vant, but as one clothed with authority, in the Mafter's name, to compel.

This office of the minifter, as a fervant, imports both fuitable abilities, and a call to improve them for the Mafter's ufe in his houfe.

1. It fuppofes and imports qualifications and abilities, fitting them for the difcharge of this work in fome meafure: "Every fcribe that is inftructed unto the kingdom of heaven, is like a man that is an houfholder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old," Mat. xiii. 52. And there is a threefold stock of ability that he fhould have: 1. A ftock of graces; for, if one be not a good Chriftian, he will never make a good minister. 2. A ftock of gifts and learning, that he may be able to convince gainfayers, and may be apt to teach. 3. A flock of experiences, that he may teach what he knows himfelf, that knowing both the terrors and comforts of the Lord, he may perfuade men: that alfo he may be able to fay, "I believe, and therefore fpeak; and what I have heard and feen, and felt, declare I unto you;" otherwife his preaching will be, at beft, but like cold milk in a veffel, and not like warm milk from the breast.

2. This office fuppofes and imports a divine call. It is not fufficient to warrant any man to meddle with the minifterial office, that he hath a competent flock of abiJities and qualifications, fitting him for the work; except he hath alfo a minifterial power conveyed to him, either immediately by God, as it was in the apoftles, which was fuch an extraordinary call, as we are not now to expect or mediately, according to the order which God hath established in his church. This ordinary, mediate call is twofold, either outward or inward.

(1.) The outward call by the church, (including both the judgment of the eldership or prefbytery, and the election of the congregation, when the minifter is to be fixed to any particular charge.) God hath given to his church, or to the lawful courts and judicatories thereof, a minifterial power, whereby, upon trial and knowledge of a man's abilities for that work, they make manifeft that God hath called him; for it is not the church that makes the minifter, but God himself, by conferring

minifterial qualifications; the church only declares and authorifes for exercife, thefe whom God doth qualify for fuch purpofe. It is God himfelf, who makes any to be able minifters of the new teftament, 2 Cor. iii. 6.

(2.) There is the inward call of the Spirit of God, of which I apprehend, that, as it lies in the Lord's quali fying a man with gifts and graces for that work; (for, without thefe qualifications, God calls none, whatever men do) fo it lies alfo in the Lord's quickening, inclining, and flirring them up to improve thefe talents which he hath given, for his fervice in the gofpel of Christ; and in their having the teftimony of a good confcience, that the motive that preffes them is God's glory, and the edification of the church..

This outward and inward call and commiffion is declared neceffary; "How fhall they preach, except they be fent?" Rom. x. 15. Here then is the fervant, but what the fervice is, will fall in afterwards. Having then fhewed who they are that have this authority to compel, I come to fhew,

2dly, WHOм they are warranted to compel, or whom does their office oblige them to deal with, by calling and compelling them to come in? Why, upon the Jews their rejecting of Chrift and the gofpel, the commiffion here feems to refpect the ruftic Gentiles; or all these who are reprefented to be, as in verfes 21. 23. in the streets and lanes, in the high-ways and hedges, as to their fituation; and to be poor, maimed, halt, and blind, as to their condition. The firft and leading part of the minifterial work relates to the bringing in these who are ftrangers to Chrift; and afterwards the feeding and edi fying of these that are brought in. But firft they are to compel them to come in: THEM; whom?

1. Aliens that are without doors: Without, it is faid, are dogs. But even fuch dogs as the Gentiles were, may come in when the door is opened to them. We are to open the door to thefe who are aliens to the commonwealth of Ifrael, and ftrangers to the covenant of promife, Eph. ii. 12. Even thofe that are without Chrift, without hope, and without God in the world; if they were not without, they need not to be called to come in.

2. They

2. They are warranted to call in the poor; for, "To. the poor the gofpel is preached:" both thefe that are outwardly poor, and in mean outward circumftances inthe world; the rich generally contemn the gofpel-offer: and alfo thefe who are inwardly poor; that is, deftitute of all fpiritual good and excellencies; deftitute of grace and righteousness; let them be called in to fhare of the grace and righteousness that is in Chrift.

3. They are warranted to call in the maimed; that is, thefe who want legs or arms, unable to walk and unable to work. The call of the gospel is to be extended to maimed fouls, as all naturally are, being by nature without ftrength, and deftitute of all ability to walk, or work fpiritually, that they may come where they will be furnifhed with power.

4. They are warranted to bring in the halt; the poor cripple fouls, who, if they have received any ftrength to walk, yet cannot go without halting. They are, like their mafter, to take up in their arms the poor lame fheep, that cannot follow the rest of the flock; for, "He feeds his flock like a fhepherd, and gathers his lambs with his arms," Ifa. xl. 11.

5. They are warranted to bring in the blind; reprefenting how blind fouls, that have no eyes to fee, but are ignorant of God and Chrift, and the way of falvation, are called to come and receive their fight; for Chrift is given for a covenant of the people, a light to the Gentiles, to open the blind eyes, Ifa. xlii. 7. And the great defign, upon which God fends out a gofpel-miniftry among people, is to open their eyes, and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, Acts xxvi. 18.

6. They are warranted to bring in wanderers; thefe that are in the high ways and hedges: as if he fhould fay, The ftraggling vagrants, yea, the highway-man, the thief, the robber, the debauchee, the wicked and gracelefs, who are walking in the broad way to hell: for, as God, by the gofpel, brings near his righteousness and falvation, even to the ftout-hearted and far from righteoufnefs, Ifa. xlvi. 12,13. fo Wisdom and her maidens, Chrift and his fervants that he fends forth, are warrant

ed

ed to ftand upon the high places of the city, Prov. i. 20,

23. and to "cry without, to utter their voices in the ftreets, to cry in the chief places of concourfe, in the opening of the gates, How long ye fimple ones, will ye love fimplicity, and ye fcorners delight in fcorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn ye at my reproof," &c. Even the wicked mockers of God and religion, the most wicked and wretched, and abandoned like finners, are to be dealt with, and compelled to come in.

Thus you fee whom they are warranted to compel. But now I come to confider,

3dly, What is the nature and import of this compulfion. Here we may confider, 1. What fort of compulfion it is; and, 2. What power and authority it imports.

[1.] What fort of compulfion it is. I would explain what I take to be the nature of this compulfion, in the following particulars.

1. It is not an outward, but an inward compulfion;; it does not mean a dragging of their body, but a drawing their heart and foul to Chrift: and when once the, heart, or the internal man, is drawn, then it will draw the body to the external part of religion alfo. But what draws the heart? Why, fays the apoftle, "With the heart, man believeth unto righteoufnefs;" and this believing, or, Faith, cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God:" that is, by the preaching of the gofpel, the heart is drawn to Chrift.

แ

2. It is not magifterial, but a minifterial compulfion. As external compulfion hath no foundation in the text; fo the minifters of the gofpel, who are thus fpoken to, have not, by Chrift's commiffion, any civil power committed to them. It is not a compelling of men's confciences, far lefs a compelling men against their confciences, in matters of religion: as for example, in the bufinefs of the facramental telt, you fhall be fined, imprifoned, ruined in your estate, if you take not the Lord's fupper: no fuch compulfion is here intended. Minifters are not lords over God's heritage. Hence,

3. It is not a carnal, but a fpiritual compulfion. It

SERMON CXVI.

GOSPEL-COMPULSION; or, MINISTERIAL POWER AND AUTHORITY.*

LUKE xiv. 23.

-Compel them to come in, that my boufe may be filled..

Y

My friends, though the work of fequeftrating some

to the MINISTERIAL OFFICE, be ordinary in the church of Christ, yet the occafion and circumstances of this work to-day, among our hands, is extraordinary in many refpects, in fo much that there was fcarce ever a parallel it hath had in Scotland. But, as extraordinary cafes require extraordinary fervices; fo, it is matter of lamentation, that the defections and corruptions of the times fhould make it not only highly expedient, but abfolutely neceffary, for the relief of Chrift's scattered

*This fermon was preached at the Ordination of Mr. John Hunter, to the Paftoral Office, in the united congregations of Morbottle and Stitchel, by appointment of the Affociate Prefbytery, on the 17th Oct. 1739. being fet apart for, and observed as a day of, fafting and prayer at Gateshaw. The first edition of the fermon acquaints us, that it was published at the earnest defire, and repeated entreaty, of a great many hearers. To which is fubjoined an Appendix, directed more especially to the united focieties in and about the forefaid Morbottle and Stitchel, upon account of the much lamented death of the above Rev. Mr. John Hunter, who deceased Jan. 7th, 1740.; not having been four complete months ordained minifter.

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