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entering into the miniftry; and at this door, DISC. when duly prepared for it by a fuitable education, all are now to enter, who find themselves inclined and difpofed by the good Spirit of God to undertake that bleffed work. But every one is called to be ready, in heart and mind, to quit all that comes in competition with duty, and to follow the Saviour in the path of holy living. It is neceffary for us all to leave those companies, and engagements, and ways of living which enfnare our fouls, and entangle our affections in the toils of fin. And when duty to God requires it, we must forfake our friends and relations, rather than reject the falvation of Chrift. Whoever is in error, or in fin, will, by the good providence of God, be often called to come out of it in the coufe of his life. He fhall, perhaps, hear a fermon, that shews him to himself, and awakens him; or fome kind and charitable friend shall admonish him; or the holy fpirit fhall cause his own confcience to be his reprover. Then, O finner, it is, that Jefus calleth thee. Obey

DISC. him instantly; leave all that, whatever it

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be, whereby thou offendeft, though near and dear to thee; join thyfelf to him, as thy master, and director, in all things; and thou, as well as St. John, fhalt be beloved of him.

When our Lord gave his Apoftles their commiffion to preach the Gospel, he furnamed our Evangelift and his Brother James, Boanerges, that is, in our language, Sons of thunder. Thereby he intimated the powerful effects of their preaching that word, which is frequently compared to thunder; being, like that, the voice of God fpeaking from heaven, mighty in it's operation. If the one thake the earth, throw down lofty trees and towers, and by the lightning which accompanieth it, diffolve the hardest substances, the other shaketh the empire of fin, cafteth down every thing which exalteth itself against heaven, blasting and confuming the corruption of the heart. Such are the effects of the word when preached with power: and happy

are

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are they who experience them, in reading DISC. and hearing the Gofpels, and more efpecially that of St. John, who, on the wings of contemplation and faith, foaring aloft, like his own eagle, bears the thunder of the word, and caufes it's glorious voice to be heard under the whole heaven.

In the course of the evangelical history, we find St. John, in conjunction with St. Peter and St. James, admitted to the knowlege and view of fome more private miracles and tranfactions, when the other Apoftles had not that honour. Thefe were the three who attended their Master, when he raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead. "He fuffered no man to go in, save Peter, " and James, and John." And this is, in some sense, the happy lot of every disciple whom Jefus loveth. For although he no more "know Chrift after the flesh," or fee him working his miracles in perfon, as St. John did, yet, by faith, the wonders of divine love and mercy are manifeft unto him; and he beholds accomplished in himfelf

DISC. himself and others that great work, which IX. the miracles of Christ were defigned to re

prefent, the work of converfion and salvation. This work Jefus only can effect, and none but his beloved difciples know and underftand it. This fecret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he fheweth to them the glory of his power in raising a foul from fin to righteousness, no less than he fhewed it to the Apostles in raising the maid from death to life.

The fame three difciples accompanied their Lord, exclufive of all the reft, at the two most remarkable scenes of his exaltation and humiliation; that is to fay, when he was transfigured upon mount Tabor, and when he was in an agony, in the garden of Gethsemane. With regard to the former we read, that " he took Peter, and

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James, and John, up into a high moun"tain, apart, and was transfigured before "them." There they beheld his mortal body fuddenly clothed upon with light, as with a garment; they beheld his glory, as

the

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the glory of the only begotten; they faw DISC. the Sun of Righteoufnefs fhining in his ftrength; they faw Mofes and Elias glorified with him, as the Law and the Prophets always appear, when seen in company with Jefus; and they heard the voice from heaven declaring him to be the beloved of the Father. Again, at his paffion, " he taketh "with him Peter, and the two fons of "Zebedee, James and John, and began to "be fore amazed, and very heavy." Then they beheld him encompaffed with the infirmities of a man, and beset by the powers of darkness; they beheld him humbled under the load of our fins; they faw the Sun overcaft with a cloud; and heard the fame divine perfon praying in a bitter agony, as one fmitten of God in his anger, and afflicted unto death. And happy is every difciple, whom Jefus fo loveth, as to admit him, by faith, to behold and dwell upon the contemplation of his bleffed Mafter, in these his two ftates of exaltation and humiliation; the glory of his divine, and the fufferings of his human nature. These

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