Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: LECTURE III. Virtues Especially Requisite In The Christian Pastor—Meekness And Humility—Obligation To These Duties, From The Example Of Jesus Christ; From The Consideration Of The End Of The Christian Ministry, And Of The Means Which The Minister Is Authorized To Employ, For Attaining The End Of His Mission. 1 Now proceed to the second thing proposed; namely, to consider what those virtues are, of which the business of a Christian pastor requires especially the cultivation and exertion. For it is the lowest object of the Christian pastor, who is called to be an ensample to the flock, that he do not scandalize those, by his vice and indifference, whom he is under the mostsacred obligations to cherish and to guide. But may it not be said, and justly said, that there is no virtue whatever, which does not require to be cultivated and exerted by every Christian, more especially by every Christian pastor ? Without the love of God and of our neighbour, there is no such thing as true religion: unless, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we live soberly, and righteously, and piously in the world, we are not taught of God, nor are our lives regulated by the Gospel of his Son. But, notwithstanding this great and important truth, there are some particular virtues (which are all, indeed, but different emanations from the same copious fountain, Christian charity) that one station more frequently requires the exercise of; and others that are more frequently requisite in another. None will doubt, that to the opulent and powerful there is a stronger call to the duties of almsgiving, hospitality, and generosity: to the weak andindigent, on the contrary, there is more frequent occasion for exercising patience and resignation. The trading and busy part of mankind are more especially required...