"fus Chrift that there should be a Gofpel miniftry continued in his Church to the "End of the World. And this is of great Importance for keeping up the Knowledge and Practice of Religion, "for maintaining the Ufe and Exercife of "divine Ordinances, for promoting the "Converfion of Souls, and building them up through Faith and Holiness unto Sal"vation and eternal Life. "Secondly, The Way of fignifying his "Will concerning the particular Perfons "whom he defigns to the Work of the 66 66 66 Miniftry, feems ordinarily to be this. "The enduing them with fuch Qualifi"cations and Difpofitions, whereby they are fitted for the ufeful and acceptable Discharge of that facred Office. The exciting in them Defires and Purposes to devote themselves to it, and determining them to undertake it from good and upright Principles and Motives. Judgment and Approbation of those who are themfelves Partakers of that Office, "and who judge them, upon due Trial, "to be well qualified, and fit to be folemnly fet apart and ordained to it.- -Thefe દ The Things feem to be fufficient Indications "that it is agreeable to the Will of Chrift, "the great King and Head of his Church, "that fuch Perfons should be admitted to the "Chriftian Ministry.-But if to this it be 66 added, 86 "added, that any particular Christian Society invites and calls them to take the paftoral Care and Overfight of them, from a Perfuafion and Experience that this would tend to their fpiritual Edifi"cation and Benefit; this feems to remove all reasonable Doubts, and to be as full a Proof as can ordinarily be ex"pected. "Now to apply this to my own Cafe. "God has been gracioufly pleafed to give "me fome Talents, which feem capable of being improved to the Edification of "his Church. He hath difpofed and in"clined my Heart to a Willingness to take upon me the facred Ministry, and that, 56 not from worldly carnal Ends and "Views, but from a fincere Intention "and Defire of employing the Talents "he has given me in promoting the Sal"vation of Souls, and ferving the Inte"refts of Truth, Piety, and Righteouf"ness in the World.- -Befides, If I "confider the Courfe of Divine Provi"dence towards me, my good Parents, "as far as in them lay, devoted me to the Ministry from my early Youth. God "hath raised me up Friends from Time "to Time, who have given me confider"able Helps and Encouragements to for"ward me in my Studies. And I have "been encouraged by the Judgment and 66 Approbation of feveral learned and pious "Minifters, who, after a diligent Course " of Trials carried on for a confiderable "Time, judged me to be properly quali"fied for that facred Office, and animat"ed me to undertake it.-And fince I "have been licensed to preach as a Can"didate for the holy Miniftry; my pub"lic Labours have met with a general "Acceptance, and have, I trust, been really useful.-Besides all which, I have "had an unanimous and affectionate Call "from a Society of Chriftian People, many of whom are remarkable for their Knowledge, as well as Piety, to take "the paftoral Overfight of them. 66 66 66 66 Upon feriously weighing all these Things, I cannot but think I have a "clear Call to the Work of the Minifry; and I verily believe, that if I rejected it I fhould fin against God, grieve many of his People, counteract the Defigns of Divine Providence towards me, and alienate the Talents he has given me to other Purposes than those for "which they seem to have been intended. "I defire therefore to accept and com 66 66 ply with this Call, and I would do it "with the deepest Humility, under a "Senfe of my own great Unworthiness "and Infufficiency in myfelf; but, at the "fame Time, with the most intire De pendence upon God, and Affiance in him, to carry me through this great "Work, and to enlarge my Heart, and 66 ftrengthen my Hands, that I may be "ufeful and fuccefsful in it. And bleffed "be his Name, that he is pleased to ad"mit fuch an unworthy Creature as I "am, to fo high, fo honourable an Employment, which will lay me under an happy Neceffity of converfing frequently with him, and turning my Thoughts "to Things of the greatest Excellency and Importance. And I look And I look up unto thee, 66 "the God of all Grace, that thou wouldst "make me an able Minifter of the New "Teftament: and fince I am fatisfied it "is thy Will that I should undertake this "Office, here, Lord, I defire to do fo; may it be the Language of my Soul, "in Conformity to the Example of my "bleffed Redeemer, I delight to do thy "Will, O my God. God. Oh that thy Law 66 may be in my Heart, and thy Spirit "the living reigning Principle there! "Whatever I fhall at any Time be con"vinced will be moft to the Advance 66 ment of thy Glory, and for the Good "of thy Church, especially of that Flock "of thine which thou committeft to my Charge, I here covenant by thy Grace "to perform it according to my poor Abi"lities, to feek out for acceptable Words [VOL. I.] 66 to b "to feed thy Sheep, to distribute to them according to their various Cafes and ἐσ Neceffities, not to make my minifterial "Work a Thing by the bye, but to give myself wholly to it, to spend and be fpent, and chearfully to employ whatever Time, Talents, Faculties, and Advantages I am poffeffed of, for the Honour of thy Name, and the Salvation of "Souls. 66 66 "But confider, O my Soul, thou art entering on a difficult and troublesome "Warfare, expect that the Powers of "Darkness will fet themselves in array against thee; expect to encounter with "the Rage of a malignant World, to meet "with Difcouragements from without "and from within, from the Weakness "and Inftability of thy own Heart, from open Enemies, and feeming Friends. 66 Count upon grievous Trials, Reproaches, "and even Perfecutions for the Sake of "Chrift. For it may happen that all these "shall be thy Lot, as they have often been "of his moft faithful Servants. Nor art "thou to wonder if thou fareft not much "better than thy Lord and Master was "treated by the World, which he came. to fave. If it be fo, Lord, I fubmit, "I acquiefce. Give me but thy Strength "and Grace. Be thou my Leader in this แ glorious Warfare, and I fhall be more "than |