The Work of the Ministry Represented to the Clergy, Title page – Errata
THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY Repreſented to The Clergy of the Dioceſe of ELY.
By SYMON Lord Biſhop of ELY.
LONDON, Printed for Ri. Chiſwel, at the Roſe and Crown in St. Paul's-Church-Yard. 1698.
ERRATA.
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The WORK OF THE MINISTRY REPRESENTED To the CLERGY OF THE Dioceſe of ELY.
Dear Brethren,
TO ſhorten my own Labour, and your attendance at my approaching Viſitation, I ſend you this little Treatiſe beforehand; which may ſerve in ſtead of the Exhortation, which is wont to be made on that occaſion. You will read it, I hope with as ſerious conſideration, as you would have heard it, had it been ſpoken, with due attention. By which means you will receive a greater benefit, than you could have done the other way: for you may read that often, and imprint it in your minds; which you could have heard but once, and might have ſlipt out of your memory.
You ſee by the Title of it, that it treats of the Duties which belong to that Function; in which it hath pleaſed the Moſt High, to do you the honour to employ you. A Function ſo truly noble, that it is not in my power to ſet forth the Dignity of it. For the Bleſſed Apoſtle St. Paul, thought it ſo great an honour to be made a Chriſtian, that he thought no words, too lofty, to expreſs the dignity of their ſtate: which he calls, not only our High Calling, III Philip. 14. but our Heavenly Calling in Chriſt Jeſus, III Heb. 1. Which I cannot think of, but it makes me reflect; what an honour then it is, to be made a Miniſter of Jeſus Chriſt, whoſe buſineſs it is, to bring others into this glorious ſtate of Christianity; and to breed them up, & keep them in it.
What preferment is there comparable to this, to be conſtituted a Servant, and a Miniſter of the King of Glory; a Steward of the Heavenly Mysteries; an Embaſſador for Christ; a Labourer in his Vineyard or Harvest; which implies indeed great pains, but carries in it alſo the great honour of ſowing the Seed of Eternal Life in Mens Souls; and cultivating, that is preparing and making them fit to be carried into Chriſt's Heavenly Kingdom? I do not name all the places in the Holy Writings, where you find your ſelves deſcribed under theſe Characters; becauſe you cannot but be well acquainted with them. I ſhall only add, that we do not aſſume too much to our ſelves, when we call our ſelves the Clergy, i. e. God's Portion, or Inheritance; being peculiarly ſeparated to his Service; as our Famous Mr. Mede hath moſt judiciouſly obſerved. Diſcourſe XXXVI. p. 270. For the prime Miniſters of our Lord Chriſt, are called by himſelf; The Angels of the Churches over which they preſided, I Revel. 20. And therefore St. Chryſoſtome in his third Book foreign, feared not to ſay, That the Prieſthood is a Dignity raiſed far above all the honours of this World, and approaching to the Angelical Glory.
Which if it be duly weighed, and laid to heart, we can never ceaſe to give God thanks, who hath advanced us to ſuch a noble Station; nor be unmindful of the ſervice he expecteth from us: but both ſtudy all the duties belonging it; and endeavour to perform them with a Spirit ſuitable to our Function.
What thoſe Duties are, it is the principal buſineſs of this ſmall Treatiſe to lay before you. And with what Spirit they ought to be performed, I ſhall, in the Concluſion of it, briefly admoniſh you. Theſe Two will comprehend all that I have to recommend to your Conſideration. For there is no neceſſity, ſure, to prove, that they whom God hath ſet apart to himſelf, for a peculiar ſervice, and therefore have a ſpecial relation to him, and have received a ſpecial favour from him; have a ſingular Obligation, to do all they can to expreſs their gratitude to him; by diſcharging faithfully that great truſt which he hath commited to them.