ON

A MINISTER'S

FAMILIAR INTERCOURSE WITH HIS HEARERS.

WHAT passes, on these occasions, too often savours of this world. We become one among our hearers. They come to church on Sunday; and we preach: the week comes round again, and its nonsense with it. Now if a minister were what he should be, the people would feel it. They would not attempt to introduce this dawdling, silly, diurnal chat! When we countenance this, it looks as though, "On the Sunday I am ready to do my business; and, in the week, you may do yours." This lowers the tone of what I say on the Sabbath. It forms a sad comment on my preaching.

I have traced, I think, some of the evil that lies at the root of this. We are more concerned to be thought Gentlemen, than to be felt as Ministers. Now being desirous to be thought a man who has kept good company, strikes at the root of that rough work-the bringing of God into his world. To talk of a Creator, and Preserver, and Redeemer, is an outrage on the feelings of most companies.

There is important truth in what Mr. Wesley said to his preachers, when rightly understood, however it may have been ridiculed: "You have no more to do with being Gentlemen, than Dancing Masters." The character of a minister is far beyond that of a

mere gentleman. It takes a higher walk. He will, indeed, study to be a real gentleman: he will be the farthest possible from a rude man: he will not disdain to learn nor to practice the decencies of society: but he will sustain a still higher character.

It is a snare to a minister when in company, to be drawn out to converse largely on the state of the funds, and on the news of the day. He should know the world, and what is doing in the world, and should give things of this nature their due place and proportion; but if he can be drawn out to give twenty opinions on this or that subject of politics or literature, he is lowered in his tone. A man of sense feels something violent in the transition from such conversation to the Bible and to Prayer.

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Dinner visits can seldom be rendered really profitable to the mind. The company are so much occupied, that little good is to be done. A minister should show his sense of the value of time it is a sad thing when those around him begin to yawn. He must be a man of business. It is not sufficiently considered how great the sin of idleness is. We talk in the pulpit of the value of time, but we act too little on what we say.

Let a minister who declines associating much with his hearers, satisfy himself that he has a good reason for doing so. If reproached for not visiting them so much as they wish, let him have a just reason to assign. A m

who is at work for his family, may have as much love for them as the wife, though she is always with them.

I fell into a mistake, when a young man, in thinking that I could talk with men of the world on their own ground, and could thus win them over to mine. I was fond of painting, and so talked with them on that subject. This pleased them but I did not consider that I gave a consequence to their pursuits which does not belong to them; whereas I ought to have endeavoured to raise them above these, that they might engage in higher. I did not see this at the time: but I now see it to have been a great error. A wealthy man builds a fine house, and opens to himself fine prospects: he wants you to see them, for he is sick of them himself. They thus draw you into their schemes. A man has got ten thousand pounds you congratulate him on it, and that without any intimation of his danger or his responsibility. Now you may tell him in the pulpit that riches are nothing worth; but you will tell him this in vain, while you tell him out of it that they are.

Lord Chesterfield says a man's character is degraded when he is to be had. A minister ought never to be had.

ON

A MINISTER'S

ENCOURAGING

ANIMADVERSION ON HIMSELF.

It is a serious inquiry for a Minister how far he should encourage animadversion on himself in his hearers. He will encounter many ignorant and many censorious remarks, but he may gain much on the whole.

He should lay down to himself a few principles.

It is better that a Minister smart than mistake. It is better that a traveller meet a surly, impertinent fellow to direct him in his way, than lose his way. A Minister is so important in his office, that, whatever others think of it, he should regard this and this only as the transaction for eternity. But a man may be labouring in the fire: he may be turning the world upside down, and yet be wrong. You say he must read his Bible. True! but he must use all means. He must build his usefulness on this principle-if by any means. If the wheel hitches, let him, by any means, discover where it hitches. This principle is to be worked continually in his mind. He must labour to keep it up to a fine, keen edge. Let him never believe that his view of himself is sufficient. A merchant,

sailing in quest of gain, is so intent on his object that he will take a hint from any man. If we had all the meaning to which we pretend in our pursuits, we should feel and act like him.

A minister must lay it down also as a principle, that he will never sufficiently understand his own pride and self-love; and that confidence in his own sense, which cleaves closely to every man. He must consider this as the general malady. Man is blind and obstinate-poor and proud. This silly creature, through ignorance of this principle, will not only not hear a vulgar hearer, who animadverts on him; but he will scarcely listen to a superior man among his hearers. He attends to such a one, because it would be indecent not to attend. But he finds some excuse for himself in his own bosom. He reverences what is said very little, if at all. He strokes and flatters himself, and makes up the affair very well in his own mind.

A Minister should consider how much more easily a weak man can read a wise man, than a wise man can read himself: and that for this reason-no man can see and hear himself. He is too much formed in his own habitshis family notions-his closet notions—to detect himself. He, who stands by and sees a game played, has vast advantages over the players. Besides, preachers err_systematically-learnedly-scientifically. The simple hearer has an appeal to nature in his heart.