Book IV. MINISTERS COMPARED TO LABORER S, 'dent to require a Proof. Who will apply himfelf to gather and lay up thofc Stares ' of folid Lcarnino-, which are needful to a Minifl:er, when he can expeCt to purchafe ' nothing tO himfelf but Poverty and Difl:refs thereby? Or,_ how fhall a Minifter be ea– ' pable to furnifh himfelf with univerfa/ K"owledge of Thmgs relating to his Work, ' that hath no Means for providing for his own Information, or no Time free from ' Cares and worldly Bufinefs-? And the Difadvantage of this will at lafl: fall tO the ' Share of the People that he minifters unto. He that conliders, that the holy Scrip– ' tures were originally written in Hebrew and Greek, mutt have an hard Forehead, if ' he deny the Ulefulnefs of Learning tO a Miniiter; befides, many other Things there • are that call for it, in reference to the Opening of the Scriptures, which I cannot now • infift upon. And it is not without diligent and continued Study, that the deep • Things of God can be fearched out, and fo propofed to you, as to enrich your Minds • with the clear and folid Knowledge of them. I confefs, a little Learning, and lefs • Study, may furni01 a Man with fuch a Difcour(e, as may pleafe fome weak Perfons, • that judge of a Sermon by the Loudnefs of the Voice, and alfectionate Sentences, or • can fancy themfelves to be fed with the Afhes of jingling Words, and Cadency of • Terms in a Difcourfe. But alas! the feeming Warmth of AlfeCl:ion that is fiirred by 'fuch Means, is as fhort-lived, as a Land-flood that hath no Spring to feed it. He • that will do the Souls of his People good, and approve himfelf a Patror after God's • own Heart, mun feed them with Knnwledge and Underftanding, and endeavor to ' maintain a confiant Zeal and Alfection. in them, by well informing their Judgments, ' and fuch an opening of the Mind of God from the Scriptures, as may command ' their Confciences: And this is not to be expected, bl!t from him that labors in ' his Study, as well as in the Pulpit. Miftake me not; I know the Succefs and Fruit • of all the Studies and Labors of Men that preach in the Gofpel; is from the Grace ' and Power of the Holy Ghoft ; but the A.f/iflance of the Spirit is to be expected by ' us in the Way of our Duty. Thefe Things might be yet applied more home to my ' prefent Purpofe; but perhaps fome will think there is too much faid already, though • I heartily wifh more were not needful, and my Time calls me to put a Period to this • Exercife; and therefore I will or.ly add a Word for the Enforcement of this and the ' other Duties which I have laid before you, by accommodating the fame Things to ' you, which were before touched, for the Encouragement and Q:lickening of your • Paltor in his Duty. ' Firfl, Remember, your Pafior is the Mini(\er of Chrill:, one that difpenfeth the ' Myfteries of God to you in his Name; and therefore, he aEting in his Place, accord– ' ing to his Dmy, the Lord J efus will account that done to himfelf, that is done tO ' his Minifier: He that receiveth )'OU, faith he, receiveth me; and he that defpifeth you, 'defpifeth me, &c. Matt.x. 40. with Luke x. r6. lf the Name and Authority ofChrift 'will beget an Awe in you, or his matchlefs and unfpeakable Love influence you 1 ' there is no want of Moiives to thofe Dmies that have been pa!Ted upon you. If you 'acknowledge a religious Refpect and Reverence due to the Son of God, exercife it • in humble Obedience to his Word ; and if you love him, and value his Gofpel, treat ' not his Minifiers in an unworthy Manner; and forget not, that he, who gave his Life ' a Ranfom for you, well deferve a Return of the greateft Love from you, and to be • honored by you, not only with good vVords, but with )'OUY Subjtance, and tbe Firjl- • fruits of all your Increafe, Pro·v. iii. q. ' Secondly; It is the Bufinefs of your Salvation, and the Concern of your precious ' and immortal Souls, that a Minif\er is employed in ; and therefore it is much more ' your own Intereft than his, that you flfould make Confcience of your Duty. With ' this Argument the Apofile enforces his Exhortation, Heb. xiii. 17. For they watch • for your Souls, as they that mvjl give an Account, that they do it with ]oy, and not with ' Grief, for that is unprofitable for you. The Minifiry can never be effectual to the 'faving of your Souls, if you be not fincere in Obedience under it. And will yot.-be 'lefs careful for your Souls, and their eternal Welfare, than you are for your Bodies, ' and the ComfortS of a temporal Life? Can you be content to lay out your Stretwth • and Subitance to provide.for thefe, and negleCt the other: It is f:1d to conftder, J~ow 'many thtrc ~m:: among Profeffors, that live in the World, as if there were no Tnnh • in the Report of that which is to come, and have the meanen Elteem of the rno(t • n~ce!Tary Means of Salvation, viz. the Word, and Ordinances of Chrifi, and a Gof- • pel Mininry! Can expend perhaps an hundred Pounds per Annum, more 9r lefs, for 9 y 'th<
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