down to vifit and confirm the churches, whom they understand by thofe that labour, namely, to weari nefs, in the laft part of the verse. For the work of the fixed paftor is fuch a labour too, I Theff. v. 12. Nor yet fuch as were unfit for preaching, yet adminiftered the facraments, prayed with the church, and privately admonished the unruly. But fuch an officer, I am fure, is unknown to the Bible. It remains then, that they are those whom we call ruling elders, whofe work is, as in the text, to govern he church, but not to preach the word; and therefore they are dif tinguished from preaching elders, as is plain from the particle efpecially; as Phil. iv. 24. All the faints falute you, chiefly they that are of Cafar's household. Chiefly is the fame word in the Greek that is here rendered efpecially; and it plainly implies, that there were fome faints at Rome not of Cæfar's houfehold, So here are defcribed fome elders that rule well, and do not labour in word and doctrine,

Τα

2. Preaching elders: Their work is to preach the gofpel ; to labour in the word and doctrine. them in a special manner, by the text, double honour is due, i. e. maintenance and refpect, forafmuch as their office is greater and more honourable, not only in ruling of the church, as the others do, but preaching of the gofpel befides, Where, by the by, we may fee, that, if Paul's doctrine had place in the world, the preaching parifh minifter would have more honour than the non-preaching bishop, who contents himself with ruling, but puts not his fhoulders to the labour in the word and doctrine. tenance, we fee is, due to both forts of elders, by divine right. But it is no fin for either to quit their right in certain circumftances. And with us the ruling elders are allowed no maintenance, but the preaching elders are, The reafon of this is the poverty of the church that cannot bear it; and that our ruling elders are not taken off their fecular employments, as minifters are.

The doctrine deducible from the text is,

Main

DOCT. Ruling elders rightly discharging their duty are worthy of abundant honour.

Having fufficiently cleared the divine inflitution of ruling elders from the text, which is clear alfo from Rom. xii. 8. 1 Cor. xii. 28. I fhall, in profecution of the doctrine, fhew,

I. What is the duty of thefe officers.

II. What it is to discharge the duties of that office well.

III. What is the honour that people owe to their ruling elders.

IV. Apply.

I. I am to fhew what is the duty of thefe officers. The apoftle tells us in the general, that their work as ruling elders is to rule the church. The keys of jurifdiction and government are not given to one, but to the unity of church-officers acting together; fo, together with the paftor, they are to rule the congregation. God fetting a minifter in a congregation fays of him, It is not meet the man fhould be alone, I will make him an help meet for him. And a fociety. of diligent and faithful elders are a meet help indeed. And without that the weight of a congregation is too heavy for the fhoulders of one, as Exod. xviii. 18. But more particularly,

1. They are to be careful overfeers of the manners of the people. Hence the apoftle fays to the elders of Ephefus, Acts xx. 28. Take heed therefore unto your felves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overfeers, to feed the church of God. And as minifters are a mouth to the church, fo they are to be instead of eyes. And therefore it is neceffary, for the good of a congregation, that there be of them in every corner. For they are truly watchmen whom the Holy Ghoft has fet over the flock, as well as minifters are. And they ought to acquaint themselves with the way of the people, that fo they may encourage. those that do well, and warn thofe that do evil.

And unless elders do fo, and communicate their help in that matter to the paftor, he may be long in a congregation, and yet be a ftranger to many under his charge, and fo minifterial vifitations may be very ufe. lefs.

2. Though they are not to preach the word, yet they are to apply the word privately to people by virtue of their office. They are to have a mouth to fpeak, as well as eyes to take heed to the flock of God, 1 Tim. iii. 2.Apt to teach. There is a word pat to this purpose, 1 Theff. v. 12.—Are over you, and admonifh you. It is the fame word in our text. The word admonish there used, is far from expreffing the full meaning of the word the Holy Ghoft ufeth here, ufed alfo Eph. vi. 4. It properly fignifies to put into the mind. And fo it implies a fivefold duty.

(1.) Exciting people to their duty. Obferving negligence, they ought to ftir up people to their duty; e. g. thofe that neglect family-prayer, fecret prayer, attending regularly on ordinances, or are negligent of their fouls ftate any way, they should drop a word to ftir them up.

(2.) Rebuking of fin. Reproofs of wisdom are as neceflary for church-members, as falt is to keep meat from corrupting. It is neceffary to difcourage fin and wickedness in the church, which should be a holy fociety. And there wants not occafion enough for this, in fwearing, lying, profaning of the fabbath, drunkennefs, ftrife, variance, and whatsoever is contrary to the rules of the gospel.

(3.) Warning fuch as they see in hazard of fin; to tell them of the fnare, their hazard and danger, and fo to prevent people's falling into it, as far as lies in their power. Sometimes people may be difcerned ftaggering, and a word then duly put into their mind. may, by the bleffing of God, keep them from falling.

(4.) Comforting those that are caft down, and ftrengthening the weak. It was the practice of holy

Job, chap. iv. 4. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou haft ftrengthened the feeble knees. And church-rulers ought always to have a special eye upon those that are the weak and diftreffed in Chrift's flock; to labour to fupport them in the Lord.

(5.) Inftructing and informing them privately. And indeed rule without inftruction is dumb, and not agreeable to the way of our Lord's governing his houfe; and excitations, rebukes, &c. can never be rightly managed without information of the mind. For if we would gain our end in dealing with people, we muft not think it enough to tell them their duty or their fin, but by reafoning with them to convince their confciences.

These things are the duty of all church-members, however little it is laid to heart. Only what others are bound to by the common band of Christianity, we are bound to by our office, Lev. xix. 17. 1 Theff.

7. 14.

3. They are to visit the fick, and fhould be fent for for that end, Jam. v. 14. 15. v. 14. 15. But otherwife difcretion and Christian love may engage them to go even - when they are not fent for. They ought to pray with them and for them. And, by the fame reason, they are to counsel, inftruct, and comfort them, according to the grace beftowed on them, and as they fee the party's cafe does require. This would be a means to render the office more efteemed than alas! it is with many. And it needs not hinder the paftor's vifits.

4. They are to concur with the paftor in the exercife of difcipline, according to the word of God, and the conflitutions of the church agreeable thereto. For minifters and elders make up that church having the power of cenfures, Matth. xviii. 17. And thus they are to delate fcandalous perfons to the judicatory, either when their private admonitions will not do, or where the offence is in its own nature public, and cannot be paffed with private admonition. And in the managing of matters in the judicatory, they are not

only to give their opinion and vote according to their light, but to reason the matter calmly, for the finding out of the beft expedient. Admiffion to and debarring from the facrament of the Lord's fupper, is a weighty piece of this work, belonging to the kirk-feffion, wherein all tenderness, caution, and wisdom should be used, to separate as far as we can betwixt the precious and the vile, that holy things be not caft to dogs.

As for the collecting and diftributing of the church's money, it is fo far from being the main work of ruling elders, that it is no part of their work as elders at all, but belongs to the deacons, which is an inferior office. But the fuperior offices of the church including the inferiors ones, the elders may do it, and must do it, where there are not deacons..

II. I come now to fhew what it is to discharge the duties of that office well.

1. It is to discharge it faithfully, 1 Cor. iv. 2. It is a great truft the Mafter puts us in, and we must act in it with that faithfulnefs to our own fouls and the fouls of thofe who are under our charge, as our conscience may not have wherewith to reproach us.

2.

Diligently, Rom. xii. 8. The flothful fervant that clofeth his eyes, and gives up his watch, will will never be approved of God. Be diligent in your duty, and it will not want its reward.

3. Zealously, Pfal. lxix. 9. Zeal for the Mafter's honour, and advancing the kingdom of Chrift in real holinefs, and fuppreffing the devil's kingdom in fin wickedness, in the congregation and otherwife as we have accefs, is well becoming church-officers especially.

4. Prudently, Matth. xxiv. 45. Church officers had need to join the wifdom of the ferpent with the fimplicity of the dove. And they will find it neceffary many a time to fweeten with prudent management the bitter pills they must give, Gal, vi. 1.

III. I proceed to fhew what is that honour that people owe to their ruling elders.