will carry him at length into the arms of "another gospel;" not knowing that it will weaken his faith, withdraw him from Christ, and hinder his growth in grace, if it does not destroy his soul. Forewarned, forearmed. Had he been made thoroughly acquainted with the leading truths of Christianity, and with the points from which errors do and must take their departure, he would have rejected at once the slight but fatal change proposed, and would have clung with steadfast faith to the certain truth of God. Hence it is the duty of pastors to be teachers of sound doctrine, preparing the members of their spiritual flock to shun all the snares and pitfalls of error.

It is also their duty to instruct believers in the principles of Christian truth, in order by so doing to promote their spiritual growth. The knowledge thus given will meet, as we have already seen, a great want of human nature, whether contemplated as rational, moral or religious. I must not tax your patience by going over the ground again, however much could be added to the argument, but will simply ask you to bear in mind that these three departments of our spiritual being, and modes of our spiritual life and action, interpenetrate one another, so that what is for the good of one is for the good of all, and what is hurtful to one injures all. The strictly religious emotions, faith, love, adoration, cannot be pure and healthful while the intuitions of moral right or the impulses of conscience are disregarded. Genuine piety and morality will flourish or languish together. The same is true of reason and faith: they cannot be divorced; and if one of them suffers, the other must suffer with it. A robust, manly, growing piety must be intelligent, rooted indeed in love, but nourished by the words of sound doctrine. It may be found where there is zeal according to knowledge, but not where reason is despised and blind emotion deified, nor where feeling is set at naught and logic enthroned as a god. Weeds grow without culture, and errors flourish in the dark; but true religion claims a prepared soil, a warm light, refreshing showers and varied culture; for it promises a perfect fruit, a living soul, large, strong, Vol. xxviii. 43

pure, complete, every faculty matured, every susceptibility refined, every stain removed. Time and culture are requisite, and the work of the spiritual husbandman is but just begun when the seed of divine truth first takes root in the regenerated heart; it must be watched and watered and kept in the sun; the weeds of error must not be suffered to take its life, nor the cares of the world to choke it. In a word Christian pastors are called to labor for the spiritual growth of those in the churches, and to make them familiar with the doctrines of Christianity is one of the best means of doing this.

Thirdly, they ought carefully to indoctrinate believers for the sake of augmenting their usefulness. Pastors are not called to stand alore and labor without sympathy or aid. Many of those to whom they preach should be efficient helpers in the work, established in doctrine, wise in counsel, blameless in life, and prompt in action. In some of his letters Paul commends churches as a whole for their faith, love, knowledge, and various members in particular for their fidelity and co-operation. He expected to receive spiritual benefit from intercourse with the saints in Rome, being comforted by their faith; he gave thanks to God on behalf of the Corinthians, that in everything they were enriched by Christ in all utterance and in all knowledge; and he rejoiced. in the faith of the Colossians, and their love to all the saints, praying that they might be filled with the knowledge of Christ's will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Is it not plain that the apostle highly valued the influence of laymen in the church?-that he not only wished them to grow in grace and knowledge, but relied upon them as helpers in making known the truth, and persuading men to receive it? And John says, "I write unto you, young men, because ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one." He declares with joy that they were not ignorant of the truth, but they knew it and were able to detect the sophistries of Antichrist. But I need not refer to the sacred oracles. It is enough for any one to look abroad, and note the influences which control

thought and determine conduct in the world. Men effect very little in the pastorate, unless sustained by intelligent piety in their churches; and those who succeed, by the grace of God, in transferring their own knowledge, and infusing their own spirit into a considerable number of their flock, act through them far more powerfully than they could alone. They are living many lives, and speaking with many voices. Their principles are set forth by example and advocated in speech, not merely in the praying circle, but also by the sacred hearthstone and in the marts of trade, and the spreading waves of their influence will never cease to bless mankind.

But however important a knowledge of theology and kindred branches of truth may be to Christian pastors, it is still a question with some whether this knowledge should be sought in schools of sacred learning, or by private study with able ministers of the word. It is here and there intimated that theological seminaries are a mistake; that Princeton and Andover and Union, Newton, Hamilton and Rochester, have taken the place of better agencies for ministerial training, and have hindered the progress of truth in the world. The paths which lead young men to these schools are not, it is remarked, "the old paths," and their profiting*would be more manifest were they to spend a year or two with some laborious pastor, rich in experience and full of practical wisdom. How extensively this view prevails I do not profess to know, but a respectable number of our brethren may be presumed to entertain it. I shall therefore venture to add a few words on theological schools, laying down the proposition.

II. That these schools do, on the whole, afford the best means for gaining a knowledge of doctrinal theology, and indeed for ministerial education in general, within our reach. In saying this I do not pronounce them to be perfect in administration, or even in plan. I do not affirm the buildings to be in all cases commodious, or the libraries sufficient; much less do I claim for all the teachers superlative excellence. But no considerate man will object to theological schools on such grounds as these. He might as well deny that, on the whole, Christian churches afford the best means of cultivating

piety, on the ground that meeting-houses are sometimes incommodious and pastors unskilful. Such evils are not peculiar to any one method of discipline. They relate to administration and not to principle. To remove them, buildings may be erected, libraries enlarged, and teachers changed.

But, if any brother desire it, I will also admit that the plan and range, and end of labor in these schools may not be in all respects the wisest and best possible. Too much time may be given to one branch of study, and too little to another. Theology may encroach on interpretation, or interpretation on theology. The head may be taught and the tongue neglected, or the tongue may be trained and the heart forgotten. Human wisdom will never so perfectly balance and adjust the influences brought to bear on students for the ministry, as to give them the best conceivable culture in every direction, in thought, reason, imagination, speech, feeling and taste. To quicken the religious sensibilities and secure for them a free and full expression; to bring the imagination into vigorous use without permitting it to disturb the relations of truth; to stimulate and employ the reason, making it at the same time the ally of faith and the servant of a renewed will; to keep the mind alert, the heart open, the conscience tender; to fill the soul with enthusiasm for a lowly, self-denying, but glorious work; to call into action every power for good, and repress every tendency to evil, and to put the student in possession of all possible resources for the mission before him, is a task which no body of men yet in the flesh can be supposed to perform. Yet, until this be done—until the work of teachers and students be so directed as to bring out in due proportion all the powers of man for good, and be performed with a zeal and force answerable to the vast interests at stake, there will be opportunity for criticism on the part of all who distrust these schools, and reason for humility on the part of those who conduct them. And should they ever, in a single instance, become faultless in plan and conduct, I will venture to say that the graduates of this one perfect school would disappoint many of the churches. Not all of them would be mighty in the Scriptures, wise in counsel and eloquent in

speech. For much depends on original endowment; much on the measure of faith bestowed by Christ; and much on previous influences and effort. It is still true, as in the days of Paul, that God often chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world to confound the mighty, and things which are not to bring to naught things that are; that no flesh should glory in his

presence.

Besides, it has become evident that certain brethren need, in their own judgment, a pastor who has the best gifts, apostolic or even super-apostolic, and others also which are not mentioned in the Scriptures. They are fastidious about his stature, complexion and voice. They expect him to be grounded in faith and truth, apt to teach, prudent, temperate, hospitable, with a good report of them that are without; but also, and especially, that he be attractive in person and bearing; that he walk worthy of their church and society, to all pleasing; and that he be unto them as a lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument. They admit piety and knowledge to be desirable, but so likewise, though perhaps in a lower degree, is a beautiful hand. Let it, however, be remembered, that Christ does not call men to the ministry as Frederick of Prussia selected them for his tall regiment. Hence, no theological school will be able to adjust the bodily proportions of its alumni to the tastes of these brethren.

But while I am ready to acknowledge the imperfection of theological schools, and to hope for their improvement, I esteem them the best means of ministerial training within our reach, and a great blessing to the churches. What young men need, in addition to the grace of God, before undertaking the high duties of their calling, is, first, a knowledge of Biblical interpretation, of doctrinal theology, of church history, and of pastoral duty in the largest sense of this expression; and, secondly, a proper discipline of their powers in the use of this knowledge.

I will not impeach the understanding of my hearers by going about to prove that theological schools do more to aid