Discourse Previous to the Ordination of Joseph Sewell, Speech 1 – Preface
The CHARGE, Given by the Reverend Dr. INCREASE MATHER, In the Ordination of Mr. Thomas Prince.
WHEARAS You, on whom we now Impose our Hands, art called unto the Work of the Evangelical Ministry, in this Church of God, and unto the Office of a Pastor, in this particular Church of the Lord; We now CHARGE before the Great God, and our SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST, That You Take heed unto the Ministry which you have Received from the Lord, faithfully to fulfil it, and watch for Souls as One that must give up an Account unto him: That you feed the whole Flock, whereof you are now made an Overseer, and therein Study to shew Yourself Approved of God, and a Workn an that needs not be ashamed: That You give your self to Reading, and Preach the Word, Instruct, Reprove, Exhort, with all Long-Suffering and Doctrine; That You Administer the Sacraments of the New Covenant, as a Wise and Good Steward in the house of God▪ That in Dispensing the Holy Discipline, with which the House of God is to be ordered, You do nothing with Partiality: And That You be an Example of the Believers, in Word, in Conversation, in Charity, in Spirit, in Faith, and in Purity.
And if You keep this Charge We declare unto You, that the Lord of Hosts will give You a Place among His Elect Angels, who doubtless are Witnesses of the Solemnity, wherein We are now Concerned. Yea, We declare unto You, That if You do this, when the Lord JESUS CHRIST shall Appear, You shall then Appear with him in Glory; and He who is the Great Shepherd, will then give You a Crown of Glory, that fadeth not away.
The FELLOWSHIP OF THE CHURCHES, Given by the Reverend Dr. COTTON MATHER, At the Ordination of Mr. Thomas Prince.
IT is confessed by all who have not lost all sence of Religion, and laid aside the use of Reason, That Ministers of the Gospel, duely furnished and rightly disposed, for the Glorious Ministry, are very precious Gifts of our Ascended Redeemer unto his Churches in the World. As a Corrupt, Ignorant, and Vicious Clergy, is one of the darkest and most comprehensive Infelicities▪ under which the Rulers of the darkness of this World, hold it putrifying; Yea, the Grand Cause of all the Corruption, in which Mankind Lye generally Languishing and Perishing; And it is not for nothing, that when the Kingdom of our God comes on, this must be one Introduction & Concomitant of it; Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I am against the Shepherds; and I will cause them to cease from feeding the flock; For I will deliver my Flock from their Mouth: So the Reverse of this is a set of Good Men, inspir'd with an Holy Zeal to do Good, who like Angels flying through the midst of Heaven, preach nothing but the Everlasting Gospel, with the true spirit of it, unto them who dwell upon the Earth; Certainly such Men are the Stars, whom God calls by their Names; They Shine as Lights to the World; In their benign Influences, the Blessings of the People that Enjoy them, are Wonderful! are Wonderful!
Highly favoured of God, are the Churches Enriched with Pastors of bright Abilities, for the building and Serving of His Temple: Able to understand the Sacred Oracles, even in the Languages wherein they are given us, and Illustrate them from an intimate Acquaintance with Antiquity: Able to Explain and Apply the Great Mysteries of Godliness, and rightly to Divide the word of Truth, laying the Several parts of the Sacrifice with a proper disposal of them, in their Discourses: Able to maintain the Truth with Armour fetch'd from the Tower of David, and Convince or Confound Gainsayers, that go to perplex us with their Controverses: Ahle to handle their matters wisely, when Cases of Conscience are laid before them; Able to address all sorts of persons with the Wisdom requisite unto the winning of Souls; Able to manage Every part of the P…storal Care, with a Dext…rity that shall adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour: And at the same time continually dious to grow more & more Able; and with an Indefatigable Industry filling the Chambers of their Souls, with all precious and pleasant Riches; That so from immense Treasures the Scribes well-instructed for the Kingdom of Heaven, may produce Things New and Old upon all Occasions.
Highly favoured of God, are the Churches Ennobled with Pastors of an Experimental and Exemplary Piety: Preachers who Take heed first unto Themselves, & then unto their Do…trine; And have upon their own Souls a deep Impression of the Truths which they preach unto others; afraid of preaching a Sermon unto the People until they have preached first unto Themselves: Men, who first have God Reigning in their own Hearts, and then do what They can that God may have His Throne in the Hearts of their Hea…s; Men who first have a CHRIST form'd in Themselves, and Lo… ed more than any beloved, and then recommend this lovely CHRIST unto their Hearers; M…n who are Themselves … purified from all Ill Affections towards their Neighbours, and then perswade their Neighbours to be well-affected unto one another; Good Livers as well as Good Speakers: and such as can give a good Answer unto the World making …his Demand upon them, What dost thou work, that we may see and believe thee?
Highly favoured of God, are the Churches beautified with Pastors that are faithful and prudent Stewards in the House of their God: Pastors, whose well-adapted Labours for the Instruction, the Conversion, the Salvation of their People, are unwearied; and who, tho' they are often Every Week weary in them, are Never Never weary of them: and count that the Bringing home of any one Soul unto their only Saviour, is infinitely worth all the pains that can b… taken for it: more to be rejoiced in than all Riches: Pastors who watch, and watchfully take all Opportunities, both Publickly and Privately to let fall the most suitable Communications from Heaven upon their people, and contrive that none may ever come anear them without being the Wiser or the Better for it: Pastors, who carry on their whole Work, with Incessantly Praying over it; and be no strangers to whole Days of Prayer, that they may fetch down Blessings upon their People as well as themselves: Pastors, who have a tender sense of the Temptations and Afflictions, in which any of their People may be sufferers; As ready to visit the Poor as the Rich; Ready to hazard their Own Health in visits to the Sick; Always devising Liberal Things for those that are in want; Scattering their Alms like the showers of Heaven; Exciteing those of others, if their own happen to be Exhausted: Pastors, full of projections to Do good unto all; Exceedingly pleased, if any of the people will but let them know of any Good they can do for them; and in doing thereof not making any Difference between those that Oblige them, and those that have carried it very disobligingly. Finally, Men of God; And therefore Men full of a Glorious CHRIST: such as cannot bear to be many Hours without some Thoug…ts of a Glorious CHRIST: such as are Swallow'd up with Him; A Conformity to a Glorious CHRIST, the very Law & Salt & Life of their Life: To be Servic…ale unto a Glorious CHRIST, the very top of their Ambition: their most Ravishing Satisfaction! Ministers of the New Testament, who not with a veil'd but an open face, Reflecting (For so the Text is to be read) as from a Glass the Glory of the LORD, are not only themselves changed into the same Image, but also covey it unto many about them, from Glory to Glory.
But then, Oh! highly Favoured Churches of New England; Which have, as it may be hoped, many such precious G…fts of Heaven bestowed upon them! Yea, our compassionate SAVIOUR may say unto us, Have not I raised up of your … for such Prophets, and your Young Men for such Separated Ones; Is it not even thus, O Churches of NEW ENGLAND, Saith the Lord! Happy, O thou American Zion, Happy thou, in having so many of thy own Sons, rising up to take thee by the hand, and even while they are Young Men, so far to answer the Character of Pastors after the Heart of God.
It will be no Trespass on the Modesty of my Brother, for me to say, That his hearty Desire & Study will be to come up unto this Character.
And, Sir, In token of our Prayers and Hopes, that you will prove such an One, I do now with an Heart full of Brotherly Regard, in the Name of our Churches, give thi… Hand unto you. — 'Tis done, to testify that We acknowledge You as a Regularly Elected & Ordained Minister of the Gospel, and as a Pastor of a Church in an Evangelical Consociation with us. 'Tis done to testify how Pleas'd and Glad we are in the Choice which this Church has made, of such an one to join with us in the pursuit of our greatest Interests. I do it that I may certify you of our purpose and promise at all times to Assist you, to Strengthen you, to Comfort you, as it may be called for. We bless you in the Name of the Lord. And, if you do what these Churches expect from you: Behold you… Glorious Lord, Whom you have sought and serv'd from your Early Childhood, preparing the White Robes of an Heavenly Priesthood for you; and assuring you; If thou walk in … ways, and if thou wilt keep my Cha…ge, I will … day give th… a Place among my Holy Angels, who stand by … of … Solemnity with which thou hast now taken the Vows of God upon thee.
We congratulate unto this beloved Flock what our Gracious Lord has done for them, in the Two Pastors, with which they are now accommodated and Illuminated. The Ex…lent Spirit, and the Substantial and Savoury Entertainments, wherewith you are blessed in the Pastor, that has been thi… Five Years feeding you in the Strength of the Lord, canno… but Exceedingly Endear him to you: as indeed they do▪ unto us all. The Pastor which you have now made his Colleg… will very much add unto the Fulness of the B…essing of th… Gospel, whereof you know the Joyful …. The … of Two such Ris…g Sta…, portends unto you a … of Good; whereof you cannot be defeated, if the Twelfth and Thirteenth Verses, in the fifth Chapter of the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, be not forgotten with you. Beloved, We are perswaded better Things of you; We are perswaded you will be sensible of your Enjoyments; and we are perswaded that as there have now Seven times Seven Years ran since this Church was gathered, So you will have something of a Jubil…e in the Joy of what you shall find your SAVIOUR doing for you.
Unto this Capital City of the Province, there belong Ten Assemblies of Christians, which carry on so Lovingly, and so Peaceably, and so Decently, and all the Offices of Good Neighbourhood, are so admirably cultivated among them, as to give unto the Bigots of Uniformity a forcible rebuke of their Bigotry, and a notable proof, how consistent a variety of Rites in Religion may be with the Tranquility of Humane Society: and unto the whole World, a Demonstration, that Persecution for Consciencious Dissents in Religion, is an Abomination of Desolation; a thing whereof all Wise and Just Men will say, Cursed be its Anger for it is fierce, and its wrath for it is cruel.
I hope, the Ministers of the Town, will not be the least Instruments of It's welfare. If We fail in our Good Carriage unto One another, or unto our people, do You, O our dear People, advise us of it. But if We may have the Hand of the Lord with us, and if many may by Our means Be added unto the Lord, the Consequence will be this; God will bless thee, O Boston; Thou shalt be a Mountain of Holiness, and a Dwelling of Righteousness; and thy name shall be, JEHOVAH SHAMMAH, The Lord is There.
FINIS.
A DISCOURSE HAD By the late Reverend and Learned Mr. EBENEZER PEMBERTON, Previous to the Ordination Of the Reverend Mr. Joseph Sewall, At BOSTON, September 16. 1713. Affirming and proving the Validity OF Presbyterial ORDINATION.
BOSTON: Printed by J. FRANKLIN, for S. GERRISH, and Sold at his Shop near the Old Meeting-House. 1718.
PREFACE.
THE Reader is desir'd to observe, That the following Discourse is published from the first and rough Draught of the Reverend Author, and wants his finishing Hand to have been put to it; Which Advantage if it might have had, it would doubtless have appeared more Correct in Style & Diction, & with Enlargements in some parts of it, which I suppose it had in the Delivery of it. But especially I am prone to think, He would not have let it go out of his hands without directing the Reader to the particular Pages of the Authors whom he names & refers us to. Yet as it is, whoever attentively reads it, & knew Mr. PEMBERTON, can't but discern evidently here his strong and masterly way of Speaking or Writing, his close and nervous manner of Reasoning and Arguing, and that the Discourse is worthy of his known Learning and Reading, and excellent Judgment. So that I hope I have done an Honour to my deceased Friend, as well as a Service and Honour to my Country, in transcribing it for the Press, and shall please & oblige many.
My Wish is, that we could recover, and that the Publick might enjoy more of the Valuable Discourses of this Great Man: But alas, he carry'd the mighty Stores and Treasures of his laborious Studies in his own vast Mind, and for the most part wrote only Hints to himself, to be Enlarg'd on in the Pulpit, which he wonderfully perform'd. So that as the Psalmist speaks of the Princes of the Earth, we may say here, In the day that his breath went forth, and he return'd to his Earth, in that very day his Thoughts perish'd: Saving those few which he has left in Print, and more I trust graven on the Hearts of many by the finger of GOD.
May the DIVINE SPIRIT bless what is here publish'd for the Enlightning and Establishing many in the present Truth: And may the Spirit of Peace and Meekness that breaths every where thro' the following Argument and adorns it, rest upon all Christians in their Researches after Truth and Defences of it.
I desire also to add my thankful Acknowledgement of the Divine Goodness, which has return'd Mr. PRINCE to us to stand up in and fill the place of the Deceased; at whose earnest desire and instant Motion it is that this Discourse now sees the light, and accompanies his own Ordination Sermon to the Press: And while he thankfully takes up this Skirt of the Mantle of his Ascended Predecessor, may he with a double Portion of his Spirit enter into his Labours; always bearing in mind those Words of our LORD JESUS, I must work the Works of Him that sent Me while it is day, the night cometh wherein no man can Work.
BOSTON, Nov. 10. 1718. BENJ. COLMAN.