entered into the ministry, both in that which is called the Established Church, and also among those who dissent from it, who were neither qualified for it nor called to it. Indeed Bishops may ordain such persons, and patrons may present them to benefices, in the Church of England; and dissenting congregations may call, and ministers may also ordain, and give solemn charges, unto such amongst them likewise; and yet God neither own them, nor their labours, because he hath not qualified them for, nor called them to that office. And this is the reason why there is such a number of unprofitable ministers, both in the Established Church, and amongst the Dissenters also. Surely it would be much better for such unqualified and uncalled persons to resign their stations, and to follow some other calling, for which they are better qualified, and in which they might perhaps be useful members of society.

And is it not to be feared, that there have been preachers also amongst the Methodists, who have ran without being sent, or have been sent only by man, without having received a call from the Lord. Be this as it may, I have thought it my duty briefly to descrive, in this little tract, the qualifications which are requisite for a preacher of the gospel; and also to shew the nature of a call to that work. I have likewise given some directions to such persons how to proceed therein, and have endeavoured to encourage them in that arduous undertaking; and in so doing I have not quoted many authors, but have wrote chiefly from Scripture, and my own experience, grounded thereupon.

But if some other person, who hath more leisure and greater abilities, would enlarge on this plan of mine, or write a better tract, it would surely be acceptable to many pious readers, and very useful to the Church of Christ.

GOSPEL PREACHERS DESCRIBED AND DIRECTED. The Gospel is undoubtedly an invaluable blessing; but that it. may be preached as it ought to be, namely, according to the will of God, and attended with his blessing, two things are indispen sably necessary for the preachers thereof.

I. That they be qualified for the work. And,

II. Called unto it.

Question. What are the necessary qualifications?

Answer. First, it behoveth a man to have an experimental sense of a work of grace wrought in his soul: to be, 1st, awakened to see and feel himself a guilty, lost, and miserable sinner; under the curse of the Divine law, and the wrath of God; obnoxious to the stroke of his justice; and in danger of eternal damnation; but in this undone condition, in consequence of true repentance for his sins, to receive, 2dly, a free pardon of them all, and peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. And, 3dly,

as the fruit of his justification and adoption, he must have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him, as the apostle speaks, Romans viii. 9, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his." 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith? prove your ownselves: Know ye not your ownselves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? Gal. iv. 6. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." For how can a man properly assist those that are in distress on account of sin, who has never felt the same? Or describe the nature of justification by faith, if he was never justified? Or confidently assert the willingness of God to accept repenting sinners through his Son Christ Jesus, if he never had a sense of his own acceptance? Or how can he describe the way to heaven, if he is not in Christ, who is the only way thither? John xiv. 6. The necessity of this experimental religion is evident from Scripture as well as from reason. "Thus saith the Lord God, Wo unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! Ezek. xiii. 3. If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch, Matt. xv. 14. The things of God knoweth no man, but by the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given us of God, 1 Cor. ii. 11, 12, John iii. 10,11. That which we have scen and heard declare we unto you, 1 John i. 3. I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me, is not after man, for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ, Gal. i. 11, 12. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God, 2 Cor. i. 3, 4." Further, if " they that are in the flesh, (in an unconverted state,) cannot please God," Rom. viii. 8; if "without faith it is impossible to please him," Heb. xi. 6, even in inferior duties, how can a man please him in the great work of preaching the gospel without faith, without the qualification above described? I have been the more particular on this point, because there are many preachers, I am well assured, who are destitute of this qualification.

Secondly, The gifts of knowledge and utterance are requisite, right principles, and an enlightened understanding in Divine things, with ability to express the sentiments of their hearts in a clear, regular, and profitable manner; which is a gift bestowed by the Lord, in a greater or less degree, upon those whom he sends forth to preach the gospel. "There is a spirit in man, and

the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding," Job xxxiii. 8, 9. And whosoever is destitute of this qualification, and says that he hath a call from the Lord to preach, is under a deception, for God doth not require us to make bricks without straw, nor send us to hew down the trees of the wood without axes; which would in a comparative sense be the case, if he should send men to preach without the gifts of knowledge and

utterance.

A man attempting to preach without this qualification, (at least among the Methodists,) doth harm, instead of good; instead of promoting the interest of Christ among nen, he hinders it: instead of defending the cause of religion, he injures and betrays it, through his weakness and inability; burthens the church, instead of edifying it: grieves the pious; and, instead of convincing the profane, and winning them over to Christ, he disgusts some, and furnisheth others with a pretence to treat the preaching of the gospel with ridicule and contempt. Too many of these preachers have appeared in our time. O let not this evil be suffered among us." "He," saith Dr. M. Taylor on the types, "that is not fitted and furnished with the gifts of the Spirit in some measure, and attempteth any office in the church, is not called by God; whose wisdom will not send a blind man for a seer, nor a dumb man on his message or errand."

Thirdly, Humility to guard those gifts; especially if a preacher be applauded, and become popular, lest he should be puffed up to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, Rom. xii. 3; and so the foot of pride prevail against him, Psl. xxxvi. 11. Pride is bad enough when it appeareth in a private professor, but if it discover itself in a preacher, it is loathsome and abominable. 1 Pet. v. 5. Be clothed with humility; for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." But more of this by and by, in another place. And therefore,

Fourthly, He ought to be a man of some standing in religion, one that is acquainted with the workings of corrupt nature, and not ignorant of Satan's devices, 2 Cor. ii. 11. Not a newly couverted person, unless in extraordinary cases, such as a manifest call from God, or some pressing emergency. "Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil," 1 Tim. iii. 6.

Fifthly, Courage and faithfulness, to declare to high and low, rich and poor, even to all men, the truth as it is in Jesus, the whole counsel of God. "As an adamant," said God, Ezek. i. 9, have I made thy forehead." The apostles spake the word of God with boldness, Acts iv. 31. "St. Paul went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God," chap. xix. 8. "Wherefore I take you to record this day

1

that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God, Acts xx. 26. Sixthly, A fair character, a good reputation, at least among candid serious peeple; for if a preacher have a bad or doubtful character, how should he be received by the people? Or how should they receive profit from his ministry? If they cannot receive him, they will not receive his testimony. Thus, Acts vi. 3, "Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you men of honest report." "A bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God," Tit. i. 7. "He must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach, and the snare of the devil," 1 Tim. iii. 7.

These are the necessary qualifications for a preacher of the gospel; and that they are so is evident from those Scripture proofs which I have produced.

Question. But is there not one qualification which has not yet been mentioned, namely, A liberal education, an acquaintance with the learned languages, especially those in which the Scriptures were originally written, and the arts and sciences?

Answer. This is not absolutely necessary; but if a man who hath the above-mentioned qualifications, have learning also, it may serve as an handmaid, under grace, to the glory of God, and the good of the church; but unsanctified learning hath done much hurt to the cause of religion. Learning without grace, may be compared to a sword in the hand of a madman. All the human learning in the world will never, of itself, qualify a man for the preaching of the gospel. "A man may be very knowing himself, and take upon him to teach and instruct others, and yet be very ignorant of the nature, and much unacquainted with the work of regeneration upon his own soul. A man may be very sharp-sighted, as the eagles, in the mysteries of art and nature, and yet blind as a mole in the things of God." Burkitt on John, iii. "Human learning alone can never teach the Divine truths of Christ and his gospel," Idem on Acts xvii. "The vision of all," said Isaiah, "is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, read this, I pray thee; and he saith I cannot, for it is sealed." And Matt. xi. 25, Jesus said, “ I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." Thus we read, Acts iv. 13, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled, and they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus." And 1 Cor. i. 29, The world by wisdom knew not God." many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but God hath chosen the weak things of the world to

"Not

confound the things that are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence." Chap. iii. 19, 20, "The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.”

"Proud learning boasts its skill in vain,

The sacred Or'cles to explain:
It may the lit'ral surface shew,
But not the precious mine below;
The saving sense remaineth seal'd
Till by the Spirit of faith reveal'd;
The book is still unread, unknown,
And open'd by the Lamb alone."

Mr. C. Wesley on Isaiah xxxix. II.

I question whether the labours of that extraordinarily learned, and truly pious man, yea, and successful preacher, the venerable Dr. Usher, Archbishop of Armagh, and Primate of Ireland, in preaching and writing, were blessed to the conversion of souls, so much as those of John Bunyan the tinker. And I also think, that Dr. Secker, late Archbishop of Canterbury, notwithstanding his great accomplishments, had not more seals to his ministry than either John Nelson the mason, or John Haime the dragoon. Therefore let not them that are learned be lifted up on account thereof on the one hand; neither let those preachers that are qualified as above, be dejected on the other hand, through the want of human learning; for the gospel may be successfully preached without any great degree thereof. Thus much for the first proposition.

(To be continued.)

THE TRUTH OF GOD DEFENDED.

To the Editor of the Methodist Magazine.
REV. SIR,

The following Remarks on an article in the Evangelical Magazine, entitled, Observations on Verax's letter to the Editor, on the Fore-knowledge of God," which appeared in the Number for February, would not have been intruded upon your notice, had that article been confined to the dispute between the advocate of Dr. Clarke's peculiar sentiments upon that difficult subject, and the writer of the above article. But it is most extraordinary, that those sentiments are charged, without ceremony, upon the whole body of Arminians, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, in the following passage:-"This is a vital question, as Dr. Clarke clearly saw. While, therefore, we cannot praise him før a successful, we cannot blame him for a needless attempt, to deliver Arminianism from the burden of denying God's foreVOL. XLII. APRIL, 1819.