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feet, but is clean every whit." Hence we learn, that by the minifter's feet being washed, and made clean, or beautiful, we are to understand that he is renewed in the spirit of his mind by the power of the Holy Ghoft; so that he is a living witness of the power of divine truth upon his own soul; having effectually turned him from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God. Hence he can say, upon good ground, with the apoflle: "I am hot afhamed of the gofpel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth."

Every minifter of Christ ought to come to us in the spirit and power of Elias, and should be a burning and a fhining light to the people among whom he labours. The facred fire of divine love, having been kindled in his heart, fhould be kept continually burning, and never suffered to go out; like the facred fire which fell from heaven at the dedication of the Temple. As this holy fire will purify his own soul, and burn up all the dross and the tin of his unholy tempers, desires, or affections; and of confequence, make him all holy, spiritual, heavenly, and divine: fo he will burn with the moft intenfe desire for the glory of God, in the falvation of precious fouls. He will account nothing too difficult for him to undertake, no trial too great for him to endure, and no pains or labours too much for him in order to bring loft sinners to the knowledge of the truth; to feed the flock of Chrift, or to edify the Church of God. And O how happy for hole minifters who can say, with the apoftle: "Neither count I my life dear unto myself, so I may finish my courfe with joy, and the miniftry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, in teftifying the gofpel of the grace of God."

And as a minifler fhould burn with the love of God, fo he fhould alfo fhine in the light of God; and if so, then the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness must shine upon his own foul. He can only fhine as a ftar, in the right hand of Chrift: therefore it fhould be his first and grand concern to be thus highly privileged; that being vifited by the DaySpring from on high, he may fhine with bright, but with borrowed rays. And as the light of God fhines upon his own foul, it will be reflected back upon the people. They fhall fee it, and take knowledge that he hath been with Jelus; that he has come to them from his facred College; from the heavenly University; and has brought the facred light of di

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divine truth, and the holy fire of heavenly love along with

him.

No one can doubt, but that every minister ought to be a fcribe well inftructed in the kingdom of God; and that he fhould fhine among the people in the light of divine truth being fully acquainted with the grand mystery of man's redemption; with the nature and extent of gofpel falvation; with every branch of Chriftian experience; with the nature and power of temptation; and in a word, with the whole revealed will of God. If that precious promife is made good to every true believer, "And they fhall be all taught of God;" how much more fo, to every minifter of Christ. "He who hath heard, and learned of my Father (faith our bleffed Redeemer) cometh unto me.' And if these words hold good respecting all who are brought into a state of favour and acceptance with God; then cer tainly they are fulfilled, in a far higher sense, in those who are fent of God, to fhew unto others the way of salvation. Having then fo divine a Teacher, they fhall be made wife to win fouls to Chrift their mafter; and to build them up, and eftablish them in the truth.

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And as the faithful minifters of Chrift fhould fhine in the light of God, so being purified by grace, their souls being brought into a flate of conformity to the will of God, they fhall thine in all the fruit of the Spirit; in meeknefs, gentleness, humility, patience, and resignation to the will of God: in heavenly mindednefs, in holy watchfulness, in serious godlinefs, and in all holy converfation: and their spirit and temper, their life and converfation, fhall be a continual fermon, to the people among whom they live. Happy people, who are favoured with fuch minifters; surely the good plea fure of the Lord fhall profper in their hands.

II. This brings us to the fecond particular, to fhew that the feet of the minifters ought to appear beautiful to the people unto whom they are sent.

The prophet teaches us in the text, highly to esteem, and thankfully to receive the faithful minifters of the Lord Jefus Chrift, whenever they come among us. This we fhould do because they are fent by the Lord of Life and Glory himself; and accordingly, he hath said, "He that receiveth you, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that fent me." When we consider these words, how cheerfully may we receive thofe men of God, who come to us in his

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name, to reveal his wife and gracious counfels to us! "We are ambaffadors for Chrift (faith the apoftle :) we have received our authority from the King of Heaven; and we come unto you in his name. Now it is well known, that all the honour and refpect which are confidered due to the king himself, whom he represents are due to the ambassador; and if he be lighted, or treated with contempt, or even neglect, this is considered as done to the King. How highly then fhould we honour, and fincerely love those who we have reafon to believe are fent of God; and accordingly, have his glory in view, and our falvation much at heart; fo that their grand concern is, to bring about a well established peace between us and the God of Love, whom they represent; and that this facred treaty may be fo ratified and confirmed, that we may live in a ftate of love and friendship with him for

ever,

As the minifters of Chrift fhould be thus heartily received by us, because he hath fent them; so likewife because he hath qualified them for their work. If we have sufficient eason to believe that they have received wildom from above, and power from on high, and are not only renewed in righte qufnefs, and true holiness, by the power of the Holy Ghoft; but are alfo enriched with fuch spiritual gifts as are necessary to qualify them for the work of the miniftry: God having fo highly honoured them, we ought to honour them also, confidered as being thus qualified by him. An apoftle teaches us thus to esteem the minifters of Chrift: "And we beseech you brethren, to know them who labour among you, and to esteem them very highly, in love, for their works fake." And again he fays: "Remember them who have the rule over you, who have fpoken to you the word of God; whofe faith follow; confidering the end of their converfation, Je fus Chrift, the fame yefterday, to day, and for ever." Here, indeed, we may observe, that the apoftle only teaches us thus to know fuch as labour, and fuch as fpeak to us the word of God. Those then, who neither do the one nor the other, we have no concern with. But those who faithfully labour in the Lord's vineyard, and diligently preach the word of God, are worthy of our higheft efteem.

To the above we may add, that, as the exercife of all their gifts, and the end of all their labour, is the present and eternal falvation of our fouls, we may well receive them with the fincereft affection; feeing we ourselves fhall be eternal gainers by their miniftry, it we improve it as we ought,

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And, as He who fent them hath graciously promifed to be ever present with them, even to the end of the world, we may expect that he will confirm the word of his servants, and we fhall receive edification and comfort by attending upon their miniftry; especially if we attend with earnest prayer for a bleffing from God upon their labours. "As the rain and the fnow cometh down from heaven, and returneth not thi ther (saith the Lord) but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth fruit and bud, that it may give feed to the sower and bread to the eater, fo fhall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it fhall not return unto me void, but it fhall accomplish that which I please, and it fhall profper in the thing whereunto I fend it." As then it must be the defign of God, that his word fhould be made spirit and life unto us, that it should minifter grace to the hearers, we ought to account the feet of thofe beautiful who are fent to us with fuch a gracious defign.

III. We now come to confider, Thirdly, The important, as well as joyful tidings they are sent to proclaim.

They are fent to publifh peace, and falvation; to bring good tidings of good, and to declare unto Zion, Thy God reigneth.

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1. They are fent to publifh peace. This implies two things: first, that Chrift hath made peace for us, by the blood of his crofs; and fecondly, that he offers peace to us, in his bleffed gofpel. Refpecting the first of these, the apoftle affures us, that "God was in Chrift, reconciling the world unto himself; no longer imputing their trefpaffes unto them :" and adds, that, in confequence of this, "he hath committed unto us the miniftry of reconciliation." Here then, man is confidered as deeply guilty in the sight of God, and utterly unable to deliver himself from that condemnation which he has brought upon himself the Lord Jesus having bore the punishment due to his fins, having been wounded for his transgressions, and bruised for his iniquities; pardon and peace are freely offered to him, in his name. He is called by the gofpel into a ffate of favour and reconciliation with God, to experience the sure evidence of this in his own mind, even the peace of God which paffeth all understanding and laying hold of the offers of mercy and grace which are made unto him in the gofpel, the promise of pardon and peace, through faith in the blood of Chrift, will be fealed upon his mind by the Spirit of God; hence he is affured of his intereft in the death of Chrift, and that God is reconciled unto him; and in

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éonfequence of this, a divine tranquillity, an heavenly fereni ty, will fpring up in his mind, which is properly called, the peace of God. As peace is made between God and man, by the meritorious fufferings and death of our divine Saviour; fo peace is proclaimed in the finner's confcience, when he is enabled to believe with his heart unto righteousness, or unto juftification, as the apoftle declares.

2. The ministers of Chrift are sent to publish falvation in his name. The falvation which the gofpel offers to us may properly be confidered as confifting of two grand branches. Firft, our free and full justification, through faith in the blood of the Lamb; implying a complete deliverance from all contracted guilt and condemnation, which we have considered already and, fecondly, the fanctification of all the powers and faculties of our foul; or the renewal of the whole man, in righteoufnefs, in the image of God, in which we were originally created. This great and bleffed change we are now come to consider.

That it was the design of our Redeemer to reftore us to the image, as well as to the favour of God, evidently appears from every part of the New Teftament; and as he inftituted the gospel ministry, in order that the end of his fufferings and death might be fully anfwered, it follows of course, that his faithful ministers will, according to the text, publifh falvation in his name, that we may obtain a lot among the fanctified.

As the apoftle affures us, that "Chrift loved the church, and gave himfelt for it, that he might fanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that he might prefent it to himfelf, a glorious church, not having fpot, or wrinkle, or any fuch thing, but that it fhould be holy and without blemish:" fo he clearly points out the feveral flages of this great work, and fhews us how the God of love ac complishes his own defign. In the feventh chapter of his Epiftle to the Romans, he fhews us the ftate of a fallen fin. ner, made acquainted with the state of his own mind, and earneftly longing for deliverance. He reprefents him "as being carnal and fold under fin," being in a state of miferable bondage, and utterly unable to conquer the evil propensities of his degenerate mind; and, therefore, earneftly crying to the Lord for deliverance. "O wretched man that I am! who fhall deliver me from the body of this death ?" The glorious Deliverer immediately appears in view: "I thank God through. Jefus Christ our Lord." Here we have the ftate, as well as

the

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