TRACTS FOR THE TIMES.

BISHOP WILSON'S MEDITATIONS ON HIS SACRED

OFFICE.

No. VI.-FRIDAY.

ORDINATION.

Question from the Office of Ordination.—WILL YOU BE FAITHFUL IN ORDAINING, SENDING, OR LAYING HANDS UPON OTHERS? Ans. I WILL SO BE, BY THE Help of God.

Almighty God, who knowest the hearts of men, govern my mind, that I may faithfully discharge this great trust, that neither through fear, favour, interest, or negligence, I may ever promote any person to the sacred charge of CHRIST'S flock.

Bless all those who have already given themselves to Thy immediate service, and labour with me in this ministration; be with us, and guide us, and help us, for Thy promise' sake, for Thine honour's sake, and for the sake of JESUS CHRIST, that we may teach well, and that we may be examples of all the graces and virtues which we recommend to others.

Direct all such as are designed to serve at Thine altar; sanctify their persons, their studies, their intentions, and affections.

And grant that no unworthiness in me may ever hinder Thy gifts and graces from descending upon those whom I shall ordain to thy service, for JESUS CHRIST's sake. Amen.

Jer. iii. 15. "O LORD, give us pastors according to Thine own heart, which shall feed us with knowledge and understanding." Ministers being the officers of God's household, we must depend upon Him in the choice of them, and not upon human motives.

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Acts xiii. 3. "And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away." All Christians being concerned in this affair, all ought to fast and pray, in order to have faithful pastors. Quesn.

Apostolical usages ought to be kept up to, as proceeding from JESUS CHRIST Himself.

Matt. ix. 38. 66 Pray ye the LORD of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest." O gracious LORD, look down in mercy upon this church, at this time. Provide it with faithful labourers, such as shall have a true compassion for the souls committed to their care, and a knowledge and zeal answerable to the account they are to give. Grant that we may all preach the truth as it is in JESUS. Give a blessing to our labours, that we may see the fruits of them, in the repentance and conversion of ourselves, and of all sinners. Make us truly sensible, that when we labour for our flock, we labour for ourselves and for Thy glory. And pardon us, gracious GoD, whereinsoever we have been wanting in any part of our duty. Awaken, and touch all our hearts most powerfully from above, that we may not forget our ordination vows. And for JESUS CHRIST's sake, grant that I may not be answerable for the sins, and the dreadful mischiefs that may follow, if not hindered by Thy grace. The conversion of souls is Thine, O LORD, and not ours; prosper Thou Thine own work. It is not in us to save souls. Let us not sacrifice to our own net, but use the means, and ascribe all the glory to GOD; we of ourselves have nothing whereof to glory.

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Amen.

Luke vi. 12, 13. "And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called unto Him His disciples and of them He chose twelve, whom He also named apostles;" viz. that their very title might put them in mind of their mission. O blessed LORD and Master, let Thy tender regard for Thy church make me ever solicitous at the throne of grace, in behalf of those I send into Thy vineyard; and grant that no unworthiness in me may hinder Thy gifts and graces from descending upon those whom I shall ordain to Thy service.

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For the sake of this church, which Thou hast purchased with Thy most precious blood, enable them for the work unto which they are called, that they may teach well, and that they may live well, and be examples of all the holy graces and virtues which they shall recommend to others. Sanctify their persons and their labours, that they may be respected by their people; and, for Thy authority in them, be heard and obeyed, that they may be able to give a comfortable account at the great day. Amen.

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John xxi. 15. "JESUS said unto Peter, Lovest thou me? Yea, LORD: Thou knowest that I love Thee. He said unto Him, Feed my sheep." O Sovereign Pastor, who lovedst and gavest Thy life for us, make our love for Thee, and our care of Thy sheep, so great and sincere, that we may feed them constantly, and diligently watch over them, that not one of them may be lost through my neglect, or the fault of those whom I send into Thy service. Make us every day mindful of our charge; and every day more able to perform it, remembering the account we must give. Grant' at this for the glory of Thy grace, and the good of Thy church, which Thou hast purchased with Thy most precious blood.

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John xxi. 7. "JESUS said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me ?" Though JESUS CHRIST knew Peter's heart, yet He asked him three times whether he loved Him? To teach those to whom the power of ordaining belongs, to be very solicitous and careful, and not content themselves with a slight inquiry into the dispositions and qualifications of those who are to have the care of souls committed to them. It being entirely at the bishop's discretion whether he will admit any one to the order of priest or deacon, and being not obliged to give any reason for his refusal1; he will be more accountable to GOD, both for ordaining unfit persons, and for any prejudice against such as are worthy. As we consult Gop, as JESUS CHRIST Himself did, when we ordain men to His service, so should we consult JESUS CHRIST, when we assign them a place in His family. Would JESUS CHRIST have given this man the charge of the souls of

this parish? That we may have the comfort of knowing that we enter into the ministry by a choice which proceeded from GOD, we must have some assurance from our own hearts, that the glory of God, the good of souls. was in our intention, and that we were called regularly, and according to the intention of the church.

All

Ember Week.

persons being concerned in the choice of pastors, every body ought to pray for good pastors.

1 Cor. i. 1. "Paul called to be an apostle of JESUS CHRIST through the will of GOD, and Sosthenes our brother." Not through his own will-not through motives of worldly lucre, &c.

Deacons.

1 Tim. iii. 10. "Let these first be proved; then let them use the office of a Deacon, being found blameless." It is not sufficient to secure the dignity of the ministry even in its lower ministries, that men have taken up virtuous resolutions, unless they be also proved to see whether those resolutions will continue, &c.

N. B. To give every person I ordain some short hints in writing, of the nature, dignity, several branches, hazard of not discharging them faithfully, &c. of the ministry.

Matth. xxviii. 20. "Lo! I am with you." The chief care of a minister of CHRIST should be, not to render himself unworthy to have CHRIST present with him in the exercise of his ministry. John xvii, 16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." The repetition of this truth ought to make us sensible how different our life ought to be from that of worldly people.

1 Pet. v. 66 1, 2, 3, 4. The elders I exhort: Feed the flock of God, which is among you, taking the oversight thereof not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being

ensamples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."

N.B. We must feed the flock, not live in idleness ;-not with imperiousness as over subjects, but with love as over brethren; not with an eye to self-interest, but with regard to an heavenly reward.

Apostles (Envoys).

SO JESUS CHRIST called the twelve; that the world might know from whom they had their mission, and that such as are not sent by Him, and by those that have their powers from Him, are not His apostles.

Luke vi. 16. "And Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor." A man may have a lawful call to the priesthood, to dignities and benefices; and yet, for want of answering the ends of his calling, may be a traitor to the church, to CHRIST, and to his own soul. The good LORD grant that I may often think of this with great seriousness.

Luke vi. 39. "Can the blind lead the blind?" It belongs to Thee, O HOLY SPIRIT of grace, to send such guides into Thy church as may lead Thy people in the right way, and to be the guide of those guides. O do so, for Thy mercies' sake, to this church and people. Ignorance in pastors, forasmuch as it is likely to destroy the foundation, is sometimes worse than vice itself, being the occasion of superstition, disorders, and infinite evil consequences, taking error for truth and truth for error.

N.B. Remembering, that a minister of CHRIST can save himself but only by labouring to save others. The business of the ministry is, to preach, to make men love, and to confirm them in, the truths of the gospel. Happy that pastor, whose life and zeal, and labours, do all testify, that he loves his flock, and that he loves them for CHRIST's sake. Nothing can supply the want of such a pastor's presence. They whom God, by a terrible judg ment, leaves to enter into the ministry solely of themselves, are generally puffed up with a carnal notion of its dignity; while they that through His mercy are called to it, at the same time that they know its dignity, are humbled under a sense of its