and lowly Jesus, it is particularly disgusting. You will have many things to try your temper; things which must bear hard upon an ingenuous mind: but the disciple must not expect to be above his master, nor the servant above his Lord. What will you say to coolness and slights from those who call themselves your friends; rude and overbearing language from those who have no right to take such liberties; unkind constructions upon the most innocent actions or expressions; laying to your charge things which you know not? All this All this may occur, and may have a

tendency to ruffle your spirits, and provoke you to speak unadvisedly with your lips. But if you be meek, as your Master was, you will disappoint them all. You will, in the midst of the storm, possess your soul in patience. You will enjoy and manifest a blessed serenity and good humour, when others are ill-natured and unmannerly; and be disposed to bless them that curse you, to do good to them that hate you, and to pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.

This is Christian meekness; and, however meanly the world may think of it, it stands high in the estimation of God. Let them call it sheepishness, if they will it is only being like him, who was led as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth: and I believe you are ambitious of no higher honour, than to be a humble imitator of your Divine Master.

But I forgot that I am all this while putting your meekness to a severe trial, by the length and freedom of this address. Forgive me this wrong; and I will

immediately proceed to another thing in which you should follow Christ, and that is zeal.

Here is no inconsistency. You may be as meek as Moses, or as Christ himself, and yet your heart may glow with a holy zeal for the glory of God, and the salvation of immortal souls. Look to Jesus! there

you may see something to direct and animate your zeal. He said, and well he might say it, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." He seemed to regard nothing else. He went about doing good; and was never so happy as when so employed. When he had been preaching all day, he would be praying all night; and found that doing the will of his heavenly Father was to him, meat, drink, and sleep.

"What, Sir," you may ask, " do you think that I, or any minister now, should do all this? Christ was an extraordinary person, and had extraordinary supports; but it were folly in me to attempt it. Neither my mind, nor my body, could bear such constant fatigue." Ah! my dear brother, we know not what we can do till we try. I believe few of us have yet been the worse for overworking. There is such a thing as the joy of the Lord being our strength. Others have found, that one duty only prepared them for another the more they did, the more they could do; and we, perhaps, might find it so too, if we had resolution enough to make the trial. Will you allow me to recommend it to you, to stir up the gift that is in you and to let it appear by your more abundant labours, that so much grace has not been bestowed upon you in vain? A minister who loves his Master and his flock, who knows the tremendous realities of

another world, and sees those whom he longs to save from perdition, running heedlessly on in the paths of the destroyer, cannot be lukewarm and inactive. He cannot help lifting up his voice like a trumpet, while he shows them their sin and their danger, and exerts himself to pluck them as brands from the burning. But you must not think it strange, if your pious and friendly warmth be not always so well taken as you know it was intended; yea, if they account you their enemy, because you tell them the truth; as if a man who was almost drowned, were angry with the person that saved his life, because he had bruised his arm in effecting his deliverance. But let them receive it how they will, whether they thank or quarrel with you for your concern about their souls, duty to God, and compassion to them, will oblige you to persevere in your endeavours to save as many as you can.

Once more; you are to follow your Divine Master in holiness. He was eminently and perfectly holy; without the least sinful taint in his nature, or the least sinful flaw in any part of his life. He was harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners; and the more you, my brother, are like him, the better. Our Lord had the eyes of many upon him, observing every house that he entered, and watching every word that he spoke. Once they thought that they had found some accusation against him: and what do you think was the heinous crime? Why, he became the guest of a man who was a sinner! Foolish people! where should the physician be, but in the company of those who are sick? The world is as captious now as ever it was, and will as narrowly watch your steps. Business, civility, many things, may call you to

houses where there is little religion.

But if you go

with the same view, and conduct yourself with the same prudence and piety, that Christ discovered, you will get no hurt, and may do some good. A bishop must be blameless: not merely not convicted of immoralities, but not so much as suspected. Even things which are lawful, may not be expedient for you; but a swearing minister, a drunken minister, a wanton minister, is the most disgusting sight in the world. He must be a torment to himself, as well as a disgrace to his profession, who is a preacher of holiness one day, and a leader in wickedness all the week besides! I say not this by way of caution to you, Sir; for I know that your soul abhors the very thought of such impurities. But I mention it, to excite your gratitude to free grace, for making you to differ.

I might easily have multiplied particulars, but it is unnecessary. You have the copy before you, and whenever you are at a loss, you have nothing to do but to look to Jesus, and walk even as he walked: who has left you an example, that you should tread in his steps.

So far I have been setting before you your duty; and if I had mentioned many things more, you would not have thought them hard sayings. You would not have complained that his commandments were grievous, or that his service was burthensome or unplea sant. You love your Master, and you delight in his work; and if left to your choice, you would rather be among Christ's servants, than the world's princes. But if the employment be so agreeable, what will be the wages? For wages you shall certainly have: I

do not say, in proportion to your work for your reward shall be infinitely beyond your deserts, or your expectations. Only follow the Lord fully, and then, where he is, there shall also his servant be. There is more contained in those few words than the mind of man can conceive. The scriptures tell us, that, when Christ ascended up into heaven, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; and if you shall be where your master is !--O my dear brother, I wonder not that you are affected, and ready to sink under this exceeding weight of glory! I wonder not, to hear you cry out, in grateful astonishment, Is this after the manner of men, O Lord God? No, indeed, Sir, it is not. But you know that he is God, and not man. The kindest masters among men, admit not their servants to such freedoms: they treat them with tenderness, but they make them not their companions: they behave not to them as their equals ; they allow them not, in general, to sit in the same room, or to eat at the same table; and, amidst every reasonable indulgence, they expect them to keep a decent distance, and remember that still they are but servants. There are two passages of scripture, which will convince you, that God's thoughts and ways are as much superior to ours, as the heavens are high above the earth. One is this: "To him that overcometh, will I grant, to sit with me on my throne; as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father on his throne." The other is this: "Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching; verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth, and serve them." Our heads are