will rejoice that ever you listened to our entreaties, that you ever heard our voice; or to all eternity you will curse the hour that brought you under our ministrations. You must be either the better or the worse for our ministry. If you give heed, it will save you; if you forbear, it will ruin you. Every sermon that we preach is big with the fate, the fortune of souls. If it is true that God hath sent us, you cannot be an unconcerned, an unaffected hearer of our message. Deeply does it concern every one of you so to hear that you may be saved. Terrible will your condemnation be, if you heed us not. Aggravated beyond expression will be your guilt, if you "neglect the great salvation" thus presented, thus pressed upon your acceptance. "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city." IV. The responsibilities of the Ministry. Well might an apostle, though inspired, though not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles, though commissioned and sent by the immediate revelation of Jesus Christ,--well might even a Paul exclaim, "And who is sufficient for these things?" We whom God has counted faithful, and enabled us, putting us into the ministry, are but earthen vessels-but flesh and bloodare men of like passions with you, subject to all the infirmities of a corrupt nature, exposed to temptations innumerable from the world, the flesh, and the devil. "Bowed down beneath a load of sin, By Satan sorely pressed, By wars without and fears within, Weak, short-sighted, prone to err, liable to mistakes in judgment and errors in practice, needing and seldom receiving the same instruction, encouragament, consolation, reproof, admonition, entreaty and counsel as the humblest of our flocks. Such, dear brethren, are we. And yet what a burden are we called to bear; what a load of anxiety; what an amount of responsibility! "I have set thee," saith the great Jehovah, "a watchman unto the house of Israel. If you shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me, when I say unto the wicked, O wicked man! thou shalt surely die if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, the wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand." These are the words that ring in our ears when we come before you in the sanctuary; that follow us to our homes, to our studies, to our retirements. Which of you all would wish to bear such a burden? How overwhelming to the conscientious minister is the re preaching, their labors are unto life. They have been angels of mercy to untold millions. A great company, whom no man can number, will bless God for ever that they were permitted to enjoy the labors of a godly ministry. The ministry to them was as life from the dead. What a dark world it would have been, but for their light! What a wretched world, but for their hope of which they have spoken! What an abandoned world, but for the ministrations of piety and love! What would you have been, dear hearers, but for the ministry? To what, under God, do you owe your own selves, your comforts, your consolations, your hopes of heaven, your blessed foretastes of the joys above, but to the ministry so despised of men, so honored of God? 66 "In them that are saved, and in them that perish." It is too true -we cannot but admit it-there are those that perish even in an atmosphere so salubrious, so adapted to life. That which was ordained unto life becomes to some an occasion of death. To some who hear us, we are the savor of death unto death." "We bear, indeed," says one of the early fathers, "the sweet odor of Christ's gospel to all; but all who participate in it do not experience its salutiferous effects. Thus to diseased eyes even the light of heaven is noxious; yet the sun does not bring the injury. And to those in a fever honey is bitter; yet it is sweet, nevertheless. Vultures, too, it is said, fly from sweet odors of myrrh; yet myrrh is myrrh, though the vultures avoid it. Thus if some be saved, though others perish, the gospel retains its own virtue, and we, the preachers of it, remain just as we are. The gospel retains its odorous and salutiferous properties, though some may disbelieve, abuse it, and perish." The language of the apostle in reference to these results of the ministry is taken, apparently, from the writings of the Rabbins. We often meet with similar expressions in the writings of the ancient Jewish doctors. Thus they say of the words of the law, "They are a savor of life to Israel, but a savor of death to the people of the world." Again, "Whoever pays attention to the law on account of the law itself, to him it becomes an aroma (a savor) of life; but to him who pays no attention to the law on account of the law itself, to him it becomes an aroma of death." It is thus with medicine; to the one it proves a savor of life, and to the other of death. The minister of the gospel "is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel;" while to those who receive his message and his Master he proves an unspeakable blessing, to those who reject both he becomes an occasion of increased condemnation. Solemn and awful is the relation of a pastor to his people. It affects the spiritual condition of every member of the flock. For weal or for woe, will every one of them remember him through all eternity. To all eternity you will rejoice that ever you listened to our entreaties, that you ever heard our voice; or to all eternity you will curse the hour that brought you under our ministrations. You must be either the better or the worse for our ministry. If you give heed, it will save you if you forbear, it will ruin you. Every sermon that we preach is big with the fate, the fortune of souls. If it is true that God hath sent us, you cannot be an unconcerned, an unaffected hearer of our message. Deeply does it concern every one of you so to hear that you may be saved. Terrible will your condemnation be, if you heed us not. Aggravated beyond expression will be your guilt, if you "neglect the great salvation" thus presented, thus pressed upon your acceptance. "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when yo depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city." IV. The responsibilities of the Ministry. Well might an apostle, though inspired, though not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles, though commissioned and sent by the immediate revelation of Jesus Christ,--well might even a Paul exclaim, "And who is sufficient for these things?" We whom God has counted faithful, and enabled us, putting us into the ministry, are but earthen vessels-but flesh and bloodare men of like passions with you, subject to all the infirmities of a corrupt nature, exposed to temptations innumerable from the world, the flesh, and the devil. "Bowed down beneath a load of sin, By Satan sorely pressed, By wars without and fears within, Weak, short-sighted, prone to err, liable to mistakes in judgment and errors in practice, needing and seldom receiving the same instruction, encouragament, consolation, reproof, admonition, entreaty and counsel as the humblest of our flocks. Such, dear brethren, are we. And yet what a burden are we called to bear; what a load of anxiety; what an amount of responsibility! "I have set thee," saith the great Jehovah, "a watchman unto the house of Israel. If you shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me, when I say unto the wicked, O wicked man! thou shalt surely die if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, the wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand." These are the words that ring in our ears when we come before you in the sanctuary; that follow us to our homes, to our studies, to our retirements. Which of you. all would wish to bear such a burden? How overwhelming to the conscientious minister is the re flection that forces itself upon him, as he looks about on his congregation: "On the words that I am about to speak, and the manner in which I speak them, are depending the eternal destinies of many of these perishing souls!" And oh! how much wisdom does it need to direct the inquiring soul! One wrong word may prove the ruin of a soul. What wisdom do we need in order to make the crooked straight and the rough places plain; to seek the wandering and set them right; to instruct the wayward, to persuade the obstinate, to rebuke the transgressor, to comfort the disconsolate, to strengthen the feeble, and to present every man at last perfect before God! But I forbear. I have said enough to show that the minister of Christ cannot be too thoroughly furnished with the stores of learning, both human and divine; that he of all men should be a novice neither in Christian experience nor in theological discipline; that he needs a sound mind in a sound body; that he cannot be too watchful, too meak, too diligent, too laborious, if he task himself to the utmost of his strength. I have said enough to convince the most inconsiderate that the ministry have large claims upon the people of God, for support in their work, for a comfortable subsistence, for a ready and cheerful co-operation, and for a constant remembrance in their prayers. Let your prayers go forth from hearts sincere and sympathizing for him who is called to watch over you in the Lord. What can he ac complish else? "It is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord." "Neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase. For we are laborers together with God." Of what avail will all our preaching, all our labors be, without the Spirit? What a blessing, rich and eternal, to you and yours, will the ministry be, if the Spirit be given! To how many of you will it then prove a savor of life unto life, to whom, without the Spirit it must prove a savor of death unto death! Pray, then, we beseech you, brethren, in all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, that we, who are called to this work, and who are not "sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of ourselves," may receive all needful sufficiency of God; may be enriched by him in all utterance, and in all knowledge; may be made wise to win souls, and may save both ourselves and them that hear us; that when we are called to give an account for your souls, we "may do it with joy and not with grief." NATIONAL PREACHER. No. 9, VOL. XXV.] SEPTEMBER, 1851. [WHOLE NO. 297. SERMON DLIV. BY REV. MARK TUCKER, D.D., WETHERSFIELD, CONN. LIVE PEACEABLY WITH ALL MEN. "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”—Rom.xii. 18 THIS chapter may with propriety be termed the Christian's manual. It contains, in few words, a beautiful system of Christian morals. No production of man on the subject of morals could be perfect, that did not contain the great principles embodied in this chapter. Some have called the precepts found in the text and context the romance of Christianity; as though it were extravagant to suppose that in this selfish world, agitated continually with the conflicts of life, exposed to strifes and contentions, any could live in peace. But this blessed gospel is not romance. We are told the light of heaven shines, and the darkness of earth comprehendeth it not. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. One born blind can not conceive of the beauties of the rainbow; so one under the dominion of supreme selfishness cannot well comprehend the exercise and blessedness of benevolence. The didactic parts of the Bible are given in plain, intelligible language. They are adapted to all grades of character, all conditions of life. They are sublime and beautiful for their simplicity, solemn and weighty for their authority. They are given to be obeyed. We shall, first, endeavor to give the true import of this passage. Secondly, attempt to show how this precept can be obeyed. Thirdly, urge some motives to induce obedience. |