Page images
PDF
EPUB

of a very high sound, of great trust and dignity, but which import likewise great obligations. An ambassador is very solicitous to maintain the dignity of his character, and his master's honour; and chiefly to carry on that which is the main business that he is sent upon, which he is always contriving how to promote: so if the honour of this title affects us as it ought to do, with a just value for it, we ought at the same time to consider the obligations that accompany it, of living suitable to it, answering in some sort the dignity and majesty of the King of kings, that has committed it to us: and of labouring with all possible diligence, to effectuate the great design on which we are sent; the reconciling sinners to God: the work having in itself a proportion to the dignity of him that employs us in it.

Another, and yet a more glorious title, is that of angels, who as they are of a pure and sublime nature, and are called a flaming fire, so they do always behold the face of our heavenly Father, and ever do his will, and are also ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to them that are appointed to be the heirs of salvation. This title is given to bishops and pastors; and as if that were not enough, they are in one place called not only the messengers or angels of the churches, but also the glory of Christs. The natural importance of this is, that men, to whom this title is applied, ought to imitate those heavenly powers, in the elevation of their souls, to contemplate the works and glory of God, and in their constant doing his will, more particularly in ministering to the souls of those, for whom the great angel of the covenant made himself a sacrifice.

I do not among these titles reckon those of rulers or governorsh, that are also given to bishops, because they seem to be but another name for bishops, whose inspection was a rule and government, and so carried, in its signification, both authority and labour. To these designations, that carry in them characters of honour, but of honour joined to labour; and for the sake of which the honour was due, according to that, esteem them very highly for their work's sake; I shall add some other designations, that in their significations carry only labour without honour, being borrowed from labours that are hard, but no way honourable.

They are often called watchmen, who used to stand

f Rev. ii. iii.

* 2 Cor. viii. 23. h Heb. xiii. 7, 17.

i Ezek. iii. 17.

on high towers, and were to give the alarm, as they saw occasion for it: these men were obliged to a constant attendance, to watch in the night, as well as in the day: so all this being applied to the clergy, imports that they ought to be upon their watch-tower, observing what dangers their people are exposed to, either by their sins, which provoke the judgments of God; or by the designs of their enemies: they ought not, by a false respect, to suffer them to sleep and perish in their sins; but must denounce the judgments of God to them, and rather incur their displeasure by their freedom, than suffer them to perish in their security.

St. Paul does also call churchmen by the name of builders, and gives to the apostles the title of master-buildersk. This imports both hard and painful labour, and likewise great care and exactness in it, for want of which the building will be not only exposed to the injuries of weather, but will quickly tumble down; and it gives us to understand, that those who carry this title ought to study well the great rule, by which they must carry on the interest of religion, that so they may build up their people in their most holy faith, so as to be a building fitly framed together.

They are also called labourers in God's husbandry, labourers in his vineyard, and harvest, who are to sow, plant, and water, and to cultivate the soil of the church1. This imports a continual return of daily and hard labour, which requires both pain and diligence. They are also called soldiersm, men that did war and fight against the powers of darkness. The fatigue, the dangers and difficulties of that state of life, are so well understood, that no application is necessary to make them more sensible.

And thus by a particular enumeration of either the more special names of these offices, such as deacon, priest and bishop, ruler and governor, or of the designations given to them of shepherds or pastors, stewards, ambassadors, and angels, it appears that there is a great dignity belonging to them, but a dignity which must carry labour with it, as that for which the honour is due: the other titles of watchmen, builders, labourers, and soldiers, import also that they are to decline no part of their duty, for the labour that is in it, the dangers that may follow, or the seeming meanness that may be in it, since we have for this so great a rule and pattern set us by our Saviour, who k 1 Cor. iii, 10. 11 Cor. iii. 6, 9. Matth. ix. 37,38. xx. 1. Philipp.

ii. 25.

m

has given us this character of himself, and in that a rule to all that pretend to come after him, The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister". This was said upon the proud contentions that had been among his disciples, who should be the greatest: two of them presuming upon their near relation to him, and pretending to the first dignity in his kingdom; upon that he gave them to understand, that the dignities of his kingdom were not to be of the same nature with those that were in the world. It was not rule or empire to which they were to pretend; The disciple was not to be above his lord: and he that humbled himself to be the last and lowest in his service, was by so doing really the first.

He himself descended to the washing his disciples' feet°; which he proposeth to their imitation; and that came in latter ages to be taken up by princes, and acted by them in pageantry: but the plain account of that action is, that it was a prophetical emblem; of which sort we find several instances, both in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel: the prophet doing somewhat that had a mystical signification in it, relating to the subject of his prophecy: so that our Saviour's washing the feet of his disciples imported the humility, and the descending to the meanest offices of charity, which he recommended to his followers, particularly to those whom he appointed to preach his gospel to the world.

CHAP. II.

Of the rules set down in scripture for those that minister in holy things, and of the corruptions that are set forth

in them.

I INTEND to write with all possible simplicity, without

the affectation of a strictness of method: and therefore I will give one full view of this whole matter, without any other order than as it lies in the scriptures: and will lay both the rules and the reproofs that are in them together, as things that give light to one another. In the law of Moses P we find many very particular rules given for the washing and consecration of the priests and Levites, chiefly of the holy priest. The whole tribe of Levi was sanctified and separated from the common labours, either of war or

n Matth. xx. 28.

• John xiii. 5.

P Levit. viii.

tillage: and though they were but one in twelve, yet a tenth of all was appointed for them: they were also to have a large share of another tenth; that so they might be not only delivered from all cares, by that large provision that was made for them, but might be able to relieve the necessities of the widows and fatherless, the poor and the strangers that sojourned among them; and by their bounty and charity be possessed both of the love and esteem of the people. They were holy to the Lord; they were said to be sanctified or dedicated to God; and the head of their order carried on his mitre this inscription, Holiness to the Lord. The many washings that they were often to use, chiefly in doing their functions, carried this signification in them, that they were appropriated to God, and that they were under very strict obligations to a high degree of purity; they might not so much as mourn for their dead relations, to shew how far they ought to rise above all the concerns of flesh and blood, and even the most excusable passions of human nature. But above all things, these rules taught them with what exactness, decency, and purity they ought to perform those offices that belonged to their function ; and therefore when Aaron's two sons, Nadab and Abihu, transgressed the law that God had given, fire came out from the Lord, and devoured thems; and the reason given for it carries in it a perpetual rule; I will be sanctified in all them that draw near to me, and before all the people I will be glorified: which import, that such as minister in holy things ought to behave themselves so, that God's name may be glorified by their means; otherwise, that God will glorify himself by his severe judgments on them. A signal instance of which we do also find in Eli's two sons", whose impieties and defilements, as they made the people to abhor the offering of the Lord, so they also drew down, not only heavy judgments on themselves, but on the whole house of Eli; and indeed on the whole nation.

But besides the attendance which the priests and Levites were bound to give at the temple, and on the public service there, they were likewise obliged to study the law, to give the people warning out of it, to instruct them in it, and to conduct them, and watch over them: and for this reason they had cities assigned them in all the corners of the land; that so they might both more easily observe the manners of the people, and that the people r Levit. xxii. 3, 4. • Levit. x. 1, 2.

Levit. xxi. 1. u 1 Sam. ii. and iii. '

t Levit. x. 3.

might more easily have recourse to them. Now when that nation became corrupted both by idolatry and immorality, God raised up prophets to be extraordinary monitors to them; to declare to them their sins, and to denounce those judgments which were coming upon them, because of them: we find the silence, the ignorance, and the corruption of their pastors, their shepherds, and their watchmen, is a main article of their charge; so Isaiah tells them, that their watchmen were blind, ignorant, dumb dogs, that could not bark; sleeping, lying down, and loving to slumber : yet these careless watchmen were covetous and insatiable, They were greedy dogs, which could never have enough; shepherds they were, that could not understand; but how remiss soever they might be in God's work, they were careful enough of their own: They all looked to their own way, every one to his own gain from his quarter. They were, no doubt, exact in levying their tithes and first-fruits, how little soever they might do for them, bating their bare attendance at the temple, to officiate there; so guilty they were of that reigning abuse, of thinking they had done their duty, if they either by themselves, or by proxy, had performed their functions, without minding what was incumbent on them, as watchmen, or shepherds. In opposition to such careless and corrupt guides, God promises to his people to set watchmen over them that should never hold their peace day nor night.

As the captivity drew nearer, we may easily conclude, that the corruptions both of priest and people increased, which ripened them for the judgments of God, that were kept back by the reformations which Hezekiah and Josiah had made; but at last all was so depraved, that though God sent two prophets, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, to prepare them for that terrible calamity, yet this was only to save some few among them: for the sins of the nation were grown to that height, that though Moses and Samuel, Noah, Job, and Daniely, had been then alive to intercede for them, yet God declared that he would not hear them; nor spare the nation for their sakes: so that even such mighty intercessors could only save their own souls. In this deplorable state we shall find that their priests and pastors had their large share. The priests said not, Where is the Lord? They that handled the law knew me not; the pastors also transgressed against mez; and their corrup

* Isaiah lvi. 10, 11. y Jer. xv. 1. Ezek. xiv. 14.

z Jer. ii. 8.

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »