[On them, under God, depends the everlasting welfare of thousands. We need only compare the state of those congre- gations where the Gospel is faithfully preached, with those which are under the superintendence of careless ministers : in the one will be found little but ignorance and irreligion ; in the other, there will be many whose minds are enlightened with divine truth, and whose souls are quickened to a new and heavenly life. But where shall persons be found duly qualified for the work — where those who will be willing to undertake it ? True ; if the ministry of the word be made a source of temporal emolu- ment, there will be multitudes ready to engage in it : but if the " signs of a minister," or accompaniments of the ministry, be like those in the Apostles' days, " reproaches, necessities, and distresses for Christ's sakec," and the only pluralities be " labours, stripes, prisons, deaths d," there will not be many candidates for the office, nor will the qualifications for it be thought so common as they are at present. How few are ready to go and preach to the heathen, where the labour and self-denial are great, and the earthly recompence is small ! Large benefices, where little is to be done, or the work can be done by proxy, are caught up with avidity : but if nothing but a future reward be held forth, and God say, " Who will go for us 1 " there are few indeed that will answer with the prophet, " Here am I, send mee."]
This, therefore, should be the subject of our de-
voutest prayers —
[God himself has commanded us to commit the matter to him in prayer : " The harvest truly is plenteous, and the labourers are few ; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth {thrust out*) labourers into his harvest." And truly, all ranks and orders of men are concerned to " labour earnestly in prayer" concerning it.
How fervently should they pray, to whom the office of ordain- ing others is committed ! for " if they lay hands suddenly on any man, they make themselves partakers of other men's sinsg." Nor should they be less earnest who are to be ordained. When we consider how arduous their work is, and how great their responsibility before God ; when we reflect that their word will be " a savour of life to the life and salvation of many, or a savour of death to their death" and condemnation11; and that the blood of all that perish through their neglect will be re- quired at their hands ; methinks it is a wonder that any one can be found, who, for the sake of filthy lucre, will dare to undertake it. Were the weight of the office duly considered,
c 2 Cor. xii. 10, 12. d 2 Cor. xi. 23—28. e Isai. vi. 8. ' fxfta\]h Matt. ix. 37, 38. e 1 Tim. v. 22. '' 2 Cor. ii. 16.