work. His heart ought to be touched with compaffion, with love, for precious and immortal fouls; and he should esteem it his honour, his happinefs, his joy, to devote himself to their welfare, and to the interefts of his dear Redeemer. When a perfon is thus fitted, and difpofed to ferve God in the gofpel of his Son, it is ftill neceffary to the regular exercise of the paftoral office, that he be called to it by fome congregation, who have chofen him to conduct their worship, to adminifter the ordinances. among them, and to be the helper of their knowledge, holinefs, comfort, and falvation.

It is on the circumftances already mentioned, that we lay the ftrefs of the validity of the chriftian miniftry. But, as it is an employment that ought to be entered upon with the greatest folemnity, and as rafh and ignorant intruders fhould be excluded from it as much as poffible, it is highly expedient that the man who is going to take upon him the awful charge of the fouls of his fellow creatures, fhould fummon his fathers and brethren together, and publickly confecrate himself to the duty of a paftor, in their prefence, and with their approbation; feeking their earnest prayers for a bleffing on his labours, and asking their pious and faithful inftructions, admonitions, and experience, to affift him in the right difcharge of his important work. Thus will he be introduced into the fervice of the church, in the way that is, in

every

way

every refpect, regular and compleat; in the which is agreeable to the directions and practice of the New Testament,

Some, indeed, infift upon it, that ordination must be conferred by the hands of a diocefan bishop, whom they affert to be of an order diftinct from, and fuperior to, common prefbyters or paftors, and to have the fole power of delegating perfons to the minifterial office. But I can fee no foundation for this notion in the Scriptures, the only rule to which I have recourse. I there find, that when Timothy received the gift which was in him, it was accompanied with the laying on of the hands of the prefbytery; and I there learn that prefbyters and bishops are the fame office, and that every faithful paftor of a fingle congregation, is truly a chriftian bishop. With confidence and pleafure, therefore, do I affert the validity and regularity of ordination, as exercised among the Proteftant diffenters. With confidence and pleasure do I affert that it is formed and conducted on the plan laid down by our Lord and his apoftles. Are others minifters of Chrift? fo are we likewife, I will not fay that we are more; though it might be alleged in our fayour, that we adhere in a ftricter manner to the rule of the Gofpel; that the people among us have the voluntary choice of their inftructors; and that we fubmit to many difadvantages, in

order

order to maintain the purity of divine worship, and that liberty wherewith Jefus hath made us

free.

Satisfied therefore, as we are of the folid and regular foundation of our minifterial calling, we rejoice when freth candidates offer themselves to the arduous, but facred, honourable, and delightful work. The prophets, do they live for ever? Alas! we know by repeated experience, that the treasure we enjoy in them, is lodged in earthen veffels, which must foon be broken. We fee, in one and another inftance, that the perfons are removed who were burning and fhining lights, and the loss of whofe abilities and fervices we cannot avoid fincerely lamenting. But we are abundantly thankful that our heavenly Father continues to raise up new inftruments to the glory of his great name,

We congratulate you the members of this chriftian fociety, that after the breach made upon you by the death of your late moft excellent and eminent paftor, ye have been led, by the providence and grace of God, to the choice of our worthy brother, whom we most cordially recommend to your efteem and affection, We are fatisfied of his fincere belief in the gofpel, of his holinefs, his knowlege, and the difpofitions and views with which he engages in the miniftry. We are fenfible that he hath been called to difcharge it among you by your

free

free and unanimous voice; and accordingly we are affembled together to receive his folemn dedication of himself to the fervice of the fanctuary, to pour out our fervent prayers in his behalf, to ftir up his pure mind by way of remembrance, and to join in other acts of religion, fuitable to the prefent occafion. We fhall add likewife, the ceremony of the impofition of hands, not as pretending to convey any powers by that ceremony, not even as laying a ftrefs upon it; but becaufe it is a primitive cuftom, because it appears a proper mode of pointing out the perfon ordained, and because it fhould feem, from one or two places in the New Teftament, to have been practifed in the apoftolic times, when no extraordinary gifts were conferred.

And now let us be earneftly folicitous to attend upon the holy employments of this day with proper difpofitions. Let us not come together merely to gratify our curiofity, and much lefs to exercise a critical feverity about forms of expreffion, or doctrines of doubtful disputation ; but with an ardent defire to promote the temper of chriftian piety, virtue, and love. God grant, that in conféquence of our attendance upon him, the people may be animated with a firmer attachment to the Gospel, and a stronger regard to the faithful minifters of Jefus; and that we, who have confecrated ourselves to the fervice of never dying fouls, may be engaged to difcharge

6

discharge our facred work with quickened fidelity, diligence, and fervour! O! may the good fpirit of our heavenly Father kindle and cherish in every one of our breafts, a divine flame, which fhall shine and burn with increasing purity and brightness, through all the days of our mortal life; and at length, be united to the infinitely purer and brighter fires of devotion, affection, and joy, that shall diffuse an inexpreffible fplendour throughout the celeftial world, for ever and ever! Amen.

THE