Declare it,

that account to declare all the counsel of God. whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. Thus you will at least deliver your own soul. And the best defence against opposition, is to commend yourself to the consciences of your hearers. So far as you shall do this, they will not dare to oppose you.

Exhibit the truth honestly in private conversation, as well as in preaching. Besides visiting the sick, visit your people in general, as you may have opportunity, and cheerfully receive visits from them; not merely for ceremony, or for common civility and friendship; but especially for religious conversation and improvement. Free conversation on religious subjects is by no means to be omitted. This mode of communicating the truth hath many advantages above preaching. It is more free and familiar; it gives opportunity to state and clear up doubts and objections; to enter into the particular feelings of those with whom you converse; and to adapt your discourse to their several capacities. Seize these advantages and use them to the best purposes. Adapt your conversation to the respective cases of your people; to their security, their conviction, their sanctification, their darkness, their joy, their despondence, their hopes. Converse with young people, and even with children, concerning their spiritual interests. The prospect of benefiting them by such conversation is commonly more promising, than of benefiting those of more advanced age; and they are the hope of the flock.

Take heed that you never flatter. This will often be the object of the wishes of those with whom you converse, whether sick or well. They will wish to be comforted, when there is no ground for comfort; especially when death approaches; and surrounding friends may join their importunity to the wishes of the dying man. The temptation to comfort in this case, even without foundation, will be exceedingly strong. Beware that you be not carried away with it. Sew pillows under the arm-holes of none; never daub with untempered mortar.

Christian discipline is another mode of exhibiting the truth, and though in itself disagreeable, is of divine institution, and is absolutely enjoined. What are the several steps of admonition, confession and excommunication, but so many different exhibitions of the truth? Honesty and fidelity are equally necessary in this part of your work, as in any other; and the temptation, to a violation of those virtues are equally great and powerful, if not more so. It will therefore be necessary, that you "set your face like a flint," in order to withstand those temptations, and the opposition, that you must expect to meet with in this affair. VOL. II.

7

Finally, be honest and faithful in your common conduct. The scarcity of really honest men, has been long since observed and lamented by the wise man, in that interrogation, A faithful man who can find? The virtues of honesty, justice and fidelity are in these degenerate days almost extinguished, at least from this part of the earth. Now you are called to be an example to this flock, of these and all other virtues. Let it be known that the church in Greenfield has a really honest minister. Strangely inconsistent indeed is the character of the man, who is honest in ministerial duties and services, but not in his common conduct. Such a character however may exist, though it is to be presumed but rarely; more rarely than the opposite character of one, who is honest and faithful in the common affairs of life, but not in ministerial services.

For motives to such extensive honesty, let me suggest, in the first place, That otherwise you are of course guilty of fraud. There is no medium between these two. And to defraud your people in your ministerial labors, is much worse, than to defraud them of their property. They may lose their property, and yet be happy, at least in the future world. But to defraud them in your ministerial labors, may be the occasion of their eternal ruin. If therefore you should wrong them out of thousands of their property, however abominable the crime would be, it might be a less injury to them, than if you should wrong them in your ministerial work.

The good you may do to mankind, and particularly to the kingdom of God in the world, is another powerful motive, to excite you to fidelity. What consideration can be more gratifying to a benevolent mind, than that of doing good to mankind, contributing to their eternal salvation, and giving glory to God by promoting the interests and ends of his kingdom, constituted on the principles of the most noble and general benevolence? By a faithful discharge of your duty, you may save the souls of many, which being plucked as brands out of the fire, and made the heirs of eternal happiness, will be trophies of your victorious fidelity.

The consequences to yourself, on the one hand and on the other, are presented to you, as additional motives to fidelity in your work. You are set as a watchman to this people; you are to warn them of their danger, and of every threatening foe. If you do not warn them according to truth, their blood will be required at your hands. But if you do faithfully warn them, though they die in their sins, yet you shall have delivered your soul. Nay, you shall not merely have delivered your soul, so as at last to stand in your lot; but you shall receive the rewards of a faith

ful servant. Having been faithful over a few things, you shall be made ruler over many things, and shall enter into the joy of your Lord.

II. It is now time, that I turn the address to the church and society in this place.

MEN, BRETHREN, AND FATHERS,-We congratulate you on the events of this day. You are now to have a minister set over you in the order of the gospel. We congratulate you on your general and firm union in this affair; on your apparent just sense of the worth and importance of the stated ministration of the divine word and ordinances among you; on your readiness to support the ministry and your willingness to expend of your worldly substance for this end. By your former punctuality in fulfilling your ministerial contracts, it appears, you are not only forward to say, but also to do. It is common for the preacher on such occasions as the present, to press the duty of supporting the ministry. But your liberal engagements in the present instance, and your former punctuality in fulfilling your engagements, forbid me to say a word on that head. Only persist in the same line of conduct which you have hitherto pursued, and you will acquire honor to yourselves, will be examples to others, and will put it out of the power of your minister to plead necessity of applying himself to secular business, in the neglect of his ministerial work.

Permit me, to turn your attention to other matters. You have heard what has been said to your pastor elect. What think you of it? Do you not wish that he may be truly honest and faithful, and that in all the forementioned respects? Do you not wish that he may forever renounce the hidden things of dishonesty, not walk in craftiness, nor handle the word of God deceitfully; but that by manifestation of the truth he may commend himself to the conscience of every one of you in the sight of God? Without waiting for your answer, I presume it would be in the affirmative. Then oppose not his honesty; encourage it; do nothing to discourage it. When he tells you the truth, as to doctrines, as to discipline, as to practice; when he lays open the human heart, exhibits your native depravity, your state of ruin in yourselves, your inability to recover yourselves, your dependence on God and his grace; and yet holds forth your obligation to comply with the whole law and the whole gospel; your obligation to repent, to do no more so wickedly, to be reconciled to God through Christ; when he informs you, that you must have an interest in Christ, and that all your righteousnesses, in the matter of justification, are but as filthy rags; that notwithstanding them, God has a right forever to cast you off; that you entirely deserve

it; when he presses upon you particular duties, as the duty of prayer in the closet and in the family, or the duty of divine public worship; or the duties of justice, fidelity and beneficence to men; when he points out to you the contrary sins and sets them in their proper glaring colors; when in any of these instances he commends himself in such a manner to your consciences, that with a painful sense of guilt, you are obliged to assent to the truth; yet be not angry with him for these things; remember that herein, he is acting the part of an honest and faithful minister. Although these exhibitions of truth are painful, yet submit to them, be patient under them; they are necessary; your wound must be probed to the bottom; this is for your good; it is conducive to your healing. Therefore oppose not the necessary operation. Surely you would not choose that your diseases should be healed slightly. You cannot choose that your minister should preach to you flatteries and lies, or any smooth things which are contrary to the truth, saying peace, peace, when there is no peace for you.

Possibly some of you, who are now much pleased with the pastor elect; when you shall have understood him more thoroughly; when you shall have seen how his preaching condemns you, restrains you in the indulgence of your favorite appetites, your avarice, your sensuality, your inordinate self-love, and other sinful biases; and how it cuts off all your fond but groundless hopes of future peace and safety; will then be highly disgusted, and of friends become bitter enemies. If this shall be the case in any instances; remember that I now forewarn you of it. And also remember, how unkind, how inconsistent it is to desire an honest minister, and then to persecute him because he is honest! because he honestly tells you the truth!

If it is the duty of your pastor to preach the truth faithfully; it is equally your duty to receive it, to hear it attentively, to acquiesce in it, to obey it.

You are now settling a minister of the gospel, in order that you may become christians and be edified in the most holy faith. But neither of these is possible, unless at the same time you are honest men. It is not only necessary that your minister in his character be honest, but that you also be honest, honest to God, to your own souls, and to your fellow men. In the first place render unto God, the things that are God's. Render him your hearts, in a sincere and supreme love, and a cordial faith in his Son Jesus Christ. This temper of course will express itself in all outward obedience. Again, render unto men, the things that are theirs. The tendency of real religion is to make men in

every respect better; not only better with regard to God and his worship, but better with regard to one another; more kind and beneficent; more tender hearted and obliging; better neighbors; better husbands and wives; better parents and children; better in all relations; and of course more honest and faithful. As it is opposed to all sin, it cannot but be opposed to the sin of injustice or dishonesty. It requires us to provide things honest in the sight of all men; to render unto all their dues; to owe no man anything, but love.

This virtue is indeed neglected by some who pretend to be the subjects of true religion. They will pray abundantly, attend all meetings for social worship, both in season and out of season; talk of religion without end; profess in the most ostentatious manner, love to God, and all other religious affections. For thus to pray, talk and profess, is easy and cheap. But to practise honesty, often costs solid substance. For this reason they live in the neglect of it. But in vain will you pretend to real religion, without the manifest effects of it in an honest life. Without an honest life you are no christians; without this, you can never reach the heavenly state. "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?"

It is a charge commonly brought against professors of christianity, that they are no more honest, and in many instances less honest, than other men. This is a scandalous charge; and if it be true, professors are a scandalous set of men. Let this never be true of any of you who are members of the church in this place. Walk worthy of the holy vocation with which you are called, as in other respects, so in practising universal honesty. Nor is it enough that you yourselves practise honesty, and suffer your minister to do the same. You are bound positively to encourage and assist him. He will need your assistance particularly in the discipline of the church. In this difficult affair you ought not to throw the whole burden on him. You ought as far as may be, to relieve him, to vindicate him in the discharge of his duty, and to take the burden on yourselves. Especially are you constantly to pray for him. Even the great apostle Paul, in his epistles repeatedly desires those to whom he wrote, to pray for him and the other apostles; "brethren pray for us," is an expression familiar to him. Therefore in all your approaches to the throne of grace, remember your minister.

"And now, brethren, we commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified." May you have peace and be edified. May you long enjoy the pastor who