Duties to our of the Magiftrate to the People, will be in vain to mention here, none of that Rank being like to read this Treatife, and it being very useless for the People to enquire what is the Duty of their Supreme, wherein the moft are already much better read than in their own: It may fuffice them to know, that whatsoever the Duty is, or however performed, he is accountable to none but God, and no Failing of his Part can warrant them to fail of theirs. 6. The fecond fort of Parents are the Spiritual; that is, the Minifters of the Word, whether fuch as the Governors in the Church, or others under them, who are to perform the fame Offices to our Souls, that our natural Parents do to our Bodies: Thus St. Paul tells the Corinthians, that in Chrift Jefus he hath begotten them through the Gospel, 1 Cor. iv. 15. And the Galatians, Chap. iv. 19. that he travails in birth of them, till Chrift be formed in them. And again, I Cor. iii. 2. He had fed them with Milk; that is, fuch Doctrines as were agreeable to that infant State of Chriftianity they were then in; but he had ftronger Meat for them of full Age, Heb. v. 14. All these are the Offices of a Parent; and therefore they that perform them to us, may well be accounted as fuch. 7. Our Duty to thefe, is, Firft, to love them, to bear them that Kindnefs which Love. belongs to those who do us the greatest Benefits. This is required by St. Paul, 1 Theff. v. 12, 13. I beseech you, Brethren, mark them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and esteem them very highly in Love for their Works fake. The Work is fuch as as ought in all reafon to procure them Love, it being of the highest Advantage to us. 8. Secondly, It is our Duty to value Efteem. and efteem them, as we fee in the Text, now mentioned; and furely this is most reasonable, if we confider either the Nature of their Work, at who it is that employs them: The Nature of their Work is of all others the most excellent. We ufe to value other Profeffions proportionably to the Dignity and Worth of the Things they deal in. Now furely there is no Merchandize of equal Worth with a Soul; and this is their Traffick, refcuing precious Souls from Perdition: And, if we confider further, who it is that employs them, it yet adds to the Reverence due to them: They are Ambassadors for Chrift, 2 Cor. V. 20. And Ambaffadors are by the Laws of all Nations to be used with a Refpect answerable to the Quality of thofe that fend them. Therefore Chrift tells his Difciples, when he fends them out to preach, He that defpifeth you defpifeth me, and he that defpifeth me, defpifeth him that fent me, Luke x. 16. It seems there is more depends on the defpifing of Minifters, than Men ordinarily confider, it is the defpifing of God and Chrift both. Let those think of this, who make it their Paftime and Sport to affront and deride this Calling: And let thofe alfo, who dare prefume to exercise the Office of it, without being lawfully called to it, beware of fo high a Prefumption; it is as if a Man of his own Head fhould go as an Ambassador from his Prince. The Apostle fays of the Priests of the Law, which yet are inferior to those of the Gofpel, That no Man taketh this Honour to himself, but he which was called of God, Heb. v. 4. How fhall then then if any Man dare to affume this great Honour to himself, that is not called to it? Neither will it fuffice to fay, they have the inward Call of the Spirit; for fince God hath eftablished an Order in the Church, for the admitting Men to this Office, they that shall take it upon them without that Authority, refift that Ordinance, and are but of the Number of thofe Thieves and Robbers, as our Saviour fpeaks, John x. which came not in by the Door. Befides, the fad Experience of these Times fhews, that many who pretend moft to this inward Call of the Spirit, are called by fome other Spirit than that of God, the Doctrines they vent being ufually directly contrary to that Word of his, on which all true Doctrines must be founded. Such are to be looked on as thofe Seducers, thofe falfe Prophets, whereof we are so often warn'd in the Epiftles of the Apoftles: And whofoever countenances them, or follows them, partakes with them in their Guilt. It is recorded of Jeroboam, as a crying Sin, that he made of the meaneft of the People Priefts; that is, fuch as had, by God's Inftitution, no Right to it: And whofoever hearkens to thefe uncalled Preachers, runs into that very Sin; for without the Encouragement of being followed, they would not long continue in the Course ; and therefore they that give them that Encouragement have much to answer for, and are certainly guilty of the Sin of defpifing their true Paftors, when they fhall thus fet up thefe falfe Apoftles against them. This is a Guilt this Age is too much concerned in. God in his Mercy fo timely convince us of it, as may put a Stop to that Confufion and Impiety, which breaks in so fast upon us by it. 9. Thirdly, We owe to them MainMainte- tenance: But of this I have spoken already in the first Part of this Book, and shall not here repeat. nance. Obedi ence. Fourthly, We owe them Obedience : Obey them, faith the Apostle, that have the Rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your Souls, Heb. xiii. 17. This Obedience is to be paid them in fpiritual Things, that is, whatsoever they, out of God's Word, fhall declare to us to be God's Commands; these we are diligently to obey, remembering that it is not they, but God requires it, according to that of Chrift, He that heareth you heareth me, Luke x. 16. And this, whether it be delivered by the way of publick Preaching, or private Exhortation: For in both, fo long as they keep them to the Rule which is God's Word, they are the Mejengers of the Lord of Hofts, Mal. ii. 7. This Obedience the Apoftle enforceth from a double Motive, one taken from their Ministry, another from themfelves: They watch, fays he, for your Souls as they that must give an Account, that they may do it with Foy, and not with Grief. The People are, by their Obedience, to enable their Paftors to give a comfortable Account of their Souls; and it is a moft unkind Return of all their Care and Labours to be put to Grief for the ill Success of them. But then, in the fecond Place, it is their own Concernment alfo: They may put their Minifters to the Difcomfort of feeing all their Pains caft away, but themselves are like to get little by it; that (fays the Apostle Heb. xiii. 17.) will be unprofitable for you; it is ourselves that will finally prove the Lofers by it; you lofe all thofe glorious Rewards which are here offered as the Crown of this Obe dience; you get nothing but an Addition to your Sin and Punishment: For, as our Saviour tells the Pharifees, If he had not come and spoken to them, they had not bad Sin, John xv. 24. that is, in comparison with what they then had; fo certainly they that never had the Gofpel preached to them, that are much more innocent than they have heard and refifted it. And for the Punishment, what Chrift told thofe to whom he had preached, that it fhould be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon, which were Heathen Cities, than for them, the fame undoubtedly we may conclude for ourselves. 10. Laftly, We are to pray for them: This St. Paul every where Prayers for requires, of his fpiritual Children: them. thus, Eph. vi. 7, 8. having command ed Prayer for all Saints, he adds, And for me, that Utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my Mouth boldly, to make known the Mystery of the Gefpel; and fo again, Col. iv. 3. And this remains ftill a Duty to thefe fpiritual Fathers, to pray for fuch Affiftances of God's Spirit to them, as may enable them rightly to difcharge that holy Calling. I fhall omit to fet down here what is the Duty of Minifters to the People, upon the fame Confideration on which I forbear to mention the Duty of Magiftrates. Duties to our Natural Parents. II. The third fort of Parent is the Natural, the Fathers of the Flesh, as the Apoftle calls them, Heb. xii. 9. And to thefe we owe feveral Duties; as Firft, We owe them Reverence and Refpect; we must behave ourselves towards them with all Humility and Obser Reverence. |