what he promises at his ordination; and woe be to them that do not endeavour to do fo!

If they would not take upon them to convert others till they themselves were converted; if they would undertake the holy calling out of a true love of God, and for the fouls of men; if their fermons were plain and practical, with an eye to the understanding and capacities of thofe that are to hear them; if they would always read the fervice, and adminifter the facraments, with great ferioufnefs, doing holy things after an holy manner; and take care that the ministry be not blamed, through any liberties they take:-this would convince the world effectually of the great bleffing of a standing ministry.

I fhall conclude this head with the prophetical declaration and curfe of fuch as defpifed the priesthood under the law of Mofes. And fure the minifters of Jefus Chrift are not less the care of God!

In the xxxiiid chapter of Deuteronomy, Mofes, prophefying of Levi and the Prietthood, hath these remarkable words: They fhall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Ifrael thy law: they fhall put incenfe before thee, and burntSacrifice upon thine altar. Smite through the loins of them that rife against him, and of them that hate him, that they rife not again; that is, as one may fuppofe, that they leave no pofterity behind them, as Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, did not leave any to furvive them.

Do not imagine, Chriftians, that it is for our own fakes, but for your's, that we magnify our office, as the apoftle fpeaks: It is that you may be fer.fible of the bleffing you enjoy, and of the danger of defpifing the means of falvation.

IV. We come now to confider the express command of God, that his minifters fhould have all just encouragement to discharge their duty with fidelity and chearfulness.

An boufe of God fuppofes, that he has a family; that he has fervants and minifters peculiarly belonging to his houfhold, which is his church.

He took efpecial care for the fupport of these under the law; not leaving it to the fickle humours of thofe for whofe benefit they were appointed his minifters.

St. Paul affures us, that Chrift has done the fame under the gospel: So hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the gospel, fhould live of the gospel. So; that is, (as is plain from what went before) as the priests under the law had a fixed maintenance appointed by God, fo Chrift has ordained, that his minifters fhall have a settled maintenance for preaching the gospel.

Now, this was a tenth before the law, a tenth under the law; and a tenth has been continued under the gofpel, and has been the leaft that any Chriftian lawgiver ever made God's part. And this proportion is unchangeable,

changeable, if either the laws of God or man can make a thing unchangeable. And if Christ's minifters (as it often happens) are forced to take less than God's portion, rather than be continually ftriving with the people of their flock, woe be to them which take the advantage of fuch lenity!

God has most folemnly promised his blessing upon the payment of what he has appointed. The words are, as it were, a challenge to men: Bring ye all the tithes into the ftore-boufe, and prove me herewith, faith the Lord of hofts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a bleffing, that there fhall not be room enough to receive it.

And take notice, it is upon this very account, that the apoftle faith, God is not mocked; that is, he will not fuffer himself to be mocked; for whatsoever a man foweth, that fhall be reap.

That God gives, and withholds his blessing, as men and nations deferve, is a truth not to be questioned by thofe that either read his word, or observe his providence.

V. We now come, in the laft place, to confider, the great regard and reverence which Chriftians ought to have for places dedicated to the honour and fervice of God.

And first, if you remember that this is the houfe of God, you will be careful and zealous to keep it in good and decent repair, as ever you expect the favour and bleffing of God.

• Mal. iii. 10.

Hear

Hear what God himfelf declared by his prophet Haggai, when they neglected to repair his temple: Ye have fown much, and bring in little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it: Why? faith the Lord of bofts. Why, becaufe of my boufe which lieth waffe, and ye run every one to his own house.

This is very proper to be confidered by those who grudge every penny they pay towards the decent repairs of the church, and very often must be compelled by law even to be kind to themselves.

Our next indifpenfable duty is, to go to church on all fuch days as are fet apart for the publick worship of God. And this every Chrif tian will chufe to do, who has any regard either for the honour of God, or for his own falvation.

As to the honour of God, they know little of the nature of true religion, who do not know, that publick worship is an homage and duty which all people owe to the creator of heaven and earth. And it is a fhrewd fign of atheism for any man not to give this publick testimony of his faith and fear of God. And we may, without breach of charity, conclude that fuch people have no concern at all for their falvation.

What a murmuring fuch people would make, if a sentence of excommunication were denounced against them, though no temporal

Chap. i..

evils were to follow. And yet, by absenting from church, they, in effect, lay themselves under that dreadful fentence, and put themfelves under the power of Satan.

We are next to confider, what we go to church for? Why, even to beg God's pardon for those fins, which, if not forgiven, will most certainly be our everlafting ruin; to beg thofe graces and helps without which we can never please God, never go to heaven; and to give God thanks for those mercies, which we have no reafon to expect will be continued, when we are fo ungrateful as not to acknowledge them.

We are also to hear God's holy will and word read and preached, which is one of the great means of grace and falvation. And we are, by a publick appearance at God's house, to teftify our dependance upon God for life, and breath, and all things; and to profess openly, that we are members of his houfhold and family.

But remember, I beseech you, once for all, that it is no honour done to God, to be acknowledged, adored, and worshipped in the church, by one who difhonours him out of it.

We are now come into the houfe of God. Pray take notice, that, in the language of the fcripture, we are faid to be BEFORE GOD, when we are in his house. This will oblige us to take especial care of our behaviour during our stay in his house.

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