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nally, in making the powers of the earth pillars to

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All which fuggefts ample matter of

REFLECTION S.

N the first place then, see the divine inftitution of a standing miniftry in the church: an order of men unto whom the miniftry of reconciliation is committed. Paul received it immediately from the Lord, I Cor. xi. 23. Timothy from Paul, I Tim. vi. 20. 2 Tim. i. 14. And the fame was he to commit to faithful men, 2 Tim. ii. 2. They were to transmit it to others; and fo on, from generation to generation.

It is matter of mourning, that fuch an inftitution should be once called in queftion. Certainly the depofitum committed by Timothy, to able and faithful men, was not to die with them. How could they be faithful if it did? The facred chain was not to end with their life, but to be drawn out to the end of the world, Matth. xxviii. 20. What made the miniftry neceffary in one. age, makes it in all, viz. the reconciliation of finners ; the perfecting of the faints; the edifying of the body of Chrift, 2 Cor. v. 19, 20. Eph. iv. 12, 13. The written word does no more fuperfede the neceffity of preaching under the New Teftament, than it did that of Levitical teaching under the Old, Neh. viii. 8. Then the priest's lips were to keep knowledge, and the people to feek the law, [that is, the fenfe of the law,] at his mouth, Mal. ii. 7. As in other inftitutions, fo in this of a gospel ministry, the wisdom and the goodness of God

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are confpicuous. It is impoffible, that every individual can acquire the qualifications, or give that attention which is neceffary to unfold the word of God, and the mysteries of his grace. Can the mechanic, or the merchant be rationally expected to be as well acquainted with these things, as the learned and godly minifter, who Timothy-like gives himself wholly to them? 1 Tim. iv. 15. Who will venture to say, that they ordinarily can?

When I mention acquired qualifications for the facred work of the fanctuary, let me not be mifunderstood, as if I meant to depretiate the gifts, or the grace of God in any: God forbid. I would rather unite the gracious and the acquired abilities, than go about to separate them. By the acquired, I mean, an education for the altar; fo under the Old Teftament, we read of the fons of the prophets, that is, their difciples, 1 Sam. xix. 20. 1 Kings XX. 35. 2 Kings ii. 3. Among acquired abilities for the work of the miniftry, I reckon a competent knowledge of these three languages, wherein was written the title of our crucified Mafter, and which I may say, were fanctified by his cross, viz. Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, John xix. 19, 20. In the first two were the oracles of God written; and hence they claim the ftrongest attention from all who profess to speak from them, and would fpeak according to them. The Latin ftands as the porch introductory to the other two. I know that many ferious perfons are ready to defpife fuch acquifitions. The best apology in their behalf is, They know not what they do. But well did Julian the apoftate, when he formed the infernal scheme of depriving

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the children of Chriftians, of the privilege of the schools. He defigned that all the ftores of human learning, fhould belong to the Heathens, and fo to give them a great advantage in disputing against Christianity. What can the illiterate Teacher anfwer, when fome learned miffionary from Rome tells him, that this or the other paffage is not rightly tranflated? On what unequal ground do they ftand? The fly Jefuit pretends to speak from his own knowledge; the poor illiterate Teacher must trust all to the fidelity of Tranflators. With their eyes he muft fee, and their words he muft fpeak, otherwife he is blind and dumb. fheltering himself under the covert of a verfion, he in effect acknowledges the neceffity of human learning, to others, at leaft, though not to himfelf. For, if fome had not known both the facred originals, and that language in which his version runs, fuch a version had never exifted. Therefore, to decry Hebrew learning, &c. with a vernacular verfion of the Bible in our hand, is to commend the fruit while we depretiate the tree. Is not our English Bible the fruit of learning? And is it not the greatest bleffing Britain ever faw? It is juftly obferved by one, That they who know versions only, fee with other men's eyes; and, ftanding • with the people in the court, behold facred things at a distance. But he who understands the original text; admitted with the priests into the fanctuary, he himself is a witness and a judge of all things that are done in the innermoft parts of the temple *.'

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* Dr. James Robertfon's Calvis Pentateuchi, Præfat. p. 30.

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To deny the inftitution of a gofpel-miniftry, or to vilify fuch an order of men, on account of their personal faults, or the decisions of their courts, is most unjustifiable. Apply fuch reasoning to civil magiftracy, and it's absurdity appears in a moHowever contemptible and base ministers may fometimes render themselves to the people, ftill the office is of God. And what he has fet up, let no man pull down. Faithful ministers are as watchmen on the walls, fhepherds over the flock, and standard-bearers in Meffiah's army. Theirs it is, to proclaim the jubilee of the Lord, to befeech finners to be reconciled to him, and to espouse them to him as their husband, Luke xxiv. 47. 2 Cor. v. 20. and xi. 2. To our highest esteem therefore they are entitled for their work's fake, 1 Theff. v. 13. And when the chief Shepherd fhall appear, they shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away, 1 Pet. v. 4.

2. Let us have the fcriptures in the highest efteem. In them the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a ftandard against the enemy. In them there is light, in oppofition to his darkness; truth, in oppofition to his lies; and eternal life, in oppofition to that death whereof he has the power, Heb. ii. 14. In them we have light, whereby to walk; manna, whereupon to feed; and a fword, wherewith to fight. As the word of God is the standard; so alfo the fword of the Spirit, Eph. vi. 17.: and of it, we may fay, as did David of Goliath's, There is none like that, 1 Sam. xxi. 9. This two-edged fword let us take in our hand to execute vengeance on the enemy. Amidft all our conflicts, to

this ftandard let us ftill repair; under this banner let us quit ourselves like men, and fight the battles of the Lord.

And what an animating motive in the example of our King! When conflicting with the enemy, he took to him this armour of God. Him he repelled with arrows drawn from this quiver: It is written, faid the Son of God, to the tempter, Matth. iv. 4, 7, 10. Thrice did the waves of temptation roll, and thrice he repelled them with the word. The enemy could not beguile him, as the word properly is, Pfal. lxxxix. 22. He beguiled the woman; the man Chrift, he could not *. Herein let us follow Chrift, and fight as he fought. We wrestle not only with flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places, Eph. vi. 12. Against this enemy let us display the banner of the word, in it's precepts and it's promises. By these let us keep ourselves from the paths of the deftroyer. Let the one direct our prefent practice, and the other support us against all the fears of futurity. If the enemy come in with a flood of temptations,

* Our verion reads, The enemy shall not exał upon him. But it is obvious, that the word fignifies to deceive, beguile, or feduce. It is the very word used by the woman, Gen. iii. 13. The ferpent beguiled me. We find it fo rendered, Ifa, xxxvi. 14. Let not Hezekiah deceive you. So alfo in Jer. iv. 10. and xlix. 16. Obad. ver, 7. The judicious will readily fee the propriety of retaining the fame fignification, in Pfal. lxxxix. 22. If ever there was exaction, that was, Fall down and worship me, Matth. iv. 9. A higher exaction Lucifer could not make: but though he exacted upon him, he could not deceive him.

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