An Ordination SERMON.

25

6. and lastly. If Ministers would thus make the Word of God their Rule, this would tend to promote and maintain Unity, Peace, and Charity in the Christian Church. The want of Unity and Love among Christians, has been a great Reproach to them, and tends to hinder the Progress of the Christian Religion thro' the World. But whence does this arise? Whence is it that there are so many Divisions, Contentions, and Animosities among professed Christians? Whence is it, that instead of that Meekness and Charity which the Gospel requires, there is so much Ill-Will, Malice, Persecution and Barbarity in Christians one to- wards another? It is very obvious, that a Diversity of Opinions in Matters of Religion, is the Foundation of these Evils. And it is no less evident, that if the Ministers of Christ would make the Word of God their only Rule in Matters of Religion, and would all of them take right Methods of understanding it; there never would be such a vast variety of Opinions, so many Sects and Parties among Christians, as are to be seen at this Day.

Thus I have mentioned some of the many Reasons and Considerations, that might have been of-

26 An Ordination SERMON.

nefs to inſtruct Men in the Truth, as it is in Je-
fus; to give them a right understanding of the
Doctrines and Rules of the Chriſtian Religion,
and ſo to bring them into the Kingdom of Chriſt.
This ſuppoſes that Minifters should give them-
selves to Reading and Study, that they may under-
stand the Goſpel themſelves, otherwife they will
certainly fail in the Duties of their Poſt. We may
not expect, that the Doctrines of the Goſpel will
be revealed to us immediately by Chriſt, as they
were to the Apoſtle Paul: But as the Goſpel is
put into our Hands, we are required to read and
ſtudy it, in order to our being enabled to preach
it to others. And as we are to give ourſelves
to Reading and Study, ſo we muſt be more ſolici-
tous, to ſtudy and understand the Mind and Will
of Chriſt, as it is revealed in the Goſpel, than to
ſtudy the Schemes of Divinity compoſed by Men.
It is of no great Importance to us whether we make
ourſelves Maſters of the Set of Principles imbraced
by each particular Church, or Party of Chriſtians.
—Whether we are fully acquainted with the
Scheme of Doctrines imbraced by the Church of
Rome — Of Geneva — Of England — Or of
Scotland. Or whether we are fully acquainted