What ufe to m4k.e of your'Paftors. Morality of thcfe ) : But it is as your Teacherr and Guidu in thi matter I of falvation that you mull obey them. And that not as Propbet.t or La:w-givers to the Church; but as the fb,ted Officers of Chrill to OfCn and apply the LtSWI that he b6th g,ivcn, and determine offuch circurnfiances as arc fubfervient thereunto. Not as thofc that have dominion of your faith , or may preach anot'hrr ::.Cor.:. : 4 , Gofpel, or contradict any uuih of God, which by Scripture or Natf!tre he hath revealed, or can di- GJ.!. r. 7• f fpence with any duty which he hath commandtd: But as thofe that have all their power jl-om Gad, and f or God and your [&lVIIIion, a1rd the good of other men1 {oulJ; to edificatio;, only, and not to de{hu- ~~~ 1 Clion ; Particular cafcs I here purpokly forbear. · ~· 3'· Dired. 7· Be [•re rhar you look on •rhtm •Hht Officer! of Chrijl In aUrhat rhty do ar fuch ; J)j""' J• "nd{te •tol onI) tbeir n"t«r.il, but their Ecclefiaflic.Jl Perfims, tbt throu?,h them you mt{Y h.;ve tQ d() with G()d. Efpeciall~ in Preacbing and 4Jminijfring theSacramtntJ, and binding the i~penitent, ~nd ab~ folving the pcmtcnt, and cornfortmg the fad a11d humbled fouls. All the hohnefs, and hfe, and power of your fpiritu1l converfc with them contilleth in your fceing and convcrflng with God in them, and uftng them as his Mcffengers or Officers, that deliver his rndfage e.nd do hid rverJt, and not their own. lf you difobey them in his work, it is God that you difobey : And if they Teach }'OU his ·word, or deliver you Chrifi and his benefits in the Sacraments, it is Chrli.t hirnfclf that doth it by them as by his infiruments, fo far a·s they do it according to his Commiifion and his Will. This obferving Chrifi in their TelChing will poffefs you with due reverence and care, and caufe you to do it as aholy war~{.: And to fee Cbrijl in them, delivering and fealing his Covenant to you, will very much incre:afe your joy: when Mm as Man is but afhadow. Dirtl1. 8. ~· 33• Direct. 8. M•l;,< ufe ofrbeir help in privatr, and nor ill publick •nly: As the ufe of a Phy· ficion is not only to read a Led:ure ofPhyfick tp his Patients, but to be ready to direCt every perfon according to their particular cafe (there being fuch variery of tempentl.lres, difeafes and accidents, that in dangerous ca.fes the direction of the judicious is needful in the application ) : So here, it is not the leaf\ of the Pafioral wprk, to over[ee _tHe Individuals, and to give them perfonally fuch par– ticular advice as their cafe rcquireth. Never expect that all thy Books, or Sermons, or Prayers, or Meditatiqns fi10uld ferve thy rurn without the cbunfel of thy Pafiors, in greater cafes: for that were but to devifc how to prove Gods Officers needlefs to his Church. If thou be an ignorant or uncon– verted finner, go to the Miniftef, and ask hir'n, what thou mwfi do to be f:aved? And refolve to fol– low his found advice. IC:thou be in doubt of any weighty point of faith or godlinefs, or af– faultcd perilloufly by any adverfary, or need his advice tor thy fetlcd Peace, thy affurance of Par– don and falvation,' and thy preparation for death; go ask Counfel of thy PaO:ors, and rrceive their help with rcadincfs and thankfulncfs: Or ff thou live where there is none that is able and wiUing thus to htlp thee, remove to them that are (Uch, if lawfully thou cantl. ..>- ~· 3+· Direct. 9· Aff;j! y•ur Paftors in rhe ·,.or/;, of God, by lht dutitt of your plam ..bich rend DirdJ. 9• therrto: Labour by your boly feriQltl conference, to inflruCl: the ignorant, and convince the unbcliev· ACts 18, 14, ing, and convert !he ungodly, and firengthen the weak, with whom you have fit opportunity for R 16 > 1 1· fuch work. Labour by your holy examples, by Love and Concord, and MeekneCS, and Sobriety, and ]~~·3~~·.3· contempt of the world, and a heavenly life, tofhil't at lighll in rht miJjf •f a darlr._ and crooked Ge· Eph. •· , 9 , Htration. Preach all of you, by. the examples of your blamrlefi, humble holy lives: 0 how abun- 1 Pec.4·''· dantly would this courfe promote the fuccefs of the publick preaching of the Gofpel ? If you would ~hil.t 1 f· caufe thofe men to fee the glory and power of the Gofpel in your holy and heavenly lives, who can1 ~~r · ~· : 6 • not fee it in it felf: Then many that would not be won by the Word, might be WM without it (to 2 Per~~: 1 ~.:z.. feek after it at leafi ) by ycltr converfationJ. Thus all mufi preach and be helptrt of the Minifters 1 Pet. I .J r ,16. of Chrift. . ' & l.J •· '§· 35· Direlt. 10. Forfak$ not your faithful Paftors IQ foUow dtctiveri; but adbtre to thtm who ~e~.;.r;. fiend and are JP.rnt for you: Defend '.heir ~n~ocency againjl fal.fo accu[trs; and rt/Hfe. them n()t fucb D~r~~~· ;~. mainunanct as JJ ntcdful to thur enure gwmg up them[elver t() that holy worlt, tQ whrch they art dt· 1 TheJT. 5, 1 z, vored: Read and fiudy woll Epbef. 4• 13, 14, I5• Aar 20. 30. It is for your fakes that your faith- . 'I· ful Pafiors are fingled out in rhe world to bear the flanders and contradiCtions of the wid{ed ; :. Tlm.t. 10. aod to lead the way in the fiery tryal. If they would forfake you, and that facred truth and ~ ih'it.'i• d.uty that is needful to your falvation, and fell you up into the hands of '"ruell and deceitful 1 Th:a: ~: ~: men, it were as eafie for them to have the applaufe of men, and the profperity of the world Marth. :6. 5i. as others : It is perfidious ingratitude to forfake them in every tryal , that mull lofe [heir G Tim.lJ. I64 lives and all the world, rather. then forfake you or betray your fouls : Or to grudge them food 1 :!;.~·:.' 10 ' and rayment that Jay by the gamful employments of the world, that they ma)" attend continually CoL 1 , , 1 , on the fetvice of your fouls.
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