lovely; and doth them good without respect to their right, because we love them. Justice respecteth men as in the same governed society (under God or man) and so giveth every man his due.

Q. 19. Is it love or justice that saith, "Whatever you would that men should do to you, do ye also to them?

A. It is both. Justice saith, 'Do right to all, and wrong to none, as you would have them do to you.' Charity saith, ‘Love, and pity, and relieve all in your power, as you would have them love, pity, and relieve you.'

Q. 20. Hath this law no exceptions?

A. It supposeth that your own will, for yourselves, be just and good; if you would have another make you drunk, or draw you to any sinful or unclean pleasure, you may not thereforé do so by them. But do others such right and good as you may lawfully desire they should do to you.

Q. 21. What are those foundations on which this law is built?

A. 1. That as God hath made us individual persons, so he is the free distributor of his allowance to every person, and therefore we must be content with his allowance, and not covet more.

2. That God hath made us for holiness, and endless happiness in heaven and therefore we must not so love this world as to covet fulness, and desire more of it than God alloweth us.m

3. That God hath made every man a member of the human world, and every Christian a member of the church, and no one to be self-sufficient, or independent, as a world to himself. And therefore, all men must love themselves but as members of the body, and love the body, or public good, above themselves, and love other members, as their place and the common interest doth require."

4. That we are not our own, but his that did create us and redeem us and therefore must love ourselves and others, as his, and according to his will and interest; and not as the selfish, narrow interest tempteth us.

5. That the faithful are made spiritual by the sanctifying Spirit, and therefore savour the things of the Spirit, and refer all outward things thereto; and therefore must not so over-value

m Heb. xiii. 5; 1 Tim. vi. 8; Phil. iv. 11; 1 John ii. 15; Psalm cxix. 36; Ezek. xxxiii. 31.

1 Cor. xii.; vi. 20, and vii. 23.

provision for the flesh, as to covet and draw from others for his pleasure."

So that, 1. As the first greatest command engageth us wholly to God, as our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, against that selfishness, which is the idol enemy to God, including the privation of our love to him, and against the trinity of his enemies; the flesh, which would be first pleased; the world, which it would be pleased by; and the devil, who deceiveth and tempteth men by such baits of pleasure; even so this tenth (which is the second summary command) engageth us to love God in our brethren, and to love them according to his interest in them, as members of the same society, with an impartial love, against that selfishness, which is the enemy of impartial love, and common good; and against the lust of the flesh, which would be first pleased; and the world, which is the provision which it coveteth; and the devil, who would, by such worldly baits, and fleshly pleasure, deceive mankind into ungod liness, sensuality, malignity, mutual enmity, contention, oppres sion, persecution, perfidiousness, and all iniquity; and finally into endless misery, in separation from the God of love, and the heavenly, perfected, united society of love.P

And this is the true meaning of the tenth commandment,

CHAP. XLIV.

Of the Sacred Ministry, and Church, and Worship.

Q. 1. THOUGH you have opened the doctrine of the catholic church and the communion of saints before, in expounding the Creed, because the sacraments cannot be understood without the ministry and church, will you first tell us what the ministerial office is?

A. The sacred ministry is an office instituted by Christ, in subordination to his prophetical office to teach; and to his priestly office, to intercede in worship; and to his kingly office, to be key-bearers of his church, to try and judge of men's title to its communion: and this for the converting of the infidel

• Rom. viii. 6—8, and xiii. 13; Luke xii. 21; Matt. vii. 22. Eph. v. 3; Col. iii. 5.

world, the gathering them into the christian communion, and the helping, guiding, and edifying them therein."

Q. 2. Are they ministers in office to any but the church?

A. Yes: their first work is upon the world, to make them Christians, and gather them into the church by teaching and baptising them.

Q. 3. Is not that the common work of laymen, that are no officers?

A. Laymen must do their best in their capacity and station; but 1. Officers do it as separated to this work, as their calling. 2. And accordingly do it by a special commission and authority from Christ. 3. And are tried, chosen, and dedicated thereto, as specially qualified.

Q. 4. What must Christ's ministers say and do for the world's conversion ?

A. Luke xiv., and Matt. xxii., tell you they must tell men of the marriage-feast, the blessed provision of grace and glory by Christ, and, by evidence and urgency, compel them to come in. More particularly:

1. They must speak to sinners as from God, and in his name, with a "Thus saith the Lord." They must manifest their commission, or at least that the message which they bring, is his; that men may know with whom they have to do; and that he that despiseth, despiseth not men, but God.t

2. They must make known to sinners their sinful, dangerous, and miserable state, to convince them of the necessity of a Saviour. As if they should say, ' He that hath no sin, that is no child of Adam, that shall not die and come to judgment, that needs no Saviour, pardon, and deliverance, let him neglect our invitation: but sin and misery are all men's necessity.'

3. They are to tell men what God hath done for them by Christ; what a Saviour he hath given us; what Christ hath done and suffered for us."

4. They are to tell men what grace and glory is purchased for them, and offered to them, and what they may have in Christ, and by him.

5. They are to tell men how willing God is of men's recovery, so that he beseecheth them to be reconciled to him, and minis

Matt. xvi. 19; xxii. 3, 4; xxiv. 45, and xxviii. 19, 20; Acts ii. 42; Rom. i. 1, 2; 1 Cor. iv. 1, 2.

Acts xiv. 23, and xx. 28; Tit. i. 5; 1 Tim. iii.

Acts xxvi. 17, 18; Luke x. 16, and xxiv. 47; 1 Thess. iv. 8; Matt. ix. 13. "John iii. 16; Heb. x. 14; Rom. iii. 1, 10; Tit. ii. 14.

ters are sent to entreat them to accept none that refuse not him.

his grace, who refuseth

6. They are to acquaint men with God's conditions, terms, and expectations: not that they give him any satisfying or purchasing price of their own, but that they accept his free gift according to its proper nature and use, and come to Christ that they may have life; but that they come in time, and come sincerely and resolvedly, and believe, and penitently return to God, for which he is ready to assist them by his grace. *

7. They must acquaint men with the methods of the tempter, and the hinderances of their faith and repentance, and what opposition they must expect from the flesh, the world, and the devil, and how they must overcome them.

8. They must acquaint men what great assistances and encouragements they shall have from Christ: how good a master, how perfect a Saviour and Comforter, how sure a word, how sweet a work, how good and honourable company, and how many mercies here, and how sure and glorious a reward for ever; and that all this is put in the balance for their choice, against a deceitful, transitory shadow.

9. They must answer the carnal objections of deceived sinners, and show them clearly that all is folly that is said against Christ and their conversion.

10. They must make men know how God will take it, if they unthankfully neglect or refuse his grace, and that this will leave them without remedy, and greatly add to their sin and misery, and that there is no more sacrifice for sin, but a fearful looking for of judgment, from that God who to such is a consuming fire; and that it will be easier for Sodom in the day of judgment than for such."

Q. 5. In what manner must Christ's ministers preach all this?

A. 1. With the greatest gravity and holy reverence; because it is the message of God.

2. With the greatest plainness; because men are dull of understanding.

3. With the greatest proof and convincing evidence, to conquer prejudice, darkness, and unbelief.

4. With powerful winning motives, and urgent importunity, * 2 Cor. v. 19, 20; Luke xiv. 17.

1 Thess. iii. 5; Eph. vi. 11; 2 Cor. ii. 11, and iv. 16, 18; Heb. xi.,

xii. 28, 29.

22 Tim. ii. 25; Tit. ii. 8; Heb. ii. 3, and x. 22, 23.

and

because of men's disaffection and averseness. And O what powerful motives have we at hand, from self-love, from God, from Christ, from necessity, from heaven and hell!"

5. With life and fervency, because of the unspeakable importance of the matter, and the deadness and hardness of men's hearts.

6. With fervency, in season and out of season, because of men's aptness to lose what they have heard and received, and their need still to be carried on.

7. With constancy to the end, that grace may be preserved and increased by degrees.

8. With seemly and decent expressions, because of captious, cavilling hearers, and the holiness of the work.

9. With concord with all the church of Christ, as preaching the same faith and hope.

10. By the example of holy practice, doing what we persuade them to do, and excelling them in love, and holiness, and patience, and victory over the flesh and world, and winning them, not by force, but by light and love."

Q. 6. What is it that all this is to bring men to?

A. 1. To make men understand and believe what God is to them; what Christ is; what grace and glory are; as is aforesaid in the christian faith.

2. To win men's hearts to the love of these, from the love of sinful, fleshly pleasure, and to fix their wills in a resolved choice.

3. To engage them in the obedient practice of what they love and choose, and help them to overcome all temptations to the contrary.

Q. 7. Why will God have all this and the rest which is for the church, to be an office, work of chosen, separated, consecrated persons?

A. 1. It is certain that all men are not fit for it; alas! too few. The mysteries of godliness are deep and great. The chains of sinners are strong, and God useth to work according to the suitableness of means. Great abilities are requisite to all this and God would not have his cause and work dishonoured by his ministers' unfitness. Alas! unfit men have been the church's great calamity and reproach !d

b

Tit. ii. 6-8; Heb. v. 10, 11; 1 Cor. i. 17, 18; Matt. vii. 29; Acts ii. 37.

1 Cor. xiv. ; 2 Tim. ii. 15; 1 Pet. iii. 16; Acts xx. 25, 29, 31, 32.

Acts xx. 21.

1 Tim. iii. 16, and iv. 15; 2 Tim. ii. 2, 15; Tit. i. 6, 9.