At least remember, this is the end of the ministry, that you may be brought unto Christ; that you may be led to the sweet pastures and pleasant streams of the gospel; that you may be spiritually fed, and may grow in that heavenly life, which is here begun in all those in whom it shall hereafter be perfected. And as we ought in preaching, so ought you in hearing, to propound this end to yourselves, that you may be spiritually refreshed, and walk in the strength of that divine nourishment. Is this your purpose when you come hither? Inquire of your own hearts, and see what you seek and what you find in the public ordinances of God's house. Certainly most men do not so much as think on the due design of them; they aim at no end, and therefore can attain none; they seek nothing, but sit out their hour, asleep or awake, as it may happen. Or, it may be, they seek to gain some new notions, to add somewhat to their stock of knowledge. Some, it may be, go a little further; they like to be stirred and moved for the time; but this lasts but for a while, till their other thoughts and affairs get in, and smother and quench it; they are not careful to improve it. How many, when they have been a little affected with the word, go out and fall into other discourses and thoughts; plunge themselves over head and ears in the world, and lose all which might have advantaged their spiritual condition! It may be, one "It was a good sermon." Is that to the purpose? But what think you it hath for your praise or dispraise? Instead of saying, "O how well was that spoken?" you should say," O how hard is repentance! how sweet a thing is faith! how excellent the love of Jesus Christ!" That were your best and most real commendation of the sermon, with true benefit to yourselves.

will say,

If some of you be careful of repeating what you hear, yet rest not on that; if you be able to speak of it afterwards, there is somewhat requisite beside and beyond this to evidence that you are indeed fed by the word, as the flock of God. As when sheep or other creatures are nourished by their pasture, the food they have eaten appears, not in the same fashion upon them, not in grass, but in growth of flesh and fleece; thus the word would

truly appear to feed you, not by the bare discoursing of the word over again, but by the temper of your spirits and actions, if in them you really grow more spiritual, if humility, self-denial, charity, and holiness, are increased in you by it; otherwise whatsoever literal knowledge you attain, it avails you nothing. Though you heard many sermons every day, and attained further light by them, and carried a plausible profession of religion, yet, unless by the gospel you be transformed into the likeness of Christ, and grace be indeed growing in you, you are but, as one says of the cypress tree, fair and tall, but fruitless.

II. The discharge of this high task we have here duly qualified. The apostle expresses the upright way of it both negatively and positively.

There be three evils. he would remove from this work, constrainedness, covetousness, and ambition, as opposed to willingness, a ready mind, and an exemplary temper and behaviour.

1. We are cautioned against constrainedness, against being driven to the work by necessity, indigence, and want of other means of subsistence, as it is with too many; making a trade of it to live by, and settling to it as to any other calling for that end; yea, making it the refuge and forlorn resource of their insufficiency for other callings. And as the principle of the motion in this service should not be a compelling necessity of any kind, but true willingness of heart, so this willingness should not arise from any thing but pure affection to the work.

2. Not for filthy gain, but purely from the inward bent of the mind. As it should not be a compulsive or violent motion by necessity from without, so it should not be an artificial motion by weights hung on withinavarice and love of gain. The former were a wheel, driven or drawn, going by force; the latter little better, as a clock made to go by art, by weights hung to it. But there should be a natural motion, like that of the heavens in their course. There may be in a faithful pastor very great reluctance in engaging and adhering to the work, from a sense of the excellency of it and his own unfitness, and the deep apprehension of those high interests, the glory of God, and the salvation of souls; and yet he

may enter into it, and continue in it, with this readiness of mind too; that is, with most single and earnest desires of doing all he can for God, and the flock of God; only grieved that there is in him so little suitableness of heart, so little holiness and acquaintance with God for enabling him to it. But might he find that, he were satisfied; and, in expectation of that, he goes on, and waits, and is doing according to his little skill and strength, and cannot leave the work. He is constrained indeed, but all the constraint is that of love to Jesus, and, for his sake, to the souls he hath bought; and all the gain sought is, to gain souls to Christ; which is far different from the constraint and the gain here prohibited; yea, this is indeed that very willingness and readiness of mind which is opposed to that other constraint. That is without, this is within; that other gain is base filthy gain, this noble and divine.

And indeed there is nothing moves us aright, nor shall we ever find comfort in this service, unless it be from a cheerful inward readiness of mind, and that from the love of Christ. Thus said he to his apostle, Lovest thou me? Then feed my sheep, and feed my lambs. Love to Christ begets love to his people's souls which are so precious to him, and a care of feeding them. Love, much love, gives much unwearied care and much skill in this charge. How sweet is it to him that loves, to bestow himself, to spend and be spent, upon his service whom he loves! Jacob endured all that was imposed on him, and found it light by reason of love, the cold of the nights and heat of the days: seven years he served for his Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days, because he loved her.

Love is the great endowment of a shepherd of Christ's flock. He says not to Peter, Art thou wise, or learned, or eloquent? but, Lovest thou me? Then feed my sheep.

3. The third evil is ambition, and that is either in the affecting of undue authority, or the overstrained and ty rannical exercise of due authority, or to seek those dignities that suit not with this charge. There is indeed a ministerial authority to be used in discipline, but still lowliness and moderation must be predominant; being examples to the flock in all holiness, and especially in

humility and meekness, wherein our Lord Jesus particularly propounds his own example; Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart.

But being ensamples; such a pattern as they may stamp and print their spirits and carriage by, and be followers of you as you are of Christ. And without this, there is little or no fruitful teaching.

But this pares off, some may think, all encouragements of learning; leaves no advantage, no respect, or authority. O no; it removes poor worthless encouragements out of the way, to make place for one great one that is sufficient, which all the others together are not.

III. The high advantage; And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Thou shalt lose nothing by all this restraint from base gain, and vain glory, and worldly power. Let them all go for a crown: that weighs them all down; that shall abide for ever. O how far more excellent!-a crown of glory, pure unmixed glory, without any pride or sinful vanity, or any danger of it —and a crown that fadeth not, of such a flower as withers not: not a temporary garland of fading flowers, such as all here are. May they not well trample on base gain and vain applause, who have this crown to look to? They that will be content with those things let them be so; they have their reward, and it is done and gone, when faithful followers are to receive theirs.

What is to be refused in the way to this crown? All labor is sweet for it. And what is there here to be desired to detain our hearts, that we should not most willingly let go, to rest from our labors and receive our crown? Was ever any king sad to think that the day of his coronation drew nigh? And then there will be no envy, nor jealousies; all will be kings, each with his crown, each rejoicing in the glory of the others, and all in bis, who that day shall be all in all.

Ver. 5. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder; yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

SIN hath disordered all; so that nothing is to be found but distemper and crookedness in the ways of men towards God and towards one another, till a new Spirit comes in and rectifies all. And very much of that redress lies in this particular grace of humility, here recommended by the apostle.

This grace regulates the carriage, I. of the younger towards the elder; II. of all men one to another; III. of all towards God.

I. The younger are to be subject to the elder; which I take so to refer to difference of years, that it hath some aspect likewise to the relation of those that are under the discipline and government of the elders, who, though not always such in years, ought however to suit that name in exemplary gravity and wisdom. The Spirit of Christ in his ministers is the thing that makes them truly elders, and truly worthy of double honor.

Learn, my brethren, that obedience which is due to the discipline of God's house. This is all we plead for in this point. And know, if you refuse it and despise the ordinance of God, he will resent the indignity as done to himself. And O that all who have the charge of his house upon them, would mind his interest wholly, and not rise in conceit of their power, but wholly employ and improve it for their Lord and Master, and look on no respect paid to themselves as for its own sake desirable, but only so far as is needful for the profitable discharge and advancement of his work in their hands!

But though this word likewise implies, I conceive, somewhat relative to the former subject, yet certainly its full scope is more extensive, and directs us, touching the difference of years, to yield the subjection, that is, the respect and reverence, which is due from younger to elder persons.

The presumption and unbridledness of youth require