2. The profession it calls us to —
[We profess to be " as lights in the world," " as cities set on a hill :" we profess to be " born from above/' to be " trans- formed into the Divine image," yea, to be " changed into the Divine image, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of our God." In a word, we profess to be " epistles of Christ, known and read of all men ;" insomuch that no one can behold us, without seeing the mind and will of God exhibited in living characters before his eyes. What then is the conversation suited to such a state ? Is a mere negative holiness sufficient, or a lukewarm performance of religious duties? Who will behold God in such a conduct as that ? If we are to exhibit Christ to the world, we must " walk altogether as Christ walked :" his tem- per, his spirit, his conduct, must be ours ]
3. The benefits it confers —
[Take a distinct view of these : survey the pardon of sins unnumbered, the peace that passeth understanding, the strength for every duty, the access to God on all occasions, the joy unspeakable and glorified, the prospects opened in a dying hour, the crowns and kingdoms reserved for us in a
better world What manner of persons ought we to be,
who have such mercies vouchsafed unto us ? Does it become such persons to be weighing out their services by drachms and scruples, if we may so speak? Should we not "love and serve God with all our heart, and all our mind, and all our soul, and all our strength?" The continual habit of our minds should be, " What shall I render unto the Lord?" ]
But, that we may not spend all our time in mere general truths, let us proceed to notice,
II. His particular directions —
A Christian minister is not like the ostrich, which having laid her eggs in the sand, pays no further attention to them ; but like a tender mother, who, after having brought forth her infant, travails with it in birth a thousand times, through her fond solici- tude for its welfare13. If present with his people, he watches over them with care ; if absent from them, he anxiously inquires respecting their state. To see good in them, and to hear.it of them, is, next to his personal enjoyment of God, his chief happiness. He
b Gal. iv. 19.