"gregation, and appointed this day for his admiflion. His "edict being ferved, was returned, and no objection offered "against the defigned transportation and admiflion." And therefore,

We now proceed to fix the relation between you and him.

Here Mr James Fisher was called up, and proceeded.

"Reverend Sir, although both I, and all the Reverend "brethren and members of the Affociate Prefbytery are fully "convinced of your orthodoxy and foundnefs in the faith, and "of your firm attachment unto the covenanted reformation of "Scotland, both as to doctrine, difcipline, worship, and govern"ment: yet I fuppofe it will be expedient and neceffary, for "the fatisfaction of the people here, that you give answer "unto a few queftions, which the Reverend Prefbytery ap "pointed me to put to you."

Here the ufual queftions were read one by one.

After which proceeded thus.

"Now, I fuppofe you who are the people, are fully fatisfied "with the answers given by the Reverend Mr Fisher unto "thefe queftions. You have, it is true, already figned and "confented, that he fhould be your minifter, by the call which "you have given him. However, I fuppofe it will be encou"raging to him, and fatisfying to the prefbytery, that you "difcover your adherence to your call, by the xgorone, or lifting up of the hand.

So many of you as can conveniently come near, may "come forward, and take him by the hand; others who can"not, may do it upon the difuifling of the congregation."

Now I fhall conclude this work by offering a few words of advice to minister and people.

First, To the minifter. Reverend Sir, God, in his adorable providence, who has the ftars in his right hand, has feen fit to move you from another place, and to fix you here, in order to bear the lamp for his Anointed to this people, upon a very public and confpicuous tower. And, in order to the right management of the gofpel-lamp, there are only a few advices that I would offer; and what advice I offer unto you, I take to myfelf, and I make no doubt but my Reverend brethren will all liten unto them.

to house. "When you come to hear the word, remember that the word you hear will take hold of you, and iffue either in the life or death of your immortal fouls; and what will all the world profit a man if he lose his foul? O then attend diligently incline your ears, hear, that your fouls may live, and the cove nant may be made and established with you, &c.

3. Mingle faith with your hearing of the word preached by your minifter; take his meffage, and receive his Mafter, God's Anointed. We are told that the word preached did not profit fome, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it," Heb. iv. 2. Let not your minifter have occafion to take up that complaint against you, "Who hath believed my report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" He comes to offer "a Saviour and a great One," to deliver you from fin and wrath. Oh be aware of rejecting the offered remedy, for in fo doing you defpife God's herald or meffenger, and him that fent him. When Chrift is fending his apoftles a broad to preach the gospel, he fays, "He that defpifeth you, defpifeth me; and he that defpifeth me, defpifeth him that fent me," &c.

4. I advife you to fubmit to your minifter and elders, in the administration of the key of difcipline, they, being a radical court of Christ, conftirute in the name of Chrift for that very end. This is exprefsly commanded of God: "Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whofe faith follow, confidering the end of their converfation.-Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourfelves: for they watch for your fouls, as they that must give account: that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you," Heb. xiii. 7. 17. Obedience in the Lord is the indifpenfible duty of people towards thefe that have the keys of the kingdom of heaven committed to them; "for what they bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what they loofe on earth shall be loofed in heaven," Matth. xviii. 18.

5. I advife you to pray much for your minifter that is come to bear up the gofpel-lamp among you: "Brethren (fays the apoftle to the Hebrews), pray for us."

Query, What fhould we pray for? Anfw. Pray that the foul of your minifter may be refreshed daily with the oil of God's Anointed, that fo the lamp may be brightened, and he may come forth to you daily in the demonftration of the Spirit and with power; and that, like a fcribe instructed in the mysteries of the kingdom, he may bring forth things new and old for the edifying of your fouls. Pray that a door of utterance may be given him, that he may declare the mysteries of the gospel,

that

that he may feed in the ftrength of the Lord, and in the majefty of the name of his God. Oh pray that he may no only get furniture, but be bleffed with fuccefs in his work; for although Paul were to plant, and Apollos water, yet their ministry would be ineffectual, unless God gave the increafe. Pray that God may give him the art of winning fouls, and that his Mafter may direct him so to caft the gospel net, as that a multitude of fouls may be gained. Pray that he may be made "as a fharp threshing inftrument having teeth, to thresh the mountains, and beat them fmall, and to make the hills as chaff," If. xli. 15.

6. Another advice I give you is, to encourage God's lampbearer among you. Query, How fhould we encourage him? Anfw. (1.) By receiving his Mafter and his meffage, as has been faid. (2.) By ftrengthening his heart and hand in his preaching and witneffing work, particularly at this time, when there are many adversaries, and many arrows of reproach and calumny may be caft at him. (3.) By "maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" among yourfelves. Jars, divifions, and animofities among a people, are a heart-break to a minifter of the gofpel of peace, whereas it is his great comfort to find them of one heart and way in the Lord. (4.) By providing a fuitable maintenance for your minifter, and a place of worthip where you and he may meet and attend ordinances without being expofed to hazard from the injuries of the wea ther. But I know you have these things at heart, and therefore do not infift upon them.

And now, my brethren, fuffer me again to renew the word of exhortation. Oh remember what a valuable bleffing the gofpel is unto a land or people. Why, it is a lamp to discover the way how you may come to God's Anointed, and fo get your fouls for a prey. They that know the worth of their fouls, and have any concern about their falvation, cannot but prize the gospel in its purity, above all their other concerns in a world, for it is "better than gold, yea, than much fine gold; fweeter also than honey from the honey-comb," Pfal. xix. 10.

Befide what was faid in the doctrinal part, I might offer many other confiderations, to raife your efteem of the glorious gofpel.

1. The gofpel-lamp lets men fee where they are, and how far they have departed from God, how near they are unto utter ruin, like the prodigal in a far country, without God, without Christ, without hope, without help, without light, without life, no eye to pity, no hand to help, &c. in a ftate of distance, dark

nefs,

nefs, enmity, every moment liable to wrath and condemnation, yea, condemned already, &c.

2. The gospel-lamp difcovers " a Saviour and a great One," If. xix. 20. who is "able to fave to the uttermoft. I have laid help upon one that is mighty: I have exalted one chofen out of the people, even David my fervant: with my holy oil have I anointed him," Pfal. lxxxix. 19. 20.

3. In the light of this lamp the finner may fee a ransom found, that he may not go down to the pit, even the blood of Jefus, that facrifice of a sweet smelling favour, whereby the wrath of an angry God is turned away, &c.

4. By this lamp we may fee an angry God reconciled and declaring himself a God of peace, and that fury is not in him. Here we may fee the white flag, and the olive branch of peace held up, and God faying, "I create the fruit of the lips; peace, peace to them that are afar off, and to them that are nigh," If. Ivii. 19.

5. By the light of this lamp, finners that are beggared and bankrupted by the fall of Adam, are led to a mine of unsearchable riches, which they may lay hand upon, and make their own without theft or vicious intromiffion. "Unto me (fays Paul), who am lefs than the least of all faints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unfearchable riches of Chrift," Eph. iii. 8. The cry of the gofpel is, "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayft be rich," &c.

6. By this gofpel-lamp, we may fee a houfe of mercy reared and opened, and all manner of provifion in plenty, made ready for the poor, the halt, the withered, and lame. "I have faid, Mercy fhall be built up for ever," Pfal. lxxxix. 2. "Wisdom hath builded her house, the hath hewn out her feven pillars. She hath killed her fatlings, fhe hath mingled her wine; the hath alfo furnished her table. She hath fent forth her maidens, the crieth upon the highest places of the city. Whofo is fimple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth underftanding, the faith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled," Prov. ix. 1.-5. "In this mountain, fhall the Lord of hofts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feaft of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined," If. xxv. 6.

7. By this gospel-lamp we may fee not only meat, but medicine prepared for the poor difeafed foul, that is ready to perifh of its wounds and leprofy. Here you will fee balm in Gilead, and a phyfician there. Here you will fee the mystical brazen ferpent, by a look of which the venom of the old ferpent

is ftayed, and the hurt of it prevented. Here is to be feen the "tree of life, which bears twelve manner of fruits every month, and whofe leaves are for the healing of the nations."

8. By this lamp is to be feen the Rock that follows Ifrael through the wilderness to Canaan; you may fee the clefts of the Rock that were made by the rod of God's anger; you may fee living water gufhing out of the fmitten Rock, and a cry made, "Whofoever will, let him come and drink of the water of life freely." You may fee the Rock having a fhadow, to refresh the weary traveller in his way to glory; you may fee God's doves lodging" in the clefts of the Rock, and in the fecret places of the ftairs," &c.

9. By this lamp you may fee and find the chariot of the wood of Lebanon, with its golden bottom, purple covering, paved with love for the daughters of Jerufalem. By which I understand the covenant of grace and promise, which is everlafting, well ordered, and fure. The gofpel lets you fee, that you have free accefs into this chariot of falvation, in which you may ride in fafety, through all dangers, unto glory: "Thus faith the Lord-unto them that take hold of my covenant, even unto them will I give in mine houfe, and within my walls, a place and a name better than of fons ard of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.-Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer," If. Ivi. 5. 7.

Ic. By this lamp we may fee a ladder reaching between. heaven and earth, by which you may have accefs to that hea ven of glory which we fell from, when we broke the first covenant in Adam; but here is a new and living way into the holieft of all.

11. Here you may fee and find a city of refuge from the avenger of blood, &c.

12. Here you will find the true ark in which you fhall be faved from the deluge.

13. Here you may fee chambers where you may hide yourfelves in a day of wrath, until the indignation be overpalt.

14. Here by this lamp we difcover a confirmed teftament, fecuring us to the inheritance of eternal life, which was lost in the first Adam, and much more than ever we loft. Here we may find our God faying, "I am the Lord thy God;" which is more than ever eye faw, or ear heard, &c.

Thus you fee what great, glorious, and beneficial difcoveries are made by the lamp of the everlafting gofpel. And do not all this make it evident, that they are a privileged people, who have the gospel-lamp lighted, and fet up among them? It was not without ground, that the pfalmift cried out, in the view of

thefe