N05154:62
Christ the great example of Gospel ministers. A sermon preached at Portsmouth, at the…Christ the great example of Gospel ministers. A sermon preach'd at Portsmouth, at the…
Christ the great example of Gospel ministers. A sermon preached at Portsmouth, at the ordination of the Reverend Mr. Job Strong, to the pastoral office over the South Church in that place, June 28. 1749, / By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the First Church in Northampton.Christ the great example of Gospel ministers. A sermon preach'd at Portsmouth, at the ordination of the Reverend Mr. Job Strong, to the pastoral office over the South Church in that place, June 28. 1749, / By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the First Church in Northampton.
Boston: printed by T. Fleet, 1750
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And you, my Brethren, as all of you have immortal Souls to save, if you have considered the Things that have been spoken, can't but be sensible, that it not only greatly concerns your elect Pastor to take heed how he behaves himself in his great Work, wherein he is to act as a Co-worker ⟨p. 26⟩with Christ for your Salvation; but that it infinitely concerns you how you receive him, and behave towards him. Seeing that it is for your eternal Salvation that he is appointed to watch and labour; and seeing his Business is to do the Work of Christ for you, 'tis natural and easy to infer, that your Reception and Entertainment of him should in some Respect imitate the Church's Reception of Jesus Christ. Gal. iv. 14. My Temptation which was in my Flesh, ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an Angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Christ in the Text, commands those whom he sends, to follow his Example, and then in the 20 v. following, he directs those to whom he sends them, how to treat them. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me. Seeing the Work of your Minister is in some Respects the same with the Work of Christ, and he is to be appointed and devoted to do this Work for your Souls in particular, surely you should esteem him very highly in Love for his Work's sake, and do all that is in your Power to help him, and put him under the best Advantages to imitate his great Master in this Work, to give himself wholly to his Work, as Christ did during the Time of his Ministry, and to be successful in his Work. And as it was observed before, that it is impossible that Ministers should in any tolerable Degree imitate the Example of Christ in their Work, if their Minds are overcharged with worldly Cares and Concerns, you ought so to provide for him and support him, that he shall have no need to entangle himself with these Things; otherwise you will not only bring a great Temptation upon him, which will vastly tend to hinder him in the Work of Christ among you, but will for the sake of sparing a ••••le of your worldly Substance to your selves, foolishly ⟨p. 27⟩and miserably starve your own Souls, and the Souls of your Children, and will but cheat your selves; for you will not be in the way to prosper either in your spiritual or temporal Concerns.