to live in luxury; but which will place him above want; and deliver him from those perplexing cares, which a very inconvenient scantiness of provision cannot fail to produce. If your congregation should be entirely able to give you such a support as I have described, and yet decline or neglect to do it, you ought to take the earliest favourable opp rtunity to leave them. The workman is worthy of his meat. And where, in such circumstances, it is withheld, those who are capable of deliberately withholding it, ought to feel the consequences of their unchristian parsimony. There is neither justice nor charity in remaining with a people who will permit a faithful minister to starve, while they are abundantly able to "minister to his necessities."

But if you should ever be connected with a small and poor congregation; a society of an attentive and affectionate character; earnestly desirous of furnishing you with a comfortable support, but really unable to afford it; be not ready to leave such a people. Nay, if you are happy and useful among them, never think of des rting them on account of pecuniary considerations, as long as you can avoid it. Remain with them; cherish them; and rather beg for them, than of them. This is almost the only case in which I would advise a minister of the gospel to resort, for a part of his

time, to some secular employment, which might supply the deficiency of an inadequate salary, and enable him to remain where he otherwise could not live, among a willing but poor people. Stay with such a people as long as God, in his Providence, renders it practicable; be willing to deny and exert y urself for their benefit; and let your removal from them to accept of a better support, be your last resort.

13. If you should ever be compelled to resort to any secular en ployment, for the purpose of supplying the deficiency of a small salary, LET IT BE AN EMPLOYMENT AS MUCH

AS POSSIBLE IN HARMONY WITH THE MINIS

TERIAL CHARACTER. There have been clergymen, who, finding their salaries altogether inadequate to the decent support of their families, even in the most economical manner, and resolving to devote a part of their time to some employment, the product of which should supply the deficiency in their official income, have made a choice of employment truly unhappy. Some have been either acting or dormant partners in distilleries. Others have engaged in large mercantile business. A third class, in manufactories. And a fourth, in speculating on notes, bonds, or some other species of property. And the history of these pursuits has generally been, that, while a few have suc

ceeded, grown rich, and become completely secularized; the majority have been deceived, ensnared, and plunged into bankruptcy, and perhaps a total wreck of christian and ministerial character. Of the whole number who take this course, I suspect a very small portion, indeed, attain their professed object with comfort, and reputation.

Against all such plans and employments, therefore, I would warn you. If your object should honestly be, what is commonly, in such cases, professed, viz. not by any means to grow rich; but merely to make such a moderate addition to your scanty income, as may enable you barely to support your family with comfort; then choose, as an auxiliary, some employment, which will interfere as little as possible with your ministry; which will tend as little as may be to impart a worldly influence to your mind; and which may coincide, in a considerable degree,with your ministerial duties. Such an employment is the education of youth Such an employment, also, is the editing and sale of pious books. These objects of attention are so far from being hostile to moral and even evangelical duty, that they fall in with it entirely, and may be rendered essentially subservient to the great end of all ministerial labour. They have, also, this further advantage, that the gains which they

yield are commonly small and regular, and are, of course, not so apt to betray the mind into a deeply secular spirit. Next to the employments which I have mentioned, perhaps that of conducting a small and compact farm may fall in more happily than most others with the duties of the sacred office.

14. If you should be enabled to lay up any portion of property, for the comfort of your family, NEVER ALLOW IT TO ENGROSS YOUR

THOUGHTS, OR TO BE THE FREQUENT SUBJECT OF YOUR CONVERSATION IN COMPANY. He who has commenced, on ever so small a scale, the work of accumulating property, and who has occasion, from time to time, to invest his savings, in some productive manner, is often tempted to converse on the subject with undue frequency and solicitude, when he falls in company with those who are considered as well versed in financial concerns. And in a country of active commercial character, he will meet with such company so frequently, that he will be tempted almost every day to converse on this subject. Thus his own mind will be apt to become more and more occupied and ensnared with secular concerns, and he will betray the unhappy fact to those around him, to the dishonour of his holy vocation.

Do not allow yourself, then, in company, to talk frequently or freely on the price of stocks

-the rise, fall, and prospects of monied institutions-the most popular and eligible investments, &c. &c. If any thing on these subjects worthy of notice be uttered in your presence, you may quietly listen to it, without entering deeply into the conversation as a matter of personal interest. If you need information to enable you to act, seek it privately from those who are most competent to inform you, and most worthy of your confidence. But do not exhibit yourself as the zealous devotee of such things. Few habits, not openly criminal, are more revolting, than to hear a minister of the gospel, in mixed companies, talking like a bank-director, or stockjo ber. It ought to be one of the great objects of his life to turn off the minds of men from inordinate attention to these transient possessions, and to endeavour to fasten them on higher and better treasures.

15. If you should possess any property, guard against investing it in such a manner as will be likely to IMPLICATE YOU IN FREQUENT LITIGATION, AND COMPEL YOU FREQUENTLY

ΤΟ

RESORT ΤΟ LEGAL COERCION. This is highly undesirable to any man; but to a minister of the gospel, it is absolutely ruinous on the score of reputation. It is the practice of many to invest their property in notes, in bonds, and mortgages, and in various forms of