but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth, nor he that watereth anything, but God that giveth the increase,”* And with

regard generally to this head of the duties suggested by his words in the text ;-thus used he to carry out the principle therein implied, in all his ministrations and discourses, "Our exhor

tation," he writes "was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor yet in guile. But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts,"-"nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor of others." And again," We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord: and ourselves your servants for Jesus's sake.'

There is a similar difficulty in wholly disentangling good from evil,-right aims and practices from such as are of a very questionable, not to say, unworthy nature, in regard to conciliating the good-will of our flocks. That this should be an object with every Minister of the word, who can doubt? But then it must be, not for his own sake, but simply for their sakes, and for the sake of their Master and his, whose work amongst them he can thus only hope to accomplish successfully. He must, in this also, be

* 1 Cor. iii. 5, 6, 7. 1 Thess. ii. 3. 4, 6. ‡ 2 Cor. iv. 5.

66

seeking not theirs, but them." Needful is it, then, indeed to avoid all offensive harshness and austerity, all such statements of the truth, all such bearing of ourselves in every respect, as may render the truth, and the lessons and practices of Christian holiness and piety, unnecessarily unwelcome, and stir up against them an opposition, which, with more caution and judgment, on our part, and more thought for the prejudices and weaknesses of others, they would not have met with ;-needful is it to act in the spirit of the word, which speaks of "giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed;"* in the spirit of Him, who is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities,"-who while on earth could be (though spotless in purity from sin) so meekly and kindly condescending, as to be called, by those who "judged according to the appearance, and not righteous judgment,"" a friend of publicans and sinners ;"-in the spirit of his Apostle, also who considerately acknowledges, in regard to a matter he thought expedient, but not of vital necessity, or of obligation for all, "I would that all men were even as I myself; but every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that;"§- who declares-"We that are strong, ought to bear the

* 2 Cor. vi. 3. † John vii. 24. Matt. xi. 19. § Cor. vii. 7.

infirmities of the weak,"* and that "the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves."

But at the same time, surely, there must be great caution the other way;-against making conciliation, not an object with us, but our main one, rather than that which alone should be so. If there be with us the smallest sacrifice of Christian truth; the least compromise of any part of Christian holiness, from any false unworthy fear or shame, or from respect to our own comfort and peace, in having the good-will and good opinion of our flocks, we are no longer seeking them, but are seeking theirs, for our own sake. However justly precious must their love and kindly feeling be to us, both in themselves, and in order, also, to the Gospel's being thereby (we would hope) rendered more acceptable, and more widely accepted, amongst them, we must not, for these ends, surrender any thing that belongs to the Gospel itself. We may see, in words already read, how dear to St. Paul was the love of his children in the faith at Corinth; and yet, that he was ready to sacrifice that love towards himself, rather than sacrifice their souls, or hazard the loss of them to his

*Rom, xv. 1. † 2 Tim, ii. 24,25.

Divine Master;-"I am willing," he says, "to spend, and to be spent for you, though the more abundantly I love, the less I be loved." And he shews us more at length, in this particular also, the working in practice of the principle we have been considering,-"I seek not yours, but you,”—when he declares, "seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not, but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not handling the word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God."* And again, "I please all men in all things,"-let us mark what follows, what was his single object in this―" not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved." Against this consideration,—that "many may be saved"—what can be put in competition? The thought of the satisfaction to us of being kindly looked on for our easiness by a few, who might otherwise frown on us and hate us?-or the ill-grounded fancy, (which there is such danger, too, may be but an insincere motive) that through such baseless good-will, we may, here and there, do more good, and obtain a hearing for the word, which it would otherwise be denied?-Surely

* 2 Cor. iv. 1. + 1 Cor. x. 33.

not surely in doing the work of God, the only course for success, is to do it in His own way, and not as we have devised in our own heart. We know how it is forbidden to "heal the hurt of God's people slightly,"* to "speak smooth things, and prophecy deceits"+ rather than harsh truths, or by dangerous compliances for the sake of a few, to endanger the perishing of any of the brethren for whom Christ died. Having earnestly sought to know the truth as it is in Him, we ought so to hold to it only, as to be able to use his Apostle's words again, and say,-uniting warm affection with faithfulness and sincerity, "We speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying."

Yes, my brethren, this, let us believe, must be the right course for a blessed success in our ministerial labours;-to seek nothing of those who hear us, not even as a subordinate object, and by the way; but "to seek them," to strive to win them unto God their Saviour. It is true that, as it is written "seek ye first the kingdom of God & his righteousness, and all these things" -i. e. worldly necessaries, " shall be added unto you,"-even so, he that, in singleness of heart, follows the counsel given us-"Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine, for in doing this,

* Jerem. vi. 14. Isai, xxx. 10. 2 Cor. xii. 19.