ing remained but an inanimate lump of clay, to be consigned to the bosom of the earth from whence it came-the immortal spirit, unfettered and enlarged, winged its way to regions of purity, love and joy, to unite with congenial spirits, "the spirits of just men made perfect," in the everlasting participation of those "good things" which God hath prepared and laid up in store for them who love him, and which "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived." At length, "the curtain dropped!" the veil which separated" the waiting saint from the invisible world, was rent-his earthly tabernacle was dissolved-noth freely on death, and the realities of a future world. His hope remained strong and unshaken in God, his Saviour Those very doctrines which he had so frequently exhibited in public, with a zeal and earnestness proportioned to their importance, were now his support and joy. He said to his son, "Tell brother (a minister living a few miles distant) to continue to preach the same doctrines that he now preaches, for on them I rest my soul " Again he said, "I have finished the ministry which I received of the Lord Jesus." He added, "I shall die, and go down to the grave; but have nothing to fear." At the same time he repeated several passages of scripture, and parts of Watts' hymns. The following verse is particularly recollected. "They die in Jesus, and are blest ; How kind their slumbers are! From sufferings and from sins releas'd, The flock of God, to whom he had for many years unfolded the glorious gospel, engaged much of his attention; and he appeared anxious for their spiritual and eternal welfare. He seemed like a man who had finished his work, and was waiting for the coming of his Lord The world receded from his view, the excellencies and glories of Jesus swallowed up his soul, while he, with sweet composure, dwelt on the theme of salvation by unmerited grace. The Monday morning following, he was deprived of his speech. His weeping friends stood around him to catch his dying accents; but his full heart was denied utterance by his tongue. He retained his senses through the day, and even to the last hour. And although he was unable to speak, and tell those around him his feelings and views, yet the heavenly smile which sat on his countenance, plainly evinced that God gave him everlasting consolation in Christ Jesus. On Monday evening, about eleven o'clock, he fell asleep in Jesus, without a struggle or a groan. Leaning on the great Captain of his salvation, he passed through Jordan's flood, fearing no evil. The God who cheered him in life, who sustained him under many heavy burdens, who enabled him to surmount great difficulties and discouragements, who prepared him to suffer for the name of Jesus, who heard his secret groans, and beheld his tears; this God was with him in his struggles with death, and conveyed him to the regions of the blessed. Thus lived and thus died this pious servant of God. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace.” Religious Communications. For the Amer. Bap. Mag. THE IMPORTANCE OF SPIRITUAL-MINDEDNESS TO THE MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL. THE exclamation of the great Apostle of the Gentiles, with reference to the ministry of the word, very clearly expresses his sense of the magnitude of the work, and of human insufficiency to perform it. "Who is sufficient for these things?" The apostle was not deficient in talents or learning. He had been educated at the feet of Gamaliel. He knew how to appreciate the literary advantages be had enjoyed, and how to use them in subserviency to the cause of truth. But when the apostle employed the above language, he felt that no human attainments were in themselves sufficient to qualify any man for the great work of preaching the gospel. He knew that it was possible to be possessed of genius and literature, and yet be destitute of that grand prerequisite without which an angel's powers would fail in a work like this. He also knew that it was possible to be possessed of saving grace, and nevertheless be void of a prevailing spirituality of mind, without which, the private christian will be dull and lifeless in the closet, and the minister of the sanctuary spiritless and unsavory in the pulpit. Paul in his 8th chapter to the Romans, distinguishes the believer from the unbeliever by their prevailing tempers of mind. "To be carnally minded is death." It is a sure evidence of an unregenerate mind, and constitutes that death which he invariably possesses. But to be "spiritually minded is life and peace:" It is a sure evidence of a regenerate heart, and a source of animation, joy, and comfort, to the soul. To possess such a bias of mind, is of vital importance to every christian, but particularly so to the teachers of religion. They must be men of godliness, and men of prevailing spirituality, or their ministry, whatever the elegance of their diction, will neither feed the saints, nor alarm the deathlike slumbers of sinners. The work of a minister of Christ, unlike that of a mechanic, consists principally in labours of the mind. The mechanic, when once he has acquired a knowledge of his art, has a plain beaten path before him; but it is not so with the minister of Christ. His work is not adjusted with compass and rule, but depends upon a spiritual performance of it. Nor is his work like that of some learned professions. The Physician, the Lawyer, the Astronomer, have their several courses of study, and having passed through these, are considered qualified to enter upon the duties of their professions. Such is not precisely the case with Christ's servant. He may have gone through a regular course of literary and theological studies, his system may be clear and strictly biblical, but if he be destitute of a spiritual mind, his reasoning will be like speculation upon philosophy, which neither warms nor animates the soul. Or, like the marble statue, how beautiful soever its features, however just its symmetry, the touch declares its want of real life. A man destitute of a spiritual mind, may delight the ear of literary acumen "There stands the Messenger of truth: there stands Its thunders; and by him, in strains as sweet The station of every pastor requires that a considerable part of his time be spent in study, and preparation for his public labours. The study of the word of God demands his first and principal attention. This book is the touch-stone which must try all his inferences; and the standard that must test all his decisions. From this, he must draw all the doctrines he preaches and all the practices he inculcates. To become thoroughly acquainted with the scriptures of truth, must therefore be of high impor tance. But the study of the divine oracles does not suppose that the use of other books is to be precluded. Paul exhorted Timothy to "give attendance to reading." Indeed the pastor who neglects it, can expect to afford but little variety of instruction to the people. When he has gone over the several branches of christian theology, he will appear quite exhausted; and though he may boast, he never delivered two sermons alike, so much sameness will prevail, that but little variation will be observed, however different his text. The preparation of discourses for the pulpit, forms another branch of pastoral duty. This is an important part of his work, a part, if it be not faithfully performed, will soon depress him in the estimation of his hearers. There are two extremes in preaching, against which the pastor needs to guard. The one is, that of constantly reading his discourses; the other, a neglect of writing and constantly extemporising. The former must necessarily cramp the mind in preaching; the latter, will certainly diminish the quality of his sermons. Preparation by study and writing cannot therefore be neglected without essential injury to his usefulness. In preparing popular discourses, many important considerations will press themselves upon his mind; all of which will have weight and influence upon the subjects he may address to them. The work of public preaching is of high importance. The object in this service is to afford instruction to the hearers, and that kind of instruction which is suited to convince the impenitent, to reform the vicious, comfort the distressed, and edify the believers. To each of these he will have respect, apportioning his instructions and counsels to meet their several necessities and characters. Nor is this so easy a task to perform as some may conceive. The edification of the saints demands an understanding of the various experiences of christians. Their torpor must be aroused, their zeal excited, their dangers portrayed; and, when distressed, they must be comforted, their fears removed, and the promises of God suitably applied to their cases. Besides these, sinners must be threatened with the anger of God against the finally impenitent. Much must be said to arouse their slumbers, and put them upon solemn inquiries. Their false refuges must be exposed, and their cavils refuted. Should the messenger of the cross, when pleading with immortal souls, be dispassionate should he portray the joys of heaven and the pains of hell, with the coldness of philosophy? Preaching, says Mr. Baxter, is "a work that requires greater skill, and especially greater life and zeal, than any of us commonly bring to it. It is no trifling thing to stand up in the face of a congregation, and deliver a message of salvation or damnation, as from the living God, in the name of the Redeemer. What! continues he, speak coldly for God and the souls of men? Can we believe that our people must be converted or condemned, and yet can we speak to them in a drowsy tone? Speak to your hearers as to men that must be awakened, either here or in hell." Such were the views of that good man upon the work of preaching the gospel. But these are not all the duties which belong to a servant of Christ. His pastoral office imposes a solemn charge. As a pastor, it is his duty to oversee the flock, to provide for their spiritual wants, to heal the sick, and restore the wandering. And that he may be successful in these, he must make himself acquainted with their trials, their doubts, and their fears. He must know their deportment and conversation, that whatever is not in accordance with the gospel, may be corrected and removed. It is his duty also to preside in the church, and to regard with unwearied care, whatever relates to her spiritual interests. One other class of duties which is incumbent upon the minister of Christ, is, parochial visits. In passing from house to house, among his people, he has opportunities of seeing the various grades of society, and the various characters which they sustain : The poor and the rich, the happy and the miserable, the ignorant and the learned, the vicious and the virtuous. To meet these varieties of character and condition with advantage, will be an object of his solicitude and care. he will so far accommodate himself to their situations, as will afford him the best opportunities of doing them good. Such is the nature of a pastor's work; such the duties that must be faithfully discharged by him, or the blood of souls will be found upon him at the great day of solemn account. And But what can qualify a fallible, sinful creature for such a work? Will talents and learning, or even grace itself? The two first of these have been supposed as useful and necessary appendages to an able minister of Christ, and the latter considered an indispensable requisite. But these are not enough. His heart must glow with holy love, he must feel the truth, and be affectionately desirous of winning the souls of his hearers unto Christ: he must feel it his meat and his drink to devote his talents and his time exclusively for the honour of his Lord and the salvation of his fellow men. He must be possessed of a prevailing spirituality of mind. Is he destitute of this invaluable requisite? What has he to prompt him in those self deny ing labours we have described? As to earthly emoluments, there are few of the ministers of Christ who receive even a competency. On the contrary, many of them are obliged to neglect the study and other important duties to follow the plough, or be doomed to conduct a school, calculated to exhaust their patience, diminish But without a spiritual mind, let his situation be what it may, his studies will become a task, his unfruitfulness apparent, and his labours quite useless. If he has this heavenly qualification, though he may not have enjoyed literary advantages, a savour of piety will mark his labours, that will do much to recommend and promote the cause of religion. Beside, the possession of a peaceful mind is vastly important to the minister of Christ. And can he have such peace, unless he is spiritually minded? Religion is not a mere skeleton without flesh and animation. No, it is a body and soul in which all the functions of life are weil maintained; it is theory and experience combined. Spiritual mindedness not only affords its benefits to personal religion, but it greatly facilitates public labours. When the servant of the Lord attempts to preach with indistinct and contracted views of the truth, when his mind is little intent upon the subject in hand; instead of preaching with ease, with life and power, his sermon will drag heavily and die upon the ears of his audience. Hence, his preaching will make little impression on the hearts of the people; though it may elicit their attention for its ingenuity of argument. Bishop Burnet remarks," that is not the best sermon, which makes the hearers go away talking to one another, and praising the speaker, but that which makes them go away thoughtful, and serious, and hastening to be alone." And says another author, "there is a piercing heat, a penetrating force, in that which flows from the heart, which distinguishes it, not only from the coldness of indifference, but also from the false fire of enthusiasm." The minister of Christ, beside his trials which are common to private christians, is liable to many discouragements peculiar to his office. His commission admits no retreat, his labours no cessation. The people constantly look to him for the bread of life. But sometimes when the morning of Sabbath comes, he is obliged to say, as Peter in another case, "I have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing." Did he possess constantly a spiritual mind, this trial would not often occur. Something would be found to furnish the multitude; and though he may have been deprived of his usual time for meditation, yet truth would open to his view, and a faithful Master would stand by him, and enable him to declare the message of salvation with freedom and power. A spiritual mind is of important use to the servant of Christ in the discharge of all the duties he owes to the church. It will assist his understanding of discipline, and help him to preside in the church, and manage all her concerns to the best advantage. It will greatly assist his visits to the sick and afflicted, will render all his deportment such as becometh the gospel be declares. word, it will make the whole course of his ministry easy and pleasant to himself, profitable to the church, and of everlasting benefit to the souls of his hearers. In a If spiritual-mindedness is of such importance, if it affords such advantages; then how much care and pains ought those who sustain |