â—5 to give them their Meat in due season when 't will be most useful for them and not when 't would be hurtful to them Luke 12. â—2 And as his Wisdom is shewn in the Seasonableness so also in the Quality and Quantity of the Meat which he gives them which ought also to be such as is due to them Three great Books which a Minister ought chiefly to study to make him wise and prudent are the Holy Word his own Heart and his own People 4. Such must be sincere and faithful they must be Loyal to their Trust and according to their due knowledge they must dispense what they are entrusted withal An unfaithful Steward may greatly wrong his Master and injure the Family either by an extravagant Wasting or a clandestine Embezelling of the Goods committed to him 't is therefore an especial Qualification in a Steward and especially in a Spiritual and Ecclesiastical Steward that he be true and trusty This is the Property our Ssaviour gives of his Servant and Steward Matth. 24.45 that he be faithful as well as wise Luke 12.42 have an honest Heart as well as an able Head to give his Houshold their Meat in due season And this the Apostle speaks of in the Verse immediately following the Text. Moreover 't is required in Stewards 1 Cor. 4. that a Man be found faithful as tho' 't were the only necessary Qualification of such an one And when he directs Timothy to the Properties of those that should be intrusted with the Mysteries of God he tells him 2 Tim. 2. The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also NOw this Faithfulness and Loyalty to God excludes all base and sinister ends of the Stewardship as Honours Riches Applause from Men Partiality Men pleasing sowing Pillows under Elbows dawbing with untemper'd Mortar 5. Such must be diligent and laborious Stewards must have their heads their eyes their hands their feet busied or they will never discharge their Office Ministers must redeem all the time they can from their Recreations of the Body from Sleep from Visits they must imploy and exhaust all their strength in this their Stewardship they must wear out their Lungs in Praying and Preaching and blunt their Brains in studying grudge no Pain nor Labor devoting their all to and imploying it in and laying it out about this their Function Matth. 24. So our Ssaviour saith that his Servant must be found so doing when he cometh that is he must be always busie and imployed very industrious and laborious and that without ceasing because our Lord's coming is always uncertain So St. Paul commands Timothy Tim. 4.2 I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom Preach the word instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine Day and night at all times he must labor when any Conveniency presented And he was a most excellent Practiser of his own Precepts for he tells the Corinthians 2 Cor. 1 15. That he would very gladly spend and be spent for them Exhaust his Spirits Blood and all for their Souls good And when he had at Miletus called the Bishops the Presbyters of Ephesus he tells them in that excellent Speech to them Acts 20 21 231. I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you but have shewed you and have taught you publickly and from house to house All day preaching and praying in publick assemblies and at night instructing private families And again watch and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears An excellent Example proposed for our Imitation 6. Such must be courageous and magnanimous Of an undaunted and fearless Spirit in the Discharge of their Office Stewards must be so or else every sawcy and unruly Fellow will daunt them and tread them down and so either make them cease to Discharge their Duty or else out of fear to act quite contrary thereto So must ministers because they will meet with Affronts Accusations Contradictions Evil Intreaties from some other of the Family besides Persecutions of all sorts from abroad if the Devil can raise them even all Persecutions of Tongue Hands Sword Prisons Gibbets and Flames and the more able wise faithful and laborious they are the greater Oppositions and more stout and daring Encounters they are likely to meet with even in the Church are Tares as well as Wheat Chaff as well as good Grain bad as well as good Fish Vessels of Wood and Earth and to Dishonour as well as Vessels of Gold and Silver and tho Honour and from these if forreign Persecutions come not they must expect and will experience very great Oppositions and Discouragements and therefore they must have a courageous Spirit and a Countenance like a Wall of Iron and a Gate of Brass or they will never be able to bear up against and wade thro' all these God therefore forbids his Prophets this carnal Fear of Men as Jer. 1.17 Gird up thy loins and arise and speak unto them all that I command thee Be not dismayed at their faces lest I confound thee before them So also Son of man be not afraid of them neither be afraid of their words Ezek. 2.6 tho' briars and thorns be with thee and thou dost dwell among scorpions be not afraid of their words nor be dismayed at their looks though they be a rebellious house 7. Such must be zealous for God's Glory and devoted to his Honour Stewards must be heartily affected with and swayed by their Master's Interest and must look upon their Lord's Reputation as their own grand Concern and this will engage them to be prudent faithful diligent c. in their Place So must Ministers be toward God toward his Name Kingdom and Glory So was St. Paul that glorious Steward that incomparable Example of all Stewards who did and suffered more for the Glory of his Lord and for the Good of his Houshold then any other Phil. 1.20 he tells us That 't was his earnest expectation and his hope that in nothing he should be ashamed but that with all boldness as always so then also Christ should be magnified in his body whether 't were by life or by death He would labor he would suffer he would live industriously and wear out himself he would dieshamefully and give up himself for the Magnification of the Lord Jesus And so in other places he professes Acts 20. â— Bonds and afflictions abide me neither count I my life dear unto myself so I might finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the gospel of the grace of God So that he might testifie the Gospel and introduce Jews and Gentiles
aside his Crosier Miter and Lawn-sleeves and to invest the Royal Robes and take to himself the Crown the Sword and the Scepter But such an extraordinary Case falls not out in many Ages Wherefore seeing this Stewardship is for Term of Life it is a more excellent one then those that are but for a few Months and Years and at the Bene placitum of an inconstant Lord and Master 4. If we consider the Subject Matter of their Stewardship or the Things they are intrusted with to keep and dispense In the Text they are called the Mysteries of God and these are 1. The Word of God whereof they are the Preservers and Dispensers the Preachers the Expounders and the Appliers So St. Paul in that forementioned place tells us 2 Cor. 9.16 17. that a Dispensation was committed to him which he calls the Preaching of the Gospel and so again he tells us Col. 1.25 That the Dispensation which was given him or his Stewardship was to fulfil the Word of God not to fulfil it in itself for 't is compleat and perfect in itself and so it s own end and design even the Glory of God in our Salvation for whoever truly believes the Doctrines and conscienciously obeys the Commands of our Bible shall certainly be blessed of God on Earth and saved by him in Heaven But the meaning is to fulfil it as a Minister of Christ toward them in a due full plain manner revealing preaching or writing it to them and pressing it upon them and their Commission runs thus Matth. 28.19 20. Go and disciple all nations teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you And so Christ said unto them Mark 16.15 Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature The Dispensation of the whole Word is committed to them Of the Promises to declare their Riches their Certainty and their Condition and suitably to apply them Of the Threats to shew their Dreadfulness their Infallibility and their Terms and suitably to apply them Of the Doctrines to shew their Truth their Harmony their Natures their Tendency to God's Glory and Man's Salvation to expound them and prove and confute all Errors by them Of the Commands to teach their Spirituality their Latitude their Perfection and to press them upon the People for their Obedience and Observance 2. The Ordinances and Sacred Rites of Christ's Institutions I mean the Sacraments which are only two Baptism and the LORD's Supper both which are intrusted to Ministers and as Stewards they only have the Administration of them So is Baptism Go and disciple all nations Matth. 28.19 baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Those same Persons that are authorized to Teach are authorized to Baptize and none other and therefore we say that if the Form and Matter of Baptism be used by any prophane Person that is not a Minister that is Null and 't is no Baptism So is the LORD's Supper and therefore St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 11.23 I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me After the same manner also he took the cup when he had supped saying This cup is the new testament in my blood this do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me Where he tells us that he deliver'd to them the Eucharist after the same manner that Christ instituted as he had received Authority from him And whoever has a Right as a Steward of God's Mysteries to Administer one Sacrament has as great a Right and Authority to Administer both 3. The Discipline and Censures of the Church are committed to their Dispensation Suspension Excommunication Re-admission Matth. 16.19 So I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Which is not singularly and personally appropriated to Peter as the Pope would have it and so to himself his pretended Successors but was committed to all the Apostles and in them to all Ministers their Successors in the Ministry and Stewardship of the Gospel John 10.23 Whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins ye retain they are retained From which Passages we may gather that Ministers only have Authority to exclude from and reduce unto discriminating Ordinancers though in particular and well-govern'd Churches the People ought to be consulted with and the Reasonableness of the Minister's Proceedings herein toward any particular Member ought to be evinced and this is according to Scripture and so their Approbation required which seems to be taught us in that Passage of our Saviour's in which our Saviour enjoyns upon the stuborn Impenitency of a Delinquent Matth. 1 15 18. upon a secret Address of the wronged Party to him and upon his taking one or two more with him that then he should tell it to the Church and if he refused to hear the Church and for his Obstinacy be sentenced by the Church that then he should count him as a Heathen and a Publican Which Sentence of the Church seems to be implyed in as antecedent the words following Verily I say unto you Whatsoever ye the Church shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven And that there should be this Harmony between the Ministers and the People and that their Consent be had in the Censures seems to be very expedient yea necessary to the Ends of Censures of Suspension or Excommunication which are the Humbling and Spiritual Profit of the Delinquent the Warning and the Security of the Congregation the Reputation of Religion and the Glory of God by all Now except there be a Concurrence between Pastor and People these will not be produced for if a Minister should deny the Ordinances to a Person and excommunicate him and yet the People own him as a Brother he 'll little regard his Minister's Exclusion of him and be apt to be more proud and headstrong against him the People will be no way secured but be in greater Danger to be infected and by such Divisions and Animosities Religion will be disgraced God dishonour'd and the Devil's Interest exalted The like will be if the People should separate from a Member and the Minister own him the same if not worse Consequences will issue therefrom wherefore St. Paul expresly enjoyns the Concurrence of the whole Church in Excommunication Having greatly blamed and sharply reproved them for owning the Incestuous Person as a Member of their Society he commands them in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ
to believe in Christ and to worship God he would willingly undergo all Persecutions home to a cruel and disgraceful Death And so again I am ready not to be bound only Acts 21.13 but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus For his Praise and Glory so also ought we to be zealous toward it if ever we hope to fulfil our Ministry 8. Such ought to be loving and affected toward the Church and People of God to st a due Value upon their Souls and to have an ardent good will toward them Stewards should have Love toward the Family rejoyce in its welfare delight in its Prosperity c. without which they will either carelesly neglect or heedlesly and heartlestly perform their Duty toward them So must Ministers be toward their People and herein also follow that glorious Pattern St. Paul who says concerning the Jews I say the truth in Christ Rom. 9.1 3. I lie not my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart For I could wish myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh And again Brethren Rom. 10.1 my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved The same ardent Love and earning Bowels had he toward the Gentile Churches so he tells the Corinthians Behold 1 Cor. 12.14 15. the third time I am ready to come to you and I will not be burdensom to you for I seek not yours but you for children ought not to lay up for the parents but the parents for the children And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you though the more abundantly I love you the less I be loved And so also he declares his Love to the Thessalonians 1 Thess 2. â— 8 11. But we were gentle among you even as a nurse cherisheth her children So being affectionately desirous of you we were willing to have imparted to you not the gospel of God only but also your own souls because ye were dear unto us Ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father doth his children So should our hearts be affected toward our People and so we should follow that Precept Feed the flock of God and take the oversight thereof not by constraint 1 Pet. 5.2 but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind 9. Such must be humble and patient Stewards must be of a composed and even Spirit and not be in a passion and storm for every little Miscarriage else they 'll be unfit to manage the Affairs of a great Houshold So Ministers must be of a setled and undisturbed Spirit not soon angry overlooking passing by and dis-regarding of and not troubled at the ill Humors and unhandsom and provoking Carriage which they must expect to meet with from some or other of the Family yea from them from whom they least expect it and least deserve it This is expresly commanded them a Bishop must be patient 1 Tim. 3.3 4. and so the Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle to all Men apt to teach Tim. 2. â— 26. patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth and that they may recover themselves out of the Snare of the Devil's who are taken captive at his will They must imitate Moses and be zealous in God's Cause but meek and as unconcerned in their own c. 10. Lastly Such must be blameless and free from all Vice commendable praise worthy and shining in all Graces and Vertues in all Gravity and venerable Deportment Stewards must be so or they will never keep up their Authority in the Family if they be vain or vicious every one will despise them So Ministers must excel in all excellent and eminent Manners and Practice and give all good Examples to their People so they are enjoyn'd Not as Lords over God's heritage Pet. 5.3 Tim. 4. but as examples to the flock So is Timothy charged To be an example of the believers in word in comversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity And St. Paul tells us that he was so Brethren Phil. 3 1â— 20. be ye followers together of me and marke them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample For our conversation is in heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. Which they must do to confirm their Doctrine they must preach out of the Pulpit by their Lives as well as in the Pulpit by their Sermons this they must do to maintain their Authority over and their Respect from the Houshold of God So St. Paul directs Timothy to do having commanded him 1 Tim. 4 12. Let no man despise thy youth He knew that some Persons would be apt to disdain to be taught to be reproved by a young Lad a beardless Boy as we use to say so to contemn him which he warns him against and directs how he may avoid it even by being an Ensample to the Believers in Word in Conversation c. by shining in all Graces Duties and Vertues toward God and Man And this was that which procured to John the Baptist so great Reverence and Respect from Herod Luke 6. He feared John knowing that he was a just man and an holy and observed him and when he heard him he did many things and heard him gladly So that his eminent Life and shining Conversation won him from such a cruel Tyrant awe to his Person attendance to his Doctrine and obedience in many things to his Injunctions tho' in the case of his Herodias rather than be parted from her he would part John's Head from his Body The Title that the Holy Ghost gives Ministers do all engage them hereunto as they are called Embassadors Fathers Lights Stars Angels How grave then how shining how exemplary how heavenly should they be The chief Graces and Duries which they ought to have and perform and the great Vices and Sins which they ought to subdue and avoid we have specified in 1 Tim. 3.1 7. Tit. 1.5 6 8. to which I refer you In a word let us but well study and follow the three Epistles of Paul to Timothy and Titus and we shall need no other Cannons or Directory for he tells Timothy that 't was for this end that he wrote those Epistles to him If I tarry long 1 Tim. 15. that thou maist know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God which is the church of the living God the pillar and ground of truth Now because I know that thro' the Corruptions of our own Nature and our base inward Discouragements and the manifold and great Oppositions and Contradictions that we do or may meet with Motives are useful to excite us to all these