to cut off the people of Israel but Moses by his earnest cries and supplications stayed Gods hand If Jeremy will pray for the people of the Jews Gods knows not how to deny his request and therefore when God was resolved to destroy them he commands Jeremy to pray no more for them Jer. 14.10 Thirdly Because Gods faithfull Ministers do what they can to advance the true Religion to set up the sincere worship and service of God in the places where they live their study is to draw people unto Christ and to promote and increase the kingdome of the Lord Jesus Now God hath been very favourable to a people and nation where his worship and service hath been set up and maintained 2 Chron. 11.17 How did they strengthen the kingdome of Judah by offering sacrifices to the Lord according to the manner God had prescribed See also Chap. 15.11 12 13 14. Fourthly God many times for his Ministers sake is pleased to spare a nation and will not destroy it till he hath secured them the old world fared the better for Noah that preacher of righteousnes had he been housed sooner they might have been ruined sooner The Angel told Lot that he could nothing against Sodom till he was gone out of it and therefore he bids him make haste That fearefull rout which the Philistines gave Saul when he and his Sons were slaine fell not upon him till after Samuels death Uses First Let God and the world judge whether they are a Nations friends who are bitter enemies to the Ministers of God who say of them as those did Come let us cut them off from being in the nation that their name may be had no more in remembrance were the Philistines the Israelites friends when they took away all their military weapons and would not allow them either swords or speares to defend themselves no better friends are they to a State who endeavour to deprive it of Gods faithfull Messengers who are no lesse necessary for the defence and safety of a State than Chariots and horsemen if such be lovers of Christ or Christians I do not know who may be accounted haters Secondly Then the way to secure a nation against all adverse power and to make it happy and glorious is to plant set up and maintaine a godly and painfull Ministry in every place 2 Chron. 11.17 Hezekiah was of this mind and therefore he took care that the Levites might be encouraged in their worke and surely they are far from the holiness and zeale of Hezekiah who do what they can to discourage the Messengers of the Lord in the worke of the Ministry 2 Chron. 31.4 Thirdly Have nothing to do with those men whose designe it is to pull down the publike Ministry to burne up those Chariots to unhorse those horsemen to demolish those bulwarkes and to break down those fences that so foxes and wolves and ravenous beasts may breake in upon us say not a confederacy to whom this people shall say a confederacy Isa 8.12 but rather say as good Jacob said Gen. 49.6 Oh my soule come not thou into their secret unto their Assembly mine honour be not thou united Fourthly Have we not then great cause to mourne and be humbled when God takes away those Chariots and horsemen his faithfull Messengers and Ministers from our heads Would not England be in a sad condition were she deprived of her weapons of defence when the Nations round about would be glad if they were able to make an inrode upon us when a people lose their Ministers when those chariots and horsemen are removed the place and nation where they once lived lie more naked and open to all manner of judgements I cannot blame you that I see so many sad faces some weeping eyes amongst you Rachel wept because she had lost her children and you have cause to weep because you have lost a spirituall father and we have all cause to mourne if we consider what a one he was whom we have lost He was a painfull Preacher laid out himselfe in the Lords vineyard and was carefull to fulfill the Ministry which he had received in the Lord. He was no lesse faithfull than painfull he was one who would not keep back any of Gods counsels but was ready to reveale unto his people the whole truth Acts 20. He studied to divide the word of truth aright and to give every one that portion which did of right belong unto him as he would tell the righteous it should be well with them so he would tell the wicked it should be ill with them He was one who would not daube with untempered morter neither was he afraid to reprove the greatest of sinners to their faces he wrought in the worke of the Ministry very willingly and not out of constraint it was not filthy lucre nor popular applause nor any such corrupt end that drew him forth to preach the Gospell love to Christ an earnest desire to encrease his kingdom pitty and compassion towards poore soules a violent thirst after their salvation and a burning zeale for the honour and glory of God were the motives that put him upon this worke nothing grieved him more than when God denied him the liberty of preaching and he was never better than when in the Pulpit I have heard him often say that he had rather be sick two daies of the six than upon the Sabbath day In the time of this his last sickness he would often say When shall I be able to preach againe And when he felt but a little reviving and strength he was very glad upon this account because he hoped ere long he should declare Gods will again to his people in the publike Congregation what was the longing of Davids soul was also the longing of his sighing out those words When shall I come and appeare before God Psal 42.2 No burden lay heavier upon his spirit than his present inability to be serviceable unto God in his Ministeriall Office he was none of those who are glad of any excuse to justifie their sitting still and not preaching to their Flock He preâ—â— no doctrine upon his people but what he would venture his own salvation upon and upon his death-bed desired his people to cleave fast to those truths which he had taught them for he durst pawn his soule upon them He was most carefull of and loving to his people when he was called to be a Member of the Assembly he was forced to leave them but it was cum animo revertendi with a purpose to returne againe unto them He had a very great living in London but this could not keep him from comming back to his old place so soone as he had liberty and opportunity I have heard him often say he would not exchange Wilby for the greatest Living in the Land Great Livings have severall times been laid down at hi feet but he would not accept of them When he thought he should dye he called his
A SERMON Preached Decemb. 16. 1654. AT THE FVNERALL OF Mr ANDREVV PERN Preacher of the Word of God at Wilby in Northampton-shire BY SAMVEL AINSWORTH Rector of Kelmarsh LONDON Printed for William Gilbertson and are to be sold by Thomas Collins neare Alhallows Church in Northampton 1655. To the Religious and my much honoured Aunt Mrs Mary Pern Grace and peace be multiplied Deare Aunt WE read in the first Chapter of Ruth how Naomi a very gracious Matron lost first her Husband and not long after her two Sons Your condition is not much though somewhat unlike hers Your losse in respect of your Husband is not a jot inferiour to hers her losse in respect of her children was greater than yours she lost two Sons you a Daughter only what difference soever there hath been between your losses I suppose there is none between your griefes When you enjoyed both Husband and Child you might well be called Naomi pleasant but since the wise God hath deprived you of them both the name Marah bitter hath been more sutable to your condition for it hath been sad and bitter To tell you what a Husband you have lost were but to encrease your sorrow which I feare needs stopping rather than venting I shall therefore observe that course which was used by the Iews who when their deare friends or neighbours had lost either Husband or Wife Father or Child they brought them a cup of consolation for to comfort them Jer. 16.7 The Prophet David tels us Psal 119.50 That the word of God was his comfort in his affliction and the Apostle Paul labours to support the Thessalonians for the losse of their Christian friends by setting the word of God before them 1 Thes 4.18 These following Scriptures therefore are the cup of consolation with which I shall present you to mitigate your too much abounding sorrow Prov. 3.12 Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth even as a father the son in whom he delighteth Rom. 8.28 We know all things worke together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose Isa 27.9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Iacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Heb. 12.10 11. For they verily for a few daies chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby Isa 54.5 Thy maker is thy husband Psal 146.9 The Lord preserveth the strangers he releeveth the fatherless and widdow Now if God hath taken away your deare husband and child out of love to your soule if their naturall deaths shall promote your spirituall life if their taking up to heaven shall prepare and make you fitter for heaven if their losse shall be your gaine the purging away of your drosse and the making of you a more refined vessell for your Masters use the weakning of your corruptions and the strengthning of your graces if God will be a husband to you whose love is more pure strong ravishing satisfying and durable than the love of the best husband that ever breath'd upon earth if God will be present with you in whose presence is fulnesse of joy and take care of you to protect and counsell to help and releeve you be your enemies and dangers what they will Have you not more cause to rejoyce in these spirituall priviledges than to mourne for your temporall losses Take therefore the counsell of the Apostle 1 Thes 4.18 Comfort your selfe in the meditation of these Scriptures Do as David did when he had lost all at Ziglag encourage your selfe in the Lord your God 1 Sam. 30.6 Although Cisterns fail yet God is a fountaine that cannot be drawn dry when the Creature neither is nor can be the same to us yet God is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 Now that the God of all grace and consolation would make up your losses by the abundant supplies of his blessed Spirit sanctifie his correcting hand unto you support you under your heavy burden and fit you with all joy and peace in beleeving is the prayer of Your sympathizing and much obliged kinsman SAMUEL AINSVVORTH A SERMON 2 Kings 13.14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sicknesse whereof he died and Joash the King of Israel came down unto him and wept over his face and said O my father my father the Chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof IN these words we may take notice of these two generall parts First Elisha's sicknesse wherin we may consider 1. Who this Elisha was he was not only a holy man but a holy Prophet 2. The event of his sicknesse sick he was and that unto death and died of this his sicknesse Secondly Joash's visiting of him in this his sicknesse 1. Who this Joash was who came to visit him no mean person no plaine country man no poore neighbour but a man of eminent place and dignity he was no lesse than a King and King of Israel 2. The paines he took to visit him he did not take a step or two to see the Prophet Elisha was now no neere neighbour he was either at Jericho or at Bethel or in some other place remote from Samaria the usuall seat of the Kings of Israel and from whence Joash came down to visit him It had been no small favour for so great a Prince to have sent one of his choice favourites upon this errand and to have staied at home himselfe but he thought it not sufficient to dispatch his servant with a How do you but waits upon the poore Prophet in his own person he questions it not whether it would not be too great a condescension for his excellent Majesty to see how so meane a subject did he made no scruple whether his disease might not be noysome or infectious he waved these things stood not upon his magnificency but makes a journey himselfe 3. The motive that prevailed with him to visit this man of God which makes the action more commendable it was nothing else but that respect which he did beare unto him Elisha had been a great friend to the State secured it againe and againe against the incursions of the Syrians procured water for the Armies of Israel when they were in danger to perish for want of it assured them of the great victory that they should obtaine against the Ammonites helpt them also when they were at a dead lift by his prayers these worthy acts were remembred by this King who honoured the Prophet for them and exprest what high thoughts he had of him by giving of him such a friendly and honourable visit Ahab the Predecessor of Joash though not immediately would never have shewed such kindnesse to Elijah the predecessor of Elisha he would rather have been glad of then
Thus we have done with the first Doctrine in the next place we shall look upon Elisha as a holy Prophet and from hence give you this observation Doct. 2 That such Ministers who are very usefull and holy must dye Elisha a most gracious Prophet furnished with a double portion of that spirit which acted in his Master Elijah a most usefull man the Chariot and the horsemen of Israel must not live alwaies but give up the Ghost For proofe of the Doctrine consult with these Scriptures though we have had many sad experiences and that of late to confirme it Zach. 1.5 1 Sam. 25 1. What is become of all the Apostles who served God in their generation were spirituall Fathers to beget soules unto God who both planted and builded up the Church of God who were choice and precious men one was crucified another headed another boiled in a Cauldron and all died Where is our Preston our Taylor our Sibs our Hill our Whitaker and many more The grave hath swallowed them up The reasons which we gave you to prove the precedent Doctrine might serve for the confirmation of this but we will adde one or two more First Because people will not make that use of their Ministry as they should God sends them to negotiate a peace between his glorious Majesty and peoples precious soules Now when they have made many overtures from their great Lord and Master and all are slighted none will be accepted God thinkes it fit to send for them home when Princes see that Embassadours cannot obtaine with Forreign States what they expected they call them home again there are not more usefull instruments in a State or Church than faithfull and holy Ministers God sets them up as lights to enlighten the minds of men as guides to direct men as watchmen to warne them as saviours to deliver them out of the hands of their enemies Sin Sathan and the World Now if no body will make use of their light follow their directions regard their warnings or be willing to be resened out of the hands of their spirituall enemies it is but just with God to take them away Who hath beleeved our report saith the Prophet and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed 2. God will not suffer his Ministers alwaies to live in the world because the world is not worthy of them they are so far from improving their doctrine and life that they are rather filled with rage against them both the Scripture speakes much of the worlds unkind and perverse carriage towards the Messengers of God read these places 2 Chron. 36.16 Ier. 15.16 Chap. 20.7 8. Micah 2.6 Mat. 23.37 by abusing mercies we justly forfeit them The world is weary of Gods Ministers and Gods Ministers are weary of the world now God will ease the world of his Ministers and when he doth this it is in wrath to the world and he will ease his Ministers of the world but when he doth this it is in mercy to his Ministers God is very tender of his Messengers takes the scornes and affronts cast upon them as offered unto himself he cannot endure to see them wrong'd and hence it is that he will remove them 3. Should the Ministers of God live here alwaies none would be so miserable as they are did not their future hopes support them their present condition would be very sad though all that live godly in Christ suffer persecution yet none so persecuted as the godly Ministers 1 Cor. 15.19 other Christians may drinke of bitter cups but the dregs usually are poured on the Lords Embassadours if others endure a storm yet the fiercest part lights upon them 4. Die they must that they may receive that Crown of righteousnesse which God hath laid up for them in heaven the Crown of life will not be set upon their heads till they have passed through the straights of death Rev. 2.10 1 Pet. 5.2 3. Uses First It should teach us that are Gods Ministers to do what we can for God whilest we have time and strength How active was the Apostle Paul when he perceived a doore was opened to promote the interest of the Lord Jesus He knew not how long that doore might stand open nor how soone he might be taken away and this made him to bestirre himselfe the more when he perceived that his departure drew nigh he sends for the Elders of Ephesus Act. 20. and bestows his counsels and prayers upon them The Apostle Peter also understanding that he had not long to live was the more carefull to stir up the minds of the dispersed Jews to keep the faith that had been delivered unto them and to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ and to take heed that they were not carried away with the errour of the wicked and so fall from their own stedfastnesse 2 Pet. 1.13 14. Chap. 3.17 18. Take we therefore the counsell of Solomon Eccl. 9.10 Let our thoughts and our studies our prayers and our counsels our time and our strength be laid out for our Lord and Master Let that which a godly Minister wrote upon his Study doore be deeply engraven in our memories and thought upon every day by us Minister verbi es hoc age Let us be more mindfull of our work than of our wages how to encrease Christs Kingdome than to advance our own secular interests how to make our people good than how to render our selves great how to enrich the soules of others rather than to be enriched by others we have a good Master that will pay us well 1 Pet. 52 3.4 and though we should have little encouragement from the ungratefull world yet we shall want no encouragement from our gracious God Oh that the same mind were in us which was in Jesus Christ who sought not his own honour but the honour of him that sent him We know not how soone we may be laid aside let us worke the harder whilest we have time Secondly Must Gods faithfull Ministers die yet do you take heed of having any hand in their deaths precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints but the death of no Saints is more precious in Gods sight than the death of his Ministers Were you not afraid saith God to Aaron and Miriam to speake against my servant Moses one who was so neere unto God much more cause have we to feare to act against them if God was so angry vvith those vvho did strike them vvith their tongues hovv angry vvill he be vvith those vvho strike them vvith their hands That counsell vvhich Pilates Wife gave him in reference to the Lord Jesus will not be amisse for any to take in reference to his Ministers and servants you may read it Mat. 27.19 Have no physicall hand in their death have no morall hand in their death provoke not God by your sins to deprive you of their labours the lengthning out of their lives may be the
in the gap to keep off judgements from breaking in upon them had it not been for the prayers and teares of their faithfull Pastor divine vengeance might have ceased upon them long before now how many times hath God been ready to draw his sword to cut them off to lay his axe to the root of them and to chop them down when their watchfull and compassionate overseer hath interceded for them and held Gods hands from destroying them Jeremies prayers for the Jews did prevaile with God for a season to spare them and when God was fully determined to ruine them he bids Jeremy not to pray for them Chap. 14.11 Psal 106.23 Ezek. 22.30 31. Luke 13.5 6 7. Thirdly The godly where such a Minister did live have cause to mourne when he is taken away for 1. As God is angry with the wicked so he is angry with his own people when he deprives them of their Pastor it is promised as a singular testimony of Gods love to his children to let them have the liberty of seeing the faces and enjoying the labours of their Teachers Isa 30.20 2. They have lost one who was watchfull over them carefull to prevent their falling into sin and ready to raise them up with all possible speed when fallen 3. Some of them have lost a spirituall father and ought not the child to lament the losse of his father Besides all of them have lost a diligent instructer 4. They have lost one who through Gods blessing hath kept them out of many a snare carried on the work of grace in their hearts awakened their drouzy soules quickened their dead hearts strengthened their feeble hands and knees revived their almost expiring graces reduced them when they have been wandring encouraged them in the waies of God when they met with strong opposition comforted them when they have been sad answered their doubts scattered their feares and filled them with joy and peace through beleeving Eph. 4.12 5. They have lost one who was acquainted with their condition knew in some measure the state of their soules and so was the better able to speake seasonably to them and to their necessities A stranger may preach wholsome truths to a people but he knows not so well to apply his doctrine to them as their own Pastor Another may give a child meat to eate but he cannot tell what that food is which is most convenient for it so well as the mother that Physitian who hath been longest acquainted with our bodies knows what Physick is most proper for us thus you see all sorts have cause to lament the fall of a faithfull Minister the reasons are these First God commands us to mourne when he afflicts us with the losse of godly and painefull Ministers when God was pleased to take away Nadab and Abihu none of the best Priests and such who died in their sin yet even then did God call upon the people to bewaile the burning which he had made Lev. 10.8 Must the death of wicked ones be lamented then certainly we must lament the death of the righteous Must not Nadab and Abihu go to their graves without teares What teares should we poure out when a Samuel and Elisha or a Stephen go to their graves Secondly It hath been the practice of the godly bitterly to bewaile the losse of pious and faithfull Ministers what is written in this particular is written for our learning we must be followers of those who are good so far as they are followers of that which is good 1 Sam. 25.1 Micah 7.1 Acts 20.37 38. it went to their very hearts to thinke that they should lose one who had been such a notable instrument to promote Gods glory and his Churches good Paulinus writing of the life of Ambrose reports thus much of him Quod flebat amarissimè quotiescunque fortè annunciatum illi fuerat de cujuscunque sancti obitu Sacerdotis that he wept most bitterly whenever any one told him of the death of any godly Minister It is also reported of Philo that when he heard where he came of the death of any holy man he would weep very bitterly because the Town and the Church had no small prejudice by such a losse Thirdly Such as have had no grace have lamented the death of the Prophets and Messengers of God we have Joash for an example who will rise up in judgment against and condemne those who can let godly Ministers go to their graves without sighs in their hearts or teares in their eyes when the old Prophet who seduced the Prophet sent to Jeroboam saw that he was slaine by the Lion he brought his carkasse into the City laid it in his own grave and they mourned over him with the Text saying Alas my brother 1 Kings 13.30 Fourthly God complaines of those who neglected to lay to heart the death of the righteous Isa 57.1 God never finds fault where there is none were it not a duty to lament the losse of Gods servants none should have met with a check for the neglect of it Fifthly Peoples sins are the cause of Gods taking away their faithfull Pastors the unthankfulnesse and unfruitfulnesse of heares provoke God to remove their preachers and ought we not to lay to heart those sins which deprive us of very choice mercies Sixthly The death of Gods faithfull Ministers is the forerunner of some approaching judgement what but darknesse can be expected when the Sun is set Have we not cause to feare an inundation of waters when the banks that kept them from overflowing are cut down If the pillars of a house be taken away can the house stand If the watchmen be killed the City is in danger to be surprized Isa 57.1 History tels us that so soon as Saint Austin was dead and gone the Goths and Vandals broke into Hippo the City where he lived and spoyled it The Smakaldicke war began in Germany not long after Luther was laid in the grave Spinola took Heilderberg not long after God had taken away that precious servant of his Pareus You see then there is no small cause of mourning when God takes away his faithfull Messengers and Ministers Uses First This serves to reprove those who are not affected with the losse of Gods faithfull Ministers those righteous men perish and how few lay it to heart They go to their long home but where are the mourners about the streets God hath been pleased of late to put out many shining and burning lights as Dr Hill Mr Whitaker Mr Gataker Doctor Bolton and many others men famous in their generations usefull and precious men of whom the world was not worthy we heare of the fall of those Cedars but tremble not of the removall of those pillars but are not afraid we regard the losse of those blessed instruments no more than the losse of a horse or hog no more say I nay not so much Gadaren-like we can better part with the Messengers of Christ than with our swine
gone gone never to be seen in this place nor in any of your houses or families againe do we love our neighbours and brethren let us mourne that they as well as we have lost at one clap a faithfull friend a faithfull counsellour a faithfull instructer a faithfull reprover a faithfull comforter in a word a faithfull Preacher Let every one of us mourne together and yet mourne apart let the wife mourn that she hath lost so pious a yoke-fellow let his children mourn that they have lost so carefull a father let the servants mourn that they have lost so religious a master let the people mourne that they have lost so painfull a Pastor and let us Ministers mourne that we have lost such a fellow-labourer one that did joyne with us and help us to oppose those grand enemies Sin Satan and the World True it is none have cause to mourne in reference to his present condition but rather to rejoyce he hath fought a good fight finished his course and kept the faith and now is wearing that crown of righteousness which hath been prepared for him Could he speake unto us he would say as Christ to the women who be wailed and lamented him Luk. 23.28 Weepe not for me but weepe for your selves Let us search our hearts and lives and find out the causes of this our losse why God hath given us such a cup of gall and wormwood for to drinke And is there not a cause Yes certainly Our unthankfulnesse our unfruitfulnesse our pride our worldliness our deadness our coldness our lukewarmness our hypocrisie our contempt and undervaluing of such a blessing have provoked God to deprive us of him The losse of our first love hath made God to scourge us with this loss a loss with a witness a loss to many at once a loss to the State a loss to the Church a loss to the Country a loss to his Parish a loss to his Neighbours a loss to his Yoke-fellow a loss to his Children a loss to his Brethren we have lost we know not what this loss may be more felt hereafter than it is for the present I wish you may never have cause to say where is the spirit of Elijah Where is he now whose zeale was wont to inflame our hearts whose forwardness for God was wont to put us forward whose teares were wont to set us on mourning whose spirituall fervour was wont to heate and warme us whose elevated heart in the waies of God hath helped to lift up our hearts in Gods waies the prevalency of whose prayers we were wont to feele in the encreasing and quickning of our graces whose powerfull Sermons were wont to leave most sweet and refreshing influences upon our soules Where is he Where is he God grant that the spirit of Elijah may be doubled upon his successour that you may not pine and languish away in such sad complaints I make no question were it in the power of prayers and teares of fasting and mourning to fetch him back againe you would not be long without him But now it is too late thankfulness fruitfulness and a close walking with God might have kept him still amongst you who cannot be recalled by any teares or supplications Thus having finished the first thing that Joash did after he came to see Elisha we come now to speake of the second effect or fruit of his visitation expressed in the honourable titles which he gave unto him First he cals him his Father from whence we may observe That honour and respect ought to be shewed from all sorts of men to the faithfull Messengers and Ministers of God Joash did no more than his duty the spirit of God would not have left it upon record for his commendation had it not been a thing that God liked and approved All Sexes whether men or women all relations whether Prince or people husband or wife or all degrees whether high or low rich or poore all conditions whether good or bad righteous or unrighteous learned or unlearned are bound to honour and respect the Messengers and Ministers of Christ there is an inward honour belongs unto them we are highly to esteeme of them to love them there is an outward honour belongs to them we are to honour them in our words by speaking well of them and respectfully to them we are to honour them in our gestures and carriages towards them the Babylonians were charged with this fault that they respected not the persons of the Priests Lam. 4.16 Mat. 13.57 It seemes then nothing was more common and ordinary than to shew respect and honour to the Prophets of God 1 Thes 5.11 1 Tim. 5.17 Reasons First God honours them and therefore men should not neglect to honour them it is ground enough for us to love a man because God loves him and to respect men because God respects them Christ would have us to be mercifull that we might be like unto our heavenly Father who is mercifull Mat. 5. So we must honour those whom God honours that we might expresse our conformity unto God What shall be done unto the man whom the King will honour saith Ahasuerus to Haman Est 6.6 Haman thought no honour too great for and none too great to honour such a man what shall then be done unto the men whom the King of Kings will honour Surely mortall men should not thinke much to honour those whom the immortall God thinkes not much to honour Now there is no faithfull Minister whom God doth not hath not will not highly honour 1 Sam. 2.30 they honour God and God will honour them Secondly Their Office is an honourable office their calling an honourable calling Heb. 5.4 to be a Steward to another man is a place of honour Yearely Stewards if I mistake not are Esquires by their places as Knights eldest Sons are by their birth To be Lord High Steward to a Prince is a place of greater honour Now all Gods Ministers are Stewards to that God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Cor. 4.1 Againe the Office of an Embassadour who represents the person of the King is a place of great honour Ministers are Gods Embassadours they negotiate for God and they are employed to treat about a peace between God and man about a marriage between Christ and the soules of people 2 Cor. 5.20 Again they are said to be co-workers and fellow labourers with God himselfe in the salvation of sinners 1 Cor. 3 9. Thirdly Good men have been ready and carefull to honour the Messengers and Ministers of God such who have slighted them before their Conversion have much respect and reverence unto them after conversion Those who mockt at Peter and the Apostles when they were in the state of nature did very much honour them after they were wrought upon by Peters Sermon Acts 2.37 Cornelius a good man was ready to go beyond his bounds in shewing honour to Peter he was ready to give him too much