DISCOURSE I. 141 power of the Spirit working upon their consciences. So poor sinners, that have long sat under a formal and cold ministry, and attended twenty years or more upon it, because they were afraid to change their preacher, afraid of some terriblenames of fright- ful reproach, and afraid lest they should change their worship to the name of schism, when they have ventured to go astray into some private worshipping assembly, and have heard a discourse whereby they have been awakened to see their sin, and their dan- ger, and theway of salvation by the righteousness `and thegrace of Christ, they are brought as it were into a new world, they are amazed at what they seeand feel, they say within themselves, " Is this the gospel of Christ ? Then I. never knew the gospel till this day." Such persons, under the first powerful impres- sions of God on their hearts, are so surprised, that sometimes they hardlyknow, whether it is the voice of God, or man ; like Samuel, when he was first called to be a prophet, knew not the voice of God. They are amazed like the woman of Samaria, when she met with our Saviour; John iv. 29. Come see a man who told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christy Under such an amazement have stupid and ignorant creatures fallen, when they have been first awakened to see the state of their own souls, and the salvation of the gospel in a powerful and converting light, that they have wondered at the preacher, as though he were some extraordinary person, when perhaps his talents were not uncommon ; but the Spirit of God was with him, and commanded divine light to shine into the darkness of their souls, and at this they have been surprised, andbeen ready to cry out, never man spoke like this man.. But I shall insist no longer on these heads, but proceed to some inferences for our practice. Inference I. First, I would draw an inference that concerns ministers who have not commission from a national church, " that they should see to it that they have a call and a commission from God, and imitate our Lord Jesus Christ in the discharge of it." It is not my business here, my text does not naturally lead me to it, to enquire into all the particulars that make up the call and commission of a gospel minister ; but it is the business of each of us, when we are well satisfied in our call to the ministry, to imi- tate this glorious preacher Christ Jesus. Let us set before us his example, who had received no orders from the Jewish priest- hood, especiallywhen we are among a people, who think we are not called to preach, because we have no ordination from an established church. Ingeneral we should avoid those things in our ministry, wherein we have just reason to fear others have been mistaken, and for which Godbath contended with them, or departed from them. Not that we should seek after something novel, and out of the way, on purpose to avoid their method, or
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