them when you shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God abundantly satisfied with the Fatness of his House and drinking of the Rivers of his Pleasure they shall be shut out Nature teacheth you to feel the pains of their bodies and cannot Grace teach you to sympathize with the misery of their poor wretched Souls Well the day is coming if they die Christless that they will wish they had been the generation of Tygers or off-spring of Dragons rather than your Children and when you can have them no more you know who must and will From that exceeding Joy Arg. 2. it must needs be to a godly Parent to see his Children and Relations gracious May not every godly Parent say as John did of the Children of the Elect Lady I have no greater joy than to see them walk in the Truth 2 John 1.4 Is it pleasing to you to see your own image in them and will it not much more delight you to see the Image of Christ in them Grace doubles the relation and so must needs exceedingly increase your joy in them This is the true way to build up the Felicity of your issue How many anxious thoughts and sollicitous cares will this discharge thy heart of O if thou leave them in the Covenant of Grace thy heart may be at rest concerning them if thou leave them not a groat they shall not want a father to care for them when thou art in the dust Besides Grace will effectually teach them the duties of their relation to you while you live hereby you will provide not only for their eternal good but your own joy also The work lyes now upon your hand more than ever Arg. 3. as I hinted before and truly you have many singular advantages above all others to do the work 1. You are continually with them and so may take the fittest seasons to drop your admonitions upon them Deut. 6.6 7. 2. You best know their tempers and dispositions and so can apply your selves with more advantage to them 3. You have the deepest interest in their hearts and affections which is a great matter this will make your words especially if dropt upon them with much affection sink deep Oh what Child can chuse but relent while a Parent it speaking with a melting heart to him about his Eternal Concernments I remember Austine writes of his Mother Monica that she planted the Precepts of Life in his mind by her words watred them with her Tears and nourished them with her Example A precious pattern for all Mothers Me thinks these Arguments should excite you to your duty O if you have in you the bowels of Parents let them impel you to it you cannot plead danger here as in other duties against such there is yet no Law 2. As to your Neighbourhood You should study to be useful in your generation are there any poor carnal Neighbours about you O visit them and be ever dropping some serious words of Counsel upon them how do you know but tere may be some sleeping conviction left upon them by the Ministry they once sate under which you may be instrumental to awaken And are there any that feat the Lord near you O be often together strengthen the hands that hand down The Jews have a Proverb that One dry stick will set two green ones on fire A lively Christian may be of singular use in such a day as this In Mal. 3.16 we find what the practice of Christians was in an evil day as it appears that was by the 15th verse They that work wickedness are set up yea they that tempt God are even delivered And yet Then they that feared the Lard spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name And they shall be mine c. Oh how well doth God take it when his People will not be terrified from their Duty by the fear of men The Lord hearkened and heard it They did not whisper so in one anothers ear saith a modern Divine but God overheard them the Lord listned as it were at the key-hole he was under the window and kept it upon record a book of remembrance was written Oh how pleasant is it to God to see his secret ones making hard shifts to get together to worship him Cant. 2.14 Oh my Dove that art in the Clefts of the Rocks in the secret places of the Stairs let me see thy Countenance let me hear thy Voice for sweet is thy Voice and thy Countenance is comely What are these * Non in domicilio sed in latibulo versatur Brightman in loc Clefts of Rocks and secret places of the Stairs but those secret retiring places where the People of God get together in difficult times to seek their God there they †Hoc est illud os totum oppletum lachrimis cujus aspectutam in mirifice delectatur Dcus ibid. poured out their souls together in broken-hearted confessions of sin The Primitive Christians saith Hillary were not to be sought in Tectis et exteriori Pompa i.e. in Pallaces and outward Pomp but rather in Deserts and Mountains in Dens and Caves of the Earth as Heb. 11.38 In Queen Maries time saith Mr. Fox there were sometimes 40 Acts Menfol 1881. sometimes an 100 sometimes 200 came together as they could in private places in London for mutual edification And though men call this by hard names and load it with reproach as if it were Faction and Sedition yet it undergoes another censure in Heaven I remember * Cum boni cum probi coeunt non est factio dicenda sed Curia e contrario illis nomen factionis accomino dandum est qui in odium bonorum et proborum conspirant Ter. Apol. cap. 39. Tertullian about 1400 years agoe in his Apology vindicates this Practice of theirs against the Calumnies of the Heathen When good Men meet together saith he it is not to be called a faction but a Court. And on the contrary the name of Faction is to be applied to them who conspire in hatred against good honest men And what place is accounted so honourable and abounds with delights as the Courts of Princes Yea let us hear what a †Quaevis collectio fidelium eatiam si ob paucitatem suam intra privatae domus parietis includi possit etiamsi ob furorem hostium nocturnos conventus agant est vera ecclesia Dav. in Loc. p. 410. Bishop of our own speaks of such Meetings Sometimes saith he the rage of Persecution suffers not the Church to meet in the publick sight of all but forces them as it were to creep into private Holes as Rev. 12.6 as Athanasius and other Orthodox Christians were fain to seek hiding places from the Arrians Every Meeting of the Faithful although for their fewness they
the Pharisees were so often disappointed in their attempts to lay hands upon Christ they had a strong design to do it but the Text saith They could not because of the People Mark 14.2 Acts 4.21 Mark 14.2 Acts 4.21 So the false Teachers in Jeroboams time Hos 7.6 7. were as hot as an Oven with desires and designs to draw the People to false Worship but the People were a great Lump and could not presently be leavened and therefore in the mean time till that were done the Baker slept and ceased from raising This for a time obstructed the design But here is the misery the people are materia disposita matter fit for them to work into any form if they give them but an heat or two in a plausable Sermon they are malliable and fit to be hammered into any shape Jer. 5. ult The People love to have it so And Amos 4.5 This-liketh you O house of Israel Fear of Persecution makes them comply with any thing Gal. 6.12 Can you attend lawfully and comfortably upon such a Ministry Arg. 3. upon which you cannot pray for or expect a blessing doubtless you will readily confess you may not And can you pray for or expect a blessing where you have no promise in all the Book of God to warrant or encourage you so to do 't is as clear you cannot Now produce but one promise made to the labours of such as God hath not sent A curse upon their labours you may find Jer. 23.32 and upon their gifts and parts And a prohibition of hearing them you may find Jer. 23.16 But no promise of a blessing that only attends a Ministry of Christs own sending Mat. 28.19 20. Object But hath not Christ sent them how shall we be satisfied in that Consider what is requisite and necessary in the sending Sol. or due Call of a Minister 1. Whether it be personal Qualifications described 1 Tim. 3.7 2 Tim. 3.16 17. 1 Tim. 3.2 2 Tim. 2.2 John 21.15 16 17. 2. Or free Election by the Church to which the Ministry is given See Acts 1.23 24. Acts 6.5 3. Or according to true Presbyterian Principles Ordination by Fasting Prayer and Imposition of Hands Acts 6.6 13.3 14.23 1 Tim. 5.22 4.14 2 Tim. 1.6 If the Sending or Call of a Minister consist in all or either of these than judge your selves whether these men are sent For their Gifts and Qualifications necessary to fit them for such a work let their Congregations witness who are fed upon husks and starved under them For their Election by the Church let the Godly in their respective Parishes witness whether they were elected by them or obtruded upon them and so stand upon the ruines of their own lawful and godly Pastours And for their Ordination their own Canons may inform you Wherein it is ordered 1. That they be made Deacons 2. Then after a years space they must be presented to the Bishop or his Suffragan by an Arch Deacon or his Deputy saying Reverend Father in God I present these persons to be admitted to the Order of Priesthood 3. Then after the Lettany and some Collects the Prelate asketh them Do you think in your hearts that you be truly called according to the Will of Christ and the Order of this Church of England to the Ministry of Priesthood and every one of them answers I think it 4. Then they promise reverently to obey their Ordinary and other chief Ministers of the Church 5. And then kneeling down at the Prelates feet he with the Priests present lay their hands on their heads saying Receive the holy Ghost Whose sins thou dost forgive they are forgiven and whose sins thou dost retain they are retained and be thou a faithful Dispenser of the Word of God and of his holy Sacraments In the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost Amen 6. Then delivering to each of them a Bible he saith Take thou Authority to preach the Word of God and to administer the holy Sacraments in the Congregation where thou shalt be so appointed 7. And after all this by the Canons of 1603. none of them are to be admitted to any Ecclesiastical Living or suffered to preach except he be licensed so to do by the Arch-Bishop or Bishop of the Diocess and shall subscribe That the Book of Common-Prayer and of ordering Bishops Priests and Deacons contains in it nothing contrary to the Word of God and that it may be lawfully used and that he himself will use the same And that he alloweth the Book of Articles of Religion 8. And then lastly having abjured the Covenant c. he is a compleat Priest to all Intents and Purposes Judge now what a fair and regular Call here is to the Ministry I remember Aquinas tells us that If the Artificers Hand were his Rule he could never work amiss And so if the Prelates Hand be the Rule of Ordination they cannot but be well ordained but if the Scriptures be indeed the Rule I am at a loss where to find a Text parallel to this Practice unless it be that in 2 Chron. 13.9 which I confess suits it to an hairs breadth Object But this will invalidate and nullifie the Call of our former ancient and godly Ministers for they came in the same way Yet God hath owned them and they have made full proof of their Ministry Sol. Not at all For 1. though it must be confest and themselves will not deny but there were many grand Irregularities in their Ordination yet it was comparatively a time of ignorance and darkness and in such cases God is more indulgent and the sin receives not such aggravations Acts 17.30 Heb. 5.2 Heb. 6.5 6 7. Jam. 4.17 2. As hard as the terms then were they are harder now by far several things since that have intervened which are considerable 3. They were holy men qualified with Graces and Gifts able and apt to teach which is mainly considerable in a Ministers Call 4. Lastly they generally came into their places at the desire and upon the call of the most godly persons in the places where they lived And this if they had no more makes them true Ministers in the judgement of many judicious Divines although their Episcopal Ordination should be a nullity Let us here what is said in this case by others Amesius his words are these speaking to this question In whom is this right and power of calling the Ministers he answers 1. Summum jus vocationis est penes Christum solum Ames Cas consci lib. 4. p. 233. qui est Ecclesiae caput Ministerij auctor ac Dominus Ministrorum 2. Jus delegatum non potest proprie esse vel Episcoporum Diaecesanorum vel Patranorum vel Magis tratuum qua sunt tales quia Christus qui Ministerium instituit de istis ordinibus nihil singulare prescripsit nihil novi juris ipsis communicavit et Ecclesiam sine illis optime ordinatam
institution for to them only hath he promised his Presence Mat. 28. ult and none can preach i.e. lawfully except he be sent Rom. 10. And I have proved before these are not his Ministry nor sent by him COUNSEL IV. Give your uttermost diligence to promote Religion and the Power of Godliness in your respective Families and Neighbourhoods and the rather do this with all your might because the ordinary and more publick means of their Conversion and Edification is cut off This Counsel consists of two Branches the first concerns your Families the second your Neighbours a word distinctly to each 1. As to your Families O shine as Lights there lay out your Talents as many wayes as they may possibly be improveable for the good of all about you especially those under your guardianship and charge Exod. 20.10 By this the Power of Godliness must be discovered in you and begotten and kept alive in them The Jews have a Tradition that the Fire of the Altar was miraculously preserved under ground during the Babylonish Captivity I am sure this is the way to preserve Religion alive now the publick ordinary means are ceased Precepts are not wanting to inforce this duty upon you Deut 4.9 10. 6.6 7. Exod. 12.24 26 27. Josh 4.6 7 21 22. Psal 78.5 6. Prov. 22.6 Ephes 6.4 nor yet worthy Examples to encourage to it Gen. 18.19.1 Chron. 28.9 Prov. 31.26.2 Tim. 3.15.2 Joh. 1.4 Aquila and Priscilla had a Church in their house 1 Cor. 16.19 Nymphas and Philemon in theirs Col. 4.15 Philem. 2. Hence it is saith * Adjungit specialem Salutationem ob specialem et eximiam hujus viri pietatem equum enim est extra ordinarium illis deferre honorem quorum egr gia virtus prae caeteris eminet et effulget in Ecclesia Day in Loc. Davenant on the place that the Apostle sends a special Salutation to them by name because of their singular Piety which manifested it self in their family Government And indeed how fresh and glorious a remembrance in the Scriptures have those worthy Saints unto this day and so shall have where ever the Gospel is preached unto the end of the World who have burned with an holy Zeal not only to offer up themselves but their families also unto God! David well understood how near this Duty lay to the heart of Religion when he puts his soul under the bond of such a solemn engagement to the Lord Psal 101.2 It doth not a little affect me to read what a †Buxtorf in Synog Judaic Cap. 3. learned man observes of the Jews Although Religion be miserably deformed among them yet it seems there are some prints of their ancient family Discipline to this day remaining among them for saith he they are so careful to teach their Children in their tender years the Law and Books of Moses and after that their Talmudical Traditions as that their skill in Judaism at 17. exceeds the knowledge of many among us in Christianity at 70. Nay the very Jesuits boast themselves the grand Conservators of the Romish Religion in that they are Catechisers Oh let this Provoke Caristians we see how light breakes out more and more in every age as Luther said I see more than blessed Austin saw and they that come after me will see more than I see And we have great hopes and expectations of the young Generation that they may enter into the good Land though we should die in this Wilderness O then let us labour to prepare make them ready for the Lord and that not only by instructing them in the Principles of Religion in a Catechistical way though that be an Ordinance of God and of singular use in its kind but by endeavouring to the utmost by Counsels Perswasions Prayers for and with them to have the Power of Godliness wrought in their hearts to travel with them again in pain till Christ he formed in them And to this Duty these Arguments among many others may perswade From the relation it self which is betwixt you and them Arg. 1. look but into your own bowels and you shall find arguments enough to provoke your utmost care and industry for their good What is a Child but a piece of your self as one saith wrapt up in another skin what an inestimable value doth nature it self teach you to set upon them See Exhortation to Catech. by the Ministers of the Isle of Weight p. 17. The life of Jacob is said to be bound up in Benjamins Gen. 44.30 This dear ardent affection to them we use to express by our earnest desires of them till we have them Gen. 15.2 What wilt thou give me seeing I go childless said Abraham Gen. 30.1 Give me Children or else I die said Rachel 1 Sam. 1.10 11. How earnestly did Hannah pray in the bitterness of her soul for a Child Also by the singular contentment we take in them when we have them John 16.21 and the wonderful tenderness of our affections to them and earnest desires to keep them no value can be set upon a Child Gen. 42.36 38. Luke 8.41 42. John 7.47 49. Also by our sympathizing with them in all conditions their comfort is ours Gen. 45.27 28. and their misery is ours Mark 9.22 And lastly by our extream grief when we lose them Gen. 37.33 34 35. Mat. 2.18 Now are they such near and dear things to you Oh then how many motives doth this dear and tender relation wrap up in it to endeavour the eternal Salvation of their poor Souls 't is the Soul of the Child that is the Child and if that perish for want of knowledge where is the mercy of having Children surely an untimely birth is better than they Ah when you shall see them enemies to God those that came out of your bowels to be in rebellion against him will it not make you take up Jobs wish and apply it to them let the day perish wherein they were born Job 3.1 5. and the night in which it was said they are conceived let the darkness and the shadow of death stain it let a cloud dwell upon it let the blackness of the day terrifie it why dyed they not from the womb why did they not give up the Ghost when they came out of the the belly why did the knees prevent them or why the breasts that they should suck Ah if you have the hearts of Parents in you think how sad a consideration this will be to you that those who are so dear to you should be the objects of God's Wrath those you have been so tender over and have so often put into your bosomes must underlye eternal torments and their bed be made in Hell if you have any good thing your selves you cannot with-hold it from them if you be feasted abroad and they pining at home the greatest dainties do you no good Why now unless they be taught the knowledge of Christ a saving change pass upon