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felves to his Glory, and their Comfort and Satisfaction, which hath also given them Acceptance with Friends: Now herein is great Danger, left the Creature take that Honour to itself, which only belongs to him, who is the Giver of every good and perfect Gift; and being fo lifted up, fall into the Snare of the Devil, for want of diftinguishing what it was which procured them this Acceptance; not duly confidering the Weight of that Saying Jahn xv. of our Lord, Without me ye can do nothing: This therefore ought to be the conftant Care of a Minifter of Chrift, to dwell in Humility, and in a daily Dependance on him who is only able to preferve to the End,

John xvi.

13.

But if any fhould object, You profess to have the Spirit of Truth which guideth into all Truth, and to have received that Anointing, that you need not that any Man teach you, but as the fame Anointing teacheth John ii. you of all Things, What need have you then of fuch Inftructions or Inftructors?

27.

We anfwer, This hath been the Practice of the Gospel Church from its firft Inftitution; for tho all have receiv'd the Spirit of Truth, and this Anointing which teacheth of all Things, yet all come not up in Obedience to it, neither are all fo grown into that Knowledge and Acquaintance with it, as to be perfectly taught by it and established in it; and the fame Objection may be made against the Practice of Preaching, which is generally allow'd to be neceffary;

and

2 Pet. i, 12,

1.

and the fame Reasons given for the Continuance of it, viz. Toftir up the Believers to remember their Duty; for after this Manner the Apostle Peter writes to thofe of his Time, Wherefore I will not be negligent to put 13. you always in Rememberance of these Things, tho' you know them, and be eftablished in the prefent Truth, yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this Tabernacle, to ftir you up, by putting you in Rememberance; and further he faith, This Second 2 Peter i, Epiftle, Beloved, I write unto you, in both which I ftir up your pure Minds by Way of Rememberance: And agreeable hereto is bis Advice to the Elders and Overfeers of the Church, 1 Pet, Chap. v. from Ver. 1. to 6. And Paul in like manner exhorted the Elders of the Church of Ephefus, as may be seen in the 20th Chapter of the Acts, who thought there was need to caution them, tho' they were, according to their Degree and Growth in the fame precious Faith, faying, Verf. 27. I have not hunned to declare unto you, all the Counsel of God; and Verf. 28. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the Flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overfeers, to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own Blood: And for this End he wrote his two Epiftles to Timothy, to put him in Mind of his Duty and Charge, giving him Directions how to discharge himself, and how to act in particular Cafes, and of what to beware; and to Titus in like Manner, giving

A 4

bim

bim Directions concerning his Doctrine and Conduct among ft bis Fellow-Believers; and the fame Things have been practised amongst thole whom God hath raifed up, in this laft Age, that Thofe of Experience found it their Concern to minifter to others, not only in general Doctrines, but also more particularly, to thofe who had a Gift in the Miniftry committed to them, for their Inftruction, by way of Encouragement to fuch who stood in need of Encouragement, declaring their Experience to them, and by Way of Caution to fuch, who stood in need of it, to warn them to beware, who might be in Danger of going too fast, and taking too much upon them; or on the other Hand, of neglecting their Gifts, to whom the Advice the Apostle gave to Archippus, might be necessaCol. iv. 17.ry: Say to Archippus, Take heed to the

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Miniftry which thou haft received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it. For it is evident, Minifters have fallen, and may be as liable to fall as others, and therefore they ftand in need. of prudent Advice and Caution as well as others, and this is no more than fulfilling the Gal. vi. 2. Apoftle's Injunction, Bear ye one another's Burdens, and fo fulfil the Law of Chrift: And thefe Things are, and may be done without contradicting the Texts abovementioned; for if these are the Fruits and Effects of the Spirit and it's Teaching, whether mediately or immediately given, it is the fame Spirit of Truth, and the Jame Anointing, which speaks through the Inftrument to the Edification of the Body' and every Member of it, as the Apostle obfer

weth,

veth, when he is speaking of Spiritual Gifts, 1 cor. xii. All these worketh that one and the selffame Spirit, dividing to every Man severally as he will; and that there ought to be an Ear open to bear fuch, whom the Holy Ghoft has appointed Overfeers, whether Minifters or Elders, obferve what the Apostle faith, Obey Heb. xi, them that have the Rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your Souls, as they that muft give Account, that they may do it with Joy and not with Grief, for that is unprofitable for you.

To conclude, as all Inftruction both by Writing and Preaching, is that the Ignorant may be informed, and the Faithful preserved in the right Way to the Discharge of their Duty, it is much to be defired, that thofe who may be concerned in the Advices contain'd in the enfuing Treatife, whether Minifters or Elders, may be fo difpofed to receive Inftruction, that they may reap the Advantage intended by this Labour of Love; fo will the End of the Author herein be effectually answered, even the Glory of God and the Good of Souls.

17.

A