count. Which cafts me upon the third and laft doctrinal head. I promised to speak to. The glory prepared for, and promised to fuch fervants of Chrift, is elegantly laid out, in fhining terms, by the prophet Daniel, Dan. xii. 3. "And they that be wife, fhall fhine as the brightness of the firmament; and "they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever " and ever." A promise which points directly to faithful and wife minifters. What a beautiful fight is the azure canopy of heaven, when it is about to fhut its beautiful eye-lids in a ferene evening! and much more, when it is about to open them with a fmile, or blush, in the dawning of the ruddy morning! And how is that beauty again outvied by the glory of the stars, where the pleasant light sports and twinkles! how doth one ftar excel another in glory! Yet thus, and more than thus, even above the brightness of the fun itself, shall the fervants of Christ fhine; who, by their faithfulness and prudence, have inftrumentally turned many unto righteousness! The queftion about degrees of glory in heaven is not necef fary, but problematical. We reject with abhorrence the popish doctrine of diversity of glories, as founded in the diversity of merits: Nor is it questioned, among the orthodox, whether there be an equality of glory, as to the effentials; but only in refpect to the accidentals, and concomitants: Amongst which, they place the additional glory and joy of fuch ministers, whofe faithful and prudent labours God hath bleffed, and crowned with the converfion and edification of many fouls. And of this the apoftle fpeaks, 1 Theff. ii. 19, 20. "For what " is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even "ye, in the presence of our Lord Jefus Chrift at his coming? "For ye are our glory and joy." Where we find a very remarkable gradation. He calls his Theffalonian converts, "his "hope, his joy, nay, his crown of rejoicing.' His hope, that is, the matter of his hope, that they fhould be faved. His joy, as they had already given him abundant cause of joy, in their converfion to Chrift by his miniftry. And the "crown of his "rejoicing in the prefence of Chrift, at his coming." This is an high ftrain indeed! The meaning, I fuppofe, is, that the fruit and fuccefs of his miniftry among them, would add to his crown, and redound to his glory in the day of Christ. O brethren! who would not study and pray, fpend and be spent, in the service of such a bountiful Master! Is it not worth all our labours and sufferings, to come with all those souls we inftrumentally begat to Chrift; and all that we edified, reduced, confirmed, and comforted in the way to heaven; and say, Lord, here am I, and the children thou haft given me? To heat one fpiritual child fay, Lord, this is the minifter, by whom I believed: Another, this is he, by whom I was edified, establish ed, and comforted. This is the man that refolved my doubts, quickened my dying affections, reduced my foul, when wan dering from the truth! O blessed be thy name, that I ever faw his face, and heard his voice! What think we of this, brethren? But far beyond this; what will it be to hear Chrift, the prince of paftors, fay in that day, "Well done good and faith"ful fervant; thou haft been faithful over a few things, I will "make thee ruler over many things: Enter thou into the joy "of thy Lord," Mat. xxv. 21. O firs! we ferve a good Maf ter, who is not unrighteous to forget our work, and labour of love for his name-fake. He keeps an exact account of all your fervent prayers, of all your inftructive and perfuative fermons ; and all your fighs, groans, and pantings, with every tear and drop of fweat, are placed like marginal notes against your labours in his book, in order to a full reward. But I have far out-run my own intention, and (I doubt) your patience too, in the doctrinal part. I confider to whom 1 fpeak, and fhall be the fhorter in the application; which I fhall dispatch apace, in three ufes. 1. For Information. 2. For Reprehenfion. 3. For Exhortation. Ufe I. And firft for our information, briefly, in two or three confectaries. Confectary 1. By this it appears, Chrift hath established an order and government in his houfe, which none maft vios Ον κατέσκησε late. The church is a well-ordered family, or ο Κύριος, houfhold, whereof Chrift is the Head, Chriftians members, minifters ftewards, the ordinances food to be difpenfed by them in feafon. Every one is to keep his own place and ftation. Paftors must faithfully feed and govern the flocks of Chrift, Acts xx. 28. People must know, honour, and obey thofe that are over them in the Lord, Theff. v. 12. Heb. xiii. 17. the one muft not impofe, nor the other ufurp; but each walk according to the rule of Chrift, with a right foot, ordinately and comely. This order is the church's beauty, Col. ii. 5. and truly we may expect fo much of Chrift's prefence, as we have of his rule and order amongst us, and no more. O that the rules and or ders of his houfe were better known, and obferved! then minifters and people would clearly understand, what they are to expect from each other in the way of duty, and each perfon keep his proper flation. Minifters would not invade the civil callings of the people, nor the people the facred calling of the miniftry; but all things would move ordinately, fecundum, fub et fupra. The pleasure of fuch a fight, would as much tranfport gracious fouls with joy and pleasure, as the order of Solomon's houfe did the queen of the South. Confectary 2. In the light of this truth, we may also read our duty, how we ought to govern ourselves in the ordination of men to the minifterial office. This office is to be committed unto faithful and able men, 2 Tim. ii. 2. not to novices, r Tim. iii. 6. I know the neceffities of the churches are great, but no more hafte (I befeech you) to fupply their wants, than good fpeed. Satis celeriter fiet, quicquid commode geritur: That is foon enough, that is well enough. It is a lefs hazard, to put an ignorant ruftic into an apothecary's fhop, to compound and prepare medicines for men's bodies, than to trust a man, deftitute both of faithfulness and prudence, with the dispensation of Chrift's ordinances to men's fouls, Some men are moved by pitiful low ends. 1 Sam. ii, 36. "Put me into the prieft's office, that I may eat a piece of "bread." Some by ambition, conceiting themselves as able and holy as the best, Numb. xvi. 3. What mens fecret ends are, we cannot know; but their qualifications for that work we may, and ought to know. We are folemnly charged, to "lay "hands fuddenly upon no man," 1 Tim. v. 22. In Solomon's time, the Jews were exceeding careful and wary in admitting profelites, because they were then a flourishing and profperous ftate; not fo cautelous in time of adverfity, as Jofephus obferves. I would difcourage none that appear to have pious inclinations, matched with competent qualifications. Many be useful, that cannot be excellent. Weaker gifts, rooted in a gracious heart, will grow by ufing; but nothing grows without a root. I think the plaineft men have done the greateft fervice in the church of Chrift: as tender-eyed Leah brought forth more children than beautiful Rachel. But ftill fidelity and prudence are indifpenfible qualifications. Confectary 3. If there be fuch rewards, in the hand of Chrift, for all his faithful and wife fervants; Then we have no juft caufe tr reafon to repent of our choice of this office, whatever fufferings and reproaches it hath, or yet may expofe us to. I believe none of us ever yet felt fuch ftraits, endured fuch miferies, or fuftained fuch labours, as the apoftle mentions to have befallen VOL. VIII. Nnn him, 2 Cor. xi. 23, 24, 25, 26, 27. and yet he heartily thanks the Lord Jefus Chrift, (for all that) who had counted him faithful, and put him into the ministry. Brethren, we have ferved a good Master, and have cause to admire his care over us, and bounty to us; and whatever we have fuffered, we may fay to them that fhall fucceed us, as Toffanus did to his children and kindred, in his laft will and teftament: "I charge you, my dear children and relations, "That ye never be afhamed of the evangelical truth, either "for the fake of offences arifing from within the church, or of "perfecutions from without it. Truth may labour, but can"not be fuppreffed: And I have often found by experience, "the Lord to be wonderfully prefent with them, that walk "before him diligently and uprightly." O he hath been a good God to us! he hath covered us in days of danger, made provifion for us and ours, and yet his beft rewards are behind. Let none scare at the reproaches and perfecutions that attend the gospel. Ufe II. This point cafts an ireful countenance upon all unfaithful and imprudent minifters, who give their people the chaff for the wheat, and ftones for bread; who glory in the title, and live upon the profits, but neither feed the flock, ncr mind the account. They preach, they pray, because they must do fo; but none are the better for their prayers, or preaching. They feem to labour an hour or two in a week, but their labours turn to no account; nor can be expected to turn to any good account, whilft they are neither animated by faithfulness, nor guided by prudence. Agicola, writing de animantibus fubterraneis, tells us of a certain kind of fpirits that converfe with minerals, and much infeft those that work in them. They feem to bufy themselves according to the custom of workmen; they will dig and cleanse, melt and fever the metals, yet when they are gone, the work men do not find that there is any thing done. I came not hither (I confefs) to deal with this fort of men; and therefore fhall leave them to confider the words immediately following * Obteftor vos, liberos et generos chariffimos, ne illius veritatis evangelice unquam vos pudeat, vel propter fcandala domi, vel propter perfecutiones, quæ foris excitantur. Poteft enim laborare, fed non vinci veritas. Et non femel expertus fum Dominum Deum mirabilliter addeffe iis qui choram ipfo ambulant, et in fua vo cutione fedulo et integre verfantur, &c. “Melch. Adam in vita Toffani, p. 720. my text, which, like a thunder-clap from the mouth of Chrift, difcharges woes and threatnings upon them; ver. 48. to the end: "If that evil fervant shall say in his heart, My Lord de❝layeth his coming; and fhall begin to fmite his fellow-fer66 vants, and to eat and drink with the drunken: The Lord of "that fervant fhall come in a day that he looketh not for him, "and in an hour that he is not aware of; and fhall cut him a"funder, and appoint him his portion with hypocrites. There "fhall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth." Who can aggravate their mifery more, than thefe words of Christ have done? Our But I am principally concerned at this time about our own defects, both in faithfulness, and in prudence; though neither of these (I hope) be totally wanting in us, yet our defects and short-comings may, and muft greatly humble us. vain expence of much precious time, our thuffling hafte in fo weighty a fludy as the falvation of our people is; our finful filence, when conscience faith, reprove; our coldness and deadheartedness; our unferious and unprofitable converses; our pride and oftentation of gifts; our neglect of personal conferences: All these evidently discover, that both our brains and bowels need more ftrength and tenderness. I will not infift here upon these particulars, (let us do that in our studies) but haften to the exhortation, and therein to the clofe of this dif-. courfe. USE III. Are faithfulness and prudence the effential requifites of the fervants and stewards of Chrift's house? And will he fo amply reward them in whomsoever he finds them? Then let it be our care and ftudy to approve ourselves to him, fuch as he here defcribes and encourages. But who am I, to manage fuch a work as this, among men every way above me! However, you have called me to this fervice, and Chrift bath directed me to this fubject: And should I now filently pafs over this part of my work, how fhall I approve myself, either a faithful, or a wife fervant to him that fent me? I defpair of ever having fuch another opportunity; I fee many faces in this affembly, whom I shall never fee any more in this world. I fpeak to the minifters of Chrift, the guides and paftors of fo many flocks. May I be in the leaft inftrumental o quicken them in their duties, their respective numerous congregations will reap the benefit of it. My brethren, this is the day I have often wifhed for, when |