call, and many, alas! do; but to us, minifters of the Church, at one of the most folemn, if not actually the most thrilling moment of our lives, the following fearching question is put by the bishop, whose office, like that of the apostles, is to lay hands on candidates for the miniftry, and fend them to their work. The inquiry runs thus (you will find it in the Ordination Service)—“Do you trust that you are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon you this office and ministration, to serve God for the promoting of His glory and the edifying of His people?" The reply is, “I trust fo." I I quote this, that you may fee that our Church would fo have it, that ministers called to ferve therein should be as Philip was, "moved thereto by the Holy Ghoft." If not, woe to us! good for us if we had never been born! Ah, folemn poffibility— to preach to others, and yet to be a caft

away one's felf! The Lord deliver us from

fuch perdition!

Thus, then, we arrive at this doctrine, that the inward call of the Holy Ghoft, as

well as the "being chofen and called to this work by men who have public authority given unto them in the congregation, to call and send minifters into the Lord's vineyard,"* is needful for a complete minifter of the Church. As well, too, as the authority of a true minifter of Christ, we learn from this inftructive paffage the leading idea which fhould pervade his ministration. cc Philip began at the fame Scripture "What? Some would fay, "Preach morality, preach repentance, keep back the atonement it is a referved doctrine." But what faith Holy Scripture? God grant that we may ever heed that more than the teaching of men, though they fit in Mofes' feat and have more learning than

and preached

Article xxiii.

the fcribes, to fay nothing of the formalism of the Pharifees. What faith the Holy Scripture?" Philip preached unto him JESUS."

It may be faid, Yes, in this cafe it was fo. But what did St. Paul do? How did

he preach before Felix? He preached righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come. True, he did fo: knowing the terrors of the Lord, he used them as the means to perfuade men. But more than this: you will find in the verse preceding that which I quoted above concerning righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come: "Felix came with his wife Drufilla, which was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Chrift." Thus, too, did Philip preach; and thus do we, if we would faithfully obey our inward call from the Holy Ghoft; act confiftently with our outward call, from the laying on of apoftolical hands. Our theme of discourse,

the Lord Jefus Chrift-Christ as shadowed forth in the Mofaic ritual-Chrift as foretold by the prophets; led as a sheep to the flaughter, bearing the fins of many, and making interceffion for the tranfgrefforsChrist, too, as incarnate God, dwelling among men; doing works which none other man did; forrowing; toiling; bearing the reproach of finners against Himself; falfely accused, falfely condemned, and cruelly crucified; Chrift buried - Chrift rifing again; Chrift afcending to the right hand of God-Chrift to come again in His glory to be the Judge of quick and dead, and to take to Himself His restored kingdom. Here we have the foundation of a Christian minister's teaching. Faith! it is belief in the Lord Jefus Chrift. Love! it is devotion of heart to Him and to His brethren. Holinefs of life! it is the spirit of Chrift working in men, and affimilating

U

them to the divine example which He fet. When our minifters are thus taught of God, and when they thus teach their flocks, happy are we. "Bleffed are the people that are in fuch a cafe; yes, bleffed are the people who have the Lord for their God.”

To fum up then, dear brethren, the matters brought before you this day.-We have had an inquiring layman studying the Holy Scriptures, and a heaven-taught minifter fent to guide him. When laymen search the Scriptures, and ministers preach Christ, then we have the counterpart of this striking narrative. God grant it may ever be fo in the Church of England. May thefe ancient walls, especially, never echo any other teaching. May no uncertain found ever proceed from this pulpit; but may those tones iffue hence which angels in heaven and penitent finners on earth may rejoice to hear; and which Chrift, in fidelity