ers and Hearers, fuch a Manifeftation thereof, as by faithful Obedience thereto they may profit by it; but the Gift of the Miniftry is our present Subject.

Then as to the State of Infancy in the Minifty, let it be confidered, that the Ministry is a Birth; and when any one at first comes under the Exercife hereof, he will find a great Perturbation in himself; the Cause of which he may be as great a Stranger to, as Samuel was to the Voice of God in the Temple, who being called the third Time, was at length informed by Eli how to answer: So have fome, both young Men, and Women, done of later Date, (that is) applied themfelves to fuch as they have apprehended had more Experience of the Work of the Lord than themselves, and after all have found it very hard to give up to the heavenly Vision; and when they have given up, it has been in fo much Weakness and Fear, yea, fometimes Confufion, that they have hardly known themselves what they have faid: And if in fuch a State any one fhou'd over-run, mifs in Expreflion, or appear in a Behaviour not fo agreeable to the Minds of their Brethren, let fuch Brethren exercise Charity'; and fee to thy own Gift thou that art a Hearer, and try by virtue thereof, whether thou find'st not fomething of God in this Infant Minister to answer his Gift in thy own Mind; and if on fuch a Search thou find'ft not that Satisfaction thou could'st defire, yet as it is not proper to

lay

lay fudden Hands on any one to set them up, fo neither be thou rafh to pull them down, but give Time for Proof, and confider the Patience of the Hufband-man, how he waits for a Crop after the Seed is fown. Having faid fo much to the Hearer, let me now advise this Infant Minifter.

I know thou wilt find very hard Work in thyfelf; thy Heart will be often very heavy and forrowful, and in great Fear and Weaknefs thou wilt appear as a Minifter, and it may be much against thy Will to appear as fuch; yea,

; yea, thou mayft perhaps dearly repent that ever thou gavest up to this Service, and more especially, if thou answerest not thy Expectation, which I may venture to fay, none at all Times do; but as thou keepest humble and low, being honeftly given up to be, and do just what the Lord by his Spirit wou'd have thee, Refignation to the Will of God being abfolutely necef fary for a Minister to come to; and as thou get'ft here, patiently waiting the Lord's Time, then thou wilt find a greater degree of Excellency by the Spirit to enlarge thy Underftanding in divine Openings; which when

this

grows upon thee, beware of Pride, and Self-conceit, for that has ruined many: But give the Honour hereof where due; and the more thou art enlarged, labour to be the more humble, and in fo doing thou wilt find Safety.

C.3

But

in

But under thefe various Trials in thyself, I advise to an inward Waiting upon thy Gift, to feel the moving thereof in thy own Mind, which will by a gentle Illumination clear thy Understanding and Judgment, whereby thou wilt clearly fee thy Place and Service in the Church; and if thou find'ft it thy Place to minifter to others, be willing to do thy Master's. Will, and stand up the Meeknefs of the Spirit which moveth on thy Mind, and speak the Word thereof according to the prefent Opening that is before thee, regarding ftrictly on the one Hand, by fpeaking too faft and too loud, thou don't over-run thy natural Strength, Gift, and Opening, which if thou happens to fall into, it will bring thee into Confufion, and thou wilt not know when to conclude, and fo mayft fhut up thy own way in the Minds of thy Brethren, and bring thyfelf under a juft Cenfure; therefore whenever it happens fo with thee, fit down; for by endeavouring to mend it, thou mayft make it the worfe: So on the other Hand, be not. too low, nor too flow in thy Speech, fo as to lose the Matter that Way; but carefully keep to thy Opening, avoiding both the Extreams Stand up in a calm and quiet Frame of Mind, as free as poffible from either a Fear or Care how thou fhalt come off; but follow thy Guide in all Circumfpection and Humility, beginning, going on, and concluding in thy Gift: Thus wilt thou experience, what the wife Man faid, to be true,

A

A Man's Gift maketh Room for him, and Prov.xviii. bringeth him before great Men.

Now the State I have confidered this Infant Minister in, is fuch as requires Help by tender Advice from faithful Friends of Experience, fo that I may compare him to a Babe that wants both the Breast and nurfing, which shou'd be tenderly and with great Care adminiftred, fo that if he be corrected, let it be in Love; if encouraged, let it be with Prudence, both may hurt him, if not well timed, and given difcreetly.

But now we will fuppofe him a little grown, and to know himself better than a Babe can, in which Condition he will meet with Exercises according to his Growth and Experience, against which it's needful to be prepared and watchful.

Then first, After thou begin'ft to know, and fee a little where thou art, and what thou art about, there will be an obferving Eye in thee, to look at the Exercises and Ministry of others, and an Aptnefs in thee to compare thyself with others, which may have fome ill Effects upon thee, if not prudently guarded againft. For if thou apprehend'ft on fuch a View, that thy Gift excels and is preferable to fome others, this may lift thee up and prove hurtful; hurtful; fo on the other Hand, if thy Brother's Gift in thy Thoughts is more defirable and acceptable, C 4

this

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this may caft thee down, and beget too mean an Opinion in thee of thy own Gift.

Secondly, If thou lookest out at the Excellency and Beauty of another's Gift to be more than what is in thy own, a Defire may arife in thee to render thyself like him, and to endeavour to mimick and imitate their Delivery, Accent and Manner; and thus leaving thy own Gift, and devoting thyself tofollow, or be guided by others, thou wilt foon be under a Cloud, and lay a ftumbling Block in thy own Way, and fhut up the Hearts of thy Brethren towards thee. To prevent which thou muft confider, that as there are 1ft. Diverfities of Gifts, but the fame Spirit, therefore mind thy own Gift and not anothers, and regard the Spirit that moves thee in it; that being the fame that is in thy Brother or Sifter; and if thou keep'st thy Place therein, thou wilt likewife fee, that tho' thy Gift is different from theirs, it is the fame Spirit. So 2dly. The Adminiftration (or Delivery thereof) differeth, but it is the fame Lord that maketh thee to differ from them, and them to differ from thee; therefore let not the feeming Excellency that appears in another's Gift above thy own, tempt thee to an Imitation of either Delivery, Manner, or Accent, left thou infenfibly fall into that Theft, against which the Lord by his Prophet complains, Jer xxiii. I am against the Prophets (faith the Lord) that teal my Words, every one from his

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Neighbour.