lowed the authors of thy being to the grave; and the time comes that thou lookeft for comfort from thine own * children, thou wilt then learn, in thine own parental feelings, what was the ex"pection, the forrow, the disappointment of those, who are now no more, when, alas! the time of thy filial duty is past for ever. "You will recollect a thousand "endearments, which before glided off your mind without impreffion; a thou"fand favours unrepaid; a thousand duties unperformed; and wish, vainly wish for "their return, that you may recompence "that kindness, which before you never "understood. Your crime will now feem "irretrievable; it is indelibly recorded, "and the stamp of fate is fixed upon it *." May your filial piety prevent you this bitter hour! May every child in this as * Rambler. fembly SERMON VIII. VIII. SERMON fembly be the child of virtue, the child of God! and may every parent- be, bleft with fuch an offspring! May he have reafon to rejoice in the olive branches round about his table; and at the laft, when he has run his appointed courfe, may he defcend into the grave full of years, full of honours, full of comforts! SERMON IX. ON THE RELATIVE DUTIES OF MINISTER I CORINTHIANS, chap. iv. verse 1, 2. Let a man account fo of us, as of the ministers of Chrift, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in ftewards, that a man be found faithful. OUR bleffed Lord's defign in the pro mulgation of the gofpel, was to form an univerfal church from all the na tions of the world, which was to be con tinued on earth, from age to age, till, at the Preached at Thrap fton, North amptonfhire, Nov. 29, 1789. SERMON the confummation of all things, it should IX. pur be completed in one pure, fpiritual, and inftruction muft Chriftian men be ed fied. If the truft confided to the miniftry is fo important, their most effential qualification will be that which the apostle here mentions, viz. " that they be found faith"ful.". The fidelity of minifters is of two kinds; one belonging to their general character, as members of a facred order, to whofe example the world naturally looks up; and the other belonging to their respective offices. In the FIRST place I fhall confider the general character of a faithful" steward of "the mysteries of God." It is required of him, that his life fhould be the prac tical comment on thofe fublime truths, and that pure morality, which he inculcates from the pulpit: his private character, as well as his public ministry, should be |