l:tftb Commandment. Firjf, He mnft h:~ve an inward Call , which confifts hoth in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and alfo in the Inclination of his Will ro u(e them for God's Glory in this holy l\1inifl:rarinn. Kow thefe Gifts \'·:ith which he mnft be endowed, fame of them are abfohr<ely necelfary to capacitate him for the Office ; others are only con~ ducible to mak~ his Mi'nifl:ration in it the more effec.tual. That which is abfolurely neceffa"ry, is a competent Knowledge in the Truths of the Gofpel, without which the great .End of the Minifhy.cannot be attained, which is to teach and inftruct the People. It i~ indeed their Duty to Itrive after an Eminency in this Knowledge; for' they arc the Lights of the World, and ntould be a- . blc to diffufc abro:~d their Beams, that they might in lighten thofe that are Ignorant, and fit in Darkncfs. But yet there is no ftatcd Meafnrc nor Standard for their Knowledge. For we find that our Lord Jefus Chrift, the great Minifl:cr and Tea-· cher of the \:Vorld, fcnt forth his Difciple to preach, when yet they were very ig· noraet of many important Truths of the Gofpel. Eminent Knowledge is therefore necefl3.ry for their Duty, but competent Knowledge is necefi'hy for the ir Office. That which is bighly conducible to the Effcctualnefsof their Miniftry, is fanCh· fying Grace, and an holy Life and Convcrfation. Not that they are not true Mi ni~ fters without this; for we find a Judas fent forth with the fame Authority and Corn~ million as the reft of lhe Difciples. Yea and t he Apoftles, who had Chrilt himfelf for their Maftcr and lnftructer, yet are by him fent to attend upon the Mini- . ft cry of the Scribes and Pharifces; who, though they were very wicked and ungodly Hyp-ocrites, yet becanfe they fa t in Mofes's Sea t , i. t. becaufc t hey had a right ful Authority to teach the People, therefore he commands his own Scholars rO hear and obey them; wh.afoevtr thty bid you _ob[trvt, that obftrvt and do, Matt h. 23 . 2, 3· It is not therefore perfonal Grace t hat gives Authori ty to our Miniftery ;· but yet it may and doth contribute much Efficacy unto it. Gocl. may feed his People, as he did Elijah, by a Raven 7 and make a cold Breath kind le the Sparks of Grace in the Hear ts of others, and blow it up in to a Flame. But yet it is fa r more comfortable and profitable to the People to fi1 under a Minifte r who Jhall go brfore them in Example, as well as in DoChinc; who not on ly prcfcrihcs them Rules of Holinefs, but is himfelf an Example to thofc Rules; Such an one who fpeaks from the Heart, is moft likely to fpeak unto it, and hav ing himfelf ex peri~ enced the WJ.y of Holinefs, can more favourily recommend them to the Accepta~ tion of hie:. Flock. And certainly he will be more like to fpced in his Errand, when he Jhall perfuadc them to nothing but what he hath found the Goodnefs and Sweetne{$ of in himfelf. A !I others are but li ke thofc mercurialStatues,which in old T imes were fet up in crofs-\VJ.ys,with their Hands extended to point out the right Road ro PJ.ffengers, but themfelves ne,-cr walked iil them ; Thefc indeed may be fen·iceable to direct their People. But a I\-linifter fhould not only be a Dirct'"tor, but a Leader; he fhould not only point out t he Way, but walk before his Flock in it. And it is commonly obferved, that t hey are the Labours of fuch, that God moft nfually owns :tnd crowns with Succefs. . Secondly, As he muft have an inward Call in the Gifts of the Spirit of God; fo 2 , hkewifc he muft have an outward Call by a folemn Separat ion of him to th is VVork tht(Htgh lhe lmpofition of Hands. T his indeed, gives him the Minifrerial Power, aud invdts him with Authority to difpenfe the Ordinances of Jefus Chrifr as an Officer and Minifl-c r of the Gofpel; And t his Authority St. Paul calls a Gift 1 Tun. 4· q .. Nrglr[f not the Gift th~t is in thee, which was givtn thu by Prophec/ w;rh t,';t laying on of tht Hands of tht Presbytery. This Gift here fi)Oken of, 1 tak; to be nothing clfc but the Minifterial Office conferred upon him by Ordi nation according to thofc Predictions and Prophecies which were before given of hirr: by fome divinely infpired Men, who foretold, t hat he was by God de ligned fo r the Work of the Min iftry, and fhould glor ifie God by a careful Difcharge of it ; of which we read Chap. 1. 11u. 18, Yea, this Office is byonrSaviourhimfelf called the Holy Ghoft; and Ordination (how har fh foever the Phrafe may feem to be) is a giving of the Holy Ghofr, not indeed either in the Gifts or Graces of it, (which were afterwards plentifully beftowed upon them on rhe Day of Pentecoft) but only Autho ri ty to exercife the Minifterial FunCtion. Confult John 2 0. • 2 2, 1.3. Wh~n he had [aid this, bt brtathed on ~hem, and fa id, .Rtctivt yt tht Holy ~~!(~ ~a. Gh,ft.. . Wh~eh Holy Ghoft I take to be n?tlung elfe but thm folemn Miflion to li<. 1. ,. the: Mlmftery ; and th1s (though perhaps lt may feem a ftrange Interpretat ion of ~- '17· the
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