Faith and Life for Baptists: The Documents of the London Particular Baptist General Assemblies, 1689-1694 by James M. Renihan

Author:James M. Renihan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: James M. Renihan
Published: 2016-09-05T22:00:00+00:00

Motives to press the Duty of the Ministers Maintenance, with an Answer to other Objections.

1. Consider well, and remember that your Pastors are the Ministers; nay, the Ambassadors of Jesus Christ; such who represent his Sacred Majesty, and have his Commission, for what they act and do in his Name; and dispense the Mysteries of God to you, according to their Duty; therefore the Lord Jesus will account that done to Himself, which is done to his Ministers: He that receiveth you (saith he) receiveth me, and he that despiseth you, despiseth me, Mat. 10.40. Luke 10.16. If the Name and Authority of Christ will beget an aw53 in you, or his Matchless and Unspeakable Love Influence your Souls; there is no doubt but his word will abide upon you, and cause you to discharge the Duty we have pressed upon your Spirits. If you acknowledge a Religious Respect and Reverence due to the Son of God, exercise it in a humble Obedience to his word; and if you Love him and value his Gospel, treat not his Ministers in an unworthy manner: Have you not called them off from other Business? And are they not your Servants? And is not from thence a Gospel Maintenance due to them from you, as is the wages of your other Servants? Tho we fear some give more to the meanest Servants in their House, than they to give to the Ministers of Christ.

2. ‘Tis evident, they have a great Charge committed to their Trust, they watch for your Souls, as they who must give an account, Heb. 13.17. And therefore you ought to consider them, and pity them, and endeavour to assist them, and put them into the best Capacity you are able to do, that they may make full proof of their Ministry, and be free from the Blood of all Men; ‘tis the Business of your own Salvation, and concern of your precious and immortal Souls, that your ministers are imployed in; and therefore ‘tis much more your own interest than his, and from hence ought to make Conscience of your Duty; for if they can’t give their account with Joy, that will not be profitable for you: And how can they give an account of Joy concerning you, when you have neglected one great and indispensible Duty, by which means they were rendered unable to perform their Work, as became them? Nor can indeed the Ministry ever be effectual to your Souls, if you be not sincere in Obedience under it: Besides, as one observes, will you be less Carefull for your Souls, and their Eternal wellfare, than for your Bodies, and the Comforts of a Temporal Life? Can you be content to lay out your Strength and Substance to provide for these, and neglect the other? Is it not sad, saith one to consider, How many there are among Professors, that live in this World, as if there were no Truth in the report of that which is to come, and have the meanest esteem of the most necessary means of Salvation? viz.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.