Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?
— Acts 10:21
And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
— Mark 10:51
And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.
— Mark 10:36-40
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
— John 14:13-14
Introductory Sermon on the Great Concern of Salvation, by Thomas Halyburton.
Ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me.
— Acts x. 29 c
Waving the formality of an introduction, I shall lay before you a few remarks for clearing the occasion of the apostle’s using this question, and the reason why we have made choice of this text at this time, for the subject of this discourse. And,
1. This chapter contains a large and particular account of one Cornelius, a Roman centurion, or captain of an hundred soldiers, his conversion to Christianity.
2. Cornelius, though by birth a Roman, was of the Jewish religion, a proselyte. Those who of other nations embraced the true religion, associating themselves to the Jews, were called proselytes; and they were either such as joined with be Jews in the whole rites of their religion, being circumcised as were the Jews; or such as adhered to the substantiate of their religion, but remained uncircumcised.The former sort were called proselytes of righteousness, or of the covenant; the latter proselytes of the gate. Interpreters seem to agree that Cornelius was a proselyte of the gate, one who owned the sub stance of religion, but remained uncircumcised, and did not join in the whole of their worship.
3. This captain was a true convert before this discovery of the gospel came to him by the apostle: he was accepted of God, and therefore was not to be accounted unclean. Now, none save those who are converted can be accepted; for “they that are in the flesh cannot please God; and without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that comes to him must believe that he is a rewarder of them that dili gently seek him.” Heb. xi. 6. Wherefore,
4. He, no doubt, leaned upon the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, for his acceptance with God; since, none can come to the Father but by him,”Who is, ” the way, the truth, and the life,” and who only can guide sinners in their approaches to God.5. God being a rewarder of such as diligently seek him, did reward this man’s faith and obedience with the gospel-revelation of his Son Jesus Christ, whence he came to understand, that the Messiah he looked for was already come.
5. His prayers and alms deeds are said to come up for a memorial before God; not as if there had been any thing of merit in what was done or attained to, but to encourage others, and to discover the riches of God’s bounty, in rewarding freely, according to his rich grace, the diligent improvement of light with greater degrees of light and life, and this reward is not of debt, but of rich and sovereign grace.
6. This saint, waiting for the consolation of Israel, has a vision from God, bidding him send for the apostle Peter; whence we may learn, that God has a great respect for his own institutions. The gospel ministry is of divine appointment; and therefore the Lord refers Cornelius to it, though it had been no less easy to have discovered Christ to him in the vision.
7. Peter has a vision to the same purpose, removing such objections as might make him scruple: whence we may remark, that when the Lord designs good to a people, by a minister, lie gives both the people clearness to call, and the minister clearness to come; though not in such an extraordinary manner as this here made use of.
8. When the apostle, in compliance with Cornelius’s call, and God’s call, or rather the Lord’s joining in the same call with him, comes to the place where he was, the first question he puts to him is that which we have read to you: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me? and this he doth, not withstanding he had got some account of this from the servants who were sent for him by Cornelius. The words are in themselves plain; and therefore we shall not offer any explication of them, but lay before you this doctrine, which is palpably contained in them.
Doctrine. A faithful gospel-minister, coming among a people upon their call, will be very desirous to know what their designs in calling him were: I ask therefore what intent ye have sent for me?
In discoursing this point, we shall inquire,
I. What designs a people should have in calling a gospel-minister.
II. What way they should evidence these to be their designs.
III. Make some inquiry into the reasons of the doctrine.
And, lastly, apply the whole.
I. To begin with the first of these, The designs a people should have in calling a gospel-minister; they are many. We shall endeavour to reduce them to a few.—And,
1. A people should, in calling a gospel-minister, design to hear from him the whole counsel of God, in reference to their eternal salvation. This is the great business of gospel-ministers, to declare the whole counsel of God to these to whom they come to keep nothing hack from them that may be of use to them. So their commission runs, Matt, xxvii 19. 20. ” Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo,I am with you always, even unto the end of the world, Amen.” And the great apostle of the Gentiles, in that famous farewell sermon of his to the church of Ephesus, which we have recorded, Acts xx, from verse 17, and downward, appeals to the conscience, of that people as to his faithfulness in fulfilling his com mission in declaring to them the whole counsel of God, ver. 27. And in keeping hack nothing that could be profitable to them, ver. 20. Whoever would approve himself a faithful gospel minister, must take care faithfully to discover to his hearers their lost and undone state by nature; that they are all be come guilty before God; and that there is no other way of their obtaining access to him but through Jesus Christ, who is made of God to them who believe wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.” To these doth the apostle refer the whole of that counsel of God, he shunned not to declare to the Ephesians, in that fore-cited scripture, Acts xx.21. He testified to all persons, Jews and Greeks, repentance towards God, in that they were guilty of such offences against God, as called for deep humiliation, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ; that is, that there was no way of escaping the wrath of God, but that of closing with Christ by faith.This is the matter of the gospel: and Christ’s servants are to make it their business faithfully to un fold the mind of God in reference to these two, man’s estate by nature, and what be may by grace be advanced to. This is called, 1 Tim. v. 17, a “labouring in the word and doctrine.”
This preaching of the gospel takes in three things.
1 A full proposal of the doctrine just now mentioned. Ministers must, without minching the matter, plainly discover to men their lose state, and the impossibility of recovery any other way than by the gospel method, through Jesus Christ, Acts xx. 2t.
2. They must discover these things, not as their private sentiments, built upon some rational conclusions of their own drawing and framing, but as the word of God. It is the word of God they are to propose, and not their own opinions; and it is the word of God hearers are to receive from them, 1 Thess. ii. 13. ” For this cause also thank we God,5 ‘ saith the apostle, ” without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believer.
3. This preaching of the word takes in not only a proposal of the word of God, but an authoritative declaration of it by virtue of a commission derived from God. ” These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority.” Tit. ii. 15. The word, in the first language, may be rendered command, with all command. Ministers are clothed with authority from God; and in his name, by virtue of a commission received from him, they are to preach the gospel, and to speak the counsel of God, as being his mouth to the people, 1 Pet. iv. 11, This is the principal part of the minister’s work; and therefore to hear the word of God from them in this manner should be the great design of those who call a gospel minister, that they may hear from themas the mouth of God, what by nature they are, and what through the grace of God in Christ Jesus they may be. But now,
2. When a people call a gospel-minister, they should design the regular and orderly performance of the worship of God. lt is worship of God, as it is contra distinguished from the doctrine of the gospel, Of which under the former head, consists principally in the administration of the sacraments and prayer; public prayer, I mean, under which praises are comprehended, as belonging to, and always to be joined-with it, according to our blessed Lord’s appointment in that form, commonly called the Lord’s Prayer, which concludes with thanksgiving. In Acts ii. 42, to have an account of the public worship of the church, which consists in preaching, there expressed by doctrine, and breaking of bread, that is, administering the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, and prayers and praises. ft And they/5 saith the Spirit of God speaking of the church, f continued in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers;” and, ver. 47, praising God.”The celebration of the sacraments, public prayers and praises are divine institutions for the salvation and edification of the church, which cannot be gone about, or orderly performed, without a gospel ministry, who only have commission to celebrate the sacraments, and to be the mouth of the people to God in their public assemblies, being furnished with spiritual gifts for the work, Matt, xxviii. 19. 1 Cor.xi. 23, and xiv. 16. And therefore, when a people call a gospel-minister, they should have this in view, as one great design, that thereby they may have the gospel worship celebrated among them in all its parts according to Christ’s institution, to their spiritual advantage and his glory.
3. They should call a gospel minister to rule over them. This is one part of the minister’s work, to rule over his flock, 1 Tim. v. 17.
4. Let the elders that rule well, be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
This superiority which gospel ministers have, is nota lordly dominion over either the persons or faith of their flock. No, any thing of this sort that ever crept into the church, had its rise from the subtilty of Satan, who envied its peace; and is directly opposite to the gospel, which forbids lordly dominion, the gospel-minister’s authority being given only for “edification, and not for destruction/’ as the apostle has it, 2 Cor. x 8. And it consists, 1. In an authoritative publication of the laws of Christ’s house
2. In an authoritative enforcement of them, by a ministerial offer of the gospel-privileges as the rewards of obedience. And,
3. In a power to inflict, according to Christ’s appointment, the gospel-punish ments upon the disobedient, the highest whereof is ex-communication, whereby the disobedient are ” delivered over to Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the LordJesus,” as the apostle has it, 1 Cor. v.
And to one of these three ends might all be reduced, accord ing to the common distinction of gospel-ordinances, in doctrine, worship, and government. But that you may the better understand this matter, we shall name some more particular designs: and therefore we say,
4. A people in calling a gospel-minister, should design the closing of a bargain and making a match with Christ upon his own terms. It is the work and business they are sent out for, to espouse sinners to Christ, 2 Cor. ii. 2. to woo a bride for the Lamb.They have a commission, as Abraham’s servant had, to go and seek a wife for their Master’s Son; and those who call them should do it in order to the conclusion of this happy match; that from them they may hear the terms whereon they are to be admitted into this near relation, the advantage that shall accrue to them by it, the inconveniences they will run themselves into by a refusal, and the warrant they have to enter into so high and honourable a relation.
5. They should design their own furtherance in acquaintance with Christ. They should “as new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that they may grow thereby,” 1 Pet. ii. 2. that they maybe furthered in their joy and faith, ” growing in grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
6. They should design their own establishment in the ways of God that they may not be ” tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine. but that ” being rooted and grounded in the faith, they may grow up in all things to him who is the head and Saviour of the body.”
This is expressly declared to be the design of the ministry, Eph. iv. 11. The apostle, having spoken of Christ’s exaltation, and his having received gifts for men tells us of him, in this verse and the following, ” That he gave some apostles, some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, into the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive,” &c. And to the” same purpose speaks the Spirit of God frequently elsewhere, of the design of the ministry,—-.Paul, Rom. i. 11. expresseth his earnest desire to see them, and to “impart some spiritual gift” unto them, to the end ” they may be established.” Those who are already engaged in God’s ways should de sign their own establishment in them in their calling a gospel minister.
7. They should design their own direction through all the difficulties of religion. The Lord’s people have many dark steps in their way; sometimes they are under temptation, and know not how to carry sometimes they are engaged in a close fight with their adversaries, and know not how to wield their spiritual armour to advantage; sometimes they are out of the way, and know not how to get into it again: and therefore they need some to guide them into the meaning of God’s word; for how can theyUnderstand, unless they be taught, Acts viii.
How can I understand,” says the Ethiopian eunuch,” unless some man should guide me;” and who should guide them but those who are guides by office, as the word may be rendered, Heb. xiii. 8. ” Consider them who have the rule over you,” or who are your guides. This, as the end of a gospel-ministry, is promised in Isa. xxx. 20, 21. ” And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into corners any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a voice behind thee, saying,This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” It is impossible we should condescend on all the particular intentions or ends a people should propose to them selves in calling a gospel-minister; and therefore we shall conclude all this in one, which is sure to comprehend them.
8. They should seek to have one who may answer in some measure Timothy’s character, with respect to the church of the Philippians, Phil. ii. 20, one who may naturally take care of them, that is, one who may, out of love to their souls, affectionately, prudently, carefully, and with impartial boldness open and apply the word, dispense the sacraments, and administer discipline, for the instruction of the ignorant, strengthening the weak, comforting the disconsolate, affecting the impenitent, reproving the faulty, recovering wanderers, directing and helping forward those who doubt and halt; that he may both save himself and them, to the praise and glory of God’s grace. We shall not insist upon each of these particulars, which would require not one or two, but many sermons, which suits not our present designWe shall therefore proceed, in the Second Place, to inquire, How a people should make it appear that they were acting upon those de signs in their calling a gospel-minister. This inquiry might be understood, either to respect their own satisfaction, or the satisfaction of the word, or of the minister himself as to this matter; but time not al lowing us to be so particular, we shall hold the inquiry in the general; and in answer to it we say,
1. A people should discover their designs to be such as we have mentioned, by a punctual attendance upon all the ordinances, to be by Lim dispensed in public or private. Thus we see it was with Cornelius; he not only waited on himself, but he called together those on whom he had any influence. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.” Acts x. 24. Those who will not give attendance to the public dispensation of the word, and the private instructions, either family or personal, but withdraw, we cannot think these persons had the right end be fore them in calling a gospel minister: surely, had they been right in their aims, they would have been ready to say with Cornelius, We are all here present,” &c.
2. They should not only present their bodies up on such occasions, but they should ask themselves as in God’s sight, to hear all things whatever are commanded of God by his servants. ” We are all here present,” says Cornelius to Peter, ” to hear all things that are commanded thee of God,” Acts x. 33. To give attendance to the ordinances, either more public or private, on any other design than this, is to of fer the sacrifice of fools,” contrary to that injunction of the wise man, Eccl. v. 1. ” Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools.”When we come to God’s ordinances, we must come to hear what he speaks to us.
3. They should evidence the honesty of their de signs, by obeying the word which they hear at his mouth; they should comply with all the commands of God, and say to their minister, as the people ofIsrael said to Moses, Deut v. 27. ” Go thou near, and hear all that the Lord our God shall say, and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee, and we will hear it and do it.’ For,, as the apostle James well observes, ” It is not the hearer of the word, but the doer who is blessed of God.” James i. 25. As we must hear and do, so our attendance must not be limited, but our ear must be open to reproofs, and the most terrible denunciations ef wrath from God, as well as to the sweet promises and charming discoveries of the glory of Christ, the beauties of religion, the surprising happiness of the saints in heaven; and there must not only be obedience to these commands, which may bring in honour, external gain, and pleasure, by our compliance, but these also must be obeyed, which may bring us under the lash of wicked men’s tongues and expose us to reproach, hazard, and ignominy, in the world. All things whatsoever are commanded of God must be punctually obeyed without reserve.
4. There must be a submitting to all the ordinances of God. Both this obedience and submission you will find spoken of, Heb. xiii. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls, as those who must give an account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for this is unprofitable for you.’
5. The word rendered obey, signifies properly, a believing upon persuasion, and respects our belief of the truths proposed by them, and a compliance with our duty that way; and, on the other hand, this submission has a respect to the power they have over their people for edification, and not for destruction: that is, that authority they have for admonishing, reproving, rebuking, and censuring offenders; and by a submission to them in the dispensation of these ordinances of Christ, reproof and censure, I mean, they are to evidence to all, the uprightness and Christian sin eerily of their designs.
They are to evidence their designs to be justifiable, by a careful diligence in applying to their minister upon all occasions; when they are under difficulties, when they are in the dark as to duty, when they have to do with corruptions which they cannot get mastered, when under the Lord’s hand, and so of all other exigences of the like nature. For as the ” priest’s lips should preserve or keep knowledge so the people should ask the law at his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts,” Mai.ii.7. And those who are sick, are bid ” send for the elders or ministers of the church to pray over them,”James v. 14. Those who have the advantage of a gospel-minister, are indispensably obliged to acquaint him with the state of their souls, when there is anything peculiar in it, and when they are reduced to any strait or extremity. And that,
1. Because God has laid it open to them as a duty, in that fore-cited Mai. ii. 7. ” The people should ask the law at his mouth.”
2. Because otherwise he will be at a loss in his bringing messages to you, if he mistake your case, or be unacquainted with it; how can he direct you, if he understand not your state and condition? The Lord gives no immediate revelation now, we have no warrant to expect any such thing; and there fore the way wherein ministers ordinarily come to understand their people’s condition is by themselves who upon this ground are called to have recourse to their ministers.
3. They should acquaint their ministers with their circumstances, because they are the people’s month to God; and if they be not acquainted with the circumstances and conditions of the Hock, how shall they, according to their duty, hold up the case of their people to God., as they are indispensably obliged to do, and that both in public, in secret, and in private.
4. Once more, and we have done: A people may and should prove their intentions honest, by a diligent application to their own proper work and business, with respect to his furtherance in these great designs. Every member of the congregation should be helpful to him, in contributing their utmost assistance to him in his work. A minister may spend his strength in vain,” if elders in their place, masters of families in theirs, and every particular person in his station, do not join, by prayer and otherwise, in assisting their ministers. Then do men ap pear sincere in their designs, for the glory of God, and their own salvation, when every one puts his hand to the work, and endeavours the removal of what may retard and obstruct its progress and success; and likewise studies by ail means to strengthen the minister’s hands, that he may not be discouraged, diverted, or taken off from his work. In line, then do a people appear single in their aims, when their words, their hearts, their hands go one way, and all they do is levelled at the ends mentioned, the glory of God, in the conversion, edification, and salvation of souls. I proceed now,
Thirdly, To inquire into the reasons of the doc trine, why a faithful gospel-minister coming amongst a people, iM ha careful to understand their design or intent in calling him. And,
1. This will be the desire of a gospel-minister, be cause a mistake in this matter will be of very dangerous consequence to the people. That people maybe influenced by wrong and sinistrous ends and motives in this matter, is beyond all peradventure.They may design the ” gratification of their itching ears” by the preacher’s gifts, as the prophet Ezekiel’s hearers did; they may seek the gospel ordinances for a charm as it were, that they may sit down and rest upon them, as many people do, like those with whom the prophet Jeremiah had to do, who said, ” The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these. Or they may design the strengthening of factions and parties, or to get occasion to mock, as many do now in our days. These and the like sinistrous designs may a people go upon; and there can be nothing more prejudicial to a people than to be under the influence of such intentions; since, past all peradventure, God will not sit with such an affront as is done him by this means, when the ordinance of the ministry, which he designed for the good of souls, and his glory, is prostituted, and made subservient to quite different, nay, opposite designs: and surely a faithful gospel-minister, who will have a tender regard to the salvation of his people, cannot choose but be solicitous to understand that they are not in so dangerous a mistake.
2. The knowledge of this will be of great use to clear his call. It is a great evidence that God designs good to a people when they call a gospel-minister upon such designs; and cannot but go a great length towards his satisfaction as to God’s calling him to work among them, in order to the compassing the great designs of his ministry. When Peter got the account before spoken of from Cornelius, he is further confirmed as to the hand of God in his coming to him, in compliance with his desire.
3. If upon inquiry they be found to be such as we have mentioned, it will be a great comfort to him, in grappling with the difficulties he may meet within the discharge of his duty. It will give a great deal of satisfaction to him, to know that those for whose sakes he runs these hazards, and grapples with these difficulties, have the same aims, and are joining in the same design with him. In fine, the right management of his whole work depends very much upon this knowledge of his people’s intentions: and there fore it is no wonder he be inquisitive into them, since by his acquaintance with these he may be capacitated to further both his own and their salvations. We might, for improvement of this point, discourse to you at length of the necessity of a gospel-minister’s. inquiring into his own designs in undertaking the charge of a people. The arguments made use of to discover the reasonableness of inquiring after the people’s designs, conclude no less strongly with respect to the minister’s. We might likewise discourse to you of the way how he is to manifest the integrity and sincerity of his aims; but time will not allow us to enter upon these tilings, and you heard the minister’s duty so fully and largely discoursed of within these few days, viz. at the ordination, that we judge it needless to enter upon that subject; and therefore all the improvement we design, of what has been said, shall be despatched in a short address to you of this congregation.
You have called me to labour among you in the work of the gospel: upon your call I have come; I ask therefore to what intent sent ye for me? What did ye design in this matter? Was it to hear what God has to say to you, that God’s worship may be ordered according to his own appointment, that you may be brought to acquaintance with Christ, or that you may be established in his ways? Were these the motives that influenced you? If you narrowly look into your own heart, and make an impartial inquiry, you may readily come to understand what your aims have been; and for your help, I would only, in God’s name, interrogate your consciences with a question or two, that may be of use.
1. Dare you, without heart condemning, as in the sight of God, say, that in calling a minister you had respect to the command of God? Was it duty that moved you, or did custom and your own ease, influence you?
2. Dare you hold up your faces and say, that it was a taste of God’s goodness in ordinances, that made you desire them, that you might grow thereby?
3. Did this desire lead you much to the throne of grace to pray for a minister, that God might send you one “according to his own heart, that might feed you with knowledge and understanding?”
4. When you saw any prospect of the return of your prayers, as to a gospel-ministry, were you careful to plead that the blessing might come along?
What say ye to these things? Give God, give conscience justice; let conscience speak freely, and tell whether things be so or not. They must either own, that there was not a regard to the command, that there was not a desire after the sincere milk of the word, occasioned by a taste of the Lord’s goodness, that there was not that serious application to God by prayer, either for a minister, or for the blessing of the ordinance; or that there was; and this will cast you all into two classes.
1st, Those who have not been so employed in this matter, and consequently have not been acting for right ends. And,
2ndly, those who have been busied in duty, in the way just now mentioned. To each of these a word. And,
1st, As for you who have not had a regard to your duty in this matter, who have not been wrestling with God in prayer, that God might send you a minister, with the fulness of the blessing of the gospel, to you we say,
1. Your designs are not such as God will approve of. Had they been such as we mentioned in the former part of this discourse, then surely they would have led you to earnest wrestling with God, for his direction, who only can point to one that is meet to answer those blessed ends.
2. You are guilty of horrible wickedness. You have committed a great provocation, in calling a minister upon any other design. God designed them for the ends formerly mentioned, and no other; and your calling them upon other aims, is an endeavour to counteract God, prostitute his ordinances, and. serve your lusts of that which God designed for his own glory.
3. Whatever good others may get by the gospel, you have no reason to look for any. God may answer you according to the idols of your own hearts: and when he satisfies the soul of the hungry with good things, he may send leanness to you. When he gives a commission to the word to enlighten, convert, confirm, and strengthen others, you have reason to fear that it may have a commission to make you blind, deaf, and dead.
4. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thoughts of your heart may be forgiven you; lie in the dust before God; endeavour to get your hearts affected with your guilt, that you may be deeply humbled and abased before liim whom you have provoked to anger.
5. Bring forth fruits meet for repentance. Let us know by your carriage that you are really penitent, and that now you have got the right designs in view; and this you may do by a close attendance upon all the ordinances, iy hearing and doing what ever is enjoined you of God, and by all other ways mentioned in the doctrinal part of this discourse.
6. And, lastly. Whether you hear or forbear, yet we tell you, the kingdom of God is come near unto you; whatever you design, the Lord has given you a gospel-day; and if our gospel be hid from you, it is because you are lost, the god of this world havingWinded your eyes, that you should not discern the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the image of God. As to the second sort of persons, those who have been importunate with God, and have had an eye to his command in this work, to you we say,
1. This your conduct, past ail peradventure, is no mean evidence of the sincerity of your good intentions and this is certainly matter of thankfulness, and is moreover a ground to hope, that the Lord may not altogether frustrate your desires.
2. Do not think your work is over. Wrestle, plead strongly with God for the blessing on gospel-ordinances; whoever plants or waters, it is only God that gives the increase; and therefore, if you mean to grow under the means, he instant in prayer for the blessing ori them; plead that God may not send leanness to your souls, while he provides plenty of spiritual provision for you.
3. Beware of sitting down upon gospel privileges.You may, if you do so, lose what you have wrought, and justly bring the sincerity of your aims in question. There is nothing more ordinary than security of this sort. Persons who it may be would say, O had they a gospel-dispensation! how glad they would be, how careful would they improve it; and yet when they get what they seek, their improvement is in no measure answerable to their resolutions. Take heed of, and guard against this.
4. Let there be a suitable care to evidence your sincerity in this matter, by the whole of your deportment. If you turn careless in attending ordinances, if you hear, but do not, if you neglect your own work, and be wanting to yourselves in this matter, then who will believe your sincerity? who can believe it? your own consciences will accuse you; and if your hearts condemn you, God is greater than your hearts, and knows all things,” 1 John iii. 20.
5. If you find that the Lord has made endeavours successful, take care that you sacrifice not to your own net, and burn incense to your drag. God is a holy and jealous God. and will not be mocked; and if you begin to rob him of his glory, he will get him glory in such a way as may lay you low, and make you smart severely for your own folly.
6. If the Lord give you the gospel light, then walk in the light while you have it. Carry like children of the light and of the day. work out the work of your salvation with fear and trembling; for none of us can tell how soon our gospel day may be gone, and the night succeed wherein none can work.
We shall conclude this discourse with a few general advices to all of you. Would you have our ministry made successful? would you obtain the real advantage of gospel-ordinances, and have our meetings such as may be matter of rejoicing both to you and me in the day of the Lord? Then we intreat, beseech, nay, and command you by the mercies ofGod. in the bowels of the Lord Jesus Christ, as you would have your own souls and ours to be saved—
1. Pray for us. As a minister is indispensably obliged to mind his people before God, and to carry them ever upon his heart, so are they obliged to pray for their minister: ” Pray for us,” says the apostle, Heb. xiii. 18. ” for we trust we have a good conscience in all things, willing to live honestly.” To give weight to this advice, I shall lay before you a few considerations. And,
1. Consider, ministers are not sufficient of themselves in this work; the work is great, weighty and important, and the difficulties are many; and whois sufficient for it? Surely ministers are not; for if the apostle said with justice of himself, “That he was not of himself sufficient to think any thing as he ought,” 2 Cor. iii. 5, then much more may gospel ministers now-a-days own it to be so with them, and therefore all their sufficiency is only of God from whom suitable and needful supplies should besought.
2. Consider that in their plenty and fulness you shall have plenty. They are indispensably obliged to lay out what they receive for you, to spend and be spent in the work and service of your faith; and therefore it is your interest that they abound, since it is for your sake they labour; and the more so, if you be instrumental by your prayers, in procuring advantages and supplies for them.
3. Consider that they are exposed to great hazards for your sake, and therefore you are to contribute your utmost to their assistance this way, where in you may be most helpful to them. They being made watchmen, do thereby become the butt of Satan’s malice; and the more faithful they are, the more will he expose them, and seek their ruin. The enemy’s principal design is sure to be against the watchman, because he prevents the surprising of his people by Satan, at least it is his business to do so; and therefore no stone will be left unturned, in order to his ruin.
1. Satan will endeavour to lay him asleep, and make him turn secure, that he may neglect his post.
2. If he miss of this, he will endeavour to fill him with disturbance and fear, that so he may be diverted from his duty, and made to quit his post. Or,
3. He will ply his corruptions, that he may, by attending to them, and striving against them, take him off from, or discourage him in his opposition to those of others.
4, He will endeavour to blind his eyes by false appearances, that so he may give false alarms; and this will weaken his credit, and make people not believe his warnings.
5. He will endeavour to amuse him with great appearances of danger where there is none; that his eyes may turn off from those things which may really endanger his flock. And,
6. He will endeavour to beget and cherish jealousies betwixt his people and him, whereby his warnings will be less regarded, and his hands be weakened, and his heart be discouraged.
7. If these fail, he will endeavour to get him removed; if he see the gospel like to prove successful, then he will take care to find out ways to oblige the watchman to remove from his post. And,
8. If he fail of this, he will endeavour to kill him, either by multiplying troubles and griefs, or else by more direct methods, employing bis emissaries and servants to take away his life; and this by God’s permission, for the punishment of a people’s sins, has proven successful. Surely these and a great many more methods, used by Satan, the wicked world, pretended friends, and their own corruption, against the ministers of the gospel, and all upon the people’s account, should make them careful in praying to God in their behalf, that they may be saved from the at tempts of all their spiritual adversaries, and may be made to grow in grace and gifts. Pray for much grace to your minister, that he may persuade, as knowing the terrors of the Lord; that he may deal tenderly with you, as having himself had acquaintance with soul sickness on account of sin; that he may take you to Jesus safely as having himself been with him; that he may comfort you with the consolations wherewith he has been comforted of God. In time, that he may speak, because he himself has not only believed, but experienced the work of grace up on his own soul, as one that has tasted that sin is an evil and bitter thing, and has found that Christ is useful, is sufficient, is precious; and that he may pray acceptably for you, as one that has found acceptance in his own behalf. Pray likewise for gifts to him, knowledge in the mystery of God, and ofChrist, and of faith; that he may have much spiritual wisdom, zeal, boldness, and courage, to fit him for his work; and withal, that the Lord may give a door of utterance.
4. Consider, that a careful attendance to your duty, in holding up your minister’s case, will be a great mean to promote love, mutual love betwixt you and him; and this will help to break Satan’s engines. Nothing contributes more to the furtherance and success of one’s ministry in a place, than much love, and mutual kindness betwixt a minister and people; and no love so useful this way, as that which vents it self in prayer for one another, and is cherished by this means. But,
2. I intreat you may carefully attend ordinances, public, private, and secret; and catechising, as the Lord shall give occasion. This will make us cheer folly go about these duties, if we see you studying to make advantage of them: this will be profitable to you; it will discourage our enemies it will rejoice our heart, and be a credit to religion.
3. Any advantage you receive, be sure that ye at tribute it entirely to God; beware of placing it to the minister’s, account, who is only the instrument if you rob God of the glory, and give it to the instrument, you may by this provoke the Lord to blast your minister, and to withdraw from him his presence; which will soon make you see, that it is not the minister that can do any thing. Give God his due, and so account of us as the servants of Christ, and the stewards of the mysteries of the gospel; and when ye get any good by it, put it all to God’s account; bless him for it; and let the instrument have an interest in your affections and prayers, that he may be further useful to you and others.
4. Once more and we have done. Do not count us your enemies, if we tell you the truth ; we must by any means be free, in laying open your sins, and in carrying home the conviction of them to your consciences; nor dare we gratify any, by holding our peace in this matter; for if we please men, then we are not the servants of Christ; and if any soul die inIts sin by our silence, then we bring the blood of souls upon our own heads, and hazard our own souls.We are obliged, by the manifestation of the truth, to commend ourselves to consciences; and if the more we love, the less we are loved, then God will require it at your hands. But whether you will hear, or whether you forbear, we must, as we shall give answer to the great Shepherd of the sheep, deal plainly with you. Consider but that one scripture,Lev. xix. 17. and ye will see reproof to be an act of great love, and that the neglect of it in God’s account is hatred: you Thou shalt not spite thy brother in thine heart. Thou shalt in any ways rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him” Or, as the clause may be rendered, That thou hear not sin for him. Now, if you follow these advices, and if there be a single eye to God, and close dependence upon him, both in minister and people, mutual love and helpfulness, and a joint endeavour to promote the great design of the ministry, the glory of God in our own salvation, then our labour shall not be in vain, but shall be blessed with increase, and God, even our God, shall bless us.
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