Let us conceive of the Apostle as set apart to this office by Almighty God, and, as informed, at the very time of his appointment to it, " how great things he should suffer" for his Master's sake ; and let us fur- ther bear in mind, that all who are in every age ordained to the office of the ministry are called to a measure of the same experience ; and how strongly will it impress our minds with,
1. The exceeding great value of the soul —
[The souls of men were " perishing for lack of know- ledge." God, in his mercy, determined to set apart an order of men to instruct them, and to guide them into all truth. But the wickedness of men would " not endure sound doc- trine :" they would hate the light, and endeavour to extinguish it, wheresoever it should appear. This, however, should tend lather to the furtherance, than to the obstruction, of God's gracious purposes. It should tend to complete the work of his grace in the souls of his servants, whom he should thus send forth ; and it should serve to illustrate the power of his grace, in upholding them under circumstances of such peculiar trial. Conceive now of persons so separated and so appointed, in every age, for the benefit of mankind ; and what an idea will it give us of the value of their souls ! What ; shall strangers, unconnected with the world, except as being partakers of the same nature, be raised up to devote themselves to such labours, and to undergo such sufferings for us ? to warn us, instruct us, encourage us, and lead us into the way of peace ? Verily, then, the interests of an immortal soul are not of so little import- ance as the world at large seem to imagine. Indeed, brethren, if we are bound, by our high office, to live as the Apostle lived, and in the whole of our ministerial career to follow him for the benefit of your souls, it can never be that you should be at liberty to neglect your own souls, or to manifest less concern for yourselves, than we are to exercise for you. Doubtless, that wliich most marks the value of an immortal soul, is the gift of God's only-begotten Son to die for you : but next to that, is the appointment of an order of men, who are to go with their lives in their hands, and endure all that an ungrate- ful world can inflict, for the purpose of " turning you from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God." Read carefulhj the text in this vietv; and then say, " He did all this for me, and suffered all this for me : and then you will see what is that measure of zeal which you are called to exer- cise for your own souls.]
2. The true nature of the Christian warfare —