them Act. 20. 28. Take heed unto the flock whereof the Holy ghost hath made you Overseers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishops which properly signifieth as there but how properly I will not say it is rendered Supervisors Oversâ—ers Guides So the Authour to the Hebrews stiles them Heb. 13. 7. 17. Where speaking not of Magistrates but of Minister as is playn enough to those that will not festucam quaerere seeke straws to put out their owne eyes with all he calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rulers Guids Such as have the rule over you Such the Ministers of Christ are thus set over you by God and doe you know them as such That is Pauls request to his Thessalonians 1 Thes. 5. 12. We beseech you brethren to know them that labour among you and are ouer you in the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set over you Ministers being set over their flocks in the Lord by God himselfe to deale in those things which concerne his worship and service let them be known and acknowledged for such This take you notice of 2. And secondly thus taking notice of them bless God for them This we have all cause to doe for the Stars Which are not onely an Ornament to the heavens but verie beneficiall to the Earth And this do you for the Ministers of God which are not onely an Ornament to the Church but verie beneficiall to your souls Many are the Benefits which men receive from the stars which they take little notice of And many are the benefits which you do or if you be not wanting to your selves may receive from the Ministers of Christ. And therefore bless that God who hath set them over you These are the Gifts which Jesus Christ upon his Ascension is said to have given He gaue gifts to men saith the Apostle viz. Some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers Eph. 4. 8. 11. And a greater next to himselfe he never gave unto his Church So looke you upon it blessing God for this Gift Bless him for the office of Ministers And if they be in measure able and faithfull burning and shining Lights Stars bless him for their Persons And with all bless him for their Libertie that these Stars are not so clouded but that yet they may shine forth It was a sad time with the Marriners in Pauls voyage to Rome when they could not see so much as a Star for many nights together Act. 27. 20. And it is a sad time with the Church as in time of Persecution it sometimes fals out when these stars appeare not Such stormes there have beene But blessed be he who holdeth these Stars in his right hand that it is not so with this Church at this day Astorme it hath felt and that sad one but blessed be God these Stars yet shine forth 3. Which that they may still do be you earnest with God on their behalfe It is a mercie which the Lord maketh promise of to his people Isaiah 30. 20. Though the Lord give you the bread of Adversity and the water of Affliction yet shall not thy Teachers be removed into corners any more but thine eyes shall see thy Teachers And that this promise may be made good unto you and to your Brethren in this Nation be you earnest with God in this behalf This Paul begs from his Colossians on his own behalf Col. 4. 3. And this let me beg from you as in my own and fellow-labourers here so in the behalf of all the Ministers of Christ in this Nation that God would open keep open unto them a door of utterance to speak the mysterie of Christ. Fourthly Thus praying for them give unto them those respects which upon the account of their office is due unto them Whatever their persons be yet their office is venerable Stars are no despicable creatures And for their office sake have also a respect to their persons Giving unto them that double honour which upon the account of a double work their Teaching and Ruling the Apostle tells you is due unto them 1 Tim. 5. 17. This yield you unto those who desire and endeavour to be found faithful in this Ministration This Paul begs from his Thessalonians and in them from you 1 Thes. 5. 12. We beseech you know them that labour among you and are over you in the Lord and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake Fifthly and lastly having them thus in respect now shew this respect as in other ways so specially by making that use of them for which God hath set them up Making use of their light First Their light of Doctrine Not playing by it as children sometimes do by their Candle till they are fain to go darklings to bed And the like let them make account of who shall so play by this light not regarding not making use of it whilest it is held forth unto them let them make account to go to bed in the dark to die without comfort Neither secondly think it enough to gaze upon it to let this light into the eye of the understanding I mean content not your selves with a meer speculative knowledg Nor yet thirdly think it enough to be a little affected with it So was Herod with looking on that burning and shining light hearing Iohns Doctrine He observed him saith the Text and when he heard him he heard him gladly Mark 6. 20. And the like did many of the Iews They were willing to rejoyce in his light for a season as our Saviour tels them Iohn 5. 35. But do you walk by this light Such use men make of the Stars in the night season they walk by the light of them And such use make you of the light of these stars While you are here in the night of this world walk by the light of their Doctrine As ye have received Christ Iesus the Lord so walk ye in him saith Paul to his Colossians chap. 2. 6. 2. And as by their Doctrine so also by their Example Such use Seamen make of some of the Stars they stear their course by them And such use make you of the Examples of the faithful Ministers of Christ whose lives are truly exemplary Stear your course by them follow them This Paul calleth for from his Corinthians 1 Cor. 4. 16. Wherefore I beseech you be ye followers of me And the like from his Philippians Brethren be ye followers together of me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joynt imitators and mark them which so walk as you have us for an Example Phil. 3. 7. And thus should Christians be of their Ministers Remember them which have the rule over you saith the Apostle to his Hebrews chap. 13. 7. who have spoken to you the word of God whose faith follow the faith which they preached and professed considering the end of their conversation viz. that you may imitate them Onely here remember that Limitation
Thus approving themselves unto Christ let them then Commit themselves unto him commending themselves into this hand of his So did their Master dying he commended his Spirit into his Fathers hand Into thy hand I commend my Spirit Luk. 23. 46 And so let his servants do both living and dying commend themselves their lives their liberties their labours their all into the hand of this their Lord and Master by faith putting themselves into the hollow of that hand and lying down under the shadow of it Commit thy way unto the Lord saith David unto all Psal. 37. 5. And this let the Ministers of Christ do in a special manner Fourthly And thus committing themselves to him let them also submit unto him Taking notice that they are in his hand let them yeeld up themselves unto him to be disposed of by him according to his good will and pleasure So did the blessed Apostle St. Paul So long as his Lord and Master Christ might be glorified in him and by him he did not much weigh in what way it was whether by life or by death as he tells his Philippians Phil. 1. 20. And let their be the like minde in all the Ministers of Jesus Christ. In all things let them comply with his mind and will Being willing to go whether he calls or sends them like the Centurions souldiers and servants Mat. 8. 9. I say to one go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh c. And to do what he will have them Peter though he had fished all night and caught nothing yet neverthelesse at his Masters command he will let down the net Luk. 5. 5. And as doing so suffering for him I am ready not onely to be bound but also to die at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus saith Paul to the Disciples Act. 21. 13. And thus committing and submitting themselves to him let them now incourage themselves in him So did David in that great distresse of his when he knew not what to do he then Encouraged himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30. 6. And this let all the faithful Ministers of Jesus Christ do Remembring that they are in his hand yea in his right hand which may serve as a grand Encouragement to bear up their hearts and spirits First Against the contempt of the world that mean estimation which the men of this world have of them and of their calling Let the world judge and think and speak of them as it will It is not this judgement which they are much to regard with me saith the Apostle It is a very small thing to be judged of you or of mans judgement 1 Cor. 4. 3. Whose judgement then was it that he regarded Why the judgement of his Lord and Master Christ so it followeth in the next verse He that judgeth me is the Lord. What then though the world have a low a meane base estimation of the Persons and calling of the Ministers of Christ So it had of Paul and the rest of the Apostles as he setteth it forth in the sequel of that Chapter We are made a spectacle unto the world and unto Angels and unto Men verse 9. We are made the filth of the world and are the off-scouring of all things v 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very sweepage and dross the off all and shreds of the world Such a mean and base esteem had many in those times of Paul and his Collegues the blessed Apostles and other Primitive Ministers And it is but too apparent that such and no better is the esteem which many even among our selves have of them at this day whose tongues and pens speak what their thoughts are But let not this be regarded by the faithfull Mininisters of Christ. It is enough that their Lord and Master Christ thinks otherwise of them Let the world as it doth set them upon the left hand He hath taken them into his right hand and there he holdeth them thereby declaring both how near and dear they are to him near in Relation dear in Affection Euen as the Signet upon his right hand as the Lord saith of Eliakim Ier. 22. 24. or as the men of his right hand as the Psalmist saith of David Psalm 80. 17. his Benjamins the sons of his right hand as that word signiefith And secondly as against the contempt so against the Opposition which they meet withall in and from the world which oft time is not little Paul met with affronts more then a few Being to preach to the Deputie Sergius Paulus Elimas the Sorcerer withstood him Acts 13. 8. And elsewhere he tells us of his fighting with beasts at Ephesus 1 Cor. 15. 32. which some and not a few understand of bruitish bestiall savage and cruel bloody minded adversaries And such he sometimes conflicted with as appeareth from that request of his which he maketh to his Thessalonians 2 Thes. 3. 2. Where he desireth them to pray for him that among other things he might be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men And such conflicts the rest of the Apostles had frequent experience of finding that to be true which their Lord and Master had foretold them Matth. 10. that they were sent forth as sheep among Wolves verse 16. and that they should be hated of all men for his Names sake verse 22. because they were his servants his Ministers imployed in his service And what if the Ministers of Christ shall meet with the like at this day Which at not a few hands they already doe There being many who are desperately ingaged not onely against their Persons but against their Profession their Calling crying that down as useless and unnecessarie nay destructive and pernicious seeking by all wayes they can to extirpate and root it out But let not all this discourage the faithfull Ministers of Jesus Christ knowing that they are in his hand not in the hand of man If so there were just cause to fear their standing But in the hand of Iesus Christ and that in his Right hand which is both a gracious and a powerfull a sure and safe Custodie and Protection And who is it then that shall take them out of his hand Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand saith our Saviour concerning his sheep John 18. 20. And if not the sheep surely then not the shepherds He that hath such a vigilant eye over the one will not be regardlesse of the other Pan curatoves oviumque Magistros Yea then let men and devils do their worst yet let not them fear That was Davids resolution which he took up upon this very ground Psalme 56. 6 4. In God have I put my trust I will not fear what flesh can doe unto me Such is the Arme of man how long how strong how potent soever it be yet it is but an Arm of flesh as the Prophet tells it Jer. 17. 5. Flesh not Spirit as the Prophet Isaiah saith of
dust of their feet against those that rejected them Or to shake their garments at them So did Paul against the Jews Act. 18. 5 6. He preaching Christ unto them when they opposed themselves and blasphemed he shook his raiment c. Thereby intimating not onely his deserting but Gods rejecting of them Of such sad consequence is it for a people not to give entertainment to the Gospel and the messengers thereof This layeth them under a curse rendring them justly obnoxious to the vengeance of God I shall not dwell any longer upon Confirmation or Illustration Bring we it home to our selves by way of Application Where in the first place see vve vvhat cause vve have to mourn and vveep over this Nation vvherein vve live vvherein Christ and his Gospel have found such sleight and slender entertainment as generally they have done and yet do A long time it is that the Gospel hath been held forth among us Christ hath sent unto us his messengers the Ministers of reconciliation offering peace unto us upon Gospel tearms upon our receiving him as our Saviour and Lord. But vvhat is the reception vvhat is the entertainment that for the most part he hath met with Is it any more then a formal reception a formal profession of his name This indeed hath generally obtained The name of Christ is called upon us But is not this all What is there more to be found among the greatest part but a naked profession without any power How few are there that have received Christ into their hearts Truth is our acknowledgment of Christ hath been and is generally more in Ceremony then in reality Not unlike that of the Iews many of which at his entrance here in to Ierusalem were full of Ceremony and outward expressions They spread their garments in the way as a Carpet for him to ride upon They cut down branches of trees and strowed the way with them as tokens of festivity and solemnity And they cry Hosanna saluting him by the name of a Saviour But yet they were far from taking him to be their King No when he was propounded to them under that notion as he was by Pilate John 19. 14. the chief Priests make answer for the rest we have no King but Caesar vers 15. And they who had even now cried out Hosanna now change their note crying out as loud Crucifige Away with him away with him Crucifie him And is it not so with the greatest part of this Nation In a formal way they have acknowledged Christ for a Saviour complementing him with some Ceremonial observances such and no better have been the services which they have performed unto him meer shadows without any substance but as for taking him to be their King how are the greatest part resolved with those Citizens in the Parable Luke 19. 14. Nolumus regnare we will not have this man to reign over us And O what a sad and deplorable thing is this what cause have we to sit down and weep over England upon this account This was the thing which belonged to our peace Had we thus received Christ and his Gospel had we yielded up our selvs to be governed and regulated by his Laws how happy a people might we then have been Then might we have hoped that God would have subdued our enemies and turned his hand against our adversaries Then had our race been as a river and our righteousness as the waves of the Sea as the divine Psalmist and Prophet have it in the places forecited Psal. 81. 13. Isaiah 48. 18. Then had there been peace within our wals and prosperity within our Palaces But sleighting and rejecting him not submitting to his Government not to his outward Government which the greatest part stand out against having cast off those golden reines they will not now endure any Government in the Church much less to his inward Government to rule in their hearts what evil have we cause to fear Nay what may we not fear In the fear of God let this be seriously laid to heart by every of us this day We see how our blessed Saviour laid to heart this wretchlesness in Ierusalem How he lamenteth over it for it O if thou hadst known the things which belong unto thy peace And have not we just cause to take up the like Lamentation over this Nation O England if thou hadst known in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace O how happy how blessed hadst thou been But now what God intends towards thee who knoweth Should he remove thy Candlestick take away the Gospel from thee which is cause enough to fear should he bring the like evils upon thee as our blessed Saviour here threatens against Ierusalem should he make our Houses Cities Temples desolate should he bring utter desolation both upon Church and State should he give a near and larger Commission to the Sword to eat fiesh and drink bloud seconding it with those ordinary attendants which through a wonderful providence we have hitherto been freed from Famine and Pestilence so sweeping us as dung off from the face of the earth yet must we acknowledg the Lord to be just and righteous In the humble acknowledgment whereof let all of us seriously set our selves for the diverting and preventing of these Judgments To which end be we admonished and exhorted yet to hearken to this wish in the Text. So some here look upon the words in the Text reading them Optatively utinam nosses O that or would to God that thou hadst known And O that England would yet hearken to this wish so as to comply with it Then which what can be more desirable for it What those things are you have heard viz. to receive Christ and his Gospel to give such entertainment to him and it as he requireth Now let all of us as we wish well to our own souls in particular and to this Nation in general seriously apply our selves hereunto As yet through riches of grace the Gospel of peace is held forth unto us As yet we enjoy the Ordinances of Christ Word and Sacraments with liberty and purity O let us now make much of them and make use of them with holy care and conscience waiting and attending upon them thereby making it manifest what esteem we have of them Specially indeavouring to profit by them to finde the power and life of them inwardly in our hearts in the changing and transforming them and to express that power in the course of our lives and conversations by so walking as becometh the Gospel So doing now may we yet comfortably hope that he who doth here so compassionately mourn over a rebellious people rejecting him and his Gospel will much more pitty spare a repenting people that is willing to hearken to his voice So pitty us as to turn away those threatned evils continuing the Gospel of peace with the peace of the Gospel to us and our posterities after us
own others neglecting to come out of an irreligious prophanesse and among those that do come yet how few constant conscionable attendants upon this Ordinance A plain evidence that this ordinance hath lost much of that respect as also of that power that sometimes it hath had And what I say of the word I may also apply it to the Sacrament the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Which though held forth in the purest and most comfortable way of Administration according to Christs Institution the Churches primitive practise yet how is it by many fleighted and neglected So as those who heretofore were wont to come as it now seemeth for fear or fashion being now left to themselves will not come for love The feast is prepared and the Guests invited but they find some excuse or other to keep them away A thing which I wish there were not too just cause to complain of even in this place Now surely among other this is also a sad token 4. To which let me add those other which I have also made mention of Gods blinding the Eyes and hardning the hearts of many sending so many false Teachers with strong and strange delusions amongst us giving up many to the believing of them All sadly remarkable in this Nation at this day I think never more in any And what may we conceive these to portend Surely sad Omens they are giving us too just cause to fear lest God should be about to depart to take away his Kingdom his Gospel from us which meeteth not only with such sleightings but such affronts and oppositions as it doth 5. To which let me yet subjoyn that which bodes as ill as any of the former our not profiting by Iudgments but rather being made worse by them This is that which the Lord complaines of against Israel Isai. 1. 5. why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more Gods judgments had a contrary effect upon them to what they were intended He corrected them for their amendment thereby to bring them home to himself but they took occasion thereby to go further away from him so as his Corrections were in vain to them as elswhere he complains Ier. 2. 30. In vaine have I smitten your children they received no correction viz. so as to be bettered by it but rather waxed worse worse And would to God that this did not lie as too just a charge against this sad Land and Nation wherein we live That God hath stricken us I suppose there are few but are in some kinde or other sensible But what effect have these Rods these Judgments had upon us Are we better by them Are we thereby reclaimed reformed brought home to God Are we made the more humble the more careful the more watchful the more fruitful O that these effects were to be found amongst us But is it not clean contrary Are we not grown more proud a sin I think never so visible in this Nation as at this day more remiss more loose more barren and unfruitful then ever And if so what just cause have we to fear lest the Lord in his most righteous judgment do unto us as there he threatens unto Israel give us over striving no longer with us but leaving us to our selves letting us alone as elswhere he threatens unto Ephraim Hos. 4. 17. to go on in our sinful provocations until there be no remedy These are some of those grounds upon which we may build our too just fears To which I might yet have added some other But I forbear any further charge Coming rather to enquire Q. What shall we now do for the Land of our Nativity A. 1. Do what our Saviour here doth for Ierusalem Mourn over it weep over it with compassionate and affectionate tears laying to heart the sad state and condition thereof This doth he knowing how it was with that City that the things belonging to her peace were now hid from her And this do we over England fearing lest it should be so with it 2. But tears alone will not help When Ioshuah was fallen upon his face mourning for the discomfiture which had happened unto Israel Iosh. 7. 10. the Lord takes him up with these words Get thee up wherefore lyest thou upon thy face Intimating unto him that it was not his humbling and afflicting himself without somewhat else that would heal that breach which Israels sinne their violating and transgressing the Covenant of their God had made upon them as it followeth in the next verse There must be some other course taken for the reconciling of them unto God and making their peace with him And what was that Why the people must be sanctified and the Accursed thing must be taken from among them as the 13. verse hath it And O that England might take the like course It is not all our falling upon our faces before the Lord all our daies of publick Humiliation though that be a sacrifice acceptable unto God that will serve to appease his wrath and to procure his favour that alone will not do it unlesse also the people be sanctified and the Accursed thing removed from among us This then let every of us in our several places indeavour Beginning first with our selves Every one searching and trying our own waies that we may find out the Action in our own hearts and lives our own personal sinns Which having found out now take them away putting away the evill of our doings from before the eyes of our God by serious and unfeined repentance and reformation renewing our Covenant with our God cleaving unto him with full purpose of heart Then indeavour we the like for others every of us in our places as I said Magistrates in their places Ministers in theirs Masters of families in theirs private Christians in theirs contributing what we may towards a reall and National Reformation that so the Accursed thing even all kind of wrath provoking abominatious may be taken away from the midst of us and that we may be a people sanctified dedicated and consecrated unto the Lord. So doing now know we for our Comfort that we have to deal with a God gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse ready to repent of what ever evill he intendeth against a people Especially his own people not willing to reject and cast off a people that are in Covenant with him So much he expressed to this people the people of the Iewes before the Captivity by making so many removes before his final departure from them so the Prophet Ezekiel saw it in his Visions in which the glory of the Lord removed not lesse then five several times before it took its leave First from the Cherub to the threshold of the house the Temple Ezek. 9. 3. 2. It removed higher standing over the door cap. 10. 4. 3. From the threshold it returned and stood over the Cherubins which were mounted up from
savorie doctrine and holy example they season others changing and altering them for the better And on the other hand being bad themselves they infect others So as what the Lord speaks of the Prophets and people of Israel in another sense Hos. 4. 9. We may use it in this Like Preist Like people Surely it was not without cause that the Lord sending his destroying Angell to Ierusalem he orders him to begin at the Sanctuarie Ezek. 9. 6. From thence came the rise of all those Abominations that were done in the midest of that Citie of which he speakes verse 4. they began at the Preists who if they had not been first corrupted themselves the people had not been what then they were Thus are the Ministers of God like Stars for those Influences which they have upon the people To which I might add did I not feare the straining of this string as an enlargment or further improvement of this Resemblance Stars having such an Influence upon the earth they have also a power of Binding and Loosing Such are the properties of those two a foresayd Constellations Pleiades and Orion The one bindeth the earth with the hard frost the other looseth it by the warme ayre and showres And such a power hath Jesus Christ given to these Stars the Ministers of his Gospel a Binding and a Loosing power This power he gave to Peter Mat. 16. 19. I will give unto thee the keyes of the Kingdom of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth shall be bound in heaven whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth shall be loosed in heaven But not to Peter alone but to the â—est of the Apostles and Disciples as well as to him So you shall finde it Ioh. 20. 23. Where explaining what he meant by binding and loosing with their solemn Mission he giveth them this Commission Whosoever sinnes ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins ye retayne they are retayned This power did Jesus Christ give unto them and their successors putting the Keyes of the Kingdom of heaven into their handes the Keye of Doctrine and the Keye of Discipline whereby they open and shut binde and loose binde the Obstinate loose the Penitent both which they doe in a Ministeriall and declarative way Even as it may be conceived of those two foresayd Constellations Orion and Pleiades the one bindeth the earth the other looseth it But how Not meerely by their owne influence as being the sole or yet principall Cause of that Change for that is to be attributed to the Sun which by his Recess and returne maketh that alteration but they by their rising notifie those changes Even so is it with these Stars the Ministers of Christ what herein they doe they doe it not by their owne power or vertue as Peter said of his healing the Cripple Act. 3. 12. but by Anthoritie from Jesus Christ in his name declaring what his will and pleasure is Here is a sixth Resemblance To which I might yet add some other which are reached unto me by other handes But I would not seeme to straine the Allegorie by drawing that from it which it will not naturally and voluntarily yield And I shall have occasion to touch upon some and diverse other in the Application Which let it be directed both to Ministers and People 1. For the former were the Audience sutable I might from hence take a just occasion to speake largly to the men of my owne Tribe minding them of their Duty and exciting them to the discharge of it But however give me leave here to present to you what more immediately and properly concerneth them Hirein I shall preach to my self and you must give us leave sometimes so to doe Whereof you may have the benefit afterwards Besides you hearing what the duties of Ministers are may be the better able to doe what you are 〈◊〉 onely allowed but in some cases required to doe viz. to say to Archippus as Paul biddeth them Col. 4. 17. take â—â—â—de unto the Ministery which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfill it I meane in a Christian and becoming way to excite and admonish those whome God hath or shall set over you in case they shall be found remiss or negligent in their Ministerial duty and service Upon this account I shall give an account to you of what more properly concerneth my selfe and others of my Brethren To whome the sum of what I have to say is onely thus much that seeing they are set by God as Stars in the firmament of his Church they would performe the like offices to those committed to their charge as the Stars doe to this Inferiour world But before I come to prosecute this Exhortation let me first premise one or two Premonitions Let them first see that they be Stars such as are so placed by God in the firmament of his Church Therein do true Stars differ from Comets The one is fixed by God the other ascends of it self Let not the Ministers of the Gospell doe so Let not them ascend into Mose's Chayre as that new starre is sayd to have done into Cassâ—â— pâ—â—â—s in the yeare 1572 of themselves thrusting themselves whether upon the Ministeriall function or yet particular Charge without a regular and warrantable mission So did those false Prophets in Ieremies time of whome the Lord complayns Ier. 23. 21. I have not sent these Prophets yet they ran I have not spoken unto them yet they prophesied Thus did they all on their owne heades having neither Mission nor Message from God Let it not be so with Gospell Ministers They who take that office upon them let them looke to their calling Noe man taketh this honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as Aaron was saith the Apostle of the Priesthood Heb. 5. 4. speaking not de facto but de jure not what men doe but what they ought to doe Uzziah though a King must not take upon him the office of a Preist 2 Chron. 26. 16. No more ought any to usurpe upon a Gospell ministerie taking upon them to dispence Ordinances in a ministerial way without a warrantable calling from God Let them see that they be Stars not Comets that they be set by God in the firmament of his Church 2. And being thus set let them now seeke after Illumination that they themselves may be inlightened So are the stars being set in the firmament they are inlightned without which they would be of no use And this let these mysticall stars seeke after even a supernaturall illumination God hath shined into our hearts saith the Apostle that we should give the light c. Ministers that they may inlighten others they must first be enlightned themselves And this let them seeke after And where shall they have it Why where have the stars their light but from the Sun And where should Gospel Ministers have their light but from Iesus Christ. He
from them No more can the machinations and designs of these his enemies how closely how covertly soever they be carried Though covered under never so specious pretences yet cannot they be hid from these piercing and alseeing eyes Next for his Feet they were like unto fine brasse burning in a furnace strong and terrible terrible to look upon much more to feel able to trample upon all his enemies And in his right hand are these stars which also is as I have shewed you a powerful and a terrible hand when it meeteth with his enemies Thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things Psal. 45. 4. And for his Mouth behold a sharpe two edged sword going out of it Now who is there that beholding these will be so hardy as to dare grapple with such an adversarie to attempt the pulling of these stars out of his hand which whilest they go about let them take heed of his feet and take heed of the sword in his mouth both which are engaged for the defending of these stars This by way of Dehortation In the third place by way of Instruction let them in the want of faithful Ministers see whither to repair for them Go uuto Jesus Christ and beg them from him So they are by him directed to do in that place forecited Matth. 9. last Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth labourers into his harvest Now who is this Lord of the harvest but himself whose field the Church is whereof he is the Lord. O beg it from him that he would send forth labourers able and faithful labourers into it And truly great reason there is why all that wish well unto the Church of God in this nation should do this at this day in as much as what our Saviour saith there in the ve following suits but too well with the present times The harvest truly is great but the labourers are few Labourers indeed such as have both skill and will to labour able and faithful Ministers Yea and like to be fewer There being divers of them already fallen asleep and some others following after them being already laid aside as broken vessels no longer useful Besides those many discouragements cast in the way by those that are no wellwillers to a learned Ministery so as that there may be just cause to fear a dearth a scarcitie of such labourers O pray the Lord of this harvest that he would give out of this store which he hath in his right hand that he would furnish his Church in this Nation as elswhere with an able and faithful Ministerie sending forth store of such as may gather in the rest of his harvest that so the number of his Elect being brought in there might be an end made of these sinful and miserable dayes This in the want of Ministers Fourthly In the inoying of them give these respects to them which are due to them upon this account so esteeming of them as the Ministers of Iesus Christ. This Paul requireth for himself and fellow labourers in that place foreâ—ited 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a man i. e. every man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so account or esteeme 〈◊〉 us as of the Ministers of Christ. And so let all 〈◊〉 of their successours First Not undervaluing them not esteeming 〈◊〉 meanly of them but highly Know them saith the Apostle in that Text forementioned 〈◊〉 Thes. 5. 13. Which labour among you and are â—ver you in the Lord and admonish you and esteem â—hem very highly in Love for their workes sake Though not for their own sake yet for their â—orkes their office sake For this esteem them and â—â—at highly yea very highly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—nely let it be in Love Men oft times esteem â—ery highly of men in high place but it is for â—ar fear of their power Now there is no reason why the Ministers of â—hrist should thus be feared who doe not lay â—aim to any secular jurisdiction Let that estiâ—ation which is afforded them be the issue of â—ove Love for their Masters sake and their â—orks sake For which let them be respected â—noured Honour to whom honour saith the Aâ—ostle Rom. 13. 7. Now that this is due to the â—ithfull Ministers of Christ such as are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as Rule well and â—â—bour in the Word and Doctrine as the Apostle describeth them in that known forecited Text 1 Tim. 5. 17. He will there also tell you They are worthie of honour yea double honour both of Reverence and Maintenance which let them not want And great Reason there is why the faithfull Ministers of Christ should be thus honoured seeing Christ himself hath honoured them So it was proclaimed before Mordecay Hest. 6. 9. Thus shall it be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour him should the people honour also And so let it be done to the men whom the King of Heaven the Lord Iesus delighteth to honour his faithfull Ministers whom he holdeth as Stars in his right hand The right hand is a place of Honour and Dignitie Hence it was that Solomon placed his Mother there 1 King 2. 19. She sate on the right hand And his Queen Vpon thy right hand did stand the Queen Psal. 45. 9. And this is the honour which Christ will give to his sheep his Elect at the last day to set them on his right hand Matth. 25. 33. Now such is the honour which this Sonne of man here giveth the Stars he placeth them in his right hand And seeing their Lord and Master thus honoured them to afford them his right hand let not his servants set them on the left thinking too meanly of them Secondly Nor yet on the other hand too highly not above that which is meete Remembring still that they are but Ministers Instruments in the hand of Christ by whom he operateth worketh Is it so then that their Ministry is made effectuall for the good of any let them see whither to give the glory Not to them Who is Paul who is Apollos but Ministers c. But unto Christ in whose hand they are and who is pleased thus to put forth his power in them and by them Thus when we see a curious piece of manifacture we admire not the tool but the hand that wrought it Such are the Ministers Tooles Instruments in the hand of Christ what work is done by them give the honour of it not to them but him S. Peter directed the people Act. 3. 12. when they stood gazing upon him as ready to adore him for that great Cure which he had wrought upon the lame man When he saw it saith the Text he answered unto the people Ye men of Israel why look ye so earnestly on us as if by our own power or holiness we had made this man whole By what power then why the power of Iesus
not onely by way of Commiseration but also of Exprobration As pitying so upbraiding them Pitying them in regard of the Calamitie which he saw coming upon them but withall upbraiding them with the mercies and favours which God had bestowed upon them above others to which they had made a most unworthy return Even thou Thou whom I have done thus and thus for thou for whom I have done more then for any other place upon earth O it is a sad thing when God shall come thus to upbraid a people with his favours A thing which he is not ready and forward to do So much we may learn from St. Iames Jam. 1. 5. If any man lack wisedome let him ask it of God who giveth liberally and upbraideth not viz. those who receiving his blessings thankfully indeavour to make a right use of them But as for those who being ungrateful for them shall not walk in measure worthy of them them he will upbraid So he often doth ungrateful Israel as elsevvhere so Isaiah 5. 1 2. vvhere comparing Israel to a vineyard he reckons up what offices he had done to it in fencing and planting and mannuring of it c. accommodating it with all necessaries and conveniencies And this he doth by way of exprobration upbraiding them with those favours for which they had made so ill a requital And the like again Ier. 2. 5. Thus saith the Lord what iniquity have your fathers found in me c. Neither said they where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt that led us through the wilderness And so he goeth on reckoning up the many favours he had done for that Nation which he doth in an upbraiding way inasmuch as they had shewed themselves so ingrateful and forgetful as they had done And the like doth our Saviour to those Cities in the Text forenamed Mat. 11. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He began to upbraid them O take we heed that we do not give God just cause to do the like by us And therefore what special mercies and favours God is pleased to bestow upon us take notice of them be thankful for them endeavour to walk worthy of them This do we for publick And this do we for private mercies Is it so that God is pleased to bless any of us above other of our brethren in any kinde Be it in our Bodies with health and strength In our Estates with larger portions of this worlds goods advancing us above the common ranke In our mindes inriching us with inward gifts and indowments of wit wisdome knowledg c. O take we heed that these be not a matter of exprobration to us that by our abusing of them not improving them not walking worthy of them we do not give God just cause to upbraid us with them Considering that in this case every of these mercies will be as so many several aggravations of our ingratitude This is that which the Lord by his Prophet Nathan tels King David 2 Sam. 12. 7 8. Where reckoning up the many favours he had done and was ready to do for him how he had delivered him out of the hand of Saul how be had set him upon the Throne of Israel giving him his Masters House and Wives and the House of Israel and of Iudah And saith he if that had been too little I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things then he cometh to expostulate the matter with him why he should so deal by his God as had done Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandement of the Lord to do evil in his sight Thus God taketh the sins of his favourites more unkindly then the sins of any other And therefore is it so that God hath indeared any of us to himself by any special favours wherein he hath preferred us before others let us be so much the more watchful careful over our walkings that so he may never take up the like complaint against us as our Saviour here doth against Ierusalem O that thou even thou shouldest do thus and thus This it was that David took most heinously that his favourites and familiars should prove treacherous to him Psal. 41. 9. Yea mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted which did eat of my bread hath lift up his heel against me Some of his Courtiers friends Which our Saviour applieth unto Iudas's dealing with himself Ioh. 13. 18. He that eateth bread with me hath lift up his heel against me This did exceedingly aggravate Iudas's sin Had some of the Scribes o◠Pharisees done what he did it had been no strange thing But that Iudas should do it one whom Christ had so far honoured as to admit him to so near an attendance upon his person to make him one of his Privy Counsel as it were this highly aggravated his offence O take heed lest the like aggravation lie against any of us And therefore the more gracious God hath been or shall be to any of us let us be the more grateful the more watchful the more careful to walk worthy of his mercies I have done with the former of these Circumstances these Aggravations Come we now to the latter which is taken from the Time and the Season In this thy day Q. And what is here meant by Ierusalems day A. Day in Scripture it hath divers senses and significations Literally and properly we meet with a Natural day and an Artificial day The one consisting of twenty four hours the Suns Revolution the other of the time of light from morning to evening Both which we finde in that one verse Gen. 1. 5. And God called the light day and the darkness he called night And the evening and the morning were the first day By the first understanding the Artificial day by the latter the Natural But to let these pass as nothing to our purpose Tropically and improperly the word is diversly used 1. Sometimes for the time of mans life that space which he liveth upon earth Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day saith our Saviour to the Jews Iohn 8. 56. the time of my manifestation in the flesh and abode upon earth I must work the work of him that sent me whilest is day John 9. 4. that is whilest I live here upon earth 2. Sometimes it denotes the time of grace under the Gospel So the Apostle is conceived to use the world Rom. 13. 12. where he saith The night is far spent the day is at hand The night the time of the Law which was a time of darkness and Ignorance wherein spiritual and heavenly mysteries were all clouded and vailed under shadows and figures In opposition thereunto the time of the Gospel is called the Day in regard of the clear manifestation of the grace of God and of the mysterie of salvation to all sorts not onely to Iews but Gentiles And so that other Text of the same Apostle is looked upon 1
not the knowledge of thy Law This do too many even among our selves though with their tongues they dare not yet with their hearts and in their lives they speak as much plainly manifesting to the world by their words and actions what the thoughts of their hearts are viz. That they do not desire to have any acquaintance with God or his Word to know his minde and will that they may do it And thus are the things which belong unto their everlasting peace hid from their eies O most sad and deplorable condition what hope can there be of such an one Upon this account our Saviour here looketh upon Ierusalems estate as most forlorn and desperate She neither had nor would see what belonged to her peace So as through her wilful ignorance this was hid from her eies And therefore let her now make account of what followeth The daies shall come upon thee when thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee c. And even such is the condition of all wilful and obstinate sinners who shut out the light of Gods truth out of their hearts will not give way to the admonitions directions convictions of the Word and Spirit so as to be wrought upon by them to be changed and reformed in their hearts and lives let them make account that the like daies shall come upon them daies of blacknesse and darknesse daies of judgment and vengeance it may be temporal which they have just cause to fear continually hanging over their heads however eternal And O that now the terrour of the Lord might fall and take hold upon every one of you whose condition this is that being awakened you may be also perswaded to open your eies to set open the doors and windows of your souls to let in the Sun of righteousnesse to let in that heavenly light which shineth forth unto you that so the things which belong unto your peace your eternal peace and happinesse they may be no longer hid from your eies which if they still be through your obstinacie and wilfulnesse for other cause you can assign none then take heed lest that God whose patience you have abused and whose grace you have rejected do in his most righteous judgment seal up your eies passing an irrevocable sentence upon you that seeing you will not see therefore you shall not see but that these things be now from henceforth for ever hid from your eies And so I am fallen upon the second Particular the second ground and cause of this blindnesse in Ierusalem The things belonging to her peace were hid from her eies as through her own wilful obstinacie so also through Gods righteous judgment And thus they were hid not onely for the present but also for the future 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But now they are hid from thine eies That is from henceforth so as now thou shalt not see them and that through the righteous judgment of God hiding them from thee Thus it is Daies of Grace have their dates Mark it This is the Observation which this passage naturally yieldeth us Daies of Grace have their dates Times and seasons wherein the Grace and Mercie of GOD is offered and tendered to the Sons of men for their acceptance they are limited they have their terms and boundaries beyond which they shall not extend Hence is it that they are called by the name of Daies If thou hadst known in this thy day Now a Day is a determined time However there are Winter-daies and Summer-daies some shorter others longer yet each is limited and measured by the motion of the Sun And so are the Seasons of Grace which God vouchsafeth unto the Sons of men upon earth though some are longer then others yet all limited all determined by God What the Prophet Habakukâ—aith â—aith of Prophetical Vision Hab. 2. 3. The Vision is for an appointed time the same may be said of these gracious dispensations the offers and tenders of grace and mercie they are for an appointed time Daies of Grace have their dates their limits So have both National and Personal daies 1. National daies wherein God offers mercie to communities of men these are limited So it was we know with the old world concerning which we may hear God declaring his purpose Gen. 6. 3. My spirit shall not ever strive with man for that he also is flesh yet his dates shall be an hundred and twentie years A long time God had striven with the men of that generation He had so done and that both outwardly and inwardly Outwardly as by his Works so by his Word which was preached to them by Noah whom Saint Peter calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Preacher or publisher of Righteousnesse of the righteous judgments of God in case they should not repent to which in the name of God he perswaded them By him it was that Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison as the same Apostle hath it 1 Pet. 3. 19. This he did by the Ministerie of Noah or some others who were inspired by him In and by them he preached to the men of that generation who were then alive but at this time when Peter wrote that Epistle dead and their spirits their souls many of them in the prison of Hell And besides this Outward striving by his Word he did also strive with them Inwardly by the inward motions and operations of his Spirit pressing and urging their consciences to Reformation and Repentance Thus he had striven with them and that long but he will not ever so do My Spirit shall not ever strive with Man And thereupon hee limits them a time for their Repentance The daies of Man shall be an hundred and twentie years Not that the time of man's life should not afterwards exceed that number of years for we finde diverse after the Flood living much longer but so long should their day of grace and mercie last So long a time out of his gracious indulgence God would yet allow to that generation to bethink themselvs to reform their hearts and lives in which if once past and not improved for the end to which it was allotted them then they must look for no more mercie but a deluge of vengeance should sweep them off from the face of the earth To this I might subjoin that of Nineveh which had her fortie daies and no more allowed unto her for the same end Fortie daies and Nineveh shall be destroied Ion. 3. 4. viz. except within that time they repented which condition God reserved to himself Thus there is a time appointed and determined by God which though he do not declare to others yet he hath set down with himself how long hee will strive with a Nation a people how long he will wait for their Repentance which time being past then the date of mercie is out So it was with Ierusalem here she had had her Day a day of grace and that a long day wherein