passed over by human effort. The production of these effects, by breaking down this barrier, constitutes the sacred and exclusive province of the Deity, within the sphere of which no natural or gracious abilities of man can make an inch of entrance. Here, sovereign grace must be put forth, and do all. In surmounting this barrier between the boundaries of nature and the kingdom of grace, the loftiest talent is on a level with the humblest instrument. The special dews of divine grace must come down upon the audience-the Word must be preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven: the Word must come, not in word only, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and with power, in order to break down nature, and rear a new building of grace and mercy. In every instance where a sinner is converted, sanctified, built up, and finally saved, there we say Paul and Apollos is nothing, God is all, is at the beginning, middle, and end of the whole process. They may be the instruments with which God works; but in every instance the blessed product is the proper effect of efficacious grace, the instrument in its own sphere does nothing in comparison of what God does. Planting and watering are operations which are really nothing at all, if compared with the quickening of the seed, and growth of the future harvest. As to growth and fruit, we are literally and absolutely nothing at all. We cannot "make a hair of our heads black or white."Not I, but the " grace of God which was in me."

Now what does Paul's most humble acknowledgment, both of the real and comparative inefficacy of the labours of the greatest ministers, imply? Plainly this: the existence of great and mighty obstacles, which neither Paul nor Apollos could remove out of the way. That these impediments are no trifles may be seen in this, that the natural, gracious, and miraculous strength of Paul was, when grappling with them, feebleness itself. But when we add that this is a case worthy of the interposition of God, and that here are impediments requiring the power and wisdom of God to unravel and overcome them, and to give full effect to the institution of the christian ministry, what a wonderful idea does all this imply and convey of the great and pressing difficulties which are always counteracting the success of the ministerial functions. The impediments implied in Paul's concession in the text, are of two kinds, either general and permanent, or differing according to places and times. Of the former kind are those which in all times and places adhere to the subject of the gospel ministry, to the administrators, and to the auditors.

Borne down by a profound sense of the weight and importance of the ministerial functions, Paul came forward to proclaim his

inability to execute the duties of his office with any commanding efficacy. The gospel ministry requires no exaggerated colouring of friends, no accumulation of pompous expressions and magnificent images, no exacting of superstitious respect and blind veneration, no arrogant claims to the possession of some magical or mysterious power, no display of a mighty contrary agency, whether secret or open, to set forth the sublimity, the sanctity, and laboriousness of the employment. Every man of conscience, who, being put by Christ into the ministry, has so great a trust as the glorious gospel of the blessed God committed to him, feels himself exalted indeed, yet almost overwhelmed with a view of the intrinsic moment and difficulty of this above every other office with which mortal is clothed. With a full view before him of the duties and responsibilities of this high employ, hear how Paul uttered the sentiments of his feeling heart: "Who is sufficient for these things?" 2 Cor. ii. 16. Again, 2 Cor. iii. 5. “We are not sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God." Now, if so small a thing as a good thought be beyond the compass even of apostolic powers, is it to be presumed that the fulfilling of the ministry with wisdom, fidelity, honesty, ardour, tenderness of spirit, and adaptation to the diversified circumstances of a whole congregation, and in a manner to win souls to Christ, is a work within the range of the best directed human abilities, or at all compatible with the spirit and character of the drone, the trifler, the ignorant, or the worldling? If a lawyer lose his cause, his client may be reduced to poverty; and if the skill of a physician is unavailing, his patient will die; but if the high and sublime end of the ministerial office is not attained, oh! who can bear to think of the tremendous issue.To be sure, it is consoling to the spirit weighed down under the burdensome sense of unsuccessfulness, to reflect, that both reason and religion concur in awarding the honour of approbation and acceptance, not to the prevailing and victorious alone, but to the faithful and upright servant, "for we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish.” 2 Cor. ii. 15. Yet a view of the consequences, either way-of eternal destruction, as the certain consequence of the gospel disbelieved, and of eternal life, as the glorious issue of its reception, may well make all in the ministry join in Paul's heart-felt exclamation, "Who is sufficient for these things?"

The subject of the gospel ministry is but one, "Jesus Christ and him crucified;" and no latitude of choice is left to us. Το this Paul confined himself, and he is the authorized exemplar of all his successors in the ministry. "I determined not to know any

thing among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified." But then this one topic is a summary of that revelation. Every part of divine truth bears upon this, and it supports the whole. The cross may be considered as the central pillar in the house of God, which supports the whole building, on which is inscribed in very legible characters, and we may read all the leading truths of Christianity, the evil of sin, and God's abhorrence of sin expressed in a manner the most awful, and sinners exposed to the tremendous curse of the law, and that sin is not to go unpunished, the grace and condescension of the Lord Jesus Christ, mercy and truth meeting together, righteousness and peace embracing each other, a just God justifying the ungodly who believe in Jesus. Or the cross may be compared to a genealogical tree, of which itself is the stem and trunk, in which the whole of divine truth shoots up in innumerable branches, in the most beautiful order, every branch laden with leaves and fruits pleasant to the eye and sweet to the taste. "Jesus Christ and him crucified," is a doctrine having such a multiplicity of particular parts, aspects, connections and tendencies, that the fulness of grace and truth contained in it is, to the human understanding, literally unfathomable, and it will require an eternity to unfold them. When Paul would express a thorough sense of his own utter insignificance, in contrast with the vastness, excellence, and variety of the gospel treasures committed to his keeping and dispensation, he uses the following wonderful language: "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." Eph. iii. 8. Now, my brethren, to give out these riches in measure, time, and manner, adapted to the wants of saints and sinners, or, laying aside all figure, to deliver the doctrinal and preceptive parts of religion, without mutilation or corruption, in a plain, orderly, and coherent manner, and not in the form of vague, disjointed, and roving harangues, which convey no clear ideas to the understanding to deliver the exhortations, and consolations, to apply the admonitions and rebukes of the Word of God, where, when, and as they ought to be-to ascertain, and speak suitably to those of every age, character and condition, to discriminate characters, to speak to cases of conscience, "rightly dividing the word of truth, and giving to every one his portion of meat in due season;" now, I say, all these duties of the ministry, and the never once omitting to give Christ his due place, whatever be the more immediate point in hand, shows how wonderfully this one grand. topic of Christ crucified, may be expanded, and what ample scope for variety it affords, and what a fund of knowledge, care, pa

tience, wisdom, skill and tenderness, is requisite to meet such diversified duties, and fulfil the ministry. And if to these pulpit duties we add the two laborious and important services of public catechising and family visitation, who that has mind enough fully to understand the extent of a minister's obligations, a heart to feel their force, and a conscience ever and anon telling him that the eternal weal or woe of his auditors is at stake, and that the dread alternative of being lost or saved is a certain issue of his administrations, must not in great commotion of mind join in Paul's passionate exclamation, "Who is sufficient for these things?-Neither is he that planteth any thing, nor he that watereth."

But obstructions also, neither few nor small, which adhere to ministers themselves, authorize the humble acknowledgment, "Neither is he that planteth, any thing, nor he that watereth." It must be greatly lamented that many look on the office in the mean light of a trade or a living, and assume it in all the baseness of a mercenary spirit, or, to use the emphatic language of the Spirit of God, "they enter into the priest's office that they may have a piece of bread to eat." 1 Sam. ii. 36. "That feed themselves, and not the flock." Ezek. xxxiv. 2. To denote their bad motives, principles, and practices, they are likened to those crafty, ravenous, and treacherous creatures, the wolf and the fox, which, under the shade of night, prowl about for their prey, seeking 166 to kill, and steal, and to destroy." They are also called "wells without water," filled only with empty or deadly vapours, and the wind of false doctrine." They are further called "deceivers, and Anti-Christs," masters of dissimulation, bewitching men in the gospel. Can the planting or watering of "these spoilers of the vineyard," these impostors, who "with cunning craftiness. lie in wait to deceive," who sow tares and briers, instead of good seed, or who at best serve up adulterated, turbid, nauseous mixtures, instead of "the good wine of the kingdom.” Can, I say, such planting or watering effect any good thing? Oh! no.Such as we sow we shall reap. As such "spare not the flock," so they themselves, as natural brute beasts, which they resemble, are made to be taken and destroyed." But supposing ministers are in the main capable, faithful, and conscientious, yet what are they at the best, mere mortal men, frail, sinful men, men of like passions with those to whom they minister. The rich treasure of the gospel is put into earthen vessels. An immaculate minister, without a flaw, or weakness, or inconsistency, or blemish, either in his official or personal conduct, may be desired in the pride and folly of the human heart, but such an angel of a man has never yet lighted upon our earth. I would not be understood as

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wishing, by these remarks, to throw a coating of varnish over any of those unsound earthen vessels; but neither do I pretend that any uninspired mortal, even though put in the ministry by Christ himself, is so free from flaws or cracks as not to need the mantle of charity and forbearance; for in truth my present object is to show that their real imperfections are such as often seriously to hinder their usefulness and success. Ministers, like every one of their hearers, have their own salvation to care for, lest when they "preach Christ to others, they themselves should be cast away." And their personal care of themselves seems to be enjoined even as a part of their official duty as ministers, in order to be greatly useful in their high and holy vocation. "Take heed to thyself, as well as to thy doctrine, for in so doing thou shalt both save thyself and those that hear thee." Nothing is more natural than that the personal conduct and character of ministers should have a propitious or unfavourable influence upon our hearers. When we reflect upon our numerous defects and imperfections, upon the want of knowledge, judgment, and wisdom; upon the want of that "rich indwelling of the Word of Christ," which the apostle recommends, or upon the want of spiritual, devotional feelings and habits, which diffuse a sweet odour upon all around; or upon the want of that gentle, sympathizing, and tender temper which gains immediate access to the heart-when to their wants we add a list of direct and positive faults, as neglect of study, of reading, unacquaintance with human nature, and the peculiar necessities of a flock, coldness, unkindliness, or even harshness and acrimony of temper, or worldliness of spirit-I say, when we reflect upon their frailties and failings, or it may be worse evils, can it be doubted that such imperfections, which cleave less or more to every minister, must have a baneful influence in obstructing the efficacy of the most evangelical ministrations? Considering how poor and imperfect creatures we are, to whom the rich treasure of the gospel is entrusted, is there not reason to say with Paul, "I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling," (1 Cor. ii. 3.) lest through our sinful spirit or manner, "the cross of Christ should be made of none effect?" Of such weak and sinful natures, may it not well be said, "Neither is he that planteth any thing, nor he that watereth?"

But besides these burthensome difficulties, there is a direct contrary agency implied, and alluded to in the figurative language of the text. The seed of plants is cast into the ground. There are great varieties of soil in the earth. If the soil is not kindly, the seed will not mingle with it, nor vegetate, nor come to per