1720.

16:

SOME

CONSIDERATIONS

ΟΝ ΤΗΕ

CALL, WORK, and WAGES,

OF THE

MINISTERS of CHRIST.

S

OMETHING hath been on my Mind to write, concerning the Work of the Ministry of the Gofpel of Chrift, with a Defign of Inftruction to Minifters in particular, and the Benefit of others in general.

It is an unfpeakable Benefit to Mankind, to be favoured with a Powerful, Living Miniftry, which edifies the Church of God, and builds up the true Believers in the most Holy Faith (according to the Word of God) in Chrift Jefus, who is the Great Minifter of the true Tabenacle and Sanctuary, which God hath pitched, and not Man; and this Great Minifter fent Matt. 10. forth his Minifters and Servants, faying, I send you forth as Sheep among Wolves; be ye therefore wife as Serpents, and harmless as Doves. He did not fend them forth as Lords over his Heritage, nor as perfecuting Priefts, or mercenary Hirelings, but faid to them, Freely you have received, freely give: Here is no Compulfion nor Force enjoin'd by Chrift; but it is plain, from his own Doctrine and Example, that his Ministry is a free Miniftry, bleffed be his Holy Name and Truth

Truth for ever: Nor do we read or understand of 1720. any Alteration thereof by Chrift: Indeed the Minifters of Antichrift have made an Alteration (contrary to this Doctrine of his) in their Miniftry; but the Holy Apostles, who after Chrift were the firft Planters of Chriftianity in the Earth, when it fhone in its primitive Beauty and Glory, they followed the Counsel of their Lord and Mafter, and miniftred freely: Then was the Power of Chrift's Miniftry and Gofpel through his Minifters and Servants great, and the Glory and Beauty thereof ravifhing to pious Souls. Oh! may every true Minifter, and every fenfible Soul, bow be fore the Most High, and bleis the Holy Name of him that lives and reigns for ever, for this unfpeakable Gift of Christ's Holy Miniftry, which always was, now is, and ever will be, convincing and converting unto Souls, who are not flow at Heart to believe in God, and in his dear Son the Lord Jefus Chrift, who is our great High Prieft, and the Bishop of Souls; he faw the Need that his Church had of this his Ministry, and therefore he established it in his Church, and among his Followers, to the End of Time.

John xiv.

17. xvi.

Now, in order to this great and wonderful Work, he told his Difciples (when he was going into his Glory and Kingdom of his Father) That he would pray to the Father, and he would fend them another Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, and that he should abide with them for 7.11. ever. And he alfo told them, That when he is come, be ball first reprove or convince the World of Sin, becaufe they believe not in me; for if they believed truly in Chrift, they would love his fpiritual Appearance; but O how many are there in the World, who flight this high Favour, and Grace of God and Chrift, calling this wonderful Gift and Grace, the Light of Nature; whereas Chrift fays, it is the Holy Ghoft; and the Apoftle Paul fays, "It is God's Grace, that teaches us to deny Ungodlinefs, and hath appeared unto all Men." Oh that the Children of Men might love that which

N 4

appears

1720. appears to them, and convinceth them of their Sins; and furely it is a great Sin not to believe in the Spirit and ght of Chrift: Such unbelieving Souls are in Dknefs, and not yet turned from Darknefs unto Light, and from the Power of Satan, to the Power of God, which was the very Work Chrift's Minifters were fent of God to do.

2dly, And be convinceth or reproveth the World of Righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye fee me no more. When their Righteoufnefs is only wrought in the Wisdom of Man, and not by the Power of God, whether it be in Preaching or Worship, when only the Form, and not the Power, is witneffed, this then convinceth them that they have been building their Religion upon a wrong Bottom, and a fandy Foundation; and fheweth the formal Minister, that he is only a Minister of the Letter, and not of the Spirit; and the formal Worshipper, that he is not yet come to worship in Spirit and Truth; and the Profeffor of Chrift in Words, that he denieth him in Works and inward Faith; becaufe Faith without Works is Dead, as Works without this fpiritual Faith is Dead alfo.

"Because I go to the Father," is the wonderful Caufe given by Chrift, for it is Chrift's Righteousness that must fave the Soul, and Chrift being gone to the Father, the Soul must go there to him, for all his Gifts and Favours, Mercies and Bleffings, and must witness him in Spirit to be with them, and in them, as he is in the Father. When Chrift was perfonally on Earth, he taught us by Words vocally exprefs'd; but henceforth know we him fo no more." Now he teacheth us by his Spirit, Light, and Life, which convinceth us of Form without Power, and Letter without Spirit, and Religion without Life, and Righteoufnefs without Grace, and Light and imputative Righteoufnefs, without actual Righteoufnefs, and actual or formal Righteoufnefs in our own Wills (only) All

this, and much more, it convinceth us, not to be ef- 1720. fectual to Salvation, and fheweth us that the fpiritual Power, and Prefence of Chrift, is abfolutely neceffary for the Work of the Miniftry, and the Converfion of Souls.

3dly, He convinceth the World of Judgment, because the Prince of this World is judged. He, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, when he is come, fheweth us our wrong Judgment, and convinceth us of the Evil of being too cenforious, rafh, and uncharitable, in Judging, and plainly giveth us to understand, that fuch Judgment is from the Prince of this World, who is King over all the Children of Pride, and that this Prince or evil Spirit, is judged by the righteous and juft Judge of Heaven and Earth, Chrift Jefus. He also convinceth us of the everlasting Truth, as it is in Jefus, and is our fure Comforter, while we keep therein, in Doctrine, Worship, and Converfation.

26.

4thly, He fhall bring all Things (or thofe Things) to your Remembrance, which I have spoken unto you. Where- John 14 fore this Gift is abfolutely neceffary for a Minifter of Chrift; and every true Believer in him, wants this Remembrancer, which muft needs be a great Comfort to us, to have his excellent Speeches and Divine Doctrine brought by his own Spirit to our Remembrance, if we do love him in Sincerity.

5thly, He fhall receive of mine, and fhew it unto you, John 16. fays Chrift. Take of his Light, his Life, his Grace, 14. his Wisdom, his Mercy, Peace, and Truth, and fhew it unto you. Oh infinite Love from a tender Saviour!: Well may we admire his Goodnefs, and intirely love him above all Things in this World.

6thly, Chrift fpeaks in divers Places concerning this wonderful and extraordinary Gift of the Holy Ghost or Spirit, and in the 14th Chapter, and 16th and 17th Verfes of John, He thus drops his Divine Words, I will pray the Father, and be hall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even

the

1720. the Spirit of Truth, whom the World cannot receive, becaufe it feeth him not, neither knoweth him: But ye know bim, for be dwelleth with you, and fhall be in you. Oh! ye Ministers of the Lord Jefus Chrift, in this his Gift is your Strength, your Comfort, and your exceeding great Reward, both here and hereafter, for ever; far exceeding Silver or Gold, or the Diadems of Princes: The whole World, wanting this, lieth in Wickedness, and must lie there unavoidably, if they have not the Sense of this unspeakable Gift: There cannot be Salvation, nor any faving Miniftry without it; it being abfolutely needful, to the Being and Well-being of a Minifter of Chrift: And indeed the holy Text is plain, and pofitive, that he that hath not the Spirit of Chrift, is none of his; none of his Minifter, none of his Believer Oh! No, they cannot be his in any good Refpect whatsoever, without his Spirit. But if it fhould be objected, How fhall we do to know the Minifter or the Man who hath this Divine Gift, or Spirit of Chrift, fince it may be pretended to both by the Minifters and People; and yet they may not have it in Reality? This indeed is a great Point, and highly neceffary to be fearched into, which is to be known by our Lord's Rule, which he has prefcribed for that End. Do Men (faith he) gather Grapes off Thorns, or Figs off Thistles? (Surely No. The Grape is gathered from the Vine, and the Fig from the Fig-tree) Wherefore by their Fruits ye fball know them. Now thofe (according to this true Rule) who have the Spirit, or Holy Ghoft, they bring forth the Fruits of it: Which Fruits are Love, Charity, Meekness, Temperance, Patience, Experience, Hope, Faith, and Wisdom from above, which is pure and peaceable, gentle and eafy to be intreated, to all, and every Thing that is Good. And thofe who have the Holy Spirit, bring forth the Fruits of it as naturally, as the Vine doth the Grape, and the Fig-tree the Fig. Allo, Whatsoever Things are boly, just, honest, pure, and of good Report, or tends to Piety, or Virtue; in a Word, every Thing

that