lished, and was used 'de facto' in Scripture-times. And if any will prove the lawfulness of latter mutations, or will prove that the apostles gave power to these particular pastors to degenerate into another sort of officers hereafter, according to the cogency of their evidence, we shall believe it. In the meantime, desiring to be guided by the Word of God, and to go upon sure ground, and take only so much as is certain, we hold where we are, and are glad that we are so far agreed. Yet not presuming to censure all superior episcopacy, nor refusing to obey any man that commandeth us to do our duty, but resolving to do our own work in faithfulness and peace.

For my own part, I have ever thought it easier to be governed than to govern; and I am ready, as the British told Austin, to be obedient to any man in, and for the Lord. Nor can I think that any government can be burdensome, which Christ appointeth, but all beneficial to us; as making our burden lighter and not heavier, and helping and not hindering us in the way to heaven. Were Christ's work but thoroughly done, I should be the most backward in contending, who should have the doing of it. Let us agree but on this one thing which is plain here in my text, That the churches or flocks should be no greater than the pastors can personally oversee, so that they may "take heed to all the flock," and then let but able, faithful men be the overseers, that will make the word of God the rule, and lay out themselves for the saving of men's souls, and I am resolved never to contend with such about the business of superiority; but cheerfully to obey them in all things lawful, if they require my obedience. If the difference were not more about the matters commanded, and the work itself to be done, than who should command it: methinks humble men should be easily agreed. Would they but lay by all needless human impositions and obtrusions, and be contented with the sufficient Word of God, and not make new work to necessitate, new canons and authorities to impose it, but be content with the Gospel simplicity, and let us take that for a sufficient way to heaven that Peter and Paul went thither in; I think, I should not disobey such a bishop, though I were satisfied of his differing order or degree. Yea, if he were addicted to some encroaching usurpation of more power than is meet, would he but forbear the Ecce duo gladii,' and come to us only

with the sword of the Spirit, which will admit of fair debates, and works only upon the conscience, I know no reason much to fear such power, though it were undue. But enough of this.

The observations which the text affordeth us are so many, that I may not now stay so much as to name them; but shall only lay down that one which containeth the main scope of the text, and take in the rest as subordinate motives in the handling of that, in the method in which the apostle doth here deliver them to us.

Doct. The pastors or overseers of the churches of Christ, must take great heed both to themselves, and to all their flocks in all the parts of their pastoral work.'

The method which we shall follow in handling this point, shall be this: I. I shall briefly open to you the terms of the subject: what is meant by Pastors and Churches. II. I shall shew you what it is to take heed to ourselves, and wherein it must be done. III. I shall give you some brief reasons of that part of the point. IV. I shall shew you, what it is to take heed to all the flock in our pastoral work, and wherein it must be done. V. I shall make some application of all.

I. What the words, Pastor, Bishop, and Church do signify, I will not waste time to tell you, they being so well known. As for the things signified: By a pastor or bishop here is meant, an officer appointed by Christ for the ordinary teaching and guiding a particular church and all its members, in order to their salvation, and the pleasing of God.

Christ appointeth the office itself by his laws. The person he calleth to it by his qualifying gifts, providential disposal, secret impulses, and ordinarily by the ordination of his present officers, and the acceptance of the church.

Teaching and guidance contain the main parts at least of the work to which they are designed. The particulars we shall further stand upon anon.

A particular church is the object of their work; by which they are distinguished from apostolical, unfixed, itinerant

ministers.

They are the stated, ordinary teachers of such a church; by which they are differenced, both from private men, who do occasionally teach, and from the aforesaid itinerant ministers, and do but in transitu,' or seldom teach a particular

church. The subject is the matters of salvation and obedience to God, and the end is salvation itself, and the pleasing of God therein; by which work and ends the office is distinguished from all other offices, as magistrates, schoolmasters, &c.; though they also have the same remote or ultimate ends.

By the flock and church is meant that particular society of Christians of which these bishops or elders have the charge, associated for personal communion in God's public worship, and for other mutual assistance in the way to salvation. Exact definitions we may not now stand on; we have more fully made some attempts that way heretofore.

II. Let us next consider, What it is to take heed to ourselves, and wherein it must be done. And here I may well, for brevity sake, adjoin the application to the explication, it being about the matter of our practice, that I may be put to go over, as little as may be, of the same things again. Take therefore I beseech you all this explication, as so much advice and exhortation to the duty, and let your hearts attend it as well as your understandings.

1. Take heed to yourselves, lest you should be void of that saving grace of God which you offer to others, and be strangers to the effectual workings of that Gospel which you preach; and lest while you proclaim the necessity of a Saviour to the world, your own hearts should neglect him, and you should miss of an interest in him and his saving benefits! Take heed to yourselves, lest you perish, while you call upon others to take heed of perishing! and lest you famish yourselves while you prepare their food. Though there be a promise of shining as the stars to those that turn many to righteousness, (Dan. xii. 3,) that is but on supposition that they be first turned to it themselves: such promises are meant, 'cæteris paribus, et suppositis supponendis.' Their own sincerity in the faith is the condition of their glory simply considered, though their great ministerial labours may be a condition of the promise of their greater glory: many a man hath warned others that they come not to that place of torment, which yet they hasted to themselves: ́many a preacher is now in hell, that hath an hundred times called upon his hearers to use the utmost care and diligence to escape it. Can any reasonable man imagine that God should save men for offering salvation to others, while they

refused it themselves; and for telling others those truths which they themselves neglected and abused? Many a tailor goes in rags, that maketh costly clothes for others; and many a cook scarcely licks his fingers, when he hath dressed for others the most costly dishes. Believe it, brethren, God never saved any man for being a preacher, nor because he was an able preacher; but because he was a justified, sanctified man, and consequently faithful in his Master's. work. Take heed therefore to yourselves first, that you be that which you persuade your hearers to be, and believe that which you persuade them daily to believe; and have heartily entertained that Christ, and Spirit which you offer unto others. He that bid you love your neighbours as yourselves, did imply that you should love yourselves, and not hate and destroy yourselves and them.

2. Take heed to yourselves, lest you live in those actual sins which you preach against in others; and lest you be guilty of that which daily you condemn, Will you make it your work to magnify God, and when you have done, dishonour him as much as others? Will you proclaim Christ's governing power, and yet contemn it, and rebel yourselves? Will you preach his laws, and wilfully break them? If sin be evil, why do you live in it? if it be not, why do you dissuade men from it? if it be dangerous, how dare you venture on it? if it be not, why do you tell men so? If God's threatenings be true, why do you not fear them? if they be false, why do you trouble men needlessly with them, and put them into such frights without a cause? Do you know the judgment of God, that they that commit such things are worthy of death, and yet will you do them? (Rom. i. 32.) Thou that teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, or be drunk, or covetous, art thou such thyself? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? (Rom. ii. 21-23.) What, shall the same tongue speak evil, that speaketh against evil? Shall it censure and slander, and secretly backbite, that cries down these and the like in others? Take heed to yourselves, lest you cry down sin and not overcome it; lest while you seek to bring it down in others, you bow to it, and become its slaves yourselves. For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought into bondage. (2 Pet. ii. 19.)

To whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness. (Rom. vi. 16.) It is easier to chide at sin, than to overcome it.

3. Take heed also to yourselves, that you be not unfit for the great employments that you have undertaken. He must not be himself a babe in knowledge, that will teach men all those mysterious things that are to be known in order to salvation. O what qualifications are necessary for that man that hath such a charge upon him as we have! How many difficulties in divinity, to be opened! yea, about the fundamentals that must needs be known! How many obscure texts of Scripture to be expounded! How many duties to be done, wherein ourselves and others may miscarry, if in the matter, and end, and manner, and circumstances they be not well in formed! How many sins to be avoided, which without understanding and foresight cannot be done! What a number of sly and subtle temptations must we open to our people's eyes, that they may escape them! How many weighty and yet intricate cases of conscience have we almost daily to resolve! Can so much work, and such work as this, be done by raw, unqualified men? O, what strong holds have we to batter, and how many of them! What subtle and diligent, and obstinate resistance must we expect at every heart we deal with! Prejudice hath blocked up our way; we can scarcely procure a patient hearing. They think ill of what we say while we are speaking it. We cannot make a breach in their groundless hopes and carnal peace, but they have twenty shifts and seeming reasons to make it up again; and twenty enemies that are seeming friends are ready to help them. We dispute not with them upon equal terms: but we have children to reason with, that cannot understand us; we have distracted men (in spirituals) to reason with, that will baul us down with raging nonsense: we have wilful, unreasonable people to deal with, that when they are silenced, they are never the more convinced; and when they can give you no reason, they will give you their resolution; like the man that Salvian had to deal with, (lib. iv. de Gubernat. p. 133.) that being resolved to devour a poor man's means, and being entreated by Salvian to forbear, told him, He could not grant his request, for he had made a vow to take it; so that the preacher audita religiosilsimi sceleris ratione' was fain to depart. We