and grief of heart exclaim, "They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him."

Now these additions to divine worship, by whom soever devised and imposed, are the results of an unwərrantable assumption of power, and are not at all binding on conscience, which in the right exercise of its proper functions, in religious matters, can acknowledge and bow only to the revealed will and authority of God. Mixing human invention with divine institutions, and imposing them on ignorant and credulous Christians, as matters of religion, is usurping the sovereign empire over conscience, which God has reserved wholly to himself. He has not given man a power over his own conscience, much less a power over the conscience of other men. The conscience, in all things purely religious, is subject only to God; and for any to devise and impose their own contrivances on it, is to usurp his prerogative, and set side his authority; which is the very spirit of antichristianism; for antichrist "exalts himself above all that is called God," by making himself absolute lord of conscience. Our blessed Redeemer, the divine Head of the church, did not make his apostles lords over God's heritage, to have dominion over the faith, and prescribe rules affecting the conscience. They did indeed receive a ministerial power from him, but not a magisterial authority to enact laws and enforce them on Christians. This they renounced. "Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy." They were restricted by Christ to gospel institutions, as well as Moses was to the Levitical prescriptions of divine appointment.— "Go, and teach" Christians "to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." This is the standing rule, and the extent of ministerial authority, in the church of Christ.

These impositions have proceeded, in many cases, from the moral darkness of the human mind. The right mode of divine worship is but one, if men had light to discern it: it has unity, not diversity, much less contrariety in it. But it is, in numerous instances, from ignorance of the Scriptures that men entertain a variety of perplexing and contrary opinions and practices about it. Hence they are bold either to forsake, or to corrupt and defile the worship of God.

The pride of human nature has no small share in this matter. Not willing to submit to the simplicity of pure Christian worship, men who are vain of their learning, or proud of their office, devise what appears to their carnal mind to be considerable improvements, having much external pomp and show. So it was in the days of Constantine. These additions depend entirely on the will of men, in a contrariety to the declared will, positive institution, and direct appointment of God; proceeding from a fleshly mind, puffed up, and daringly intruding into those things by which they rebel against their sovereign Lord, and moral ruler and governor. They may attempt to cover their pride, by making a pretence of decency and good order; but that is only to varnish over their proud conceit that they can mend, polish, or render more acceptable what Christ has instituted-which if they had only wisdom to see, and humility to acknowledge it, needs none of their improve

ments.

Carnality of disposition leads men to invent and introduce these things into the instituted worship of God. Regenerate believers "walk by faith," and "not by sight;" they "look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen;" they are " born of the Spirit," and therefore they delight in spiritual things,

particularly in the simplicity and purity of religious worship. But unregenerate men "walk by sight," are led by sense, and prefer only such forms and modes of worship as best suit their carnal hearts. They like none but a pompous worship, agreeable to their impure dispositions and corrupt fancies, such as may please the eye with splendid appearances Such are the sources whence all this will-worship, which has been especially in the Romish church so many ages, has arisen-of all the gilded images, glittering altars, magnificent rites and ceremonies, with which the institutions of Christ have been corrupted and disfigured.

QUALIFICATIONS.-Ministers of the gospel have no suitable qualifications for their important work, but what are given them from above. Whatever excellency is found in any eminent minister, it was communicated by Christ, who is made "Head over all things to the church," and is the special effect of the operation of the Holy Spirit, who with uncontrollable sovereignty “divideth severally to every man," and every minister, “as he will." Ministers are said to minister "as of the ability which God giveth." If any of them are formed with a superior degree of natural talent, either as to quickness or largeness of comprehension, solidity of judgment, warmth of affection, or strength of memory; if they are favoured with a good natural elocution, volubility of speech, vivacity in utterance, even these endowments are bestowed by "the Father of lights, from whom every good as well as perfect gift comes." If ministers have made any considerable progress in the necessary and useful parts of human learning, such as may afford them much assistance and advantage in the right understanding of the Holy Scriptures; why this, and all opportunities for improvement, with all the success of their studious

endeavours, were at the disposal, and under the direction of God, through whose blessing and grant they obtained them. If they are enriched with any distinguishing light, with a clear insight and penetration into the spiritual, future, and eternal concerns of the gospel, it is because the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, has taken of these sublime and heavenly things, and made them manifest to them, according to our Lord's promise to his disciples. "He," that is, "the Spirit of truth, shall take of mine, and show it unto you," and because the same Spirit has taught them "to know the things that are freely given to them of God." And that the natural capacities, learned acquirements, with all the spiritual gifts, of pious ministers, may be sanctified, and rendered successful, they are made partakers of the grace of God in truth. All this, in every degree and measure of it, is the gift of Christ. It is of "his fulness" alone they can "receive grace for grace." And if they possess any fit qualifications for service and usefulness in the great work of the ministry, they must, every one for himself respectively, humbly acknowledge, as St. Paul did, "by the grace of God, I am what I am;" for they have nothing that can either be useful for themselves, or beneficial to others, but what they have received, according to the merciful, gracious, and sovereign distribution of Christ, their divine Lord.

When ministers are well furnished with the most suitable qualifications for their work, yet they can do nothing in it to purpose, without continual assistance from the Lord: they cannot exert themselves, or use their talents in any profitable manner, to the spiritual benefit or real edification of their hearers. As the ability of ministers comes from God, so the useful employment of their gifts

depends on his powerful and gracious aid. St. Paul, who acknowledged that his fitness for the sacred office was an effect of the grace of God, readily confessed that in all his diligent and successful labours, it was this grace that was the operating cause. "Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily." Without this divine aid he himself was not "sufficient," neither can any minister of Christ be able, to "think a good thought," to teach the truth as it is in Jesus, or to "speak as becometh the oracles of God." If divine assistance be withheld, then, instead of speaking in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit, or preaching with power, it will soon be perceived, by persons of piety and spiritual discernment, that ministers of the first-rate talents are sadly straitened, and soon become dead and lifeless in their ministrations; for all the spiritual activity, vigour, and fervour in their work, depend entirely on assitance from above.

Ministers, besides the afflictions incident to them as men and as Christians, have their peculiar difficulties and trials, to which their office exposes them; and they can bear nothing, but as they are supported and upheld by a divine hand. Their work is to preach down the kingdom of sin and Satan, and to preach fully the spiritual kingdom of a crucified Saviour. The enmity which exists between the two seeds, is a constant ground of controversy and opposition; and when persecution or trouble arises, the sharpest and hottest part of the storm, is generally directed against the ministers of Christ, and they must bear it. It is often their lot to be despised and trampled on by men of sceptical, infidel, or superstitious minds; to be troubled on every side, perplexed, persecuted, and cast down. If they will be diligent, faithful, and zealous, in the work of the Lord, they must