A Sermon: “I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?”— Acts x. 29

BY REV. THOMAS HALYBURTON,

II.

III. Thirdly, To inquire into the reasons of the doctrine, why a faithful gospel-minister coming amongst a people, will be careful to understand their design or intent in calling him. And,

(1). This will be the desire of a gospel-minister, because a mistake in this matter will be of very dangerous consequence to the people. That people may be influenced by wrong and sinister ends and motives in this matter, is beyond all peradventure. They may design the “gratification of their itching ears” by the preacher’s gifts, as the prophet Ezekiel’s nearers did; they may seek the gospel-ordinances for a charm as it were, that they may sit down and rest upon them, as many people do, like those with whom the prophet Jeremiah had to do, who said, “The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these.” Or they may design the strengthening of factions and parties; or to get occasion to mock, as many do now in our days. These and the like sinister designs may a people go upon: and there can be nothing more prejudicial to a people than to be under the influence of such intentions; since, past all peradventure, God will not sit with such an affront as is done Him by this means, when that ordinance of the ministry, which he designed for the good of souls, and His glory, is prostitute, and made subservient to quite different, nay, opposite designs; and surely a faithful gospel-minister, who will have a tender regard to the salvation of his people, cannot choose but be solicitous to understand that they are not in so dangerous a mistake.

(2). The knowledge of this will be of great use to clear his call. It is a great evidence that God designs good to a people when they call a gospel-minister upon such designs; and it cannot but go a great length towards his satisfaction as to God’s calling him to work among them, in order to the compassing the great designs of his ministry. When Peter got the account before spoken of from Cornelius, he is further confirmed as to the hand of God in his coming to him, in compliance with his desire.

(3). If upon inquiry they be found to be such as we have mentioned, it will be a great comfort to him, in grappling with the difficulties he may meet with in the discharge of his duty. It will give a great deal of satisfaction to him to know that those for whose sake he runs those hazards, and grapples with these difficulties, have the same aims, and are joining in the same design with him. In fine, the right management of his whole work depends very much upon his knowledge of his people’s intentions; and therefore it is no wonder to be inquisitive into them, since by his acquaintance with these he may be capacitated to further both his own and their salvation.

We might, for improvement of this point, discourse to you at length of the necessity of a gospel-minister’s inquiring into his own designs in undertaking the charge of a people. The arguments made use of to discover the reasonableness of inquiring after the people’s design, conclude no less strongly with respect to the minister’s. We might likewise discourse to you of the way how he is to manifest the integrity and sincerity of his aims; but time will not allow us to enter upon these things, and you heard the minister’s duty so fully and largely discoursed of within these few days, namely, at the ordination, that we judge it needless to enter upon that subject; and therefore all the improvement we design, of what has been said, shall be despatched in a short address to you of this congregation.

You have called me to labour among you in the work of the gospel; upon your call I have come: I ask therefore to what intent sent ye for me? What did ye design in this matter? Was it to hear what God has to say to you, that God’s worship may be ordered according to His own appointment, that you may be brought to acquaintance with Christ, or that you be established in His ways? Were these and the like the designs you had in view? Were these the motives influenced you? If you narrowly look into your own hearts, and make an impartial inquiry, you may readily come to understand what your aims have been; and for your help, I would only in God’s name, pose your consciences with a question or two, that may be of use.
1. Dare you, without heart condemning, as in the sight of God, say, that in calling a minister you had respect to the command of God? Was it duty that moved you, or did custom and your own ease influence you?
2. Dare you hold up your face and say, that it was a taste of God’s goodness in ordinances, that made you desire them, that you might grow thereby?
3. Did this desire lead you much to the throne of grace to pray for a minister, that God might send you one “according to his own heart, that might feed you with knowledge and understanding?”
4. When you saw any prospect of the return of your prayers, as to a gospel-ministry, were you careful to plead that the blessing might come along?

What say ye to these things? Give God, give conscience, justice; let conscience speak freely, and tell whether things be so or not. They must either own, that there was not a regard to the command, that there was not a desire after the sincere milk of the word, occasioned by a taste of the Lord’s goodness, that there was not that serious application to God by prayer, either for a minister, or for the blessing of the ordinance; or that there was; and this will cast you all into two classes. 1st, Those who have not been so employed in this matter, and consequently have not been acting for right ends. And, 2nd. Those who have been busied in duty, in the way just now mentioned. To each of these a word. And,

1st. As for you who have not had a regard to your duty in this matter, who have not been wrestling with God in prayer, that God might send you a minister with the fulness of the blessing of the gospel, to you we say,

1. Your designs are not such as God will approve of. Had they been such as we mentioned in the former part of this discourse, then surely they would have led you to earnest wrestling with God, for his directions, who only can point to one that is meet to answer those blessed ends.

2. You are guilty of horrible wickedness. You have committed a great provocation, in calling a minister upon any other design. God designed them for the ends formerly mentioned, and no other; and your calling them upon other aims, is an endeavour to counteract God, prostitute His ordinance, and serve your lusts of that which God designed for His own glory.

3. Whatever good others may get by the gospel, you have no reason to look for any. God may answer you according to the idols of your own hearts: and when he satisfies the soul of the hungry with good things, he may send leanness to you. When he gives a commission to the word to enlighten, convert, confirm, and strengthen others, you have reason to fear that it may have a commission to make you blind, deaf, and dead.

4. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thoughts of your heart may be forgiven you; lie in the dust before God; endeavour to get your hearts affected with your guilt, that you may be deeply humbled and abased before him whom you have provoked to anger.

5. Bring forth fruits meet for repentance. Let us know by your carriage that you are really penitent, and that now you have got the right designs in view; and this you may do by a close attendance upon all the ordinances, by hearing and doing whatever is enjoined you of God, and by all the other ways mentioned in the doctrinal parts of this discourse.

6. And lastly. Whether you hear or forbear, yet we tell you, the Kingdom of God is come near unto you; whatever you design, the Lord has given you a gospel-day; and if our gospel be hid from you, it is because you are lost, the god of this world having blinded your eyes, that you should not discern the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the image of God.

2nd. As to the second sort of persons, those who have been importunate with God and have had an eye to His command in this work, to you we say,

1. This your conduct, past all peradventure, is no mean evidence of the sincerity of your good intentions; and this is certainly matter of thankfulness, and is moreover a ground to hope, that the Lord may not altogether frustrate your desires.

2. Do not think your work is over. Wrestle, plead strongly with God for the blessing of gospel-ordinances; whoever plants or waters, it is only God that gives the increase; and therefore if you mean to grow under the means, be instant in prayer for the blessing on them; plead that God may not send leanness to your souls, while he provides plenty of spiritual provision for you.

3. Beware of sitting down upon gospel privileges. You may, if you do so, lose what you have wrought, and justly bring the sincerity of your aims in question. There is nothing more ordinary, than up-sitting of this sort. Persons, who it may be would say, O had they a gospel-dispensation! how glad would they be, how carefully would they improve it; and yet when they get what they seek, their improvement is in no measure answerable to their resolutions. Take heed of, and guard against this.

4. Let there be a suitable care to evidence your sincerity in this matter, by the whole of your deportment. If you turn careless in attending ordinances, if you hear, but do not, if you neglect your own work, and be wanting to yourselves in this matter, then who will believe your sincerity? who can believe it? your own consciences will accuse you: and “if your hearts condemn you, God is greater than your hearts, and knows all things,” 1 John iii. 20.

5. If you find that the Lord has made endeavours successful, take care that you sacrifice not to your own net, and burn incense to your drag. God is a holy and a jealous God, and will not be mocked; and if you begin to rob him of his glory, he will get him glory in such a way as may lay you low, and make you smart severely for your own folly.

6. If the Lord give you the gospel-light, then walk in the light while you have it. Carry like children of the light and of the day, work out the work of your salvation with fear and trembling; for none of us can tell how soon our gospel-day may be gone, and the night succeed wherein none can work.

Conclusion: General Advices.

We shall conclude this discourse with a few general advices to all of you. Would you have our ministry made successful? would you obtain the real advantage of gospel-ordinances, and have our meetings such as may be matter of rejoicing both to you and me in the day of the Lord? then we entreat, beseech, nay, and obtest you by the mercies of God, in the bowels of our Lord Jesus Christ, as you would have your own souls and ours to be saved.

1. Pray for us. As a minister is indispensably obliged to mind his people before God, and to carry them ever upon his heart, so are they obliged to pray for their minister: “Pray for us,” says the apostle, Heb. xiii. 18, “for we trust we have a good conscience in all things, willing to live honestly.” To give weight to this advice, I shall lay before you a few considerations.

(1.) Consider, ministers are not sufficient of themselves for this work: the work is great, weighty, and important, and the difficulties are many; and who is sufficient for it? Sure ministers are not, for if the apostle said with justice of himself, “That he was not of himself sufficient to think any thing as he ought,” II. Cor. iii. 5, then much more may gospel-ministers now-a-days own it to be so with them; and therefore all their sufficiency is only of God, from whom suitable and needful supplies should be sought.

(2.) Consider that in their plenty and fulness you shall have plenty. They are indispensably obliged to lay out what they receive for you, to spend and be spent in the work and service of your faith: and therefore it is your interest that they abound, since it is for your sake they labour; and the more so, if you be instrumental by your prayers, in procuring advantages and supplies for them.

(3.) Consider, that they are exposed to great hazards for your sake, and therefore you are to contribute your utmost to their assistance this way, wherein you may be most helpful to them. They being made watchmen, do thereby become the butt of Satan’s malice; and the more faithful they are, the more will he oppose them, and seek their ruin. The enemy’s principal design is sure to be against the watchman, because he prevents the surprising of his people by Satan, at least it is his business to do so; and therefore no stone will be left unturned, in order to his ruin.
1. Satan will endeavour to lay him asleep, and make him turn secure, that he may neglect his post.
2. If he miss of this, he will endeavour to fill him with disturbance and fear, that so he may be diverted from his duty, and made to quit his post.
Or, 3. He will ply his corruptions, that he may, by attending to them, and striving against them, take him off from, or discourage him in his opposition to those of others.
4. He will endeavour to blind his eyes by false appearances, that so he may give false alarms: and this will weaken his credit, and make people not believe his warnings.
5. He will endeavour to amuse him with great appearances of danger where there is none; that his eyes may turn off from those things which may really endanger his flock.
6. He will endeavour to beget and cherish jealousies betwixt his people and him, whereby his warnings will be less regarded, and his hands be weakened, and his heart be discouraged.
7. If these fail, he will endeavour to get him removed; if he see the gospel like to prove successful, then he will take care to find out ways to oblige the watchman to remove from his post.
And, 8. If he fail of this, he will endeavour to kill him, either by multiplying troubles and griefs, or else by more direct methods, employing his emissaries and servants to take away his life; and this, by God’s permission, for the punishment of a people’s sins, has proven successful.

Surely these and a great many more methods, used by Satan, the wicked world, pretended friends, and their own corruptions, against the ministers of the gospel, and all upon the people’s account, should make them careful in praying to God in their behalf, that they may be saved from the attempts of all their spiritual adversaries, and may be made to grow in graces and gifts.

Pray for much grace to your minister, that he may persuade, as knowing the terrors of the Lord; that he may deal tenderly with you, as having himself had acquaintance with soul-sickness on account of sin; that he may take you to Jesus safely, as having himself been with him; that he may comfort you with the consolations wherewith he has been comforted of God.

In fine, that he may speak, because he himself had not only believed, but experienced the work of grace upon his own soul, as one that has tasted that sin is an evil and bitter thing, and has found that Christ is useful, is sufficient, is precious; and that he may pray acceptably for you, as one who has found acceptance in his own behalf. Pray likewise for gifts to him, knowledge in the mystery of God, and of Christ, and of faith: that he may have much spiritual wisdom, zeal, boldness, and courage, to fit him for his work; and withal, that the Lord may give a door of utterance.

(4.) Consider, that a careful attendance to your duty, in holding up your minister’s case, will be a great mean to promote love, mutual love, betwixt you and him; and this will help to break Satan’s engines. Nothing contributes more to the furtherance and success of one’s ministry in a place, than much love, mutual kindness betwixt a minister and people; and no love so useful this way, as that which vents itself in prayer for one another, and is cherished by this means.

1. I entreat you may carefully attend ordinances, public, private, and secret; and catechising as the Lord shall give occasion. This will make us cheerfully go about these duties, if we see you studying to take advantage of them; this will be profitable to you; it will discourage our enemies; it will rejoice our heart, and be a credit to religion.

2. Any advantage you receive, be sure that ye attribute it entirely to God; beware of placing it to the minister’s account, who is only the instrument; if you rob God of the glory, and give it to the instrument, you may by this provoke the Lord to blast your minister, and to withdraw from him His presence; which will soon make you see that it is not the minister that can do any thing. Give God His due, and so count of us as the servants of Christ, and the stewards of the mysteries of the gospel; and when ye get any good by it, put it all to God’s account; bless Him for it; and let the instrument have an interest in your affections and prayers, that he may be further useful to you and others.

3. Once more, and we have done. Do not count us your enemies, if we tell you the truth; we must by any means be free, in laying open your sins, and in carrying home the conviction of them to your consciences; nor dare we gratify any, by holding our peace in this matter; for if we please men, then are we not the servants of Christ; and if any soul die in its sin by our silence, then we bring the blood of souls upon our own heads, and hazard our own souls. We are obliged, by the manifestation of the truth, to command ourselves to consciences; and if the more we love, the less we are loved, then God will require it at your hands. But whether you will hear, or whether you forbear, we must, as we shall give answer to the great Shepherd of the sheep, deal plainly with you. Consider but that one Scripture, Lev. xix. 17, and ye will see reproof to be an act of great love, and that the neglect of it in God’s account is hatred: “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart. Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him”; or, as the last clause may be rendered, That thou bear not sin for him. Now, if you follow these advices, and if there be a single eye to God, and close dependence upon Him, both in minister and people, mutual love and helpfulness, and a joint endeavour to promote the great design of the ministry, the glory of God in our own salvation, then our labour shall not be in vain, but shall be blessed with increase, and God, even our God, shall bless us.