III. To give some reasons why we may suppose God has so ordered it, that
ministers, and the people that have been under their care, shall meet
together at the day of judgment, in such a manner and for such purposes.
There are two things which I would now observe:
1. The mutual concerns of ministers and their people are of the greatest
importance.
The Scripture declares, that God will bring every work into judgment with
every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil. 'Tis fit
that all the concerns and all the behavior of mankind, both public and
private, should be brought at last before God's tribunal, and finally
determined by an infallible Judge: but it is especially requisite that it
should be thus, as to affairs of very great importance.
Now the mutual concerns of a Christian minister and his church and
congregation are of the vastest importance: in many respects, of much
greater moment than the temporal concerns of the greatest earthly monarchs
and their kingdoms or empires. It is of vast consequence how ministers
discharge their office, and conduct themselves towards their people in the
work of the ministry, and in affairs appertaining to it. 'Tis also a
matter of vast importance, how a people receive and entertain a faithful
minister of Christ, and what improvement they make of his ministry. These
things have a more immediate and direct respect to the great and last end
for which man was made, and the eternal welfare of mankind, than any of
the temporal concerns of men, whether public or private. And therefore
'tis especially fit that these affairs should be brought into judgment and
openly determined and settled in truth and righteousness; and that to this
end, ministers and their people should meet together before the omniscient
and infallible Judge.
2. The mutual concerns of ministers and their people have a special
relation to the main things appertaining to the day of judgment.
They have a special relation to that great and divine person who will then
appear as Judge. Ministers are his messengers, sent forth by him; and, in
their office and administrations among their people, represent his person,
stand in his stead, as those that are sent to declare his mind, to do his
work and to speak and act in his name. And therefore 'tis especially fit
that they should return to him, to give an account of their work and
success. The king is judge of all his subjects, they are all accountable
to him. But it is more especially requisite that the king's ministers, who
are especially intrusted with the administrations of his kingdom, and that
are sent forth on some special negotiation, should return to him, to give
an account of themselves, and their discharge of their trust, and the
reception they have met with.
Ministers are not only messengers of the person who at the last day will
appear as Judge, but the errand they are sent upon, and the affairs they
have committed to them as his ministers, do most immediately concern his
honor and the interest of his kingdom. The work they are sent upon is to
promote the designs of his administration and government; and therefore
their business with their people has a near relation to the day of
judgment; for the great end of that day is completely to settle and
establish the affairs of his kingdom, to adjust all things that pertain to
it, that every thing that is opposite to the interests of his kingdom may
be removed, and that every thing which contributes to the completeness
and glory of it may be perfected and confirmed, that this great King may
receive his due honor and glory.
Again, the mutual concerns of ministers and their people have a direct
relation to the concerns of the day of judgment, as the business of
ministers with their people is to promote the eternal salvation of the
souls of men and their escape from eternal damnation; and the day of
judgment is the day appointed for that end, openly to decide and settle
men's eternal state, to fix some in a state of eternal salvation and to
bring their salvation to its utmost consummation, and to fix others in a
state of everlasting damnation and most perfect misery. The mutual
concerns of ministers and people have a most direct relation to the day of
judgment, as the very design of the work of the ministry is the people's
preparation for that day. Ministers are sent to warn them of the approach
of that day, to forewarn them of the dreadful sentence then to be
pronounced on the wicked, and declare to them the blessed sentence then to
be pronounced on the righteous, and to use means with them that they may
escape the wrath which is then to come on the ungodly, and obtain the
reward then to be bestowed on the saints.
And as the mutual concerns of ministers and their people have so near and
direct a relation to that day, it is especially fit that those concerns
should be brought into that day, and there settled and issued; and that in
order to this, ministers and their people should meet and appear together
before the great Judge at that day.