The tendency of their affections were all directed into this channel. Warmed by the love of God in their hearts, like the heated vapour from water, which without warmth, would rather gravitate than arise, now excited by a divine flame ascends upward. And according to the order of that blessed prayer which the Lord himself taught his disciples; having first hallowed the Lord's name, and desired that it might be hallowed both in heaven and earth; they immediately added to it, "thy kingdom come."

But though it becomes an indispensable qualification for the ministry, that every man entering it should have the Holy Ghost first preached to his own heart, before that he is sent forth to preach to others; yet it is not enough in proof, that a man called by grace is called to minister in the word and doctrine. There is a vast difference between what is necessary to form the private christian, and what becomes necessary to form the public divine. A man may be abundantly blessed in his own soul, and yet be wholly unqualified, for the ministry, and to watch over the souls of others. And it is one thing for a man to run unsent, and another to be sent by the Lord. That is a trembling question of the Lord, by the prophet, to the ordained only by human ordination, "Who hath required this at your hand, when ye tread my courts?" Isai. i. 12.

If men were accustomed to read their bibles with attention, they would discover how very sacred the entrance into the sanctuary service was under the old testament dispensation. "No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." Yea, as if to shew, in yet more striking characters, the dignity and sacred nature of the holy office, it is added, that "even Christ glorified not himself to be made an High Priest;" but he, that said unto him, " Thou art my Son," said also, and sworn him moreover into the office, "Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchi

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zedec!" and certain it is, that without a call from God all the abilities upon earth, and all the earnestness of a man's own heart to the service of the sanctuary gives no commission. And the Lord Jesus saith, "that he that entereth not in by the door into the sheep-fold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief, and a robber."

There is, what the old writers called, the finis cujus, the end for whom; and there is the finis cui, the end for which; in all matters, and especially in things pertaining to the ministry, which are always to be kept in view. And if that end for whom be the Lord's glory, and the end for which, namely, the salvation of souls, be the great leading principle, all is well. What comes from God, will lead to God. And what is founded in the Lord's strength, and designed for the Lord's glory, will lead to the Lord's praise. In all cases of this kind, there will be also the greatest love and harmony between the minister and the people. Founded in Christ, and formed in Christ, one heart and one soul pervades the whole. The people are all united to their great head; and as members of the body to each other. Such a pastor and flock are one. And as was said of Augustine and Alippius, so it may be said of them, Sangine Christi conglutinati,' they are glued together in the blood of Christ.'

The prelates of the sixteenth century carried with them, in every department of their ministerial function, the divine testimonial of being sent of God. In point of human learning, they soared to the highest elevation. But the culminating crown of dignity, was their ordination of God. Luther was wont to say, 'Tria faciunt theologum, meditatio, tentatio, et precatio;' that is, 'three things make a divine, meditation, trial, and prayer.' But there is a point beyond all these, and more essential than all, namely, the call of God. Beautiful to this purpose is the account given of the apostles. "As they minis

tered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them." Acts xiii. 2.

Perhaps I cannot more effectually illustrate those truths, than by bringing before the reader the open and unreserved confession of one of the worthies of those days. He was not indeed a bishop; neither, in the full sense of the expression, was his ministry exercised in the sixteenth century; for it was somewhat later. Nevertheless, he was one of the old school. And although he lived, when the high water mark of religion in its purity had begun to fall, yet long before the tide had gone completely out, or sunk to the ebb which marked the following century, and hath unhappily continued ever since. And in respect to eminency as a divine, he certainly was as highly taught as this, or any other country hath ever produced since the days of the apostles. The man I have in my view, and of whom I now speak, is Dr. Thomas Goodwin, sometime president of Magdalene college, Oxford. The relation he hath left upon record of himself is as follows:

Speaking of his conversion to God, he saith, in considering the consequents and effects of the Lord's speaking to me, I was hopefully persuaded it was from God; for the things were fulfilled which God had spoken of. For first, I felt my soul, and all the powers of it, as in an instant to be clean altered and changed in the dispositions of them; even as our own great divines of our own country do set forth. Secondly, I found from the same time, the power of temptation to be in some measure dissolved in my heart; so that my understanding became enlightened, my will melted, and the heart of stone made an heart of flesh. And thirdly, I found my spirit clothed with a new nature inclined to good which before was all evil. Henceforth, I found two contrary principles, the spirit against the flesh; and the flesh against the spirit. And this difference I found, not by reading, or hearing

any one speak of it; but as Austin did, I perceived it in myself, and wondered at it. For I may say of this combat, that it is proper and peculiar to a man that is regenerate. It is not in God, or in Christ, who are a fulness of holiness, without any mixture of sin. It is not in devils, for they are all sin, without any mixture of holiness. It is not in good angels, for they are all holy. Neither is it in wicked men, unregenerated by grace, for they have no grace in them to fight with their corruptions after such a manner.'

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Speaking of his call to the ministry, he thus expresseth himself; When I consider what was the aim and drift of my studies, in having been devoted by my parents to the work of the ministry; I bethought what would serve most to the glory of God in this service. And this overturned all the projects and designs of my heart hitherto. When the work of God wrought in my soul I came to this resolved principle, that I would wholly and altogether preach sound and wholesome words, without affectation of wit and variety of eloquence. And in the end, the project of wit and vain glory which marked the earlier days of my unregeneracy was sunk in my heart; and I left all, and have continued in the purpose and practice which was then wrought in me, by reason of my new birth, these threescore years. And never, from that time, have I been led away, to put in any of my own withered flowers that I had gathered, and valued more than diamonds, to the bringing them into a sermon, unto this day.

'I took leave for my whole life of all ecclesiastical preferments, and though I was afterwards made president of Magdalene college; my great motive, in the acceptance of it, was from the bottom of my heart to be useful in the university, in bringing young men that were godly to be fellows and students; which, in after times, might serve God in the ministry. And it was after such that I enquired, and sought them out as the

greatest jewels. And when, at any time, I failed of such, it was a grief to me. My soul and conscience both bear me witness.'

was upon me.

Speaking of the Lord's blessing upon his ministry, he thus related it. · The most eminent property of my conversion to God was this; namely, that the glory of the great God was set up in my heart, as the square and rule of all I followed. And the Lord's blessing For after I had been seven years from Cambridge, and coming out of Holland, I had for some years after, well nigh every month, serious and hearty acknowledgments from several young men, who had received the light of their conversion by my ministry, while I was in the university of Cambridge. And what success the Lord gave me at Oxford, while ministering there, I leave to Christ to declare at the last day.'

I offer no comment upon the history of this great man as here stated in his own words. Indeed the history itself needs none. I would only say, blessed must have been the times when the universities of the land had such holy men of God in the higher departments of our alma mater, ministering in the word and doctrine; feeling in themselves such love to God and souls. He who became the vinculum unionis, the bond of union to unite their souls to the Lord, became no less the mover of life, to quicken and to unite together in Christ, the souls of the people. Surely both preachers and hearers, in those happy times, like branches formed on the same stock, grew up together; and as Erasmus elegantly expresseth it, were, unum concrescere, vel coalescere;' bound and increasing together in one.'

And when we follow our view of this subject, as it relates to the higher order of the church in episcopacy of these times, the matter riseth to a magnitude still higher. Could it for a moment be conceived, that in any age of the church a man found entrance to the office of a bishop whose heart had never been changed by