his grace is sufficient for us. Therefore we "pray continually to God the Father, by the mediation of our only Saviour, Jesus Christ, for the heavenly assistance of the Holy Ghost; that by daily reading and weighing the Scriptures," we "may wax riper and stronger in our ministry; and that" we "may so endeavour" ourselves " from time to time to sanctify" our own lives, and the lives of those about us, "and to fashion them after the rule and doctrine of Christ, that" we "may be wholesome and godly examples, and patterns for the people to follow." And so, knowing their weakness, and knowing too the dignity of their office, ministers must be earnest in prayer, that they may do their duty, and the people must be obedient, that so God's word may have its free course unto edifying. "The messenger of the Lord of Hosts" is commanded to magnify his office, and that man "ordained for this very thing," who does not by his "preaching and living" so do, is not fulfilling his duty, but subjecting himself to the just and righteous judgment of Almighty God, who willeth not that "his office of the ministry should be held cheap, and that the sins of teachers should be the teachers of sin"." Again, the preacher of the Gospel is commanded to "rebuke with all authority," and that man who allows vice to go uncensured, and to rear its head to heaven,-does not speak the things which become sound doctrine,-does not rightly divide 8 See Ordering of Priests. 9 9 Bishop Hall. the word of truth,-does not, in short, the work of an evangelist, does not preach Christ Jesus our Lord. In a word, he "denies the faith," where he does not loudly and fearlessly proclaim it, and is "worse than an infidel," because, when he knows that "it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful," and that as a minister of Christ, and a steward individually of the mysteries of God, he must give an account, he nevertheless takes no heed to himself, nor yet to his doctrine. As with the Priest, indeed, so is it with the people. "If our actions speak one thing, and our tongues another, it may easily be determined which will have the greater influence. And an immortal teacher, though he could preach like an angel of light, will promote the cause of darkness, while his life is a contradiction to his doctrine 1." 1 2 But if the Clergy shall dress the people committed to their charge "unto the imagery of Christ, dress them for their funerals, help them to make their accounts up against the day of judgment "," faithfully convey to them the holy Sacraments;—if, in the house of God, you shall find your duly ordained minister to dwell upon the blessed knowledge of salvation which God has granted "to his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the day-spring from on high 'See Horbery's Sermons, Works, vol. i., p. 303, ed. Clar. 2 Jer. Taylor, vol. vi., p. 525. has visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace;"-if he shall dwell much on the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, or the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit;—if he shall bid you repent you of your sins, and be stedfast in the faith once delivered to the saints;-if he shall bid you live in charity with all men, and forgive others as you would be forgiven;-if he shall urge upon you the strict observance of all the moral duties as set forth in the Bible, and kept, and commanded of your Redeemer ;—if he shall tell you that they who lead an ungodly life are not meet to be companions of the saints in light, and of just men made perfect ;-if he shall assure you that "without holiness no man shall see the Lord," and that they alone who are justified through Christ shall be able to stand upright in the judgment;-if, besides all this, he shall show forth the stedfastness of his faith amongst you by his practice ;if he shall be busy in the active duties of benevolence and charity, ready to bind up the broken-hearted one's wounds, to weep with those that weep, to visit the widow in her affliction, and to soothe those surcharged with over-much sorrow;-in that case, the delegated minister of the Gospel, in his humble capacity as your servant, but in his exalted one as the Almighty's, will think of himself as "unprofitable," saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner!" but the people may bless the Lord that a Levite is found within the call of their dwellings. But, sad to say, there are many prejudiced hearers. Like Amaziah in the text, they will not hear when an Amos speaks the truth. They say, as it is written in Jeremiah the prophet, "As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth 3." Turn to the Acts of the Apostles, and you will find that "so long as Stephen the Martyr talked to the Jews of their pedigree, they hearkened unto him diligently: but when he rebuked their sins, saying that they were a stiff-necked people, and of a hard heart, resisting the Holy Ghost,' in persecuting the Prophets, and putting to death the Lord of life; then they stopped their ears, and gnashing their teeth, ran upon him, and stoned him to death*." It is but too true that the sacred office of the regularly ordained ministry is but little understood,-and for the people at large, "they hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly." So in the case of Micaiah the son of Imlah, "The king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil 6" But what of that? what matters the babbling tongue of wicked and thoughtless men, of such as 3 Jer. xliv. 16, 17. 4 Henry Smith's Sermons, p. 442, ed. 4to, 1675. 5 Amos v. 10. "He have not the Spirit? The command is clear, that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully." And because a woe is denounced against "the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep" of the Lord's pasture, the question in the judgment will be like to this, "Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?" Therefore, let us not be dismayed; for when the ministry walk unblameably and without reproach, "he that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with his tongue'." It is a "deceitful witness that speaketh lies;" but "a true witness delivereth souls"," and "a faithful ambassador is health "." 2 Without any doubt at all Christian privileges are compulsatory. First and last, at baptism and at our burial, we are brought to the Church, and it is ill with those that are not so. Not only is the heavenly banquet needed, but one to summon the guests, yea to "compel them to come in," is wanting, and has been provided for us by the mercies of our God. And they that will not abide the invitation must consider the tendency of their Saviour's words touching the ministry: "He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me 5." But furthermore;-consider what St. Paul saith to his converts touching the ministry. "We are am 1 Jer. xxiii. 28. * Ibid. xxiii. 1. Ibid. xiii. 20. Ibid. xiii. 17. Ibid. x. 16. |