ADDRESS TO THE MINISTERS OF CHRIST.
Ministers of Christ, and ye men of God, who are scattered throughout the churches, suffer the word of exhortation; what have you to do with the doctrinal squabbles, the secularising policy, and the party interests of existing churches? If you be, indeed, men of God, spiritual men, you must long ago have been tired of their mud, and their filth, and their shallows. I entreat you, in God's name, and for Christ's sake, put away your apathy, and awake from your slumbers; come out from among them, lest ye be partakers of their plagues. The cry is raised, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh! as you value your souls, disobey not the command: but "go ye forth to meet him." 'Tis vain to imagine that, by remaining where you are, you may still be a leaven for good. The churchman will remain a churchman, the Independent, an Independent, and the Methodist a mere Methodist, in spite of you; mother's children are they all. They do not bear the image of the heavenly, and I am satisfied, as regards the great bulk of them, the Father never begat them. The little zeal that they have, hath self for its spring, and party aggrandizement for its object; and either self-interest or self-exalation constitutes the bond of this union. If ever they knew anything of God individually, I am afraid the most of them died in the weaning, when the sensible comfort, the milk that God hath provided for the babe in Christ, was withdrawn, because they had been long enough babes—they would not learn to feed upon the word—they would not take to the flesh and to the blood of Christ; and, consequently, that which was given them hath been taken away from them. The preaching gift and the praying gift—yea, and part of the decently-living gift, may remain; and because they must have peace and joy, Satan will take care that they are furnished with both: but as to the life of God and the image of Christ, they are scarcely anywhere to be found. Men of God, can you make the members of your several churches sensible of their state? Can you convince them of their delusion by remaining amongst them? Never. Will such men unite with you in hastening on the coming of your Lord? Will they mourn with you over the apostasy of the churches? Will they keep with you, will they cry with you for all the abominations that are existing in the world? O, no. You will uniformly find them on the side of the scoffer, and they will tell you, We are doing well—we are increasing in goods, we are triumphing, we are reigning, and what care we for the promise of his coming. Men and brethren, from this moment come out from among them, and be ye like unto them who are waiting for the return of their Lord. Bear your testimony boldly and openly against them, and thus you may succeed in alarming some of them. You are injuring them, you are hindering the work of Christ, you are weakening one another's hands, by continuing in your present position. O, may the spirit of Elijah, who must come, and of John the Baptist, be given unto you! Let your loins, like theirs, be girded about! let your lights burn where they may be seen, and let your united cry awaken both the slumberer and the sleeper. "Prepare to meet thy God." I have a conviction on my mind that it is God's purpose that yet once more the note of alarm shall be sounded throughout these realms, and that this last trumpet will, under God, either have the effect of hardening or saving the sinner. I clearly see that both processes have already commenced under my own ministry, and if you, my fellow-laborers, will only be faithful, and in your several spheres and stations stand out boldly for God, the harvest of this land will soon be ripe. I feel as if death or life was in every word; and every time I made the inquiry, Watchman, what of the night? the answer cometh with increasing thrill to my soul. The morning cometh, and also the night! And oh! may every soul now before me tremble at the voice of the Spirit, and, take the prophetical warning in time, make haste—return—come! Ministers of Christ! men of God! to your knees for oil, to your Bibles for light! away with every trapping of worldly policy! strip your party-colored robes of Satan's weaving! take to you locusts and wild honey; have done with the poisonous dishes of man's providing; strengthen your loins as with a girdle, with the promise of his coming, and with the hope of the glorious appearing of the great God and your Saviour, and let your voice be a united voice—the voice of one crying in the midst of this wilderness of apostasy, blasphemy, ignorance, pollution, and sin—"Prepare the way of the Lord!" Thus will you be "like unto the men who are waiting for their Lord;" and take the promise for your comfort, When he cometh and shall find you thus watching; "verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make you sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve you." Amen.