And as a token of our receiving you into ministerial communion, as members of this presbytery, we give you the the right hand of fellowship.

[Here each member of the presbytery gave Messrs. Patillo and Richardson his right hand.]

And with our hand we give you our heart. We welcome you as new labourers into our Lord's vineyard; and we wish, we hope, and pray you may long be employed. there with great pleasure and success. We cannot help pouring out a torrent of fatherly wishes and prayers for you. May the great God make you able ministers of the New Testament. May you shine as illustrious luminaries in the church—"holding forth the word of life." Phil. ii. 16. And may you be made the happy instruments of "turning many from darkness to light." Acts xxvi. 18. "Oh! may your whole lives be one uninterrupted course of pleasing labour to yourselves, and extensive usefulness to the world. And when you die, may you fall with the dignity of ministers of Jesus. May this be your rejoicing in your last agonies, and in the nearest view of the supreme tribunal, even the testimony of your consciences, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not by fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, you have had your conversation in the world. 2 Cor. i. 12. And when Christ, who is your life, shall appear, then may you also appear with him in glory. Col. iii. 4. O thou supreme Lord of the world, and King of the church, thus let these thy servants live, and thus let them die.

Amen.

SERMON LXXVIII.

THE OFFICE OF A BISHOP A GOOD WORK.

1 TIM. III. 1.-This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work."

It is agreeable to the common sense and common practice of mankind, that persons should be invested with important offices by some solemn and significant ceremony: and it is an instance of the wisdom and condescension of the great God, that he deals with men in their own manner, and models his transactions with them, into the form of their transactions with one another. Thus, in particular, he has appointed, that the investiture of persons with the sacred and important office of the gospel ministry, should be performed by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery, attended with solemn fasting and prayer. To this St. Paul refers, when he exhorts Timothy not to neglect the gift that was in him, which was given him by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery; 1 Tim. iv. 14, at which solemnity, it seems, St. Paul presided; for, in the second epistle, he gives the same exhortation to the same person, in terms that imply thus much: "I put thee in remembrance once more, that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee, by the put

* Hanover, Virginia, June 5, 1757.-At the ordination of the Rev. Mr. John Martin, to the ministry of the gospel.

Certus est hic sermo, si quis episcopatum desiderat, præclarum opus desiderat.-BEZa.

Fidelis est sermo, quod si quis concupiscit presbyterium; opus bonum concupiscit.-TREM. ex. SYR.

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ting on of my hands." 2 Tim. i. 6. Thus Paul himself and Barnabas were set apart for their mission to the Gentile world. Acts xiii. 2, 3. While the prophets and teachers of the church of Antioch were ministering to the Lord, and fasting "the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands upon them, they sent them away." This is probably included in "the doctrine of laying on of hands,' which the apostle enumerates among "the first principles of the doctrine of Christ," Heb. vi. 1, 2, and to this he refers, when he enjoins Timothy, 1 Tim. v. 22. «Lay hands suddenly on no man." This solemn rite was used for the like purpose under the law of Moses, and from thence was transferred to the gospel church. Thus, when Joshua was nominated his successor, the Lord commands Moses, "Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thine hands upon him; and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded." Numbers xxvii. 18–23; Deut. xxxiv. 9. This solemn rite was used also upon other occasions both under the Old and New Testament: as in the authoritative benedictions of the patriarchs and prophets, under the immediate inspiration of the Holy Spirit: Gen. xlviii. 14, 15, &c.; Mark. x. 16; in miraculously healing the sick: Mark xvi. 18, and vi. 5; and especially in communicating the gifts of the Holy Spirit, not only to the persons invested with the ministerial office, but to the primitive Christians in general. Acts viii. 15-17, and xix. 5, 6; Heb. vi. 2. And hence the imposition of hands

generally attended, or soon followed upon, baptism, in the apostolic age.

This is the best precedent I can recollect for annexing a solemn charge to the imposition of hands. Indeed, a charge given in so solemn a posture, is so weighty and affecting, that methinks it is impossible not to feel it at the time; or for those that have once felt it, ever to forget it afterwards.

It is evident, that in the ordinary ages of the church, when miracles are become needless for the confirmation of our religion, the imposition of hands in investing persons with the ministerial office, cannot answer all the same purposes, in the same extent, as in the apostolic age of miracles and inspirations. The hands of a bishop or a presbytery cannot now confer the Holy Ghost, or any of his miraculous gifts; and the high and extravagant pretensions of this kind, that have been made, have cherished superstition and enthusiasm in some, and exposed the institution itself to the ridicule and contempt of others. But though the institution cannot now answer all the same purposes, in the same extent, as in the apostolic age, yet there is no reason to lay it entirely aside, or to esteem it an idle insignificant ceremony. It may still answer some ends, common to the ordinary and extraordinary ages of the church. And there may be sundry purposes even now, so analogous to the miraculous purposes of the primitive institution, that it may be very proper still to retain it, on account of this analogy. It may now serve, as well as in miraculous ages, as a solemn ceremony and significant sign of a man's consecration to the sacred office. It may now serve, as well as in miraculous ages, as a solemn rite in ministerial benedictions, or in the presbytery's earnest prayer to God for his blessing upon the person so peculiarly devoted to his service; after the example of Christ, the patriarchs and prophets. And it may also be used now, as properly as

ever, as a significant sign and seal of the ordinary gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost, which are the privilege of the church of Christ, and particularly of its ministers in all ages. Of this it may still be a sign; as baptism is still a sign of regeneration and the forgiveness of sins: and therefore still observed, though it be not now followed with such miraculous effects, as in the apostolic age. When the ends of an ordinance can be substantially answered, there is always a good reason for its continuance, to whatever circumstantial variations it may be subject.

Upon such principles as these the generality of Christians in all ages have looked upon ordination by the laying on of hands, as a divine institution still in force. This is the solemnity, that has occasioned our present meeting; and, I hope, that in so large an assembly, there are not a few, who have been and still are, wafting up their earnest prayers to God, that his efficacious blessing may attend a solemnity so important in itself, and so unusual in this colony.*

My text will furnish materials for a discourse adapted to this occasion. "This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work." To explain and improve the sundry parts of which shall be my present business.

"The office of bishop."-What is meant by this office, or what rank a bishop should bear in the Christian church, is a debate that has been managed with great learning and plausibility and alas! with much uncharitableness and fury, on both sides, for a long time. I am not able to add anything new to the argumentative part of the controversy and I am sure I am not disposed to add anything to the heat and fury of it. But the present occasion renders it necessary for me to declare my sentiments upon this point, with the reasons of them: in order to show you

* This was the first Presbyterian ordination in Virginia.