r:ll i\ISTERS co·M PA RED TO 'WATCHMEN. Book JV. ~ the Convenieticc, Ornament, or Delight of a frail Carcafe, but will not bdl:ow half 'lomuch fvr the Poor, or the 1upport of Goip~l-\¥orfi1ip.' MINISTERS CD:I1PARED TO WATCHMEN. 1 have Jet W~;tchmen upon thy Wall, 0 Jerufalem, !fa. lxii. 6. .I have made thee a /f/atchillmt, &c. Ezek. iii. '7· :!hey watch for )'OUr Souls, Heb. xiii. 17. .Mini!l:ers are called Watchmen. WATCHMEN. PARALLEL. l. WATCHMEN have a I. MINISTERS have a great Charge committed Charge committed to J.. to them, which they ought to fee to, and f~ ;them, and they ought to take heed to behave themfelves, that they may have their Ac· they do not betray their Trull. counts to .gi¥e up with J oy: For, 1. They are entru!l:ed with the Word, the faithful Word and Dotl:rine of God is committed to them; they mull: fee they preach nothing'for Dotl:rine, but what is the .diretl: and undeniable Truth and Mind of God ; they muft not corrupt the Word, .nor intermix it with the Traditions of Men. I gat·e thee Charge in the Sight of God, who quickenelh all 'Ihings, and before Chrifl, who before Pontius Pilate witnejjed a goo4 .ConjeJ!ion, that thou keep this Commandment without Jpot, unrebukable, until the appearing .of our Lord Jejzts Chrijl, I 'rim. vi. '3· 2. They have received the Charge of preaching God's Word; they muft preach, whoever forbid them. 1 charge tbce therefo,·e before God, and the Lord Jefus Chrijl, who Jhall judge the ff<!!ick and the Dead at his appearing, and his Kingdom; prea,h th~ Word, be inflant in Seafon and out of Seajon, reprove,_exhort, with all Long-ji1fering and, DoEirine, 2 'Iim. iv. 1, 2. 3· They have the Charge of God's Ordinances, or the holy Sacraments of Bap– tifm, and the Lord's Supper. Go .therefore, teach all N atiollj, i. e. make Difciples, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghojl, &c. Matt. xxvii. 19, 20. For I received from the Lrn-d rhat which alfo I delivered unto you, r had it in Charge, as jf he 1bould fay, from Chrift himfelt~ that the fame Night ip which he was betrayed, he taok Bread, and bleJ!Cd it, and [aid, Take, eat, this is my Body wbich is broken for )'Oil; this do in Remembrance of me: After the fame Manner he took the Cup, &c. I Cor. xi. 23, 24- They mutl not corrupt the -Ordinances, nor admini!l:er them otherwife than the plain Rule, left in the Word of God, diretl:eth. , 4· They have the Charge of the Church and Flock of God: Take heed therefore unto your[elves, and zmto the Flock over which the Holy Ghofl bath made )'OU Overjeers, to Jeer! the Church of God, which he bath pu•·chafed with his own Blood, &c. Atls xx. 2 7. 5· They muft know the State of the Flock, be Examples to the Flock: Feed t~e .Fl•ck of God which is amongjl )'Oil, not by coilflraint, but willingly ; not for filthy Luer~, but of a ready Mind; ueither being Lords over God's Heritage, but being Examples to t/qe Flock, 1 Pet. v. 2, 3· . ·6. Laftly; They ha-ve the Charge of Mens Souls : Watch for yo11r Sotds, as fuch tbat mufl give 11n Account, Heb. xiii. 17. Thefe Things are part of thefe Watc~mens Charge. IT. Watchmen are cot to Oeep, nor give W.ay to fl umber ; they -mull: be awake when others fieep, .to fee ,vhat Dangers are near, &c. 1IL 'Watchmen are to giv.e warn– ing, if they fee Evil coming; hence they ought to have a good Eye– fight ; a blind Man is not fit to be a Watchman. IL So the Miniflers of the Gofpel muft not be fleepy and flor hful; they are to be upon the Watch-Tower, to fee what Danger approacheth, or is coming upon the Church and People of God. , IlL So Minifters, or Chrift's fpirirual Watch· men, muft give warning, when they fee Danger approaching, and therefore had need be Men of Knowledge: 'They are called Seers; if they have no Eyes, they cannot be calkd Seers. Mini!l:ers had need be like Argus, whom Poets fay had an bundred Eyes; they fhould be full of Eyes, like the living Creatures about the Throne, to fee before them, and behind them, that fa tbey may perceive dearly every Thing thac
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=