being commissionated to the office An Embassadour is not like to treat effectually on terms of peace if he neglects his Commission no more are those who negotiate upon termes of reconciliation of sinners to God who run without sending 2. Whether for the people to expect profit by such be not to look for Gods blessing out of Gods way That Scripture is express Rom. 10. 14. where if the Apostles gradation were rational it must argues a necessary a dependance of preaching upon sending as of hearing upon preaching as of faith upon hearing viz. all in an ordinary way of Gods dispensation Not to limit God but that he may work by extraordinary means but for us to expect them when we may have ordinary means according to divine institution to patronize encourage disorder in the Church and plainly to tempt God No Manna in Canaan where you may plow and sow No depending on extraordinary workings and such must the profit by unsent preachers be if ever it be where God affords us ordinary means of our spiritual proficiency Till I can satisfie my self in these two doubts I must resolve the unprofitableness of the Word into the preaching unsent And pardon me if any think otherwise here though I with that learned Chemnitius conclude this to be good Divinity Ecclesiae non debent Chemnit in loc pag. 129. nec possunt cum fructu audire eos qui non habent legitimae vocationis testimonia As you then intend to profit by the word practise our Saviours command Matth. 9. 38. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would send labourers into his harvest Secondly The Ministers neglect of private prayer that the word may profit A duty cetainly much imcumbent on the dispensers of the Word of God in reference to the spiritual advantage of the people for this cause Paul bowed his knee to God for his Ephesians The Ephes 3. 14. 1. Cor. 3. 6. hearers profit ought to be the Preachers aim which he cannot effect without God he may plant but 't is God must give the increase It is the Lord which teacheth us to profit and no more effectual applications of our selves to God then by prayer Paul we know was rapt up into the third heaven ut ad Apostolatum suum instructior rediret saith Musculus so should every Minister by holy meditation and devout prayer if he will be a profitable preacher of the Gospel Austin tels us that a Minister may profit more pietate orationis quà m oratorum facultate Lib. 4. de Civ Dei cap. 5. by the piety of his devotion then by an affected laborious studied eloquence and therefore goes and adviseth every Minister by praeying for himself and his people to be orator antequam dictor to be a sollicitor at the throne of grace before an oratour in the pulpit that priusquà m exerat proferentem linguam ad Deum elevet sitientem animam he should first breath the longings of his soul in prayer to God before he vents the meditations of it to the people The foolish virgins lamps went out for want of oyl Matth. 25. David calls the Word of God a lamp Psal 119. 105. Those that carry this lamp to enlighten others must keep it alive by the oyl of devotion The neglect of prayer is the Ministers sin and a prejudice to the efficacy of the word he preacheth as Samuel said 1 Sam. 12. 23. God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you but I will teach you the good and the right way You see praying and teaching must go together Thirdly Many do not preach what for the matter of them can profit whilest neglecting the wholesome word of God they elevate the hearer into a stupid ignorant admiration soaring aloft in the clouds in high Platonical notions and abstruse Metaphysical abstract speculations with which they stretch their own and break their auditories brain to conceive which may gratifie an humour please an itching ear satisfie a nice curiosity feed the phansie but never satisfie and nourish the soul which comes hungring to the ordinance For souls as Clement saith have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their proper nourishment Clemens pag. 272. you may as well feed bodies with shadows as souls with such lean jejune notions of such stuff in a pulpit for elsewhere I disparage it not I will onely say what the same Authour saith of all the Greek Philosophie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like a rotten nut you may break your teeth in cracking it and then meet with no kernel nothing which can satisfie or nourish you The Apostle speaks about striving about words to no profit but subverting the hearers 2 Tim. 2. 14. it is the Word of God which is the proper food for souls to thrive by this is a spiritual paradise the flowers of which have not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gratefull savour but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 1. p. 2. as Chrysostome saith fruit to nourish the soul All other things are but husks and this onely the solid food If Plato and Aristotle's Philosophie and Metaphysicks can build up a soul to heaven we may spare our bibles Fourthly Affectation of popular applause and credit which purs the preacher upon studying more what may please then what may profit A doctore glorioso was one of those things which Luther was wont to pray God to deliver his Church from from vain-glorious preachers such as he elsewhere calls Theologi gloriae and gives this description of them dicant malum bonum bonum malum they can call good evil and evil good and then you may easily judge how little they are like to profit their hearers This affectation makes many both unfaithfull and unfruitfull in this office S. Paul opposes this to the service of Christ as if they were inconsistent Gal. 1. 10. These are like unfaithfull Embassadours who when they are commissionated to promote their Princes interest they carrie on their own or like ill spokes-men who being sent to woo for Christ speak for themselves onely I speak not against approbation as the result of the work for which God is pleased to crown the laborious and encourage his faithfull ministers but as the primarie intention or ultimate end of the preacher This is oftenest the sin of young Divines how oft ha's this put men upon preaching errour it self and so poysoned not profited their hearers Tertullian mentions it as the policie of Hereticks neophytos collocare ut gloriâ eos obligent quia veritate non possunt to promote young upstarts as the broachers of their Heresies that whom truth could not affectation of vain-glorie might engage It is hard what I say not impossible to carrie on the interest of souls and our applause together The Apostle telling the Thessalonians 1 Thes 2. 8. that he was affectionately desirous of them he tells you verse 5 6. we used not flattering words nor of men sought we glory Fifthly
Jews pricked at the heart and a John Baptist convince a Herod of his unlawfull and wicked enjoyment of his beloved Herodias How doth the word of God oft drive men from those forts and succours and delusions which they had framed to deceive themselves and encourage themselves in the ways of sin as others sin as well as I what saith Scripture to this Follow not a multitude to commit iniquity and Though hand Exod. 23. 2. Prov. 11. 21. joyn in hand the wicked shall not be unpunished I may deferre my repentance from youth to old age saith another See what Scripture saith to this Remember thy Creatour in the daies of thy youth c. and Eccles ' 12. 1. Hebr. 3. 15. Rom. 6. 23. To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts This is but a peccadillo saith another Scripture saith The ways of sin is death Such flatteries and deceits the deceitfull heart of man is apt to gull it self with The power of the word is to such as the voice of God was to Adam Where art thou and then he could lie hid no longer it convinceth and discovers them This is the effect of preaching the word as the Apostie saith If all prophesie to wit of the nature of sin Gods wrath against it and the like as Pareus glosses if there come in one that believeth not he is convinced of all he is judged of all and the secrets of his heart are Mr. Dod. made manifest When a reverend Divine amongst our selves had by a powerfull Sermon convinced a licentious wretch who heard him he fretting and very angry as wicked men cōmonly are at a convincing Minister came to him and charged him with preaching that Sermon against him out of malice and envy he returned him this answer If this Sermon had been preached in the dark when I could not have seen my Auditors this very word of God would have found thee out and convinced thee of thy sins In a word Rectum verum est mensura sui obliqui therefore Scripture containing all fundamental doctrines of faith and essential duties of holiness necessary to salvation must consequently be sufficient to confute and reprove all contrary sin and errour 4. That he may instruct the people and inform them of their whole duty Here they must expect and require their knowledge for The Mal. 2. 7. Priests lips shall preserve knowledge and the people shall require it at his mouth Unless their doctrine distill as the dew the field of the Lord the Church must needs be barren in holiness and fruitless in knowledge This is the last vse the Apostle saith the Scripture is profitable for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for instruction in righteousness 2 Tim. 3. 18. True indeed may the people say it is fit and necessary that Objection Apollos's Ministers should be mighty in the Scriptures but we hope we may be excused from searching the Scriptures it is not our duty we are to expect it from our teachers Indeed this is Rome's language If you were at Rome you might Answer be exempted that Church will gratifie you in this and thank you too they account it no better to suffer lay-men to read the Bible then sanctum canibus margaritas ante porcos projicere it is the expression of Hosius to cast pearles before swine or that which is holy to dogs you are little beholding to them for this But believe it though Antichrist will exempt you from reading the Scripture Christ will not who enjoynes it as a duty upon all to search the Joh. 5. 39. Scriptures and observe the argument he useth to enforce this duty for in them ye think to have eternal life If then you expect any interest in that happiness you are concerned and engaged in this duty of Scripture-search which is both commanded and cōmended in Scripture Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdome Coloss 3. 16. Acts. 17. 11 saith S. Paul and it was the commendation of the Bereans that they searched the Scriptures daily whether the things that Paul and Silas preached were true or no. The Church of Rome accuse and charge this promiscuous searching of the Scripture as the cause of Heresy pride and faction I deny not Scripture misunderstood is sometimes abused to promote these ends but this is not the natural and proper effect of reading the Scripture the ignorance of which if we believe our Saviour is the cause of Heresy and error Ye erre saith Christ to Matt. 22. 29. the Sadduces not knowing the Scriptures and indeed if wee be robbed of the Compass of Scripture we must needs split upon the rock of errour In a word then it is the Tyrannie of Rome to withhold it and it will be your sin to neglect it Application 1. This condemns and corrects that general neglect and undervaluing of Scripture which now Atheisme is justly feared to be growing upon us prevailes in the world men preferring every thing else before this The Papist exalts his unwritten Tradition above the written Word Pari pietatis affectu suscipimus veneramur may seem a modest determination of the Tridentine convention and much less then their practise speaks The Enthusiast magnifies his pretended revelation and Scripture to him is but a dead letter and the searcher of it but literalis and vocalis too But let us return home and see whither we can plead not guilty where are our Nepotians who by diligent perusal of the Scripture make their souls Bibliothecam Christi as Hierom saith of him Where shall we finde an Alphonsus who is reported to have read the Bible ten times over with a comment or like that Transylvanian Prince whom Maccovius reports to have read the Bible over twentie seven times Where shall we finde a David who meditates in the Law of God day and night preferring it before the honey and the honey-combe Psal 19. 10. Psal 119. 72. Job 23. 12. before thoughts of gold and silver or a Job who esteemeth the words of Gods mouth more then his necessarie food Nay have we not many proud cursed Politians who think it a disparagement to their parts and learning to condiscend to the studie of Scripture and as he said think they never spend their time worse then in reading it Do not idle Romances and lascivious Poems and the like take up the most of our youth-studies nay amongst us who look towards the Ministrie doth not a nice and intricate School-man an uncertain Father an antiquated Rabby justle out the Scripture I speak not against those in their due order and measure but I would not have Hagar drive Sarah out of doors I would not have the Hand-maids courted and the Mistress neglected If they be our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let Scripture be our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Preposterous studying these before we be well grounded and setled in Scripture-knowledge doth oft fill the soule with such
outward exercise of them from which place we may note 1. That there can be no profiting without a door of utterance 2. That God must open it as he did for Moses who was of slow speech Exod. 4. 10 11 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Clemens Alexandrinus God is the onely teacher of us to speak and of you to profit He must open our mouths and your hearts as he did the heart of Lydia and the word to both before it can profit So God saies in regard of the people Esay 48. 17. and so Christ promises to his ministers Luk. 21. 15. 3. Prayer is the key to open this door of utterance to reveal the secret cabinet of Gods will and word Knock and it shall be opened is Christs promise in Matth 7. you must knock by prayer at the gate of heaven that this door of utterance may be opened to the Minister S. Paul mentions this to his Corinthians 2 Cor. 1. 11. II. That God would open your hearts God must do both or neither will be done Acts. 16. 14. S. Paul prayes for his Ephesians chap. 1. ver 17 18. and David for himself Psal 119. 18. Cathedram habet in caelo qui corda docet saies S. Augustin You may open your eares Lib. 4. cap. 16. de Doct. Christ to the word of God and all the while your hearts may be shut against it unless God open that As our Saviour spake to his disciples Having eares hear you not c. so it will be with every one whose heart God doth not open the Minister may bring the Word to the eare but it is the spirit onely can carry it effectually to the heart Prov. 20. 12. The hearing eare and the seeing eye the Lord hath made even both of them God must not onely give thee the word but an eye to see it and a heart to embrace it as it is said of Christs preaching to his two disciples Luc. 24. 45. Then opened he their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures The summe of it is Prayer is the means to open the Ministers mouth to speak and your hearts to entertain the word so as to profit by it and therefore neglect of this must needs cause unprofitableness The Wiseman directs you to this course as in Prov. 2. 2 3 4 5 6. It is the Lord onely that gives it and if you would have it from him you must crie after it If any of you lack wisdome you must ask it of God James 1. 5. How deeply are most men to be charged here I accuse none of you but I wish you to deal faithfully with your selves How seldome do you pray seriously to God before you come here Have you this morning been upon your knees earnestly begging of God for the Ministers and your selves if not no wonder if you go away as you come charge it upon your selves quarrel not with God his Ordinances or his Ministers as the cause of your unfruitfulness if you come without praying I do not wonder that you go away without profiting Fifthly Pride when men come with proud hearts to the preaching of the word they are more ready to scorn and oppose the word then to profit by it This hinders I. Pride of our own righteousness When men are puffed up with a conceit of that they discover not their want of the word of God and so undervalue and sleight it this was the reason why our Saviours preaching wrought so little upon the Pharisees as you may see John 39. 40. they were not convinced of their blindness and sin but lifted up with an opinion of their own holiness so it was with the Jews too Rom. 10. 3. If ever we intend to profit by the word we must come emptied of our own righteousness and breathing after the righteousness of Christ held forth in the Gospel An humble though notorious sinner will profit more at the word then a proud self-justitiarie as the Publicans did at the preaching of our Saviour more then the Pharisees II. Pride of our own knowledge this makes men think that constant preaching of the word is needless we shall hear nothing but what we have heard before we know it as well as the preacher can tell us this is the pride of mens hearts It was the Athenians pride of their Philosophical notions which made them esteem Paul's preaching as a vain babling Acts 17. As some proud scholars think themselves beyond their Tutours reading so many are too goodly to be taught High Seraphical souls that are lifted up above ordinances that pretend to such growth that they can live without this spiritual food there is pride of heart at the bottome of all In heaven we shall live immediately upon God but here mediately by his ordinances there we shall see face to face but here in the glass of the word and if we desire to profit by it we must bring an humble frame of spirit Jobs language would become us well Job 34. 32. That which I see not teach thou me wait at wisdomes gates for further discoveries for here we know but in part and see nothing but darkly the best of us had need daily of eye-salve from Christ to have our eyes opened by the word we Acts 26. 18. must become sensible of our ignorance and in this become fools that we may be wise this pride must needs make the word unprofitable upon a three fold account 1. It makes men untractable and unteachable A proud heart is apt to set up many carnal reasonings and proud imaginations which exalt themselves against the word those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 2 Cor. 10. 4. whereby they quarrel with the truth of God as Nicodemus when our Saviour preached to him of regeneration he was as at his How can this thing be John 3. It was this pride made the Greeks count the Gospel foolishness 1 Cor. 1. 23. This pride makes men despise the word and they think it a kinde of pusillanimitie of spirit to submit to it who is the Lord saith proud Pharaoh Exod. 5. 2. and thereupon rejects all his messages by Moses so those proud Jerem. 44. 16 Jews in Jeremiah Clemens Alexandrinus saies The word is not to be submitted to the judgement of those who are not yet humbled but have their minds pre-occupied and prejudiced by proud carnal reasonings Observe what the Psalmist saies Psal 10. 4. God is not in the thoughts of his heart The proud will not seek after God that is in his ordinances he thinks it needless or else below him the proud Pharisees were of all other men the most untractable of Christ's doctrine 2. Because pride makes men unwilling to hear what may most profit A proud heart cannot endure to hear his particular sins his darling corruptions struck at or discovered by the word of God A particular reproof of sin is certainly the most profitable 2 Tim. 4. 2. and this a proud heart cannot endure If Christ reproves
sincerity of your obedience and endeavour will however be acceptable unto God as Abrahams was in offering his son though the event followed not therefore in Gods account he did it Hebr. 11. 17. God in his accepts the will for the deed 2 Cor. 8. 12. which is a special ground of comfort to Christians in every calling and employment But 3. thy reward shall be secured Esay 49. 5. God rewards not onely our success but our faithfulness S. Paul would have the Philippians to hold forth the word of life that he might rejoyce in the day of Christ that he might not seem to have run in vain nor laboured in vain and indeed the Ministers of the Gospel may seem to labour in vain in respect of the efficacy of their Ministery but certainly it shall not be in respect of the reward of it II. To the people It is serious matter of lamentation that the Ministers should have occasion to complain with the Prophet Esay 8. 18. Behold I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and wonders in Israel that is because they were so few and rare and that they should have occasion to complain with the same Prophet Esa 53. Who hath believed our report And it is sad for you Brethren if it be any of your case if it be mourn over it and pray against it as the Prophet David Psal 119. 18. Open mine eyes that I may see into the wonders of thy Law and withall observe with me 1. God doth not expect equal proficiency from all as a Master or Tutour doth not of all scholars whom yet he may approve and commend for their diligence This I speak for the comfort of those Christians who are the most conscientious waiters on the Ordinances yet complain they profit not answerably The good ground in Matth. 13. 23. did not bring forth equally but some thirty some sixty and some an hundred fruitfull fields bring forth unequal crops so it is possible that among those who conscionably attend on the Ordinances some may profit more then others 2. Thy proficiencie may not appear presently as oft we are in despair of our fields yet afterwards receive a good crop In the night of temptation or the like the word may be obscured and not appear but may afterward shew it self to the comfort of thy self and rejoycing of others 3. Perhaps thou profitest more in thy actions then thy knowledge They are not alwayes the best proficients in the word who declare most and know best if thy affections be enflamed towards the word and thou beest carefully conscientious to practise suitably to thy knowledge thou hast profited more then your notional high-flown professours which yet are cold and careless 4. Be still constant in thy attendance upon the word This is thy seed-time therefore practise the Wisemans advice which he gives Eccles 11. 6. In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening withhold not thine hand The good ground brought forth fruit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 8. 15. that is though persecuted for the word or else though no present crop or present profit We read of the impotent persons John 5. 3. that they lay at the pool though they were not presently put in and amongst them there was a man there who had an infirmitie thirty eight years at vers 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostome observes stupendious patience and speaking in that Homily on John 5. of the admirable patient waiting of that impotent person he adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we grow cold and remiss after a small time of waiting He lay thirty eight years yet not healed and yet did he not give over waiting so should we at this spiritual Bethesda to be cured of our spiritual infirmities though some of you may have lien as long unprofitably at the Ordinances as he unhealed at the pool yet wait still the time may come and will be Who among you will hearken for the time to come Esa 42. 23. Improve that thou hast already received and wait on God for an encrease in his own way and thou art under a promise to receive it for Habenti dabitur Matth. 25. 29. Secondly Prejudices against the Preacher and these are either I. Against his Person We are offended at the meanness of it he is a man like our selves or else we are dis-affected to him and both these cause unprofitableness under the word preached as it did in our Saviours auditours Matth. 13. 55 57. The Pharisees were offended at the person of Christ and so rejected his doctrine Ahab hates Micaiah the Prophet of the Lord and therefore refused to enquire of him 1 Kings 22. 8. This sinfull respect of persons hinders the efficacie of the word as it oft begets dis-affections in the heart of people towards the ablest Ministers These come not to hear the word but the man till you esteem the person you will hardly profit by his doctrine I plead not for a superstitious reverence of their persons but as the Apostle 1 Thess 5. 13. I desire that they may be esteemed very highly for their works sake These prejudices are oft times causeless arising from our own corruptions either because we are too apt to entertain reports against them contrary to the Apostles rule in 1 Tim. 5. 19. or else affectation of novelty dis-affects us to them or want of charity to cover their failings but pry into their faults and failings though they be but the spots of Gods children This is most irrational if we did but seriously consider that the efficacie of the word depends not upon the Minister Peter at one Sermon in Acts 2. converted more then Christ did in all his time for ought we read We should not disaffect the message for the messenger but rather esteem the messenger for the message sake we should minde the pearl that is brought us more then the hand that brings it II. Against his gifts I would hear him but his gifts are mean and small I could heartily wish that there were not too great ground of this prejudice and complaint at this day when we have so many of Jeroboams Priests every one that will as in 2 Sam. 1. 20. Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askalon I dare say some triumph at it but for duly-constituted Ministers if faithfull though of lesser abilities let me suggest 1. Variety of gifts are for your good and advantage as the holy Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. whether clegant Apollos or profound Paul or solid Cephas all are for your good Observe diligently that full and pregnant place in 1 Cor. 12. from ver 7. to ver 12. One interprets solidly another reasons profoundly a third applies powerfully a fourth wins affectionately and another demonstrates cunningly and all to thy profit There are two things suggested which may help to unprejudice us in this particular 1. the freedome of the Spirit in distributing these gifts
of the Word it self The third General ground of unprofitable hearing is in regard of the Word it self But you will say How is it possible that the word it self should be a cause of unprofitableness which Scripture so much magnifies and dignifies with such glorious titles that speak the power of it As that The Gospel is our salvation Ephes 1. 13. The sword of the Spirit Ephes 6. 17. The ministration of the Spirit and righteousness 2 Cor. 3. 8 9. and that it is the power of God unto salvation Rom. 1. 16 I answer It is not the cause of unprofitableness properly but by reason of mens corruption it is so by accident The word in it selfe considered is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 3. 16. but through mens corruptions it becomes unprofitable because common the Israelites at first admired the Manna but afterward loathed it when it grew common and began to entertain longings after their onions and garlick in Egypt and we may see how they quarel and murmure at it Numb 11. 5 6. Oh disingenuous ingratitude what could they have better then meat from heaven I wish this were not the language of many what nothing but this preaching the old complaint was that men were like to perish for want of vision now men begin to surfeit on it Mans corrupt nature affects variety never long pleased with the same thing and long enjoyment breeds a disrellish in us of the best things we prize pearls cheifely because rare and costly the Romans wore them upon their shoes when common vniones emergere è luto cupiunt saith Tertull. much adoe to keep them out of the dirt thus the pearl of the Gospel is troden under foot because ordinary and common The Indians prize not precious pearls so much because common which our Merchants venture expence and danger to procure many prize not the preaching of the Gospel which the Merchant sells all for that he may purchase it And how do we disesteem that means of grace which many a dark corner of the nation would be thankefull to enjoy I pray God we be not taught at length how to value our plenty of the bread of life more by the want of it How do they prize the salutes of the sun who have half a years darkness which darkness teaches them the value of it while we pass it over and look upon it as an ordinary thing because we enjoy it daily The Egyptians sure never prized light so much as when they had experienced the plague of darkness How would thousands in the nation in the world prize that light of the Gospel which we under-value and grow wanton under It is indeed much pitie and shame to us that good food should be nauseated because often set before us it is a sign our stomachs are not good our spiritual appetites are distempered The Scripture speaks fully to the ready and chearfull entertainment of the Gospel-sound when it was first preached to the Gentiles as appears by the instances of Cornelius's whole family of Sergius Paulus at Ephesus yea even Cesars houshold at Rome Philip. 4. 11. and from the sudden and large spreading of the Gospel in Rome Corinth Ephesus and the rest See we how it was in the days of Samuel 1 Sam. 3. 14. the publick exercise of the prophetical office was much decayed by the negligence of old Eli and wickedness of his sons Pauci erant pii in populo his erat pretiosum verbum quia rarò fiebat ejus audiendi copia so Paraeus upon the place When preaching was more rare some would have travelled to hear a sermon who will not now stir out of doors for it and this must needs cause unprofitableness for while men have low thoughts of the Ordinance they will profit little by it What the Wiseman saith Prov. 25. 17. Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbours house lest he be weary of thee may be applyed to this thus That men are apt to nauseate the word of God because so oft enjoyed by them Men look at it as a matter of course and regard not the institution and Ordinance of God and so under-valuing it remain unprofitable under it See how God layes this to the charge of Israel Hos 8. 12. I have written to him the great things of my law but they were counted as a strange thing Written to him in contradistinction to all other people yet he disesteems them Singulari privilegio eximio illos prae aliis ornavi Paraus in loc ipsi súsque déque habent quasi rem nihili so Paraeus And this charge it is to be feared may be laid to many in these days who pretend fair to the word of God The fourth General ground is in respect of God Unprofitableness as a sin cannot come from God but as a punishment of mens former neglect and wilfull contempt of the word of God for though Gods holiness permits him not to have any hand in sin as sin it being a contrariety to his nature and that which he indispensably hateth yet God may will sin as a punishment not out of love to the sin but to punish the person for though sin be intrinsecally evil yet the manifestation of Gods justice is good and God for former provocations oft judicially leaves the creature and permits him to fall into further sin as he dealt with the Gentiles Rom. 1. 21. and so was the incest of Absolom as a punishment of Davids adultery 2 Sam. 12. 11. Now God proceeds judicially against those who live unprofitably under the word these eight wayes I. Sometimes God proceeds in severity against their persons ruines and destroyes them If Christ comes year after year into the vineyard and findes the fig-tree to bear no fruit he gives commission to cut it down Luke 13. 7. When God expects brethren your fruitfulness under the means and finds you unprofitable his wrath is provoked and you cut up as a burthen to the earth so Matth. 3. 10. Thus God dealt with the Jews 2 Chron. 36. 15 16. he bare with them a long time till there was no remedie God will not always endure to have his messengers and messages contemned Read Jerem. 7. 12 13 14. and see there how God dealt with Shiloh and what he threatens to do to the Jews and the reason of all was their unprofitableness as we see at ver 10. they pretended fair to the word and house of God yet did they not profit so as to leave their sins for this God threats their ruine II. Sometimes he denyes and with-draws that grace from them by which they may be enabled to profit and thus God may be said to concur to mens unprofitableness as the Sun may be said to be the cause of darkness by with-drawing its light When men obstinately resist the strivings of the Spirit in the ministery of the word God saith My Spirit shall no longer strive with him As he saith Hos 4. 17. Ephraim is joyned to
the sinner Thou thoughtest saith God Psal 50. 21. that I was such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee As that Tyrant Dionysius as Valerius Maximus tells us when he had robbed the temple of Proserpina Val. Max. lib. 1. cap. 1. having a safe voyage at sea videtisne saith he quà m bona navigatio ab ipsis diis immortalibus sacrilegis tribuitur as if he had said See how the gods love sacriledge I shall therefore endeavour hoping to give a check to sin especially to injustice and wrong to demonstrate the indispensabilitie of Divine justice in three or four particulars 1. From Gods absolute indispensable hatred of sin the principle and rise of which is not his revealed will but his nature he is of purer eyes then to behold iniquitie Heb. 1. 13. God hates sin not onely as a breach of his Law but as a contrarietie to his nature and holiness he may as soon not be God as not hate sin and what is hatred in God but voluntas puniendi not any passion or perturbation as Aquinas saith all the affections of men are attributed to God quoad effectum non affectum and what is the effect of anger and hatred in us but a desire of revenge and punishment so in God it speaks his indispensable will to punish The Poets attribute to Justice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 slow feet so slow is Divine justice that sometimes it overtakes not a sinner in this life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Plutarch but it will sooner or later reach him God saith Augustin punisheth some sinnes here that men may not question his Aug. lib. de civ Dei c. 8. providence not all lest he should wholly anticipate the last judgement But it seems to me impossible but God should sooner or later punish sin which he so naturally hates and abhors therefore calls Jer. 44. 4. it in the Prophet Jeremiah that abominable thing which his soul hates 2. To vindicate his glory and repair his honour which sin robs him of He is a jealous God namely of his honour God will have his Exod. 20. 5. glorie from every man one way or other those that will not glorifie him by doing his will God will glorifie himself upon them by punishing them against their own The obedience of the whole creation being a present debt can never make reparation for that dishonour the least sinne brings to God God will therefore repair it by glorifying his justice upon their disobedience and so make them bear the severitie of his justice who would not submit to the justness of his commands 3. To assert his dominion over the creature Every sin is a throwing off and disowning the Soveraigntie of God and affecting an independencie upon him The first sin was ushered in thus by our first parents ambitiously affecting and credulously believing what the devil most falsly promised them to be like Gods Those mine enemies Gen. 3. 5. Luke 19. 27. that would not I should reign over them c. That would not this is the language of every wilfull sin it is virtually a laying aside the rule and authoritie of God with that proud Pharaoh Who is the Lord Exod. 5. 2. Psal 2. 3. that I should obey his voice Or as those in the Psalmist Let us cast away his cords from us As if they should say we will be ruled by our own laws and not be bound up to any superiour commands and thus interpretatively deny their dependance and subordination to God God can no other way maintain his dominion over them then by punishing which they have endeavoured to cast off by sinning As a Prince cannot keep up and preserve his rule and dominion over his subjects otherwise then by punishing them if they turn rebels so God upholds his dominion by punishing those who acknowledge not his Soveraignty in commanding and he that chooseth to obey his own will in sinning shall be subordinate to Gods soveraignty in suffering But 4. Lastly and particularly as to the case of wrong and injurie God will certainly punish to assert and clear up his Saints innocencie which here in the world is oft trodden upon by the foot of pride and tyrannie which the Apostle to the Thessalonians mentions as an argument of just dealing with our brethren Let no man go beyond or defraud his brother in any matter because the Lord is the avenger of all such 1 Thess 4. 6. The Poets feign Justice to be the daughter of Jupiter whom he hath set over the world to revenge those injuries one man does to another I am sure God if he doth not in this life plead the cause of the oppressed as sometimes he doth hath appointed a day in which his justice shall punish them who here unjustly punish his It is saith the Apostle 2 Thess 1. 6. a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled peace You may see perhaps the proud Neroes and Caligulaes of the world treading stately and proudly vaunting commanding threatning upon the stage of the world as Emperours in some few Scenes of a Tragoedie but if we stay to the last act we shall see their Scarlet double-dyed in bloud or if innocencie be thrown and persecuted off the stage before the act be ended there will come a time when the righteous shall rejoyce to see the vengeance and wash his feet in the bloud of the wicked those which here oppress and wrong him saying with the Psalmist Verily there Psal 58. 11. is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth II. The equitie of God's judicial proceedings it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God's justice laies out divers and various punishments according to the nature degree qualitie and circumstances of mens sins This is that which Scripture speaks of so frequently God will render to every man according to his deeds Rom. 2. 6. every one shall receive according to that he hath done 2 Cor. 5. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receiving the reward of unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2. 13. God shall cause every man to finde according to his waies Job 34. 11. And indeed it cannot be otherwise for shall not the judge of all the world do right saith Abraham Gen. 18. 25. he can do nothing but right the creature is under such an absolute subordination to the Soveraigntie and dominion of God being in his hand as clay in the hand of the potter which is Scripture language that it is not capable Rom. 9. 21. of receiving any wrong from God and God's holy will is so absolute independent a rule and square of all righteousness and equitie that he cannot do any injurie to the creature Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance saith the Apostle to the Romans Rom. 3. 5. Indeed there may be some seeming inequalitie in Gods judicial proceedings here in the world Providences here are oft so intricate like Ezekiel's
wrongs impious Thirdly The impartiality of divine justice there is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with God nor ought to be with you nothing given so frequently in charge in Scripture that I know of as this not to respect persons And that in reference to God himself Deut. 1. 17. ye shall not respect persons in judgement for the judgement is Gods but hear the small as well as the greater And elsewhere Thou shalt not wrest judgement Deut. 16. 19. Lev. 19. 15. thou shalt not respect persons And in Leviticus Thou shalt not honour the person of the mighty nor respect the person of the poor neither cowardly fear the one nor foolishly pity the other though the poor be especially the Magistrates charge and it ought to be his care to defend him and pity him so far as may be sine laesione justitiae saith Aquin. 2. 2. Exod. 23. 3. Aquinas So in Exodus neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause that is with violation of justice and equitie And to name no more to have respect of persons is not good saith Solomon Prov. 28. 21. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if we believe Zanchy is properly verbum Zanch. in Ephes 6. 9. forense a word of Assizes de judicibus propriè praedicatur Accepting persons is a sin incident to those who are employed in matters of judicature and transactions of Law and is as commonly I fear practised as it is little understood when Jurours are by assed more by love or hate to the person then by conscience of their oaths or insight into the cause when verdict is the language of their affection or praejudice not of their knowledge and conscience when the interest of some near relation or a suggestion from a friend swaies them more then the equity of the cause when witnesses swear home in one mans cause and wont in another though they know as much of it and the case depends on it when a lawyer pleads the poor mans cause faintly and coldly though perhaps the most just the rich mans with abundance of zeal and heat of passion all this is a vitious and sinfull respect of persons And suffer me Right honourable to be your remembrancer though I confidently believe you both know these things and abhor them when one mans cause is expedited and dispatched upon the bare consideration of some outward qualification as Riches Friendship Kindred Countrie or the like and in the mean time a poor mans case is deferred and protracted when one mans case upon the like consideration is sifted into another mans perfunctorily passed over or the Jurie better informed in one mans case then in another when one mans case is weighed in the ballance of equitie a second of prejudice a third of favour and affection when of two involved in the same guilt one meets with a milder sentence then the other as being a friend or rich or powerfull or because of some circumstantial opinion or the like when the person commends the case not the case the person in a word when any consideration besides the equity of the cause and justness of the law prevailes with the Judge in judgement this is an unjust and sinfull respect of persons God standeth in the congregation of the mighty he judgeth among the Gods saith David how long will ye judge unjustly and accept the persons of the Psal 82. 1 2. wicked 'T is a great and crying sin certainly the very ruin of societies it overturnes and perverts the end of the Laws the protection of which the meanest may challenge as his right which as they were made so should be executed without respect of person 'T is a sin which robs the subject of his liberty and security and makes him slavish and servile whilest he fears if he cannot be assured of an Impartial execution of the Laws a lesser fault in him may feel a severer hand of justice then a greater in another Riches or Honour Diversitie of opinions or what ever other circumstances of the person alter not the nature of homicide or adulterie or theft God is equally dishonoured the common-wealth equally suffers the law is equally violated by these sins be the person what he will be therefore respecting these must needs be an overthrowing of the laws and a perverting of judgement Besides this sin disposeth a man to other sins to all kinde of iniquity to have respect of person saith Solomon is not good for a piece of bread that man will transgress Prov. 18. 21. Yea it lays him open to the curse of the people so the same Wiseman He that saith to the wicked Thou art righteous him shall the people Prov. 24. 24. curse nations shall abhor him And that which is worse and most aggravates the crime Judges on their tribunals personate and represent God and so by respecting persons make God a partner in Drusâ—us in difficil loc in Deut. 3. that sin which he most hates Drusius notes that the Ancients painted justice peplo oculis obducto with a veil drawn over her eyes to signifie that impartialitie which ought to be in the administrations of justice Judges should be seeing into the cause that 's the Judges honour and the peoples advantage and security as S. Paul accounted it his priviledge to answer before Agrippa because he Acts 26. 2. knew him expert in all customes and questions so I am confident others will finde this their advantage from you Right Honourable but blinde to the person knowing but not partial A Judge saith the Philosopher is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 living breathing Arist Polit. lib. 5. cap. 7. justice The Judges in Egypt vvere painted vvithout hands and blinde And the Areopagites vvho vvere Judges at Athens passed their sentence in the night and had their judicatures in some dark rooms that so they might not be by assed by prejudice or affection to the person to give vvrong judgement and I question not but you vvill be found such in our Athens And by thus imitating the justice of God you may hereby I. Promote the end of the Laws and the end of your office which is the publick security which is no way better consulted then by justice and equity S. Austin plainly denies that ever the Romane politie Aug. de Civ Dei lib. 10. c. 21. lib. 4. cap. 4. Lipsius de const lib. 2. cap. 13. could be called properly a Common-wealth upon this ground that ubi non est justitia non est respublica he calls Common-wealths without justice but magna latrocinia or in Lipsius his language congeries confusio turba 't is but an abuse of the word Respublica Common-wealth where the publick good is not consulted by an impartial justice and equity 't is but a confused heap a rowt of men Or if we will call it so at present it will not be so long without justice for besides that injustice and oppression makes the
this account he must account himself beholding to man for it who determined himself to accept of those offers all which would otherwise have been in vain and ineffectual It would be most easie to answer that question of the Apostle 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee to differ or What hast thou which thou hast not received Lord might the soul say I have this actual acceptance of thy grace offered which I never received But Scripture hath taught us the contrary language It is God which worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. therefore we cannot will before grace because grace worketh the will So to assert any fore-seen conditions in us as the motives of God's eternal love is to rob God of the glory which he hath of peculiarizing a people to himself for upon this account God did not choose us but we him whereas the Apostle tells us 1 John 4. 19 We love God because he first loved us God loves his people into holiness not because they were so either in themselves or in his fore-sight no When I saw thee polluted in thy bloud behold this time was the time of love saith God Ezek. 16. 6 8. God could fore-see no conditions as furure in his people but what his own will determined to work in them and nothing could move him to will it but free and undeserved grâ—â—â— and love So those who assert the sufficiency of natural light to the salvation of the heathens pull down God's inclosure and lay all in common without any peculiarity of priviledge to those who enjoy the Gospel and Ordinances which in the Apostles judgement peculiariz'd the Jews of old What advantage then hath the Jew saith he Rom. 3. 1 2. much every way chiefly because that unto them were committed the oracles of God Secondly Let it be a warning to wicked men to have a care how they in Use 2 any kinde injure the godly they are God's peculiar he hath a special care and tenderness of respect towards them all the injuries you do them reflect upon God Thou reproachest and revilest them nick-nam'st and scoff'st at them Isa 37. 23 24. but dost thou think â—n the mean time that thou reproachest God by this Thou persecutest them and dost thou think by it thou persecutest Christ himself Acts 9. 4. Thou oppressest them and dost thou think that he that toucheth them toucheth the apple of God's eye Zach. 2. 8. that's a part sensible of the least offence therefore saith God Psal 105. 15. touch not mine Anointed and do my Prophets no harm Let wicked men assure themselves that the godly whom they persecute and butcher will one day be thorns in their sides they do but kick against the pricks as Paul Acts 9. 5. What will you do when God comes to make inquisition for bloud be sure God will avenge the quarrel of his peculiar ones God expresseth his care and tenderness of his people by his carrying them upon eagles wings Exod. 19. 4. It is observed of the Eagle that she onely of all the creatures carries her young ones upon her wings for their securitie that whoever shoot at the young ones cannot hurt them but through her wings wicked men cannot injure the people of God but they wound God himself and will not God avenge the quarrel of his elect which indeed is his own yes he will avenge it suddenly Luke 18. 7 8. Thirdly This gives us an account why the world doth not fall about the Use 3 ears of wicked men God hath his peculiar people and some not yet gathered in till they be compleated the world shall endure If there had been but ten of these peculiar people in Sodom God had spared it So soon as Methuselah is dead then comes the floud Godly men are the pillars of the world which uphold it from overwhelming wicked men I bear up the pillars of it saith David Psal 75. 3. God suffers the tares to grow for the wheats sake Matth. 13. 30. The Saints are the securitie of the place wherein they live Sodom was safe whilest Lot was in it Gen. 19. 22. Israel safe whilest Josiah lived 2 Kings 22. 19. Hippo could never be spoiled whilest Augustin lived as Posidonius tells us in his life and Luther it is said while he lived by his prayers kept of the civil wars from Germany Moses stood in the gap and prevented the destruction of the murmuring Israelites Psal 106. 23. Phineas stays the plague Fourthly Then censure not the godly as guilty of unnecessary preciseness Use 4 or affected singularitie if they be more scrupulous and strict and fearfull of sin then others are Wicked men strange at this as the Apostle tells you 1 Pet 4. 4. They think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot speaking evil of you Beloved if seriously weighed it is no matter of wonder for they have peculiar engagements to holiness upon them the presence of distinguishing love to engage them against sin as Joseph argues from the special favours he had received from his Master to the avoidance of injuring him Gen 39. 9. so Saints from determinating love Christ hath redeemed me and is not a redeemed bondslave under special engagements of homage to his Lord What shall I wound my Saviour by sin who hath already been wounded for it Besides Saints are sensible of their engagements No man in the world but hath sufficient engagement upon him to holiness merely upon the account of Creation Providences and common mercies but their insensibleness is the cause of their unthankfulness but Saints live in a meditation and under a sense of mercy thy loving kindness saith David Psal 26. 3. is before mine eyes Their slips are more dishonourable to God then the sins of others God's honour is wounded and his ways reproached by reason of their sins therefore in tenderness to the honour of God they are engaged in a fear of and watchfulness against sin besides they have a principle within acting them to holiness they have experience of the beauties of holiness and that peace which the practise of it brings in to them and they have more to lose then others by sin the sense of Love the smiles of a Father the light of God's countenance They cannot sin so cheap as others can you may pardon them well if they fear the loss of their peace Divine Eclipses and withdrawings if they dread broken bones which a David cries out of Psal 51. 8. after a wilfull sin Fifthly Let this lay a threefold engagement upon Gods peculiar Use 5 I. Unto thankfulness Psal 135. 2 3 4. Ye that stand in the house of the Lord in the courts of our God praise the Lord for the Lord is good for the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself and Israel for his peculiar treasure Special praises should be the Echo of peculiar mercies You may finde the Church magnifying Christ upon this very account Rev.
seriously consider the burthen of Magistracy and through the turbulency disquiet and unruliness of many spirits the difficulty of managing it and how much wisdome and prudence is required to it and withall that all the enablements and assistances to go through it come from above from God will easily see that prayer and devotion is necessary to a Magistrate Magistrates should be men of knowledge and understanding as it is said of David that he was wise as an Angel of God 2 Sam. 14. 20. Moses bid the people seek out men of knowledge and understanding to be Rulers over them Deut. 1. 13. The way to come by this wisdome is prayer which Solomon was sensible of when being put to his choise what to ask he prayed for wisdome 1 King 3. 9. The same his father David had prayed for for him before 1 Chron. 22. 12. The Lord give thee wisdome and understanding both to govern thy self and others And the Apostle bids expressely those who want wisdome to ask it of God Jam. 1. 5. And if ever this were needfull then now certainly in our days A skilfull Pilot and Mariner is most required in a storm when the boisterous tumultuous waves threaten a ship-wrack and wise and skilfull Magistrates to secure the Church from splitting upon the rock of errour and heresie or the State of Anarchy and confusion 4. His courage and resolution to undertake any service for God though upon the greatest improbabilities and most difficult disadvantages If he sends him against Jericho onely with Rams-horns he undertakes it This God oft urgeth upon Joshua Josh 1. 18. Onely be strong and of a good courage A good qualification of a Christian Magistrate Courage to stand up for God and Courage to appear against sin Courage to bear up against reproaches and calumnies of men for these you must look to meet with that you be not afraid of the face of man Deut. 1. 17. Alexander was wont to say that this was verè regium well becoming Authoritie to do well and to hear ill such a Courage and equal greatness and magnanimitie of spirit becomes a Magistrate as may neither be over-heightned by anger and passion which oft makes Magistracie degenerate into a cruel Tyrannie nor yet emasculated and weakned by timorous low fearfulness which may cause him to pervert justice whilest he fears either the Malefactours greatness or his own disgrace and inconvenience Solomon's Throne was upheld by Lions A Lions heart upholds the Magistrates power and authoritle whilest a base pusillanimous cowardize betraies his Government to contempt his person to reproach and encourageth the people whilest through his cowardize they promise themselves impunitie to confidence in sin prophaneness It was a brave resolution of David which if all Magistrates as it is their dutie should take up we should not see such an overflowing of open prophaneness Psal 101. 7 8. He that worketh deceit c. V. The milde and sweet tenderness of his Government He rather chose to lead the people then to drive them to perswade then to force them An instance of this you have Josh 1. 12 13 14. c. He might by his power have commanded and compelled them or else justly stript and deprived them of that possession which was allotted them by Moses which was onely upon condition of their obedience in passing Jordan Numb 32. 29 30. But see he chose rather friendly to admonish and intreat them and see the fruit of it it overcame the people into obedience Josh 1. 16 17. And no wonder Joshua was so tender and gentle being instructed and educated by Moses the meekest man upon the face of the earth Num. 12. 3. A fit temper sure of a Christian Magistrate as being that by which these God's of the earth resemble the God of heaven This is it which preserves and secures Government Prov. 20. 28. The reason sure is because nothing doth so powerfully yet so sweetly command the peoples obedience Thus Absalom stole away the hearts of the people of Israel 2 Sam. 15. 5. Whilest a morose imperious cruelty exasperates mens minds and makes them tumultous and rebellious a sweet milde elemencie makes them facile and flexible Historians observe that the cruelty of Nero Vitellius Domitian Heliogabalus others betrayed them to hastie and violent deaths whilest the sweetness and clemencie of Trajan Augustus Adrianus and Titus Vespasian who was hence called deliciae humani generis caused their Bellarm. p. 95. longer life and more honourable and natural death Pliny tells us that the king of the Bees hath no sting a Magistrate should be of such an equal temper that neither by an overmuch facilitie he might encourage sin nor yet by a too severe crueltie oppress and tyrannize VI. His Vigilancie and watchfulness of which we have an instance Josh 3. 1. And Joshua rose early in the morning c. A duty which lies much upon Magistrates Continual dangers attend them difficulties offer themselves to them they must be watchfull lest whilest they sleep the enemie comes and sows tares the Tares of Mat. 13. 25. Heresie in the Church or Faction and Sedition in the State 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It becomes not a Magistrate to sleep a Hom. Iliad ◠whole night the Heathen could say The Apostle exhorts them who rule that they should do it with diligence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. 8. Magistrates would do well to consider whose work they are imployed in viz. the work of God His Deputies they are and therefore may tremble to think of that Jer. 48. 10. Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully or negligently as it is in the Margent and this may provoke them to care and vigilancie in their duty VII His care in the execution of justice carefully enquiring into the cause before he passed sentence A pregnant instance of which we have Josh 7. in his dealing with Achan how he searched first into the Tribes then into the Families then into the housholds till at last he found the person Then he was as just and severe in punishing as he had been diligent and carefull in enquiring This becomes all Magistrates in the execution of justice not to pass a rash judgement through a precipitate hast or passion but to search out the truth of the cause by which means they may come neither to spare or countenance the sin nor yet to wrong the person God himself hath set Magistrates a pattern in this before he would pour fire and brimstone upon Sodom Gen. 18. 21. I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know Which is spoke after the manner of men This God commands Magistrates Deut. 1. 16. Hear the causes between your brethren and judge righteously c. And again Deut. 17. 4. And it be told thee and thou hast heard of it and enquired diligently and
behold it be true c. This was the custome of the Romanes Acts 25. 16. not to deliver any man to die before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him Magistrates should be indeed blinde to the person but seeing into the cause VIII His consulting the Priest of God and asking and taking his direction which was God's command and his practise Num. 27. 21. And he shall stand before Eleazar the Priest who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord at his word shall they go out and at his word they shall come in both he and all the children of Israel with him even all the congregation This was the practise of good Magistrates of old as Jehosaphat asked counsel of Micaiah 1 Kings 22. 5. David of Nathan Hezechiah of Isaiah 2 Kings 19. 2. Theodosius of S. Ambrose and it would speak the humilitie and the pietie of the Magistrates to do so still This good and advantage we should likely finde by it that Magistrates would rule more according to the word of God and be less acted by carnal interests and worldly policies and designs IX And lastly His publick spiritedness his minding the common interest and preferring the publick good of the people before his private advantage A signal instance of which we have in dividing the land Josh 19. 49. When they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them He might have taken first and the greater part too but he prefers the peoples good before his own This excellently suits with a good Magistrate who should not seek great things for himself or to exalt himself or promote his own interest but to carrie on the publick good and concernment It was good counsel which the Philosopher gave Diâ—teric p. 723. Alexander his scholar That he should undertake the government 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not for his own honour so much as for the peoples good And the same Philosopher makes this distinction between a good and a bad Magistrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. Ethâ—c lib. 8. cap. 10. A bad Magistrate seeks his own a good one the peoples good and profit When God promised Moses Exod. 32. 10 11. to make of him a great nation but would destroy Israel he had no minde to that preferment upon those terms Nothing more contrary to the nature of the Magistrates office which was appointed by God for the good of others nothing more destructive to the publick then private interest and base self-seeking unworthy of a Christian and more of a Magistrate the very end of whose office is the publick good Secondly The influence of a good Magistrate which he may have I. By his good and religious example Examples are very prevalent and of great force with most men and by this Joshua promoted the service of God Josh 24. 24. You may see the peoples resolution to serve the Lord which was sure the issue of Joshua's resolve verse 15. But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Therefore Origen after his usual manner allegorizing upon this place interprets all the days of Joshua all the vertues of Joshua as Justitia Misericordia c. whom Hugo and Lyra follow The examples of great ones of men in place and authority do powerfully encline others whether to good or bad to sin or holiness Observe what the Wiseman saith Prov. 29. 12. If a ruler bearken to lies all his servants are wicked As it is said of Israel that their leaders made them to erre Esay 9. 16. This was the account of the Pharisees rejecting Christ John 7. 48. Have any of the rulers believed on him Thus the Israelites wrote after the copie of Solomons Idolatrie 1 Kings 11. 5 7 33. How is Jeroboam branded with this that he made Israel to sin viz. the example and president of his Idolatrie 1 Kings 14. 16. Their Religion or Idolatrie ebbed and flowed according to the temper of their Kings S. Augustine speaking August Conf. lib. 1. cap. 16. of that youth in Terence who was encouraged to the sin of Adulterie by the example of their God Jupiter meditates thus Vide quemadmodum se concitat ad libidinem coelesti quodam Magistro so men are emboldned by the sins of Magistrates to commit the same as they whom Scripture calleth God's There is a kinde of Soveraingtie in the examples of great ones over mens lives and actions and as Lactantius notes men account it Obsequii quoddam genus Lactan. instit l. 5. c. 6. Regis vitia imitari and therefore cast of all pietie nè Regi scèlus exprobrare viderentur lest their contrarie vertues might seem to upbraid their Governours vices Therefore Magistrates upon this account are engaged to the service of God lest they incur the guilt of other mens sins and by their example countenance those sins which by their sword of justice they should punish Wickedness invalidates the Magistrates authority and weakens his hands in the execution of justice and encourageth sin in others as the Egyptians esteemed it gracefull and their dutie to halt on that legge on which their King limped On the contrary a Magistrates religious example provokes piety in others This makes Religion glorious and lovely in the eyes of others when it shines with the rays of greatness and Majestie David by his liberal contribution to the building of the Temple provokes the people to a willing benevolence 1 Chron. 29. 6 7. c. The Ninevites humble themselves by the example of their king Jonah 3. 6. There may perhaps be something to this purpose in that expression Hagg. 2. 23. where God saith of Zerubbabel that he will make him as a seal or a signet to intimate the care and account God makes of good Magistrates as men do of a Ring or Seal he hath them continually in his hand see what an impression Great-ones may make upon the people and how readily the people will receive that Signature and impression of Holiness which they see engraven upon their Governours and Superiours This then may engage Magistrates to Holiness that they may go before others in a holy life It was the honour of that Romane Cesar that he was never heard to say Ite Milites but Venite Commilitones Ignave venire Te Caesar non ire jubet A most prevalent course for this makes the people conceive of the Magistrates commands as equal and reasonable when they see Holiness and Religion not onely enacted by their laws but legible in their lives That 's the first II. By punishing sin Herein appeared Joshua's zeal in causing Achan to be stoned Joshua 7. 25. This is part of the Commission God hath given you to this end he hath put a Sword into your hand Rom. 13. 4 6. and 1 Pet. 2.
lib. 5. Hist That the same miseries fell together both upon Church and State The Peace of the one and the Religion of the other ebbed and flowed together Sometimes disorders in the State usher'd in irreligion in the Church and irreligion in the Church oftner brought confusion upon the State And this Scripture speaks Observe but how it fared with Israel Judg. 5. 8. They chose new gods then was war in the gates c. That 's a notable place 2 Chron. 15. 3. For a long season Israel hath been without the true God and without a teaching Priest and without Law See the decay of Religion and vers 6. read the sad event of it And Nation was destroyed of Nation and citie of citie for God did vex them with all adversitie The Calves at Dan and Bethel which Jeroboam thought good policie to set up for the security of his kingdome proved it's ruine and betrayed his kingdome to the Assyrians 2 Kings 17. Certainly Religion is the best policie to preserve and secure the blessing of God upon a Nation How did God bless the house of Obed-Edom while the Ark remained with him 2 Sam. 6. 12. and Pharaoh for Josephs sake Gen. 39. 5. So Micah Judg. 17. 13. Now know I that the Lord will do me good seeing I have a Levite to my Priest So the publick Ordinances and Ministry are the best blessings to a Nation As Elisha said when he saw Elijah taken from him O my Father The chariots of Israel and the horsmen thereof in those times therein consisted their strength So if once the publick Ordinances and Ministry be taken from us the strength and security of the Nation is gone 3. To uphold the glory of the Nation It is observable what the Lord saith to Joshua chap. 5. 9. This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you after they had circumcised the people that is saith Junius The profaneness of their Fathers in Egypt â—aylor Types pag. 47. whereby they grew careless and negligent of the Ordinances of God God rolled away this reproach Dum per circumcisionem admittit ad celebrandum Pascha saith learned Masius which had for Masius in loc so many years been omitted This the Apostle reckons as the great priviledge Rom. 3. 2. so also the great glory of the Jewish Nation chap. 9. 4. When the Priests were slain and the Ark taken Phinehas his wife named her childe Ichabod For saith she the glory is departed from Israel So if ever we come to lose the Ministry and Ordinances you may well sadly say The glory is departed from England 4. To preserve their own glory repute and honour Thus was our good Magistrate in the Text glorious in the eyes of all the people Josh 3. 7. and 4. 14. This is it which good Magistrates have always gloried in I do not remember that the title of any one of Davids Psalms is David the King of Israel but the thirtieth Psalm is inscribed David the servant of the Lord. He thought this surely the more glorious title S. Austin tells us of Theodosius the Emperour S. August de Civ Dei lib. 5. cap. 26 That Ecclesiae se membrum esse magis quà m in terris regnare gaudebat He accounted it more his glory and honour to be himself a member of the Church then Emperour of the world and in the 24 chapter of the same book S. Austin tells us what Magistrates are truly to be accounted happy and honourable Not those who reign long or whose conquests are many successes great or power arbitrary sed qui suam potestatem ad Dei cultum maximè dilatandum Majestati ejus famulam faciunt They who improve their power for the propagating the true Religion and service of God and make their power subservient to his glory to which they are obliged as Christians more as Magistrates set up by God for the protection of Religion It is here spoken as the glorie and honour of Joshua That the people served the Lord all his daies The Application shall onely be briefly this Let both people and Magistrate from all this learn their duty Hath the Magistrate such an influence upon and charge over Religion and the service of God Then let the people learn a three-fold dutie to Magistrates First Of prayer for them This David foretells as part of the glory of Solomons government that prayer shall continually be made for him Psal 72. 15. Tertullian shews that it was the constant practise Tertul. Apol. cap. 30 31. of Christians to pray even for the persecuting Emperours Hoc agite saith he boni Praesides extorquete animam Deo supplicantem pro Imperatore Send these Christian souls to heaven breathing out prayers for their persecuting Emperour And how much rather is it our duty to pray for those Christian Magistrates who stand up for the defence and protection of the true worship of God This is the use the Apostle makes of it 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men For Kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Secondly Of honour and reverence Rom. 13. 7. Honour saith the Apostle to whom honour is due as being the Ordination of God bearing the image of his authority as also because of those blessings which God derives unto us by them as instruments Entertain honourable thoughts of them as set over you not by chance but providence and though by man as the instrument in which respect the Apostle Peter calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2. 13 in electing or the like yet by God as the supreme Lord in which respect S. Paul saith all Magistrates are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honour them in your words speak no evil of them or their administrations without just cause Exod. 22. 28. Thou shalt not curse the ruler of thy people Then give him an outward civil reverence in thy gesture and deportment They certainly do not know the usefulness of Magistracie who do not honour them It was a Law among the Persians that Gâ—â—rd pag. 54. upon the death of the King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That for five days no laws should be in force but every man left to do what he list that they seeing the confusion outrages and inconvenience of the want of Magistrates might afterwards more reverence and esteem them And so should we if we rightly considered the miserie of the want or the happiness of enjoying good Magistrates Thirdly Of subjection and obedience This is the Apostles direct inference Rom. 13. 1. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers c. But why first For his authority and greatness vers 4. He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secondly For his usefulness it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is to thee for good not onely for thy outward
convince me of the truth of it or else I may with the same easiness say It is from Satan and this conviction can be made no otherwise but by Scripture which is the most infallible ground of truth What the Pharisees said of Christ we may truly say of our late pretenders to Enthusiasmes and Revelations We know not whence he is John 9. 29. They may be from Rome as it is more then probable some of them are or whence soever they come certainly not from God if they disown the voice of God in the Scriptures Wherefore my counsel to you shall be that of S. Paul to the Thessalonians 2 Thessal 2. 2. Be not soon shaken in minde nor be troubled and in 2 Tim. 1. 18. Hold fast the form of sound words And this will be usefull thus First Then make your last appeal to Scriptures in matters of faith The Papists appeal to uncertain traditions the Enthusiast to deluding Revelation let us to the Scriptures for this is both the precept of God and the constant practise of the Scriptures To the Law and to the Testimonie Esay 8. 20. So our Blessed Saviour always appeals to the Scriptures as in the business of the Resurrection Matth. 22. 29. And to prove himself the Messiah he appeals to Moses and the Prophets Luke 24. 26 27. Thus the Apostles though acted by the same infallible Spirit yet always appealed to Moses and the Prophets so did S. Peter Acts 2. 25 31. and from thence did Apollos confute the Jews Acts 18. 29. and so Paul to prove the resurrection of Christ in Acts 13. 23. So then my brethren appeal not to the judgement and testimony of man what he saith as S. Cyprian was much delighted with Tertullian that he was wont to say Da magistrum nor to the dictates of dark reason but to the infallible Testimonie of the Scriptures and attend to Gods voice in them Secondly See here the ingenuous boldness and confidence of truth that dares appeal to Scripture Christ was confident of his cause and therefore declines not the test of Scriptures Search them saith he as if he had said If they do not testifie of me then do not acknowledge me It argues a timorous diffidence and consciousness of men when they like not to be tried by the word of God as in the Papist who appeals from the Scripture to traditions and it speaks the errours of those Revelations which will not subscribe to be tried here you may safely reject that doctrine as erroneous which will not be weighed in the ballance of the Scriptures or if it be weighed there proves light and wanting Tertullian of old notes that Hereticks were lucifugae Scripturarum As blear eyes decline looking upon the sun so corrupt doctrines the light of the Scriptures Thirdly Embrace and entertain nothing as saving truth which will not bear the test of Scripture It is one use of Scripture to be profitable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 3. 16. to confute and silence heresie and errour and what-ever the Scripture reproves is such Be not imposed upon by the proud imperious dictates of men nor deluded by the pretences and delusions of Satan and his instruments but let this be your rule to try by Fourthly In all your doubts consult the Scriptures So did David in Psal 119. 24. He made the Testimonies of God his delight and his counsellours to enform and resolve him and that 1. In doubts of the head for reformation this is one excellency of the Scriptures to make wise the simple as in Psal 19. 7. Scripture sayes the Apostle 2 Tim. 3. 16. is profitable to inform the judgement and by this did David become wiser then his teachers 2. In doubts of the heart for consolation That was one end of Gospel-revelation that we through patience and comfort of the Scripture might have hope Rom. 15. 4. And so David found the statutes of God to be the rejoycing of his heart Psal 19. 8. In inward doubts of conscience have recourse to the Scriptures there thou mayst finde those cordial promises which will put joy and gladness into thy heart In thy duty consult the Scripture which will direct thee In thy troubles to comfort thee In thy fears to support thee In all thy doubts to comfort and resolve thee So much for the words considered Relatively Secondly Absolutely in themselves And so they will fall under a double consideration too First As taken by way of Concession Indicatively and so Beza Camero Paraeus and others understand them and so also they speak I. Our Saviours commendation of these Jews as diligent searchers into Scripture Or else II. His discommendation of them and reproof and that 1. either of their ignorance that notwithstanding they did search into Scripture yet they attained not to the knowledge of him as the true Messiah that though they had frequently Bibles in their hands yet they had not the word of God dwelling in their hearts Or 2. of their malice that notwithstanding they searched the Scriptures which did so evidently testifie of Christ yet they maliciously rejected him and would not come unto him that they might have life as in vers 40. Secondly As taken by way of exhortation Imperatively speaking a command to all to search the Scriptures And I shall take it in this second acception it being the drift of a great part of this chapter to exhort these Jewes to hear the word of Christ and Paraus himself acknowledges that uterque sensus est pius commodus And thus taken there are three things considerable in the words First The nature of the duty expressed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly The universality of the dutie and that is double I. Of the Persons engaged in it expressed indefinitely II. Of the Object 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is all Scripture Thirdly The motive and arguments of the duty and they are two I. The benefit of Scripture-search Ye think ye have eternal life in them II. The object of Scripture-discoverie that is Christ they testifie of me All which particulars may be reduced to this one general Observation That Scripture-search is a duty every Christian ought to be engaged in Or thus It is the duty of every Christian to search the Scriptures In the handling of which observation this method shall be observed First To shew the importance of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly What searchers of Scripture Christ here points at Thirdly The universality of the duty Fourthly The grounds of this search Fifthly The Application First To shew the importance of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies such a search as diggers in mines make for gold and silver in the earth and implies five things I. A valuation and esteem of the Scriptures He that digs in a mine for gold evidences his valuation of it otherwise he would never dig for it so searching of Scripture speaks an high estimate and prizing of Scripture Such