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not only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For, for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are Gon's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.- Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work. Rom. 13. 1–7. Tit. 3. 1. || 1 Pet. 2. 13-17. Ezra 7. 26. Ex. 22. 28. Eccl. 10. 20. Have you been dutiful subjects? Are you in subjection to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe?

150. Are subjects required to pray for their rulers?

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men: For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. 1 Tim. 2. 1-3. || Ezra 6. 10 Jer. 29. 7.

Have your hearts often ascended to God in fervent prayer for your rulers? Or have you been more disposed to censure them than to pray for them?

151. What are some of the duties of Gospel ministers ?

The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. Study to shew thyself approved unto Gon, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient; In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if GoD peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of GOD: not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able

by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. Jer. 23. 28. 2 Tim. 4. 5. Tit. 2. 1, 7, 8. 2 Tim. 2. 15, 23-26. Tit. 1. 7-9. || Ez. 3. 17-19. 1 Cor. 2. 1, 2. 2 Cor. 4. 1, 2. 1 Tim. 5. 17, 20, 21. 1 Pet. 5. 2, 4.

Have you reflected how solemn the circumstances of those who watch for souls? Have you felt that they must be faithful whether it pleases or displeases their hearers?

152. Do faithful ministers pray for their people?

Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our Gon would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our GoD, and the Lord Jesus Christ. For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suf fering with joyfulness. 2 Thes. 1. 11, 12. Col. 1. 9—11. || Înstances of this nature. MosES, Ex. 32. 11, &c. and Num. 14. 13, &c. SAMUEL, 1 Sam. 12. 23. DANIEL, Dan. 9. 4, &c. Amos, Amos 7. 2-6. Intercession was forbidden JEREMIAH. Jer. 7. 16.

Do you not reflect that pious ministers have prayed and perhaps wept over you in their closets? How great a blessing to have a truly devout minister?

153. What blessings are promised to faithfulness in the ministry?

Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. Jer. 15. 19. 1 Tim. 4. 16. 1 Pet. 5. 4. Dan. 12. 3. 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. Jam. 1. 12. Mat. 28. 20.

Are you willing to have ministers, faithful towards you? How great the honour of labouring for the salvation of souls!

154. What are the characters and destination of false teachers? For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord. They say still unto them that despise me, The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgetten my name for Baal.- For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. Jer. 6. 13, 14. and 23. 15-17, 25-27. 2 Cor. 11. 13. || Ez. 13. 10-16, 22, 23. and 34. 4. Rom. 16. 17, 18. 2 Pet. 2. 1-3.

Should it not be decisive against any professed teacher of religion, if his instructions tend to comfort the sinner in love with his sins? Ought you not fervently to pray that God would by his grace rescue false teachers and their followers from the ruin before them.

155. To what test should we bring professed teachers of religion, articles of faith, and rules of practice?

To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.- For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, GoD shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, GoD shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Is. 8. 20. Rev. 22. 18, 19. || Jude 3, 4. Mat. 24. 11. 1 Cor. 11. 19. 1 John 4. 1-6.

Since the Scriptures are the only infallible test with what

eagerness should the young store their minds with inspired truth? Can you be too much engaged in this business?

156. What are some important duties toward ministers ?

For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves. Let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple, and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.- Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you. Mal. 2. 7. 1.Thes. 5. 12, 13. Gal. 6. 6. 1 Cor. 9. 13, 14. Heb. 13. 17. || and 13. 7. Deut. 17. 9-11. 1 Cor. 16. 16. Phil. 2. 29, 30. Mal. 3. 8—10.

Have you rendered that love, support and obedience to your spiritual guide which the Gospel enjoins? Has it been because he was an ambassador of Christ?

157. Are we required to pray for ministers of the Gospel?

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.- Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to Gon for me.And FOR ME, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel. Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you; And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men for all men have not faith. Mat. 9. 38. Rom. 15. 30. Eph. 6. 19. 2 Thes, 3. 1, 2. || 2 Cor. 1. 10, 11. Phil. 1. 19. Acts 12. 5-7. 1 Thes. 5. 25. Heb. 13. 18, 19.

In closet, in family, and in public worship have your hearts been often lifted to God in prayer for those who watch for your souls? Would not fervent prayer for ministers bring blessings on their ministry to those who offer them?

158. Are consequences of infinite importance to immortal souls connected with a preached Gospel?

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved How then shall they call on him in whom they have

not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that, preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.- For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of GoD. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of GOD the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of GOD. Because the foolishness of GOD is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. Rom. 10. 13-15. 1 Cor. 1. 18-25. || 1 Thes. 1. 5. 2 Cor. 2. 15, 16. and 5. 20. Eph. 4. 11-13.

Ought you not ever to feel that the preached Gospel is to you either the savour of life unto life, or of death unto death? Would not this awaken the deepest interest?

159. What are the consequences of contemning, or even neglecting the instructions of faithful ministers ?

But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his Spirit by the former prophets; therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house, or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city. Zech. 7. 11-13. Mat. 10. 14, 15. || Deut. 17. 12. Ez. 33. 30-33. 2 Chron. 36. 15, 16. 2 Tim. 4. 3, 4.

Have you never neglected the instruction of faithful ministers? Are you sufficiently humbled before GOD on this account?

160. How should the written and dispensed word of God be treated?

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal

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