Vol. II. the laying on of the Hands of the Presbytery. Meditate upon these things, give thy Self wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thy felf, and anto thy Doctrine; continue in them: For in doing this thou shalt both fave thy felf, and them that hear thee. I will add but one 2 Tim. ii. Paffage more. Study to shew thy self approv'd unto God, a Workman that needeth not to be afbam'd, rightly dividing the word of Truth. I have done with the first Branch of our Duty, Take heed unto your felves. I proceed to the 15. Second, And to all the Flock. I think the word river may very well comprise the whole Duty of the Paftors of the Church; the acquainting our felves with the State of our Flock, and our addreffing our felves to it, according to the various Exigencies of the several Members of it; inftructing the Ignorant, reproving the Wicked, exhorting the Negligent, ftrengthning the Weak, vifiting the Sick, comforting the Afflicted, confirming those that ftand, and reducing thofe that err. Ah! who is fufficient for these things? What Wifdom and Understanding I mean Spiritual, what Charity and Humility, what Zeal and Courage, what Faith and Patience is neceffary to attain these Ends in any Degree? However we are clear from the - the Blood of every one, when we have Serm. fincerely endeavour'd what we can. XV: There were Herefies and Schifms even w in the Apoftolical Church, there was a hardness of Heart in fome, there was fuch Prejudices and Prepoffeffions in others, that even infpir'd Eloquence could not move 'em, Miracles themfelves could not convince them; we then have little Reafon to be difcourag'd by the unfuccesfulnefs of our Labours, whither we have, or have not converted many from the Error of their Ways, 'tis enough if we have indeavour'd it. But ftill we must remember this is what we have dedicated our felves to, the Service of Chrift's Church; this is the Seat End on which we are to lay out our Time, our Strength and Talents, the feeding each of us, the Flock committed to us. In vain is our Learning if it be not directed to this End, in vain is our Religion and Virtue it felf, if it do not exert and exprefs it felf in profecuting this Duty; it would be, I fay, in vain, could fuch a fuppofition be granted me, but indeed I think it ought not. A good Man that does not do his Duty, a good Paftor that does not feed his Flock feems to me a flat Contradiction. And thus I have done with the Second Branch of our Duty, Taking heed to the U 2 Flock; Vol. II. Flock; unless there be something further ~ infinuated in that Expreffion, And to all the Flock. If there be, it is this; that we ought not to content our felves in attending to those Parts only of our Office, which Law and Custom have made indifpenfable; that we ought not to apply our felves to those Duties only, to which Intereft or Inclination may leads us. No, no part of our Duty must be forgot, no Member of the Flock if capable of our Service must be neglected; the Poor, the Ignorant, the Proud, the Haughty, the Infidel and Schifmatick are all proper Objects of our Care. But I have infisted long enough on the expofition of our Duty, in an Audience that may reasonably be fuppos'd very well inftructed in it. Ĭ haften therefore to the II. Thing. Our Obligations to our Duty. Here I fhould be long and copious, and if I could vehement and powerful; for I am fure the beft of us, come fo far fhort in the Practice of what we know, that we ftand in need of the warmest Exhortation. Two Motives the Text furnishes us with. The first is, that the Holy Ghoft has made us Overfeers of the Flock; and this implies that we are to render to God an Account Account of it in the laft Day. The Se- Serm. cond is, the importance of our Charge; XV. the Flock committed to us is that for which Chrift fhed his Blood. 1. First confider that the Overfight of the Flock is a Truft committed to you by the Holy Ghoft. He that reflects upon his Ordination will need no Expofition of this, for there he will foon fee what Difpofitions and Qualifications,the PerfonO:dain'd is fuppos'd to have; what Power is committed to him, to what Ends, and by what Authority. Now as we can't doubt but that the Charge of our Flock is committed to us by God, fo we can as little doubt whither we be not to render an Account of it to the great Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls Chrift Jefus. Ezek. iii. 18, 19. How frequently, and how pathetically do the holy Scriptures put us in mind of this? When I say unto the Wicked thou balt furely die; and thou giveft him not Warning, nor fpeakest to warn the Wicked from his wicked way to fave his Life: The fame wicked Man fhall die in his Iniquity; but his Blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the Wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he ball die in his Iniquity, but thou haft deliver'd thy Soul. The Elders which are among you, I exhort, who am also an Elder, and a 1.-4. U 3 Witness I Pet. v. Vol. II.Witness of the Sufferings of Chrift, and alfo Wa Partaker of the Glory that shall be reveal'd: Feed the Flock of God which is among you, taking the Overfight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy Lucre, but of a ready Mind; neither as being Lords over God's Heritage, but being Enfamples to the Flock. And when the cheif Shepherd fhall appear, ye shall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away. This Paffage may primarily regard Bishops, yet undoubtedly it is to be extended to all fubordinate Paftors, to all, who diligently carry on the great Work of the Miniftry, the Salvation of Souls according to that in Daniel. And they that be wife shall fbine as the Brightnefs of the Firmament, and they that turn many to Righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever. Ah! this, this my Brethren, namely the Account we are to render of our Stewardship at the last Day, and the greatnefs of our Reward or Punishment in proportion to the greatness of the Trust committed to us, is a Truth which we never ought to let flip out of our Thoughts. This alone is fufficient to fupport us if we be fincere under all the Difficulties we are to encounter in our Office, or to make us tremble at every Reflection we make on any Inftance of Negligence or Unfaithfulness in it. This one Truth if firmly Dan.xii. 3 |