If the young men of Crete had not " fuffered the word of exhortation" from Titus, but fcorned and rejected it; would they not have been justly blameable? Without doubt. If you should do the like, what would be the confequence? You need not be told? The obligation to regard and follow exhortations, depends much lefs upon the character, office, or qualifications of him that gives them, than it does upon the nature of the exhortations themfelves. Tho', as to the former, there is no evidence, nor even probability, that Titus was an inspired preacher. He received his doctrine and directions from the apoftle. If others therefore, tho' the meanest of Chrift's minifters, follow the doctrine and directions of the fame apostle, of all the apoftles, and even of Christ himself; will not their exhortations be as binding upon you, as thofe of Titus were upon the Cretian youth?" Judge even of yourselves "what is right.".

(9.) ALTHO' the term exhortation implies in it a friendly and courteous manner of address ; yet, certainly, it is not defigned in oppofition to reproving and rebuking those that do evil, when there is juft occafion for it. For, in the fame chapter, the apoftle enjoins Titus to do thus: "These things fpeak and exhort, and rebuke with "all authority; let no man defpife thee." Where you will observe, that exhorting and rebuking are joined together; fo that the former could not be intended in the text, in oppofition to the latter. And in the preceeding chapter, speaking of the grofs immoralities of the Cretians, as even one of their own poets had characterized them,

he

he immediately fubjoins, "This witness is true; wherefore rebuke them sharply, &c." + In his epiftle to Timothy, he alfo fays, "Them that fin, "rebuke before all, that others alfo may fear."§ Or, as it might, and, I fuppofe, ought to be tranflated: "Them that fin before all, rebuke," &c. For, furely, they were not to be rebuked before all, or in a public, folemn manner, unless they had finned before all, or their crimes were notorious and public; as the common reading implies.

BUT it is farther to be observed here, that even reproof and rebuke, which are needful in fome cafes, and which may feem to imply fomewhat of rigor and severity in their nature; may yet be adminiftred in a truly friendly and paternal manner. And they doubtlefs ought to be given in fuch a way, if poffible, as to convince thofe to whom they are given, that they are kindly intended for their amendment, and real good; fince, otherwise, there is little or no benefit to be hoped. from them. Yea, they are more likely to have a bad, than a good effect, if they are feen to proceed from pride, refentment and anger, or are attended with infulting and reviling expreffions. And, that the apoftle did not defign fuch rebukes as thefe, but quite contrary ones, in the fpirit of charity and meeknefs, is fufficiently evident from his own words, in his fecond epiftle to Timothy; where he joins reproving, rebuking and exhorting, together; faying, "Reprove, rebuke, exhort "with all long-fuffering and doctrine;" and this, even where he is fpeaking profeffedly of thofe, who" would not endure found doctrine." ‡ (10.) AND

† Chap. I. 12, 13. § 1 Tim. V. 20. Chap. IV. 2, 3.

I

(10.) AND laftly, It cannot reasonably be thought inconfiftent with the kindness, meeknefs and gentleness of the gofpel, or of that manner of address which is implied in the word exhortation, to lay open the folly and danger of vice, or of difregarding the word and commandments of God, in the plaineft, fullest and most forceable manner poffible: To fhew to all people, whether old or young, the guilt and mifery of a state of alienation from God, and of enmity to him in their minds by wicked works; together with the imminent hazzard which wicked men are in, of perishing in their fins; and "warning them to flee from the wrath to come." It is not here

meant, that this may be done by prejudging, or pointing out particular perfons, as the heirs of wrath and perdition; which were indeed an abominable piece of arrogance and prefumption; but, by fhewing in a clear and forccable manner, that the paths of vice and folly, by whomfoever trodden, are the paths that lead to destruction.

THERE are fome perfons, who profefs to have a relish for difcourfes upon the excellency and rewards of moral virtue, with exhortations to the practice of it; and yet do not well like to have the evil and danger of fin insisted on; or the terrors of the Lord fet before them. This is what fome people confider as favouring of harshness, fournefs and feverity; hardly consistent with the meekness and charity which become the ministers of the gospel. Nor, indeed, will I deny, that these topics may be treated upon, not only in a manner that is very justly disgustful, but too fre

quently;

quently; or to the neglect of others which are equally proper and useful; and are, at the fame time, more pleafing; yea, probably, better adapted to produce a good effect upon the minds of many perfons. And, to fay the leaft, I do not envy those men their particular temper, and caft of mind, who feem to be hardly ever fo much in their element, as when they are thundering "hell and damnation" in the cars of people, with all the moft frightful images and expreffions, which they can collect together.

BUT ftill, thefe lefs agreeable topics of perfwafion, are in themselves very proper and neceffary: And the infifting on them at times, in a fcriptural way, ought not to be imputed to fournefs, gloomincfs or morofenefs of temper; or to any want ofcharity and good-will.Is the physician thought to be wanting in kindness, good-will or refpect to his patient, for letting him know, in fome cafes, the nature and danger of his disease? Efpecially if, at the fame time, he informs him of the remedy; exhorts him to use it, and to take all poffible care and pains, that he may recover his health, and live happily. The disease would be the fame in itself, tho' the patient were not thus informed concerning it; and the real danger, very often the greater, for a reason too obvious to need mentioning. Is the pilot who, at a distance, observes a veffel in a storm, just running upon rocks or quickfands, and likely to be foundered in a few minutes, thought to want good-will to the people on board, because he gives them the fignal of their danger, and directs

them

them to a fecure harbour! Is the watchman that cries "Fire" aloud in the night, thro' the streets of a city, to awake the fleeping inhabitants, left they should be confumed in their beds; calling upon them to arife, and extinguish the flames, fuppofed for that reafon, to want benevolence to them, and a proper concern for their welfare! No one is fo abfurd as to reafon after this rate. In thefe cafes, neither the phyfician, the pilot, nor the watchman makes the danger; but only discovers it, and exhorts those whom it concerns, to escape it: Which, furely, are acts of kindness and charity; and fuch as each of them was under obligation to perform. To have done otherwise, would have been at once a neglect of duty, and great cruelty.

WHY then should it be thought unkind, or ungenerous, in the spiritual physician under Chrift the Chief, to fhew to youth, or others, their fpiritual diseases? their danger of eternal death? Efpecially if, at the fame time, he fhews the remedy, the means of obtaining eternal life, and exhorts to the use thereof. Why fhould it be thought an unkindness for the spiritual pilot, to warn those of their danger, whom he fees carried down the gulph of error and vice with a rapid course; and ready to be fwallowed up in the abyfs of deftruction and mifery? Especially if, at the fame time, he points them to the great ARK, and to a fecure haven; where neither winds, nor waves, nor ftorms can hurt them. Why fhould it be accounted a cruel thing in the fpiritual watchman, to awaken thofe that are afleep