Book IV. M IN I S T E R S coMPARED To FAT HER s. Szs I N F E R E N C E ~ I. LET us pray, that thefe fpiritual"Clouds may be full of divine Rain. II. It fhews us the great Wtfdom and Condefcenfion of God to Mankind, and what great Profit we receive by the Preachers of the Gofpel. Ill. It fhcws the great Folly of all thofe that go about to ftop thefe Clouds from rain– ing, when God hath given th:m a Command. Will they attempt to hinder the Light from fh1mng, or the Clouds tram ram1ng , at their Pkafure? Even thus they attempt fpiricually, when they fhive to hinder Chrift's Minifters from preachino- the Word, or ob!lruB: the Showers of Gofpel-Grace from falling qpon the Souls of Men. MINISTERS CO~IPARED TO FATHERs. For though you have /m thoufand IuftruEiors in Chrifl, yet have ye not many Fathers; for in Chrifl Jefus I have begotten )'OU through the Gojpel, 1 Cor. iv. 15. M IN lSTERS are Fathers, fpiritual Fathers to Believers. MET A PH 0 R. I. FATHER is a Name of Dig– - nity, Headfhip, and Autho– rity; hence the Rulers of Ifrael were called Fathers. I!. Some are called Fathers, be– -caufe they beget Children ; this is the common Appellation and No– tion of the Word. Ill. Fathers train up and nou– rifh their Children, fhewing much Tendernefs ami Compaflion re– wards them; they are faid to pit.y .their Children. IV. Fathers have Power to com– mand their Children : 1 know him, 1 hat rs, Abraham, that he will com– mMid his Children, &c. PARALLEL. I. MINISTERS arc Men of Name, Power, and Dignity; they are Chrift's Subftitutes_; hence called Rulers. I!. Minifters, by rite Preaching of the Gofpel, in a fpiritu al Way, beget Chrifrians to Jcfus Chrift: I bave begottm you through the GoJPel, 1 Cor. iv. 15. Ill. Faithful Minifters nlfo train up thofe Chrif– tians they have begotten to Chrift, in the further Knowledge of the Trnth, being very tender of rhem. As )'Cfl know how we exborted, and com– forted, and charged e·very one ofyou, as a Father doth his Children, 1 'Ihef!. ii . 11. IV. So Miniftcrs of Chrift have Power in his Name, to command thofe Chriftians, who art: under their fpeci.tl Care and Charge, to do their refpeC\ive Dmies : 'Fbefe Things teach and com– 'tnand, 1 Thn.. iv. 11. Now we commaudyou, Bre– thren, in the Name of our Lord Jcfus Cbri)f, that )'OU withdraw from every Brother that walkcth diforderly, &c. 2 Thifj: iv. 6. V. Fathers ought to be reveV. So faith "ul and worthy Minifters ought .to renced and honored ·by thei r Chi!- be high{y efreemed and honored by the Saints. Let drrn, Honor thy Father and thj' the Elders tb.11 rule wd l, be accoU>zted worthy <f Mother, &c. and thetr JU(t Comdouble Hoxor, efpeczally vhq who tabor in the Word manus to be obferved and obeyed. and DoEirine, I Tim. V. 17. V[. A Father ought not to be VI. So the Minifter of Chrift ought not to be rebtJked by his Children, it berebuked by any particular Members of the Church comes them not fo ro do, though to whom he belongs, though in fome Th fJ:lo-s he he may be in a Fault, and blamemay be blame w01thy: Rebuke not an Elder~ but worthy, but entreated~ entreat him ns a Ji'atber, I 'lim. v. 1. T hough I doubt not, but that the Church, after a due and orderly Proceeding with an Elder, if he be under Evil, and ob!tinare, may be rebuked, nay, not only fo, uur further proceeded againfl: alfo. V!!. it is the 1-Ionor of a FaVII. So it is a great Honor to a Minifrer, or ther to rule and govern his Chi!- Pafror of a Church, to rule an~ govern the Con– dren, and whole Family, with Wifgregation where he is placed, wifely behaving him– dam and Difcretion. felf in all Things ; not to be foon angry, peevifh, nor [elf-conceited, but to ftudy the Rule, and im– partially to carry it with an egual Severity and Mildncfs ~o all, ftudying the Nature and Difpofition of every Member. IQ A VUJ. So
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