their intercourses and converse, saying often one to another, "O let us remember to what we are called; to how high and heavy a charge; to what holiness and diligence; how great is the hazard of our miscarriage, and how great the reward of our fidelity! They should be often wheting and sharpening one another by these weighty and holy considerations.

And a witness of the sufferings of Christ. He did indeed give witness to Christ by suffering for him the hatred and persecutions of the world in the publishing of the gospel, and so was a witness and martyr before the time that he was put to death: and this interpretation I exclude not. But that which is more particularly intended here, is, his certain knowledge of the sufferings of Christ as an eye-witness of them, and, upon that knowledge, a publisher of them.

A spiritual view of Christ crucified is, I will not say absolutely necessary to make a minister of Christ, but certainly very requisite for the due witnessing of him, and the displaying of the excellency and virtue of his sufferings, after so clear and lively a way, as that it may in some measure suit the apostle's word, Before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among

you.

Men commonly read, and hear, and may possibly preach, of the sufferings of Christ as a common story, and in that way they may a little move a man and wring tears from his eyes. But faith hath another kind of sight of them, and so works another kind of affections; and without that, the very eye-sight of them had availed the apostles nothing; for how many saw him suffer, who reviled or at least despised him! But by the eye of faith to see the only begotten Son of God, as stricken and smitten of God, bearing our sorrows and wounded for our transgressions, Jesus Christ the righteous reckoned amongst the unrighteous and malefactors; to see him stripped naked, and scourged, and buffeted, and nailed, and dying, and all for us- -this is the thing that will bind upon us most strongly all the duties of Christianity and of our particular callings, and best enable us, according to our callings, to bind them upon others. But our slender

view of these things occasions a light sense of them, and that, cold incitements to answerable duty. Certainly deep impressions would cause lively expressions.

A partaker of the glory to be revealed. As he was a witness of those sufferings, so a partaker of the glory purchased by those sufferings; and therefore, as one interested in what he speaks, the apostle might fitly speak of that peculiar duty, to which those sufferings and that glory do peculiarly persuade. This is the only way of speaking of those things, not as a discourser or contemplative student, but as a partaker of them. There is a peculiar force in a pastor's exhortation either to his people or his brethren, who brings his message written upon his own heart; who speaks of the guilt of sin and the sufferings of Christ for it, as particularly feeling his own guilt, and looking on those sufferings as taking it away; who speaks of free grace, as one who either hath drunken of the refreshing streams of it, or at least is earnestly thirsting after it; who speaks of the love of Christ, from a heart kindled with it, and of the glory to come, as one who looks to be a sharer in it, and longs earnestly for it, as one who hath all his joy and content laid up in the hopes of it.

And thus with respect to Christians conversing with each other, all is cold and dead that flows not from some inward persuasion and experimental knowledge of divine things. But this gives an edge and a sweetness to Christian conference-to be speaking of Jesus Christ, not only as a King and as a Redeemer, but as their King and their Redeemer; and of his sufferings as theirs, applied by faith and acquitting them, in St. Paul's style, Who loved me, and gave himself for me; to be speaking of the glory to come as their inheritance, that of which they are par takers, their home. And this ought to be the entertainment of Christians when they meet. Away with trifling vain discourses; cause all to give place to these refreshing

remembrances of our home.

O seek after more clear knowledge of this glory and of your interest in it, that your hearts may rejoice in the remembrance of it, that it be not to you as the description of a pleasant land, such as men read of in history, Div. No. VII.

2 Y

and have no portion in; they like it well, and are pleased with it while they read, be it but some imagined country or commonwealth finely fancied. But know this country of yours to be real and no device; and seek to know yourselves to be partakers of it.

This confidence depends not upon a singular revelation, but on the power of faith, and the light of the Spirit of God, which clears to his children the things that he hath freely given them; though some of them at times, and others, it may be all, or most of their time, do want this God so disposing it, that they scarcely clearly see their right, till they be in possession; see not their heaven and home, till they arrive at it or are hard upon it. Yet truly this we may and ought to seek after in humility and submission, that we may have the pledge and earnest of our inheritance; not so much for the comfort within us, as that it may wean our hearts from things below, may raise us to higher and closer communion with God, and enable us more for his service, and excite us more to his praises. What were a Christian without the hope of this glory? And having this hope, what are all things here to him? How poor and despicable the better and worse things of this life, and life itself! How glad is he that it will quickly end! And what were the length of it to him, but a long continuance of his banishment, a long detainment from his home? And how sweet is the message that is sent for him to come home!

The glory to be revealed. It is hidden for the present, wholly unknown to the children of this world, and even but little known to the children of God, who are heirs of it. Yea, they who know themselves partakers of it, yet know not much what it is; only this, that it is above all they know or can imagine. They may see things which make a great show here; they may hear of more than they see; they may think or imagine more than either they hear of or see, or can distinctly conceive of; but still they must think of this glory as beyond it all. If I see pompous shows, or read or hear of them, yet this I say of them, "These are not as my inheritance. O it is far beyond them! Yea, does my mind imagine things far beyond them, golden mountains and marble palaces, yet those fall short of my inheritance, for it is

such as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive." O the brightness of that glory when it shall be revealed! How shall they be astonished, who shall see it and not partake of it! How shall they be filled with everlasting joy, who are heirs of it! Were the heart much upon the thoughts of that glory, what thing is there in this perishing world, which could either lift it up or cast it down?

Ver. 2. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

3. Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples of the flock:

4. And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

IN these words we have, I. the duty enjoined; Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight of it; II. the due qualifications for this duty; Not by constraint, nor for filthy lucre, not as lording it over God's heritage, but willingly, of a ready mind, and as being ensamples to the flock; III. the high advantage to be expect ed; An unfading crown of glory, when the Chief Shepherd shall appear.

I. The duty enjoined. Every step of the way of our salvation hath on it the print of infinite majesty, wisdom, and goodness; and this amongst the rest, that men, sinful weak men, are made subservient in that great work of bringing Christ and souls to meet; that by the foolishness of preaching, the chosen of God are called, and come unto Jesus, and are made wise unto salvation; and that the life which is conveyed to them by the word of life in the hands of poor men, is by the same means preserved and advanced. This is the standing work of the ministry, and this the thing here bound upon them that are employed in it, to feed the flock of God that is among them.

Not to say any more of this usual resemblance of a flock, as importing the weakness and tenderness of the

church, the continual need she stands in of inspection, and guidance, and defence, and the tender care of the Chief Shepherd for these things; the phrase enforces the present duty of subordinate pastors, their care and diligence in feeding that flock. O what dexterity and skilfulness, what diligence, and, above all, what affection and bowels of compassion, are. needful for this task! Who is sufficient for these things? Who would not faint and give over in it, were not our Lord the Chief Shepherds were not all our sufficiency laid up in his rich fulness, and all our insufficiency covered in his gracious acceptance?

This is the thing we have to study, to set him before us, and to apply ourselves in his strength to this worknot to seek to please, but to feed; not to delight the ears, but to feed the souls of his people; to see that the food be according to his appointment; not empty or subtle notions, not light affected expressions, but wholesome truths, solid food, spiritual things spiritually conceived, and uttered with holy understanding and affection.

And we are to consider this, wherein lies a very pressing motive-it is the flock of God; not our own, to use as we please, but committed to our custody by him, who loves and highly prizes his flock, and will require an account of us concerning it; his bought, his purchased flock, the flock of God that he hath bought with his own blood. How reasonable is it that we bestow our strength and life on that flock for which our Lord laid down his life; that we be most ready to draw out our spirits for them for whom he let out his blood! "Had I," says that holy man Bernard, "some of that blood poured forth on the cross, how carefully should I carry it! And ought I not to be as careful of those souls that it was shed for?" O that price which was paid for souls, which he, who was no foolish merchant, but wisdom itself, gave for them! Were that price more in our eyes and more in yours, nothing would so much take either you or us, as the matter of our souls. In this would our desires and endeavours meet, we to use, and you to improve, the means of saving your precious souls.

This mainly concerns us indeed who have charge of many, especially finding the right cure of one soul within us so hard, but you are concerned in it, each for one.