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tand, fays the Ethiopian eunuch, unless some man fhould guide me: And who fhould guide them but thefe who are guides by office, as the word may be rendered, Heb. xiii. 8. Confider them who have the rule over you, or who are your guides. This is the end a gofpel miniftry is promifed for. Ifa. XXX. 20, 21. And though the Lord give you the bread of adverfity, and the water of affliction, yet fhall not thy teachers be removed into corners any more, but thine eyes fhall fee thy teachers: and thine ears fhall hear a voice behind thee, faying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right-hand, and when ye turn to the left. It is impoffible we fhould condefcend on all the particular intentions or ends a people should propofe to themselves in calling a gofpel minister; and therefore, we fhall conclude all in this one, which is fure to comprehend them.

8. They should seek to have one who may anfwer in fome meafure Timothy's character, with refpect to the church of the Philippians, Phil. ii. 20. one who may naturally take care of them, that is, one who may, out of love to their fouls, affectionately, prudently, carefully, and with im-* partial boldnefs, open and apply the word, difpenfe the facraments, and adminifter difcipline, for the inftruction of the ignorant, ftrengthening the weak, comforting the difconfolate, affecting the impenitent, reproving the faulty, recovering wanderers, directing and helping forward thofe who doubt and halt; that he may both fave himfelf and them, to the praife of the glory of God's grace. We shall not infift upon each of thefe particulars, which would require not one or two, but many fermons, which fuits not our prefent defign. We fhall therefore proceed, in the

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Second place, to enquire how a people should make it appear that they were acting upon thefe designs in their calling a gofpel minifter. This enquiry might be understood either to refpect their own fatisfaction, or the fatisfaction of the world, or of the minifter himfelf, as to this matter; but time not allowing us to be fo particular, we fhall hold the enquiry in the general, and in anfwer to it we say.

1. A people fhould difcover their defigns to be fuch as we have mentioned, by a punctual attendance upon all the ordinances, to be by him dispensed in public or private. Thus we fee it was with Cornelius; he not only waited on himfelf, but he called together thefe on whom he had any influence. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinfmen and near friends, Acts x. 24. Thefe who will not give attendance to the public difpenfation of the word, and the private inftructions, either family or perfonal, but withdraw, we cannot think these perfons had the right end before them in calling a gofpel rainifter: furely had they been right in their aims, they would have been ready to fay with Cornelius, We are all here prefent, etc.

2. They should not only prefent their bodies upon fuch occafions, but they fhould fift themfelves as in God's fight, to hear all things whatever are commanded of God by his fervants. We are all here prefent, fays Cornelius to Peter, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. ver. 33. To give attendance to the ordinances, either more public or private, on any other defign than this, is to offer the facrifice of fools, contrary to that injunction of the wife man, Ecclef. v. 1. Keep thy foot when thou goeft to the house of

God,

God, and be more ready to hear than to give the facrifice of fools. When we are come to God's ordinances, we must come to hear what he speaks

to us.

3. They should evidence the honefty of their defigns, by obeying the word which they hear at his mouth; they should comply with all the commands of God, and fay to their minifter as the people of Ifrael faid to Mofes, Deut. v. 27. Go thou near and hear all that the Lord our God fhall fay, and fpeak thou unto us all that the Lord our God fhall fpeak unto thee, and we will hear it and do it. For as the apoftle James well obferves, It is not the hearer of the word but the doer who is bleed of God, James i. 25. As we must hear and do, fo our attendance must not be limited, but our ear must be opened to reproofs, and the moft terrible denunciations of wrath from God, as well as to the sweet promises and charming discoveries of the glory of Chrift, the beauties of religion, the furprizing happiness of the faints in heaven; and there muft not only be obedience to thefe commands which may bring in honour, external gain and pleasure by our compliance, but thefe alfo must be obeyed, which may bring us under the lafh of wicked mens tongues, and expofe us to reproach, hazard and ignominy in the world. All things whatever are commanded of God must be punctually obeyed without referve.

4. There must be a fubmitting to all the ordinances of God. Both this obedience and fubmiffion you will find fpoken of, Heb. xiii. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you, and fubmit yourfelves, for they watch for your fouls, as those who muft give an account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for this is unprofitable

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for you. The word rendered obey, fignifies properly a believing upon perfuafion, and refpects our belief of the truths propofed by them, and a compliance with our duty that way; and on the other hand this fubmiffion has a refpect to the power they have over their people for edification and not for deftruction, that is, that authority they have for admonishing, reproving, rebuking, and cenfuring offenders; and by a fubmiffion to them in the difpenfation of thefe ordinances of Chrift, reproof and cenfure I mean, they are to evidence to all the uprightness and christian sincerity of their designs."

5. They are to evidence their defigns to be juftifiable by a careful diligence in applying to their minister upon all occafions; when they are under difficulties, when they are in the dark as to duty, when they have to do with corruptions which they cannot get mastered, when under the Lord's hand, and fo of all other exigencies of the like nature. For as the priest's lips fhould preferve or keep knowlege, fo the people should ask the law at bis mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hofts, Mal. ii. 7. And these who are fick, are bid fend for the elders or minifter of the church to pray over them. Jam. v. 14. Thefe who have the advantage of a gospel minister, are indifpenfably obliged to acquaint him with the state of their fouls, when there is any thing peculiar in it, and when they are reduced to any ftrait or extremity; and that, 1. Becaufe God has laid it upon them as a duty in that forecited Mal. ii. 7. The people should ask the law at his mouth. 2. Becaufe otherwife he will be at a lofs in his bringing meffages to you, if he mistake your cafe, or be unacquainted with it; how can he direct you if

he

he understand not your ftate and condition? The Lord gives no immediate revelation now, we have no warrant to expect any fuch thing; and therefore, the way wherein ministers ordinarily come to understand their people's condition, is by themfelves, who upon this ground are called to have recourfe to their minifters. 3. They should ac quaint their minifters with their circumstances, becaufe they are the people's mouth to God; and if they be not acquainted with the circumftances and condition of the flock, how fhall they, ac cording to their duty, hold up the cafe of their people to God, as they are indifpenfibly obliged to do, and that both in public, and fecret, and private?

6. Once more, and we have done, a people may, and fhould prove their intentions honeft, by a diligent application to their own proper work and business, with respect to his furtherance in thefe great defigns. Every member of the con gregation fhould be helpful to him, in contribut ing their utmost affiftance to him in his work. A minifter may spend his strength in vain, if elders in their place, mafters of families in theirs, and every particular perfon in his ftation, do not join by prayer and otherwife, in affifting their minifters. Then do men appear fincere in their defigns, for the glory of God, and their own falvation, when every one puts to his hand to the work, and endeavours the removal of what may retard and obftruct its progrefs and fuccefs; and likewife ftudies by all means to ftrengthen the minifter's hands, that he may not be difcouraged, diverted, or taken off from his work. In fine, then do a people appear fingle in their aims, when their words, their hearts, their hands, go

one

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