the stature of the fulness of Christ. If a minister of the gospel be unacquainted with this practical application of the principles of the christian religion to his own heart and life, he is deficient in one of the most essential qualifications for his office, whatever may be the degree of his speculative knowledge.

The observations of a Professor of Divinity in a foreign university, on the qualifications of a gospel minister, appear so just and excellent, that we shall take the liberty to translate them, and present them to the reader.

"If (says he) an Evangelical pastor be only a voice, "a voice crying in the temple, and nothing more, as

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many seem to think; if he be nothing, but a man "who has sufficient memory to retain a discourse, "and boldness sufficient to repeat it before a large

congregation-If an evangelical pastor be only an "orator, whose business it is to please his audience "and procure applause-then we have nothing to do, "but to make the voice of our pupils as pleasing and

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sonorous as possible-to exercise their memory, and "to give them a bold and hardened countenance, not "to say impudent-to teach them a rhetoric adapted "to the pulpit and our audience; and by perpetual "declamation, like the Sophists of old, render them prompt and ready in speaking with plausibility on any subject, and to point out to them the sources "from whence they may draw matter for declamation. "But the Pastor whom we should form in our Acade"mies, is something much greater and more divine "than all this. He is a man of God, who is influenced

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by nothing but high and heavenly thoughts, of promoting the glory of God, of propagating the "kingdom of Christ, and destroying the power of "satan; of obtaining daily a more perfect knowledge of

"that

blime science on which eternal happiness s, of more widely diffusing it, and more ously persuading others to embrace it; of g fallen christianity, binding up the wounds Church, and healing her divisions.-He is a nose business it is to perform and direct all the f divine worship before the whole Church; to God, the desires, the prayers, the praises, anksgivings of the people assembled.—This is a man divinely called, an Ambassador of ent to men, that he bring as many souls as e, from darkness to light, from the world to from the power of satan to God, from the perdition to the way of salvation: a man who olic preaching and private instruction, faithexplains the word of God, especially the es of salvation contained in it, and by the city and clearness of explanation adapts them capacity of every individual person, O treous employment !”*

ve no intention, (observes Dr. Whitehead) by servations, to reflect on any denomination of g the sacred office; I have introduced them with a view to shew, what are the qualifications y necessary in a Minister of the Gospel, conthem as distinct from those peculiarities of and modes of worship by which true Christians nguished from one another; and to illustrate acter of Mr. Wesley as a true Gospel Minister. essed the requisites for his office in no small

he had a clear view of the state of human and of the doctrines of the Gospel, pointing d's method of restoring sinners to his favour age. Sin blinds the understanding, hardens

Werenfelsius in Dissert, de Scopo Doctoris Theologi.

the

the heart, makes the conscience insensible of the defilement of evil, and renders a man careless of his spiritual and eternal concerns. Like a wise master-builder, he explained and enforced the doctrines of repentance towards God, and of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as first principles in christian experience; as the entrance into it, and the foundation on which it is built. His own experience illustrated and confirmed the scriptural views he obtained of these doctrines: he spoke of them in their proper order, and described their effects with clearness and firmness; not as the uncertain conjectures of a speculative philosophy, but as the certain practical truths of divine revelation. He was now in the habit of giving a practical application to the higher principles of the gospel, in the government of his heart and life, and was daily growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in a way which could not deceive him, where theory and practice were thus combined. He was therefore, well prepared for the Ministry, not only by learning and deep study, in which he had been conversant for many years, but also by such exercises of the heart, as led him to a thorough knowledge of human nature, and of the method of salvation laid down in the gospel. If all the Ministers in England, of every denomination, were thus qualified for their office, and animated with the same zeal, to propagate the truths of religion by every means in their power, what an amazing change should we soon see in the morals of the people! It is an awful consideration, that Ministers, who are set for the defence of the gospel, and the propagation of true christian piety, should be the hinderances of it in any degree, through a want of knowledge experience, diligence and zeal. It would be well if every Minister would seriously examine himself on

these

ds, as Mr. Wesley did, and keep in view the which he must soon give to the great Shepherd op of souls."

h Mr. Wesley had been very diligent in his service, since the 21st of May, he had not able to preach. On Sunday, July 2nd, he

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Being to preach this morning for the first, I received strength for the work of the ministry. whole service at Basingshaw Church, was wonlly animating, especially the gospel, concerning iraculous draught of fishes. I preached salvaby faith, to a deeply attentive audience, afterwards gave the cup. Observing a woman of reverence, I asked her if she had forgiveness ns? she answered with great sweetness and ility, Yes, I know it now, that I have forgive

preached again at London-Wall, without fear or iness. As I was going into the Church, a an caught hold of my hand and blessed me most tily, telling me she had received forgiveness of while I'was preaching in the morning." In the g they held a meeting for prayer, when two other is found peace with God.

y 10th, Mr. Wesley, was requested by the Rev. parks, to go to Newgate: he went and preached ten malefactors under sentence of death. But he

wes it was with a heavy heart. "My old preices (says he) against the possibility of a death1 repentance, still hung upon me, and I could dly hope there was mercy for those whose time s so short." But in the midst of his languid dise, as he calls it, his mind acquired a sudden dence in the mercy of God, and he promised them rdon in the name of Jesus Christ, if they would

eyen

even then, as at the last hour, repent and believe the gospel. He adds, "I did believe they would accept "the proffered mercy, and could not help telling "them, I had no doubt but God would give me every "soul of them," He preached to them again the next day with earnestness, from the second lesson, when two or three began to be deeply affected.

1

This day Mr. Wesley received a letter from Mr. William Delamotte, giving an account of his mother. "I cannot keep peace, (says he) the mercies of God come so abundantly on our unworthy family, that I am not able to declare theni. Yet as they are his "blessings through your ministry, I must inform you "of them, as they will strengthen your hands, and

prove helpers of your joy.-Great then, I believe, 66 was the struggle in my mother, between nature and grace: but God, who knoweth the very heart and reins, hath searched her out. Her spirit is become 66 as that of a little child. She is converted, and Christ "hath spoken peace to her soul. This change was "begun in her the morning you left us (the 8th) "though she concealed it from you, The next morn"ing when she waked, the following words of Scripture

were present to her mind: "Either what woman, "having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one of them, "doth not light a candle and sweep the house diligent

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ly till she find it." She rose immediately, took up "Bishop Taylor, and opened on a place which so "strongly asserted this living faith, that she was fully "convinced. But the enemy preached humility to "her, that she could not deserve so great a gift. God, "however, still pursued, and she could not long for"bear to communicate the emotions of her soul to me. "We prayed, read, and conversed for an hour. The "Lord made use of a mean instrument to convince

"her