so furiously, who shall go first to a poor man's cottage to teach him and his family the way to heaven; or who shall first endeavour the conversion of a sinner, or first become the servant of all. Strange, that notwithstanding all the plain expressions of Christ, men will not understand the nature of their office! If they did, would they strive who would be the pastor of a whole county and more, when there are so many thousand poor sinners in it that cry for help; and they are neither able nor willing to engage for their relief? Nay, when they can patiently live in the house with profane persons, and not follow them seriously and incessantly for their conversion ? And that they would have the name and honour of the work of a county, who are unable to do all the work of a parish, when the honour is but the appendage of the work? Is it names and honour, or the work and end, that they desire ? Oh! if they would faithfully, humbly, and self-denyingly lay out themselves for Christ and his church, and never think of titles and reputation, they should then have honour whether they would or not; but by gaping after it, they lose it: for, this is the case of virtue's shadow, Quod sequitur fugio, quod fugit ipse sequor.

4. Consider that you have many other excellent privileges of the ministerial office to encourage you to the work. If therefore you will not do the work, you have nothing to do with the privileges. It is something that you are maintained by other men's labours. This is for your work, that you may not be taken off from

it, but, as Paul requireth, may "give yourselves wholly to these things," and not be forced to neglect men's souls, whilst you are providing for your own bodies. Either do the work, then, or take not the maintenance.

But you have far greater privileges than this. Is it nothing to be brought up to learning, when others are brought up to the cart and plough? and to be furnished with so much delightful knowledge, when the world lieth in ignorance? Is it nothing to converse with learned men, and to talk of high and glorious things, when others must converse with almost none but the most vulgar and illiterate? But especially, what an excellent privilege is it, to live in studying and preaching Christ!— to be continually searching into his mysteries, or feeding on them to be daily employed in the consideration of the blessed nature, works, and ways of God! Others are glad of the leisure of the Lord's day, and now and then of an hour besides, when they can lay hold upon it. But we may keep a continual sabbath. We may do almost nothing else, but study and talk of God and glory, and engage in acts of prayer and praise, and drink in his sacred, saving truths. Our employment is all high and spiritual. Whether we be alone, or in company, our business is for another world. Oh that our hearts were but more tuned to this work! What a blessed, joyful life should we then live! How sweet would our study be to us! How pleasant the pulpit! And what delight would our conference about spiritual and eternal things afford us! To live among such

excellent helps as our libraries afford, to have so many silent wise companions whenever we please —all these, and many other similar privileges of the ministry, bespeak our unwearied diligence in the work.

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5. By your work you are related to Christ, as well as to the flock. You are the stewards of his mysteries, and rulers of his household; and he that entrusted you, will maintain you in his work. But then, "it is required of a steward that a man be found faithful." Be true to him, and never doubt but he will be true to you. Do you feed his flock, and he will sooner feed you as he did Elijah, than leave you to want. If you be in prison, he will open the doors; but then you must relieve imprisoned souls. He will give you tongue and wisdom that no enemy shall be able to resist;" but then you must use it faithfully for him. If you will put forth your hand to relieve the distressed, he will wither the hand that is stretched out against you. The ministers of England, I am sure, may know this by large experience. Many a time hath God rescued them from the jaws of the devourer. Oh the admirable preservations and deliverances that they have had, from cruel Papists, from tyrannical persecutors, and from misguided, passionate men! Consider, brethren, why it is that God hath done all this. Is it for your persons, or for his church? What to him more than other men, but for his work and people's sakes? Are you angels? Is your flesh formed of better clay than your neighbours? Are you not of the same generation of

are you

sinners, that need his grace as much as they? Up then, and work as the redeemed of the Lord-as those that are purposely rescued from ruin for his service. If you believe that God hath rescued you for himself, live to him, as being unreservedly his who hath delivered you.

II. The second motive in the text is drawn from the efficient cause of this relation. It is the Holy Ghost that hath made us overseers of his church, and, therefore, it behoveth us to take heed to it. The Holy Ghost makes men bishops or overseers of the church in three several respects :-By qualifying them for the office; by directing the ordainers to discern their qualifications, and know the fittest men; and by directing them, the people and themselves, for the affixing them to a particular charge. All these things were then done in an extraordinary way, by inspiration, or at least very often. The same are done now by the ordinary way of the Spirit's assistance. But it is the same Spirit still and men are made overseers of the church (when they are rightly called) by the

Holy Ghost, now as well as then. It is a strange conceit, therefore, of the Papists, that ordination by the hands of man is of more absolute necessity in the ministerial office, than the calling of the Holy Ghost. God hath determined in his word, that there shall be such an office, and what the work and power of that office shall be, and what sort of men, as to their qualifications, shall receive it. None of these can be undone by man, or made unnecessary. God also giveth men the qualifications which he requireth; so that, all that

the church hath to do, whether pastors or people, ordainers or electors, is but to discern and determine which are the men that God hath thus qualified, and to accept of them that are so provided, and, upon consent, to install them solemnly in this office.

What an obligation, then, is laid upon us, by our call to the work! If our commission be sent from heaven, it is not to be disobeyed. When the apostles were called by Christ from their secular employments, they presently left friends, and house, and trade, and all, and followed him. When Paul was called by the voice of Christ, he "was not disobedient to the heavenly vision." Though our call is not so immediate or extraordinary, yet it is from the same Spirit. It is no safe course to imitate Jonah, in turning our back upon the commands of God. If we neglect our work, he hath a spur to quicken us; if we run away from it, he hath messengers enough to overtake us, and bring us back, and make us do it; and it is better to do it at first than at last.

III. The third motive in the text is drawn from the dignity of the object which is committed to our charge. It is the church of GOD which we must oversee,-that church for which the world is chiefly upheld—which is sanctified by the Holy Ghost-which is the mystical body of Christthat church with which angels are present, and on which they attend as ministering spirits, whose little ones have their angels beholding the face of God in heaven. Oh what a charge is it that we have undertaken! And shall we be un..