DISCOURSE IL A Sermon preached at the Separation of Two Deacons to their Office. 1 Tix. iii 15.--For they that have used the Office of a Deacon well, pur- chase to themselves a good Degree, and great Boldness in the Faith which is in Christ. Jesus. AS there is a divine order in the invisible church, and the whole management of that large spiritual family is conducted by rules of divine wisdom, so the Lord bath appointed a beautiful order in his visible church ; and in his book he bath given us the pattern of his house, and the manner of the offi- cers and ordinances thereof; at least the biggest lines of it are drawn fair, and plain, though some of the lesser circumstances may be more obscurely expressed. By a due study of the scriptures, and the exercise of our common reason, we may find a rule to guide us, in the most considerable and necessary affairs that belong to the constitution and regulation of the house of God. Christ himself, the Son of God, dwelling, in flesh is the head, the chief shepherd and overseer of all his visible church upon earth ; for he wears a visible body, though for a season he be departed fromour sight, and dwells in heaven ; thither he ascended to receive the promise of the Spirit, and to bestow gifts upon men ; Acts ii. 23. and Eph. iv. 8, H. By these gifts he furnished persons, and fitted them to sustain offices of an or- dinary or an extraordinary character. The extraordinary officers were apostles and prophets, and some suppose evangelists also, these were to continue only for a season ; the ordinary are pastors and teachers, elders and deacons, which are to continue through all ages of thechurch. , To omit all the disputes that have been raised how far pas- tors, teachers, elders and bishops or overseersdiffer from one ano- ther. I shall at present considerall the ordinary church officers, as included under these two names bishops and deacons. For thus the apostle seems to include them ; Phil. i. 1. The visible church of Christ on earth is composed of spirits dwelling in flesh, and as the bishops or overseers chiefly exercise their care toward the soul or spiritual part, so the chief care of the deacons seems to relate to the body, and things belonging to it : And as there are some special persons in the church, to whose outward sve]irare the tare of thedeacon must he extended, so the whole church, cots-
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