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PLEA FOR AN ENLARGED MINISTRY.

It is no solid objection to the foregoing reasoning, to say, that the interest of the church at large is far more important than the interest of any particular denomination. This is, no doubt, most emphatically correct. But will not an army of good soldiers be most likely to con quer, when every member of it is found fighting bravely in his own ap. propriate ranks? Besides; if it be our sincere belief that the doctrine and order of our church are most agreeable to the word of God; then we are not only bound, as the Lord's "witnesses" to promote their recep. tion and extension as far as possible; but just so far as we accomplish this, we are promoting the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom in the wisest, the best, and the most permanently valuable manner that is possible.

Let the church, then, in all her borders, awake to a deep sense of her great obligation in reference to this matter. Her duty to her Mas ter; her duty to herself; her growth, her strength, her purity, her peace, her power to act with harmony and energy for the conversion of the world,-all-all demand it of her. If she fails here, and in proportion as she fails here, she must ultimately fail in every other de partment of evangelical exertion. What will become of the largest and the wisest plans of missionary enterprise, if there be not enlight ened and sanctified men to carry the "glad tidings of great joy" to dark and perishing millions? To what purpose shall we organize new churches, as the increasing population and zeal of our body may ena ble us; if we cannot find living teachers to take charge of them as spi ritual guides? In fact, every enterprise for the enlargement of the Redeemer's kingdom, must either be abandoned, or deplorably lan guish, unless a much larger supply of gospel laborers can be sent into the field. And, after all, the mere multiplication of them will not be found to answer the main purpose intended. If they are trained up with other preferences, and other habits than those of our own church, the greater their number, the more will discordant views and divided counsels prevail; and the greater the probability that their discord and strife will destroy our peace, and hold us up to the pity or the scorn of all surrounding denominations.

In applying this subject, I beg to be allowed, in the first place, to ad dress myself to the "BOARD OF EDUCATION," at whose request, and for whose benefit we are now assembled.

PLEA FOR AN ENLARGED MINISTRY.

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My respected FRIENDS AND BRETHREN! You have committed to your charge one of the most precious and momentous trusts that the church of God can possibly delegate to human hands. Yours is the delicate, the arduous task of selecting and training a large part of those sons of the church, who are hereafter to be her teachers and guides. And if the character of ministers may be said to decide the character and destiny of the church over which they preside, then what arithmetic can calculate the good or the evil which your manner of discharging the trust committed to you, may be preparing for the body of Christ?

It is beyond your power, indeed, to give the most essential of all qualifications for gospel laborers-I mean VITAL PIETY. In this sense it may be said, with special emphasis, the LORD OF THE HARVEST can ALONE send forth laborers into his harvest. For, in regard to this qualification, none but He who made the world can make a min. ister. But has He ever been wanting when his people were faithful? Is he not now, if I may so speak, running far ahead of our movements, by pouring out his Spirit upon our academies, our colleges, and many of our churches, and bringing into the kingdom of his grace hundreds, perhaps thousands, of young men, who are ready and desirous to devote themselves to the ministry of reconciliation? On you devolves the solemn task of searching them out; putting in the claim of their moral mother, and, still more urgently, the claim of the Master in heaven, to their services; and watching over all their preparation for the great field of labor. To this delicate, weighty, unspeakably important task it is our hope that you will address yourselves, with all that diligence, zeal, faith, and prayer, for HELP FROM ON HIGH, which the solemnity of the trust so evidently demands.

Remember, I pray you, first of all, and above all, that decided piety, -ardent piety-is the first, the highest, the most deeply essential quali. fication that can be named for the sacred office. Let this great princi. ple ever stimulate and guide your operations. Never patronize, as candidates for the ministry, any others than those who give decisive evi. dence that they are converted men. Though they had the talents of angels, without sincere love to Christ, they would be no blessing to his church. Yet we are not to suppose that EVERY PIOUS YOUTH, or even that EVERY FERVENTLY PIOUS YOUTH ought to be introduced nto the ministry. Unless he have good native talents; some portion

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PEEA FOR AN ENLARGED MINISTRY.

of those gifts which form an impressive public instructor; prudence and a freedom from striking eccentricity, he will be likely to serve God and his generation, in any other honest calling, far more successfully than as an ambassador of Christ.. Many a young man selected and trained for the holy ministry, who gave satisfactory evidence of piety-has been found so feeble-minded, so deficient in the power of public speaking, or so characteristically indiscreet, as to constrain every enlightened friend of religion to wish that he had adorned and sancti fied some secular avocation.

Remember, further, my respected friends, that you have not been ap pointed to be THE BOARD OF A PARTY; but to represent and serve THE WHOLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. And the only plan on which you can successfully attain this object is, not to be swayed by the wishes or the policy of any individual, or body of individuals; but to keep a eye constantly fixed on the word of God, and the truly scriptural and apostolic constitution of our church, as that system which we have ALI equally promised to respect and sustain. The only fair and legitima index of the church's will is to be found in those public formularies which she has solemnly adopted, and set forth, as containing that sys tem of doctrine and government which, in her judgment, is containe in the holy scriptures. Let your whole administration be in faithfi conformity with the spirit of THESE; and, with the divine blessing, ha mony and edification will follow of course.

Remember, also, as before remarked, that the mere multiplicatio of ministers is not that which the enlightened friends of the Redeen er's kingdom mainly desire, and expect you to seek. In fact, th more ministers are multiplied, unless they be suitably furnished, and the right spirit,-the greater the burden, and even the curse, whi they will inevitably bring on the church of God. We want neith learned drones, nor ignorant fanatics; neither heartless zealots for mere frigid orthodoxy, nor empty, childish boasters of a zeal witho knowledge. No; the exigencies of the church, and of the world ca more loudly than ever before, for men of enlightened minds, and hearts warmed with the love of Christ and of souls; men "full faith and of the Holy Ghost;" qualified to " feed the people with know ledge and with understanding;" men who love and desire to promo genuine revivals of religion; men who are "wise in winning souls"

Christ; men thoroughly devoted, in heart and in life, to the conversion of the world.

Remember, moreover, that such ministers as I have described, can never be furnished, (without a miracle,) unless candidates for the sacred office can be persuaded to pursue a REGULAR AND ADEQUATE COURSE OF STUDY. It will, then, be a most important part of your duty to conjure and constrain such of them as may come under your direction, so far to respect their MASTER, to respect THEMSELVES, and to respect the OFFICE which they seek, as not to be found "novices" when they enter the field of labor. It is the lamentable infatuation of a large majority of our theological students, that, they will, in spite of every dictate of wisdom and of scripture to the contrary-they will hasten into the pulpit with half, or less than half, an adequate training. In many cases, even after a previous literary course to the last degree stinted and superficial, we cannot persuade them to feel as they ought the importance of extended and mature theological studies. Not more than a fourth part of the candidates for the sacred office whom I have known, have had wisdom and patience enough to complete the course prescribed in the plan of most of our seminaries, as indispensable to form a well-furnished laborer in the gospel harvest. For this deplorable infatuation no remedy has yet been found. Private friends, theological teachers, boards of directors, presbyteries, synods, and general assemblies, have all lifted the voice of remonstrance against the fatal delusion; but they have lifted it in vain. The evil is still going on with undiminished prevalence. The very spirit of IMPATIENCE, and of suPERFICIALITY, seems to have taken possession of the greater part of our candidates for the Lord's harvest. The consequence is, that the proportion of our rising ministry who make attainments in any measure adapted to the day in which we live, is lamentably small. And hence it comes to pass, that so many, when they enter the field, instead of proving "workmen that need not be ashamed," qualified "rightly to divide the word of truth,"-disappoint the expectations of their friends; are unable to remain, for any length of time, in one place, as acceptable pastors; and finally become rather a burden than a blessing to the church.

I know of no body of men, my respected friends, in the Presbyterian church, who have it in their power to do more towards obviating this deplorable evil than the ASSEMBLY'S BOARD OF EDUCATION. TO

your care, and that of your committees, hundreds of young men will be entrusted from the commencement of their studies. Be entreated ever to inculcate upon them that, with a given amount of piety, he whe is the most accurate scholar, and the best furnished divine, will ever be the most useful minister. Assure them also, that these attainments can never be made without unwearied and long-continued labor. There is no royal way to knowledge. I know of no magic by which theo logical professors can impart adequate furniture to young men who will not study, even while they continue to occupy the place of stu dents, and who are in haste to escape from instruction. And as long as there are presbyteries who will consent to license, and even ordain, candiates, who have never studied the gospel, and, of course, do not un derstand it, I can think of no way in which the correction of the evil in question is to be expected from our judicatories. But, if the Board of Education will firmly withhold its patronage from all who will not, in the outset, consent to take a regular and thorough course of study; and will instantly withdraw its aid from any and every young man who does not in good faith comply with his agreement, unless prevent. ed by unavoidable dispensations of Providence;-if this be done, the mass of our candidates may be brought back to listen to the voice of reason, of conscience, and of scripture, in regard to this matter. There is little hope of relief, unless, under God, it can be afforded by YOUR BOARD. May the King of Zion enable you to be faithful to this, as well as to every other interest committed to your charge, and crown your labors with an abundant blessing!

But the subject before us demands the solemn attention, not merely of the Board of Education, but of every member and friend of the Presbyterian church. Are there any of this large class who are ready to ask-"What can we do?" I answer-There are, probably, at this hour, from four to five thousand young men scattered through our churches, of hopeful piety, and of sound, improvable minds; who might, in seven or eight years, from the present time, be brought into the ministry, if proper measures were forthwith taken to effect the object. Now, let ministers and church sessions search out all such young men;-carefully discriminating between those who have good native talents, and those who have not; and also between those who are mo. dest, humble, prudent, and teachable, and those who, though hopefully pious, have not these qualities. Let them immediately recommend the FORMER to the Board of Education, and encourage them, by all suita