but only such as the unction teacheth He speaketh to the renewed eare and heart and the soft heart is only sensible of his working and giveth him the Echo of his voice When thou saidst Seek ye my face my heart answered Thy face Lord will I seek If he speak of sinne it groaneth under guiltinesse or praiseth him if it be free If hee speake of wrath it trembleth and prayeth for averting If hee command it prayeth for grace to obey And as clean paper taketh the stamp of everie type so the soft heart is stamped with all his word this is the writing of the Law in our heart The pen is his effectuall power the ink his unction the letters are Gods properties stamped on the powers of our soule the words are infused habits the lines are the lineaments of his image in righteousnesse and holinesse This is to heare to our happinesse when we heare in our heart and there remaineth no more doubting But oft times we know not what Christ speaketh because we feele not what he feeleth If any thinke this beauty to bee marred because therein possibly are Hypocrites and Atheists c. I answer that as there is a beautie of the universe which is not destroyed but decored by some naughtie things for ill vices argue a good nature wherin they are manifest good things to be better by their comparison By some things perfect and some things imperfect the universe is perfect God seeth them as blots in the Sanctuarie without prejudice of the godly who are his delight How Pastors are this beautie THe beautie of the sanctuarie in respect of Pastors is in their calling and work Their calling is to stand betwixt God and man They are Gods mouth to the people in doctrine and the peoples mouth to him in prayer and praise This is the onely calling that teacheth man true happinesse that openeth the heaven and leadeth him to it All the body of the heavens is pure yet the stars are most pure parts receiving light from the sunne and rendring it to the world So are Pastors among men the light of the world starres receiving light from God and rendring it to others They are as one of a thousand to declare to man the righteousnes of God and their very feet are beautifull because they bring good tidings to the world God sendeth them not of indigence but indulgence as a more fit way to teach man than either by himselfe or by Angels for man can peaceably receive instruction of man but the glorie of God or of Angels would overwhelme us It is likewise mans triall and the commendation of his Faith for if we were taught onely by God immediately and not of man there were no proofe of our obedience to Gods ordinance Pastors then are a part of this beautie when they stand between God who heareth the prayer and inhabiteth the praise of Israel and are remembrancers to both The beautie in respect of their work is as the mouth of God to the people and their mouth to him They are Gods mouth in preaching the beautie whereof standeth in the matter form the diversitie efficacie The matter that they preach Christ crucified and happines in him That it be sound without error or heresie and divine according to Scripture Mans minde enquireth a reason of all humane verities but when it heareth divine veritie it neither enquireth nor examineth but at the first resteth upon it with a divine faith Therefore the Ancients in their sermons were exceeding sparing of humane testimonies and contented them with Scripture because they knew to doe otherwise was to confound divine and humane faith in the hearer As now the Papists who have equalled traditions with Scriptures have brought their people that they know no difference betweene divine and humane truth or betwixt divine and humane faith respecting both When any thing is spoken beside Scripture the minde of the hearer will vage but when God speaketh all doubting ceaseth The second beautie of their doctrine is in the form that holy things be delivered holily As every science hath the owne proper matter so hath it the owne proper forme and Gods word which is holy hath the owne paterne of wholesome words wherein it should be delivered If therefore we propone it as Oratours in the schoole or Lawyers wee spill the native beautie of the word And this is it which the Apostle calleth the demonstration of spirit and power which is not so much to be expounded of an exact forme of reasoning as with a manifesting and kything of a spirituall power in doctrine Doctrine commeth of foure speciall grounds 1 Naturall quicknesse 2. Art and learning 3. Diligence in industrie hearing reading collecting and by grace in the inward teaching and inspiration of the Spirit Now publick doctrine is a kything how many of these or what of them are in us For a judicious hearer can well discerne from which of these one or moe or all it floweth And though we could rub the itching eare wonderfully with the first or the second or the third or all three of them together yet if the fourth be lacking it is not the Apostles demonstration of the spirit and power but of nature and industrie This commeth of the concurrence of the spirit who is first effectuall in them by sanctification and then effectuall by them in a heavenly doctrine in the hearts of people Then his Priests are clothed with salvation and his Saints shout for joy Thirdly the beautie of Pastors doctrine is in the diversitie of their gifts Gods house hath people of all complexions and his word hath a sufficiencie to every mans condition So wife Pastors propone it as milk for the weaker and as strong food for the perfect For they studie not to their owne vain honour and praise but to the profit of their hearers God is not like Isaac that hath but one blessing but out of his fulnesse to some hee giveth the gift of knowledge to some the gift of wisedome he hath given some to be Apostles some Pastors some Doctors c. and all to the edifying of the Church but these two are most eminent and ordinarie gifts Knowledge and Wisedome The first is doctrinall knowledge preserving the puritie of doctrine in the Church The other is pastorall wisedome dividing the bread of life aright and applying it to the hearts of people which Saint Austine preferreth to the other as farre as the Sunne is above the moone This commeth not only by ordinarie teaching of men and that measure of Instruction which the spirit giveth to every one but likewise by exercise of the crosse and experience For God schooleth some Pastors greatly in affliction and that not only for their personall sinnes which they have as great as any but also to make them fitter instruments to instruct and
yet willingly is bound by the bonds of his owne making For what is our faith challenging him of his promise but his owne grace in us telling he is minded to yeeld because he worketh in us that strength to wreastle with him like Jacob till wee prevaile His Fatherly love that preveneth us with that disposition meeteth us with the desire to answer It is most profitable even in this that by our prayers we partake of all the prayers of the godly that have beene made from the beginning God hath them all in register and they are a treasure of the Church but above all the prayer of Christ that gives life unto them If therefore we put in our mite in this treasure we have a right to the whole Some have questioned of what thing men made most gaine as twentie fourtie fiftie in the hundreth but prayer exceedeth all for we gaine a million for one Neither let us be discouraged if sometimes we finde our prayers but faint few words no order weake desires and no satisfying of our selves therein For as a mother will sooner heare her sicke babe in the cradle and run to him if he begin to weepe than a stronger boy that cryes strongly so God is more neere and ready to helpe when we can scarcely cry than when wee finde greater freedome Wee please God best when wee please our selves least and we please him worst when wee please our selves best our cutted and broken desires are our voice and these desires are as acceptable to him as our long prayers Oftentimes wee come to prayer with a trembling and withered heart but continuing therein sometimes grace is suddenly infused the heart is filled with joy and we finde the libertie we crave Praise is the other part of this beautie The floods returne to the sea so should we give thankes to God our Maker in creation our Benefactour in providence our Redeemer in Christ our Rewarder in crowning his owne mercies in us That affection is dead that powreth not out it selfe wholly in thanksgiving Therein people with heart and voice render him thanks And with prayer it maketh up the sweet respect betwixt God and man for in the first wee pull downe grace for grace in the second we send up praise for prayers In the first the sense of our miserie filling the heart with griefe openeth it with a desire of reliefe In the second the sense of mercie filling the heart with joy maketh it with an unspeakable delight to thrust it selfe upon God That heavenly thanksgiving that closeth Gods service is some token that people have gotten what they sought and that God sendeth them away in peace with his blessing pronounced upon them as a seale thereof It is the peoples triumph over sathan who is more grieved with the Saints praising than with all the charmes of his confederats Some have thought strange why wee are commanded by the Apostle both to pray and praise continually But that continuall is not as though we should be ever in the action of prayer or praise which is impossible but of our disposition and affection rising therefrom That as we have rooted in us the affections of griefe and joy so when God sendeth grievous things wee should pray and when he sendeth joyfull things we should praise They stand well with our mixed state here for there is no man who wanteth his owne daily miseries and so hath need to pray continually and none wanteth his owne daily blessings and so hath cause to praise continually Even our affliction is a secret cause of praise for as it telleth Gods love and foretelleth the happie fruit so God leaveth ever better behind him than he taketh from us For if he take away our health or fame c. yet if he leave remission of sins peace of conscience c. they are better than the blessings removed Lastly these two are mutuall causes to other for when our heart is soaped with sorrow and teares run downe our face wee have cause to rejoyce in that disposition as a speciall worke of grace so bruising our heart And in our greatest joy wee have cause of sorrow For while God is filling our heart with joy yet at that time we will be grieved because that joy will bide but shortly and that on our default For we can no more keepe it than a riven lanterne can keepe a candle in a storme or a cold hearth a sparkle of fire This is the sett debt which the Church acknowledgeth different from all other Civill debts oppresse men but this relieveth them And the debt of sinne maketh us wearie and laden but this easeth us We owe a heavie debt to Gods justice It is first directing when we obey it not turneth into a vindictive justice to punish us and we lye under a double burthen of sinne and punishment whereof Christ biddeth us pray for pardon Forgive us our debts But this is a debt to Gods mercie because it ingageth us by blessings so with new grace it helpeth us to pay that contracted debt In other debts the more wee pay the lesse is to pay but in this the more wee pay the more we owe because the thing that we pay is a new gift of God Thankfulnesse receiveth continually greater blessings and the opened thankfull heart keepeth Gods hand and treasure open We crave not to be freed of this debt but to be drowned in it so that we be not able to pay till we be in heaven eternally This life is too short a time and our soules and bodies now are ill tuned instruments to praise him Here we have but beginnings and preparations of praise for griefe the basse-string of our harp soundeth now highest but in heaven God shall take away that basse and tune our harps like the harps of the Angels when he hath wiped all teares from our eyes Now Christ giveth us a prayer for the way but then he shall put a new song in our mouth New for matter because Evangelicall not Legall New for the forme because all joy without mixture of griefe And new for Indurance because eternall Of this beautie of the sanctuarie we may gather First that when the Saints are met with God in the sanctuarie they are the most beautifull congregations of mankinde Other meetings as triumphs coronations c. have their owne shew and glorie but nothing to this Their expectation is more than their being and their being evanisheth at the height God is also in other meetings but not so as in the sanctuarie For there he is as Creatour ruling all things for this present life But here he is as Redeemer working true happinesse in his children that we may justly say That his presence elsewhere comparatively is a desertion to his presence in the sanctuarie His worke in the sanctuarie is the kernell and his providence in all things is the husk and the shell He hath more delight to see
comfort others For this cause Luther said That a Theologue of affliction was a Theologue of light and though it be no part of our Church trials of intrant Pastors yet the consideration were profitable For whether we be afflicted it is for you c. For when beside all humane means without or labour within they are taught of God to know the vilenesse of their own sinne the deceit of their owne heart the weight of Gods wrath for both the terrours of an accusing conscience in all three the horrours of spirituall desertion the desolation and widowhood of the soule in such a case c. And on the other part the freenesse of Gods mercie pardoning sinne the sweetnesse of the peace of conscience under that assurance and joyes of the holy Ghost the sense of Gods favour shed abroad in our hearts better than life and the complete happinesse of the soule under sense of the presence of a reconciled God With this furniture they are made the more sufficient in those practick points wherein the life of Christiaanitie standeth to speake as men who have learned by exercise and experience This experience bringeth three things First a sort of obligement to communicate it according to our calling Secondly a lively speech Thirdly authoritie in both Obligement because wee get not experience for our own private use but to make others better thereby Come children I will teach you the feare of the Lord And Come I will tell you what God hath done to my soule Let men confesse before men the goodnesse of the Lord And he glorieth in it that he hid not Gods goodnesse from the great congregation Such communication of experienced men is profitable for thereby people come easily to the knowledge of that which otherwise they could not learn without great exercise And among other causes why God afflicteth Pastors grievously this is one both to furnish them with a body of experimentall doctrine and to bring the people easily to it by their communication Next it furnisheth them with a powerfull speech Our language is the daughter of our reason and our stile floweth from our complexion education and gift and the gift is laboured by experience The spirit createth the species in us the species give the notion the notion gives the stile to expresse it self Every science hath the own matter and termes so hath Divinitie The spirit who giveth the matter giveth also the stile of language and the doore of utterance comparing things spirituall with spirituall and fitly to expresse divine matters in a divine stile is his gift If we conceive things only by the minde we may speake properly but not affectuously nor effectually But if we take them in our affection our stile will be emphatick No purpose hath need to be more pertinently expressed than happinesse if it be coldly and warshly proponed it wakeneth not the affection But if they speak who have found the sweetnesse of it their words are vive lineaments both of their affection and the thing that hath affected them so that the common saying is true As is the knowledge so is the expression The Apostle condemneth humane eloquence and not divine and there is none comparable to Isay in eloquence and the Scripture hath the own pithie phrase without the flowers of humane oratorie Mens words testifie their gift and the measure of Gods working in them Nazianzens emphatick words are sentences and therefore is called the Theologue Augustine in many places hath a pathetick stile and Bernards stile is full of affection and sense and Calvin among the late Divines like another Nazianzen expresseth his deep conceptions in a pithie stile This is not only the language of Canaan but also the masculous Schiboleth their words have weight and are as goads piercing the hearts of the hearers and fastening them to God in the Sanctuarie This is the tongue of the learned not of man but of God to speake a word in due season Thirdly experience maketh them speak with authoritie Christ spake with authoritie and not as the Scribes For the Scribes spake warshly as men doing some other businesse or as Boyes in the schoole rehearsing other mens inventions But a faithfull Pastor speaketh with authoritie And that commeth of Conscience and Confidence Conscience of their calling from God of some competent furniture for the worke and of his presence with them in doing the worke Confidence of the warrant of their word from Scripture and from experience that they finde the power of it in their souls in private We beleeve and therefore we speak This maketh them speak affectuously uttering their very heart in their speech Their heart is in their words which go out with the weight of affection They are moved themselves with that they say when they feele the power of it renewed in them in publicke which they felt in secret But when a purpose though both sound and divine is rehearsed either from reading hearing or superficiall thinking there is not such union of the heart with the tongue or the word with the affection and so oft times as little union betwixt the word spoken and the heart of the hearer If any man would move his hearer he must be moved himselfe otherwise how can they think that hee beleeveth the thing he speaketh Preachers are lights and fires they must have light and heat if they would warme and lighten others So then this experience of Gods working is his speech to their heart and when he maketh them expresse it powerfully they speak to the hearts of the hearers When they speake to hearers that have experience they are heard earnestly but others judge of them according to their own disposition This made the Ancients in their sermons to cry out Give me one that thirsteth and he knoweth what I say c. Want of experience maketh uncharitable carping Fourthly the divine assistance is the beautie of their worke I shall be with thy mouth If we consider only how so fraile men in so eminent a place in the hearing possibly of some thousands can deduce heavenly matters without kything infirmitie speaking to God and man in such sort as the judicious hearer doeth confesse That God speaketh in them For God hath chosen the most part of Preachers of the meanest sort of people who possibly in common purposes can speake but little But so soone as they stand up in the chaire of truth they are overshadowed with a wonderfull presence of God that maketh them speake with authoritie But his assisting them to worke the worke of the Gospell is far more when they are workers with him to beget children to God to turne souls to him to cast down in the conscience of sinne and raise up in the confidence of mercie And though the fruit of the worke dependeth not on them for God hath put these treasures in