be "somewhat filled with their company "—and (as if a father's tenderness was inadequate to convey the overflow of his heart) that he was ready to "cherish them, as a nursing-mother her children;" being "affectionately desirous to impart even his own soul to them." His habit of carrying them always "in his heart, to die and live with them;" his anxiety during his imprisonment, employed more on their welfare than on his own life; nay, even his readiness to be detained from the immediate presence of his Redeemer for their sakes, and the joy with which he anticipated the offering of his life "upon the sacrifice and service of their faith," 2 are far beyond our standard of Ministerial sympathy. He was ever willing, for the more effectual attainment of his object, to wave the right of command for the language of entreaty. His disinterested love forgot all personal injury, and all occasions of resentment, in his grand object of his people's restoration to the simplicity of the Gospel. Nay, he was willing to lose their affections for himself, if he could but win them to Christ; overcoming ungrateful returns with the continued overflowing of affection; "seeking not theirs, but them; very gladly spending and being spent for them, though the more abundantly he loved them, the less he was loved." 5 Glad was he even of his own weakness, if only they were strong, having his mind

1 2 Cor. vi. 11. Rom. xv. 24. 1 Thess. iii. 7, 8.

2 2 Cor. vii. 3. Col. ii. 1, 2. iv. 7, 8. Phil. i. 21-24. ii. 17.

3 Philemon 8, 9,

4 Gal. iv. 11-15.

5 2 Cor. xii. 12-24. This motto of an Apostle ("I seek not yours, but you") is transmitted to us with his Apostleship, to be transcribed, not into our rings and seals of orders, but into our hearts; there, if you please, to be engraven with a diamond; set, as the stones in our ephod, the jewels in our breast-plate, gloriously legible to all that behold us.'-Dr. Hammond's Pastor's Motto, ut

supra.

absorbed with one great desire-"their perfection." 1 Whether or not the Apostle was raised up as a Pastoral model to his successors in the Ministry-this at least is the true spirit of the office, embodied, personified, and moulded to real life and experience. For be it remembered, that this care, solicitude, and tenderness, expressed in prayers, tears, continual sacrifices of personal ease and indulgence, and frequent exposure to imminent peril, were not the effect of direct miracle or inspiration, but the effusions of a heart, lamenting over the miserable condition of perishing sinners; yearning over his own children in the faith; glowing with the love of Christ, and filled with his Spirit.

The Writer knows not when he has felt more sensibly his almost infinite distance from the Scriptural standard of obligation, than while sketching out this imperfect outline of what a Minister ought to be, and what he might be. For let it not be supposed, that these are graces and duties peculiar either to the Apostle or the Apostolic age; they are rather the exhibition of the standard, which all, who have pledged themselves to the sacred Ministry, would do well habitually to contemplate; and the practical influence of which upon their own Ministrations will be productive of eminent success. He who has not this solicitous care and Apostolic tenderness, knows not what it is to be a father and a Pastor.' But happy is that Pastor, to whom his life, his labours, his zeal, and the testimony of his conscience, give the just confidence to say, that he loves the flock of Christ; and that he loves it only for and in Christ, only by his charity, and in his spirit.' 3 That he should have a shepherd's eye and a shepherd's heart, is equally

1 2 Cor. xiii. 9.

2 2 Cor. vi. 4, 5. xi. 23-27. 3 Quesnel on Phil. ii. 19. 1 Cor. xvi. 24.

important for his acceptance with the flock, and with the chief Shepherd. The former will often bear and hear the most repulsive truths in such a spirit;1 and if the Pastor is not in every one's mouth, he is at least in the hearts of the people of his charge. The latter expects to see in him the image of his own Divine tenderness and love-" feeding his flock like a shepherd, gathering the lambs in his arms, and carrying them in his bosom, and gently leading those that are with young." 2

But if this love to our people is the spring of success, it is equally certain, that the principle of this love to souls is love to him that purchased them. Hence flow all our pains, patience, and care; from the delight of "spending and being spent" in the service of one, whom we supremely love. There are many tracks of life before us of far greater temporal indulgence. But the recollection of an infinite debt of love enlivens the endurance of the Ministerial cross with the readiness of love- Love' then, is the great endowment of a shepherd of Christ's flock. He says not to Peter-Art thou wise, or learned, or eloquent?' but "lovest thou me?" "Then feed my sheep -as if he would not trust them with one

3.

1 Dilige, et dic quicquid voles. August. in Gal. vi. 1. Scarce can the harshest reproofs be thrown back, that have upon them the stamp of love'-Leighton on 1 Pet. ii. 11. In illustration of this a Minister of a remarkable spirit of love, sharply rebuked, in the presence of a clerical friend, a parishioner for gross misconduct. The severity of the reproof astonished his friend, who could not help declaring, that in his own case, with one of his people, he should have expected an irreconcileable breach. The answer was the result of Christian wisdom and experience 'O my friend, when there is love in the heart, you may say any thing.'

2 Isaiah xl. 11.

3 Leighton on 1 Peter v. 2. 'Christ might have said to PeterIf you love me, fast, lie on the naked ground, be in watchings, defend the oppressed, be the father of the orphan, and the husband

who did not love him. And surely the under-shepherds cannot forget the attractive and commanding influence of that thrice-repeated request, 1 enforced as it is by the power of his example, and by the constraining obligations of his love. Our whole charge must then be our dearly beloved and longed for;" many of them doubtless will be our "joy and crown;" and the prospect of meeting them as such, “in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, at his coming," is an auxiliary joy belonging to our anticipation of that glorious consummation.

66

66

Thus Moses,

4 purposes.

Such was

This was

VI. Do we pray for our flock? It is of little use to be devoted to labour for our people, if we are not equally devoted to prayer on their behalf. A Ministry of power must be a Ministry of prayer. Aaron, and Samuel, 3 stood in the gap. the power of Jeremiah's intercession, as to restrain the execution of the Divine a chief mode with the Apostle of expressing his longing after" his people, " in the bowels of Jesus Christ." He seems as if he never bowed his knee before his God without expressing his interest on their behalf. 5 Could such a spirit of intercession fail of "having power with God, and prevailing?" Without this prevalency with God we can never hope to prevail with men. The Minister of the Gospel should indeed be as the angels of God, going betwixt him and his people; not only bringing down useful

6

of the widow. But, passing by all these-what does he say-Feed my sheep.' Chrys. De Sacred. Lib. ii. Comp. Bowles' Past. Ev. Lib. iii. 29. and Wits. de Vero Theologo, ut supra. It was a high commendation of the late Dr. Gillies from a Deist-' that he believed, that he would be glad to carry all mankind in his bosom to the kingdom of heaven.'

1 John xxi. 15-17.

3 Exod. xxxii. 11, 31.

4 See Jer. vii. 16.

instructions from God to them, but putting up earnest supplications to God for them. And without this there can be little answer or success in the other; little springing up of this seed, though Ministers sow it plentifully in preaching, unless they secretly water it with their prayers and tears." 1

Our constant need of this duty is most palpable. Our work on behalf of our people, and our responsibilities on their account, are great and awful. The consciousness of the danger which surround them -the multitude of eyes that are upon themtheir helplessness, discouragements, and perplexitiesall demand our remembrance before God. More affecting and stimulating excitements may be found in their too frequent insensibility to our glad tidings and determined opposition to their reception. And indeed here we may ask-Why do we so seldom mark any signal displays of Divine power-any extended awakening of souls-but because we have so little of that large spirit of intercession, which is at once the preparative and forerunner of enlarged success? Why is it, that our words often seem to die in our mouths, or drop and die between us and our people -that we seldom speak as if we hoped to prevail— that we are ready to despond under protracted unfruitfulness-but because our secret exercises on behalf of our people are so cold and infrequent? Do we not complain of a spirit of formality with our people? Time was, when we worked together upon new ground, when sin crouched under us, when our machine from

1 Leighton on 1 Peter v. 10. Such prayers as Eph. i. 17-19. iii. 14-19. Phil. i. 9-11. Col. i. 9-12, &c. are well deserving of study, as models for enlarged and profitable Ministerial inter. cession. It was well observed by an old divine, that 'the Minister, who is more before his people in public, than he is before God for them in private, has little reason to expect a blessing on his labours.'