over the flock; and these, to love, honour, esteem, and encourage them. If they be not necessary officers in the church, why should there lie upon them so severe a charge? why should there be due unto them so great a respect?

5. They whom the apostles took order to be provided for the service of the church, are necessary officers thereof: for had they been superfluous, they would not have burdened the church with them. But the apostles took special order for the succession of ministers in the church: they ordained elders themselves; (Acts xiv. 23) they directed Timothy and Titus to do so too; (2 Tim. ii. 2. Tit. i. 5) they call upon them to attend their service; (Col. iv. 17. 1 Pet. v. 1, 3)-they call upon others to obey and encourage them. (Heb. xiii. 17. Gal. vi. 6) Now certainly they would not have taken all this care, nor put the church to so much duty and charge, if the office were not necessary to the good and interest of the church.

Add hereunto the uninterrupted prescription of all ages. For not to mention the heathen nations, where we find persons separated for divine worship, in Egypt, (Gen. xlvii. 22) in Palestine, (1 Sam. vi. 2) in Lycaonia; (Acts xiv. 13) such were the Chaldeans in Babylon, the Magi amongst the Persians; the Brachmanes amongst the Indians; the Druidæ amongst the Gauls; the Pontifices, Augures, Flamines, and others amongst the Romans. And to keep to the church of God, we read, in the beginning, of Enoch a prophet, Noah a preacher, Abraham a prophet, Melchisedec a priest, of the order of priests and Levites in Israel, before whom the first-born of the chief of the families did bear that honour; for we read of priests before the Levitical order was instituted. (Exod. xix. 22) After that the evangelical ministry began in John, continued in the twelve Disciples and seventy Elders, held on in a constant succession, Christ and his apostles appointed it, and never repealed their own order. If Jephthah's prescription of 300 years' possession was a good plea, (Judges xi. 26) much more the Church's, of 1600.,

And now, dear brethren, since our office is of so great necessity to the church of God, it greatly concerneth us to be duly therewith affected; with all fear and trembling to discharge so important duties, for the administration whereof this function hath been divinely instituted; by the holiness

and exemplariness of our lives, by the evidence, authority, and purity of our doctrine, to keep ourselves above the contempt of men, not to suffer any to despise us, to magnify our office, and to bear up that double honour, which the Lord hath awarded unto those that labour in the word and doctrine: that, in all things, showing ourselves patterns of good works,-in our doctrine, showing incorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech which cannot be condemned, men that are against us, may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of us. And this leadeth to the second thing proposed, the consideration of the duties, wherein the discharge of this pastoral office doth stand.

The word 'feed' is a usual metaphor, to express the tender care and gentle government, which men are to exercise over those, who are committed to their custody. It is used frequently not only in scripture, (Psal. lxxvii. 20, and Ixxviii. 71. Ezek. xxxiv. 23. Esa. xl. 11. John x. 11, and xxi. 15, 17. 1 Pet. v. 2) but in profane authors, as Xenophon makes the comparison in the beginning of his Cyropædia, and Homer calls Agamemnon wouéva λav, the Pastor of the People, xndeuóva, one that takes care of the flock. There is likewise a synecdoche of the part for the whole, one particular of the office being put for all the rest. Here then we might enter into a large field, 1. In opening the pastoral office of Christ, as he came to seek and save his lost sheep; to rule them by his royal authority; to lead them by his most holy example; to feed them σώματι, αἵμαι, πνεύματι, phuar, by his body, blood, spirit, and word; to heal and bind them; to fold and defend them, to rescue and deliver them, out of the mouth of the wolf and lion. 2. In setting forth the whole duty of the 'under-shepherds which they owe to the flock of Christ, as they have intrusted unto them the ministry of reconciliation, which ministry standeth in four things, 1. In offering up the spiritual sacrifices of prayers and praises, in the name and behalf of the church unto God, and to bless in his name. 2. In administration of the seals or sacraments. 3. In exercising the power of binding and loosing, of retaining and remitting of sins towards particular contumacious sinners in the one case, or penitent sinners in the other. 4. In preaching the glad tidings of salvation to the church. But because it is not possible to han

dle so many weighty particulars in this little scantling of time, I shall keep to the most narrow and formal sense of the word feed,' as it relateth to the spiritual food of the soul, the pastures of life, the word of God; for vuxñs spoøù Jeiwv Xóywv soríaois, as Basil Seleuc. speaketh, The food of the soul is the feast of the word;' whereunto possibly the apostle may allude, when he requireth Timothy optoToμ Tov λóyov: (2 Tim. ii. 15) as the ministry of the word and spirit is compared by the prophet to a royal and magnificent feast.' (Isa. xxv. 6. Prov. ii. 1, 2. Rev. iii. 20)

This great work of preaching is appointed by God as a means and instrument of begetting faith in the people, and turning them from the power of Satan unto God: by evidencing divine truth unto the conscience; (2 Cor. iv. 2) that a man's sin may find him out to make him penitent, and he may find Christ out to make him blessed.-By stopping the mouths of gainsayers, by reproving those that sin out of infirmity, with meekness, (Gal. vi. 1) out of contumacy, with sharpness, (Tit. i. 13) all, with authority. (Tit. ii. 15) By exhorting with strong arguments, and with winning persuasions, unto the obedience of the truth. (2 Cor. v. 20) By comforting and pouring balm into wounded spirits, removing fears, resolving doubts, speaking peace, showing a man his righteousness, and delivering him from going down into the pit. (Isa. xl. 1. Job xxxiii. 23) By differencing the sheep from the goats, the chaff from the wheat, the precious from the vile, him that feareth God from him that feareth him not. The word of grace, thus managed, is the ordinary instrument which God useth to sanctify us, (John xvii. 17) to form Christ in us, to derive the spirit upon us, and to turn us to the Lord. And the minister of Christ who duly preacheth it, is his herald, and ambassador, κήρυξ ἐν πολέμῳ, πρέσα bus èv siphy, to proclaim war against the rebellious, and to publish remission of sins unto those, that repent and believe.

And so much hath Christ honoured his stewards in the faithful discharge of this their ministry, that though they be but weak men, yet such effects are ascribed unto them, as are proper unto God alone. They are said to forgive sins; (John xx. 23) to convert and to save souls; (Jam. v. 20. 1 Tim. iv. 16) to deliver men from going down into the pit; (Job xxiii. 24) to revenge all disobedience; (2 Cor. x. 6)

and to judge wicked men; (Ezek. xx. 4) none of which can be effected, but by God alone. The excellency of the power belongs unto him. (2 Cor. iv. 7) Nulla est remissio culpæ nisi per gratiam: sed gratiam dare, est potentiæ infinitæ,' saith Alexander Hales. And therefore Peter Lombard, and after him Altissiodorensis, Bonaventure, Occam, Biel, and divers other schoolmen, do affirm, ' Per hanc potestatem non posse remitti culpas, sed solùm declarari remissas;' and that the priest doth it per modum impetrantis,' but not 'per modum impertientis.' And yet because unto us is committed the ministry of reconciliation, (2 Cor. v. 19) and, together with that office, an authority to work together with God as his instruments, who maketh us able ministers of the New Testament; (2 Cor. iii. 6) so that, by the co-operation of God, our gospel cometh not in word only, but in power. (1 Thess. i. 5. 2 Cor. x. 8. Tit. ii. 15) Therefore we are said to do those things which are proper for God alone to do, because God is pleased to do them by that word of grace, the ministry whereof he hath committed unto us. "Humana opera, Dei munera," as Optatus speaks; the ministry is man's, the gift is God's.-"The priest," saith St. Chrysostom, "lendeth his tongue and his hand; but neither angels nor archangels can do the thing, but God alone."—" Humanum obsequium, munificentia supernæ potestatis," saith St. Ambrose; (De Spiritu Sancto, lib. 3. cap. 19) the service is man's, but the munificence is God's.-We loose by our pastoral authority, whom God raiseth by his quickening grace, saith Gregory. (Homil. 26, in Evang.)

The matter of this our preaching is, in general, the whole counsel of God; (Acts xx. 27) all the words of life; (Acts v. 20) that which we have heard of the Lord of Hosts. (Isa. xxi. 10) All which God commands without diminishing a word. (Jer. xxvi. 2) "Thou shalt speak my words unto them saith the Lord." (Ezek. ii. 7) We are angels;' we must keep to our message: we are ambassadors; we must keep to our commission: we are depositaries; we must discharge our trust. "Quid est depositum ?" saith Vincentius Lirinensis, speaking of that command to Timothy. (1 Tim. vi. 20)" Id quod tibi creditum est, non quod â te inven

Quodammodo ante diem judicii judicant. Hieron. Ep. ad Heliodorum.

tum; quod accepisti, non quod excogitasti; rem non ingenii sed doctrinæ; non usurpationis privatæ, sed publica traditionis, in qua non auctor debes esse sed custos." And so Origen; "The apostle," saith he, " hath given example to the doctors of the church to speak to the people, non propriis præsumpta sententiis, sed divinis munita testimoniis." Our own devices are all but chaff; God's word is the wheat; (Jer. xxiii. 28) ours, but hay and stubble; his, gold, and silver, and precious stones. (I Cor. iii. 12)

More particularly, the matter of our preaching is Christ crucified, and the glad tidings of the remission and salvation through him. (Acts viii. 5. 1 Cor. ii. 2) The Credenda,' all recapitulated in the doctrine of Christ; the Agenda,' all supplied by the grace of Christ; the 'Petenda,' all granted in the name of Christ; the Communicanda,' all seals of the love of Christ. He is 'lux, et cibus, et medicina,' as Bernard speaks; If I be ignorant, Christ is my light; if I be hungry, Christ is my food; if I be sick, Christ is my physick." Si scribas, non sapit mihi, nisi legero ibi Jesum : si disputes aut conferas, non sapit mihi, nisi sonuerit ibi Jesus." Our ministry now is altogether evangelical: for though we preach the law, yet it is ever in a subserviency unto the gospel, that, by the convictions thereof, we may betake ourselves unto Christ for shelter from the curse which the law threateneth, and for grace unto the duties which the law prescribeth. Our Saviour seemeth unto me to dictate the right method of preaching the gospel in that threefold conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgement. (John xvi. 8, 9, 10)

1. The spirit, accompanying the preaching of the gospel, doth convince men of their sin,' and the wrath due unto them for the same, until they shall believe in Christ; for the wrath of God abideth on unbelievers. (John iii. 36, and viii. 24) Till faith transfer the sin upon the sacrifice, it remains upon the sinner. Hereby the soul is awakened, and the heart shaken and made restlessly inquisitive after some way of escape from the wrath to come. (Acts ii. 37)

2. The spirit, by the gospel, convinceth of 'righteousness' in Christ; who albeit he was reckoned amongst malefactors, (John xix. 7. Isa. liii. 12) yet there was in him righteousness abundantly enough to justify and save, to the uttermost, all