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remoter relationship utters her voice and asks, "How can I bear to see the evil that is coming upon my kindred, and how can I endure the destruction of my people?" Alas! if you press on to perdition, you must break through this thick array of tears and prayers. But there are kinder, tenderer accents than all these. It is not a stranger that extends to you his arm and solicits your love, but Jesus-for your sakes clothed in flesh, and known as the sufferer of Calvary. Hear him speaking out of the fulness of his heart, and inviting you to come over on the Lord's side. By the sorrows of Gethsemane and the agonies of the cross, he asks you to share with him in his kingdom and in his crown. you refuse?

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My friends, the day is at hand when it will be felt to be worth ten thousand worlds like this to be on the right side. Great events appear to be thickening and crowding together in the distance; and if we may foretell the future by the shadows which these events cast before them, a period of unheard-of moment can not be far off. The tempest's blast is even now sounding, and the hosts are mustering for battle. But there is a safe side, and I look around upon a troubled, agitated world, only to urge you with more pressing earnestness, to come, with all you have, and identify your cause with the cause of truth and of God. Enter into the chambers of his mercy, and hide yourself until the indignation be overpast.

Now is the accepted time, and this is the day of salvation. In the name of that Saviour, whose minister I am, I offer you a gracious admission among the ranks of the redeemed. On his behalf I come, once more, to assure you there yet is room. O neighbor, companion, friend, there is a place for you. The process of enlistment into the army of Prince Immanuel is still going on, and though I cannot promise you exemption from toil and strife, yet, blessed be God! I can guarantee final victory. But, remember, a little delay may close the door against you forever. Alas, my dear people, painful visions rise before my mind! I imagine that the day for which all other days were made, has come, and pastor and flock are summoned to meet the Son of God on his great white throne. Preaching is over, prayer is over, entreaty is over. But all are not on the same side. The wife is beckoned to stand on the right hand, but the husband on the left; the parent is found here, but the child there; the sister is in one place, but her brother in another. O Saviour of men, must it, must it be so? Are there to be two sides among the people who have so long been listening to my voice? Forbid it, gracious God. There is nothing which I would not give to meet you all in heaven: Would you be right at last? Then give immediate and earnest heed to the question which is put to you to day: Who is on the Lord's side? and answer it as you believe it will be answered in the hour that shall make manifest the secrets of every heart.

SERMON DCXXIX.

BY REV. W. A. SCOTT, D.D.,

NEW ORLEANS, LA.

GOSPEL MINISTER'S CHARACTER AND PLATFORM.

"For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified"-1 COR. ii. 2.

WHEN Jesus Christ, the one, only, sole and supreme Head of the Church, ascended up on high, after his resurrection from the dead, "He led captivity captive," and for a legacy to his people, "gave gifts to men." Among the chief of these gifts are the influences of the Holy Spirit and the written word, teaching us the will of God for our salvation. "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ."-EPH. iv. 11-15.

1st. It is obvious from this passage of holy scripture that living teachers of the way of salvation are set in the church by Divine appointment. At one time they were patriarchs and prophets; at another, apostles and evangelists; and now, they are bishops or pastors and teachers. While the Revelation of the Divine will was in progress, and while the Gospel was being gradually revealed to mankind, prophets and apostles of the highest order were necessary; but when the canon of the Revealed will was complete-when the Gospel dispensation was fully introduced, prophets and apostles gave place to pastors and teachers, who are bishops or overseers of the people. 2dly. It is equally palpable that the object of the Divine appointment of a class of men from time to time to be servants of the Most High God, showing unto us the way of salvation, is eminently for the instruction of mankind-for the edifying and comforting of believers. The Church is God's great teaching Institution. Her ministers are missionaries of light, and heralds of His good will to men. They are sent to teach all nations for the perfecting of the saints, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

I. In the Scriptures of our God various significant names are given to religious teachers, expressive of their character.

We find bishop, overseer, pastor, ambassador, angel or messenger applied to one and the same person. These names are expressive not of different orders or ranks in the Gospel ministry, but significant of various duties performed by the ministers of the church. They are for the same reason called rulers, governors, watchmen, soldiers, builders, and laborers. These titles are highly expressive of their character and appropriate work. Are they laborers? Then it is their duty to sow, plant, water and cultivate God's vineyard. They are sent to toil with pains and diligence, and wait for the harvest. Soldiers? Then they are engaged in war against the powers of darkness. As soldiers they are required to endure fatigue, and to persevere through dangers and difficulties, following their glorious leader unto death and victory. Watchmen? Then are they set on the high places, to give due warning by night and day of the dangers that threaten. They are set to watch for souls, as men that must give an account. They must keep awake themselves, and arouse the sleeping, and cry aloud to those that are dead in sin, lest the blood of those that perish should fall upon their heads as unfaithful watchmen. They are commanded to utter all God's judgments, whether the people will hear or forbear. And as stewards of the manifold mysteries of the household of God, they are to give every one his portion in season. Milk to babes and meat to such as are strong. Are they ambassadors? Then they are the accredited ministers of heaven, to treat of peace between God and man. To them is given the word of Reconciliation. They are sent by Christ, and speak in God's name, as though God did beseech us by them to be reconciled to Him. As ambassadors their mission is one of the highest dignity and of most tremendous responsibilities. They are to maintain the dignity and honor of their government, and so manage their mission, that the sovereign clemency, wisdom, glory and majesty of the King of kings may be seen in the salvation of sinners reconciled to Him and saved from sin by the death and mediation of His own well-beloved Son. Are they called angels or messengers? This is the title given to those pure and sublime natures who surround the eternal throne-ever doing the will of God-and are sent forth to minister to those that are heirs of salvation. Ministers who are the angels of the churches, which are the glory of Christ, should be like these holy spirits, in elevation of thought and devotion, and in the consecration of themselves to the study of the works, the word and glory of God; and as the angels above, ever be found doing the will of their Lord, especially in ministering to the souls for whom the "angel of the covenant" made himself a propitiatory sacrifice. The most common appellation by which religious teachers are known, is that of minister

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or pastor, both of which terms are expressive of the duties of their office. As ministers, they are servants of the church for Christ's sake. As bishops or overseers or pastors, which terms mean the same thing, they are to overlook and feed the flock. A pastor or shepherd is one who takes care of sheep, not only that they feed in good pastures, but also that they be not torn by wild beasts, or hurt in any other way. In the favorite twenty-third psalm, God is called a SHEPHERD, by which we are to understand, that He leads, feeds, preserves and heals his people, as a shepherd does his flock. Our Blessed Saviour calls himself the good shepherd, who not only exposes his own life, but does actually and willingly lay it down for his own sheep, and takes charge, oversight and care of them, dispensing to them such things as they have need of. In a few places of Scripture civil and political rulers are called pastors. In the Bible, ministers of the Gospel are called shepherds, bishops or pastors, signifying that their office was, like that of a shepherd, to feed, lead, guard, heal, and watch over their charges. The prophet Jeremiah, in the name of the Lord, promised the ten tribes, if they would return to Him, by repentance, that He would give them pastors after his own heart, who should feed them with knowlege and understandingthat is, instruct and save them. But the true Israel are the same in every age, and that which was the richest promise to the church in prophetic times, is the richest gift that God has bestowed upon his people in these last days-pastors after his own heart, who have an open vision from Him, to reveal unto the people the riches of His Grace.

As then the pastoral office is one of divine appointment, the churches are to love their pastors, and tenderly cherish them, and honor them very highly for their work's sake, and encourage and sustain them in their many arduous labors.

Pastors being called of God to their holy office-being set apart for the edification of the church, should devote themselves wholly and faithfully to their work. They should love the truth and preach it faithfully and affectionately, and so conduct themselves as to magnify their office by glorifying God in the salvation of the souls of men

II. Thus we see by whatever titles ministers of the Gospel are known in the Scriptures, the prominent idea is, that they are men of God, servants of the Most High, converted by His grace, called by His Spirit, and set apart to His work. And the nature of their office, and their place in the world's history, not now understood, and their bearing on the cycles of a rapidly coming eternity in regard to the happiness or misery of immortal souls that are passing through time on our globe to future immensity, may be farther seen by considering briefly THE GREAT

* See Cruden.

PLATFORM, on which they are set forth as a spectacle to men and angels. Their character, titles and work have passed rapidly before us. The text was the platform of the great apostle before Jew and Gentile, in Arabia and in Athens, in Jerusalem and in Corinth.

The CROSS OF CHRIST was his favorite topic. The chosen subject of his discourse, the grand theme of all his writings. He gloried not in his Abrahamic descent, not in his Hebrew lore, not in his classic attainments, not in his mighty intellect, but in the Cross of Christ. Though a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and as touching the law blameless, and though brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, we do not hear him speak of his genealogy or of his learning. Nor does he boast of his miraculous gifts or visions, or eminent usefulness, although he had been caught up to the third heavens and had visions unutterable, and had planted churches and built churches not on another man's foundation, and had been honored as the very chiefest of the apostles. All these things he considered as nothing. "God forbid that I should glory," says he, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."

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1. To know Christ and Him orucified is to know the whole Gospel, and to preach from this platform is to preach Christ crucified as the whole Gospel. The cross of Christ is put for His humiliation and suffering. It is the representative of His death, its manner and ignominy. To preach Christ and Him crucified, therefore, is to preach salvation through the satisfaction which He rendered unto the divine and immutable law-to explain the method by which sin is pardoned, and how the forgiveness of the penitent sinner is reconciled with the justice and holiness of God. To preach Christ and Him crucified, then, is to declare the miraculous conception of the Son of God-his true human nature, and yet His proper Divinity-to reveal His holy and benevolent character-how He laid down His life as an expiation for our sins-how he was wounded for our transgressions-bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our peace being laid upon Him-a lamb slain from the foundation of the world-the Lamb that was slain still standing bleeding before the throne in the midst of the elders and angels that are round about the throne. Hence, to know Christ and Him crucified, is to set forth the death of Christ as the great central point of the Christian system -that the great purpose for which He came into the world was to die under the law, in the room and stead of his people-that by this great vicarious sacrifice of Himself, in behalf of His ple, God can be just and yet the justifier of all who believe in Jesus. To know Christ and Him crucified is to know the glorious method of Free Grace revealed in the Gospel-a method honorable to God, because, while He receives the transgressor into favor, He expresses his aversion to sin in the strongest manner, and requires that the demand of His holy law be perfectly

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