Book IV. MINISTERS COMPARED TO RULERS. 8.p 3· That he ought to be chofen by the Church, according to the DireCtion kfr by tho Apofllc, 1 'Jinz. iii. 1-6. '!"it. i. s-9· • 4· Thot he ought to be a difcreet Perfon, endued with conGdcrable. Gifts and Abi– lities by cbe Holy Gho!t. 5· If called to be a Paflor or Elder, he ought to be ordained by the laying on of Hands of the Prcfbytery, or Elderfhip, 1 'rim. iv. 14. 6. That he ought to be very laborious, and give himfelf wholly to the Work of the Miniflry, making the Word of God in all Things his Rule. 7· That he ought to have a comfortable Maintenance "llowed him by the Church, to which he belongs, if they are able to do it : That this is their due by divine Right, though not a forced Maintenance, otherwife than Love to God, his Truth, and Peo– ple, whofe Duty forcecl1 them to allow their Miniflers a Competency. Secondly; We may infer, that the Worl< of a Minifter of Chrifc is not eafy, but con– trariwife a very hard and difficult Work, Who is fufficient for thefe Things? 2 Cor. ii. 16. So hard, that many ofChrifc's Servants of old undertook it with much Trembling, which made them cry out, Smd by whom thou wilt fend, &c. Exod. iv. 13. Jer. xx. g. So hard, that a Saint with all his natural Pares is not fufficient for ir; nay, a Saint with all his acquired Parts is not fufficient for it; nay, I may fay, a Saint with all his fpiritu al Gifts; Graces, and Endowments, without frelh Supplies of new Strength, is not fufficicnt for it. ' Thirdly; It informs us wherein the, Diiliculcy of the Minifcer's Work doth lie ; and thar, , 1. In refpeCt of chernfelves who are employed in it. ( 1.) They are but Men: Son of Man, I have made thee a Watchman, Ezek. iii. 17. and they commonly none of the wifeft and moft learned in the Efteem ofrhe World neither, 1 Cor. i. 27. (2 .) Man at the beft is a dark-!igiHed Creature: fVe know but in part, t Cor. xiii. 9· (3.) Man at beft is attended with Weakneffes, and carries a Body of Sin and Death about with ·him. (4.) Man at befr hath but fmall Skill, and lhorr Experience. (S•) Man Lteft is fubjeCt to great Difcouragements, and liable to T emptations. 2. In refpeCt to the Work itfelf, a Minifter's Employment is very hard and di cult. ( 1.) It is a myfrerious Work; what Mi!reries are greaterthan chafe a Minifter is to fludy and dive into? fVithout Controverjj, great is the Myflery of Godlinefs, &c. 1 Tim. iii. r6. (2.) It is difficult, in that it calls for the greateft Care and ExaCtnefs imaginoble: Add not to his Word, &c. (3.) In that it rails for the Strength of his whole Soul. (4.) In chat it is a Work that con!ifteth in divers Parrs; there are many Things in which a Minifter ought to be well inftruCted, as appears by what hath been faid. (5.) In that it is a Work which calls for much D iligence ; a flothful or idle Perfon is not fit to be a Minifrer. It is a Work that mufc be followed continually : Preach the Word, be iuflant in feafon, out offeafon, reprove, exhort, with all Long-Juffering and DoCtrine. 3· It is a difficult Work, in refpeCt of the O ppofnion char is made againft them, or from thofe grand ObfcruCtions they meet with; 1. From their own H earts; 2. From Sin; 3· From Satan; 4· From rhe World. (r.) By Reproaches and Contradic– tions of the Ungodly; (2.) By Heretics, and falfe Teachers; (3.) From Perfecutors, &c. Fourthly; W e may infer from what hath been faid in opening thefe Metaphors, that Gofpel Minifrration is of abfolute Neceffity. 1. Becaufe God harh ordained Preaching as the ordinary Means for the Converfion ·of Sinners: Faith cometh by Hearing, and Hearing by the fYord of God. Rom. x. 17. 2. God hath gifted, and graciouOy endowed fome Men, on purpofe for this Work. 3· He hath given plain DireCtions to his People, how and whom to chufe and or– t!ain, &c. 4· The Nec,effity further appears, by confldering the Nature of the Similes and Metaphors we have opened: Sinners are in Arms again![ God; and chefe are his Am– ba!fadors, by whom he treats, and offers Terms of Peace to them. Chrifr deflgns to efpoufe Sinners eo himfel(', and theie are his Spokefmen, by whom he effeCts this glorious Enterprize. • Fifthly; It fhews alfo, That the Minifters FunCtion is a moft noble and honorable Employment; and rhat all due Rei'pet1, Efteem, and Obed ience ought be given to them. 'o E Sixtbly;
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