he must be ready, at all times, to take up and pursue those subjects which he finds most reasonable; which either the state of his parish, or the general circumstances of the country, or the time of the year, or the festivals of our Church, point out to him, Knowing that he must answer to Almighty God for the faithful discharge of his duty, as a minister of the Gospel, he is not governed by the judgments of men, but is earnest to stand free from blame, and to be approved in the sight of God. But while he is not governed by the judgments of men, he would so far regard them as to correct any mistake, and shew them where they err in their opinions: this he would do in justice to himself, and with a view to their benefit; for mistakes of this kind are attended with serious evil to those who fall into them. When the judgment is once led astray, the conduct will partake of the error; in other words, they who are wrong in their opinions, will be most likely to be wrong in some, at least, of their actions. On the point immediately before usthe duty of joining, in our instructions from the pulpit, "good works, with belief in God"-we have not only the example of every Christian teacher, whose doctrine is spoken of in the Bible, but we have also, and above all, the example of Jesus Christ himself. What is his Sermon on the Mount, which takes up three whole chapters of St. Matthew's Gospel", but one continued course of instruction how we are to perform "good works,” acceptable to God, and profitable to men? The pure in heart, the humble, the peaceful, the patient, the charitable; those who are ready to forgive others; those who lead a life of chastity; those who pray to God in spirit and in truth; those who are gentle towards others, and turn their eyes away from their failings; all who practise these "good works," and such as these, in the name, and for the sake, of Jesus Christ, not resting on them for acceptance, but still acknowledging themselves unprofitable servants, and that it is through Christ's death only that they can hope to be saved; all such are true m Matt. v. vi. vii. Christians. The ministers therefore of the Gospel, who teach them so to act, who dwell on these duties, explaining them most clearly, by instances drawn from daily life, tread, though humbly and at a distance, in the steps of that great Teacher, who was accustomed to clothe his instructions in parables, that, by means of these short and impressive stories, he might gain the attention more readily, and assist the memory in recollecting what he had taught. You all remember, my brethren, that when Christ had in view to expose and rebuke those who "trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others," he put forth the parable of the pharisee and the publican": when he wished to teach us that we ought "to pray always, and not to faint"," he delivered the parable of the unjust judge and the poor widow and when he sought to set before us the duty of assisting our fellow-creatures, instead of coldly looking on their distress, and passing by, he em ployed for his purpose the parable of the good SamaritanP. In all these instances, and in many more which might be mentioned, his object undoubtedly was, to make his hearers desirous of maintaining "good works," and in every instance he fails not to shew that "these things are good and profitable unto men.' What therefore Christ, the great teacher of righteousness, and the example to all future teachers, was accustomed to do, that Christian ministers are bound to practise. In this, as in every other instance, they must follow his steps. While they set forth the promises of the Gospel as an encouragement, and hold up its threatenings to warn men against disobedience ; while they dwell on the blessings which the Gospel conveys to the souls of the faithful, by the aid of the Holy Spirit; they must not fail to declare also, how these promises are to be obtained; how these threatenings are to be avoided; how these blessings are to be made our own: P Luke x. 33. |