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CHAPTER X.

Of the Ministry.

We believe, with the apostles, that "no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." Heb. 5. 4. And that this

call is not dependant on any human acquirements. We also believe the command of our Blessed Lord, to his disciples, is of lasting obligation, "freely ye have received, freely give." Matt. 10. 8.

These are leading principles of our belief, concerning the ministry.

But in order to understand this subject, we must advert a little more particularly to the call & qualification of a gospel minister, and then bring into view the maintenance which is warranted on Gospel principles.

The call of a minister, as already observed, must be of God. No man can enter into this dignified work, merely from his willing or running. He cannot preach the gospel unless he be sent. And if Christ send not, of course he is not a messenger or minister of Christ.

Hence no man can choose, for himself or his son, the work of the ministry, as he would a trade, by which to obtain emolument or reputation. The ministers of the Gospel, to the present day, must be called by the same authority, and clothed with the same influence that the apostles had, though it may not be in the same degree. They, by virtue of their call and qualification, were messengers and embassadors of Jesus Christ. Who then can assume these

high titles, without having received a message to deliver, or a commission to fulfil from Christ? Without these, the very essentials are wanting.

And what is a minister of the Gospel? Does not the very term itself assert the doctrine we have advanced? The Gospel, is not a system of abstract truths or propositions-It "is the power of God to salvation." And he that receives a dispensation of it to preach to others, actually does minister it, to those whose hearts are prepared to receive it. Thus, according to another metaphor of the holy Scriptures, he becomes a vessel, through which this * precious treasure passes, to the objects of Redeeming Love. But he that has not received such a dispensation of the Gospel, to preach to others, cannot possibly be a minister of the Gospel; because he has not the Gospel to communicate. On the contrary, he "has neither part nor lot in the matter." He may be a minister of certain tenets or opinions. He may be a minister of the commandments and traditions of men, if he has indeed received these. But without the power of God, making him a minister of the Spirit and not of the letter, his preaching never can be of divine authority, nor in "the demonstration of the Spirit and power."

It deserves to be noticed, that, in the records which have been left us, of the first religious meetings of the primitive believers, it is particularly mentioned, when any of the apostles were engaged to speak, in their religious assemblies, that they were "filled with the Holy Ghost." The manner in which it is expressed, is quite remarkable-"Then Peter," or James, or whoever it might be, "being filled with the Holy Ghost"-stood up, &c. clearly implying, that without this immediate qualification, even the apostles did not enter on these important du

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Our Lord, in giving instruction to his ministers, whom he sent out while he was on earth, gave them to understand, that they were to preach nothing but what they had heard from him. "What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light, and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the house tops." And even when brought before kings and governors, for the testimony they bore, he charged them to take no thought how, or what they should speak for it should be given them in that same hour what they should speak; for it was not they that spoke, but the Spirit of their Father, that spoke in them. Matt. 10. 27, & v. 18, 19, 20. The instruc-' tions to the prophet, enjoined the same thing: "Thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me." Ezk. 33. 7. And "other foundation," saith the apostle, "can no man lay, than that is laid," 1 Cor. 3. 11, and on which the prophets and apostles were built. Eph. 2. 20. This living ministry, wholly from divine inspiration, was evidently introduced and established as the ministry of Jesus Christ; and we cannot suppose, that it ever was designed to be essentially or radically changed in its nature. We cannot, like the Galatians, in another case, (Gal. 3. 3,) suppose that gospel ministry was begun in the Spirit, and afterwards to be continued by the natural or acquired abilities of man. For the object is the same, through all ages: being to open the eyes of mankind, and "turn them from darkness to light, & from the power of Satan to God:" Acts, 26. 18; and to edify the body of Christ. And no man, by his natural or acquired abilities, ever was or ever will be capable of this; as the apostle bore testimony: "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God: who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament: not of the letter, but of the Spi

rit; for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life." 2 Cor. 3. 5, 6.

Thus the ministry was constituted in the beginning, under the highest authority, and we are bound to believe that it is still of the same nature, and must be conducted on the same principles. In * vain may we look in the Scriptures of Truth, for a divine sanction of a ministry, entered into in the will of man, and exercised without immediate, Divine Revelation.

The qualification for the ministry is called a gift. It is the testimony of the apostles in a great number of places. Paul expresses himself in the following manner: "Though I have the gift of prophecy." 1 Cor. 13.2. "I was made a minister, according to the gift of the Grace of God, given unto me, by the effectual working of his power." Eph. 3. 7. To Timothy he says: "Neglect not the gift that is in thee." I Tim. 4. 14. In his Epistle to the Romans, he says: "Having then gifts differing according to the Grace that is given to us, whether prophecy,let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith: or ministry, let us wait on our ministering, or he that teacheth, on teaching, or he that exhorteth, on exhortation." Rom. 12, 6, 7. To the Corinthians he says: "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit, and there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God, which worketh all in all." "For to one is given by the Spirit, the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, by the same Spirit; to another, Faith, by the same Spirit; to another, the gifts of healing, by the same Spirit; to another, the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues; but all these worketh that

one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." 1 Cor. 12. 4 to 12.

The apostle Peter says: "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same, one to another, as good stewards of the manifold Grace of God." 1 Peter, 4. 10.

From all these passages, and many more that might be selected, but which I omit for the sake of brevity, it is very clear, that the qualification for the ministry is the pure gift of God; which gift is bestowed upon every man severally as he will. There are diversities of gifts, and differences of administrations, and diversities of operations, but it is the same Spirit the same God that worketh all in all. A divine influence and power calling and preparing them, and directing them in the exercise of their gifts, is the important object here brought into view. Thus we know the ministry was at first constituted and exercised. And we may boldly assert, that nothing can deserve the name of Gospel Ministry, which has not God for its author, and his immediate influence for its directer.

Man indeed may deliver elegant orations, by the strength of his natural or acquired abilities, and this he may do, either extemporaneously, or prepared before hand, and committed to memory. They may be couched in the language of Christ, and of his true ministers, in different ages. They may produce much creaturely zeal, both in the speakers and hearers, and powerfully move the natural passions, and yet produce no real conversion to God, nor advancement of his cause. While the true ministry,though it may not be with excellency of speech, but in weakness, and fear, and in much trembling, may yet be in the demonstration of the Spirit and power, reaching the consciences of the audience, and answering to the witness of God there.