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"fet up under Chrift in the world. The apostles being the perfons that were to publifh the gofpel to all nations, " to bind and "to loofe, and to declare on what terms "man's fins fhould be remitted or retained, "and to fubdue him unto the obedience of "faith." They are in this great difpenfation of Providence, honoured with the ftile of the fervants of God, and of Jefus Chrift; who himself is faithful unto him that appointed "him; yet not as a fervant, as Moses and "the apoftles were, but as a Son over the "houfe of God, made alfo by God his own.” All the apoftles whofe writings are come to our hands, and who, we may be fure, would not arrogate to themselves what did not belong to them, take this ftile upon them; James, Peter, Jude', Paul: and this juftice the devil was forced to render them in the Pythonefs, acknowledging Paul and Barnabas" to be the fervants of the most high "God, fhewing unto men the way of falva❝tion h❞

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And inasmuch as the service they were to render unto God and Chrift was among those to whom they were to preach, they call themfelves" their fervants" alfo', agreeable to

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our Saviour's difcourfe to them, on Zebedee's children afking the firft place in his kingdom, fhewing that the highest dignity in his kingdom was the greateft fervice and usefulnefs: "Whofoever will be great among you, let him be your fervant."

And that they were minifters, we may learn from St. Paul, who fays of himself, and other apostles, "let a man fo account of us 66 as of the minifters of Chrift ;" and that "Chrift had made them able minifters of

the New Teftament 1" and comparing himself with the other apoftles ", he fays, "Are they minifters of Chrift? I am more. And speaking of the gofpel", "Whereof he "was made a minifter." He fays the fame Col. i. 23, 25. Perhaps this ftile may have been taken from the Old Teftament; for thus Jofhua was ftiled Mofes's minifter, and his fervant ; and Elisha had a fervant or minif ter : Solomon had his fervants and minifters: angels are alfo called God's minifters or fervants, executing his commands: Are "they not all miniftering fpirits, fent forth "for the good of thofe which fhall be heirs "of falvation?" And accordingly we have

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feveral accounts of their being fent on great and important errands, in the Old as well as the New Teftament. Those also who have answered the great purposes of God in the world, and ferved his pleasure, have the honour of being ftiled his fervants; fo Job, Jacob, Caleb, David, Nehemiah, and Zerubbabel, have been ftiled in their time. And thus, in the most eminent manner, Mofes is often ftiled "a fervant of the Lord," and "my fervant," by God himself, from his being the great inftrument of delivering his people out of Egypt, conducting them thro' the wilderness, and fettling the divine government among them.. All the priests and Levites were called "the Lord's minifters,' because they ministered to the Lord in holy things. And, indeed, servants and ministers continue to fignify the fame thing among our felves: thofe that are called the king's minifters in England, being called his fervants in Scotland.

But the apostles have not barely the honour of being the fervants or ministers of God in the lower fenfe in which all good men are fo, doing his will in their several stations; or in which prophets, evangelifts, paftors, and teachers, are minifters in the kingdom of Christ": and as

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"workers of miracles, healers of difeafes, "diverfities of tongues, helps and govern"ments," may be faid to be; but in a fuperlative degree to them all. This appears from their having always the rank given them before the others; as Acts xv. 23. Eph. iv. 11. and from their prefiding conftantly in all affemblies of chriftians where they were prefent, propofing, fpeaking in the names of the affembly, and forming the queftion, Acts i. 15. and v. 6. and 15. but more especially by

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Paul's exprefs affertion 1 Cor. xii. 28. where he is fettling the ranks of the feveral ministers (or rather of the gifts that qualified them for their different miniftries) in the christian church. For he fays, "God hath fet fome in the church, firft apoftles, fecondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that, &c." And christians are faid by him "to be built •s on the foundation of apoftles and prophets, « Chrift himself being the chief cornerDone w " On which account the apoftles have the high character of ambaffadors, and of acting in Chrift's ftead. St. Paul calls bimfelf "an ambaffador in bonds" and fpeaking of himself in the character of an apoftle, days, Now then we, as ambaffadors for Chrift, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Chrift's ftead, be ye

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"reconciled unto God."

On what account this high character is given him, will be better understood by what follows.

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A man may be faid to be a fervant or minifter, who takes a fervice or ministry upon him, and whose service or miniftry is accepted; though he be not called to that fervice or ministry, or fent upon it. But the apoftles were chofen to their miniftry or fervice, and sent on their meffage before they went. Jefus faid to them, "As my Father fent me, fo "fend I you.' As Chrift was" the fent of "God," fo they were "the fent of Christ;" and Jesus appointed "the kingdom to them, as "the Father had appointed the kingdom unto "him a." The kingdom every where in the gofpels fignifies the ftate of things put under Chrift, from his afcenfion to the confummation of all things. As God defigned to administer his kingdom by Christ, Christ designed to administer it through the Spirit, by the apostles: and by virtue of the gifts of the Spirit, " they were to fit on thrones, judging the "twelve tribes of Ifrael ".”

The firft, and one of the most diftinguishing parts of their character, fervice, and ministry, was "to teftify and witness:" as Jefus had teftified of the Father, so they were

Y 2 Cor. v. 20.

• Luke xxii. 29.

C 2

* John xx. 21.
"Ver. 30. Matt. xix. 28.

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