5. Lastly, Ministerial faithfulness includes constancy and
and all; welcome pained breasts, aching backs, and trembling legs; if we can by all but approve ourselves Christ's faithful servants, and hear that joyful voice from his mouth, 'Well done, good and faithful servants.'
4. Ministerial faithfulness includes our impartiality in all the administrations of Christ's house. He that is partial, cannot be faithful. O with what extraordinary solemnity doth Paul set on this exhortation upon Timothy! 'I charge thee before God, and the Lord
Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things, without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality,' 1
Tim. 5:21.
Brethren, you will shortly appear before an impartial God, see that ye be impartial stewards; take the same care, manifest the same love, attend with the same diligence, the poorest and weakest souls that are committed to your care, as you do the rich, the great, and honourable.
Remember all souls are rated at one value in your Master's book, and your Redeemer paid as much for the one as for the other. Civil differences must be civilly acknowledged, but these have no place in our spiritual administrations.
5. Lastly, Ministerial faithfulness includes constancy and stedfastness: Not a backsliding, or flinching servant, Rev. 2:10. 'Be thou faithful, (i.e. fixed and constant) to the death, and I will give thee a crown of life.' We look for happiness, as long as God is in heaven; and he expects constancy, as long as we are on earth.
Many of us have cause to bless the Lord, and greatly to rejoice in his goodness this day, who enabled us to be stedfast and unmoveable in the trials that have passed over us; and when the great earthquake
shaked down our liberties, our estates, and made our hearts to shake, yet our resolutions for God and his truth, stood firm and unshaken:
Our hearts turned not back, nor did our steps decline, though we were broken in the place of dragons, and covered with the shadow of death. This we wholly owe to him that holds the stars in his righthand, but our warfare is not yet ended. Our faithfulness is not yet faithfulness to the death; we hope it will shortly be called so, whilst it thus involves our self-denial, sincerity, diligence, impartiality, and constancy.
These are the principal things included in the first qualification of ministerial faithfulness. In the next place let us weigh and value,
PRUDENCE The second qualification in the text, viz. ministerial prudence.
The Lord's servant must not only be πισος, faithful; but φρονιμος; prudent, discreet, and wise. Fidelity and honesty make a good
Christian; but the addition of prudence to fidelity, makes a good steward. Faithfulness will fix the eye upon the right end; but it is prudence must direct to the proper means of attaining it.
If we look into Rev. 4:6, 7 we shall there find a stately emblem of true gospel ministers. They are Ανθρωποι πολυομματοι, Men full of eyes. They have eyes looking before them to God for direction, behind them to the flocks they lead, and within them to their own hearts; lest after they have preached to others, themselves become cast-aways. They have also six wings; with two they cover their faces, manifesting their deep reverence of God; with two their feet, manifesting the humble sense of their infirmities; and with two they fly with cheerful expedition in the service of God. They have not
only the courage of the lion, the strength of the ox, the loftiness of the eagle, but the face of a man, i.e. prudence and discretion.
The use of prudence to a minister of Christ is unspeakably great; It not only gives clearness and perspicacity to the mind, by freeing it from passions and corporeal impressions, enabling it thereby to apprehend what is best to be done; but enables it in its deliberations, about the means, to make choice of the most apt and proper; and directs the application of them in the fittest season, without precipitation, by too much haste; or hazard, by too tedious delay. And judge you, brethren, by this, what an interest the affairs of Christ's kingdom have in this second qualification.
I know there is a carnal policy, an unworthy pusillanimity, that often shrewd themselves under the name of prudence; I have nothing to do with mock graces here: My business is to shew you, in what particulars true ministerial prudence is highly serviceable to the affairs of Christ's house, or kingdom. And this I will briefly discourse in two respects.
The eye of prudence must look, 1. To our own personal work, to see that be well done.
2. To others who work, 1. With us as friends, that we may have assistance from them.
2. Or against us as enemies, that our work be not ruined by them.
1. Prudence will direct the servants of Christ, in their own proper ministerial work, that it be well done. And in order thereto, it will guide them in their deliberations to the six following proper means, and excellent expedients.