The Duty of a
Pastor
by John
Owen
This sermon was
preached at an ordination, September 8, 1682. “And I
will give you pastors according to my heart, which shall
feed you with knowledge and understanding.” Jer. 3:15
All the
names of the officers of the church under the New
Testament have a double significance,-a general
and more large signification, and a special
signification. As, for instance,
diakonos, a “deacon,” hath a general
signification; it signifies any minister or servant: and
it hath a special signification, when it denotes that
peculiar officer which was instituted in the
church to take care of the poor. And so the name of a
pastor hath a more general and a more special
signification. In general, it signifies ant teacher or
officer in the church, ordinary or extraordinary; in
special, it signifies that peculiar officer in the
church which, as such, is distinguished from a teacher,
“He gave some to be pastors and teachers,” Eph. 4:11;
for there is a distinction between pastor and teacher,
not as to order, but as to degree. I do not use the distinction in the same sense
of those who make bishops and presbyters differ in
degree, but not in order; but it is a distinction as to
that beautiful order which Christ hath instituted in His
church. Christ hath instituted a beautiful order in His
church, if it were discovered and improved. And I have
wished sometimes I could live to see it; but I do not
think I shall. Yet this I would recommend to my brethren
as the way to discover the order of Christ in the
church:--there is no way to discover it but by the
harmony that there is between gifts, office, and
edification. The original of all church order and rule
is in gifts; the exercise of those gifts by office; the
end of all those gifts and offices is, edification.
Now I
believe I can demonstrate that all ordinary spiritual
gifts that Christ hath given to his church, are
reducible to four heads: and al of them are for the
exercise of these gifts; for they must all be exercised
distinctly. Herein you will find out the beautiful order
of Christ in the church, and not else. I sat, all gifts
may be reduced to four heads. The one head of these
gifts is to be exercised by the pastor; one head
by the teacher; one by the ruler; and one
by the deacon: and all these
gifts, exercised by all these officers, answer all ends
for the edification of the church. For it is a vain
opinion, that the rule and conduct of Christ's church is
either in one or in all. There is nothing in what I have
declared but what is the design of the apostle in Rom.
12:6-8. Let us study that harmony more, and we shall
find more of the beauty and glory of it.
I shall speak of
those pastors mentioned her in the text; and I shall
speak of them in general, as all teaching in the
church,--which is the general signification of the word.
And all that I shall speak of them is, to remind myself,
and my brethren, and you, of somewhat of the duty of
such a pastor;--what is incumbent on him,--what is
expected from him. Now, I do not design to go through
all the necessary duties of a pastor or teacher; I only
design to give some instances.
First. The
duty of such an officer of the church, [It is proper to
inform the reader, that several things in this sermon
are to be found in Dr. Owen's “True Nature of a Gospel
Church,” chap. 5.]--a pastor, teacher, elder of the
church,--is that mentioned in the text,--”to feed the
church with knowledge and understanding.” This feeding
is by preaching of the gospel. He is no pastor who doth
not feed his flock. It belongs essentially to the
office; and that not now and then (according to the
figure and image that is set up of the ministry in the
world,--a dead idol) as occasion serves. But the apostle
saith, Acts 6:4, “We will give ourselves continually to
the word.” It is to “labour in the word and doctrine,” 1
Tim. 5:17;--to make all things subservient to this work
of preaching and instructing the church; to do it in
that frame the apostle mentions in Col. 1:28. He speaks
of his preaching, and the design of his preaching: “Whom
we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in
all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in
Christ Jesus.” How doth he do it? Verse 29, “Whereunto I
labour, striving according to his working, which worketh
in em mightily.” There is not one word in our
translation that answers the emphasis of the original
words,--”Whereunto I labour,”—ei o kai kopio. Kopio is to labour
with diligence and intention, with weariness and
industry. “I labour `usque ad fatigationem'--to the
spending of myself. Striving
(agonizomeno),--striving as a man that runs in a
race, or striving as a man that wrestles for
victory,”--as men did in their public contests. And how?
Kata ten enerheian autou,--”According to the
effectual in-working, or inward operation, of him (en
ergoumenen emoi) who does effectually work in me.”
We cannot reach the emphasis by any words in our
language. And how is all this? (En
dunamei),-- “With mighty power.”
Here is the frame of the apostle's spirit (it should
give dread to us in the consideration of it): “I labour
diligently, I strive as in a race, I wrestle for
victory, --by the mighty in-working power of Christ
working in me; and that with great and exceeding power.”
What I shall do
is, to show you, in some instances, what is required
unto this work of teaching or of feeding the
congregation with knowledge and understanding, in this
duty of the preaching of the word:--
1. There is
spiritual wisdom in
understanding the mysteries of the gospel, that we may
be able to declare the whole counsel of God, and the
riches and treasures of the grace of Christ, unto the
souls of men. See Acts 20:27; 1 Cor. 2:1-4; Eph. 3:7-9.
Many in the church of God were, in those days of light,
growing and thriving; they had a great insight into
spiritual things, and into the mysteries of the gospel.
The apostle prays that they might all have, Eph. 1:17,
18, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what
is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the
glory of his inheritance in the saints.”
Really it is no
easy thing for ministers to instruct to such kind of
duties. If there be not some degree of eminency in
themselves, how shall we lead such persons as these to
perfection? We must labour ourselves to have a thorough
knowledge of these mysteries, or we shall be useless to
a great part of the church. There is spiritual wisdom
and understanding in the mysteries of the gospel
required hereunto.
2.
Authority is required. What
authority in a preaching ministry? It is a consequent of
unction, and not of office. The scribes had an outward
call to teach in the church; but they had no unction,
anointing, that could evidence they had the Holy Ghost i
his gifts and graces. Christ had no outward call; But he
had an unction,--he had a full unction of the Holy Ghost
in his gifts and graces, for the preaching of the
gospel. Hereon there was a controversy about his
authority. The scribes say unto him, Mark 11:28, “By
what authority doest thou these things? and who gave
thee this authority?” The Holy Ghost determines the
matter, Matt. 7:29, “He preached as one having
authority, and not as the scribes.” They had the
authority of office, but not of unction; Christ only had
that. And preaching in the demonstration of the Spirit,
which men quarrel so much about, is nothing less than
the evidence in preaching of unction, in the
communication of gifts and grace unto them, for the
discharge of their office: for it is a vain thing for
men to assume and personate authority. So much evidence
as they have of unction from God in gifts and grace, so
much authority they have, and no more, in preaching: and
let every one, then, keep within his bounds.
3. Another
thing required hereunto is, experience of the
power of the things we preach to others. I think, truly,
that no man preaches that sermon well to others that
doth not first preach it to his own heart. He who
doth not feed on, and digest, and thrive by, what he
prepares for his people, he may give them poison, as far
as he knows; for, unless he finds the power of it in his
own heart, he cannot have any ground of confidence that
it will have power in the hearts of others. It is an
easier thing to bring our heads to preach than our
hearts to preach. To bring our
heads to preach, is nothing more than to fill our minds
and memories with some notions of truth, of our own or
other men, and speak them out to give satisfaction to
ourselves and others: this is very easy. But to bring
our hearts to preach, is to be transformed into the
power of these truths; or to find the power of them,
both before, in fashioning our minds and hearts, and in
delivering of them, that we may benefit; and to be acted
with zeal for God and compassion to the souls of men. A
man may preach every day in the week, and not have his
heart engaged once. This hath lost us powerful preaching
in the world, and set up, instead of it, quaint
orations; for such men never seek after experience in
their own hearts: and so it is come to pass, that some
men's preaching, and some men's not preaching, have lost
us the power of what we call the ministry; that though
there be twenty or thirty thousand in orders, yet the
nation perishes for want of knowledge, and is
overwhelmed in all manner of sins, and not delivered
from them unto this day.
4.
Skill to divide the word aright. this skill to
divide the word aright, is practical
wisdom in considering the word
of God,--to take out not only that which is substantial
food for the souls of men, but what is meet food for
them to whom we preach. And that,--
5. Requires
the knowledge and
consideration of the state of our flocks. He who hath
not the state of his flock continually in his eye, and
in his mind, in his work of preaching, fights
uncertainly, as a man beating the air. If he doth not
consider what is the state of his flock, with reference
to temptations, in reference to their light or to their
darkness, to their growth or to their decays, to their
flourishing or to their withering, to the measure of
their knowledge and attainments;-- he who doth not duly
consider these things, never preaches aright unto them.
6. There is
required, too, that we be acted by
zeal for the glory of God,
and compassion to the souls of men.
Having spoken
these few plain words, I may say, “Who is sufficient for
these things?” There is that spiritual wisdom which is
necessary to understand the mysteries of the gospel,
able to instruct and led on to perfection the most grown
in our congregations;--that authority which proceeds
from unction, and is an evidence of an anointing with
the graces and gifts of the Spirit; which alone gives
authority in preaching;--that experience which conforms
our whole souls into every sermon that we preach, so as
to feel the truth in the power of it;--that skill
whereby to divide the word aright, etc. Hence we see we
have great need to pray for ourselves, and that you
should pray for us. Pray for your ministers. This, then,
is the first duty required of gospel ministers.
Secondly.
Another duty required is, continual
prayer for the churches over
which Christ hath made them overseers. I have not time
to confirm these things by particular testimonies: you
know how often the apostle expresses it of himself, and
enjoins it unto others, continually to pray for the
flock.
I will name four
reasons why we ought to do so, and four things we ought
to pray for:--
1. My first
reason is,--because I believe that no man can have
any evidence in his own soul that he doth
conscientiously perform any ministerial duty towards his
flock, who doth not continually pray for them.
Let him preach as much as he will, unless God doth keep
up in him a spirit of prayer
in his closet and family for them, he can have no
evidence that he doth perform any other ministerial duty
in a manner, or that what he doth is accepted with God.
I speak to them who are wise, and understand these
things.
2. This is
he way whereby we may bless our congregations.
Authoritative blessing, as far as I know, is
taken from us. There is only that which is eutical and
declarative left to us. Pronouncing the blessing is only
eutical [Eutical (euxomai, to desire earnestly,
or to pray), expressive of desire.--ED.] and
declarative, and not authoritative. Now there is no way
whereby we can bless our flocks by institution, but by a
continual praying for a
blessing upon them.
3. If men are but
as they used to be, I do not believe any minister, any
pastor in the world, can keep up a love to his church,
who doth not pray for them. He will meet with so many
provocations, imprudences, and miscarriages, that
nothing can keep up his heart with inflamed love for
them, but by praying for them continually. That will
conquer all prejudices, if he continues to so doing.
And,--
4. My last
reason is this, in our prayers for people, God will
teach us what we shall preach
unto them. We cannot pray for them, but we must think on
what it is we pray for, and that is the consideration of
their condition; and therein God teaches the ministers
of the gospel. If it be so with them, this is that they
should teach them. The more we pray for our people, the
better shall we be instructed what to teach them. The
apostles, to take us off from all other occasions, “gave
themselves to prayer and the word,” Act 4:4. Prayer is
in the first place. It is not personal, but ministerial
prayer for the church, and the progress of the gospel.
What shall we pray
for?
1. For
the success of the word that
we preach unto them. This falls in with the light of
nature. We are to pray for the success of the word unto
all the ends of it; and that is, for all the ends of
living unto God,--for direction in duty, for instruction
in the truth, for growth in grace, for all things
whereby we may come to the enjoyment of God. We should
pray that all these ends may be accomplished in our
congregations, in the dispensation of the word, or else
we sow seed at random, which will not succeed merely by
our sowing; for let the husbandman break up the fallow
ground, and harrow it, and cast in the seed,--unless
showers come, he will have no crop; in like manner,
after we have cast the seed of the gospel, though the
hearts of men are prepared in some measure, unless there
come the showers of the Spirit upon them, there will be
no profiting. Therefore, let us pray that a blessing
might be upon the word. The ministers of the word
preach, and would be accepted with the people; take this
“arcanum,”[the secret] of it,--pray over it; and it is
the only way to have it accepted in the hearts of the
people: follow it on with prayer.
2. We are to
pray for the presence of Christ in all our assemblies; for this is that whereon
depends all the efficacy of the ordinances of the
gospel. Christ hath given us many promises of it, and we
are to act in faith concerning it, and to pray in faith
for it in our assemblies; which is a great ministerial
duty: and if we do not, we are ignorant of our duty, and
are willing to labour in the fire, where all must
perish; we fight at hazard, for all the efficacy of the
ordinances of preaching and praying doth not depend on
anything in ourselves,--on our gifts, notions, parts,
fervency,--but it depends only upon the presence of
Christ. Make this your business, to pray mightily for it
in the congregation, to make all these effectual.
3. Our
prayers should be with respect unto the state and
condition of the church. It is
supposed he that is a minister is satisfied he hath some
measure of understanding and knowledge in the mysteries
of the gospel; he that is able to conduct the best of
the congregation unto salvation; that he knows their
measure, their weakness, and their temptations; that he
knows the times and seasons in which they are exercised
and exposed, whether times of adversity or prosperity;
and, as far as possible, knows how it is with their
persons. And we ought to suit our prayers according to
all we know concerning them, and be satisfied in it that
Christ himself will come in to recover them who are
fallen, to establish them who are tempted, to encourage
them who are running and pressing forward to perfection,
to relieve them who are disconsolate in the dark: and we
have of all these sorts in our churches.
Thirdly. It
is incumbent on men who are pastors and teachers of
churches, to preserve the truth and doctrine of
the gospel, that is committed to the church,--to keep it
entire, and defend it against all opposition. See the
weighty words wherewith the apostle gives this in charge
unto Timothy, 1 Tim. 6:20, “O Timothy, keep that which
is committed to thy trust;” and 2 Tim. 1:14, “That good
thing” (ten kalen prarkatatheken,--that good
depositum, that good treasure) “that is committed to
thee by the Holy Ghost, which dwelleth in us.” This
charge is given to all of us who are ministers, “Keep
the truth, that good, that blessed thing.” “it is,”
saith the apostle, “the glorious gospel of the blessed
God, which was committed to my trust,” 1 Tim. 1:11. And
it is committed to all our trust; and we are to
keep it against all opposition. The church is the ground
and pillar of truth, to hold up and declare the truth,
in and by its ministers. But is that all? No; the church
“is like the tower of David builded for an armoury,
whereon there hang a thousand bucklers and shields of
mighty men,” Cant. 4:4. The ministers of the gospel are
shields and bucklers to defend the truth against all
adversaries and opposers. The church hath had thousands
of bucklers and shields of mighty men, or else the truth
had been lost. They are not only to declare it in
the preaching of the gospel; but to
defend and preserve it
against all opposition,--to hold up the shield and
buckler of faith against all opposers.
But what is
required hereunto?
1. There is
required a clear apprehension
in ourselves of those doctrines and truths which we are
so to defend. Truth may be lost by weakness as well as
wickedness: if we have not a full apprehension of the
truth, and that upon its own proper grounds and
principles, we shall never be able to defend it. This is
to be attained by all ways and means,--by the use,
especially, of diligent prayer and study,--is that we
may be able to stop the mouth of gainsayers.
2. There is
required love of the truth. We shall never
contend earnestly for the truth, we shall never “buy it
and not sell it,” whatever we know of it, unless our
love and value of it arise from a sense and experience
of it in our own souls. I fear there is much loss of
truth, not for want of light, knowledge, and ability,
but for want of love.
I have the
advantage of most here present in this, that I know the
contest we had for the truths of the gospel before our
troubles began, and was an early person engaged in them;
and knew those godly ministers that did contend for them
as for their lives and souls, and that all opposition
that was made against them was never able to discourage
them. What were these doctrines?--the doctrines of
eternal predestination, effectual conversion to God, and
the obduration of the wicked reprobates by the
providence of God. These truths are not lost for want of
skill, but for want of love. We scarce hear one word of
them; we are almost ashamed to mention them in the
church; and he that doth it will be sure to expose
himself to public obloquy and scorn: but we must not be
ashamed of truth. Formerly we could not meet with a
godly minister, but the error of Arminianism was looked
upon by him as the ruin and poison of the souls of men:
such did tremble at it,--wrote and disputed against it.
But now it is not so; the doctrine of the gospel is
owned still, though little taken notice of by some among
ourselves, the love of to being greatly decayed,--the
sense and power of it almost lost. But we have got no
ground by it; we are not more holy, more fruitful, than
we were in the preaching those doctrines, and attending
diligently unto them.
3. Let us
take heed in ourselves of any inclinations to novel
opinions, especially in, or
about, or against such points of faith as those wherein
they who are gone before us are fallen asleep found
life, comfort, and power. Who would have thought that we
should have come to any indifferency as to the doctrine
of justification, and quarrel and dispute about the
interest of works in justification; about general
redemption, which takes off the efficacy of the
redeeming work of Christ; and about the perseverance of
the saints; when these were the soul and life of them
who are gone before us, who found the power and comfort
of them? We shall not maintain these truths, unless we
find the same comfort in them as they did. I have lived
to see great alterations in the godly ministers of the
nation, both as to zeal for and value of those important
truths that were as the life of the Reformation; and the
doctrine of free-will condemned in a prayer, bound up in
the end of your Bibles. But now it is grown an
indifferent thing; and the horrible corruptions we
suffer to be introduced in the doctrine of justification
have weakened all the vitals of religion. Let us, for
the remainder of our days, “buy the truth, and sell it
not;” and let us be zealous and watchful over any thing
that should arise in our congregations.
Bring in one man
into the congregation who hath a by-opinion, and he
shall make more stir about it than all the rest of the
congregation in building up one another in their most
holy faith. Take heed lest there be men arising from
ourselves speaking perverse things; which is to make way
for grievous wolves to break in and tear and rend the
flock.
4. There is
skill and ability required
hereunto, to discover and be able to oppose and confound
the cunning sophistry of the adversaries. Great prayer,
watchfulness, and diligence are required, that we may be
able to attend unto these things. And those who are less
skilled may do well to advise with those who are more
exercised in them, to give them help and assistance.
Lastly. I
shall mention one more duty that is required of pastors
and teachers in the church; and that is,--that we
labour diligently for the conversion of souls. This
work is committed to them. I should not mention this,
but to rectify a mistake in some. The end of all
particular churches is, the calling and edification of
the catholic church. Christ hath not appointed his
ministers to look unto themselves only; they are to be
the means of calling and gathering the elect in all
ages: and this principally are to do by their ministry.
I confess there are other outward ways and means whereby
men have been, and may be, converted. I find, by long
observation, that common light, in conjunction with
afflictions, do begin the conversion of many, without
this or that special word: and persons may be converted
to God by religious conference. There may be many
occasional conversions wrought by the
instrumentality of men who have real spiritual gifts for
the dispensation of the word, and are occasionally
called thereunto. But principally this work is committed
unto the pastors of churches, for the conversion of
souls. Take this observation,--the first object
of the word is the world. Our work is the
same with the apostles'; the method directly
contrary. The apostles had a work committed to them, and
this was their method:--The first work
committed to the apostles was the convincing and
converting sinners to Christ among Jews and Gentiles,--
to preach the gospel, to convert infidels;--this they
accounted their chief work Paul made nothing of
administering the ordinance of baptism, in comparison to
it. “Christ sent me not,” saith he “to baptize, but to
preach the gospel,” 1 Cor. 1:17. In comparison, I say,
preaching was their chief work. And then, their
second work was to teach those [who were] disciples
to do and observe whatever Christ commanded them, and to
bring them into church order. This was their method. Now
the same work is committed unto the pastors of churches;
but in a contrary method. The first object of our
ministry is the church,--to build up and edify the
church. But what then? Is the other part of the work
taken away, that they should not preach to convert
souls. God forbid. There be several ways whereby they
who are pastors of churches do preach to the conversion
of souls: 1. When other persons that are unconverted do
come where they are preaching, to their own
congregations (whereof we have experience every day),
they are to be converted to God by the pastoral
discharge of their duty. “No,” say some; “they preach to
the church as ministers,--to others only as
spiritually gifted.” But no man can make this
distinction in his own conscience. Suppose there be five
hundred in this place, and a hundred of this church, can
you make the distinction, that I am preaching in a
double capacity,--to some as a minister, and to
others not as a minister? Neither rule, nor reason, nor
natural light, expresses any thing to that purpose. We
preach as ministers to whom we preach, for the
conversion of their souls. 2. Ministers may preach for
the conversion of souls, when they preach elsewhere
occasionally. They preach as ministers wherever they
preach. I know the indelible character [The
“indelible character” is the dogma of the church of
Rome;--that a man ordained to be priest within its pale
can lose his priestly character; and though he even
cease to be a Christian, cannot cease to be a Christian
bishop, priest, or deacon, if he has previously held any
of these offices in the church. The dogma can be traced
no farther back than the days of the schoolmen. The
Council of Nice decreed that certain bishops and
presbyters, who had been ordained by Miletius, a deposed
bishop, should be re-ordained before they could exercise
their office. Dr. Campbell, in his “Lectures on
Ecclesiastical History,” reviews at some length he
discussions on the “indelible character.” Speaking of
those who are argued for the unreiterable sacraments, to
which ordination, according to the church of Rome,
belongs, he remarks (lecture 11), “The whole of what
they agreed in amounts to this,--something, they know
not what, is imprinted, they know not how, on something
in the soul of the recipient, they know not where,--
which can never be deleted.”--ED.] is a figment; but the
pastors' office is not such a thing as men may leave at
home when they go abroad. It is not in a minister's own
power, unless lawfully dismissed or deposed, to hinder
him from preaching as a minister. And it is the duty of
particular churches (one end of their institution being
the calling and gathering the catholic church) to part
with their officers for a season, when called to preach
in other places for the converting souls to Christ. We
had a glorious ministry in the last age,--wonderful
instruments for the conversion of souls. Did they
convert them as gifted men, and not as
ministers? God forbid. I say, it
may be done by them who have received gifts, and not
[been] called to office; but I know no ground any man
hath to give up himself to the constant exercise of
ministerial gifts, and not say to the Lord in prayer,
“Lord, here am I; send me.”
Had I time and
strength, I should tell you of the duty of pastors and
teachers in administering of the seals, and what is
required thereunto; and their duty in directing and
comforting the consciences of all sorts of
believers;--what prudence, purity, condescension, and
patience are required in it, as a great part of our
ministerial duty.
I should show you,
also, their duty in the rule of the church. Not that
ever Christ intended to commit the rule of the church to
them alone,--to take them off that great and important
duty of preaching the gospel; but as time and occasions
allow them, to attend to the rule of the church.
And lastly, in
exemplary conversation, and in assembling with other
churches of their order, for the managing church
communion.
“Who
is sufficient for these things?” Pray, pray for us; and
God strengthen us, and our brother, who hath been called
this day to the work! It may not be unuseful to him and
me, to be mindful of these things, and to beg the
assistance of our brethren.
