The Pastors Charge and the Peoples Duty, Chapter 8
CAP. VIII. The Conſolatory Concluſion.
I Shall now conclude all, with a word of incouragement, both to Miniſters, and People,
1. To Miniſters; and that on a double account.
1. In that God hath accounted us faithful, and put us into the Miniſtry, and called us unto this Heavenly work, than which there is none greater, none ſweeter in the World. That he hath taken us ſo near to him, and entruſted us with the Bread of his Family, the care of his Children, and all the precious Jewels of his Houſe, the unſearchable Riches of Chriſt. O what an honour is this! that poor, deſpiſed, unworthy we, ſhould be called, not the Sons of God only, but the Stewards, the Ambaſſadours, the Angels of the Moſt High; that we ſhould be taken into ſo near a relation to him, made the keepers of his Counſels, his Treaſurers, his Oratours and Interceſſours, the deputed Governours of his Spiritual Kingdom in the World. Behold what manner of love is this, what a happineſs, what a Priviledge is it? There are ſome of us, who, for ought we know, had never been ſincerely and ſavingly ſerious, had not our Holy Calling given us the bleſſed occaſion. How had we been buried in the dirty buſineſs, and cares and ſnares of the World, had not the LORD ſet his merciful eye upon us, and choſen us to walk with him? What were we better than the reſt of Mankind? what hath he foreſeen in any of us, that he ſhould make this difference? Bleſſed be Chriſt Jeſus our dear LORD for this, Be it hard, yet 'tis happy work. I had rather be a Door-Keeper in the Houſe of my God, than to dwell in the Tents of wickedneſs; rather a Porter there, than a Potentate in the Earth. The Church is Gods lower Heaven as contemptible as it is in the eyes of blind and prejudiced Men; and the loweſt place in this Heaven is, on many accounts, preferrable to the higheſt Worldly Seats among the Children of Men.
2. Hath our LORD and Maſter taken care for his Lambs, and for his Sheep, and will he not alſo care for us? Muſt we feed his Flock and will not He feed us? Hath he not done it for theſe 30 years & more, and that beyond what we had any viſible grounds to have hoped? When I ſent you without Purſe and Scrip, and Shoes, lacked ye any thing? Luke 22.35. When there were ſo few that would adventure to know us, and fewer that could relieve us; did we want our daily Bread? Tho' our Tables were not ſpread, as once they had been, yet were they ever ſweeter to us than then? In our Exilements, in our Priſons, was not our God with us ſtill? When we were walking thro' the valley of the Shadow of death, did not his Rod and his Staff comfort us? yea, when was it better with us than when we had leaſt of the World? and after all this ſenſible experience, ſhall we not truſt him? Fear not, he that will have his Sheep fed, will not have his Shepherds ſtarved. The World hath ſeen the effect of our Water and Pulſe, let them ſtill ſee that we can be content with a little, that we have not taught the Doctrine of contentment to others, further than we are willing to practice it our ſelves. And O that nothing that hath the appearance of a covetous or ambitious humour may ever be found any more in any of us. Let our Maſters work be our grand concern, and then we know we have reaſon to truſt him for all theſe little things.
3. To the People: With what confidence of Faith, and gladneſs of heart may you even in this Wilderneſs, ſing David's Pſal. 23. The Lord is my Shepherd, I ſhall not want. The Charge here given in my Text was, and is intended to run parallel with all ſucceeding ages. As long as Chriſt hath a Flock in the World, he will find or make thoſe that ſhall feed it: Let the Enemy ſhow his skill, and the gates of hell do their worſt, there's never a ſoul of Chriſt's purchaſing ſhall periſh. He would not have bid you to pray the Lord of the Harveſt to ſend forth Labourers into his Harveſt, had he not a mind to anſwer thoſe Prayers. Only remember; he that hath taught and encourag'd you ſo to pray, expects that you ſhall ſecond your Prayers with your beſt Endeavours. You may not hope that God ſhall ſend you Labourers our of Heaven at free coſt; but your hands muſt evidence the good agreement between your hearts and lips, in theſe your Prayers. 'Tis for the Elects ſake that the World continues to this day, and while God hath a world here, he will have a people in it; and unto whom he will always provide thoſe that ſhall break the bread of Life; tho he may, and ſomtimes ſees it good to diſtreſs, yet will he never deſert them: He may free 'em, but will never forſake them, never forget them. Comfort ye one another with theſe words.
FINIS.
End of the text · Samuel Stodden, The Pastors Charge and the Peoples Duty (1694)