2d. Unfaithfulness in their office is awfully dangerous to Ministers themselves, as it brings the guilt of perjury before God, on their own souls. The vows of God are on them; they have been charged before him, and by the Son of God; and they have, in the presence of both, and before angels and men, solemnly engaged, faithfully to execute their sacred trust. It was a very aggravating circumstance of the falsehood told by Ananias, that it was spoken, not to men, but to God. And, the oath of fidelity in the ministry, is, with much formality and solemnity, made before God, and to God. Therefore, a violation of it will be an offence committed in the presence of, and against a being of infinite perfections and glory, and will infer a malignity, to which we do not venture to fix a bound, and must expose to a punishment equally boundless!

The neglect of souls must be very criminal in all, but eminently so in those who have deliberately and publicly taken upon themselves the charge of them. In this case, it would not only be perjury in us, but extreme cruelty to them, and bașe treachery to our Lord, who has bought them with his blood, and committed them to

our care.

Unfaithfulness in our sacred trust, will not only incur the guilt of perjury, but, will also bring the blood of souls upon us. God has placed us as watchmen upon the walls of Zion, and hath declared, "If thou dost not speak, to warn the wicked of his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand." God hath manifested the high value which he sets on souls, by the vast expense which he hath been at for their redemption. The mighty effort of the wisdom of God in concerting the scheme of salvation

his great love in giving his only begotten Son to execute it, taken in connection with all the Redeemer's labours, with his sufferings and death, loudly proclaim to all worlds, that, in the estimation of the eternal God, souls are of infinite value. How fearful a thing then, must it be, to have this same God charge the loss of them to us, and require their blood at our hands! Then, happy Paul who could say, "I am pure from the blood of all men," and happy are those, who can make his assertion their own.

Fourthly. Let us now consider the reward of those who shall be found faithful.

Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. These words plainly intimate that the complete fulfilment of the promise is not to be expected in the present world: for, the crown of life, is to be given after death. Yet, the Lord Jesus, who liveth and was dead, hath been graciously pleased, by his gospel, to draw aside the veil of darkness, which curtains round the eternal world, and thereby enables us, like Moses, to take a Pisgah view of that promised inheritance, which lies beyond the Jordan of death.

God doth not give either his ministers or people their inheritance in this world, where they continue but a few days, and where all, like travellers in a common inn, bad as well as good, are promiscuously entertained. But, he gives his children their portion in that better world, where he himself is, and where they are to have their settled abode, and everlasting rest-where the faithful and fervent Paul wears his crown, and where the holy apostles possess their thrones; there also those who are now faithful ministers of Christ, are to look for, and to receive their crown of life-CROWN OF LIFE!-These

express the majestic re

great and highly figurative expressions are worthy of our most serious and careful consideration, that we may obtain some idea of the vast and comprehensive blessings contained in them. The usual language of mortals was never intended to alities of eternity, it was designed for lower objects. Hence, the happiness and glory of heaven are illustrated by a crown, by a throne, and by a kingdom, or by such things on earth, as are most esteemed and valued among men. These similitudes are used, because we find nothing else that can afford us a more exalted idea of the supreme excellency and value of that glorious state. For, a crown is the highest wish of ambition, in which, the most aspiring mind proposes to rest.

But an earthly crown, however rich with gems and gold, and resplendent in the eyes of mortals, and admired by them as glorious and great, yet, must be but a dim and feint emblem of that dignity and dominion, of that glory and immortality, which are connected with, and give infinite value to the heavenly diadem, which not only exceeds what earthly monarchs possess, but goes vastly beyond the utmost reach of our imagination, for "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." Hence, a crown being too feint an emblem fully to represent the heavenly glory, life, is added-a crown of life, which increases and completes the idea. And, is expressive of an endless life, in the heights of perfection, of happiness, and of glory, in the eternal world. This will suppose, or include pefect freedom from all sin-from all temptation to sin-and, from all the penal consequences of sin. Yes, when the faithful servant shall have finished his

course and put off his tabernacle of clay, he will also put off the body of sin, and enter into rest, into the joy of his Lord, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.— There, also, the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary find rest-there the roaring lion can never come, nor the tempting serpent ever enter-there no eye weeps, no tongue ever complains; for, God shall wipe away all tears from every eye, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things shall have passed away.

The comprehensive reward will also include the perfection of our natures. Here we are in the infancy of human nature; we see as through a glass darkly, and know only the surfaces of things-there we shall see face to face, and know as we are known, in a clear, intuitive, and comprehensive manner. O! how ravishing will the contemplation of the mysteries of divine providence, the riches of divine grace, and the works of Almighty power be to a glorified saint!-But, how much more ravishing will the clear view of God himself, with all his boundless and attractive perfections, be to us, when made strong by immortality, and able to bear the dazzling lustre of so resplendent an object. And above all, what transcendent felicity and perfection will arise from the transforming nature of this view!" We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is," saith the word of God and, "we all with open face beholding the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory." These words express an increasing conformity, a rising from one degree of glory to another degree of glory, in the scale of perfection; and if we may suppose the increase to continue to continue

through eternity, then what imagination, what thought can reach the glorious height of perfection, to which a saint will at some period arrive !

Another part of the blessedness contained in the reward promised to those who shall be faithful, máy be considered as resulting from the glory and beauty of the place prepared for them. The Lord Jesus, when about to leave the world, and enter into glory, told his disciples, that he was going to prepare a place for them. This is mentioned, as an object of his special attention and care, one which lay near his heart. Then, if in the space of six days, by his speaking the word, this vast system of creation rose into existence, with all that order and beauty, which we behold with so much astonishment and delight—then, what must we suppose that mansion to be, where he hath bestowed his most curious workmanship, and with divine skill prepared for those whom he loves, and whom he delights to honour? It is called an house not made with hands; and is so glorious, that the temple built by Solomon, covered with gold and precious stones, and enriched with the wealth of nations, was but its type, or shadow. It is also called a city; but then it is a city, of which the new Jerusalem, described by the beloved apostle John, was only a shadow—“I John," said he, "saw the holy city New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride, adorned for her husband." The length, and the breadth, and the height of it were equal, each being twelve thousand furlongs, or, fifteen hundred miles; the walls of it were jasper, and the city was purse gold, like unto clear glass! If all this is no more than the shadow! then, what must we think of the substance-of heaven itself, the court of the eternal King, the seat of