sERMoN
DELIVERED, SEPTEMBER 28, 1814,
AT THE
ORDINATION
OF THE
REV. GARDNER BRAMAN PERRY,
oven THE second
CHURCH AND SOCIETY,
- IN
BRADFORD, Mass.
BY ISAAC BRAMAN, A. M.
Pastor of a Church in Rowley.
=sº-
HAVERHILL :
PRINTED AT THE INTELLIGENCER of FIcF, FoR c. chASE.
e tº e º e º & J C & e
SERMON.
*º-º-e
I. SAMUEL ii. 36.
A ND I ºr SHALL com E Po PASS, PHA 7' E VER r on E 2'HA ºr IS LEFT
IN THINE Hou S E SHA LL COME, A ND CROUCH 7°O HIM FOR 4
Prece of SIL VER AND A MoR SEL of BREAD, AND SHALL SA r,
PU ºr ME, 1 PRA r PHEE, INºro on E of THE PRIES2’s a FFICES,
+H Ar 1 Mar EA r A PIEce of BREAD. ^
GOD has ever provided for the ministers of religion. The
priests and servants of the ancient sanctuary and temple, though
a numerous body, received a liberal support. The posterity of
Levi, one whole tribe out of twelve, were called to minister in
holy things; and forty eight cities with their suburbs were as-
signed to them, their families, aud their cattle. Beside these,
they received tithes and a certain portion of the offerings of God.
Many holy men entered heartily upon the work to which they were
consecrated, and served the Lord with fidelity and zeal. Of this de-
scription were Aaron the first high priest, Eli, and some of the sons
of Aaron. Upon the character of others undisguised truth sheds
no lustre. Elated with the pride of office, Nadab and Abihu had the
presumption to do what God forbade ; they offered strange fire
upon the sacred altar, and were destroyed. Not satisfied with the
ample provision made for their sustenance, the greedy and ava-
ricious sons of Eli contrived, by means of a three-toothed instru-
ment used by their servant, to take a quantity more out of the
vessel in which it was boiling, and lived in great luxury. In other
ways these wicked men abused their office, rendered their charac-
ter odious, and brought contempt upon the ordinances of religion.
Their pious father mildly reproved them indeed, but through ex-
cess of lenity, restrained them not. The Lord in anger threatened
to bring destruction upon his house, to wrest the high priesthood
from bis family, and confer it upon another in whose fidelity he
could trust; and to reduce the surviving few of Eli's descendants
to such extreme indigence and beggary, that not regarding the
sacredness of the office, they would meanly and wickedly solicit
employment in the ministry, for the sake of subsistence; For q
! - 4.
fiece of silver and a morsel of bread. What motives for seeking
an office so holy and important How much regard would they
have for its sacred duties 2 -
Our text, according to its obvious import, will naturally enough
lead us to consider some of the motives which may be supposed
to actuate men entering upon the sacred ministry; more particu-
larly such as are not good. To these therefore we shall first at-
tend; then bring to view the leading motives which ought to
actuate them; and show in what manner, it may be expected, good
men will endeavour to fulfil the duties of the office. -
I. It is a wrong motive to enter the ministry for the sake of gain.
Here it may be thought by some there is no danger; and the men-
tion of the thing may excite their wonder. Is this a profession in
which men are to expect wealth Ordinarily it is not; but there
are some exceptions. At least, there are instances of clergymen
receiving a very ample support, and wea'th to a considerable de-
gree may be attained. We pass no censure upon those who en-
joy these good livings. To God’s bountiful hand are they indebt-
ed, to him should they be grateful, and to his cause devote a share
of what they receive. But the fact, that such livings are possibly
attainable, may operate as a temptation to some avaricious minds
to enter the ministry, who otherwise would not. In this case, it
is readily seen, their motives cannot be good. They will not be
able to exculpate themselves from the charge of covetousness
which is idolatry; from that undue love of money which is the
root of all evil. Possessing a greater love for the world than for
the Lord Jesus Christ, they are not prepared to forsake all for
him, or to plead his cause with fidelity and a becoming zeal. They
do not answer the character of the apostle’s bishop, Who must not
be greedy of filthy lucre. r
II. Worldly honour is a wrong motive for entering the sacred
ministry. The office is unquestionably honourable in itself; and
while morality and religion are deemed important, it will always
be had in honour among men. The man who affects to under-
value this sacred profession, or to consider it useless, betrays,
what he little intends, his own weakness and wickedness, and the
great need he has of that instruction and reproof which the gos-
pel ministry is designed to give. Those who execute this office
with discretion and fidelity will always secure the esteem of the
wise and good. Is it not honourable to be employed in the service
of God, to be co-workers with him in teaching men the way of
usefulness and peace, in giving counsel and instruction calcula-
ted to suppress vice, to promote virtue and piety, and to train up
immortal souls for the joys of heaven -
5.
Science, genius, and brilliant mental acquirements, are no
strangers to this profession. There have been, and now are, men
of the clerical character, who, to speak with all becoming mod-
esty, would not in point of talents, erudition, and real usefulness
in civil society, be justly placed in a low rank among the bright-
est luminaries of the world. The honour attached to the pro-
fession has undoubtedly influenced some men devoid of religion
to enter upon it. This motive induced Korah, Dathan, and Abi-
ram, of the ancient Jewish church, unwarrantably to intrude
themselves into the priest’s office to their own ruin. The office
under the gospel, as with them, has not unfrequently been clothed
with external grandeur, attracting to weak and vain minds. But
it needs no laboured argument to prove, that worldly honour
ought not to be a leading motive with men entering upon a
work so holy and important as that of declaring the message of
God to a guilty perishing world, and proposing terms of pardon
and salvation. The thing is obvious to every sober reflecting
mind. How can men be faithful in this holy calling, whose prin-
cipal aim is to receive honour one of another, while they seek
not the honour that cometh from God only -
III. Another unworthy motive, which may influence men to
enter upon the ministerial office, is, that they may enjoy a life of
ease and pleasure. The life of the christian minister is not a life
of ease, if he is faithful to himself, to his people, and his God.
By many, however, it is considered in this light. And it is pos-
sible, that in some instances, the clerical office has been treated
too much like a sinecure, by men not sufficiently impressed with
the worth of souls. But much labour and 'study in private are
necessary for the teacher of religion, who would administer suita-
ble counsel and instruction to every hearer, and be useful to the
people of his charge. They do greatly err, who imagine that the
labours of their minister are confined to the sabbath and other
days of public preaching. The faithful minister will be employ-
ed in much study, which a very wise man, several thousand years
ago, said is a weariness to the flesh. In regard to actual services,
without assuming the office of dictator, it may justly be remarked,
there are other occasions, beside the Lord's day and stated com-
munion lectures, on which ministers may be useful to their peo-
ple by their labours. There is certainly enough for them to do
in public, in private, and in their studies. Their life is not neces-
sarily a life of indolence and ease, nor ought it to be. They are
engaged in an important work, in which, they are to labout with
diligence and fidelity. Hence, if any enter upon it with a view to
a life of ease and indolence, they have very wrong ideas of the
6.
office, and their motives are not good. Wo to the idle shepherds
that feed themselves and not the flock.
IV. To enter the sacred ministry, merely, for the sake of a liv-
ing is a wrong motive, although affluence, ease, or luxury are not
expected. For the mortification and humility of Eli, it was pre-
dicted to him by the Spirit of truth, that his descendants would be
actuated by this mean principle in seeking to be ministers of the
sanctuary. And it shall come to fiass, that every one that is left in
thine house shall come, and crouch to the high firiest for a fliece of
silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I fray thee,
‘into one of the firiest’s offices, that I may eat a fliece of bread. A
piece of silver is a desirable thing in extreme indigence, and a
morsel of bread when one is ready to perish with hunger. Such,
it is understood, would be the abject state of those who would be
constrained to make the suppliant address in the text. This in-
stance of beggarly conduct in seeking the priesthood for the sake
of bread, it is to be feared, does not stand alone. Doubtless there
have been in all ages persons who have desired this sacred office,
and thrust themselves into it, from no better principle. They
could not dig, to beg literally from door to door they were asham-
ed; and no other eligible employment presenting itself, they
rashly and uncalled determined to become religious teachers, that
they might obtain a support. -
It is a decree of heaven, that those, who labour in any useful
calling, should be fed and clothed. Particularly, hath the Lord or-
dained, that they who fireach the gosſiel should live of the goshel.
But this, as a leading motive for entering upon so sacred a work,
God will not approve. The principle is not good ; and if those,
who act from it, are instumental of doing good in any case, it is
owing to the wonder-working hand of divine Providence, which is
able, contrary to their intent, to bring good out of evil. Persons,
entering the ministry under the influence of such motives, will
not be cordially engaged in the cause of religion. They will not
be faithful to their Master, when self is the supreme object. They
will not be likely to preach the gospel in its purity, where it is un-
popular, but a spurious gospel of their own brain, such as they
imagine will best suit the taste of their hearers, and cause them
to deal out freely of their substance.
V. Men may be influenced by party spirit in becoming preach-
ers. They may desire to build up a particular sect or party, or to
pull down such as are aiready established, to destroy the reputa-
tion and influence of others, rather than to promote true religion.
Motives not much unlike these actuated some, characterized by
the apostle Paul, They preached Christ of envy and strife, of
7.
contention, not sincerely, with a view to mortify the apostle, to di-
vide and steal away his people; thus to increase their own strength
and influence, while they aggravated his afflictions. Such men,
in their high flights of zeal, may be ready to suppose they are
doing God service. But the moment they give themselves op-
portunity for calm and serious reflection, and impartial self exam-
jnation, they will perceive that their motives are not good, not
such as God and conscience will approve. They have not the
spirit of Christ or of his ministers; and if they make converts to
their party, will not be likely to make them to true religion, but
to a temper and conduct anti-christian as their own.
All these, it will be readily acknowledged, are very improper
and sinful motives, unworthy a gospel minister. There may be
others equally sinful which need not be mentioned. Of wrong mo-
tives there are many. The good may be less in number, but they
are infinitely important. Is it not of the greatest importance that
the ministry of reconciliation, between the righteous Lord and a
rebellious world, should be committed to faithful men, whose mo-
tives are pure, and who will be true to the cause in which they
engage : What motives can epsure their fidelity in this great
cause, but supreme love for the Redeemer and compassionate re-
gard for the souls of men, and a desire to promote the glory of the
former in the salvation of the latter : These, it is hoped, are the
leading motives with many in entering upon the work of the min-
istry. They will be the leading motives of all who have a gospel
call to the work.
I. A supreme love for the divine Redeemer. Simon son of
Jonas, lovest thou me & Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Simon
son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than silver and gold, food and
raiment, kindred and friends, and all created good 2 is the ques-
tion our Lord virtually puts to those whom he commissions to feed
his sheep and his lambs. And surely it is not too much to'é spect
of every one desiring the office, that he be ready to reply in the
language of Simon, Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest
that I love thee. Jesus Christ ought to be loved for the excellen-
cy and perfection of his character. Holy and undefiled in his
whole nature, and possessed of every divine attribute, he is wor-
thy to be loved as God supreme. He is in himself lovely. The
blessings we derive from him serve, if possible, to encrease his de-
mands upon our love. As Creator, we owe our existence to him;
as Redeemer, the hope of eternal life. Of him as God, and
through him as Mediator, is derived every good and perfect gift ;
which favours demand our warmest love. He requires supreme
love as the condition of his favour, declaring that those, who will not
8.
forsake all for him, are unworthy of him, and cannot be his disci-
ples. Jesus Christ is, therefore, to be loved with all the heart.
The reasons mentioned shew that all men should love him. There
is an additional reason why ministers of the gospel should abound in
love. They are to describe his character, and to exhort sinners to
love and obey him. And it is not to be expected, in general, that
they will represent his character in a more amiable light to others
than it appears to themselves. They ought, therefore, to be deep-
ly impressed with the beauty and excellence of his character, and
to see that their affections are strongly fixed on him. If they love
him not with a very ardent affection, they will not be duly care-,
ful to exhibit him in the most glorious, lovely, and attractive man-
ner ; nor be sufficiently urgent in their addresses and exhortations
to sinners to love and serve him. A man will not enter heartily
into the service of one whom he does not love, and whose interest
he has no desire to promote. Without supreme love for Christ, a
minister is not fit to be intrusted with his work, nor has he a gos-
pel call to it. He would be likely to betray the cause of his Mas-
ter, instead of diligently and honestly labouring for its success.
II. Connected with and included in love to Christ, is a desire
to honour and glorify him. This desire should actuate every chris-
tian minister entering upon his arduous work. He should be anx-
ious to honour his divine Master, and to promote his honour among
men. All true believers are “a royal priesthood to shew forth
the praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into his
marvellous light.” And shall not those, who are cz pressly set a-
part as priests of the Lord, and solemnly inducted in to office, feel
it incumbent on them to promote the praise and glory of him
whom they professedly serve : True love will excite in them a
desire to honour their Lord, and to persuade others to honour him,
They will rejoice to have him appear glorious in the eyes of men,
that all may be induced to give him the glory due unto his name.
Without such regard for his glory they would be in danger of
unfairly representing his character and laws, and of labouring to
exhibit them in such light as would best please their own fancy,
and serve to render themselves acceptable, rather than to promote
the honour of their Master. They would preach themselves, and
not Christ.
III. A minister of the gospel should have a compassionate re-
gard for the souls of men, and a desire for their salvation. This
should be a powerful motive with him in becoming a teacher of
religion. For this pprpose was the christian ministry instituted,
for the instruction of the ignorant, the conversion of the ungodly,
the edification and sanctification of the people of God, till all
9.
should be made meet for glory. Ministers of the gospel are to
pray sinners in Christ’s stead to be roconciled to God, that they
may be accepted of him ; to exhort believers to diligence and
perseverance, that they may grow in grace, and be prepared for
heaven. But it cannot be expected they will be truly engaged
in this work, except they really desire success in it, and are anx-
ious sinners should repent and be saved, and saints sanctified, and
in due time glorified. They must love the souls of men, and de-
sire their salvation, or they will not labour with becoming earn-
estness to effect it. This was the spirit of the apostles and primi-
tive ministers of the gospel. “God is my record, said the apostle
Paul, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus
Christ.” Accordingly, his labours for the conversion and salva-
tion of sinners were faithful and abundant. Such motives as we
have here brought to view, it is conceived, ought to actuate min-
isters of the gospel both in commencing and carrying on the sa-
cred work. r - - -
We are next to show in what ways, it may justly be expected,
ministers, under the influence of these excellent motives and of
this gospel spirit, will endeavour to fulfil the duties of their office.
They will endeavour to preach the word of God with clearness
and fidelity. They will be careful often to bring to view and incul-
cate the leading doctrines of the gospel ; and they will preach
them as truths not to be controverted, not to be rejected with im-
punity, but as necessary to be received and obeyed. The fall of
man, and redemption by the Son of God, the guilty, ruined and
helpless state of all while out of Christ, and the necessity of a
thorough renovation, of a radical change of heart, and of all the
moral powers of the soul, in order to reconciliation with God and
the enjoyment of communion with him, are doctrines which lie
at the very foundation of our religion. These doctrines the
preacher cannot innocently or safely keep out of view. If he will
neglect to preach them through fear of giving offence and losing
his popularity, or from any other motive, he will do it at the ut-
most peril of his own soul. If he means to be faithful, and has a
real desire to build up the Redeemer’s kingdom, he will often
preach these and other great doctrines inseparably connected with
them. ." -
It will be his care, faithfully to represent the character of God
our Saviour. This seems to be one of the first things sinners
should be taught, a knowledge of the divine character, because
this is necessary to the attainment of other important articles of
knowledge. Without this it is impossible they should ever have
a thorough knowledge of themselves. Self-knowledge was deem-
B
10.
ed an important acquisition by the heathen moralists, and suppo-
Sed to be inculcated by their gods. Rules for attaining it, in a
degree, the philosophers were able to teach. But grossly igno-
rant of the character of Deity, and of the relation which intelligent
mortals bear to him, they could neither impart nor obtain but a
very imperfect knowledge of good and evil ; they could not
clearly ascertain the moral state of the heart, or of its prevailing
exercises. Our religion also inculcates self-knowledge as a ne-
cessary pre-requisite to a truly good character; and it teaches
how to obtain this knowledge. The heart must be viewed in the
light of divine truth, and contrasted with the divine character.
Men may acquire a good degree of self-knowledge, by ascertain-
ing what God is, what the Saviour is, and by viewing themselves
in the light of the divine word, which will penetrate and lay open
all the hidden recesses of the heart, and secret lurking places of
sin. Ministers must therefore make a fair exhibition of Deity,
and of each person in the God-head, as far as revealed in the ora-
cles of truth. The preacher, who is actuated by a right spirit,
will feel highly interested in these and other important gospel
truths, and will cheerfully publish them to the world. Nor will he
deliver them in the language of doubt and hesitancy, as though he
did but half believe them, and had but half a mind they should be
believed by his hearers. It has no good but evil tendency for a
preacher of the gospel to express doubt, or to seem to doubt,
where there is no cause for doubting. God has given as a reve-
lation, not for us to reject, or to receive with doubting, but to be-
lieve with confidence to the saving of the soul.
Suppose an ambassador sent from an earthly court to a remote
province of the empire, the inhabitants of which have long been
in a state of rebellion. They have even lost all acquaintance with
their sovereign, and are ignorant of his character, and of the laws
of the realm. The ambassador gives public notice that he is come
to reclaim them to their rightful master, produces what he calls
his credentials, and a copy of the message to be delivered and ex-
plained to them. It contains the terms of pardon and reconcilia-
tion, the laws by which they are to be governed, the rewards
promised to the obedient, and the punishments threatened to the
disobedient. But instead of conducting with fidelity, as directed,
he freely confesses, he does not know that these documents are
genuine. He had them at second hand, and has not been able to
satisfy himself with regard to their authenticity. He thinks it
probable, they have been materially altered at least, if they were
not forged ; the safest way will be to receive them with caution.
Besides, if they are genuine, he does not really know what his mas-
11.
ter meant ; nor is it very important. All are at liberty to inter-
pret his writings according to their own views, and as seems to
them to be most rational and proper, and they need not fear but
they shall be accepted, and admitted to all the privileges and re-
wards their sovereign has to bestow. For his part, he cannot
think his master intends to be so rigid as his words seem to imply,
nor that he will be very strict in inflicting punishment upon trans-
gressors. And then as to the rank and power of his master, he
cannot pretend to speak with any degree of certainty, except that
he is reputed a person of authority, and a good character. By
some he is considered as supreme over the realm, others think
he holds a subordinate station to one far superior, and that he is
by no means able of himself to execute his purposes either to
save or destroy. None of these points the ambassador will pre-
tend to decide. They may examine the books and judge for
themselves, and they will all do well enough.
How much success is it supposable this ambassador would have :
How many would he really gain over to the cause of his master as
faithful obedient subjects : As many doubtless as that minister
will gain to the cause of Christ, who has no fixed ideas of his
character, whether it is divine, angelic, or human ; or of the doc-
trines of his word, whether they mean any thing or nothing ; or
who tells his people, it is of little importance what views they en-
tertain of them, provided they mean to be obedient, and do as well
as they know. This preacher may be instrumental of making
some nominal christians, but we have no rational ground to cx-
pect there will be many real disciples of Christ among his flock.
The fact is, when people have this liberty given them, except they
have more correct ideas upon the subject than they get from their
minister, they will be likely to take little or no pains to understand
the gospel, but will embrace a scheme of religion agreeable to their
own depraved hearts, and be as much under its governing influ-
ence as if there were no revelation. They will not heartily en-
list under the banner of Christ, and espouse his cause, while they
remain ignorant of his character, and of the kind of service he re-
quires. Ministers are to explain and inculcate divine truth; and
they cannot be too explicit and decided upon the great doctrines
of the gospel. They cannot preach them with too great clearness
and pungency. “If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who
shall prepare himself to the battle 3’. As well might a man speak
in an unknown tongue, as in a tongue that is understood, if he
communicates no clear and distinct ideas. There is no darkness
or obscurity respecting the principal doctrines of the gospel, as
to what they are, what they import, and what is their practical
12.
tendency. If there is any darkness, it is in the preacher's mind,
which has never been sufficiently illuminated to qualify him for
his office. God has not given us a revelation of darkness to lead
us into error, but of light and truth to guide us into all truth. If
after all we stupidly grope in the dark, it is because we prefer
darkness to light. .
The manner of the preacher, who enters upon his office with
proper views, it may be expected, will be such as to convince his
hearers that he cares for their souls and wishes their salvation.
The doctrines of the cross he will labour to preach with affection
and tenderness. He will not preach the terrors of the law as if he
wished to inflict the punishment threatened ; he will describe the
joys of heaven as if desiring his hearers the happiness to partake
of them. & .
Ministers of Christ, who are under the influence of right mo-
tives, will copy his example of obedience and submission. They
will readily obey his will, and consider none of his commandments
to be grievous. To suffer his will, they will not be backward, but
rejoice when they are accounted worthy to suffer shame for his
name. Although they will not court persecution, nor desire the
woful day of trials, yet they will not shrink from them when they
come, but will endure opposition and reproach if they meet them
in the way of duty. Thus will they be examples to the flock in
temper and practice, as well as in doctrine.
Omitting such inferences and reflections as the subject would
naturally afford, I address the Pastor Elect.
Dear Sir, you have this day offered yourself to be consecrated
to the gospel ministry, and to have a particular flock committed
to your charge. What your motives are, you better than we can
judge. Although we have no means by which to ascertain the
real state of your heart, yet we are happy in having satisfactory
evidence, that it is not for a piece of silver, or a morsel of bread,
that you enter upon this sacred work. These you could have ob-
tained in another less laborious and less responsible calling. It is
not for the sake of worldly gain that you stand here this day to
be inducted into the priest’s office. You might have gained much
more, and even arrived to a degree of affluence in the employ-
ment,” which for some years past has occupied your time and la-
bours. We hope your motives are pure; that you are actuated by
an unfeigned love to God and the cause of truth ; that you have a
* Mr. Perry had for several years been employed as principal of a respect-
able Literary Institution, and about the time of entering upon the ministry :
received very engouraging offers from another Institution of the same kind.
{ 13.
desire to advance the glory and build up the kingdom of the great
Redeemer by inviting precious souls to choose him for their Sa-
viour, and teaching them how to obtain an interest in him. We
trust you do not choose the ministry for the sake of a life of ease;
and that in respect of honour, you will prefer that which comes
from God to the vain applause of men. You preach the gospel,
we suppose, of good will, with a desire to promote the best inter-
ests of men, rather than to obtain their commendation. If so, you
will preach the truth as it is in Jesus, whether they will hear or
whether they will forbear ; and will endeavour to show the happy
influence of truth upon your own heart and life. It will be your
uniform aim to exhibit such a correct unblemished character, as
to be able to address your people in the language of the apostle,
“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” With
these charitable views of your motives, and confident hopes of your
fidelity and usefulness, we consent, dear sir, to ordain you a min-
ister of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to commit to your care this be-
loved flock, whose welfare, as well as yours, is dear to our hearts.
We congratulate you on the prospect of a connexion with a
friendly, candid, and ministerial people, who, we think, will kindly
alleviate your cares and bear your burdens; who will cheerfully
afford you a comfortable support; and what you ought to esteem
far better, will be willing you should faithfully, plainly, and closely
preach to them the gospel of Christ. Sir, we have had some ac-
quaintance with this people, and feel confident they would not be
satisfied with lax, unscriptural doctrines. Nor do they wish to hear
the doctrines of the gospel preached in an obscure, doubtful man-
ner; but with a boldness and perspicuity becoming the man who
is to communicate divine truth, and show the way of life. It is
their desire, we believe, to understand the preacher, and that he
should tell them plainly, and unequivocally, what they must do to
be saved. We cannot answer for men of future generations, but
those of the present, we think, will not be likely to become your
enemies because you tell them the truth. May your connexion
with this people be long, useful, and happy; and may the blessing
of many ready to perish come upon you. -
Dear brethren of the church, we are partakers of your joy in
the events of this day, as we were of your sorrows under the sol-
emn Providence which deprived you of a beloved pastor, and left
you as sheep without a shepherd. Your Father in heaven was
pleased to visit you with the rod, but he has not taken his loving-
Kindness from you, nor suffered his faithfulness to ſail. He has
provided another shepherd, who, we trust, will be tenderly solicit-
14.
ous for your peace and welfare. Under the direction of the Chief
Shepherd he will lead you in the path of life, and feed you with
such food as your souls require, such as if received will cause you
to live, and grow to the measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ. Your minister believes, and we suppose will preach, the
great doctrines of the reformation, commonly denominated the
doctrines of grace, doctrines subscribed by the church of England,
and which a majority of her clergy, even in this day of abounding
error, are said to preach, the doctrines of N ew-England, which our.
pious fathers embraced as affording the only hope of eternal life.
These doctrines God has been pleased to own and bless, in all
ages, to the conviction and conversion of sinners, and the edifica-
tion of his people. Believing them to be substantially the doc-
trines of the Bible, we feel confident they are the gold, silver, and
firecious stones, which will abide the fiery trial, and that all opinions
essentially opposed to them will be found among the wood, hay, and
stubble, that shall be burnt. These doctrines, my dear brethren, you
love, they are food to your souls, without them you would soon lan-
guish and die. You know it is necessary sinners should hear and re-
ceive them. Therefore kindly support and encourage your minister,
while he shall preach and inculcate them. He will need, not
bread only for the support of the body, but your friendly counsel
and assistance in the discharge of his duty. He will need your
daily prayers, that he may have grace and boldness to set his face
like a flint against the enemy, and declare the message of God.
He will need all the encouragement you can give by a punctual
... and devout attendance on his ministrations, by an explicit approba-
tion of the gospel truths he shall deliver, and of all proper meas-
ures that he may adopt for the building up of Zion. Christian
brethren, pray for your minister, that not fearing the face of clay,
he may be strong in the Lord, faithfully preach the word of life,
and turn many to righteousness. Speak comfortably to him when
his heart is pierced with the arrows of slander, when he is afflict-
ed with trials, and ready to sink under their weight. Be assured,
one comforting word from you will do good like a medicine ; it
will be like a reviving cordial to one that is faint. May the af-
fection between the church and their pastor be reciprocal and last-
ing, and by it the cause of truth be promoted. *
We sincerely wish this society a blessing from the house of our
God, and much good from the labours of him who is to be their
minister. Marvel not, my friends, that we address you as a body
distinct from the church. A line of separation has been drawn
by your own hand. Rather, they have obeyed the voice of God in
declaring for him, and you have not followed them. If the line is
15.
fairly drawn, and accurately marks the distinction of characters,
how deplorable is your situation : My dear friends, is it because
the Lord Jesus is not precious to your souls 3 or do you not con-
sider his commands to be binding, and his ordinances important :
or in the language of the apostle, is it because you judge your-
selves unworthy of eternal life, that you consent still to be num-
bered with the unbelieving and disobedient : We mean not to pass
judgment upon the moral state of your souls. The matter lies
between you and the heart searching God. But this we declare
unto you, there is no other name by which you can be saved but
the name of Jesus, whose ordinances you neglect, whose com-
mands you disobey, whom you have never yet openly embraced
as your Saviour. This Jesus and his gospel, the man you have
so unanimously chosen for your minister, will feel constrained to
preach, and urge upon you. We pray he may be faithful to you,
and that you may be faithful to yourselves. Your minister with
all his care and fidelity cannot save you, or be instrumental of
your salvation, except you truly receive the gospel he preaches,
and embrace the “Messiah of the scriptures” for your Saviour.
That he may neither be embarrassed in his circumstances, nor
discouraged in his labours, it will be your part, while you candidly
listen to his instructions, to freely administer to his necessities.
He has already spent much time and property in study, and has
now made a considerable sacrifice of worldly interest in consent-
ing to be your minister. We ask you not to empoverish yourselves
to make him rich, and trust he does not desire it. But he has a
right to expect, that while he sows to you spiritual things, you
will, without grudging, suffer him to reap a competency of your
carnal things. Above all, imbibe the spirit of the gospel of Christ
his Master. Let this spirit actuate you through life, and the Lord
will own and bless you ; he will save you with an everlasting sal-
vation. -
This great Assembly have heard what ought, and what ought
not to be the motives of gospel ministers in commencing and per-
forming their arduous work. . We hope you have ministers under
the governing influence of motives that are good. If it be so, they
will be plain and faithful in their preaching. It is for vour inter-
est that they should be faithful. Do yos desire them to prophesy
smooth things which the Lord hath not spoken? to neglect warning
you of approaching danger ? to Cry, peace, peace, when there is
no peace : God forbid that you should be gratified in these desires.
Ask not for such vile chaff, when you may as well have a rich
supply of pure and wholesome wheat. While you provide your
preacher with bread and things necessary for the body, be willing
º
16.
they should administer to you the bread of life as prepared by the
Author of life, unmixed with any impure leaven, or corrupting
ingredient of their own to render it palatable. Your pastors are
to administer what is prepared to their hands, without any addi-
tion or diminution. Ministers are to preach and illustrate the
gospel of Christ, and not one of their own framing. Great is
their responsibility, awful the account they must render to their
Judge. Suffer them then, to be faithful, and labour to profit by
their faithfulness.
CHARGE.
BY THE REV. JONATHAN ALLEN, A. M. OF BRAD RORO.
THE work of the ministry is serious, solemn, and impor:
tant. It is a work which forms characters for another world ; and
with which our eternal happiness or misery is closely connected.
A sense of this is enough, when realized, to make an indelible im-
pression upon our hearts ; and to have a commanding influence
upon our lives. It ought, especially, to induce the ministers of
the gospel, to see that they be found faithful.
To preach the gospel in its purity, and to perform every other
ministerial duty with fidelity, requires much care and exertion.
who then, under a just view of the subject, would rush hastily
into the ministry : Those, surely, who have any proper concºP"
tions of it, will undertake it with much care and precaution. The
responsibility is too great for a Wovice, or a Demas who has a 197°
only to the present world. It is too great, indeed, for all Whº
have not a sincere regard to Christ, and a strong desire to Pº"
mote the interest of his kingdom. Let all others, then, keep their
distance, and come not near, nor touch this ark of God. -
The ministers of Christ ought, undoubtedly, to act with great
caution in introducing young men into the sacred office. It must
be very injurious to religion, and awfully hazardous to the souls
of men to ordain such as are not qualified for the employment.
Sensible of this, the council present have been particularly atten-
tive to the candidate offered this day for ordination. They have
enquired into his moral character, his religious sentinents, his
views in preaching the gospel, and his qualifications for it. After
this deliberate examination, they have proceeded to invest him
with the high commission of a minister of Christ. He is accord-
ingly set apart to the ministry, by prayer, and the laying on of the
hands of the presbytery. It now devolves on me, in the name and
behalf of this venerable council, to enjoin it upon him to perform
all the duties of his office with fidelity.
You are now, Mr. Gardner B. Perry, according to apostolic ex-
ample separated to the work of the ministry in this place. Of
C -
l 8.
this flock, the Holy Ghost doth make you an overseer. We sol-
emnly announce you the pastor of this church and congregation.
Never forget, my dear sir, the weight of the charge you now take
upon you. Never forget, that you are a minister of Christ to this
people; and that you must watch for souls as one who must give
an account. How much does it concern you as a minister of
Christ, to perform every duty with fidelity, and in a manner ac-
ceptable to him :
You are not unacquainted, my dear sir, with the employment in
which you are engaged. You know it to be as solemn as the
grave, as weighty as eternity, and as interesting as your own sal”
vation, and the salvation of those committed to your charge. You
know that your business is to bring sinners to be reconciled to
God, to establish them in the truth, and to build them up in faith
and holiness. Your object is ultimately to prepare them for heav-
en. These open to your view a field of duty very extensive. A
field in which you will find occasion for much toil and labour.
A field too, in which you must be very diligent and attentive to ev-
ery part of your duty. Take heed, therefore to yourself; and see
that you heartily engage in your work—that you feel your respon-
sibility to God, and are disposed in the best manner possible, to
accomplish this great end of your ministry.
In the performance of your duty, sir, you will find it much to
your advantage to walk near to God, to hold constant communion
with him, and to be animated with his Spirit. All your success
depends upon his gracious influence. You cannot be too careful,
therefore to realize your dependence upon him, and to act at all
times, under his immediate influence. This will be like holy oil
to anoint your head, like a coal of fire to warm your heart, and like
the Sun itself to illuminate your paths. It will cause your heart to
glow with a devout love to God, and give you life and animation
in the performance of every duty. You will pray without ceasing,
preach with a divine energy, and you will not be slothful in busi-
ness, but fervent in spirit serving the Lord. It will be your de-
light to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to do it in
such a manner as to minister grace to your hearers.
The holy scriptures, dear sir, you will make your invariable
guide in all your preaching. These include the sum and sub-
stance of all that you are to declare to others. By an intimate ac-
quaintance with these sacred writings, you will find that one spirit.
and one object pervades the whole, and that they contain a sys-
tem of divine truth perfect in itself, and perfectly adapted to the
exigencies of fallen creatures. There is mothing in it superfluous,
19.
and nothing wanting. It is sufficient, when properly understood
and improved, to render the man of God perfect, thoroughly
furnished to every good work. Preach this then in its original
purity and perfection. . -
The period in which you live, sir, is a time, when almost all the
doctrines of the gospel are by some disputed. Every artifice is
used, to reduce them down to the vitiated taste of the degenerate
mind. In opposition to these, you are to keep up the genuine
spirit of the gospel, to maintain its doctrines, and to preach them
without partiality or the fear of man. Never be ashamed, my dear
sir, of the gospel of Christ, nor to declare the whole counsel of
God. Be careful to preach the sovereignty of God, and his elect-
ing love—The divinity of Christ, and of the Holy Spirit. The a-
postacy of man, and redemption by Christ.—The depravity of hu-
man nature, and the necessity of holiness. The purity of God's
law, and the equity of his government. Preach the doctrine of
regeneration by the Holy Ghost, of justification by faith, sanctifica-
tion by grace, the perseverance of the saints, and the final retribu-
tion both of the righteous and the wicked in a future world.
These and other doctrines connected with them, were evidently
taught by Christ and his apostles, and they will not be kept back
by such as are disposed to preach the whole gospel of Christ.
The dispensation of the gospel is not however, all that you
have to do. It comprizes only a part of what, as a minister of
Christ, you have to perform. You are to visit the sick and afflict-
ed, are to pray with and for them, and like your Lord and Master,
you are to go about doing good. You are to be instant in season
and out of season reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all long suf-
fering and doctrine. You are to watch over and take care of your
whole flock, the feeble as well as the strong, and the poor as well
as the rich. You are not only to feed Christ’s sheep, but also his
lambs. You must indeed, be faithful in every part of your duty,
and by your fidelity prove yourself to be a good minister of Jesus
Christ, rightly dividing the word of truth and giving to every one
his portion in due season. -
As a pastor of this church, it will devolve on you, to administer
Christ’s ordinances, to such as are the subjects of them. The or-
dinances to which I particularly refer are baptism and the Lord’s
supper. These you are to dispense with care and diligence. You
are also to preside in this church, and to maintain the order of it,
according to the rules of the gospel. And you will not fail to bless
the people in the name of the Lord.
It will be your duty, likewise, dear sir, as occasion requires, to
ordain others to the sacred office, But it concerns you to be very
20.
cautious whom you ordain. Lay hands suddenly on no man, nei-
ther be a partaker of other men's sins. Commit the sacred treas-
ure of the gospel to none but faithful men, who shall be able to
teach others also, and will be good stewards in Christ's vineyard.
In the proper discharge of your duty, you may expect to meet
with many trials and difficulties, and must be prepared for the con-
flict. The cause in which you are engaged, you are sensible, is
in opposition to all the powers of darkness, and of the wicked.
Against these therefore, you must always be armed. Take to
yourself, then, the whole armour of God, and let the Captain of
your salvation lead the way before you. While you advance under
his banner you have nothing to fear. He is able to defend you
from the assaults of all your enemies. Be thou strong, therefore,
in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Yes, my dear broth-
er, be thou strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Go
on with confidence in the performance of every duty. Be thou
faithful unto the death, saith the Amen, the faithful and true Wit-
ness, and I will give thee a crown of life. May he guide you, at
all times by his counsel here on earth, and afterwards receive you
to glory. AMEN.
RIGHT HAND OF FELLOWSHIP.
BY ELIJAH PARISH, D. D. OF BYFIELD.
*º-Cºmmes
THE adaptation of means to ends, the union of means, to
produce a desired result, is the profoundest skill of intellectual
arrangements. In a thousand instances, such harmonious desire
is exhibited on the face of nature. The drops, which compose
the river, unite to propel the stream ; they glide in concert. Eve-
ry particle of revolving globes unites to swell the aggregate of at-
traction and gravitation; hence the exact revolutions of the celes-
tial bodies. The sun and stars unite their kindred beams, to con-
vey light, life, and comfort to distant worlds.
The prince of peace, having displayed this principle in the phy-
sical system, transferred it with additional lustre to the moral
world. Union is the vital principle of the Christian dispensation ;
hence the Saviour declared to his hearers that unless they had love
one to another, they could not be his disciples. Hence he re-
quired them to exercise the same faith, to be baptized with the
same baptism, to celebrate the same ordinances, to defend and sup-
port the same gospel, to be of one heart and one mind. Therefore,
every new accession to his Church, not only increases their
number, but gives new strength and influence to his cause.
As a token of such unity of design and affection, the Right
Hand of Fellowshift, in solemnities like the present, has from high
antiquity; been considered a sacred Rite, marked with religious
importance. To give the solemnity a deeper impression, the ap-
pointment of the Agent, as in the present instance, has often been
made in compliance with the known wishes of the Candidate, con-
secrated to the sacred office. Impelled, therefore, by the strong-
est motives, motives of personal esteem and friendship, motives of
Christian hope and charity, motives of official duty, my dear sir,
I give you the Right Hand of Fellowship ; I give you my hand
and my heart. I bid you welcome into the vineyard of our com-
mon Lord, to the office of a christian pastor. Most devoutly we
bid you God sheed, wishing you a long and successful ministry ;
and having served your generation with fidelity, may you receive
the reward of those, who having turned many to righteousness,
shine as stars of glory forever and ever.
22.
This Church and Congregation, I congratulate on this auspicious
occasion. Lately the walls of this Zion were desolate and sad ;
the sabbath morn rose in mournful silence, no solemn peals called
your families to the house of God; your sacred harps were on the
willows. How could you sing a song of Zion ; the foxes were
spoiling the vines; your beloved Pastor had closed his long and
arduous labours ; his lips were closed in silence ; the fire of his
zeal was gone out ; and the moving strains of his impassioned elo-
quence, no longer captivated your attention. But, lo, in the per-
son of his Successor, you see him, as it were rising again. This
day, your mourning is turned to joy. Again the same truths de-
mand your attention; again the same salvation is offered. Re-
ceive your Pastor, then as your spiritual guide and Watchman.
Aid and comfort, and encourage him in his labours of love. Be
faithful to him ; then may you boldly demand corresponding faith-
fulness from him. Never, never, be found among those Congre-
gations, who give only a fiart of a suffort to their Pastor ; and of
course deserve, and generally receive, only a part of his labours.
That parsimony of a people, which involves their Minister in the
anxieties of penury, or impels him to the labours of the field, the
cares of a school, or the drudgeries of any business, has generally,
a baleful influence on the powers of his mind, and the spiritual
sensibilities of his heart, while it cools the ardor and pathos of his
best services. Such a people not only violate their covenant obli-
gations, but for a little sordid pelf, they rob the souls of their fam-
ilies, and rob their own souls of spiritual blessings, by weakening
the force of those instructions, designed for their salvation. But,
beloved, we hope better things of you, and things which accompa-
my salvation.
*D4-C*e
The other services were performed by the following Gentlemen, viz. –
Introductory Prayer, by the Rev. DANIEL DANA, D. D. of JVewburyport,
Consecrating Prayer, by the Rev. JOSEPH DANA, D. D. of Ipswich.
Concluding Prayer, by the Rev. JAMES MILTIMORE, A. M. of JVewbury.
MINISTERS IN BRADFORD.
wº-ºº-ºw
BRADFORD was incorporated A. D. 1675. In the early settlement of it
, there was but one Parish in the town. The First Church was collected and the
Rev. ZECHARIAH SYMMES, A M. ordained Dec. 27, 1682. Died—1707.
Rev. THOMAS SYMMES, A. M. installed" Dec. 1708. Died Oct. 6, 1725.
AEt. 48.
Rev. JOSEPH PARSONS, A. M. ordained June 8, 1726. Died May 4, 1765
in the 63d year of his age, and 39th of his ministry.
Rev. SAMUEL WILLIAMS, L. L. D. A. A. and S. P. A. ordained Nov. 20,
1765:f
Rev. JONATHAN ALLEN, A. M. (present minister) ordained June 8, 1781.
EAST PARISH was set off, June, 1726. The Second Church founded and the
Rev. WILLIAM BALCH, A. M. ordained June 7, 1727. Died Jan. 1792.
Rev. EBENEZER DUTCH, A. M. ordained a Colleague with MR. BALCH,
Nov. 1779. Died Aug. 5, 1813, in the 62d year of his age, and 34th of
his ministry.
* IIe had been ordained in Boaford.
f He was chosen, in 1780, Hollis Professor of JMathematics and JVatural Philoso-
phy in Harvard University.
Iliſill
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