20t á7s14 imrpaarg. See afro ro this purpoCe, Phil,¢. verle Eq. Kai 7.4 7atéTas Ito rí'css' 3 and otter parallel places. c! Difcourfi oftrue happi;selre. and DoEirinesofheavenly wifedome. Nowwe havea Precept from theholyS,pirit, enforcedwith azealous obfecration for thehonouringoffáithfill Miniffers,with a veryextraordinary and tranfeendent deareneffe and degree of fingular reverence and love: i Thefts. i z, i 3. fledWe befeechyou, brethren, to know themWhich labour iamongyou, andare overyou in the Lord, and admonifhyore : andto eteeme them very highly in love for their Workerfade, Then which,if there werenoother motive or in- ducement in the world to a regenerate heart, yet this very one confideràtion, that God wouldhave it fo, that it is a facred In junctionofHeaven,wereable to produce 3t plant in it,a truly- loving acknowledgement, and awFall obfervation of rich An- gels ofGod. The which (becaufe it fprings from the loveof Goa, affe&ion tohis Word, andholy inflindof an illightned Confcience) mullneeds be fincere,rooted,and tilling. But the bell unregenerate hearts cannot poflbly conceive any fuch kindly flameofdeare affection to godly Minifters,froma meere commandement. of AlmightyGod.: and had they no other fen,- fible or fenfuall ground,or politike By-refpeFts,but o rely abare charge fromGods Spirit, (which weremore thenenough to an humbled foule) they wouldbe even in their heft temper,and time of temporary reverence, which I fpake of before, but heartleffe and cold thisway. For no unfanftified man, lethis pretences or profefíion be never fo glorious, Both or can love heartily and fincerely the Majefiy of God, or lawes of hgáven ; becaufeGods fpeciall love is not yet (bed intohis heart, thorow the bleeding wounds of our bleffed Saviour; neither hathhe true and reall inter& in the promifes oflife, Or Soule-ravifhing revelationsofhis Word. But' b the way, and before I paffe out of this point, take notice ofthe quali- fication and charaáter of thofe Minifters, to whom this lo- ving reverence is performable by the precept of the Holy Ghofl. They are fach as aredefcribed by Paul in the fore- . citedplaces, where he injoynes fuch fpeciall love, reverence, and honourable refie } unto the Minifters. Hold fueh in re- putation, faith hni9, he meaner fach as Epaphrodi- rus was : And hehonours him in that Chapter withmany worthy
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=