of the sacred oracles. To him he has given souls to be nur- tured and disciplined for heaven. But the traitor is intent only on his own gains or pleasures : he performs his weekly task, not caring whether any be edified or not : he wastes the precious opportunities, that can never be recalled ; and, in the course of his ministry, leads thousands to destruction. Yes ; as far as his influence extends, he makes null and void all the purposes of God's grace, and all the wonders of redeeming love. When, humanly speaking, he might have been a blessing to the world, and an ornament to his profession, he brings his sacred function into reproach, scattering the flock whom he should have gathered, and destroying whom he should have saved. Such an one is Satan's best friend, and the greatest enemy of God and man.
Much good also may be destroyed, especially where men are awake to the concerns of religion, by a proud disptitatious sectary. I speak not here of those who dissent from the Established Church, but of those who create divisions within the Church by unduly insisting on mattersof minor importance, and of doubtful disputation. Though the sentiments of such an one be not fundamentally erroneous, yet if he be laying an undue stress on matters that are comparatively indifferent, and forming parties in the church, he distracts the minds of the simple; he puffs up many with pride ; he loosens the bonds of brotherly aff'ection ; he weakens the hands of a pious minister, and he causes many to relapse into formality and indifference ^ Of such a character were Hymeneus™, and Alexander": and "one such root of bitterness will trouble and defile many'*:" on which ac- count we should be as studious as possible to stop their growth p.
There is scarcely any one in the universe who does greater injury to the Church than the professor loho walks dishononr- ahly. One act of his brings disgrace upon the whole Church of God, and makes religion to stink in the very nostrils of those around him'i. Instantly do the ungodly begin to triumph "■, to arraign all the people of God as hypocrites, and to represent religion itself as a mask for every thing that is vile^ Thus the wicked are hardened, the weak are offended, the saints are dishonoured, and the very name of God is blasphemed in the world*. How does God himself complain of this in the case of David"! and how incalculable must the evil be, when multitudes are thus off'ended, and set against the very means of salvation !
1 Rom. xvi, 17, 18. ^ 2 Tim. ii. 16—18, 23. and iii. 6, 13.
" 2 Tim. iv. 14, 15.
0 Heb. xii. 15. See also 1 Cor. v. 2, 6. and Gal. v. 7, 9.
P Tit. i. 13, 14. and iii. 9 — 11. Q Gen. xxxiv. 30.
•^ Ps. XXXV. 19, 25. s 2 Pet. ii. 2. t i Tjm. vi. 1.
u 2 Sam. xii. 14.