minister are more arduous, and his trials more diversified, than tliose of others, so a want of judgment in him is more deeply felt than in any other person ; because the prejudices of many are strengthened by it, and the souls of many are hardened in their sins. A minister, therefore, must be particularly attentive to this point. He must have a well-regulated mind. His views, both of truth and duty, must be clear: his judg- ment, in relation to every thing, must be accurately and wisely formed. He must be freed from every bias that may influence his mind, and from every lust which may blind his eyes. He must be cool, considerate, prayerful: he must feel his entire dependence on God to guide him aright : and must cry to him for that *' wisdom, which is profitable to direct." And, where God has really fitted a man for the ministry, there will be, though in different degrees, " a spirit of wisdom and under- standing, a spirit of counsel and of might, a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord ; all concurring to make him quick of understanding in the fear of the Lord^."]
Application —
1. To you, then, who have not received this spirit, I would say, " Seek it of the Lord " —
[It is the gift of God : it cannot proceed from man : it may come to us through man ; but it is from God alone, even from Him, " from whom cometh every good and perfect gift^." Whether we be ministers or private Christians, this spirit is indispensable to our eternal welfare. No man can be saved without it. " The fearful" shall go into the lake of fire, as certainly as " whoremongers or murderers^:" the man who for want of strength draws back, " draws back unto perdition^:" the person destitute of love is no better than sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal'' :" and the man devoid of loisdom will perish^ I say then, seek this spirit; "so shall you have good under- standing, in the sight both of God and man*^."
It is remarkable, that, when St. Paul is instructing Titus how to speak to the cases of both old people and young, he specifies many things which he would have him insist upon with old men and old women, and with young women also : but with young men, every thing that was essential was com- prehended in one single point; "Exhort young men to be sober-minded*^." On this, therefore, I would particularly in- sist; because with sobriety of mind every grace will flourish; but without it, no man can ever walk worthy of the Gospel, or adorn, as he ought, the doctrine of God our Saviour.]
X Isai. xi. 2, 3. y Jam. i. 17. ^ Rev. xxi. 8.
a Heb. X. 39. i" 1 Cor. xiii. 1. '' Prov. xxix. 10.
d Prov. iii. 4. ^ Tit. ii. (i.