MINISTERIAL FIDELITY IN DECLARING THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD.

SERMON 42.

A Farewell Difcourfe delivered at Paisley, May, 1768.

ACTS xx. 26, 27.

Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men: for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God,

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MY BRETHREN,

HESE words are a part of the apostle Paul's dif courfe to the elders of Ephefus, when taking leave of them, under a firm perfuafion, or rather a certain knowledge, that he would never again fee them in the body. My prefent fituation, of which none of you is ignorant, has determined me to the choice of this paffage, as a very proper fubject, from which I may conclude the exercife of my miniftry among you. I had once occafion, on leaving another charge, to have taken a formal farewell of a very affectionate people, but had not courage to attempt The circumflances attending the removal, which, if Providence prevent not, feems now to be at hand, are fuch as do not leflen, but greatly increafe the difficulty of speak, ing from fuch a fubject. And yet, in another view, they

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feemed to urge it fo ftrongly, and to prefent fuch an opportunity of being useful, as I durft not wholly decline. Every Chriftian ought to be an obferver of providence. Nothing will more effectually promote his holiness and comfort. And both a minifter and his people ought to improve the aspect of providence, when it hath any thing peculiar in it, to their mutual benefit.

Let me therefore, intreat you to attend to the following difcourfe, with patience and compofure. This request I the rather hope you will comply with, as there is nothing intended that is perfonal, further than muft neceffarily arife from the fubject itself, or be unavoidably fuggefted by your own thoughts. I blefs God that I have no complaint to make of want of duty, or affection upon your vde; neither is it any part of my purpose to juftify my own conduct, during the time that I have had the honor and happiness of being intrusted with the miniftry of the gospel in this place. I fhall therefore only fay, that whether I have been able to deliver my own foul, by fidelity in duty, and by purity of principle, I am certain, that fiery much has been laid to the charge of many of yours. Leaft of all do I intend to endeavor to fatisfy you of the motives which have induced me to accept of a call to a diftant part of the world, and, in fome degree, a different employment in the church of Chrift. For this, I know that an account must be given, in due time, to a much greater Judge, with whofe approbation either the applause or cenfure of men are not worthy to be laid in the balance. The fingle purpose, therefore, of the following difcourse, fhall be to give you fuch a comprehenfive view of the truths of the everlafting golpel,-of the importance and difficulty of a minifter's work; as may direct you in the choice of another paftor,-increase your efteem of fuch as are faithful, and excite you to guard against every thing that may either difcourage them in their work, or prevent their fuccefs.

The apofile Paul had planted the church of Ephesus, and he had spent a part of his time there, very confiderable, if we confider the extent of his commiffion, and his many apostolic journies to different parts of the world. In the

whole of his difcourfe, to the elders of that church, whom he had fent for in his paffage to Jerusalem, we see the greatest tenderness and affection, and an earnest concern, to engrave upon their hearts the truths which he had taught them while refiding there. And, in the words of the text, you fee the foundation on which he takes them to record, that he was free from the blood of all men; for, fays he, I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. I omit every thing that might be occafionally introduced from the text, or context, fuch as minifters being chargeable with the blood of those who perifh by their neglect, and the doctrine of the gofpel being the counfel of God, that I may fix your at tention, where certainly the emphasis of this declaration lies, viz. That he had declared to them all the counsel of God, and that he had not shunned to do fo, or that he had not been deterred, by any difficulties, from the faithful difcharge of his truft. Therefore, in difcourfing further, on this fubject, I will endeavor, through divine af fiftance,

I. To confider the fidelity of a minifter, as confifting in a full and complete declaration of the counfel of God. II. To confider the difficulties which may lie in his way, or tempt him to shun any part of his work.

III. To make a particular improvement of the fubject, by giving you my parting advices, in the fpirit of this paffage, and in a way, to the beft of my judgment, fuited to your fituation.

First then, Let us confider the fidelity of a minifter, as confifting in a full and complete declaration of the counfel of God. This is a circumstance which the apoftle feems to have laid particular ftrefs upon, in his difcourfe to the elders of Ephefus, as he not only refts his folemn appeal to themselves, in this paffage, upon it, but had mentioned it before, verses, 20, 21. And how I have kept "back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have "fhewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from "houfe to houfe, teftifying both to the Jews, and alfo to

"the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jefus Chrift." It is, indeed, a circumftance of the utmost moment, as minifters may be fuppofed much more ready to fall fhort in this refpect than in any other. It is probable that many more are chargeable with concealing truth, than affirming falfhood; with neglecting duty, than committing crimes; with not building the house, than wilfully pulling it down. Agreeably to this, we find the charge of the prophet, against unfaithful shepherds, is chiefly or only for neglect of duty, Ezek. xxxiv. 2, 3, 4. "Son of man, prophefy against the fhepherds of "Ifrael, prophefy and fay unto them, thus faith the Lord "God unto the fhepherds, wo be to the fhepherds of Ifrael, "that do feed themfelves: fhould not the fhepherds feed "the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye cloth you with the "wool, ye kill them that are fed; but ye feed not the "flock the difeafed have ye not ftrengthened, neither "have ye healed that which was fick, neither have ye "bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have 66 ye fought that which was loft, but with force and with "cruelty have ye ruled them." But that you may have as comprehenfive a view as poffible, of the character of a faithful minifter, given in the text, obferve, that integrity in declaring all the counfel of God, implies the following particulars.

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1. Declaring all the truths of God, without any excep tions. The revealed will of God is of great extent and compass. It takes in all that we are to believe concerning God, and all the duty which God requires of man. gives us an account of the original, and of the fallen state of man; of the early purpose of divine mercy, and the fteps that were taken, from age to age, in carrying it into execution; of the perfon, undertaking, and sufferings of the Saviour; of his laws as a teacher, and his dominion as a king. Together with all this, we have a history of Providence, and many fpecial examples, inftructions, and warnings of the most particular kind. Now, my brethren, he who would declare all the counsel of God, must pay a due regard to every part, and, as far as time and health

is given him, endeavor to make his people acquainted with the whole. This, to be fure, cannot be done all at once, and at the fame time. Doubtlefs there are fome truths of more importance than others. As the foundation muft be laid before the ftructure can be raised, and the foundation and the corner stones are of more moment than the finifhings of the furface: yet there is a mutual fubfer viency of every one in its place to another, and not the leaft can be wholly omitted without a real injury to those that are retained.

There is a preciousness in every truth that hath the ftamp of divine authority upon it; and, therefore, to ne. glect any of them, and count them trifling, or of little moment, argues a want of reverence for the word of God. The holy fcriptures, as they are full and complete, containing every thing that is neceffary; fo they are perfect and faultlefs, containing nothing that is unneceffary. Se. rious perfons have often borne teftimony to the great utility of fuch parts of the facred oracles, as are commonly treated with most indifference. Nay, I cannot help thinking, that the veneration due to God, who doth nothing in vain, obliges us to believe the utility even of. thofe paffages whole purpose we ourselves may not as yet have clearly perceived.

They are therefore greatly to be blamed who are at no pains to make known the counfel of God, in its full extent; but how much more thofe who fatisfy themselves with infifting upon fome things, which may be most agree able to their own taste and difpofition, to the entire neglect of others that are perhaps of equal or of greater mo. ment? We fee this happen too frequently, that things which fill almost every page in the holy fcriptures can fcarce obtain a place in many fermons. We see some induftriously avoid the truths of the everlasting gospel, and others the duties of the moral law. The evil of this is the greater, that there is fuch a relation between the feveral parts of God's revealed will, that if any one is left out, every view given of the reft must be not only partial but unjult. He who truly understands the fcriptures, will foon perceive, that there is fuch an infeparable connexion VOL. II. 3 T