than that
of others. His duties too are a memento. He is seen in Church reading
prayers, baptizing, preaching; or he is seen teaching children; he is
seen in works of charity; or he is seen studying. His life is given to
objects out of sight. All that he does is intended to remind men that
time is short, death is certain, and eternity long. And, this being
so, do you think that men, being as they mostly are, careless and
irreligious, do you think they like this? No; and still less, when he
goes on to tell men of their errors and faults, and, as far as he can,
to restrain them. And so in all ages you will find that the world has
resisted and done its utmost to get rid of the preachers of repentance
and holiness. It would stone Moses, it cast Daniel into the den of
lions, and the three Children into the fiery furnace: St. Paul it
beheaded, St. Peter it crucified, others it burnt, others it tortured
even to death. And so it went on for many generations. But at last,
as I said just now, religious persons have by degrees been sheltered by
the law of the land from persecution, and Christ's ministers among
them. And the world has got more humane and generous, if not more
religious; and God is sovereign over all. But though the devil cannot
persecute us, he does what he can to oppose us. Surely this is so; for
no one can look into the many publications of the day, without having
proof of it; no one can go into places where persons meet together for
refreshment, or for recreation, without hearing it, no one can travel
on the road, without at times being witness to it. Christ's ministers
are called names, untruths are told of them, they are ridiculed; and
men encourage each other to oppose them, and to deceive them. And why?
for this simple short reason, because they are God's messengers; and
men in general do not like to be told of God. They say that they could
do well enough without ministers of Christ; which really means, that
they wish to do without God in the world.

Such is the portion to which all we, ministers of Christ, are called by
our profession; and therefore, when we bid you prepare for the
opposition of the world, we are calling you to nothing which we do not
bear ourselves. It were well, could we, in all things, do first what
we bid you do. There is no temptation or trial which you have, which
in its kind we may not have to endure, or at least would not wish to
endure, so far as it is lawful to w