There are, in addition to constant attendants, some occasional bearers of the word. These persons, when quitting a watering place, or any temporary residence, will pay every debt, but that which they owe to religion. But we subscribe to our own minister at home, they say. And do you not pay the rent of your own house at home? Yet you think it right to discharge the bill for your lodgings too. And why should you not recompense the man, who has afforded you spiritual pleasure and health, while you were abroad? Upon the principle of seat rent, on which so many lay an undue stress, the person who occupies a seat, for any length of time, should consider himself bound to make compensation.

Many excuse themselves from making an adequate recompense to a minister, because they say, he is a man of fortune, and does not need it. To this I have two replies. First. Are you sure that this is true? I plead for ministers, with more earnestness, because I can declare, before heaven and earth, that I believe, they are often the most liberal subscribers to the cause of religion, which the church of God contains. Many of them, who cannot be considered rich men, but may rather be called poor, yet contribute with a spirit that may put others to shame. They will go to Associations, and Missionary meetings, at an expense which they can ill afford, because they know that these useful objects would, without them, languish and die; while some far richer persons stay at home, not merely to gain money, by attendance to business, which it is often their duty to do, but sometimes, also, because they do not chuse to afford the expense of travelling. I see on the lists of subscriptions, the guinea of a minister, when the name of far richer men is attached to no greater sum. If you judge by these signs, you may conclude the minister to be rich, when it is not his property, but his liberality which is thus proved.

But a second reply demands notice. If it should be true, and a minister should be rich, what can that have to do with your payment of your just debts? If you enter the shop of a tradesman, you never inquire after his private property, before you pay your bills. When a medical man has given you his time and talents, you would not think of refusing to reward them, because he was a man of fortune.

And by what rule of righteousness, is a minister to be the only person, whose services are to be unpaid, because he happens to be rich? When Christ says, the spiritual "labourer is worthy of his reward," he does not add, except he should be rich; and why should you add this exception? But you say, he does not need to receive it. To which I reply, but you need to give it. Do your duty, and let him judge for himself concerning his. But you think, that if Providence has blessed him with abundance, he ought to give away as much as his salary would produce. Well,

let him give it away. But do not assume to yourself the right to give it for him. And if you do not pay it to him, do you really give it away to the poor? Are there not instances in which it is retained for yourselves? What, then, are you the poor persons whom he is to relieve, because he is rich? The very persons who, perhaps, are, after all, richer than himself.

But, supposing him to be able to labour, without receiving his full recompense, to whom should he give that advantage? To a rich and covetous people? Not, if he values his accountability to Him, who entrusted him with property, who has said, "he that robbeth the poor, and he that giveth to the rich," are alike guilty in his sight. No: if I spend my life and labours for nothing, it must be to benefit a people who cannot repay them; not for those who will not. And he is not worthy of the name and office of a Christian minister, who would not esteem it a high privilege, to be able thus to preach to a flock, who could not otherwise enjoy the Gospel of Christ. Yet even there, he would be their best friend who would see that they did all they could to repay their minister, though he should give it back among them a hundred fold.

In this way I know there are ministers, in great numbers, who are by far the largest subscribers to the cause of religion, among all those to whom they preach. Some perhaps, who subscribe twenty pounds a year, think their ministers under obligations to them; but they never reflect, that this very minister is subscribing fifty or a hundred pounds every year; for it costs him as much out of his private means, to live among them, that they may enjoy the word of life. Instead of living by his labours, and devoting the interests of his little property to provide for his family, when he is dead; he is obliged to spend, not only his interest but, O, shame and grief, sometimes the capital too; while there are persons, among his hearers, who though they will not enable him barely to live, are saving fortunes for themselves and their heirs.

Some, however, are afraid of ministers becoming rich and worldly. This can never be, while you chuse such ministers as the New Testament describes, and hold the purse in your own hands. I plead only for such recompense as is well deserved.

I cannot close, late as the hour is, without recurring to the solicitudes with which I commenced. Some may harden themselves in their sins, by pretending to think, that this has been a mercenary Sermon. But I would most tenderly warn you, my friends, that you will find at the last day, that many a pious youth has sacrificed the prospect of a fortune, and many a minister endured severe poverty, to devote their lives to win you from that love of the world, to which you are sacrificing your soul. But how precious must be your soul, and how desirable your salvation, for the sake of which, others will endure that poverty, which you would rather lose your soul than bear!

Nor can I sit down, without reminding my brethren in the ministry, that though I have endeavoured to prove our claims on the liberality of our flocks, no pen of man, or tongue of angel, can declare all that intensity of mind, or fidelity of labour which we owe to the souls committed to our care. Let not any mercenary attention to your temporal dues, shed a blighting mildew over the pasture to which you lead your flock. You can scarcely ever say, or do much about your own income, without injuring yourselves and your charge. Consecrate yourselves to serve Christ's interest, and trust him to take care of yours.

For the liberal friends, whose hearts have echoed, as I know some do, to all that I have said on the ministers' behalf, I return to heaven our grateful vows, that the generous sacrifices you have made for our support, may be abundantly repaid. "But this I say, he who soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly; and he who soweth abundantly shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart so let him give, not grudg ingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound towards you; that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. He that ministereth seed to the sower, both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness; that ye may be enriched in every thing to all bountifulness which causeth, through us, thanksgiving to God."*

* 2 Cor. ix. 10, 11.

Biography.

MEMOIR OF MR. THOMAS TUCKER.

(Concluded from page 17.)

MR. TUCKER exhibited a strong attachment for the company of Christians. He loved to entertain them at his house. He turned no suffering beggar away empty. To the clergy his house was free at all times, especially during the long vacancy succeeding the decease of the Rev. Mr. Ward. The visitor was not received in a manner simply complying with the obligations of a host in furnishing entertainment, but with assurances of joy and welcome, that he had the opportunity of comforting a Christian disciple, and communing with him. But not the man of property or education only deserved his notice. The destitute, the ignorant, those who moved in the humblest walks of life, if robed in personal piety, shared in his politeness, his benevolence, and hospitality. He received them under his own roof, and at his table supplied

their necessities with a satisfaction which none but those can feel who feel gratitude to the giver, and a moral sympathy for the Christian character.

The following extract is from a letter to Mrs. Tucker, his second wife, dated at Lebanon Springs. It forcibly shews his regard for the despised saint. "I rise generally first in the house; passing through the kitchen as I was going to the bath-tub a black, slave to a Dr. W. from Georgia, beckoned to me, and asked me in his broken language, which I could not understand, until repeating it five or six times, whether I was a Christian or Baptist. I then asked whether he was a Christian and a Baptist. He replied yes. He then undertook to inform me in poor broken negro language, how illy he was treated by his master, by his bad language, stripes, bruises, &c. But, said he, above all, in not giving him a moment's time even on sabbath days for religious worship. I told the poor creature I would pray for him. He then begged that I would suffer him to come up to my room early every morning for prayer. This I told him I could not permit for several I gave him short but wholesome advice, in respect of his duty both to God and to his master. I hope that I shall have some reasons before I leave this of dropping a word to this poor Ethiopian, whom I verily believe is stretching forth his hands to God. Oh! my eyes are flooded with tears of joy whilst I am now writing this. Contemplate for a minute on the vast difference between our privileges and those of this poor black, and surely we cannot refrain from singing praises to God, and to pray to him in behalf of this and all other such meek and humble hungry lambs of the flock of Jesus: my soul, be not thou arrogant or lofty, but be humbled in the very dust before thy God." To certain professors low in life he alluded in another letter to Mrs. Tucker from the same place.

reasons.

"You say that you visited ***. I rejoice with I rejoice with you in your happy meetings, and should be glad in being one of your happy company. I cannot but hope that God in his rich love to me will yet permit it; give my Christian love to each of the dear sisters, and tell them to hold on their way rejoicing; to keep the blessed prize continually in view, and not to suffer this world or any temptation of Satan or any adversary to shake or disturb their hope and trust in God. I hope every member of the church may be zealous in their love to each other, that as it hath pleased the Lord to leave them as sheep without a shepherd, they will all as one look to the Great Shepherd of the flock, and he will keep and preserve them from wolves, and from wolves in sheep clothing; and I am assured he will still lead them in green pastures and by the still waters of comfort, and will cement the body together in love."

Mr. Ward died in August, 1810. This was a mournful event, which Mr. Tucker felt with extreme sensibility as one who mourns for a departed member of his own family. He often alluded to

it in his letters, and in one from Ballstown especially, writes with much feeling and humility thus. "I have gone through the same fiery trial as Mrs. Ward has in the loss of a dear bosom partner. I have found the gracious promise verified that all things shall work together for good to them who love God. Her trial is great, it is grievous, but let her not despond, God's strength shall be perfected in her weakness. All these outward calamities and afflictions shall work out for her a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. I have found comfort in the blessed promise, Isa. xliii. 2, 3. "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy GOD, the HOLY ONE of ISRAEL, thy SAVIOUR.

Mr. Tucker was hasty in his temper, and sometimes was so unguarded as to express himself in a boisterous and impatient manner. He visited the Springs from whence the above letters were written, in consequence of a painful disease which had settled in his limbs and created lameness. Against this propensity of his nature, he studied to incline, and seemed to have baffled his adversary when he himself was most exposed. He often expressed himself in his letters regarding it, thus, My constant prayer is, that God's will and not mine may be done, that he will continue to me the grace of patience and submission, that I may be still and know the rod and who hath appointed it.

And at another time he exclaims, Oh the supreme blessing of patience, submission and resignation! I trust he will grant to me a continuance of it to the praise of the glory of his grace. *** May his grace be sufficient for me, and incline me to be entirely resigned and submissive to his blessed will, which can do me no wrong.

Afterwards Mr. Tucker recovered from his complaint. The ruthless destroyer was not yet to make him his victim. The end of human suffering to him had not arrived. In the year 1819 Providence visited him in the death of his son, James W. Tucker, pastor of a church in Springfield, New-Jersey. Tenderly as the father loved the son, freely as he would have given all his worldly goods to have relieved him from life's calamities, he yet exhibited an example of heroism and patience and resignation, which nothing but settled piety can ever give to the soul rent with anguish. The next day after the news of this catastrophe reached ́him, he addressed the widow of his son as follows.

Dearly Beloved Daughter,

Danbury, Feb. 15, 1819.

With a trembling hand and body, and with heart-rending grief, with eyes overflowing and cheeks bedewed with tears; how shall I describe to you our feelings and extreme sorrow when