names of office, by which the facred fcriptures diftinguish clergymen, are names which import diligence, labour, and application.

Overfeers,* ftewards, minifters or fervants, fhepherds, watchmen, labourers, &c. offices all, which include the utmoft fidelity and care, the most unwearied industry and application and can it be poffible for any man to imagine, that he fulfils a station, thus reprefented in the word of God, by a life of diffipation; or by a perfunctory discharge of the legal Sunday's duty? Le: fuch a one only contemplate the life of the fhepherd tending his flock,-the laborious and watchful life;-and then ask his own heart, "do I as a fhepherd of the flock of Chrift, thus difcharge my duty towards them?" He must have a very callous or a very depraved heart, who can apply fuch a queftion, and be uninfluenced by the anfwer of his confcience :-especially after he confiders, that the chief fhepherd will one day require a very strict account of the flock committed to his truft and will deem the watchman guilty of the death of the foul which perishes through his neglect of giving proper warning. See Ezekiel xxxiii.

There are other names, in facred fcripture, applied to this holy function, which exprefs honour and purity, as well as application; fuch are those of ambassadors, rulers, and angels. All of which, taken together, will, I am affured, be sufficient to convince you, that he who chufes the life of a clergyman, as a station of indolence, inactivity and felf-indulgence, wholly mistakes the nature of his office, and is in danger of the groffeft crimes; as well as of the feverest punishment from that dread mafter, whofe fervice he fo wretchedly abufes.

We, who are accuftomed to fee fo many crowding into the facred office, every Ember-week, are apt to admire whence it fhould come to pafs, that in the first days of the church, candidates for holy orders were fo few; and that a compulfion was frequently neceffary to bring men to the acceptance of the highest dignities in their profeffion. The temporal emoluments, it is true, were not then fo confiderable; but the profeffion was equally honourable, and the power of doing good, and promoting the falvation of men, great and defirable. Whence then, (fince we muft not refolve it wholly into temporal views) whence could the manifeft difference arife, but from the different apprehenfion, which they

專 *Emonowo, Bishops.

they and we entertained of the office; from the clear and right knowledge which they had of its importance, laborioufnefs and difficulty; and the total ignorance or inconfideration of these matters, wherewith too, too. many of our young candidates now come for imposition of the bishop's hands?

Here then there is evidently a fault but you will fay, where does it lie? Let every man judge and determine for himself of the different fources of this prevailing and very pernicious evil. My opinion, you know, my dear brother, has always been, that much of it is to be laid to the charge of our education.-Do not imagine that I am going, with fome in our days, imprudently to decry and abufe our Universities; or to rank the learning, which is gained there, amongst the useless and unavailing. Very far from it; fo far, that I think there is not a worfe mark of the declining flate of true literature amongst us, than the grievous difregard and contempt which is thrown upon the learned languages and fciences; while tranflations, pamphlets, and retail periodical performances, become almoft the only ftudy of our fashionable readers. Much of this is owing to fome ingenious men in our times, who, having little skill in any other language than their own, have, from a kind of self-defence, drawn their pens, and fought against claffic and other literature, which they have attacked under the plausible and odious names of pedantry and pride.-But I flop fhort

Allow me to fay, that I am perfectly fatisfied, from clear and undoubted facts, of the high utility and neceffity of the learning which is acquired at our Universities: I have only to object, and from my heart to wifh, that fome improvements could be made to the advantage of those who are defigned for holy orders. Flufhed with Greek and Latin, with philofophical or metaphyfical knowledge, a young man, utterly unfkilled in divinity or elocution, enters into orders, as foon as he has taken a degree: and having perhaps no plan of ftudy whereupon to proceed, never improves at all the flock of knowledge he brought from the univerfity; and thus never can become a good divine and minifter of a parish.*

It

*It should be remembered that these letters were written near fifty years ago. At present an attendance on theological lectures

is

It is therefore an object worthy the attention of thofe who prefide in church and state, that fome remedy should be fought for this evil, fo deftructive to religion and good morals. And might it not be well, if a year at least were affigned to the fludy of thofe fciences, which are fo important in themfelves, and fo indifpenfably neceffary for those, who profefs to inftruct others in the way of life, and to inftruct them publickly, in a living voice? Could any man be brought to believe, if the fact was not too notorious to be denied, that the candidates for fuch an office are never profes fedly taught divinity or elocution!

Let us hope, in this fenfible age and with fo many confpicuous men in our church and univerfities, this matter will meet with the ferious confideration which its importance juftly merits.

But I have filled my paper, and must therefore take my pen from the table.

Farewell, and believe me, &c. Yours.

J. G.

DESCRIPTION OF A CHRISTIAN.

Chriftian is the highest ftyle of man.

YOUNG.

T is unpleafing to remark, how few of the number who profefs the faith of Chrift, and bear the name of Chrif tians, fulfil the facred obligations of that faith, or live agreeably to the truth and importance of that name. Yet nothing can be more certain, than that the profeffion of a faith, and the bearing a name, without a correfpondent life and actions, will be worse than unavailing-will be pernicious and fatal: a reflection which many Christians feem not much inclined to make. What St. Paul fays of the Jew, and his privileges, may juftly be applied to the Chriftian; "He is not a Jew who is one outwardly neither is that circumcifion, which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew, who is one inwardly, and circumcifion is that of the heart, in the fpirit, and not in the letter, whofe praife is not of men, but of God."

Have

is required of all students designed for the church, still it is to be lamented that a ritual professorship, such as hath been described and proposed in our former numbers, is not established in our Universities for more practical benefit. Ep.

Have we not, then, in these words, a key to the grand and inoft effential characteristic of the Chriftian? He is not one who depends upon external privileges or ceremonies who places his hope of falvation in any outward work or service; or who fondly thinks that his mere profeffion of the faith, or attachment to a peculiar church, his obedience to enjoined modes or forms, or his knowledge of the great principles of his religion, will alone recommend him to God, or enfure his future and eternal felicity.--But convinced, that God will accept only the heart, he endeavours, that from thence, as the fountain, may flow the free and uniform ftreams of willing obedience. Engaged by the love of God in Chrift, he loves him in return; and this love in his foul is the active and vigorous principle of all his conduct, both to God and

man.

Hence it is, that in every external act of duty to his Father and Redeemer, he is always found zealous, regular, and conftant. The fame divine love which bows his ready knee to private prayer in his closet, carries him with devout cheerfulness, to the affembly of the faints, to the great congregation, that he may unite in the praises of the Lord: and if he be master of a family, engages him to call together his happy house, that they may prefent their joint fupplications before the throne of grace. Actuated by the fame engaging principle, he omits no opportunity, which his fituation allows, of remembering him in the bleffed communion, who forgot not the deareft interefts of his creatures; and will never fail thofe, who gratefully remember his adorable mercies to mankind. The hypocrite, it is true, may perform these services; but the Chriftian only performs them acceptably, for he performs them in love. And to mark the difference between fuch a one and a mere professor, be it observed, that the religion of the former continually attends him, and is never laid afide, like a Sunday fuit: in all the offices and occurrences of life, as he acts upon the fame principle, so he afts rightly and confcientiously. It is true, he is not, he cannot be fuppofed abfolutely free from error or mistake; but he is always free from wilful and corrupt prevarication.

Whatever relation he bears in life, he confiders it his duty to fulfil that relation, as to Chrift, and not to men: hence he becomes a faithful and an affectionate husband, a tender and careful father, a kind brother, a steady and zealous friend, an obliging and hofpitable neighbour, a worthy mafter, and a loyal fubject. In all his dealings with others, he maintains the ftricteft integrity and juftice, ever bearing in mind, and

acting

acting conformably to that golden rule of moral conduct which the gofpel delivers, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, in the like circumftances and fituation." A rule, which alone would ferve to render him benevolent and charitable, as well as juft; were he not animated to be fo by a thousand other motives, which concur to make him exemplary in works of humanity and pity.

While thus the Chriftian endeavours (through the love of him in whom he believes) to fulfil every duty towards God and man, he forgets not himself; but defirous to eradicate every evil temper, to deftroy every corrupt paffion, and to gain a perfect renovation of his nature, he watches with affiduous care over his foul, examines his heart with impartial feverity, mortifying every vice to which he finds himself prone, cultivating every virtue of which he perceives the deficiency to this end he places always before him the great example of his beloved Saviour; and knowing that he is called to imitate him, and then only can be ftiled a Christian properly, when he has the mind or difpofition which was in Chrift, he makes it his labour to trace out the virtues and tempers in Jefus peculiarly defigned for imitation, and conftantly copies after them, however faintly, however imperfectly.

Convinced efpecially how much depends upon inward tempers, these he watches with efpecial diligence; and as words and actions flow from them, his firft care is to purify the fountains, as well affured that then the ftreams will flow clear. Humility he rightly judges the bafis of all Christian virtues, and love the perfection; no wonder therefore, that he is above measure fludious in the improvement of them.

These are fome faint outlines of the character of a Christian; a character, which infidels themfelves muft acknowledge to be amiable; and after which, if all who bear the facred name would afpire, no argument would be found so effectual to filence every oppofer of our moft holy faith. But, alas! we are not, we do not even attempt to be what we profefs. We fit down in a languid indifference, content ourfelves with fome faint efforts, fome weak external fervices; and wedded either to profit or pleasure, are neither warmed by the love of Chrift, nor influenced by those high objects which our faith prefents to us. Yet we may be bold to fay, that as no man here upon earth is, or can be fo happy as the true Chriftian, so no honour can be equal to that which attends this excellent character. But of thefe points more hereafter. Let it be obferved, that as we have here been

drawing