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But inconceivably better would it | been better for that man if he had be to do as Paul did. "I keep never been born. For as he negunder my body," said he, "and lected the all-important duties that bring it into subjection:* lest that devolved upon him, and by that by any means, when I have preach- neglect secured carnal ease and ed to others, I myself should be a carnal pleasures, that ease and castaway." 1 Cor. ix. 27. those pleasures, though fair and Should it be said, Who is suffi- tempting in their appearance, provcient for these things? the Scrip-ed in the end to be awfully inimical tures furnish an appropriate an-to the future welfare of their deluswer. "The Lord," says Isaiah, ded votary. But when to such a "giveth power to the faint, and to life of sinful pleasure is added the them that have no might, he in-beating of his fellow-servants, this creaseth strength. Even the youths Bonner of the Christian church shall faint and be weary, and the completes his career of iniquity. young men shall utterly fall; but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount aloft with the facility of eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Is. xl. 29-31.

With such persecutors in view, Jehovah thought proper, seven hundred years beforehand, to furnish words of consolation for his suffering servants of the apostolic age. Thus when the day of Jerusalem's awful visitation was apBut to return to the faithless proaching, the persecuted Christian servant: We see, moreover, that Jews could read concerning their had not our Lord's coming been persecutors, the unbelieving Jews, delayed, there would not have"Your brethren that hated you been proper time to develop the and cast you out for my name's character of professors. Thus in sake, said, Let the Lord be glorithe case of the unprincipled ser-fied; but he shall appear to your vant, a delay was essential to shew joy, and they shall be ashamed." what sort of a man he was. For Is. lxvi. 5. By directing our at had his lord come speedily, that depraved individual would, to all appearance, have done no wrong. But the delay was the very thing of which he took a base advantage, and which induced him to act out himself. Thus the ill-disposed servant was put to the proof; and the result shewed that it would have

* The Apostle did not mean to imply that he practised superstitions austerities; but that viewing the Christian's life as an energetic contest, he studiously avoided every hindrance to success, and eagerly availed himself of every practice by which he might be the better prepared to " fight the good fight of faith." Thus he had the pleasing prospect of avoiding the heart-rending disappointment of the unsuccessful, and of obtaining the victor's crown, which "the Lord, the righteous Judge," had to bestow.

tention, therefore, to the end of things, we evidently see by the conduct of the perfidious servant, that instead of being wise, as the faithful servant is said to be, he was indeed as foolish as he was wicked.

Thus our Lord shewed his dis

He whose "mind is enmity against God" (Rom. viii. 7.) has a latent enmity against those who are "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Pet. i..4.), as far as their resemblance to God is made manifest. (John xv. 18, 19.) Wherever, therefore, such enmity exists, there are the innate principles of the ill-disposed servant; and though these principles may not be fully acted out, yet, in the sight of God, "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." Prov. xxiii. 7. So important is it to adopt David's petition, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.' Ps. li. 10.

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ciples that there would be a delay imagine that I am a bigoted ad

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in his coming, and thus he has left herent to the old customs of our on record encouragements and Denomination, and extremely opwarnings, as salutary as the fruit posed to the introduction of anyof the tree of life, for those who thing we have not been used to are placed over his household. practise. I suspect, however, that But such encouragements and such some who know me better than warnings are, by inference, appli- a Country Minister" can do, cable to all professors, and are have an opinion directly the oppoequally important for the whole of site of his. In many instances I the visible church; and hence the have innovated, and if life and opdelay of the master, in connection portunity be spared, I hope to see with the wisdom and folly evinced in my own circle other old cusby two different servants, was a toms abolished, and things brought train of thought the Saviour pur- to a more scriptural standard. He sued and amplified by the delay of supposes that I "assume a frowna bridegroom, and the wisdom and ing, browbeating aspect,"the" tenfolly evinced by two different dency of which is to check a spirit classes of his attendants. Thus of enquiry, and independence of our Lord seems to have been in- thought" among young ministers. duced to continue his discourse on To this charge also I plead not Mount Olivet, by the introduction guilty, and protest against any of the parable of the ten virgins, part of my former communication for the information of his disciples being so understood. He intiat the time they heard it, as well mates, farther, a supposition that as for their edification when the I have some doubts as to the proSpirit should" bring all things to priety of the Ordination service their remembrance," and also for being regarded as the appointment the information and edification of of a minister to the pastoral office the church of God to the end of by other pastors, and very sagatime. The parable of the ten vir- ciously infers this from my signagins, therefore, being a sequel to ture as "a publicly recognized the parable already investigated, Pastor." If, however, "a Country may be a proper subject for a fu- Minister" had read the last parature paper. graph in my former communication, he might have perceived a hint on the impropriety of ministers settling with a second church "without a public recognition;" and one would have imagined he might have seen the possibility of this"recognition" applying to such a settlement rather than to an "Ordination," or first setting apart to the pastoral office. This in reality was the fact.

Stratford, Essex.

J. F.

FURTHER HINTS ON THE IMPORTANCE
OF ORDINATION.

To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine.
SIR,

I AM Sorry that the few remarks
which I deemed it my duty to make
in your February number, on the
importance of Ordination, should
have hurt the mind of our good
friend "a Country Minister," whose
observations in the Magazine for
the present month, I have been
looking over this morning.

Your correspondent seems to

Had your correspondent, Sir, stopped here, I had not taken up my pen. But I fear that his too confident assertions as to the nonrequirement of Ordination by the Sacred Volume, and his placing it

on a level with the mummeries of to regulate our conduct. In reply Rome, are calculated to do injury to this I might require "a Country among the young and thoughtless in our churches.

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Minister" to tell me when the example of the Apostles is binding and when it is not. But I will rather ask him whether we have any evidence that in thus ordaining they were acting as Apostles; or might not this duty be discharged by them as ordinary ministers, in the same way as they preached the word and adminis tered the ordinances?

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I am aware that I shall be in danger of again giving offence to a Country Minister," when I assert my deliberate persuasion that Ordination is a divinely instituted ordinance, that it can only be scripturally performed by Christian ministers, themselves previously ordained, and that all appointments to the pastoral office otherwise But perhaps it will be said that made, are, in the scriptural view this is begging the question. I of the matter, invalid. I shall not can afford to lose even a good aroccupy a large portion of room in gument, and let then the " Country setting forth my arguments to the Minister" say, that this view of the best advantage, but shall simply subject does not bear on the pracstate them, and commend the sub-tice of modern Ordination; will he ject to the serious and candid at-permit me to beg the favour of a tention of my opponent. reply to the following enquiries:

1. Where in the New Testament or in the first ages of the Christian church, did a pastor enter on the duties of his office without being first appointed thereto by other Ministers?

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2. If Churches have the right, not only to choose their pastors, but forthwith to appoint them to their office, from what passage of the New Testament do they derive it?

On the subject of the right of every church to choose its own officers, there is no difference of opinion between your correspondent and myself. But then I contend that the choice of the people is not ordination, but that the appointment or separation to the office to which they are thus chosen is the work of those previously in office. To see the distinction between choice and appointment, it 3. If ministers have nothing to is only necessary to turn to Acts do with the Ordination or appointxiii. 2. where the Holy Spirit com- ment of pastors, how is it that Paul manded the apostles to separate gave to Timothy and Titus, who, Barnabas and Saul for the work be it remembered, were not inspired whereunto he had called them. men, rather than to the churches, To the argument that the Apostles such particular directions as to the directed the election of Matthias character of Christian pastors? to the apostleship, Acts i. that they Why did he instruct Timothy to appointed those whom the church" commit the gospel to faithful at Jerusalem chose to the dea-men, who should be able to teach con's office, Acts vi. 3. and ordain- others also?" 2 Tim. ii. 2. Why ed elders in every church, Acts did he direct him not hastily to xiv. 23. and that by the laying on appoint ministers to office? 1 Tim. of hands, they appointed Timothy v. 22. And why did he leave to the office of the ministry, 1 Tim. Titus in Crete for the express puriv. 14., I suppose your corres-pose of" setting in order the things pondent would say, that the acts that were wanting, and ordaining of inspired men were not intended elders in every city?” Titus i. 5.

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may therefore conclude, that they waited till the evening before they brought their sick to be healed, because the Sabbath would then be terminated; for they deemed even the communication of medical assistance a profanation of that holy day. (Markiii.2; Luke xiv. 1.) Now we learn from St. Mark (ch. i. 21, &c.) that the day of which this was the evening, was actually the Sabbath; in which e healed a person possessed with an unclean spirit in the synagogue of

I shall not at present trouble " Country Minister" with any farther enquiries. I deeply regret the introduction into our Denomination, of what I consider a very unscriptural practice, and say with the judicious Fuller, in the last service of this kind in which he was engaged, "The ordination of elders over the churches, was a practice among the primitive Christians. Acts xiv. 23. And I hope it will never be dispensed with in our churches. Besides being sanctioned by apostolical example, it Capernaum; whence he went into is a guard against the introduction of improper characters; who, by getting an artificial majority in a church, may intrude themselves on a people to their great injury. Hence the exhortation, Lay hands suddenly on no man.'"

I beg pardon, Mr. Editor, for occupying so much of your room, and again subscribe myself

A PUBLICLY RECOGNIZED
PASTOR.

April 9th, 1828.

HORE EVANGELICÆ. (Continued from p. 155.)

THE GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW.

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the house of Simon, whose wife's mother he healed of a fever, and where they brought unto him those who were diseased, when sun was set." (ver. 29-32.) Of this we have no intimation in St. Matthew, except what is implied in the passage under consideration; and even the circumstance, from the detail of which by St. Mark, we learn that it was on the Sabbath, is wholly omitted by that Evangelist. Hence it may, we conceive, be justly inferred, that this coincidence is no less undesigned than minute and latent; and consequently that it clearly establishes the truth of the several facts with which it is inseparably connected in the relation of these Evangelists.

No. XI.-Chap. viii. 16, 17. "WHEN the even was come they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, say-sea side." ing, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."

No. XII.-Chap. xiii. 1. "The same day went Jesus OUT OF THE HOUSE, and sat by the

But it does not certainly appear from the previous narrative The Jews kept their Sabbaths of St. Matthew, that our Lord had from evening to evening, accord- entered a house. It is true, that ing to the law, (Lev. xxiii. 32.) he relates in the preceding chapter, "From even to even shall ye cele- (ver. 46-49.) that "While he yet brate your sabbath;" and there- talked with the people, behold his fore, when it “ began to be dark mother and his brethren stood before the sabbath," Nehemiah WITHOUT, desiring to speak with commanded the gates of Jerusa-him. Then one said unto him, lem to be shut. (Neh. xiii. 19.) behold, thy mother and thy bre

strained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray and when the evening was come he was there alone."

thren stand WITHOUT, desiring to speak with thee." But the term E, WITHOUT, does not always denote out of doors, but simply, on the outside of any thing; and might as justly apply to the circle which was formed by "the multitude who sat about him," as St. Mark states. (ch. iii. 32.) The It does not appear from the narlatter Evangelist, however, ex-rative of St. Matthew why our pressly affirms, that they went Lord should thus urge his disciINTO A HOUSE, probably the ples to depart, dismiss the multihouse in Capernaum where Jesus tude, and then ascend alone into usually sojourned. "And the a mountain to pray; immediately multitude cometh together again, after one of the most stupendous so that they could not so much as displays of his all-creative energy, eat bread. And when his friends in supplying the wants of five heard of it, they went to lay hold on thousand men, Beside women and him for they said, he is beside children, with five loaves and two himself." (Mark iii. 19-21.) This small fishes. The disciples could testimony is decisive, and exactly not have needed being constrained, agrees with the implied statement as some have supposed, in conseof St. Matthew. We also learn quence of being afraid to return from it, that the reason why Jesus into the jurisdiction of Herod, from would not go out to his mother whom, it does not appear by the and brethren, when they desired to history, they had any thing to fear; speak with him, was because he nor can it be supposed that their knew that they were come in the presence could have obstructed exercise of their misguided zeal his communion with his Father, to for his welfare, to lay hold of him. whom he had at all times and It will not, however, be imagined places free access. By a referthat St. Mark inferred these par- ence, however, to the gospel of ticulars from the account of St. St. John, the reason becomes imMatthew; particulars which are mediately apparent. He relates, not only wholly omitted by that what we might naturally expect Evangelist, but are not so much would be the case, that those as distantly alluded to, but merely men, when they had seen the miimplied in the language he em-racle that Jesus did, said, "This is ploys. And, as it cannot be of a truth that prophet that should supposed that St. Matthew used come into the world." They this language with a view of mak-justly concluded, that he was in ing it correspond, in such a remote reality the Messiah; and, as they manner, with the relation of St. inseparably connected the idea of Mark, it must be inferred that the an earthly Prince with that of a correspondence was wholly unde- Prophet, they resolved immedisigned, and arose spontaneously ately to proclaim him king, and from the truth of the facts which rid themselves at once of Herod they have severally detailed as and the Romans. "When Jesus connected with this circumstance. perceived," either by some words they had dropped, or by his penetration of their hearts, "that they would come and take him by force

No. XIII.-Chap. xiv. 22, 23. "And straightway Jesus con

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