in oppofition to those that travelled up and down to vifit and confirm the churches, whom they understand by those that labour, namely, to wearinefs, in the laft part of the verse. For the work of the fixed paftor is fuch a labour too, 1 Theff. v. 12. Nor yet fuch as were unfit for preaching, yet administered the facraments, prayed with the church, and privately admonished the unruly. But fuch an officer, I am fure, is unknown to the Bible. It remains, then, that they are those whom we call ruling elders, whofe work is, as in the text, to govern the church, but not to preach the word; and therefore they are distinguished from preaching elders, as is plain from the particle efpecially; as Phil. iv. 24. "All the faints falute you, chiefly they that are of Cæfars household." Chiefly is the fame word in the Greek that is here rendered especially; and it plainly implies, that there were fome faints at Rome not of Cæfar's household. So here are described fome elders that rule well, and do not labour in word and doctrine.

2. Preaching elders: Their work is to preach the gofpel; to labour in the word and doctrine. To them in a special manner, by the text, double honour is due, i. e. maintenance and refpect, forafmuch as their office is greater and more honourable, not only in ruling of the church, as the others do, but preaching of the gospel befides. Where, by the by, we may fee, that if Paul's doctrine had place in the world, the preaching parish-minifter would have more honour than the non-preaching bifhop, who contents himself with ruling but puts not his fhoulders to the labour in the word and doctrine. Maintenance, we fee, is due to both fort of elders, by divine right. But it is no fin for either to quit their right in certain circumftances. And with us the ruling elders are allowed no maintenance, but the preaching elders The reason of this is the poverty of the church that cannot bear it; and that our ruling elders are not taken off their fecular employments, as ministers are.

are.

The doctrine deducible from the text is,

DOCT. "Ruling elders rightly discharging their duty, are worthy of abundant honour."

Having fufficiently cleared the divine inftitution of ruling elders from the text, which is clear alfo from Rom. xii. 8. 1 Cor. xii. 28. I fhall, in profecution of the doctrine, fhew,

1. What is the duty of thefe officers.

II. What it is to discharge the duties of that office well. III. What is the honour that people owe to their ruling elders.

IV. Apply.

I. I am to fhew what is the duty of thefe officers.

The apostle tells us in the general, that their work as ruling elders is to rule the church. The keys of jurifdiction and government are not given to one, but to the unity of church-officers acting together; fo, together with the paftor, they are to rule the congregation. God fetting a minifter in a congregation, fays to him, It is not meet the man fhould be alone, I will make him an help meet for him.And a fociety of diligent and faithful elders are a meet help indeed. And without that the weight of a congregation is too heavy for the fhoulders of one, as Exod. xviii. 18. But more particularly,

1. They are to be careful overfeers of the manners of the people. Hence the apoftle fays to the elders of Ephefus, Acts xx. 28. "Take heed therefore unto yourfelves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghoft hath made you overfeers, to feed the church of God." And as ministers are a mouth to the church, fo they are to be instead of eyes. And therefore it is neceffary, for the good of a congregation, that there be of them in every corner. For they are truly watchmen, whom the Holy Ghoft has fet over the flock, as well as minifters are. And they ought to acquaint themfelves with the way of the people, that fo they may encou rage thofe that do well, and warn thofe that do evil. And unless elders do fo, and communicate their help in that matter to the pastor, he may be long in a congregation, and yet be a stranger to many under his charge; and fo ministerial vifitations may be very ufelefs.

2. Though they are not to preach the word, yet they are to apply the word privately to people by virtue of their office. They are to have a mouth to fpeak, as well as eyes to take heed to the flock of God, 1 Tim. iii. 2.-" Apt to teach." There is a word pat to this purpose, 1 Theff. v. 12—“ Are over you, and admonifh you." It is the fame word in our text. The word admonish there ufed, is far from expreffing the full meaning of the word the Holy Ghoft ufeth here,

ufed alfo Eph. vi. 4. It properly fignifies to mind." And fo it implies a fivefold duty.

66 put into the (1.) Exciting people to their duty. Obferving negligence, they ought to ftir up people to their duty; e. g. thofe that neglect family-prayer, fecret prayer, attending regularly on ordinances, or are negligent of their fouls ftate any way, they should drop a word to stir them up.

(2.) Rebuking of fin. Reproofs of wifdom are as neceffary for church-members as falt is to keep meat from corrupting. It is neceffary to difcourage fin and wickednefs in the church, which should be a holy fociety. And there wants not occafion enough for this, in fwearing, lying, profaning of the Sabbath, drunkenness, ftrife, variance, and whatfoever is contrary to the rules of the gospel.

(3.) Warning fuch as they fee in hazard of fin; to tell them of the fnare, their hazard and danger, and fo to prevent people's falling into it,as far as lies in their power. Sometimes people may be difcerned ftaggering, and a word then duly put into their mind may, by the bleffing of God, keep them from falling.

(4.) Comforting thofe that are caft down, and ftrengthening the weak. It was the practice of holy Job, chap. iv. 4. "Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou haft strengthened the feeble knees." And church-rulers ought always to have a special eye upon those that are the weak and diftreffed in Chrift's flock, to labour to fupport" them in the Lord.

(5.) Inftructing and informing them privately. And indeed rule without inftruction is dumb, and not agreeable to the way of our Lord's governing his houfe; and excitations, rebukes, &c. can never be rightly managed without information of the mind. For if we would gain our end in dealing with people, we must not think it enough to tell them their duty or their fin, but by reasoning with them to convince their confciences.

These things are the duty of all church-members, however little it is laid to heart. Only what others are bound to by the common band of Chriftianity, we are bound to by our office, Lev. xix. 17. 1 Theff. v. 14.

3. They are to vifit the fick, and fhould be fent for, for that end, Jam. v. 14, 15. But otherwife difcretion and Chriftian love may engage them to go even when they are not

fent for. They ought to pray with them and for them. And, by the fame reason, they are to counsel, inftruct, and comfort them, according to the grace beftowed on them, and as they fee the party's cafe does require. This would be a means to render the office more esteemed than, alas! it is with many. And it needs not hinder the pastor's visits.

4. They are to concur with the pastor in the exercise of difcipline, according to the word of God, and the conftitutions of the church agreeable thereto. For ministers and elders make up that church, having the power of cenfures, Matth. xviii. 17. And thus they are to delate fcandalous perfons to the judicatory, either when their private admonitions will not do, or where the offence is in its own nature public, and cannot be paffed with private admonition. And in the managing of matters in the judicatory, they are not only to give their opinion and vote according to their light, but to reafon the matter calmly, for the finding out of the best expedient. Admiffion to, and debarring from, the facrament of the Lord's fupper, is a weighty piece of this work, belonging to the kirk-feffion, wherein all tenderness, caution, and wifdom fhould be used, to feparate as far as we can betwixt the precious and the vile, that holy things be not caft to dogs.

As for the collecting and diftributing of the church's money, it is fo far from being the main work of ruling elders, that it is no part of their work as elders at all, but belongs to the deacons, which is an inferior office. But the fuperior offices, of the church including the inferior ones, the elders may do it, and muft do it, where there are not deacons.

II. I come now to fhew, what it is to discharge the duties of that office well.

1. It is to discharge it faithfully, 1 Cor. iv. 2. It is a great trust the master puts us in, and we must act in it with that faithfulness to our own fouls, and the fouls of those who are under our charge, as our confcience may not have wherewith to reproach us.

2. Diligently, Rom. xii. 8. The flothful fervant that clofeth his eyes, and gives up his watch, will never be approved of God. Be diligent in your duty, and it will not want its reward.

3. Zealously, Pfal. lxix. 9. Zeal for the master's honour, and advancing the kingdom of Christ in real holiness, and fuppreffing the devil's kingdom in fin and wickedness, in the congregation, and otherwise as we have access, is well becoming church-officers especially.

4. Prudently, Matth. xxiv. 45. Church-officers had need to join the wisdom of the ferpent with the fimplicity of the dove. And they will find it neceffary many a time to sweeten with prudent management the bitter pills they must give, Gal. vi. 1.

III. I proceed to fhew, what is that honour that people owe to their ruling elders.

1. They ought to esteem and respect them for their work's fake, 1 Theff. v. 12. 13. Their work is honourable, their Mafter whom they ferve in that work is great, and the advantage of their work redounds to the church. People's esteem of them is but a neceffary encouragement to them in the work they have undertaken, without any prospect of worldly advantage. And if people esteemed the Lord's work, they would even efteem the workers too.

2. Obedience and fubmiffion to them in their doing the work of their office, Heb. xiii. 17. If it be their duty to watch over you, excite and admonish you, &c. ye ought not to account them meddling in what belongs not to them, when they inquire into your way. Ye ought to fall in with the duties they excite you to; meekly to receive their rebukes, admonitions, and warnings; honourably to receive their confolations, as those that have a commiffion from the Lord; and heartily to receive their good admonition and counsel; and fubjecting yourselves as Christ's fubjects to the discipline of his house.

3. They ought to pray to God for them, 1 Theff. v. 15. It is a great work we have in hand, and your interest is concerned in our right difcharge of it; which therefore should make you to give us a fhare in your prayers.

4. Shutting your ears against reproaches caft on them, and being backward to receive ill reports of them, staving them off, unless there be fufficient evidence, 1 Tim. v. 19. Churchofficers are those whom Satan mainly aims to difcredit, and therefore ftirs up rotten-hearted hypocrites, false brethren, and a profane generation, to caft dirt upon them, that fo