Entire devotion enjoined.

day until now; 8 For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

Col. 1: 9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God: 11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness: 28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 4: 12 Epa

phras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.

1 Th. 2: 6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: 8 So being affectionately desirous of you we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. 9 For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: for laboring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. 10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, and justly, and unblamably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: 11 As ye know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, 12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. [1 Th. 3: 7-10.]

464. Entire devotion to the calling required and exemplified.

But he said,

Lk. 9:59 He said unto another, Follow me. Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

Ac. 6: 2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this busi

Responsibility - Temptations.

ness. 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.

1 Cor. 2: 2 I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

1 Tim. 4: 15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

MINISTERIAL TRUSTS, TRIALS, AND REWARDS.

465. Ministerial responsibility.

Ezk. 33: 7 O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at m my mouth, and warn them from me. 8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9 Nevertheless, of thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. [Ezk. 3: 17, 19.] -34: 8 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; 9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; 10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock, neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, and they may not be meat for them.

1 Tim. 1: 11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. 6: 20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called; 21 Which some professing, have erred concerning the faith.

466. Ministerial temptations.

1. To please their hearers.

Num. 24: 10 Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honor; but lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honor.

Trials and Persecutions of Ministers.

2. To avoid the frowns of the influential.

Am. 7: 12 Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: 13 But prophesy not again any more at Bethel for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court.

Ac. 4: 18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus.

3. To conceal the true God.

Is.-30: 9 This is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: 10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: 11 Get ye out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

4. To countenance popular errors, delusions and vices.

Ex. 32: 21 Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? 22 And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot : thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. 23 For they said unto me, Make us gods which shall go before us.

Åm. 2: 11 I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD. 12 But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink: and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy

not.

467. Trials and persecutions of faithful ministers.

Jer. 2: 30 In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion. 15: 10 Wo is me, my

mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth

curse me.

Ezk. 33: 30 Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses.

Mat. 10: 16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues. 18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he

Trials and Persecutions of Ministers.

that endureth to the end shall be saved. 23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of man be come. 24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord: if they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?— 23: 34 Behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes ; and some of them ye shall kill and crucify, and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city.

Jn. 16: 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.—17: 14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Ac. 5: 40 To him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

Ac. 7: 52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers.-9: 15 The Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.-20: 23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying, that bonds and afflictions abide me.

1 Cor. 4: 9 I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place; 12 And labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; 13 Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day.

2 Cor. 1: 5 As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also

Trials and Persecutions of Ministers.

suffer: : or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.-4: 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.6: 4 In all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings; 8 By honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10 As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.-11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me : 33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.

Gal. 1: 10 Do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.-5: 11 I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.

1 Th. 3: 3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. 4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

2 Tim. 2: 3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good