more in the hands of our Zerubbabels; Zech. iv. 10. * Who hath despised the day of small things ? For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel, with those seven ; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.' Our prudent repairers, co-working with the divine provi- dence, expressed emblematically by the seven eyes, will bring weak and contemptible beginnings, to happy and blessed results and issues. What shall one now answer the messengers of the churches ? That God hath founded Sion ; and the power of his people shall trust in it.
We are met this day in all hearty loyalty to the government, and peaceableness to the national church-estabJishment, to review and consider the cases of our respective congregations ; which I doubt we shall find too like that description, Prov. xxiv. 31. all over-grown with thorns and nettles, and the stone-wall broke down.
Thus ignorance and error have overspread the people, and the wall of discipline greatly decayed. Our business is to cleanse our churches, and repair their walls ; that so they may become gardens of delight, and beds of spices, for Christ to walk and take pleasure in.
You have ordered this meeting to be opened with a sermon, and demandated that work to my hand, by your earnest and unanimous call. I wish the work may not suffer by your choice.
When I considered the quality and occasion of this assembly, my thoughts quickly centered themselves in those words of our Lord, which I have read unto you : ' Who then is a faithful and wise ser- vant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season .?' &c.
Here we find ourselves in a parable. A parable is the veil of some divine truth : whilst we are embodied and veiled with flesh, truth must embody and veil herself too, in order to our freer converses with it. There is much truth and reason in that observation of the ancient cabbalists : " * The supreme light never descends without a cover- ing." Yea, saith Dionysius, the supposed Areopagate, " f It is impossible that a divine beam should otherwise shine to us, except it be covered with variety of sacred veils, and umbrages."
Not to spend much time about the order and relation of the text; Christ had been solemnly warning the disciples, and all the Christian world, of his most certain (though secret) coming to judgment ; and therefore to beware of luxury, idleness, and security, the sins of the world ; and that all be found at his coming, watchful and diligent in their proper places of duty. This exhortation he infers, from what common prudence would teach any servant, especially any steward of an house to do, to whom his Lord bath committed the care of his
♦ Lumen supremum nunqvxtm descendit sine indumenta. ^ f Impossibile est nobis aliter lucere radium divinum, nisi vanetate sacrorum velaminuv^ circumvefaium. Coelest. Hier. cap, 1.
56Q THE CHAEACTEU OP A TRUE EVANGELICAL PASTOR.
family. It is agreed by all, that the words have a special and im- mediate respect to gospel-ministers, the stewards of Chrisfs house, or church, to whom Christ, the Or/.odig'Trorrig, or Lord of the family, hath trusted the care and dispensation of the affairs thereof. And in them we find,
I. An evangelical pastor described.
II. The reward of such as answer that description, propounded.
1. Christ's description of an evangelical pastor, ver. 45. which he doth by two excellent and essential properties, or qualifications, jligog, Tcai (p^ovifMog, faitJifid and wise ; both which make up the cha- racter of a complete gospel-minister : for if he be faitliful, he de- ceives not others ; and if wise, or prudent, he is not apt to be de- ceived himself : \{\?> prudence suffers not deceivers easily to impose upon him ; and his faitlifulness will not suffer him knowingly to impose upon his people. His prudence will enable him to discern, and \\\s faithfulness oblige him to distribute wholesome food to his ilock. These two therefore meeting together, make a pastor after Cod^s own heart, according to Jer. iii. 15.
Both these are found in an interrogative form of speech in the text, but it is agreed, that Tig is put conditionally for u r/?, and is rather hypothetical, than interrogatory : but in this form of speech it insi- nuates the rarity and difficulty of finding such a servant. He is Scrawo i'Aai dsveiv^ilog. as Theophylact glosseth it. And Chrysostom, by way of admiration, Quam rari, etproestantes essent tales! v e. ' How rare and excellent would such servants be?' These are their properties,
2. The reward of those that answer these characters, is propound- ed,
S. In metaphorical terms.
1. Jn proper terms ; Blessed is that servant, ver. 46. he is certainly blessed of God, whatever his usage be from men. If he hefaitJfuI^ all his pi'udence will not secure him from the hatred and persecution of men, but it is enough that Christ calls and counts him blessed ; and those whom he blesseth, are truly and eternally blessed.
2. In metaphorical terms ; ver. 47. " Verily, I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods."" In allusion to the cus- tom of great kings and generals, who use to prefer and advance dis- creet and faithful servants to places of eminent trust, profit, and ho- nour ; as Daniel and Joseph were. The sense thus cleared, runs naturally and easily into this,
Doct. That our Lord Jesus Christ will amply reward the faithful
and prudent stewards of his house, in the day of their account.
This point will open itself to you in these three doctrinal branches.
1. That ministers, in a special sense, are the stewards of Christ'.<5^ house.
2. FaitJ fulness and prudence are the necessary qualifications of Christ's stewards.
THE CHARACTER OF A TRUE EVANGELICAL PASTOR. 567
S. Wherever these are found, Christ will abundantly reward them.
1. Ministej's, in a special sense, are the stewards, or chief servants of Christ's house. So speaks the apostle, 1 Cor. iv. 1. " Let a man account of us as the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.'' To them he hath committed the dispensation of the word and sacraments, which contain the great mysteries of the kingdom of God.
Every private person, who hath received any talent from God, (and to be sure the meanest among us hath one talent at least,) is a steward, and will be called to an account for the employment, or non-employment of that talent in the audit-day. But ministers are stewards in the strict and special sense : Christ distinguishes them from the others, as porters from the rest of the servants, Mark xiii. 84. Nor may any assume that office, but by order from Christ the Master of the family. But this is too obvious to stay longer upon it.
2. We will therefore immediately take into consideration, the pro* perties or qualification of the stewards of Christ : which are,
2. Prudence. And consider them,