Use 3. Advice to ministers and people.
1. To ministers. Strive to make out your calling to your people, to evidence it to the consciences of your auditory, by your sincerity and success.
[1.] By your sincerity : 2 Cor. iv. 2, ' We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully ; but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.' Success is not in our power, but yet our aim should be sincere. Delight not in vain applause ; let not this satisfy thee, but that others may feel the power of truth. Let it not satisfy thee when thy hearers go away and say. Oh ! how learnedly, how eloquently, with what subtlety and sub- limity of reason doth he preach ! what excellent gifts of memory, wit, elocution ! This did not satisfy Christ. Christ had made an excellent sermon ; a woman in the company cries out, Luke xi. 22, 28, ' Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps that thou hast sucked ! But he said. Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and
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keep it ! ' It is far better, when they go away from hearing, to be more mindful of themselves than of us ; of what is spoken to their consciences, rather than what are our gifts ; condemning themselves, rather than commending us ; bewailing their own hearts and lives, rather than applauding and admiring our sermons ; smiting their own breasts, and saying, not so much, How well hath he preached ! but how ill have I lived ! how carnal am I, subject to sin !
[2.] By success. This you should covet above all things ; this is the seal of your ministry in the peojile's consciences. Every ambas- sador sent out from a prince hath not only instructions and commands, l)ut his commission sealed ; so a minister must not only look to his mstructions to preach the gospel, but for a seal of his ministry, as his letters of credence and recommendation. Now our seal is spiritual, as all other the parts of our administration are. What is this spiritual seal ? God's owning and blessing our endeavours : 2 Cor. iii. 1-3, ' Do we begin again to commend ourselves ; or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you ? Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men. Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God ; not in tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of the heart.' Success in the hearts of the people doth authorise our com- mission. So 2 Cor. xiii. 3, ' Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, Mdiich to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you.' This is a proof that we come to you in Christ's stead, and speak in his name and power. It is not who can speak most finely and plausibly, but most effectually to the heart : 1 Cor. ii, 4, ' My speech and my preaching Avas not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.' That is the evidence, not luscious gifts. Carnal men may have these, for the good of the body, that have no inward calling. I remember Paul putteth the false teachers upon this experiment and proof of their calling : 1 Cor. iv. 19, 'I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.' I will not examine them by their speech, but by the spiritual efficacy of their ministry, which is the chiefest sign of God's approbation and blessing, not their pomp and eloquence. And therefore this is the seal that you should look after.
2. Here is advice to the people, to own them that are called, and sent to you in the name of Christ. Own their persons by a cordial submission to them: Heb. xiii. 17, 'Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves ; for they watch for your souls as they that must give an account.' In the particular places where you are disposed by the care of providence, they are sent by God to you. There is much in the designation of God's providence, and cohabitation is an excellent friend to church communion. That is the sphere of your activity ; where God hath appointed your dwelling, there you are in the greatest capacity to serve God, and to promote the ends of church-fellowship and communion. And do not only own the persons, but the calling of the ministers, as a gospel institution. Pray for it ; — how importunately doth Paul beg the peoi)le's prayers everywhere ! —
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and countenance and plead for it in the gates. Wicked men could never obtain that power they have over ministers, were there not some backwardness and faintness in the people of God to own them. Herod could have put John to death, ' but he feared the multitude, because they counted him for a prophet,' Mat. xiv. 5. The putting down the ministry will not only be imputed to the violence of others, but to your coldness and ingratitude. Therefore let the world know by some ])ublic vindication that you are not afraid to own Christ's institutions. If we have a charter given us by a prince, how zealous are we that it might not be infringed ! Whatever the world thinks of it, this is Christ's royal gift in the day of his inauguration : Eph. iv. 11, 'When lie ascended up on high, he gave some, apostles ; and some, prophets ; and some, evangelists ; and some, pastors and teachers.' Therefore stand, and plead for it more. Paul took notice, 2 Tim, iv. 16, 'At my first answer no man stood with me ; but all men forsook me,' It is a crime to forsake ministers in their defence, much more to forsake the ministry. Are we so backward that we do not think Christ's gift worthy a public vindication ? Nothing hath been accounted so near and dear to the church of God, that hath put them upon such frequent prayers and zealous endeavours, as this, that their ministers may not be taken from them. Therefore own their calling, and own the institution.