the generality of men, the gospel. It is not what we declare in the house of God, it is what they see us practice in our general demeanour.' If, then, we would maintain a conviction among our hearers that we are sincere, our conduct, as well as our sermons, must preach; and if the former contradicts or does not coincide with the latter, no good effects can be reasonably expected to follow. We must, therefore, be able, though we may not think proper to say, with the apostle, "Be ye followers of me, even as I am of Christ. The things which ye have received, and learned, and heard, and seen in me, do, and the God of peace shall be with you." 'If,' says Archbishop Usher to his clergy, if practical Christian piety, benevolence, and self-government, with constant zeal to promote them all upon earth, are not the first and chief qualities, which your parishioners and acquaintance will ascribe to you; if they will speak of you as noted on other accounts, but pass over these articles in silence, and when asked about them, be at a loss what to say, excepting, possibly, that they know no harm of you, -all is not right; nor can such a clergy answer the design of its institution any where, nor even maintain its ground in a country of freedom and learning.' God grant that the clergy of this country may never, by evincing the want of these qualities, frustrate the all-important end of their ministry, or render it impossible for them to maintain their ground against the assaults of error, vice, and infidelity.'

Had this description of the "good minister of Jesus Christ" been drawn by another hand, the familiar acquaintances of Dr. Payson might well have supposed that he himself sat for the picture; so accurately did the grand features of his ministerial character correspond with this delineation. Here is, unquestionably, the standard of excellence which he had prescribed to himself, and at

which his aim was continually directed. And whatever might have been the degree of those deficiencies which he so frequently and so pathetically laments, as to the spirit and temper with which he discharged his official duties, it is doubted whether the most scrutinizing observer was ever able to detect in his practice any material variation from this standard. Often did his clear exhibitions of truth, and his full and plain exposures of the obliquities of men, prove the occasion of bitter and outrageous feelings in the bosoms of many; but rarely, indeed, could the individual be found, who ventured to express a doubt of his honesty and sincerity. He was always in earnest; and "commended himself to every man's conscience in the sight of God.”

CHAPTER XIV.

The Pastor in action-Methods of exciting, sustaining, and extending a due interest in religious concerns-Preaching, administration of ordinances, Church fasts, Conference, Inquiry Meetings.

ALTHOUGH most of the preceding chapter, if changed from the didactic form to that of narration, would, to the extent to which it reaches, present a true history of its author: yet there are other details from his own pen, interspersed throughout his familiar correspondence, which will be found scarcely less instructive, and, at the same time, exhibit a fuller developement of the nature, extent, and variety of his pastoral labours. We shall commence our extracts with a letter, written in 1812 to a young clergyman then recently settled in the ministry, who had sought his instruction and advice on the subject of pastoral duties. It has already been stated, that Mr. Payson was now the sole pastor of the church; and it was in this year, that thirty-one of its members were separated from it, and, by a distinct organization, constituted the "Chapel Congregational Church in Portland," over which Mr. Kellogg was placed as pastor. The vacancy hereby created was more than filled-fortyeight persons being added to the church within the same year. It was distinguished, beyond former years, for the fruits of the Spirit."

66

'Dear Brother,

'Your letter requesting 'information and advice' has just reached me. I rejoice in the circumstances that led to such a request. I rejoice still more that you feel "ignorant, and inexperienced, and inadequate to the charge which has devolved upon you." We must feel so, or we shall meet with little success.

‘I can, however, assure you, for your encouragement, that you cannot possibly be more ignorant and inexperienced than I was, at the time of my settlement. I knew just nothing at all of my business; but I knew a little, O how little! of my own ignorance. This led me to pray almost incessantly; and somehow or other, I have, I trust, been preserved from fatal mistakes, and not suffered to ruin either myself or my people, as I sometimes feared that I should. He who has thus guided me and thousands of others equally foolish, will, I trust, guide you.— The best advice I can give you is, to look to Him. This I doubt not you do; but you cannot do it too much. If we would do much for God, we must ask much of God; we must be men of prayer; we must, almost literally, pray without ceasing. You have doubtless met with Luther's remark; Three things make a divine-prayer, meditation, and temptation.' My dear brother, I cannot insist on this too much. Prayer is the first thing, the second thing, and the third thing necessary for a minister, especially in seasons of revival. The longer you live in the ministry, the more deeply, I am persuaded, you will be convinced of this. Pray then, my dear brother, pray, pray, pray. Read the account of Solomon's choice. 1 Kings iii. 5-15. If, like him, you choose wisdom, and pray for it, it will be yours.

6

The next thing in importance is, as I conceive, that your church should be excited to pray for the influences of the Holy Spirit; and that they should frequently meet for this purpose. For though private prayer may

be as effectual, it does not so directly tend to honour God, as that which is more public. God converts sinners for his own glory, and he will have all the glory of their conversion. Nothing tends more directly to give him the glory, than social prayer. In that duty we explicitly acknowledge, not only to him, but to our fellow-creatures, that nothing but the influences of his Spirit, can render our means effectual, and that we are entirely dependant for those influences on his sovereign will. In a word, we acknowledge that in the conversion of sinners, he is all and we are nothing.

'With respect to those who are awakened, I conceive it is our duty to act as fellow-workers with the Divine Spirit: to insist principally on those truths of which he first convinces them, and to endeavour both by our preaching and conversation, to bring them to the same point to which he aims to bring them. This point is complete self-despair and hope in Christ. The former is a pre-requisite to the latter. I therefore aim, in the first place, to increase their convictions of sins, especially of the great damning sin of unbelief. If they ask, what shall we do? I never dare give them any other answer than that given by Christ and his apostles: "Repent and believe the gospel." I insist much on the character of God; the strictness, extent, and spirituality of his law; the various artifices, deceptions, and excuses of the heart; the false hopes of sinners and hypocrites, the nature of true and false conversion, and the great danger of being deceived. I also frequently warn them of the dreadful consequences of delaying repentance, grieving the Spirit, losing their convictions, or resting on false hopes, like the stony-ground hearers. I labour especially to convince them that all the difficulties which oppose their salvation, lie in their own hearts; that Christ is willing to save them, but they are unwilling to be saved in his way, and are, therefore, without excuse.