F. JOHNSON. 91 one uniform and prescribed order of teaching and ruling elders ; so the same, by theword of God, are still necessary to the right instruction and government of his churches. 2. " The Apostle Paul having spoken of the ordinances and officers of the church, as of prophesy and others, he concludes, If any man think himself to he a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write untoyou, are the commandments of the Lord. Upon this, I said, if they be the commandments of the Lord, then, till repealed, we are to hold them. 3. " When further speaking of elders, seeing God hath set them in his church, I asked, Who bath authority to put them out, and set others in ? For they were appointed, not only for a few years, but to be continued to the end of the world. This we see in the apostle's charge, 1 Cor. xii. 28, 1 Tim. vi. 13, 14. Also our Saviour gave his commis- sion and promise to all his faithful ministers, to the end of the world. Matt. xxviii. 19, 20, Acts xiii. 36. 4. " When speaking of the necessity of elders, I said, I doubt not that the want of them, seeing they are appointed of God, is the occasion of ignorance, atheism, idolatry, profanation of the sabbath, disobedience to superiors, &c. as we find too lamentably proved by experience. 5. " I said, it would be objected, that there is not a sufficient number fit for this office. To which I answered, that many who are fit, are not employed. And inquiring where the fault was, I said, it was not in the Lord, who is most ready to set watchmen upon the walls of his church, which is his city ; and to give pastorsunto his flock, to feed it with knowledge and understanding. Shall we think that God is not able and willing to qualify men for the ministry of the gospel, as he was Aholiab and Bezaleel for the work of the tabernacle, and Hiram for the temple ? Doubtless he is the same God, able and willing : but the fault is in ourselves. If you, indeed, desire that sinners should be awakened and arise from the dead, labour by all means of petition to God, and supplication to those in authority, that Christ Jesus may be heard in our con- gregations. 6. " Having proved that elders ought to be with their own flocks, and to feed them, I said, that Christ would call those elders to give an account. In the application, I exhorted those who have particular flocks committed to them, and still live in the university, to retire into their
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