in the same misery, and designed, like themselves, for an eternal existence. How should they pity their ignorance, corruption, and guilt, and exert themselves to the utmost, lest they should perish through their default! Remember, my dear brethren in the ministry, that your business is like that of your great Master, to seek and to save that which is lost. Put on, then, bowels of compassion. Let your people see that you love them, and make their interest your own.

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3. Are they fishers of men, and does Christ make them so? Let their people learn in what point of light to view them. They are fishers, and therefore they should not overrate them; fishers of men, and therefore they should not undervalue them. They should magnify their office, but not have their persons in admiration. "They glorified," says the apostle, " not me, but God in me." thou, my friend, caught in the gospel-net, and hath God made use of thy minister as an instrument for that purpose? Value him but as an instrument; if thou make nothing of him, it will weaken his hands; if thou make too much of him, it will grieve his heart, and provoke God too. Esteem him highly, but let it be only for his work's sake. Think honourably of him, and contribute cheerfully to his support. Let ministers also themselves learn from hence, where to go for continual influence and assistance. "I can do all things," says the apostle, " through Christ, who strengtheneth me." This spiritual fisherman, whose labours were crowned with abundant success, did not sacrifice to his own net, or burn incense to his own drag; he knew the excellency of power was from Christ, that the excellency of praise might be to him also.

juente tratas Unnst for putting him into the ministry. He was chosen to it by God. fitted for it by the Spirit, and pet is the great Head of the church, placed him in it. He lames them through their work, and prospers

be opens a door of utterance to the minister, vor of entrance to the people: the efficacy of the * to preached at depending upon the power of moral Do the energy of the word itself, but the irresistible ne of the Spint of Christ. By him his faithful Lisarens me superir to all difficulties, and triumph over He was fanteth not, neither is weary," nen faint, and recovers their strength when sends them upon their warfare will bear arces and from him they shall at length receive If Israel be gathered, that is reward enough:

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... there are three practical remarks which I

1. Are they fishers? From hence ministers may learn ter day, not to be proud of their office; they are but ns, ermen, and under-fishermen. Who, then, is Paul, and

s Aps? They may be helpful one to another, and semmin and becoming for fishermen so to be. They should not envy and calumniate one another, but pray for one another, vindicate one another's characters, bear one an ther's burdens, strengthen one another's hands, and encourage one another's hearts, in the work of the Lord.

2. Are they fishers of men? hence they may learn the dignity, importance, and utility of their work. They transact the most important matters between God and man. This is no trifling employment, nor ought it to be trifled with. What are all the honourable or lucrative offices upon earth compared with this? Well might the apostle say, "Who is sufficient for these things?" This also should teach them tenderness and compassion. They are

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fishers of men. Persons who partake of the same nature are involved in the same misery, and designed, like themselves, for an eternal existence. How should they pity their ignorance, corruption, and guilt, and exert themselves to the utmost, lest they should perish through their default! Remember, my dear brethren in the ministry, that your business is like that of your great Master, to seek and to save that which is lost. Put on, then, bowels of compassion. Let your people see that you love them, and make their interest your own.

3. Are they fishers of men, and does Christ make them so? Let their people learn in what point of light to view them. They are fishers, and therefore they should not overrate them; fishers of men, and therefore they should not undervalue them. They should magnify their office, but not have their persons in admiration. "They glorified," says the apostle, "not me, but God in me." Art thou, my friend, caught in the gospel-net, and hath God made use of thy minister as an instrument for that purpose? Value him but as an instrument; if thou make nothing of him, it will weaken his hands; if thou make too much of him, it will grieve his heart, and provoke God too. Esteem him highly, but let it be only for his work's sake. Think honourably of him, and contribute cheerfully to his support. Let ministers also themselves learn from hence, where to go for continual influence and assistance. "I can do all things,' says the apostle, " through Christ, who strengtheneth me." This spiritual fisherman, whose labours were crowned with abundant success, did not sacrifice to his own net, or burn incense to his own drag; he knew the excellency of power was from Christ, that the excellency of praise might be to him also.

SERMON XLV.

ON THE CHARACTER AND RESULTS OF SIN.

PSALM LXVIII. 6.

But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

THE word but, in Scripture, is oftentimes very emphatical; sometimes it introduces a very delightful idea, as— "But ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified," &c. Sometimes a very awful one, as—“The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff, which the wind driveth away;" and thus in my text-" But the rebellious dwell in a dry land:" in both which places persons of a different character, and the different circumstances of those persons, are opposed to each other. In my text, profligate and impenitent sinners are represented as rebellious, and the consequences of their rebellion are exhibited in these words—" They dwell in a dry land."

I. Profligate and impenitent sinners are represented as rebellious; hence, they are called rebellious children, a rebellious house, and the like. Here I might trace a rebellion in its rise and progress, distinguishing nature and properties, unhappy tendency and effects; but it shall suffice to observe the following things:

1. All rebellion begins in the disaffection and alienation of men's minds from their lawful sovereign; for this may properly be called the root of rebellion. Thus Sheba blew a trumpet and said, "We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his

tent, O Israel:" and Absalom is said to have stolen away the hearts of the people. Thus sin, Satan, and the world, have stolen men's hearts from God. If we look beyond the surface of their actions, and follow them to their source, we shall find that all the wickedness of their lives is owing to an internal principle of opposition to God. "The carnal mind," says the apostle, "is enmity against God;" not only unlikeness to him, (his beautiful image there being defaced and almost obliterated) but enmity; not only an enemy, but enmity in the abstract. All the thoughts, reasonings, and devices of it, are against him, and for the satisfaction of some sinful lust. It is not subject to his law, neither indeed can it be. Hence we read of a "revolting and rebellious heart" inclined to evil, averse to that which is good.

2. Rebellion also implies authority on one part, and allegiance or subjection due on the other. Thus sin, which is the worst kind of rebellion, implies authority on God's part, and that revealed and made known; so that sins against knowledge are with greater propriety than any other called rebellious. Such was the sin of Saul, in not destroying the Amalekites; and Samuel declares the heinousness of it, not only by giving it this title, but adding, rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft-as odious, as ruinous; and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. The more knowledge, and the more obstinacy there is in any sin, the more it partakes of the nature of rebellion. Thus Eliphaz, describing the obdurate and hardened sinner, says, "He stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty." And as rebellion implies authority on God's part, so allegiance and subjection are due on ours. All rational creatures are under an indispensable obligation to serve that God from whom they have received all their powers and faculties, and to whom they are indebted for all their enjoyments; and this obligation is so far from being disannulled, that it is strengthened and confirmed with respect to the saints. Hence it is that the sins of a people

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