confessed, are in his time attacked and denied, 1 Tim. vi. 20, iii. 15.  Painfully is he to catechize his people, and in Jesus’ name to visit and teach them from house to house.  To awaken their conscience, to promote the conversion of sinners, to direct and comfort the cast down, perplexed, tempted, and deserted; to ponder the Scripture, and his own and others’ experience, to qualify him for this work, must be his earnest care.  Faithfully is he to administer the sacraments to such (only) as are duly prepared; and in the simple manner prescribed by Christ.  Tenderly is he to take care of the poor; to sympathize with the afflicted; impartially to visit the sick; to deal plainly with their consciences, and to exhort and pray over them in the name of the Lord.  With impartiality, zeal, meekness, and prudence, he is to rule and govern the church, to admonish the unruly, to rebuke offenders, to excommunicate the incorrigible, and to absolve the penitent.  Habitually is he to give himself to effectual fervent prayer, for his flock, and for the Church of God, travailing as in birth till Jesus be formed in the souls of men.  Be a man’s parts, diligence, and apparent piety what they will, negligence in this will blast his ministrations, and too clearly mark, that he is therein chiefly influenced by some carnal motive of honor or gain.  Finally, he is constantly to walk before his flock a distinguished pattern of sobriety, righteousness, holiness, humility, heavenliness, temperance, charity, brotherly kindness, and every good word and work.  Without this his ministrations appear but a solemn farce of deceit, 2 Tim. ii. 4; 1 Tim. iv. 15; 2 Tim. iv. 2.

Can ministers’ reading of sermons consist with the dignity of their office?  Did Jesus or his apostles ever show them an example of this?  No.  At Nazareth, when he read his text in the book of Esaias, he closed his book, and discoursed to the people.  On the mount he opened his mouth, and taught:  we hear not that he took out his papers and read.  Peter, in his sermon at Pentecost, lifted up his voice, and said:  his papers and reading we hear nothing of.  After reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia, desired Paul and Barnabas, not to read, but to say on.  Our adored Saviour knew well enough how to direct his ambassadors; yet he ordered them to go and preach, not read, the gospel to every creature, Luke iv. 20, 21; Matt. v. 2; Acts ii. 14, and xiii. 15.  How hard to believe, that he who gives gifts to men, for the edifying of his body, would send the sermonist, whose memory and judgment are so insufficient, that from neither he can produce an half hour’s discourse without reading it!  How dull and insipid the manner!  How absurdly it hinders the Spirit’s assistance, as to matter during the discourse!  How shameful!  Shall the bookless lawyer warmly and sensibly plead almost insignificant trifles, and shall the ambassador of Christ, deprived of his papers, be incapable to plead so short a space in favor of his Master, and of the souls of men?