150 Tt5E OFFICE OF DEACONS. them to exercise your charity and compassion; Deut. xv. 11. And in large churches the temporal affairs thereof will be too heavy a burden for the ministers to sustain, and therefore they will need the assistance of deacons. Besides, the provision for their own support, and for the table of the Lord, will be always necessary, while we minister before the Lord in garments of flesh, and while the table of the Lord must be furnished with bread and wine, and other necessaries, in order to participate thereof. II. They are mentioned by the apostlePaul, as stated offi- cers of the churches, and directions given concerning their cha- racter, their behaviour and management, as there is concerning otherstauding officers and affairs of a church. It may be added also, that if they were thought necessary to the primitive churches, in the age of miracles, and the age of love, when God took special care of his ministers, and excited all the mem- .bers of a church, to a mutual care of one another, and of the poor, much more necessary are these officers in all the following ,ages, when ministers must acquire and improve their gifts .by hard study, and cadnot maintain themselves by the work oftheir hands, and when the charityand mutual care Of church members waxes cold, and need some persons to be appointed for this very business. iv. 'Che way of their constitution) or how persons are to be invested with this office ; which seems to be performed by these five things : 1. By enquiring amongst the members of the church, who come nearest to the characters that are given of a deacon ; Acts vi. 3. " Men of holiest report, full of the Spirit; 'and of wisdom ;" 1 'Tim'. iii. 8. " Grave, not double-tongued, not given to wine, not greedy of filthy lucre, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience." Unto these I might add, that prudence will direct us to chuce such persons who are not very poor, lest the stewardship of the church's money should be a temptation to them. Not mean or despised in the church, lest they want due courage and sufficient influence upon. their bre- thren for the management of their office. And they should be persons capable of admonishing the rich, and of comforting the poor, even as their business is to converse with both, to re- ceive from the one, and distribute to the other. They should also be persons whose temper is compassionate, and who have as it were a natural care for the good of the church, and such as have some Ieisnre hours, and who are not so overwhelmed with the cares'and constant business of this life, but they may now and then devote their thoughts, and their hours, to the ser- vice of the church of Christ. 2. They must be proved before they are fixed in this office ; 1 Tim. iii. 10. I do not conceive this to intend their management of Lie deacon's office, by way
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