children ; that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born ; who should arise and declare them to their children*." So under the Christian dispensation, care is taken, that there never shall be wanting a succession of persons duly qualified and authorized to transmit to every succeeding generation the knowledge of Christ, and of his Gospel. St. Paul says to Timothy, " The things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others alsoV Were the ministerial office to cease, the Church itself would soon fall into decay : for though it is certain that the Scriptures are of themselves, when applied by the Holy Spirit to the soul, able to make men wise unto salvation, it is also certain, that the ministry of the word is, and ever has been, the chief instrument which God makes use of for the conversion of the world. A vision was given to Cornelius, and an angel sent to inform him where he might find an authorized instructor ; and repeated visions were given to Peter, and not only given, but explained to him by the Holy Ghost, in order to remove his scruples, and prevail upon him to go to Cornelius, for the express purpose of honouring God's instituted means of communicating the knowledge of his Gospel. For the very same end was Philip directed, by the Holy Ghost, to go to the Ethiopian eunuch, and to open to him the portion of Scripture which he was reading. The Spirit might as easily have opened the eyes of the eunuch, without the intervention of Philip : but he chose to put the honour on the means which he had instituted ; and to effect that by his minister, which he would not effect by the word alone.
In all ages shall such ministers be raised up, through the operation of the preached word ; nor shall the Church cease to be supplied with them, till there shall remain no more members to be added to her, nor any further work to be wrought in those of which she is composed.]
2. The edification of the Church itself —
[The Church of Christ is his body : those who believe in him are his members : and every member has a measure of growth which it is destined to attain : and it is the com- pleteness of the members in number and pi'oficiency, that constitutes the perfection of the whole body. Towards this per- fection the Church is gradually advancing. To help forward this good work is the office of God's servants, who are continually labouring for the good of the Church, and striving to edify her m faith and love. The ignorant they are to instruct ; the
■ Ps. lxxviii. 5, 6. "2 Tim. ii. 2.