them, the eye of faith will do it; it sees ing the flock evidences; which, though it them to be but for a moment. What are sometimes signifies ruling, and here may they? This is the great cause of our dis- comprise it, yet it is chiefly by doctrine : and quietness in present troubles and griefs, we then the title given to Christ in the encou forget their end. We are affected with our ragement added, further confirms the intercondition in this present life, as if it were pretation, The Chief Shepherd. all, and it is nothing. Oh! how quickly shall all the enjoyments, and all the sufferings, of this life pass away, and it be as if it had not been. CHAP. V. VER. 1. The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the suffer ings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory A due frame of spirit and carriage in the elders, particularly the Apostles of the Church, is a thing of prime concern for the good of it. It is one of the heaviest threatenings, when the Lord declares, that he will give a rebellious people such teachers and prophets as they deserved, and indeed desired: If there be a man to prophesy of wine and strong drink, such a one shall be a prophet, says he to that people, Micah i. 11. And on the other side, amongst the sweetest promises of mercy, this is not the least, to be furnished with plenty of faithful teachers. Though THE Church of Christ being one body, is profane men make no reckoning of it, yet, interested in the condition and carriage of were it in the hardest times, they who know each particular Christian as a part of it: but the Lord will account of it as he doth, a more eminently in those who are more emi-sweet allay of all sufferings and hardship. nent and organic parts of it. Therefore the Though the Lord give you the bread of Apostle, after many excellent directions given to all his Christian brethren to whom he writes, doth most reasonably and fitly add this express exhortation to those who had oversight and charge of the rest, The ellers which are among you, &c. that shall be revealed. The words have, 1. A particular definition of the persons exhorted and exhorting. 2. The tenor of the exhortation itself. The former of these we have in the first verse. And, 1. The persons exhorted, The elders among you. adversity and the water of affliction, yet This promise is to be pressed and sued for by earnest prayer. Were people much in this duty, pastors would find it, and so people themselves receive back their prayers, with much gain, into their own bosom; they would have the returned benefit of it, as the vapours that go up from below fall down Elders here, as often in other places, is a upon the earth again in sweet showers, and name not of age, but of office; yet the inake it fruitful. Thus went there many office is named by that age, which is or ought prayers up for pastors, their doctrine would to be most suitably qualified for it; and that drop as rain, and distil as dew, Deut. xxxii. appellation imports, that men, though not 2. And the sweet influence of it would aged, yet if called to that office, should be make fruitful the valleys, humble hearts re~ noted for such wisdom and gravity of mind ceiving it. And at this time, it is very needand carriage as may give that authority, and ful that the Lord be much importuned for command that respect, which is requisite for the continuance and increase of his favour in persons in their calling: Not novices, as this his Church: As they who have power St. Paul speaks; not as a light bladder, should be more careful of those due means, being easily blown up, as young unstable which in schools of learning, or otherwise, minds are, but such as young Timothy was are needful for qualifying men for this serin humility and diligence, as the Apostle vice; so all in general, both people and pastestifies of him, Phil. ii. 20, I have none tors, and such as are offering themselves to like minded who will naturally care for that service, should chiefly beg from the highyour state; and such as the Apostle Paul fur-er academy, that teaching abundance of that ther exhorts him to be, 1 Tim. iv. 12, Let no Spirit to those employed in that work, that man despise thy youth; but be an example might make them able ministers of the New of believers in word, in conversation, in Testament. charity, in faith, in purity. Oh! it is an inestimable blessing to have The name of elders indifferently signifies the saving light of the gospel shining clear in either their age or their calling; and the the faithful and powerful ministry of it: name of ruling elders sometimes denotes They thought so who said of their worthy civil rulers, sometimes pastors of the church; teacher, "They had rather for them the sun as, amongst the Jews, both offices often meet should not shine, than he should not teach." in the same person. Here it appears that *Satius solem non lucere, quam Chrysostomum non pastors are meant, as the exhortation of feed-| docere. 2. The person exhorting: 1, a co-presby- how many saw him suffer as they did, who ter or fellow elder with you. The duty of reviled, or at least despised him? But by mutual exhorting lies on each Christian to the eye of faith to see the only-begotten Son another, though it be little known amongst of God, as stricken and smitten of God, the greatest part; but, truly, pastors should bearing our sorrows, and wounded for our be, as in other duties, so particularly in this, transgression, Jesus Christ the righteous, eminent and exemplary in their intercourses reckoned amongst the unrighteous and maleand converse, saying often one to another, factors; to see him stripped naked, and "Oh! let us remember to what we are call-scourged, and buffetted, and nailed, and ed; to how high and heavy a charge! to dying, and all for us; this is the thing that what holiness and diligence! How great is will bind upon us most strongly all the duthe hazard of our miscarriage, and how great ties of Christianity, and of our particular callthe reward of our fidelity!" They should be ings, and best enable us, according to our often whetting and sharpening one another callings, to bind them upon others. But by those weighty and holy considerations. our slender view of these things makes light sense, and that, cold incitements to answerable duty; certainly deep impression would cause lively expression. As a And a witness of the sufferings of Christ. He did indeed give witness to Christ, by suffering for him the hatred and persecutions of the world in the publishing of the gospel, Would we willingly stir up our own hearts, and so was a witness and martyr before the and one another, to holy diligence in our time that he was put to death. And this station, study Christ as suffering and dying I exclude not; but that which is more par- more thoroughly: That is the very life of ticularly here intended is, his certain know- the gospel and of our souls; it is all we have ledge of the sufferings of Christ, in his own to learn, and all we have to teach and press person; as an eye-witness of them, and upon on you, I determined to know nothing that knowledge a publisher of them, Luke among you save Jesus Christ and him cruxxiv. 48. And thus these two suit with the cified, 1 Cor. ii. 2. To make Christ's cross two motives urged, to bear home the exhor- the sum of all my learning. tation. The one couched in that, the flock The other motive is, that he was a parof God, ver. 2, which he purchased with taker of the glory to be revealed. those his sufferings, whereof I was an eye-witness of those sufferings, so a partaker of witness. And the other of a crown, ver. the glory purchased by these sufferings; and 4. I may speak the more confidently of that, therefore, as one insighted and interested in for I am one of those who have real interest what he speaks, the Apostle might fitly speak ́in it, and firm belief of it, a partaker of the of that peculiar duty, which these sufferings glory that shall be revealed. and glory do peculiarly persuade. This is And these indeed are the things which the only way of speaking of those things, give weight to a man's words, make them not as a discourser or contemplative student, powerful and pressing, a witness of the suf- but a partaker. There is another force of a ferings of Christ. The Apostles had a pastor's exhortation either to his people or singular advantage in this, that were aurira, his brethren, who brings his message written eye-witnesses; and St. Paul, who wanted upon his own heart; speaks of the guilt of that, had supplied by a vision of Christ, sin, and sufferings of Christ for it, as partiin his conversion. But, certainly, a spiri- cularly feeling his own guilt, and looking on tual view of Christ crucified is generally these sufferings as taking it away; speaks of (I will not say absolutely) necessary to make free grace, as one who either hath drunken a minister of Christ, but certainly very re- of the refreshing streams of it, or at least is quisite for the due witnessing of him, and earnestly thirsting after it; of the love of displaying the excellency and virtue of his Christ, from a heart kindled with it; of the sufferings; so to preach the gospel that glory to come, as one who looks to be a sharer there needs no other crucifix, after so clear in it, and longs earnestly for it, as one who and lively a way as that; it may in some hath all his joy and content laid up in the measure suit the Apostle's word, Gal. iii. 1, hopes of it. Before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you. And thus with respect to Christians conversing with each other in their mutual exMen commonly read and hear, and may hortings and comfortings, all is cold and dead possibly preach, of the sufferings of Christ that flows not from some inward persuasion as a common story, and that way it may a and experimental knowledge of divine things; little move a man, and wring tears from his but that gives an edge and a sweetness to eyes; but faith hath another kind of sight Christian conference. To be speaking of of them, and so works other kind of affec-Jesus Christ, not only as a King and as a tions, and without that, the very eye-sight Redeemer, but their King and their Redeemof them availed the Apostles nothing: For er, in David's style, My King and my God, Psal. Ixviii. 24; and of his sufferings as theirs, applied by faith, and acquitting them, Alluding to the custom of many Popish preachers, to carry a little crucifix into the pulpit with them. in St. Paul's style, Gal. ii. 20, Who loved ment from his home! and how sweet is me, and gave himself for me. To speak of the message that is sent for him to come the glory to come as their inheritance, of home! which they are partakers, their home, as Justly it is called, The glory that is to strangers meeting together abroad, in some be revealed. It is hid for the present, foreign country, delighting to speak of their wholly unknown to the children of this own land, and their parentage, their friends, world, and even but little known to the chiland their rich patrimony, there abiding them: dren of God, who are heirs of it. Yea, they And this ought to be the entertainment of who know themselves partakers of it, yet Christians when they meet. Away with know not much what it is; only this, that it trifling vain discourses, cause all to give place to these refreshing remembrances of our home. Were our hearts much on that rich inheritance above, it would be impossible to refrain our tongues, and to pass on so silent concerning it, to find matter of empty pratings, and be pleased with them, and to have no relish of this. Whither go your hearts? They are out of their way, and abase themselves, that turn so much downwards, and are not more above the sun; eyeing still that blessed land where our purchased inheritance lies. Oh! seek after more clear knowledge of this glory, and of your interest in it, that your hearts may rejoice in the remembrance of it, that it be not to you as the description of a pleasant land, which men read of in history, and have no portion in. They like it well, and are pleased with it while they read, be it,at some imagined country or commonwealth finely fancied. But know the country of yours to be real, and no device; and seek to know yourselves to be partakers of it. Yea, is above all they know or can imagine. VER. 2. Feed the flock of God which is among you, VER. 4. And when the Chief Shepherd shall ap pear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 2. This confidence depends not upon a singular revelation, but on the power of faith, and the light of the Spirit of God, which clears to his children the things that he hath freely given them, though some of them, at some times, yea some, it may be, all or most of their time, do want it: God so disposing it, they scarce clearly see their right, till they IN these words we have, 1. The duty enbe in possession; see not their heaven and joined, Feed the flock of God, which is home, till they arrive at it, or are hard upon among you, taking the oversight of it. it. Yet truly, this we may and ought to The due qualifications of their duty nega seek after in humility and submission, that tively, not by constraint, for filthy lucre, as we may have the pledge and earnest of our lording it over God's heritage, but willinginheritance, Eph. i. 14; not so much for ly, of a ready mind, and as being ensamthe comfort within us, though that is allow-ples to the flock. 3. The high advantage ed, as that it may wean our hearts from things to be expected, an unfading crown of glory, below; may rise us to higher and closer com- when the Chief Shepherd shall appeur. munion with God, and enable us more for his service, and excite us more to his praises, even here. What were a Christian without the hope of this glory, as one said, Tolle religionem, et nullus eris, Take away religion, and you take away the man. And, having this hope, what are all things here to him? how poor and despicable the better and worse of this life, and this life itself! how glad is he that it will quickly end! and what were the length of it to him, but a long continuance of his banishment, a long detain * Peregrinis in terris nulla est jucundior recordatio quam suæ civitatis. AUG. in Psal. cxlv. 1. The duty enjoined, Feed the flock of God; every step of the way of our salvation hath on it the print of infinite majesty, wisdom, and goodness; and this amongst the rest, that men, sinful weak men, are made subservient in that great work of bringing Christ and souls to meet; that by the foolishness of preaching, (or what appears so to carnal wisdom,) the chosen of God are called, and come unto Jesus, and are made wise unto salvation; and that the life which is conveyed to them by the word of life in the hands of poor men, is by the same means preserved and advanced. And this is the count of us concerning it. It is his bought, his purchased flock, and at so dear a rate, as the Apostle St. Paul uses this same consideration, in the same argument, Acts xx. 28. The flock of God that he hath bought with his own blood. How reasonable is it that we bestow our strength and life on that flock, which our Lord laid down his life for; that we be most ready to draw out our spirits for them, for whom he let out his blood? Had I, says that holy man," some of that blood poured forth on the cross, how care to be as careful of those souls that it was shed for? Oh! that price which was paid for souls, which he who was no foolish merchant, but wisdom itself, gave for them! Were that price more in our eyes, and more in yours, nothing would so much take either you or us, as the matter of our souls. In this would our desires and endeavours meet, we to use, and you to improve, the means o saving your precious souls. standing work of the ministry, and this the thing here bound upon them that are employed in it, to feed the flock of God that is among them. Jesus Christ descended to purchase a Church, and ascended to provide and furnish it, to send down his Spirit: He ascended and gave gifts, particularly for the work of the ministry; and the great use of them is this, to feed the flock of God. Not to say any more of this usual resemblance of a flock, importing the weakness and tenderness of the Church, the continual need she stands in of inspection, and guid-fully would I carry it; and, ought I not ance, and defence, and the tender care of the Chief Shepherd for these things; the phrase enforces the present duty of subordinate pastors; their care and diligence in feeding of that flock. The due rule of discipline not excluded, the main part of feeding is by doctrine, leading them into the wholesome and green pastures of saving truths revealed in the gospel, accommodating the way of teaching to their condition and capacity; to be, as much as may be, particularly acquainted with it, and suit diligently and prudently their doctrine to it; to feed the sheep, those more advanced; to feed the lambs, the younger and weaker; to have special care of the infirm; to learn of their Master the great Shepherd, to bind up that which is broken, and strengthen that which is sick, Ezek. xxxiv. 16, those that are broken in spirit, that are exercised with temptations, and gently to lead those that are with young, Isa. xl. 11, in whom the inward work of grace is as in the conception, and they heavy and weak with the weight of it, and the many difficulties and doubtings which are frequent companions and symptoms of that work. Oh! what dexterity and skilfulness, what diligence, and above all, what affection, and bowels of compassion, are needful for the task! Who is sufficient for these things ? 2 Cor. ii. 16; who would not faint and give over in it, were not our Lord the Chief Shepherd; were not all our sufficiency laid up in his rich fulness, and all our insufficiency covered in his gracious acceptance? Inf. 1. This is the thing we have to eye and study, to set Him before us, and to apply ourselves in his strength to his work. Not to seek to please, but to feed; not to delight the ears, but to feed the souls, of his people; to see that the food be according to his appointment; not empty or subtle notions, not light-affected expressions, but wholesome truths, solid food, spiritual things, spiritually conceived and uttered, with holy understanding and affection. And to consider this, wherein lies a very pressing motive, it is the flock of God, not our own, to use as we please, but committed to our custody by him, who loves highly, and prizes his flock, and will require an ac-i Inf. 2. This mainly concerns us indeed, who have charge of many, especially finding the right cure of one soul within us so hard But you are concerned in it each for one: At least remember this is the end of the ministry, that you may be brought unto Christ, that you may be led to the sweet pastures and pleasant streams of the gospel ; that you may be spiritually fed, and may grow in that heavenly life, which is here begun in all those in whom it shall here. after be perfected. And as we ought in preaching, so you in hearing, to propound this end to yourselves, that you may be spiritually refreshed, and walk in the strength of that divine nourishment. Is this your purpose when you come hither? Inquire of your hearts, and see what you seek, and what you find, in the public ordinances of God's house. Certainly the most do not so much as think on the due intendment of them, aim at no end, and therefore can attain none; seek nothing, but sit out their hour, asleep or awake, as it may happen; or possibly some seek to be delighted for the time, as the Lord tells the prophet, to hear, as it were, a pleasant song, Ezek. xxxiii. 32; if the gifts and strain of the speaker be any thing pleasing. Or, it may be, they want to gain some new notions, to add somewhat to their stock of knowledge, either that they may be enabled for discourse, or simply that they may know. Some, it may be, go a little further; they like to be stirred and moved for the time, and to have some touch of good affection kindled in them; but this lasts but for a while, till their other thoughts and affairs get in, and smother and quench it; they are not careful to blow it up and improve it. How many, when they have been a little BERN. Advent. Serm. 3. ↑ affected with the word, go out and fall into | presses the upright way of it, both negativeother discourses and thoughts, and either ly and positively. take in their affairs secretly, as it were under 1. Negatively. There be three evils the their cloak, and their hearts keep a confe- Apostle would remove from this work, conrence with them; or if they forbear this, yet, strainedness, covetousness, and ambition; as soon as they go out, plunge themselves and the positive qualifications opposed to over head and ears in the world, and lose all them, which I shall consider with them, are which might have any way advantaged their willingness, a ready mind, and an exemspiritual condition. It may be, one will say,plary temper and behaviour. 1. We are cauIt was a good sermon; is that to the pur- tioned against constrainedness, μù åvargarpose? But what think you it hath for yours, either driven to the work by necessity, praise or dispraise ? Instead of saying, indigence, and want of other means of subOh! how well was that spoken!" you sistence; as it is with too many, making a should say, "Oh! how hard is repen-trade of it to live by, and setting to it as to tance! how sweet a thing is faith! how any other calling for that end; yea, making excellent the love of Jesus Christ!" That it the refuge and forlorn resource of their were your best and most real commenda- insufficiency for other callings. And as tion of the sermon, with true benefit to yourselves. If some of you be careful of repeating, yet rest not on that; if you be able to speak of it afterwards upon occasion, there is somewhat requisite beside and beyond this, to evidence that you are indeed fed by the word, as the flock of God. As when sheep, you know, or other creatures, are nourished by their pasture, the food they have eaten appears not in the same fashion upon them; not in grass, but in growth of flesh and fleece: thus the word would truly appear to feed you, not by the bare discoursing of the word over again, but by the temper of your spirits and actions; if in them you really grow more spiritual; if humility, self-denial, charity, and holiness, are increased in you by it. Otherwise, whatsoever literal knowledge you attain, it avails you nothing, thongh you heard many sermons every day, and attained further light by them, and carried a plausible profession of religion; yet, unless by the gospel you be transformed into the likeness of Christ, and grace be indeed growing in you, you are but, as one says of the cypress trees, fair and tall, but fruitless. men are not to undertake the work, driven to it by that hard weapon of necessity, so, being engaged in it, they are not to discharge the duties of it merely upon necessity, because of fines binding to it, and for fear of censure; this is a violent forced motion, and cannot but be both very unpleasant and unprofitable, as to the proper end and profiting of this work. And as the principle of the motion in this service should not be a compelling necessity of any kind, but true willingness of heart, So, 2dly, This willingness should not arise from any other but pure affection to the work, not for filthy gain, but purely from the inward bent of the mind. As it should not be a compulsive or violent motion by necessity from without, so it should not be an artificial motion by weights o avarice, and love of gain, hung on within. The former motive, necessity, makes the mind like a wheel, that is driven or drawn forcibly; the latter, avarice, makes it like a clock, which is kept going by art, and by weights hung to it. But there should be a natural motion, as that of the heavens in their course; a willing obedience to the Spirit of God within, moving a man in every Are you not grieved and afraid, or may part of this holy work: that is, guμàs, not many of you be so, who have lived many his mind carried to it as the thing he deyears under a fruitful ministry, and yet are lights in, and in which he loves to be exeras earthly and selfish, as unacquainted with cised. There may be in a faithful pastor God, and his ways, as at the first? Con- very great reluctancies in engaging and adsider this, that as the neglect of souls will hering to the work upon a sense of the exlie heavy on unholy or negligent ministers, cellency of it, and his unfitness, and the so a great many souls are ruining themselves deep apprehension of those high interests, under some measure of fit means; and so the glory of God, and the salvation of souls; the slighting of those means will make their and yet he enters into it, and continues in it, condition far heavier than that of many with this readiness of mind too, that is, others; remember our Saviour's word, Matt. with most single and earnest desires of doing xi. Woe to thee, Chorasin! Woe unto all he can for God, and the flock of God: thee, Bethsaida! It shall be more tole- only grieved that there is in him so little rable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of suitableness of heart, so little holiness and judgment than for you. II. The discharge of this high task we have here duly qualified; the Apostle ex • Καλοὶ καὶ ὕψηλοι καὶ κάρπον οὐκ ἔχουσι. acquaintance with God, for enabling him to it. But finding that, he is satisfied, and, in attendance upon that, goes on, and waits, Timothy careth, not artificially, but na Iturally, Phil. H. 20. |