Ver. i8. the 17th Chapter of St. JOHN. 28/ forth with an anfwerable Equipage, with plentiful Gifts of the Holy Ghoft, which are, as it were, their Letters of Credence, with Gifts of Knowledg, Experience, and Com- fort, above' the ordinary fort of Chriftians. a. It informeth us of the Duty of the Miniffry, as well as their Dignity ; their Du- ty, both in their Life and Converfation, and in their Mini try and Calling. (1.) In their Life and Converfation. Remember the Gravity and State of Ambaffa- dors ; you reprefent Chriffs Perron, and you mull be Examples and Paterns to others.. You fbould not be guilty.of Levity, or be given to the Pomp and Vanities of the World, as others are not only that you may not dilparage your Miniffry, and hinder the Ends of it, but that you may the better reprefent the Perlon of him that hath fent you, and not difgrace Chrift. An imprudent, vain, carnal Minifter, is a difgrace to Jefus Chrift. a Cor. 3. 18. We all with oven Face, beholding as in a Glafi the Glory of the Lord, are changed into the fame Image, from Glory to Glary, even as by the Spirit of wir God. Principally that Text concerns Minifters,fo Bez.a, Calvin, and others expound it ;: for there he is comparing the Miniftry of the New Teftament, with the Miniltry of the Legal Difpenfation : that as Mofes, by converting with God, bis Face phone 5 fo Minifters of the Gape] have their Glory too ; by converting with Chrift, they carry away his Image. So that a Minifter fhould be a Reprefentative of Chrift. It is a Spiritual Dignity, not a Temporal, to be Chriti's mbaffadors ; and therefore you mutt excel, not in Place only, but in Grace. r Tim. 4. 12. Let no Man defpife thy Tenth, but be thou an Example of the-Believers, in Word, in Converfation, in Charity, in Spirit,, in Faith, in Purity. This is the Duty of a Minifter, to appear like Chriffs Deputy, jut as he was in the World. This will malte way for your efteem, tho young for Age, and mean in Birth and Eftate. The Apoltle doth not write to others, and fay, See you do not delife Timothy ; but he writes to Timothy, Let no Man defpif thee : Our difefteem cometh from our felves, when we let fall the Majefty of our Con - verfations. Well then, let the Dignity of your Office be in yotir Eye, that you may not be a difgrace to him -that lent you, but may walk with all Religious Circumfpe&ion, Gravity and Prudence. (a.) In their Miniftry and Calling, there is allo required Faithfulnefs, Gravity, and Sincerity. (I.) Faithfulnefs. Propound nothing to others, but what you have in command from God, and what you know to be certainly agreeable to his Will. As an Ambaflador mutt not go beyond his Commiflion, that is upon his own Score, and to his own Peril. When Chrift gave us our Commif&on,this he gave us in charge; Mat.28.2o.Teach them allthings which I have commanded you. The firft mifchief in the Church came from dogmatizing, Men would be wife above the Word, and that made way for foul Abufes, and they for Herefies; when you prefs things without Warrant, others queftion all. You (hall fee. the Lord Chrift often avoucheth, how punctually he kept to his Commi(Iìon. John I a. 49. For I bane not fpoken of my felf: but the Father which feat me, he gave me Com- mandment what I 'horrid fay, and what I fhoidd fpealt Chrift would not go a tittle nor hairs breadth from his inftru &ions. When we are adding to the Word, others will de- tra& from it. It is fweet, when we can fay, john 7. x6. My Doarine it not mine, but his that first me ; This I have in charge from God, when we have clear Evidence from the Word, and a firong Inftin& from the Spirit to deliver inch a Meffage ; not the Vi- fions of our own Brain, but the Counfel of God to the People. (a.) With Gravity. God's Meffage mull be delivered likes his Meffage, fpeaking as the Oracles of God, t Pet. 4. r t. with affe&ion, as having experience of it in our Souls, feeling the Divine Power of the Word on our Hearts, and with Authority : thou art delivering Chriffs Meffage, in the prefence of Chrift and his Holy Angels; and there- fore it muff not be delivered with frothy gayifh Eloquence, but with Majefly and Power. Vain-glorious Preaching, filch as is intermixed with (trains of Wit, and Fan- cies, and idle Speculations, ill beconeth God's Ambafladors. Such (peak as if they were in jeft, not as if they had a ferinos Meffage to deliver from God ; this becometh the Stage rather than the Pulpit. . (3.) With Sincerity. It is required of an. Ambaffador, that he be faithful to him that Cent him. He is not rent abroad to Peek his own Ends, and enter into a Confederacy with Foreign Princes, to gratify his Intereft by fecret Combinations, but muff be faith- ful to him that Cent hint. Prov. 13. 57. Alarkked Mzf nger falleth into Milbief but a jaithfel Ambdar is Health ; Health to himfelf, and Health to the Prince that fendeth him. And therefore we mutt not Peek our Celves, but be faithful to God. You feek Nnnn your
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