The National Register.
London, England, 1814-07-31 00:00:00

(Et It)ttfpit.

. He, too,
Mitlit still hiye slituilier'd in an easy &air,
iii:Y ttpon a seplia. held
A captive in the magic chain
Of Alma "1.14tcr..

REV. G. D'OYLEI; B. D.

TIONESTIC CHAPLAIN TO THE ARCHBISHOP Of CANTERBURY
AND CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE IN THE IJNIVEILSITY 01 CAMBRIDGE.

Chrvsostom is known never to have entered the pulpit
without the most awful sense of his respotozibility. It is that
situation, indeed, which any man, however qualified fur the
ministerial-office. may well ttem'Av to fill. "God forbid."
says Lord Bacon, in his treatise on the Pacification of the
Church.' Oa: every mat* that can take upowhintself boldness
to si eak an hour together in the church, upon a test, should
he admitted for a preacher, though he mean never so well !
I know there is a great latitude in gifts, and a great variety in
a Mitories and congte,,ations; but vet so as there is afiquid
infinitron, below which you ought not to d.:;cetul. 'V hen we
at to Cod's Teinole, we are warned rather 'to put our
hands upon our mouth, than to offer the sacrifice of fools.'
And swely it may jwstiv be thought, that amongst :nano other
causes of atheism, which. are miserably met in our are,--
as schisms and controversies, profane scoffing/ in holy mat
tors, ;ld others,—it is no: the least, that divers do adventure
to handle the Word of God, who ate unfit and unworthy." '
Jf incompetency be one ground of disqualification for the
ministerial work, it seems net less clear, on .the other hand,
that every thing of ostentation, or self-display, is equally in-
compatible with the ennest and successful inculcation of
spiritual 'twin Accordingly whenever the preacher ascends
the puloit, he must recollect for what purpose it is that he is
placed there,—for the sober and serious instruction of his
fellow-creatures, in concerns of everlaszing importance, and
riot to exhibit. himself for popular applause and admiration.
lie must aim not to charm the ears, hut to save the souls of
his flock. Nothing of intemperance, '''nothing in the fashion
of flout ish, noti I:ig in the parade of figure," will be so much
as aremeted, certainly not indulged, by him who is duly.
anxious for the salvation of mankind. By that . preachihg '
whidi the world elect is 'foolishoess,' will he seek to ' magnif‘
his ofii:e; and exalt the cross t Be will pervert no passage of
Ii i, wri, to :Le purposes of pc:•ty ; nor will he venture to
atli.'m the truth of any pos;tiom which he has not previously
aseera;oed, or sutler him::elf to be stirpi ised into the (log-
in I.i•-a1 protuulg.vinn of opinions respec.ing which he is not
co.o. met d at 1.. e :rt. Reason supplies the medium tlo otigli
w•,i, h the doc.ithes of the gospel may be.best i ill parted to
rattonal h:•itigs. TN., will always be felt by the joi'icions
reacher. wk.) knows t'e.lt religion is iv:elf 'a reasonable ser
vice.' aid ill it his offi..e 1, to persuade othe,s to embrace tha:
f.li ii . I which he fees persuaded in his own mind.

l). poi totem wiil corre-p •ild with c lie ce the
el - ic. cl dew.r.;netit of a,. en'i,h.cued preith,r ‘1,;.1 I) re-
gi. ,ittd recol'iectilg ttte di.AititN, of his •.atiAii, arid. a tit...
sante 61117, the solemn :tccutint he 'lmo titian.... re1,(1,..)- fir all
that he ha, 2.,:te0 and sa.A. 11. s • t y w.ll. ;iero, (tingly be dee!,
and unaffected his sense of csponsibiiity tiAitita:i and, dis e-
gatdiug poptuarity, his sole il.,j2rt :hetodei • er he tr.tth
with iiimphcity, allixtion and zeal. Seo.loiclits odd feel.Lgs of