Then let the churches love their pastors, hear their pastors, be ruled by their pastors, and suffer themselves to be watched over, and to be exhorted, counselled, and if need be, reproved and rebuked by their pastors.  And let the ministers not sleep, but be watchful, and look to the ordinances, to the souls of the saints, and the gates of the church.  Watch, man; watch, man; watch!

Duty Of Churches To The Ministry.

O churches, let your ministers be beautified with your love; that they may beautify you with their love, and also be an ornament unto you, and to that gospel they minister to you, for Jesus Christ’s sake.

Different Classes Of Ministers.

Is the soul such an excellent thing, and is the loss thereof so unspeakably great?  Then this should teach the people to be very careful to whom they commit the teaching and guidance of their souls.

This is a business of the greatest concern:  men will be careful to whom they commit their children, whom they make the executors of their wills, in whose hand they trust the writing and evidences of their lands; but how much more careful should we be, unto whom we commit the teaching and guidance of our souls.  And yet most men are in these matters least of all careful.

There are idol shepherds.  Zech. 11:7.  There are foolish shepherds.  Zech. 11:15.  There are shepherds that feed themselves, and not their flocks.  Ezek. 34:2.  There are hard-hearted and pitiless shepherds.  Zech. 11:3.  There are shepherds that instead of healing, smite, push, and wound the diseased.  Ezek. 34:4, 21.  There are shepherds that cause their flocks to go astray.  Jer. 50:6.  And there are shepherds that feed their flocks:  these are the shepherds to whom thou shouldst commit thy soul for teaching and for guidance.

Then said the Interpreter, “Come in; I will show thee that which will be profitable to thee.”  So he commanded his man to light a candle, and bade Christian follow him.  So he had him into a private room, and bid his man open a door:  the which when he had done, Christian saw the picture of a very grave person hang up against the wall; and this was the fashion of it:  it had eyes lifted up to heaven, the best of books in its hand, the law of truth was written upon its lips, the world was behind its back; it stood as if it pleaded with men, and a crown of gold did hang over its head.

Then said Christian, “What meaneth this?”

Interpreter.  “The man whose picture this is, is one of a thousand; he can beget children, 1 Cor. 4:15, travail in birth with children, Gal. 4:19, and nurse them himself when they are born.  And whereas thou seest him with his eyes lifted up to heaven, the best of books in his hand, and the law of truth written on his lips; it is to show thee that his work is to know and to unfold dark things to sinners; even as also thou seest him stand as if he pleaded with men.  And whereas thou seest the world as cast behind him, and that a crown hangs over his head; that is to show thee that, slighting and despising the things that are present for the love that he hath to his Master’s service, he is sure, in the world that comes next, to have glory for his reward.