these gifts; for they must all be exercised distinctly. Here-in you will find out the beautiful order of Christ in the church, and not else. I say, all gifts may be reduced to four heads. The one head of these gifts is to be exercised by the pastor; one head by the teacher; one by the ruler; and one by the deacon and all these gifts, exercised by all these officers, answer all ends for the edification of the church. For it is a vain opinion, that the rule and conduct of Christ's church is either in one, or in all. There is nothing in what I have declared, but what is the design of the apostle in Rom. xii. 6-8. Let us study that harmony more, and we shall find more of the beauty and glory of it.

I shall speak of these pastors mentioned here in the text; and I shall speak of them in general, as all teaching officers in the church, which is the general signification of the word. And all that I shall speak of them is, to remind myself, and my brethren, and you, of somewhat of the duty of such a pastor; what is incumbent on him; what is expected from him. Now I do not design to go through all the necessary duties of a pastor or teacher; I only design to give some instances.

First, The duty of such an officer of the church,* a pastor, teacher, elder of the church, is that mentioned in the text, ' to feed the church with knowledge and understanding.' This feeding is by preaching of the gospel. He is no pastor, who doth not feed his flock. It belongs essentially to the office; and that not now and then (according to the figure and image that is set up of the ministry in the world, a dead idol) as occasion serves. But the apostle saith, Acts vi. 4. 'We will give ourselves continually to the word. It is to labour in the word and doctrine;' 1 Tim. v. 17. to make all things subservient to this work of preaching and instructing the church; to do it in that frame the apostle mentions, in Col. i. 28. he speaks of his preaching, and the design of his preaching, 'whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.' How doth he do it? Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which work

It is proper to inform the reader, that several things in this sermon are to be found in Dr. Owen's True Nature of a Gospel Church,' chap. v.

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eth in me mightily.' There is not one word in our translation, that answers the emphasis of the original words; 'Whereunto I labour, Εἰς ὅ καὶ κοπιώ. Κοπιῶ is to labour with diligence and intention, with weariness and industry. I labour, usque ad fatigationem,' to the spending of myself. Striving, dywvilóμevos; striving as a man that runs in a race; or striving as a man that wrestles for victory; as men did in their public contests. And how? кarà rηv évéρyelav ávrov, according to the effectual, in-working, or inward operation of him, ἐνεργουμένην ἐν ἐμοὶ, who does effectually work in me. We cannot reach the emphasis by any words in our language. And how is all this? iv Svváue, with mighty power. Here is the frame of the apostle's spirit: it should give dread to us in the consideration of it. I labour diligently, I strive as in a race, I wrestle for victory, by the mighty in-working power of Christ working in me, and that with great and exceeding power.

What I shall do is, to shew you, in some instances, what is required unto this work of teaching, or of feeding the congregation with knowledge and understanding, in this duty of preaching the word.

1. There is spiritual wisdom in understanding the mysteries of the gospel, that we may be able to declare the whole counsel of God, and the riches and treasures of the grace of Christ unto the souls of men. See Acts xx. 27. 1 Cor. ii. 1-4. Eph. iii. 7-9. Many, in the church of God, were, in those days of light, growing and thriving; they had a great insight into spiritual things, and into the mysteries of the gospel. The apostle prays, that they might all have it; Eph. i. 17, 18. 'That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, might give unto you the spirit of wisdom, and revelation in the knowledge of him. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened: that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.'

Really, it is no easy thing for ministers to instruct to such kind of duties. If there be not some degree of eminency in themselves, how shall we lead on such persons as these to perfection? We must labour ourselves to have a thorough knowledge of these mysteries, or we shall be use

less to a great part of the church. There is spiritual wisdom and understanding in the mysteries of the gospel required hereunto.

2. Authority is required. What is authority in a preaching ministry? It is a consequent of unction, and not of office. The scribes had an outward call to teach in the church, but they had no unction, no anointing, that could evidence they had the Holy Ghost in his gifts and graces. Christ had no outward call, but he had an unction; he had a full unction of the Holy Ghost in his gifts and graces for the preaching of the gospel. Hereon there was a controversy about his authority. The scribes say unto him, Mark xi. 28. 'By what authority dost thou these things? And who gave thee this authority?' The Holy Ghost determines the matter. Matt. vii. 29. He preached as one having authority, and not as the scribes.' They had authority of office, but not of unction; Christ only had that. And preaching in the demonstration of the Spirit, which men quarrel so much about, is nothing less than the evidence, in preaching, of unction, in the communication of gifts and grace unto them for the discharge of their, office: for it is a vain thing for men to assume and personate authority. So much evidence as they have of unction from God in gifts and grace, so much authority they have, and no more in preaching and let every one then keep within his bounds.

3. Another thing required hereunto, is experience of the power of the things we preach to others. I think truly, that no man preaches that sermon well to others, that doth not first preach it to his own heart. He who doth not feed on, and digest, and thrive by what he prepares for his people, he may give them poison as far as he knows; for, unless he finds the power of it in his own heart, he cannot have any ground of confidence, that it will have power in the hearts of others. It is an easier thing to bring our heads to preach, than our hearts to preach. To bring our heads to preach, is but to fill our minds and memories with some notions of truth of our own or other men, and speak them out to give satisfaction to ourselves and others: this is very easy. But to bring our hearts to preach, is to be transformed into the power of these truths; or to find the power of them both before, in fashioning our minds and hearts,

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and in delivering of them, that we may have benefit; and to be acted with zeal for God, and compassion to the souls of men. A man may preach every day in the week, and not have his heart engaged once. This hath lost us powerful preaching in the world, and set up, instead of it, quaint orations; for such men never seek after experience in their own hearts and so it is come to pass, that some men's preaching, and some men's not preaching, have lost us the power of what we call the ministry: that, though there be twenty or thirty thousand in orders, yet the nation perishes for want of knowledge, and is overwhelmed in all manner of sins, and not delivered from them unto this day.

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4. Skill to divide the word aright. This skill to divide the word aright, is practical wisdom, in considering the word of God, to take out not only that which is substantial food for the souls of men, but what is meet food for them to whom we preach: and that,

5. Requires the knowledge and consideration of the state of our flocks. He who hath not the state of his flock continually in his eye, and in his mind in his work of preaching, fights uncertainly, as a man beating the air. If he doth not consider what is the state of his flock, with reference to temptations, in reference to their light, or to their darkness, to their growth or to their decays, to their flourishing or to their withering, to the measure of their knowledge and attainments; he who doth not duly consider these things, never preaches aright unto them.

6. There is required too, that we be acted by zeal for the glory of God, and compassion to the souls of men.

Having spoken these few plain words, I may say, 'Who is sufficient for these things?' There is required, that spiritual wisdom which is necessary to understand the mysteries of the gospel, able to instruct and lead on to perfection the most grown in our congregation; that authority, which proceeds from unction, and is an evidence of an anointing with the graces and gifts of the Spirit, which alone gives authority in preaching; that experience which conforms our whole souls into every sermon we preach, so as to feel the truth in the power of it; that skill whereby to divide the word aright, &c. Hence we see we have great need to pray for ourselves, and that you should pray for us. Pray for

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ministers. This then is the first duty required of gospel ministers.

Secondly, Another duty required is, continual prayer for the churches over which Christ hath made them overI have not time to confirm these things by particular testimonies: you know how often the apostle expresses it of himself, and enjoins it unto others, continually to pray for the flock.

I will name four reasons why we ought to do so, and four things we ought to pray for.

1. My first reason is, because I believe that no man can have any evidence in his own soul, that he doth conscientiously perform any ministerial duty towards his flock, who doth not continually pray for them. Let him preach as much as he will, visit as much as he will, speak as much as he will, unless God doth keep up in him a spirit of prayer in his closet and family for them, he can have no evidence that he doth perform any other ministerial duty in a due manner, or that what he doth is accepted with God. I speak to them who are wise, and understand these things.

2. This is the way whereby we may bless our congregations.

Authoritative blessing, as far as I know, is taken from us. There is only that which is euctical and declarative, left to us. Pronouncing the blessing is only euctical and declarative, and not authoritative. Now there is no way whereby we can bless our flock by institution, but by a continual praying for a blessing upon them.

3. If men are but as they used to be, I do not believe any minister, any pastor in the world, can keep up a due love to his church, who doth not pray for them. He will meet with so many provocations, imprudences, and miscarriages, that nothing can keep up his heart with inflamed love towards them, but by praying for them continually. That will conquer all prejudices, if he continues so doing. And,

4. My last reason is this, In our prayers for our people, God will teach us what we shall preach unto them. We cannot pray for them, but we must think on what it is we pray for, and that is the consideration of their condition; and therein God teaches the ministers of the gospel. If it be so with them, this is that they should teach them. The