sake." I confess, tlie scandalous lives of some ministers have been a great reproach, and have made the " offering of the Lord to be abhorred," in some ])laces of the land. The leper in the law was to have his lip co- vered : such as are angels by office, but le- pers in their lives, ought to have their lips covered, and to be silenced. But though some deserve ' no honour,' yet such as are faithful, and make it their work to bring souls to Christ, are to be reverenced as spi- ritual fathers. Obadiah honoured the pro- phet Klijah, 1 Kings xviii. 16. Why did God reckon the tribe of Levi for the first- born ? Numb. iii. 13. Why did he appoint that the prince should ask counsel of God by the priest? Numb, xxvii. 21. Why di i the Lord shew, by that miracle of " Aaron's rod flourishing," that he had chosen the tribe of " Levi to minister before him ?" Num. xvii. Why doth Christ call his apostles 'the lights of the world ?' Why doth he sjiy to all his ministers, " Lo, I am with yon to the end of the world ;" but because he would have these spiritual fathers reverenced? In ancient times the Egyptians chose their kings out of their priests. They are far from shewing this respect and honour to their spiritual fathers who have slight thoughts of such as have the charge of the sanctuary, and do minister before the Lord. " Know them," saith the apostle, " which labour among you." Many can be con- tent to know their ministers in their infir- mities, and are glad when they have any thing against ihem, but do not know them in the apostle's sense, so as to give them " double honour." Surely, were it not for the ministry, you would not be a vineyard, but a desert; were it not for the ministry, you would be destitute of the two seals of the covenant, — baptism and the Lord's sup- per ; you would be infidels : " For faith c<»mes by hearing ; and how shall they hear withitut a preacher," Rom. x. 14.
(2.) Honoin- the ministers, these spiri- tual fathers, by becoming advocates for them, and wiping off those slanders and ca- lumnies which are unjustly cast upon them, 1 Tim. V. 19. Constantine was a great ho- nourer of the ministry ; he vindicated them •, he would not read the envious accusations broujiht in against them, but did burn them.
9. P
tfOS
OF THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT.
Do the ministers open their mouths to God for you in prayer, and will not you open your mouths in their hehalf? Surely, if they labour to preserve you from hell, you should preserve them from slander ; if they labour to save your souls, you ought to save their credit.
(3.) Honour them by conforming to their doctrine. This is the greatest honour you can put upon your si)iritual fatiiers, by be- lieving and obeying their doctrine. He is an honourer of the ministry, who is not only a hearer, but a follower of the word. As disobedience reproacheth the ministry, so obedience honoureth it. The apostle calls his Thcssalonians his crown, 1 Thess. ii. 19., " What is our crown of rejoicing? are not ye ?" A thriving people are a mi- nister's crown ; when there is a metamor- phosis, a change wrougiit, — when people come to the word proud, but go away hum- ble,— they come earthly, but they go away heavenlv, — thcv come, as Naaman to Jor- dan, lepers, but tliey go away healed, — this is an honour to the ministry. 2 Cor. iii. I., " Need we, as some others, epistles of com- mendation ?" Though other ministers might need letters of commendation, yet Paul need- ed none : for, when men should hear of the obedience of these Corinthiaiis, which was wrought in them by Paul's ])reaching; this was a sufficient certificate for him, that God had blessed his labours. The Corin- thians wore a sufficient honour to him : they were his letters-testimonial. You can- not honour your spiritual fathers more, than by thriving under their ministry, and living upon those sermons which they preach.
4. There is the economical father, that is the master ; he is pater familias, — the fa- ther of the family, therefore Njuiman's ser- vants called tlii'ir master, ' father,' 2 Kings V. 13. And the centurion calls his servant, ' son,' Mat. viii. 6. The servant is to ho- nour his master, as the father of the family. Though the master be not so exactly qua- lified as he should, yet the servant must not neglect his duty, but shew some kind of ho- nour to him.
(1.) In obeying his master in Ileitis ef ho- nestis, — in things that are lawful and ho- nest, 1 Pet. ii. 18., " Servants, be subject to your masters ; not only to the good and
gentle, but also to the froward." God hath no where given a charter of exemption to free you from your duty. You cannot dis- obey your earthly master, but you disobey your master in heaven. Think not that birth, or high parts, no, nor yet your grace, will exempt you from obedience to your master; to obey him, is an ordinance of God, and the apostle saith, " Whosoever resisteth the ordinance, shall receiA'e to themselves damnation," Rom. xiii. 2.