the fenfe of what is heavenly and divine, "and ufurp that dominion which belongs un"to thee. Under their tumultuous govern"ment thy understanding is darkened, thy af"fections corrupted, and thy inward tranquil"lity almoft quite deftroyed. O God, who "haft the hearts of all men in thy hand, and "turneft them whitherfoever thou pleafeft, "establish thou that part of me which is immortal and divine, in its juft fupremacy; fubject all my lower paflions to its authori ty; and make me to enjoy that inward com"pofure, and ferenity, which is always to be "found under its gentle fway! O thou righ"teous Judge of all the earth, who rendereft "to every one according to his works, when "I take a calm and ferious review of all the "motions of my heart, and actions of my "life, I must acknowledge with deep regret, "that I find many things which I cannot approve; nay, many things for which I am "felf-condemned, and which I cannot recall "to my remembrance, without feeling the "peace of my mind fenfibly difturbed, my "confidence in thee greatly damped, and the "awful dread of thy difpleasure strongly a

"wakened.

"Lord God, merciful and gracious, long

fuffering, and abundant in goodnefs and "truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgi"ving iniquity, tranfgreffion and fin; forgive "my innumerable follies and tranfgreffions; "deliver me from the dreadful confequences

"of

"of them, and punishments due to them, in ❝ this and an eternal world! Whatever moral "imperfections are still remaining in me, di"rect me to the knowledge of them, and to "the proper means of removing them. When"ever I wander from thee, thou eternal foun"tain of light and life! fhew me my error, "though it should be by fatherly correction; "let pains or forrows bring me home, but "never leave me to myself! Direct me to the right improvement of all the affiftances thou "haft afforded me, for purifying and perfecting my nature ! Teach me to understand clearly, to believe firmly, to value justly, "and comply fincerely, with that laft and "brightest revelation thou haft given me by

Jefus Chrift. Give me a juft sense of the "unmerited, unfolicited, and wonderful "friendship of the eternal Son of God; who, "though he was rich, yet, for the fake of a"poftate fons of men, became poor, and was "made flesh, and fuffered, and died, that he "might enlighten their darkened understand"ings, purify their corrupted hearts, exalt "their debased natures, deliver them from the "punishments due unto their fins, fet open "the gates of immortality before them, and "conduct them into the prefence of their "God. Teach me to hearken to his divine "inftructions; to copy after his fpotlefs ex"ample; to approach to thee by him, as my

great Mediator; and to expect the forgive"nefs of my fins, on the terms marked out in VOL. I.

$

his

his gofpel! Let the ferious confideration of my need of fuch a Saviour, beget and "preserve in me the deepeft fense of my own "unworthinefs; and let the confideration of "thy love and mercy in appointing him to be "the Saviour of men, infpire me with the "humble and modeft confidence of being re"ftored, by him, to the enjoyment of thy fa"vour and friendship. Carry me ftill for"ward, O heavenly Father! by all the me

thods of thy providence and grace, in the 86 paths of righteoufnefs, till I become fit to be "transplanted into the higher world of spi"rits, where I fhall live in everlasting fecuri66 ty from all dangers; where I fhall no more bewail the darknefs of my understanding, and the disorder of my heart; but where I fhall fee thee my Maker unvailed; where I fhall love thee entirely, rejoice in thee triumphantly, and celebrate thy praises to all "eternity!"

SER

Preached before the Synod of Lothian and Tweeddale, Nov. 8. 1763.

2 COR. vi. 3.

Giving no offence in any thing, that the miniftry

be not blamed.

HESE words of the Apoftle Paul, which

Twere primarily intended to do juftice to

his own character, and that of Timothy, his beloved fon in the faith, prefent to the view of gospel-ministers, in every age, a fair and approved pattern, which they ought to copy after, if they wish to profper in their arduous work. The conduct of thefe excellent men was, in the main, fo circumfpect and exem plary, that it could give no just caufe of of fence to Jews, to Gentiles, or to the churches of Chrift. They carefully avoided whatever might increase the prejudices of unbelievers against the gospel, or might impair the reputation and fuccefs of their miniftry, by laying a ftumbling-block, or occafion of offence, in their brother's way.

I intend, in discoursing on this paffage, first to explain the duty of giving no offence; then to inculcate upon myself and my brethren in the ministry the practice of that duty; and, laftly, to conclude with fome practical reflections on what may be delivered.

I. I am to explain the duty here recommended to minifters, Giving no offence.

To preach and to act fo as that, in fact, none fhall be offended, would indeed be a hard, or rather impoffible, task. We cannot govern the fentiments and paflions of others; - and that can never be our duty which is wholly out of our power. The taftes of our hearers are fo oppofite, that what is relished by one fet of them will neceffarily difgust another. So changeable are the humours of not a few, that what yesterday they approved, to-mor row they condemn. The weak and captious will cenfure our not doing what was either impoffible or unfit to be done. Not vifiting the fick when we were altogether ignorant of their fickness; vifiting one person oftener than another; preaching a little longer than ́ufual, or a little shorter; infisting often on fubjects of general importance, or infifting seldom on fubjects of lefs extenfive ufe; repeating the fame fermon in different pulpits; borrowing ufeful obfervations from the compofitions of others; refufing to spend that time in company, which duty requires us to devote to our ftudies: nay, circumftances ftill more infigni

cant