is our duty to pray for God's good Spirit to go along with us.

The holy fcriptures give us many instances of the power of this fpirit, when given to men defigned for any office ordained of God. And truly, if we had not more reason to depend upon his guidance and bleffing, than upon our own good wishes, or beft endeavours, the work would go but very indifferently forward.

But Chrift, who has commanded us to feed his flock, who has promised to be with us unto the end of the world, will, we hope and pray, bless our present undertaking, and all our labours.

To whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

SERMON

SERMON LXXXVIII.

PREACHED AT AN ORDINATION.

THE GREAT BLESSING OF A STANDING
MINISTRY.

NUMB. VI. 22-27.

AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING, SPEAK UNTO AARON AND UNTO HIS SONS, SAYING, ON THIS WISE YE SHALL BLESS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, SAYING UNTO THEM, THE LORD BLESS THEE, AND KEEP THEE: THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE SHINE UPON THEE, AND BE GRACIOUS UNTO THEE: THE LORD LIFT UP HIS COUNTENANCE UPON THEE, AND GIVE THEE PEACE. AND THEY SHALL PUT MY NAME UPON THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND I WILL BLESS THEM.

THA

HAT which I purpose to do at this time, good Chriftians, is to lay before you

THE GREAT BLESSING OF A STANDING MINI

STRY; that you may know how to value fo great a bleffing, and be thankful to God for it; that you may not be tempted by a wicked world to defpife God's minifters, but that you may reap all the benefit of their prayers, whom

*See Exod. xxviii. 29. Deut. x. 8. 2 Chron. xxx. 27. Ecclus. 1. 21, 22. Joel ii. 16. Luke iv. 5. 2 Cor.iii. 6. v. 18. Heb. xiii. 17. James v. 14.

82

God

God has appointed to pray for you, and to blefs you; and whofe prayers for you he has promised to hear, if do not make yourfelves unworthy of his bleffing.

you

I have taken a text out of the law of Mofes. It is the folemn bleffing with which the priefts difmiffed the congregation by God's own appointment. The Chriftian church ufes the fame bleffing in effect. They both recommend the people to God's bleffing and protection.

The Lord bless thee and keep thee; that is, perferve and keep thee from all evil; the Lord make his face to fhine upon thee, by delivering thee out of all thy troubles; and be gracious unto thee, in pardoning thy fins, and paffing by thine iniquities: the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon thee, or make thee glad and joyful; and give thee peace, that is, all manner of profperity.

And then, that the people might not imagine this to be only an empty ceremony, without any real effect, God affures them, that when his pricft thus bleffes them in his name, that he will blefs them according to the blessing pronounced over them. And in the antient prayers of the Greek church, the people answered, "THE LORD KEEP YOU, SIR, TO BLESS AND "SANCTIFY US MANY YEARS;" to fhew how fenfible they were of the benefit of receiving God's bleffing by his minifters.

And

And this is what I would endeavour to make you fenfible of; that is, oF THE GREAT

BLESSING OF A STANDING MINISTRY.

And this I fhall do, by fetting before you, in order, the work of a minifter of God, that you may know how much his minifters contribute to your falvation; and that you may esteem them accordingly. But I must first fhew you by what authority they act.

Now, the defign of the Chriftian religion being to restore mankind to the mercy and favour of God, from which we are fadly fallen, it pleased God to fend his only Son, to instruct us in the true and only way of becoming holy, that we might be capable of being happy. This he did in his own perfon while he continued upon earth; but being to return to heaven, he gave authority to his apostles and to their fucceffors, to finish the work which he had begun; that is, to preach the gospel to all fucceeding generations, that the world. might have an opportunity of knowing the good pleasure of God, and what men muft do to be faved.

The power and commiflion which Chrift gave them, is well worth your hearing with the greatest attention. You will find it in the. xxviiith chapter of St. Matthew, and at the 18th verfe; and it is as follows: Jefus, fpeaking to his apostles, faid unto them, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth; that is, in heaven, to fend down the Holy Ghot to guide

guide you into all truth; and in earth, to establish a spiritual kingdom there. Go ye, therefore, and make difciples to me in all nations, baptifing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft; teaching them to obferve all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo! that is, let the world take notice of it, lo, I am with you, I, who have all power in heaven and earth, I am with you, am prefent with you in the work of

your minitry, both to profper your labours, and to protect your perfons, unto the end of the world; with you, while you live, and with your fucceffors after your death.

The apostles having received this commiffion for themselves and their fucceffors, they immediately fet about the work of the miniftry; declaring to all nations, That God was in Chrift reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trefpasses unto them. And that be had committed unto them, to them and to their fucceffors, the word of reconciliation; that is, he has committed unto them the preaching of the gospel, upon the receiving and obeying of which God will be reconciled to mankind.

So that you fee very plainly, that our falvation depends, under God, upon the ministry of thofe whom Jefus Chrift and the Holy Ghost have appointed to reconcile men to God.

Jefus Chrift knew very well to what a perverfe world he fent them: he knew likewise