Quest. But how shall ive conic to this knovcledrje?
Sol. God shines not into tho brain, but into the very heart of his ministers, that they may give the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Doct. So that the end of God's shining on his ministry is, that they may shine on others.
So then, if you ask what is the sanctified means of God to come to so excellent a knowledge of the face of God in Christ, it is specially to the ministr}-. So God shines in them, that they may give the light of the knowledge they have to others.
And here I will unfold to yon their excellency, and authority ministerial, and the necessity of the calling, they being the light of the world, the sun of the world ; of whom it is said, * As the Father sendeth me, so I send you,' John xx. 21. But these things concern our calling more.
Only it concerns all to know this, that God hath not set up an ordinance in his church in vain. As it is glorious to know ' the glory of God in the face of Christ,' so if ever we will know it, we must come to the ministry, that God hath set up as lights in his church ; for they be appointed to give thee ' the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.' So that the ordinance of God is joined with access to the ministers of God. If you regard God and Christ, regard the ministry, for the grace of God, and faith, and knowledge, and the ministry of faith, are all linked together, and he that despiseth the ministers, despiseth God, and grace, and heaven and all. And therefore the word, as opened in the ministry, is called rhv Xoyov rrig y.a7aWayrii, ' the word of reconciliation,' 2 Cor. v. 18. No reconciliation without it ; tqv Xcyov ttjC i^co^j, ' the word of life,' Philip, ii. 16 ; ro hdo^ov ivayyiXiov, ' the glorious gospel,' 1 Tim. i. 11 ; roi/ avd^stov j3oa^lova rou Qiou ii; TTiv GurriPiav, ' strong arm of God to salvation ;' r^i/ dvvdfj^iv rov Qiou, ' the power of God,' 2 Cor. vi. 7; because God conveyed all these things by it. And they that despise it, despise glorification, reconciliation, glory, and life, and all. It is o Xoyo; rJjj jSaaiXsTac, the * word of the kingdom,' Mat. xiii. 19 ; because we enter into the kingdom of grace here, by his ordinance, and then into the kingdom of God. Therefore to despise God's ordinance is to despise God ; and Acts xiii. 46, the apostle saith, ' Seeing you account yourselves unworthy of the kingdom of heaven.' If they will not hear the gospel, it is as if they despised the kingdom of heaven.
Use. That I advise is, that every one labour /or a right apprehension of ihd ordinances of God. * Let a man esteem of us as the ministers of Christ,' ♦ That is, ' int€reBted.'— G.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. IV, VER. 6. 337
1 Cor. iv. 1, neither more nor less, but just so ; that is, not lords over our faith, but ministers that dispense the mystery of Christ.
I need not speak much of this, because God never wrought good in any but they would have a due and right conceit of the ministers and ordi- nances of God. And they that have base conceits of it, it is a sign God never wrought any good in them. And therefore I speak to them that have respect to the ordinances of God, and that they [may] have more respect to it. Mark what the apostle saith, ' God shines on the heart of the apostles to give light,' &c.
Obj. But it may be objected, God shines in the hearts of his ministers that they may shine on others. Can only good men convert ?
Ans. I answer first, that they have a great advantage above all others, because they have those afiections and those desires to stir them up to pray to God heartily for their people. And then they have love to the people. It is love that begets grace, and so they having sanctified hearts, that way they do more good than others. But the eflect of God's ordinance is not tied to the dignity of any man's person. Judas was a preacher, as bad as he was. Those that convert many shall ' shine in heaven,' if they be good, Dan. sii. 4 ; if they be bad they may convert others and never come thither themselves ; therefore respect the ordinance of God for itself. But because a good expression of the integrity and constant sufiiciency in the teacher is a good help to attention and respect, therefore we ought to be careful in the choice of these. For though God's ordinances depend not on the worthiness of the minister, yet there is much help this way.
Obj. But you will say, Can the ministry cause the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ ? They be but men, and God shineth in us that we may give knowledge of God.
Ans. I answer, man doth it whether they be good or otherwise, minis- terially. God honours them so far as to give them his own title : Acts xvi. 14, Paul preached, God opens Lydia's heart. There must be a concurring of God with the ministry : 1 Cor. iii. 6, ' Paul may plant, and ApoUos water, but God giveth the increase.' But if Paul plant and God giveth not increase, all is to no purpose. ' Be faithful in thy calling,' saith Paul to Timothy, and so thou shalt both save thyself and thy hearers, 1 Tim. iv. 16. So that God appoints calling, and giveth gifts and callings for the good of his church. The sun shineth on the moon and stars, to enlighten the world ; and the light that ministers have is to shine upon others. God teacheth men by men, and it is most suitable and proportionable to our weakness. As it is a trial of our obedience to respect the word, as it comes from one subject to the same infirmity with ourselves, so it is suitable to our weakness. We could not hear God, nor an angel, therefore God giveth gifts to men for men. Beloved, it is a marvellous fruit of God's love, that he will establish such a calling, the end of which is to bring men to heaven. They be ' sent of God,' Acts xiii. 26 ; they be the ' salt of the earth,' Mat. v. 18, the world would be putrified without it ; they be ' the light,' Philip, ii. 15, the world would be dark without it. If it were not for the gospel, what is England, that is now so glorious above other countries that sit in darkness ? And therefore seeing God conveyeth all good to us this way, let it be our prayer to God 'to send labourers into his vineyard,' to set up light in dark places, and to teach his ministers, that they may teach us.