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A95845
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Two sermons preached before His Majesties High Commissioner; and the Estates of Parliament By the appointment of the provinicial Synod of Lothian and Tweddale. Upon Sabbath the 7th. of May, 1693. Unto which is subjoyned the sermon preached at the opening up of the Synod. May 2. 1693. By Mr. William Vetch minister of Peebles.
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Vetch, William.
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1693
(1693)
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Wing V180; ESTC R230528
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36,246
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96
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why we must take heed to our Ministerial work is because it is a difficult work partly from the various and numerous enemies that oppose it Satan that roaring lion and restless enemie of the Church standing at our right hand Zech. 3.1 Also what principalities and powers and spiritual wickednessess in high places what rulers of the darkness of this world have we to wrestle against Eph 6.12 yea what opposition from men among whom we live some with open violence breaking down as far as they can the carved work others under a vizour and pretence to build with us like the false apostles intending nothing less then to bring us back to abandoned Corruptions in the House of GOD. Partly from our own Ignorance the work is made difficult which disables us to manage this trust to the best advantage how hard is it for Ministers to speake aright to the various Cases and Conditions of their People and to find fitt words to hold forth the Evil of Sin by the Loveliness of Christ The beauty of Holiness the danger of living carelesly and unconcernedly under the means of Grace and repeated offers of the Gospel The third Reason why Ministers had need to take heed to their Ministry is this that there has been Ministers in the Church and we have had sad Instances of it in our days professing pretending highly for CHRIST and the purest work of Reformation that afterwards when the Occasion and Tentation offered have betrayed the cause discovered their rottenness and ruined the Church and Work of GOD as far as they could Some of them bewitched and enticed with the Riches of this World so to do like Judas and Demas Others with the Honours of this World like Diotrephes and O how many Archippus-like even in the best of times would be found Coldriffe and Remisse in this great Work 4ly We must take heed to our Ministry if we consider what a great LORD and Master we have received it from And whose Eye is alwayes upon us to see how we manage this trust as it was upon the Angels of the seven Churches and his writting to them since he Ascended and discovering their failures and short comings with the punishments due thereunto should be a warning to Ministers in all succeeding Ages of the Church to take heed to their Ministrie 5ly We had need to take heed to our Ministry when we consider with what a severe certification our great LORD and Master has committed it unto us Ezek 17 18. ver Son of man I have made thee a Watchman to the house of Israel therefore bear the word at my mouth and give them a warning from me when I say unto the wicked thou shalt surelie die and thou givest him not warning from me nor speakest to warn the Wicked from his wicked way to save his life the same wicked man shall die in his iniquitie but his blood will I require at thine hand 6ly Ministers had need to take heed to mannadge their trust aright seeing a severe account will be required of them for it is a stewardship that must be reckoned for and none of us know how soon that message may be sent unto us Luke 16.2 Give an account of thy Stewardship and whether we have received moe or fewer talents we would alwayes remember to be so laying them out and improving of them as those that must give an account Heb. 13 17. Lastly Such Ministers as have been heedfull and faithfull shall be greatly rewarded Dan 12 3 And they that be Wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the starrs for ever and ever Matt 24.25 26 27. who then is a faithfull and wise servant whom his Lord hath made ruler over his houshold to give them meat in due season Blessed is that servant whom his LORD when he cometh shall find him so doing Verily I say unto you that he shall make him Ruler over all his goods Rev 2.10 Be thou faithful unto the death and I will give thee a Crown of life We would keep constantly and closely to this work and prosecute it with the greatest diligence that believe such a reward as this which will eternaly compense all the labour and toyle in this World We would also frequently consider what severe punishments shall be inflicted on the heedless and sloathful servant Matt 24 Verse 48. Unto the end But and if that evil servant shall say my Lord delayeth his coming and shall begin to smite his fellow servant and to eat and drink with the drunken The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he Looketh not for him and an hour that he is not aware of and shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with hypocrites where shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth I come now to the use of the Doctrine is heedfulness in managing of the Ministerial work so necessary in all the forementioned respects Then let all of us that bear this office take heed to out Ministry for this is the voice and call of my Text to every one of us and especially with respect to those two things that ly in the latter part of the words The first is to take heed how and from whom we received this Ministrie whether from the LORD JESUS CHRIST or not who is the only LORD and head of the Church and whose prerrogative it is to set up and send forth Officers unto his Church Ezek 2 3. And He said unto him Son of man I send thee unto the Children of Israel I Who sit upon the Saphirine throne as you have it in the first Chapter of this Prophesie of Ezek 26 Verse And who has all power in mine hand Christ is invested with all power in Heaven and in Earth Matth 28 and 18 Verse and therefore sends forth Officers unto all Nations And for this End we must see that we be come in at the right door for there are some as Christ tells us who call themselves Sheepherds that come not in at this doar Jo 10 1 Verse But climb up another way if we be right Ministers of Christ we must come in at three doors 1. The door of an Internal call of GOD upon the Soul 2. The door of the External call of the People 3. The door of a legal Mission and Ordination by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytry A second thing that lyes in the latter end of the Text about which we must take special heed is this that when ever we find out selves entered by the right door unto this great and difficult Work we must take heed to fulfil it Every Minister must take heed to fill up a right both the doing part and the suffering part of his Ministry so as the work may not suffer or be blamed on his Accompt The Apostle took care of this and sets it as a Copy before thir Collossians Chapter first 24 Verse Who now rejoyce in
may get Justice Executed speedily and that without partiality 5ly You should also take special Care of Militarie or Armie Reformation that such Officers only get and keep their Commissions as are true to the Established Government You have had sufficient warnings of these things already to make you warry in time coming but I must freely tell you that friendship Interest and Covetousness doth often spoile these things Lastly You are called in your Stations to mind a National Reformation that the LORD may be worshipped according to the present Established Government which is most suitable to the Word of GOD and to which we stand greatly obliedged from the one End unto the other according to the Example of good Jehosophat 2 Chron 16 4 And Jehosophat dwelt at Jerusalem and be went out again through the people from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim and brought them back unto the LORD GOD of their Fathers Your Care and Zeal in this Matter would make you bear that excellent name in future Ages The repairers of the Breach of the Church of Seotland and the restorers of the Paths to dwell in Isa 58 12 This would be a mean to prevail with the LORD to come and dwell among us and fill his House with his Glory Magistrates should command it Ministers should preach it the People should pray for it and Souldiers oversee it where it is needful And if all persons concerned would act Cordially and unanimously with Resolution and Couradge in their several Stations as they are called and Employed I doubt not but our Land might yet be called JEHOVA Shamma the LORD is there But that I may shut up this Discourse I shall only add a few Motives and but name them to press you to this Duty The First Motive is this That if you whom GOD hath put in Publick Trust and Authority take care to build GODS House ye shall be no looser by it for this is the way to engage GOD to build and perpetuate your houses If ye will establish His Throne that he may reign in the Hearts of the Inhabitants of the Land in by his own Ordinances This will be a notable Mean for establishing the Kings Throne Proverbs 29 14 Psal 89 2 3 4 verses c. The Second Motive is this That the Generations to come will bless you who were Instrumental in your places to recover the Ruined Work of GOD in the Land and to get the pure Gospel Light set up every where To let the Wilderness-Travellers see the way to the Kingdom Will not the posterity that came After us get the good of this Reformation say blessed be such a Noble family and such a Gentlemans family and posterity who laid out themselves for the true worship of GOD who when it was ready to be swallowed up and extinguished who recovered it out of the hand of the Enemie and delivered it cleanly and safely down to us their posterity or else we had perished in superstition and darkness Thirdly This should press you to a through and universal Refotmation in the Land because it will be a notable Bulwark to defend us from the invasions of adversaries I lay it before you that are States men and are for State policie as one of Heavens politicks for the securing the Nation under the prospect of most imminent dangers you have a tryed instance of this 2 Chron 17.7 Also in the third year of Jehosophats Reign he sent to his Princes even to Banhael and to Obadiah and to Zechariab to Nathaneel and to Micajah to teach in the citys of Judah and with them he sent Levites verse 8 and 9. They taught in Judah and had the Book of the Law of the LORD with them and went throughout all the Cities of Judah and taught the people and the 10 verse tells us what a great security it brought along with it to the Land For the Fear of the LORD fell upon all the Kingdoms of the Lands that were round about Judah so that they made no war against Jehosophat this you see is the sweet advantage that arises from true through Reformation and should not this move you to make use of it and then you will have GOD's security and GOD's security is the best security Shew your selves therefore Men of Courage and Zeal for GOD and his cause and interests and ye need not question but he will be for you Lastly And I shall add no more your being active and faithful for GOD his work will upon a reflection even under troubles and tryals in this World be verie supporting and refreshing But O What a cordial will it be in a dying houre when all the Compositions of Apothecaties have lost their Relish when neither Riches nor Honours nor pleasures of this World will have any significancie with good Hezekiah Isaiah 38 2 3. verses Turn your faces to the wall pray Remember now O LORD I beseech Thee how I have walked before Thee in Truth and with a perfect Heart and have done that which is good in thy sight I say this will be the Great support and Consolations of your hearts who are persons of publick trust when ye come to the last step between time eternitie Let me therefore with all humility and earnestness Beseech you O Zerubabel his Majesties high Commissioner you who are the Officers of State and you the rest of the Members of this honourable Parliament in the words of my Text Yet Now O Zerubabel be strong saith the LORD and be strong O Joshua Son of Josedech the high Priest and be strong all ye people of the land saith the LORD and work for I am with you saith the LORD of Hosts Even so be it AMEN FINIS Col 4.17 And say to Archippus take heed to the Ministrie which thou hast received in the LORD that thou fulfill it THE Occasion of the Apostle Paul his writing this Epistle from Rome while he was Prisoner there unto this Church of Collosse seems to be from the Information he bad by Epaphras the Minister of the place holding furth the danger that that Church was into of being corrupted both in her principles and worship and that as well from Jews upon the one hand as Gentiles upon the other The Apostles scope in this Epistle is to confirm them in the Doctrine Preached by Epaphras their honest Minister and to press them to the further knowledge practice of Godliness and that both as to the General and special duties of Christianity in the conclusion of this Epistle which is from the 9 Verse to the End We have several salutations wherein some are saluted and Commended as Verses 10.11 Some saluted and exhorted that they may stand perfect and compleat in all the will of GOD as Verse 12 c. Some are saluted and directed as Verse 16 and some are saluted and admonished as in this Text And say to Archippus Take heed to the Ministrie which thou hast received in the