condition on which you can either enjoy, or properly know, the truth.

Perhaps it will be said, the speaker seems to make out religion a hard, laborious way of life; we thought it was an easy, instead of a toilsome service. Yes, my friends, it is an easy service, when we have become accustomed to it. And one reason why it is easy and delightful is, that it is laborious. It would be at war with our nature, were it not so. People sometimes appear to think that a pleasant religion must be one in which there is little to do. If some scheme could be devised, that required nothing at all of us, that prescribed no duties whatsoever, not even the trouble of going to church, that would be perfection! If you know anything of human nature, you know that such a religion would be the most insupportable, ever conceived of. It might answer for a day, possibly for a month; but try it. for two or three years, and there is not a soul under heaven that could endure it. Take that little child, who complains of his task at school, and who wishes, in his ignorance, that he were released from everything of the kind. Provide an institution, for him, completely to his taste, send him where there are no books, no study, no instruction, where he shall have nothing to do, but to sit still; and, at the close of the first half-day he may, perhaps, come home well pleased. That is the school for him! But send him again; let him try it, a week, or a month; and he will beg, as for life, that you will give him something to do, or send him to any school rather than to that. It is the imperative demand of nature within him. We, my brethren, have a religion of joy unspeakable and full of glory. But, would you know how to turn it, at once, into a dull, tasteless, insipid affair, disgusting even to the most

thoughtless? Only take away its requirements, so that it shall exact no effort on our part; or, which is the same thing, pay no attention to its commands, neglect its duties, throw off its yoke entirely from our necks; and you will soon find it a dead carcass, that would nauseate the stoutest spirit under heaven. People will not, and cannot abide long by any religion unless it be presented to them in a way to give scope to their active powers, and call them forth into exertion.

My brethren, you especially who are engaged in the ministry, I pray you bear with the freedom of this address: would you see a society grow and prosper ? Remember the principle we have now illustrated. Put every member, you can, of that society, to work -to work, personally, in the cause of religion. That is the great secret of success and permanent stability, Let there be no idleness, in any quarter. There are the children that need to be gathered into your Sunday schools; bring them into the work. There are your youths and maidens; give them a sphere of activity as teachers, and as members of other associations for religious improvement. There are the older men and women, to be brought under the responsibilities of a solemn and explicit profession of their Savior's name. And there is, above all things, the duty of diffusing, through every class, the spiritual influences, which shall make the doctrine you preach a living power, working in the heart, and prompting to continual attainments in holiness.

And you, my hearers all, let us not forget these things, but carry the remembrance away with us. Let us make a practical reality of our religion. Be assured, that, to know the depths of its consolations, and the strength of its support, we must engage in it, for ourselves. If we do so, we shall find that our labor in the Lord is not in vain. AMEN.

SERMON V.

THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION.

BY REV. H. BALLOU.

"Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint nöt."-2. COR. iv. 1.

As the first word in the text evidently has reference to the apostle's argument and theme which go before, we shall duly notice the same, that thereby we may arrive at a correct understanding of the ministry mentioned in our text.

Beginning with the fifth verse of the third chapter, and carefully observing the theme of the writer, we arrive at our object. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life!" Here are several things worthy of

notice.

1. The entire dependance of the gospel minister on God to render him efficient in his holy calling. As an abstract proposition, this fact will be admitted by all, and yet it is to be feared, that the absence of a realizing sense of its truth, often renders the la bors of preachers little better than sounds without substance.

2. When God makes a minister, he makes an able one. By their wisdom, ways, and means, men

may succeed in making ministers; and they may be such as those who make them will be pleased with, and even proud of. They may be learned and eloquent; fashionable and fascinating; yet they will be as vain as are those who make them, and as destitute of the true spirit, wisdom, and meekness of the gospel of life and salvation.

3. We learn from what we have before quoted, that the apostles were not made ministers of that which killeth, but of that which giveth life. The apostle proceeds: "But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away, how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious. For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which is made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which was done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious!" Here, again some remarks may be proper. On what we have here quoted, it seems reasonable to remark:

1. The ministration of which the apostles were not made ministers, is called a ministration of death and of condemnation; and the ministration of which they were, made ministers, is called a ministration of the spirit, and of righteousness. And we may further add, that as the ministration of death is so called because it killeth, the other, because it giveth life, may be called the ministration of life. And we may moreover add, that as the one ministration is called the ministration of condemnation, so may the other be called the ministration of justification.

2. The apostle informs us that the ministration of death and of condemnation, with all its glory, was to be done away, and that it was then already done away.

3. Let us now duly notice the several words, which we may rightly use, to designate the two ministrations, of which the apostle spake. The one is called the ministration of death, and of condemnation; the other we designate by the words, spirit, life, righteousness, and justification. In relation to this last ministration, let it be carefully noticed, that the life, obtained by the ministration of the spirit, is spiritual life; and is a life of righteousness, in which alone we can be justified.

We still follow the apostle: "seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech; and not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished; but their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in reading of the Old Testament; which veil is done away in Christ. But éven until this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. Now the Lord is the spirit; and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." Here again we remark as follows:

1. The abolition of the ministration of death and condemnation, and the bringing in of the better and more glorious ministration of the spirit, of life, of righteousness, and justification, filled the apostles with hope, and authorized them to use such plainness of speech as would commend the word of life to the understanding of those who heard it.

2. The blindness of the Jews, and their unbelief of the gospel, were occasioned by their not seeing