Ift, The Import and Nature of the Com- In doing which, I would not be understood to dictate to my Brethren, my Superiors in Abilities, Experience, and Judgment, but to review and recollect; to take a fhort View of our Office, as ftated by our Lord himself in the Words of the Text; to recollect what Affistance, Support, and Comfort we are here intitled to expect from him; and by this View and Recollection to encourage myself and others in a faithful Difcharge of our Duty, as knowing, that he is faithful who hath promifed. Whatever may be the Oppofitions or Difcouragements of the World, our Authority is derived from a fuperior Hand, and our Support against all Dangers, our Armour againft all Oppofition, must be the Power and Goodnefs of him that fent us.-If we teach Men to obferve whatever he has commanded us, lo, he will be with us always, even to the End of the World. I. The first thing then to be confidered is the Import and Nature of the Commiffion here granted to the Apostles. Which, if taken in its utmost Extent, must be under ftood flood to convey to them an Authority to create fuch Governors, and inveft them with fuch Powers, as were neceffary for the orderly and regular Government of the Church, till the End of that Period, for which the Commiffion is here granted. And if Apoftolical Institution be, by virtue of this Grant, as furely it is, the Inftitution of Chrift; and if the Apostles be allowed to have understood their own Commiffion, and Honefty enough to have acted according to it; it is, I conceive, no difficult Matter to prove from the Holy Scriptures and Ecclefiaftical Antiquity, that Epifcopacy is the fettled Ordinance in which thofe governing Powers are to be lodged; and that Bishops are thofe Governors, who by Divine Institution were entrusted with the Conveyance of them. But the Time would fail me to confider the Words in this great, tho' juft Extent; and I therefore fhall confine my felf to thofe facerdotal Powers, which are not neceffarily implied, but clearly expreffed by our Lord, and which must be both the Right and the Duty of every Paftor, who is duly called to the Miniftry of the Gofpel. If confidered with regard to themselves, they must be the indif penfable Duty of those who have duly taken the Paftoral Office upon them; and if confidered with refpect to our Lord, from whom they are derived, they are Powers with which every fuch Minifter is by his Authority invefted for the Edification of his Church. And thefe 4 thefe Duties and Powers, as here expreffed, are evidently these, the Adminiftration of the Word and of the Sacraments; the teaching Men to believe and do what our Lord taught and commanded; and the admitting them into, and continuing them in, the Fellowship of his Church, by the Ordinances he appointed. With regard to the firft, our Lord not only requires in the plainest Terms, that all who are sent by virtue of this Commiffion shall preach or teach the Truths of the Gospel, but in Effect tells them what the most important of thofe Truths are. Whether μalnтev be μαθητεύειν best rendered by teaching or difcipling, it is on all hands allowed to fignify the preaching the Doctrines of Chrift; and as this Preaching was previous to Men's being admitted into his Church, and they are here required to profefs fome Doctrines upon that Admiffion, that Profeffion is furely the plainest and most authentick Proof what this Teaching ought to be. For unless the Converts to Christianity were to profefs Doctrines which they knew nothing of, and to be baptized into Names which they did not understand, they must have been inftructed who that Father, and that Son, and that Holy Ghost were, into whofe Names they were to be baptized.And if they had been taught who these were, and in what Relations they ftood to them, they must have been informed, that the Father had created, the Son redeemed, and the Holy Holy Ghoft fanctified them; and that as all these were thus perfonally and diftinctly concerned in their Existence and Redemption, all three were that God, in whom, as Chriftians, they were to believe and confide for the perfecting of their Salvation. And if thefe were the previous Inftructions that were given to them, and that are still to be given to the Profeffors of the Gospel to the End of the World; it is evident that this Doctrine of the ever-bleffed Trinity is the Sum and Subftance of Gospel Truths. In this manner I conceive any plain Man would reason from our Lord's Commands in this Place, if he barely understood the Terms, and honeftly confider'd them, without any of the Refinements of human Learning, or any Biafs of Prejudice or Inclination ; nor indeed can I conceive how they can be made confiftent with themselves, unless so understood.-And if the Nature and Reafon of this Commiffion, and the Manner here directed for putting it in Execution, obliges us to put this confiftent Interpretation upon it; it is from hence plain, what is that Depofitum of the Faith with which every Minifter of his Gofpel is entrusted by Christ, and which he is here commanded to teach others, and à fortiori therefore must be himself obliged to hold fast without wavering.-This is that Wisdom of God which is Foolishness with Men; and from a steady Maintenance of which no vain Reafonings or Temptations are 4 to to allure, no Threatnings, Reproaches, or Sufferings terrify them, if they would be accounted faithful Stewards of the Mysteries of Christ. To which must be added the Precepts of Life our Lord has given, if they will fulfil their Duty as Preachers of the Gofpel.-They muft teach Men to do whatever he has commanded; and that for this Reafon, because he has commanded it.--Morality, which our Lord is allowed to have improved and perfected beyond any Syftem before known in the World, is, no doubt, agreeable to the impartial Dictates of Reason, otherwife he could not have enjoined it.-But the plainest and most forcible Argument, by which the Practice of them can be preffed upon Chriftians, is his Will and Pleafure.-To fhew the Reason and Fitness of these things, is indeed the proper Method to convince thofe of their Duty, who reject the Revelations of God, and have therefore no other Method of coming at the Knowledge of it; but to him that believes and hopes in Chrift, the ftrongeft Motive to Obedience is the Authority of his Command. If the Teftimony of Reafon be in the one Cafe fufficiently great, the Authority of God, to him who receives it, muft on the other be abundantly greater. This is level to the Capacity of every Hearer, who is not able to attend to abstracted Speculations; and if Men can refift and reject the mighty Evidence we have of the |