the correspondencie and mutual good intelligence between the Laws of God and Man that they return and receive strength and lustre each to other This made Jehoshaphat to couple Judges and Priests together in the visitation of his people 2. Chron. 17. vers. 7. also in the third of his reigne he sent to his Princes even to Benhail and to Obadiah vers. 8. And with them he sent Levites even Shemaiah c. vers. 9. And they taught in Juda c. The one the Law of the Land the other the Law of the Lord which excellent Medley made a cordial composition thus put together Thirdly Professors in the Universitie as the Doctors of the Chair may in a controversial way preach to young Students under them Such Doctors in Divinitie are generally in Holy Orders but if which is rare one unordained be preferred to the place he may use Polemical preaching confining himself to the Schools the proper centre thereof Fourthly Generals in the Field before and after the fight may make Orations or Sermons if you please to encourage the souldiers I confess as custom hath confined the word Bible signifying in it self any Book to the Word of God so hath it appropriated sermons which importeth any speech to those made by a Preacher in the Pulpit Otherwise those may pass for sermons which Generals utter in the field as Joab Abiah Jehosaphat And because all true valour is founded in the knowledge of God in Christ such Generals may and must to raise the resolution of their souldiers by inserting and interposing passages of Scripture animating them to depend on God the just maintainer of a right cause Thus Queen Elisabeth in 88. at Tilbury Camp inspirited her souldiers with her Christian exhortation Lastly all Christians ought mutually to teach and instruct one another In this case every place is a Church day a Sabbath occasion a Text person a Preacher Rom. 15. 14. Admonish one another Col. 3. 16. Teaching one another in Psalms and Hymns Thess. 4. 18. Comfort one another with these words Jude 11. Edifie one another even as also ye do Heb. 3. 13. Exhorting one another To this end are talents bestowed on men that they should stirr up the gifts of grace which are in them Thus Priscilla though a woman instructed Apollos But here we must distinguish betwixt mutuall and Ministerial teaching In the former the Romans may be said to teach St. Paul as well as St. Paul the Romans I am comforted with you by the mutual faith both of you and me Rom. 1. 12. whilst Ministerial teaching belongeth onely to such who are solemnely called thereunto Take two Criteria or distinguishing marks betwixt mutual and Ministerial teaching The former is compatible with another vocation either liberal or mechanical according to the condition of the Person Yea which is more not onely it is lawfull to have another calling but in some cases for some men sinfull to be without it S. Paul saith 2 Thes. 3. 10. If any would not work neither should he eate This mutual teaching of others will not excuse peoples idleness nor can they plead for themselves this mutual labour in love shall exempt them from other manual work because by it self it amounts not to a distinct profession as being the entire body of a calling which is onely a part and necessary member of all mens duty as they are Christians But publick preaching is to possess the whole man as the highest of employments wherein he may use all his pains and endeavours Secondly no Salary or reward is due to mutual teaching save the inward blessing which God bountifully will bestow on such as labour therein so that the Teacher may demand it of due it being an injury in the party taught to detain the same Such Teachers must know themselves sufficiently satisfied by the good which is returned unto them by reflection having their graces heightned and intended by their instruction Besides the party taught restoreth oft times instruction unto him and so there is nothing due in the reciprocation of courtesies but the obligation cancelled on both side But to ministerial preaching wages is due by Gods appointment The labourer is worthy of his hire because sequestring his soul from other works to attend that business alone God hath ordered it 1 Cor. â— 14. that those that preach the Gospel shall live of the Gospel Thus have we given or rather God hath given and we have declared how Christians un-ordained may teach Gods word in a Domestical in a mutual in a military in a Judicial in an Academical capacity shame light on that steward who is niggardly where his master commands him to be bountifull had we denyed Christians this liberty we had wronged them much our selves more God most But now let me say unto them in the words of the master of the Houshould Matth. 20 the 14. Tolle quod tuum est abi Take what is thine and go thy way Be contented with what hath been allotted unto you which hath been fairly measured out and with all possible advantage Gripe and graspe not after more least you loose the blessing and benefit of what you have which hath now brought us to the following Doctrine as chiefly intended in this discourse Come we now to the main Doctrine which is this none may ordinarily execute the office of Preacher except lawfully called thereunto I say ordinarily For much may and must be indulged to Lay-men in absolute necessity if they adventure to exercise the ministerial function I say absolute necessity Here first I exclude all conditional necessity which is but necessity of conveniency Such Saul might have pleaded for himself 1 Sam. 13. 9. When presuming to sacrifice to prevent the peoples scattering But when the necessity is invincible and unavoydable God may seem to dispense as in Davids eating the shew-bread properly belonging to Priests alone Otherwise men must not first make necessities and then make use of those necessities to excuse their extraordinary practices For instance suppose some out of sullenness and pride conceiving themselves too good to converse with conmmon Christians should separate themselves being none of them ministers into a solitary place from all society It were presumption for one of them to adventure on the Office of the ministery But put case some number of people none of them ever ordained banished by Tyrants carried captive by violence or casually cast by shipwrack or Tempest into a Wilderness or amongst Pagans where no possibility of recovering a minister if the gravest and ablest amongst them should by general consent be chosen to officiate in their Congregation God no doubt would hold him guiltless in such a case of extremity Except they be lawfully called thereunto A lawfull calling is partly internal partly external the Internal part thereof consisteth in two things First in having a desire and delight to undertake the ministery By desire I understand not every fond fancy light or slight affection but a serious
with a Commission to preach Surely the Rulers presumed on their modestie and humilitie that they would decline the proffer seeing in that Age none adventured to teach without lawfull authoritie as largely God willing shall be proved hereafter Mean time let us proceed to the Collection of some natural observations from the words After the reading of the Law and the Prophets Doct. 1. It is good reason that Gods word in the Church should have precedency of mens meditations For Gods word is all gold and prized above it by David Psal. 19. 10. the best mens meditations but silver and guilt and that silver having much allay therein which debaseth the metal though it maketh it to work the better to mens understandings rendering the sublime puritie of Gods word more easie and intelligible when expounded explained and applied by the pains and endeavours of Ministers Wherefore as the Master of the Feast John 2. would have the best wine brought first and then what was worse So fit it is that the virgin attentions of the people in the Church should first be fed with the pure and sincere word of God as it is in the Text and afterwards their appetites may be entertained with less daintie diet the sermons and studies of their Ministers Doct. 2. It was an ancient custome in the Church that Gods word was publickly read therein And here let us endeavour to raise the just reputation of the word publickly read some conceive that the Word preached is as much holyer than the Word read as the Pulpit is higher than the Desk Yea such will say my self or son or servant can read a Chapter as well at home as any the most accomplished Minister in England But let such know that he which doth not honor all doth not honor any of Gods ordinances it is just with God that preaching of the Word should prove uneffectual to such as slight and neglect the reading thereof Doct. 3. Blessed be the goodness of God who hath bettered the Bill of fare of Christians by allowing our souls a second Course of the New Testament And properly may the New Testament be termed a second course which commonly hath dishes fewer than the first for there quantitie finer for the qualitie of the meat and here far be it from me to make comparisons which are odious in themselves and so much the more odious the more eminent the persons or things are that be compared betwixt the Old and New Testament As Moses in holy zeal by clashing the first Table against the second brake both so some prophanely despightfully abuse Old and New Testament about preeminence betwixt them But acknowledging them both best in this respect as to us the New Testament excels as far as a blessing performed is better than a blessing promised and a Saviour tendered in possession more comfort than in reversion The Rulers of the Synagogue Doct. 4. No considerable societie can long comfortably subsist without some government to order the same Ten are but a few men yet Moses by the Counsel of wise Jethro his Father in Law Exod. 18. 25. made Rulers of tens Better is a Tyranny than an Anarchie for where every man doth what is good in his own eyes where there is equalitie amongst all there will be equitie but amongst few men Doct. 5. It is lawfull for Ministers to make use of the help of others not onely in their sickness and necessarie absence but also when their own persons are present First because we must as well mend our nets as always catch fishes as well studie for new supply as always preach And seeing nature hath given us as well two ears as a tongue we must as attentively listen to the parts and pains of others as contentedly utter our own meditations Secondly such varietie will not onely be pleasant but profitable to our people In the mouth of two or three witnesses let every truth be established When the People shall hear the same matter in a different manner one truth Salvation by Gods mercies alone and Christs merits dressed in several motives and methods and expressions The nails will be driven the faster by many Masters of the Assembly and though it be faultie for itching ears to heap up Teachers to themselves yet sometimes such exchange of Preachers increase the edification of an Auditorie Doct. 6. They may have courtesie and civilitie in them who notwithstanding may be devoid of grace and true sinceritie These Masters of the Synagogue began very mannerly proffer Paul and Barnabas the courtesie of the place but all ended at last in blasphemie and persecution Doct. 7. None are to preach but such who are lawfully called thereunto The Rulers of the Synagogue gave a licence to Paul and Barnabas who intrude not without their leave and desire How many now a days in despight of the Rulers of the Synagogues the undoubted Patron the lawfull Incumbent the Guardians of the Church publickly chosen storm the Pulpit by their meer violence without any other Call or Commission thereunto Be it first premised that we protest our Integritie not to invade the due Right of any Christian with Abraham Gen. 14. 23. We will not take a shoo-latchet which is none of our own To which purpose we lay down the following Rules allowing as much libertie as may be to all Gods servants First Parents Masters of Families may and must privately teach their own Children and Servants Teach them and thou shalt be taught Instruct them and God will instruct thee never had Abram in all probabilitie so soon known Gods intentions to destroy Sodom but because Gen. 18. 19. he would command his children to keep the Law of God Even Mothers ought to do this who have a legislative power over their Sons Prov. 1. 8. Forsake not the law of thy Mother It is remarkable that great grace which God did to a Mother that her private precepts namely Bathsheba to her Son Lemuel Prov. 31. were afterward made Canonical Scripture for Gods whole Church Yet let me advise Parents when modestly undertaking in their own houses to explain Scripture not to make fountain but Cistern expositions thereof viz. not to be the inventers but the declarers not the devisers but the remembrancers of inter pretations Children and servants I have heard such a godly Preacher or have read in such a learned comment thus to expound this passage of Scripture But if he should adventure of himself to tender unto them an explication let it be done with an humble reservation and submission to the better judgements of those whose proper profession it is to expound the same Hoever he may more safely deal in Application than in Explication of Gods word the general precepts promises and threatenings whereof he may effectually applly to himself and those of his familie under his inspection Secondly Judges on the Bench may and must in their charges teach the Countie there assembled inserting Scripture in their discourses such
such a height as to make it a sacrament The Church of England under Episcopacie retained it so far as an ancient and usefull custom appropriating the exercise thereof to Bishops alone The present discipline hath utterly abolished both Bishop and the use of Confirmation However something analogical thereunto may and must be continued The Primitive Christians being wise in the appointing though after-ages were superstitious in the abusing thereof and the more confirmation is neglected the more ought a serious examination of youth in this kind be continued and practised In a word there is a way to examin people committed to the care of the Ministers which may be done without any dangerous noyse and without the least suspition of pragmaticalness and yet to the great glorie of God quiet of the Minister and edification of the Church This examining consisteth not in summoning people before them and sounding them with Question and Answer but in the solid and faithfull preaching the sincere Word of God which carrieth a secret searching power along therein Heb. 4. 12. For the word of God is quick and powerfull and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Thus by prophecying that is by preaching of Gods Word 1. Cor. 14. 23. If there come in one that believeth not or one unlearned he is convinced of all he is judged of all thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth I say let us take off for a time from the other and more practice this examination as least subject to exception Trie it but for a time and you shall see what success it will find and fright unworthy persons from the Sacrament with a more awfull reverence than your actual secluding them for not submitting themselves to re-examination To conclude I may compare the first high acting of Presbyterians to men running in a race It is impossible for a Racer to stop just at the mark he must either over-run it or else can never come at it But when past the mark necessarily transported with his own fierceness beyond the same he will return to it again to shew that that place and no further was the intended end of his endeavours Whilest you contested with Episcopacie your Corrival and were seven years since in the height and heat of your contention therewith much may be pleaded for your passion if it transported you in some actions beyond the just standard and proportion of your judgements But seeing now it hath pleased God that you have run your Adversarie quite out of distance and have attained that you strove for it will be no shame nay it will be your honor to abate and remit of your former eagerness and coolly and calmly to return to the place which you over-shot in the Paroxcism of that contest This is the humble advise and desire of him who hath no private ends therein but the advancement of Gods glorie and the good of his Church Amen Dum Spiro Spero THE SECOND RECONCILER ACTS 13. 15. And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets the Rulers of the Synagogue sent unto them saying Ye men and Brethren if ye have any word of exhortation for the people say on THis Chapter presents us with four principal remarkables The solemn separation of Paul and Barnabas for the Ministerie five pious persons are mentioned vers. 2. all in humane likelihood equally probable for the employment Barnabas Simeon Lucius Mahanaem and Saul of these God leaves the three middlemost takes the first and the last even so Father because it pleaseth thee Then have we the three first adventures of Barnabas and Saul in there Ministerie whereof the first proved prosperous the second with the Jews at Antioch had sad success the third with the Gentiles in the same place came off with comfort We Ministers must not be elated with good success but fear the worst nor dejected with bad but hope the better In their first adventure they confounded Elimas the Sorcerer and Saul converted Sergius Paulus the wise Deputie of Cyprus By the Laws of Herauldry whosoever fairly in the Field conquered his Adversary may justifie the wearing and bearing of his Arms whom he overcame Here Saul had conquered Sergius Paulus overcome his ignorance vanquished his infidelitie no wonder then if he assumeth his name and henceforward is called Paul in all the historie his next voyage ends sadly and sorrowfully with Blasphemie and Persecution from the Jews at Antioch though it began Comically and courteously with this fair invitation in my Text and after the reading of the Law and the Prophets c. The words contain a principal part of the Jewish Liturgie or if that displease their Directorie wherein their solemn Sabbath-service is plainly presented unto us I confess there is no mentiō of prayer an essential part of Gods worship among them my house shall be called the house of prayer which is omitted in the Text not as if it were omitted by the Jews but because St. Luke hasteneth with all convenient speed to the Doctrinal part as leading the nearest way to the matter in hand Some persons account this verse their Master-piece hoping hence by their cunning Chymistrie to extract a Licence general for all men to preach though the words well understood are so far from their building any advantage thereon that they batter down both their opinions and practice We will first clear the same from the incumbrances of all difficulties and then extract natural and profitable observations from them Law and the Prophets Law taken largely conteineth all the Prophets Prophets taken largely comprise all the Law 2. Pet. 1. 20. No Prophesie of Scripture is of private interpretation Yea Moses the Prophet Paramount was the penner of the Law Deut. 34. 10. And there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face But when the Law and the Prophets are distinguished so as to devide the old Testament betwixt them as Luke 16. 20. they have Moses and the Prophets then by Law is meant the Pentateuch or five books of Moses by Prophets all the rest of the old Testament not onely such parts as foretel what was to come but also which historically relate what was past The Rabbins tell us that the five books of Moses were divided into fiftie three Perasoth or Divisions each whereof conteined one hundred thirtie six verses and one of them was read every Sabbath-day beginning at the first Sabbath after the feast of Tabernacles if any say there being but fiftie two Sabbaths in the year what did they with the odd Perasoth or Division I can give no certain account save that it is probable they doubled their office the last Sabbath hemming it as
the multitude throng thee and press thee so worldly men to make room for their temporal affairs thrust throng contract yea sometimes do wholy justle out and omit their dayly Devotions Come we now to the person ye Quest Were not Christs Disciples able to pray before this time Sure I am they were able to cast out Devils For it is said in the foregoing Chapter verse 17. And the seventy returned again with joy saying Lord even the Devils are subject unto us through thy name Now to cast out Devils is a harder thing than to pray because some Devils are of so sullen and surly a nature Matth. 17. 21. That they go not out but by prayer and fasting Being thus therefore impowered with ability to cast out Divels surely the greater did include the lesser and it is wonder they should now desire a Direction to pray Say not that Christ made a resumption of that power which once he bestowed upon them and after their return from preaching deprived them of them seeing Romans 11. 29. the gifts of God are without repentance Answ. Some answer this by pleading a Metathesis or transposition in the History of St. Luke setting down that first which was last done a figure very frequent in the Old Testament But this is though the best of shifts yet the worst of answers last to be tried and least to be trusted saving in such cases as seem to be capable of no other solution No need of this refuge at this time and therefore we decline the same Secondly it is answered that it is a greater argument of Gods favour to us and our sincerity to him if we can power forth unto him an acceptable prayer then if enabled to dispossess Devils This appeareth by the Plea of the Reprobate to Christ at the last judgement Matth. 7. 22. Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils and in thy Name have done many wonderfull works Nor doth Christ confute what they alleadge as false but reject it as in sufficient Verily I say unto you I know you not Thus such miraculous endowments are compatible with damnation whilest the Spirit of supplication enabling us to pray acceptably to God is none of those gifts bestowed upon the Sons of Ketura but such as are conferred on Isaacs alone given onely to us Sons Saints and servants of God Thirdly and chiefly I answer certainly the several Apostles and Disciples had formerly their particular prayers and as I may term them personal Devotions Peter no doubt had his and Andrew his James and John their particular forms of Invocations But now they desired that Christ would gratifie them with such a general prayer unto which they might all joyntly concur with their Amen thereunto and all their several Devotions unite and center themselves therein They also desired such a prayer as they might transmit as an Heir-Loom to all posterity and intail it on the Church to be used successively by all generations Herein I hearken to the Disciples requesting our Saviour as to the mouth of all Christians For they speak as the Speakers or Prolocutours for the Church in all ages desiring this boon to be bestowed upon them Here is worthy our observation that our Saviour had once formerly delivered the same prayer both for the manner and matter thereof and yet how again at his Disciples request recommendeth the same some inconsiderable differences abated unto the practice of his Disciples For whosoever shall compare this prayer delivered by our Saviour Matth. 6. 9. with this made by him Luke 11. 2. Will finde them not to be paralell places as many in the Gospels presenting one and the self same matter but two different stories as will appear by the following circumstances 1. That was made on a mountain when multitudes of people were gathered together to hear it This composed in a private place when Christ was solitary with his Disciples 2. That was freely tendered by our Saviour unsought unsued to to all his Auditory This granted at the instance and request of his Disciples to them alone 3. That was inserted incorporated in the very body bowels of a most heavenly sermon This not in preaching but after praying when Christ ceased from the same Now might not the Disciples have murmured hereat might they not have said Master we expected you would have favoured us so far as being your servants in Ordinary as for your sakes to have composed compiled a spick and span new prayer which we your Disciples might have used as a memorial of our Master Whereas this prayer is an old one we heard the same for all the essentials thereof a twelve month since in that sermon you made on the exposition of the law hence we observe One good prayer well composed the more used the more acceptable to heaven think not like lavish Courtiers our prayers shall be more welcome if always appearing in a new suite a new dress of language and expression But as the good House-holder brought out of his Treasury things new old onely new had been too prodigal onely old had been too penurious so present thou to God new affections with thy old expressions a new degree of faith repentance charity and never fear the entertainment of thy prayer in heaven though it be an old one and the self-same which formerly and frequently hath been offered up Say Doctrine It is not enough for men to make mentall prayers but sometimes they ought orally to express the same First because the very speaking of the words doth raise and rouze people from drousiness which otherwise may assault them I confess no Christian ought Hypocritically to delight in hearing the Eccho or reverberation of his own voice yet sometimes the same may serve to give him the watch-word and to shake off that laziness which too often attendeth our Devotions Secondly prayers spoken are good for example to others to shew that we are not ashamed of Gods service but that our tongue dare openly avouch what our heart doth inwardly onceive Thirdly it is good for the edification of others who may so far be partakers of our prayers as to joyn with us in them and to be comforted by them A prayer concealed may have as much heat but a prayer expressed hath more light therein it doth shine before men and make them glorifie our Father which is in heaven Obj. But Hannah 1 Samuel 1. 13. Onely moved her lips and her voice was not heard embracing a middle way betwixt Mental and Oral prayer which can seem best of all as participating of the perfections of both Ans. Hannah herein stands sole and single by her self It is sufficient that she confesseth her self to be of a troubled and sorrowfull spirit an excuse for all her actions if one serious scrutiny appearing not so composed and therefore not to be drawn into Precedent for others imitation Come