after their own Decease, and who have been uninterruptedly continued in the Church of Chrift to this Day. They have been the only lawful Inftru&tors and Governours of the Church, and what Discoveries of Truth they have made themfelves, they have freely and candidly imparted to the ignorant and uninftructed. I doubt not but that fome of thofe, who have prefided in the Church of Chrift, have been guilty of great Negligence, and of many Mifcarriages in this Cafe, by which the Light of the Gofpel of Jefus Chrift has been exceedingly obfcured: But never fo far, but that, in due Time, God's Providence has, in a good Measure, restored Matters to the Primitive Standard. Truth has broken out again with a furprising Luftre, and has been duly and faithfully preach'd to the Flock of Chrift. And fhould this Teaching be difcontinued; Ignorance would foon prevail again, and God's own People, would, as of old, perish for Want of Knowledge. The common People may be very induftrious in reading that Holy Word, which is able to make thm wife to Salvation: But that Induftry would foon ceafe and come to nothing, if they had not fuch as attended continual y to teach and inftruct them in the Ways of Truth, and to ftir up their Minds, fo as they might not fleep, but always watch and be fuber. But those who thus teach and inftruct the ignorant and unconverted, muft of Neceffity have fome Authority and Power over those who are taught by them, as I obferv'd before. The Lawful Paftors of the Church or Preachers of the Gospel are not the Minifters or Servants of Men, but they are the Minifters. of Jefus Chrift; and tho' they behave themselves

with the greateft Humility, and become all things to all Men, that by any Means they may fave Jome; yet that Humility of theirs does not debafe their Character, or take off their Superiority in Spiritual Matters over all those committed to their Charge.

We preach not our felves, fays St. Paul, but Chrift 2 Cor. 4 Jefus the Lord, and our felves your Servants for 5. Jefus Sake. What would not the tender and affectionate Parent fubmit to, for the Sake of that • Child whom he lov'd, to procure his inward and his outward Happiness? Yet he's a Father ftill, and still to be reverenc'd, and to be obey'd by his Son as his Superior. It may be faid, that notwithstanding all the Inftructions of the holiest and most induftrious Paftors and Governours of the Church, many are still in the dark, and either cannot or will not fee the Truth of the Gospel of Jefus Chrift: We must own all this as a fad Truth: And whatever may be faid of those who have no Teachers, I am fure that those who have them, and yet continue ignorant will fall under a feverely aggravated Condemnation. We who are lawfully call'd, to be Paftors in the Church of God may, with refped to fuch, declare as the Apoftle once did; We heartily re- 2 Cor. 4. nounce the hidden Things of Dishonesty, and are not2, 3,4 conscious to our felves, that we have walkt in Craftiness or have handled the Word of God deceitfully, but, by Manifeftation of the Truth, have commended our felves to every Man's Confcience in the Sight of God. But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lofts in whom the God of this World hath blinded the Minds of them who believe not, left the Light of the glorious Gospel of Chrift, who is the Image of God, fhould shine unto them. This then is C 2

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the first Branch of that Power vefted in the Paftors and Governours of the Church; after they are once call'd to that facred Office. Thenceforth there is a Neceffity laid upon them indeed, and wo to them if they do not preach the Gospel.

2. The Paftors and Governours of the Chriftian Church are vefted with a juft Power and Authority to reprove any among those under their Care, who walk diforderly, or fo as does not become the Gofpel of Jefus Chrift. The great Duty of a Chriftian Bifhop orPresbyter is to take Care, that the Church receive no Detriment either in its Do&rine or its Difcipline : And they are to manage their Truft (as the old Roman Dictators or Confuls, when they were intrufted with Power to a like Purpose by the Senate,) without Hatred or Favour, and without any Regard to the Greatnefs or Interests of any. And indeed, when fo many who profefs to believe in Jefus Chrift, or call themselves Christians, dare yet to deny that Faith fo notoriously in their Lives and Conversations; the Neceffity of reproving all fuch Sinners, must, among all fober and thinking Men, be indifputable. While Children or Lunaticks and Mad Men are ready to thrust themselves into the greatest Mischiefs, and are altogether infenfible of their Danger; if Parents, Guardians and Keepers had not Power to restrain their Ignorance or Simplicity, what a difmal Account fhould we have of them? Such Ignorants, fuch Madmen are lewd and debauch'd Chriftians: And fhould there be none to cry aloud against their Sins, or to open their Eyes upon that Hell which gapes upon them; what Multitudes would be

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hurry'd openly into eternal Hell? The Prince of Darkness reigns and rages in the Hearts of the Children of Difobédience: He lays Temptations to Sin in every Man's Way; and fometimes the best of Men are off their Watch, and mafter'd by them. Reproof, then, duly temper'd must be one Expedient in the Antidote against their Infection, and a Preventive of their fatal Effe&s.

How much Need had good old Eli, of Reproof,tho' he himself were God's High Prieft ; and the chief Magiftrate in Ifrael, as he was the High-Prieft, and the Urim and Thummim were not yet taken away? He could not but know , what the Wickedness of his Sons deferv'd: And he did reprove them, and back'd his Reproof with excellent and unanfwerable Reason: But alas! Reason fignifies nothing, where Sin is grown habitual and inveterate. Eli as he was High Prieft, and had Authority fufficient for that Purpofe, ought to have cut them off for ever from the very Approaches of God's Houfe, and from any Communication with God's People: and while he neglected his own Duty, he himself became Partaker of their Sins, As he was the Supreme Magiftrate, he ought to have taken the Lives of thofe lewd and profane Wretches, without any Regard to their facred Character, or to their near Relation to himself; and what the Effect of this unhappy Indulgence was, the Hi- 1 Sam. 2. ftory informs us. How frequently did grieving 27, &c. Samuel reprove forgetful Saul for his Miscarriages in the Government of God's People? And what Pains did he take, if it had been poffible, to reconcile him to the Favour of his God? How Sam. 15 undaunted did he behave himself to Saul, while 16. he was yet flourishing under his Regal Chara

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&ter? and how tenderly and compaffionately, when he knew that God had laid him afide, and given the Kingdom to a Neighbour who was better than he? Of what extraordinary Ufe was this reproving Power in one of God's Prophets to David himself, a Prophet too, and a Man after God's own Heart? What Miferies did it rescue him from, when he had been guilty of fuch a Com2 Samı.12. plication of Ingratitude, Treachery, Adultery and Murder in the Matter of Uriah? It is true,Nathan reproved him with all the Humility and Address of a faithful Subject; but then with all the Clofenefs of a Friend to David, and of an Ambassador from Heaven. But he rous'd him out of an otherwife fatal Lethargy by his Care. So when in a vain-glorious Humour, not it may be, without fome Mixture of Sacrilege, David would have the People numbred, tho' better advis'd by 2 Sam.24. his great General Joab, what a kindly Operation had the Reproof of Gad his Seer upon his tender and relenting Heart, and how foon did it bring him to Repentance?

How throughly did a feasonable Reproof al2 Kings lay the fwelling Thoughts of pious Hezekiah, 20. 17,18, when an unexpected Recovery from a dangerous

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Sickness, and the Pride of his extraordinary Treafures, began to puff him up, and make him almoft forget himself? And how frequent, and how very fharp and earneft were those Prophets whom God fent from Time to Time to Ifrael in their Reproofs to that ungrateful People? In all which yet they fhew'd no Ill Will,nor froward or morofe Temper, but only Love and hearty Defires of their Temporal and eternal Happinefs. Nay, our bleffed Saviour himfelf, tho' an unparallel'd Example of Meeknefs and Pity, and Himself

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