LORD, Teach Thy ministers how
they ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the
living God, that they may not preach themselves, but Christ Jesus our Lord, and
may study to shew themselves approved to God, workmen that need not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Make them mighty in the
scriptures, that from thence they may be thoroughly furnished for every good
work, in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, and sincerity, and sound
speech, which cannot be condemned.
Enable them to give attendance to
reading, to exhortation, to doctrine, to meditate upon these things, to give
themselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word, to give themselves
wholly to them; and to continue in them, that they may both save themselves and
those that hear them.
Let utterance be given to them,
that they may open their mouths boldly, to make known the mystery of the
gospel, that thereof they may speak, as they ought to speak, as able ministers
of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the Spirit, and let them obtain
mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
Let the arms of their hands be
made strong by the hands of the mighty
God of Jacob; and let them be full of power by the Spirit of the Lord of
hosts, to show Thy people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their
sins.
Make them sound in the faith, and
enable them always to speak the things which become sound doctrine; with
meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; and let not the servants of
the Lord strive, but be gentle to all men, apt to teach.
Make them good examples to the
believers; in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, and in
purity; and let them be clean that bear the vessels of the Lord, and let
Holiness to the Lord be written upon their foreheads.
LORD, grant that they may not
labour in vain, or spend their strength for nought, and in vain, but let the
hand of the Lord be with them, that many may believe, and turn to the Lord.
To God be the glory in the church
by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end,
Amen.
Matthew Henry
A Method For Prayer, pp. 104-105
No comments:
Post a Comment