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    in what they believe to be the cause of God , will be seducing too . But , if strong in the love off truth , these temptations will not overpower him . Ana what will be the result of his trial ? A heart imbued with feelings of Christian tenderness towards other

    men , a knowledge , an intimate knowledge of their feelings , their prejudices , their habits of judging ; no cold abstraction , but a genuine living picture of what his fellow-creatures ^ ijtev Instead of a vague , general desire to spread the truth , he will have into

    ^ paicied a personal insight its value ; a sense of its adaptation to the purposes for which it was originally promulgated ; a facility in communicating his ideas in such language

    as experience has taught him will most effectually accomplish the end he has in view ; in fine , a determination to become " all things to all men , " if by any means he may save

    some . There is nothing visionary or romantic in all this : imagination is exercised about what impartially , rather than what is wholly , known . When we accustom ourselves to speak of or

    preach to differing Christians without accurate knowledge of their peculiarities , we are very liable to exercise our fancy rather than a sound judgment . Experience and " integrity of attention" to the various forms under

    which human nature presents itself , correct this propensity , and give a character of solidity to our reasonings , which procures them a degree of respect from those who differ from us , never yielded to the individuals by whom they feel they are not understood .

    There is ano ther difficulty connected with the ministerial office which it is worth mentioning . The knowledge of human nature derived from metaphysical studies is very valuable , but is apt to stand in the way of a young minister ' s success with the people for a . considerable time after he

    commences his active ministry . Few proceed to that perfection of philosophical attainment at which all the previous steps of the process are scarcely to be perceived or detected , to that point at which , a certain result being obtained , there exists no longer in the mind a perpetual reference to parts of the long process by . wliicii

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    it was led into its present state > While the studies themselves are going on , the student is apt to forget that the multitude must have a shorter road to truth . He loses time in

    proving to vthem by the light of philosophy what they believed before by the light of revelation ; they want to be impressed , and he labours chiefly to inform . It is not easy , besides , for one accustomed to close argument and reading to descend to the easy and popular style . Neither c $ tn a mind which lias for some time had

    its best po . wers turned into this channel , readily allow the subordinate importance of what , if a pursuit at all , is generally a favourite , and , therefore , seducing pursuit . It seems ungrateful to say to philosophy , " We will borrow all your lights , make use

    of all the aids you bring us , but you yourself shall be unseen , unfeltyour aid unacknowledged : we must use you as if we used you not , and have you as if we had you not ; " and yet how can a Christian minister hope for great or general success but by this entire subordination of mental

    attainment to the purposes of his ministry ? f ^ is is indeed a difficult office . We , expect from him much , too much . We call him from his retired studies to fill the station of a leader , a teacher , a guide to our young men

    and old men , and we blame him for failures in things which have formed no part of his education , which he has therefore to acquire after the period of his settling with a congregation . Still the acquisition is very attainable , € t if there be first a

    willing mind /* and if the various \ vays and means of spoiling or discouraging him be not put into action in too unsparing a manner . If there be any truth in the old maxim , " Defend a man from his friends , " &c , it is a truth that particularly applies

    here . The lessons he may learn from those he too easily calls " adversaries" and " opponents , " are to the full as useful , and are less dangerous , than those he may gain among friends

    and partisans . There is a species of injustice also , to which Unitarians are but too prone . They talk of their ministers as if they were npt liable to the $ ame influences as themselves . They blame them for not rising very

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    42 Though t * on . some Difficulties in the Christian Ministrg .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1826, page 42, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2544/page/42/