Christ, contemptible. They do not confider the prefumption it would be to take upon themselves to adminifter facraments; that is, to feal covenants betwixt God and men, without any commiffion from God; to take upon themselves to be the minifters of reconciliation, to reconcile men unto God, and God to man; to blefs in his name, and to pretend to obtain graces and bleffings from God to his people.

To proceed: If then you really value the prayers, the bleffing of God's ministers, you will refpect their perfons and their office. And when you remember that they are God's minifters, you will conclude, that the mafter is always dishonoured, when his fervants are flighted. And, most certainly, he that despises a minifter of Chrift, would have done fo by Chrift himself, when he was on earth: He was defpifed and rejected of men. By fuch men as those who defpife his minifters.

Has the Chriftian religion any thing in it that is ridiculous? Is the Chriftian ministry a ridiculous inftitution? No, fure. Why then do fo many take pleasure in hearing them ridiculed? Why, the fecret is this: Their lives being corrupt, they cannot but wish in their hearts, that there was no truth in religion; and that the minifters of Christ, who stand bound by their office to put them in mind of that terrible judgment, which, without a true repentance, will one day be pronounced upon them: they use their utmost endeavours, that

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these minifters of Chrift may be defpifed, difcredited, and fet at nought, and that they may fin without rebuke.

Laftly. If the priest, the minister of God, bleffeth with a real effect all those that repair to the church to receive God's bleffing, how unhappy are they, who are shut out of the church for their crimes, and confequently are deprived of the bleffing of God! And how unhappy are all they who deprive themselves of this bleffing, by abfenting themselves from the public affemblies of Chriftians! Little do Chriftians confider what they lose by doing so.

and

And now, my brethren, I cannot end this discourse better than by pronouncing that bleffing, in the name of Chrift, which I made choice of for a text: The Lord bless you, keep you: the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you, and give you peace, now and for evermore. Amen.

SERMON

SERMON LXXXIX.

PREACHED AT AN ORDINATION.

THE RECIPROCAL OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIAN MINISTERS AND THEIR PEOPLE.

MAY that Holy Spirit, who hath given us this gracious warning, give us all grace to improve it;-that, having the account we must give much in our hearts, we may be prepared to give it with joy. Grant this, O Lord, for the fake of Jesus Christ. Amen.

HEB. xiii. 17.

THEY WATCH FOR YOUR SOULS, AS THEY THAT MUST GIVE AN ACCOUNT.*

HERE

ERE are two forts of hearers greatly concerned in thefe words; Chriftian aftors, and the people of their flock. The first have very great reason to be concerned for the acount they must one day give of the fouls of thfe that are committed to their care. And thefecond fhould confider, how much they ow to the good providence of God, for ap

SDeut. xxxiii. II. Ecclus. vii. 29. Luke v. 5. vi. 39. x. 20. Jon x. 11. xvii. 16. Acts xx. 20. I Cor i. I. 2 Cor. vi. 3. 1 Thefly. 13. 1 Tim. iv. 14, 16. Titus ii. 7.

pointing

own ministers, under the most agations, to watch for their fouls; and account they also muft give, if they ave not profited by their paftor's care. And may that Holy Spirit, who has given us this warning, enable me to speak upon thefe two particulars, fo as to edify both myfelf and you that hear me; for we are all of us, you fee, concerned in an account we must give to God, that we may have this account very much in our minds.

We shall begin with the account we ourfelves are to give of the fouls committed to our care. And what bishop, what prieft, what minister of God, can feriously think of this without trembling?

Many are the duties of our facred calling; many are the temptations we meet with to neglect them. The mischiefs that follow fuch neglect are many and great; and the punishment, without repentance and amendment, to be dreaded above all things.

These are, indeed, very great difcouragements for any man to undertake fo great: charge; but then the reward of a faithful difcharge of thefe duties will be fo vey great, (as the Holy Spirit affures us) and ne helps fo certain, and the advantages fo maly, and the occafions of glorifying God, an of doing good to the fouls of men, will be ach, as one, who loves God, would be tankful to be made an inftrument in fo girious

work,