SECTION V. 831 from the brink of everlasting death ? Oh let it never be said, that such or such a soul was lost for ever through our carelessness, through our coldness, through our sinful sloth in publishing the offers of recovering grace ! I-Iow tremendous and painful will such a thought be to our hearts ! How dreadful the anguish of it to the awakened conscience of a drowsy preacher ! Seventhly, We charge you solemnly, and we charge our- selves, by the honour that Christ has done to us in times past, and has clone to you this day, by the dignity of that office wills which we have been formerly invested, and which you have this day received, that neither you nor we do any thing unbecoming this honourable character. Does Jesus the divige Shepherd appoint us under-shepherds of his flock ? Are we constituted stewards in his house, to dispense the mysteries of his grace, and thegood things of his gospel; are we the messengers of our risen Lord to a dying world ; are we the ministers of our exalted Sa- viour in his kingdom here below ; are we the stars in his right - hand ; are we the earthly angels in his churches? O let us take heed that we do nothing to disgrace the titles of dignity and ho- nour which he has put upon us in his word: let us remember that every dignity brings an equal duty with it ; and by fulfilling the various and difficult duties of our holy station, let us make it appear that our office was not conferred upon us in vain. It behovesui well to remember that a blemish upon the name of a minister, arising from his own criminal conduct, brings a foul and lasting scandal upon the office itself, and upon the gospel of our glorified Lord, in whose naine we act; and he will not fail to resent it. Eighthly, We exhort and charge you therefore, my dear brother, by all the sacred solemnities of this day, by the vows of God which you have this day taken upon yourself, and the bond wherewith you have bound your soul; and we would each of us charge our own consciences, by our own former solemn vows, that neither you nor we ever stiffer ourselves to forget or disre- gardour holy and powerful engagements ; that we be awake at all times to fulfil our work, and that we never indulge low and trifling thoughts of what has formerly appeared to us, and what this day appears to you of such awful importance. Oh let us ever refresh upon our spirits the serious and important transac- tions of that day, wherein we gave up ourselves to Christ, in the sacred service of his church. Let us often review the vows of these remarkabl- ,,asons of our life, and renew and confirm them befor _.e Lord. ..inthly, We charge you, and we charge ourselves, by the decaying interest of religion, and the withering state of christi- ànity at this day, that we do not increase this general and lament- able decay, this growing and dreadful apostacy, by our slothful
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=