1. In respect of the significations of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the word Bishop which were seene upon him 2. In respect of the qualifications of a Bishop by the spirits censure 3. And lastly in respect of all the comfortable agents that were ever used in any Diocesse for the comforting of Gods Church First therefore as your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is inspector is and ought to bee an over-seer and a Controller Isa 49.1 so foâ— application in this respect may our blessed Saviour bee justly tearm'd to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Bishop and the reason is this because the Father gave him for this end and purpose and called him even from the wombe and from the bowels of his mother namely to raise up the tribes of Iacob and to restore the preserved of Jsrael Jsa 49.6 Yea and also to bee a light to the Gentiles and salvation unto the ends of the earth Yea and our blessed Saviour himselfe to shew his care and oversight that he was an overseer of his flock saying thus I will bring the blind by a way that they know not Isa 42.16 I will lead them in paths that they have not knowne I will make darkenesse light before them and crooked things straight Next that hee was a controller over the flocke let his owne words be judge ô saith he speaking to your evill and wicked Pastors because you have thrust with the side and shoulder Ezek. 34.21 22. and pusht all the diseased with your hornes till you scattered them abroad therefore will I save my flocke and they shall bee no more a prey and I will judge betweene cattell and cattell Secondly as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is one qui alicui rei curandae praefectus est I say is one that is ruler and governour over any thing that is to be cared for so for application also in this respect may our Saviour justly be tearm'd a Bishop being chiefe ruler and governour over the flocke of God that was to be cared for and to be redeem'd from death and thraldome and hereupon the Prophet Zachary speaking of this our blessed Bishop and of this rule and government Zech. 9.10 11. saith that his dominion shall be even from sea to sea and from the river even to the ends of the earth Mich. 5.4 and that by the bloud of his covenant hee shall send forth the prisoners out of the pit Yea and he shall be great unto the ends of the earth and againe his government shall be upon his shoulders and of his rule and Dominion shall there be no end Thirdly as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely Bishop signifieth custos to bee a watch-man or Guardian â—r keeper or preserver so for application may our blessed Saviour be tearm'd a Bishop in this respect also for he is the carefull watchman of Israel that neither slumbers nor sleepes Psal 127.2 Rev. 21.6 Isa 49.10 Iohn 10.28 he is the poore soules guardian and the flockes guide leading them to the fountaine of life to the Cristall streames of comfort he is their keeper and preserver suffering not so much as one of them to be lost but giving unto them for their everlasting inheritance life eternall Lastly as your word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishop is by its cleare Etymologie one that is ad scopum tendens one that is still tending and looking toward the marke so for application in this respect also may our blessed Saviour bee justly tearmed to be a true and a reall Bishop ô my brethren what I pray did he looke unto else save the marke that was set before him save fulfilling his Fathers will in dying for the sins of the world save in doing his fathers commands in satisfying of his wrath and justice Surely my brethren hee shewes himselfe so absolute in this nature to be a Bishop ad scopum tendens looking still towards the marke looking still to performe obedience and to doe his fathers will as that when the extreame bitternesse and anguish of death was presented unto his eyes Mat. 26.38 when his soule beginnes to be exceeding sorrowfull and heavie even unto death nay when his bloudy agony is so violent and so cruell on him as that his sweate was like great drops of bloud falling downe to the ground yet hee turnes not his eye aside from the marke that was set before him he shrinkes not one jot from his resolutions of obedience Mar. 14.36 but expresseth himselfe thus viz. Father not what I will but even what thou wilt Furthermore should any one make scruple or doubt of the realitie of CHRISTS Episcopacy hee shall finde that all the divine qualifications wherewithall a Bishop is to be qualifyed by the censure of the Holy Ghost were really found upon him 1 Tim. 3.2 3 4. Which qualifications are thirteene Thirteene qualifications to qualifie a good Bishop Lev. 21.17 First a Bishop must bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blamelesse reprehensioni non obnoxius not worthie reprehension he must be without spot or blemish as was typified and prefigured in the sonnes of Aaron who if they had any spot or blemish at all were not to presume to approch to offer the bred of their God And thus for application was our blessed Saviour a right and a true Bishop indeed Luk. 23.4 25. in whom Pilate as hee testified to the chiefe Priests could find no fault at all no nor yet Herod being as the Prophet Isaiah saith Isa 53.9 one that had done no violence neither was there any deceite found in his mouth Secondly or the second qualification of a Bishop is he must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 2.22 he must be the Husband of one Wife not incontinent like Hophni and Phineas but hee must bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 undefiled and not distain'd with uncleannes his chastitie must be uncorrupted Luk. 1.6 like Zacharies and Elizabeths not daring with Ioseph to do that great wickednes and sin against God Gen. 39.9 and in this regard was our Iesus a perfect Bishop cleaving to his Spouse alone and affectionating none besides saying I am come into my garden my Sister my Spouse I have gathered my Myrrhe with my spice Cant. 5.1 and I have eaten my hony Combe with my hony Thirdly he must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee must bee vigilant and watchfull vigilant to feede the flocke and watchfull to chase away all noysome and hurtfull beasts and in this respect too was our blessed Iesus a most absolute and blessed Bishop Ezek 34 â—â— saying concerning his flocke viz. J will feede my flocke I will cause them to lie down yea I will cause the evill beasts to cease out of the Land ver 25.26 and I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing Fourthly he must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sober and of a moderate temper having command
because the Sonne of God was plagued for thy sinnes Rom. 4.25 Secondly because hee was delivered to Death for thy sins Thirdly Because he was sacrificed as a Passeover for thy sins 1 Cor. 5.7 Fourthly Because hee was made a curse for thy sins that thou mightest bee made the righteousnesse of God in him Gal. 3.13 Lastly Because he hath taken all thy sinnes with the hand-writing that was against thee and hath nayld them to his Crosse Col. 2.14 Yea to conclude all in a word ô be not dismaid then by no manner of meanes in the world for though thou canst not speake for thy selfe 1 Iohn 2.1 2. 1 Tim. 1.15 The third and last encouragement why we should not dispaire though wee have been a long time out of the fold of Christ yet thou hast an advocate in Heaven that will speake for thee even Iesus Christ the righteous and hee is the propitiation and sacrifice for all thy sinnes Yea thou mayest say with St. Paul namely that it is a true saying and worthy of all men to be believed that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom thou art chiefe The last encouragement why thou shouldst not dispaire though thou hast gone astray from the fold of Christ like a lost sheepe is taken from the free welcome which thou shalt have at the fathers hands when with hearty repentance thou dost returne againe Oh remember remember the welcome of the Prodigall recorded in the Parable as soone as hee returnes to his father from his wandring errors First the best Robe is called for to be put upon him Next The Father calls for a Ring to put upon his hand Thirdly for shooes to put upon his feete Fourthly and lastly for the satted Calfe to bee killed for him that so they might solace themselves and eate and bee merry For applications sake ô know that such nay a greater welcome hath the penitent sinner at our heavenly fathers hands when with the Prodigall hee returnes in penitency unto the fold againe for first the best Robe is put upon him even the Robe of CHRISTS Righteousnesse Secondly instead of a Ring and shooes and the fatted Calfe he hath a kingdome assured him and therefore our Saviour saith feare not yee little flocke it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a kingdome Luk. 15.10 Lastly for mirth and joy the very Angels witnesse it joying and rejoycing at the straying sheepes returne and therefore for conclusion of all and to end this point in a word I would intreat all in the feare of God and for the salvation of their owne soules that for many yeares together have any way erred from the fold of CHRIST for to performe now the taske that our Saviour doth enjoyne his Spouse saying Returne returne ô Shulamite Cant. 6.13 returne returne that we may look upon thee And thus much be briefly spoken for the first estate of Saint Peters Auditors which we call'd their preterit estate in sinne Now followes their present condition their present estate in grace specified in these words following but are now returned unto the Shepheard and Bishop of your soules IN this their estate of grace we are to consider two materiall points First their action in the word returned but are now returned c. Secondly their object the object of their action and that is our blessed Saviour set forth here by two Appellations or titles 1. SHEPHEARD 2. BISHOP As we reade in the next words viz. Vnto the Shepheard and Bishop of your soules As for the action that teacheth us what wee must doe and as for the object that teacheth us to whom wee must so returne First againe for the actions that we must observe is to be performed in the practice of two particulars First in our aversion from sinne Secondly in conversion unto God In our aversion from sinne wee are to observe terminum a quo 1. the matter from which we are to turne viz. from the region and land of darkenesse and shadow of death in our conversion unto God we are to observe terminum ad quem namely the fountaine and well spring of life to the which we must bend all our course Jsa 9.2 and that is to the great shepheard and Bishop of our soules We will not speake here touching the first particular namly our aversion from sinne because we are to handle it shortly in another treatise come we therefore briefly to the second namely our conversion and returne to God or as the Text saith to the Shepheard and Bishop of our soules But are now returned c. And happie ô thrice happie were all wee in this world might this heavenly action and practice of Saint Peters assembly be as truly and as really verified of us as it was of them But alasse alasse our times are such and men now adayes so averse from Pietie as that we may say with the Prophet hee that departeth from evill maketh himselfe a prey yea glomerantur in unum innumerae pestes erebi The mischiefes of hell are got to one Croude and we God wot are scarce free from them Yea and the Prophet Isaiahs reproofe may justly bee cast in our teeth viz. Ah sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquitie Jsa 1 4. a seed of evill doers children that are corrupters they have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the holy One of Israel unto anger they are gone away backward Nay the Poets out-cry may most truly cry downe our corruptions saying Vivitur ex rapto non hospes ab hospite tutus Non sâ—cer a genero fratrum quoque gratia rara est Imminet exitio vir conjugis illa mariti Lurida terribiles miscent aconita Noverca Filius ante diâ—m Patrios inquirit in annos Victa jacet Pietas virgo caede Madentes Vltima coelestum terras Astraea reliquit Rom. 3.12 Which words of the Poet are concordant with the Apostle to wit they are all gone out of the way they are altogether become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one But now to alter the course of these mens sinfull conversations whose wayes are the wayes of death and whose steps goe downe quicke into hell Certaine Motives to move men to returne to the fold againe I would desire them in the feare of God and for their more speedy conversion and returning unto the great Shepheard and Bishop of their soules to entertaine into their considerations these certaine motives which like piercing Goades are able to make to stirre even a very heart of flint The first motive The first Motive why we should speedily bethink our selves of turning the Card of our affections and of returning to our blessed Saviour and his fold againe is taken from Gods infinite love most marvellouslie shewed this kingdome from time to time Oh my deare brethren Miâ—ah 6.4 hath not God with a mightie hand brought us out of the land of Aegypt and redeemed us out
Jsa 49.12 Ezek. 34.13 and some from the Land of Sinim but all to Gods Mountaine all to Christs fold And good in respect of having an immunitie or freedome from all danger whatsoever for they shall not hunger nor thirst neither shall the heate nor sun smite them Isa 49.10 Ezek. 34.14 Now as touching the place where this fold shall be Ezekiel calleth the high mountaines of Israel Secondly or the second provision that our blessed Saviour the great Shepheard of our soules cares for for his flock wherby he shewes himselfe to be a carefull shepheard indeed is pascua jucundissima he provides most wholsome and most pleasant feeding for them Cant. 6.2 Ezek. 34.13 Psal 23.2 Salomon in his Canticles calls them beds of spices Ezekiel the mountaines of Israel and the inhabited places of the Country and the Psalmist David calls them greene pastures all which insinuate Christs wonderfull care and love in so richly providing for his beloved flocke Ezek 34 29 telling also that he will raise up for them a plant of renowne Thirdly hee provides for his flocke to shew testimony of his infinite care and love towards them medicamina saluberrima all the wholsome medicines that can be imagined for their cure and therefore saith that he will not only seeke that which was lost and bring againe that which was driven away Ezek. 34.16 but will binde up that which is broken and will strengthen that which is â—ick and wil feed them with judgment Psal 23 2. Fourthly he provides aquaria suavissima most sweete waterings for his flocke The Psalmist calls them the waters of comfort The Prophet Isaiah calls them the springs of water Isa 49.10 saying even by the springs of water shall hee guide them Rev. 7.17 Yea and Saint Iohn in his Revelation calls them the living fountaines of waters saying he shall leade them unto living fountaines of waters yea and he tearmes them elsewhere the fountaine of the water of life saying I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountaine of the water of life freely Rev. 21.6 All which most pregnantly illustrate this ground of truth that the flock of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ blessed for evermore shall have all necessaries whatsoever and shall want no manner of thing that is good Lastly he provides for them refrigerium tranquillum a peacefull quiet and a most rest-full Lare Ezek 3â— 15 saying I will feed my flocke and I will cause them to lye downe saith the Lord God and again Ezek. 34.28 they shall no more be a prey to the heathen neither shall the beasts of the Land devoure them but they shall dwell safely and none shall make them afraid Yea I will make a covenant of peace with them verse 25. saith the great Shepheard and will cause the evill beasts to cease out of the Land and they shall dwell safely in the wildernesse and sleep in the woods whence briefely appeares thus much as is before specified how Christs flock have a comfortable lare a comfortable resting place and how that they shall lye downe in peace and no one shall make them affraid The third point now wherein our blessed Saviour shewed himselfe to be an absolute Shepheard is his faithfulnesse in the exact performance of that his office Which faithfulnesse he shewed two manner of wayes First In quaerendo oves in seeking out his flock Secondly In tradendo vitam ejus propter oves in delivering up his life for his flockes sake First I say Mat. 15.24 hee shewed his faithfulnesse in the exact performance of his shepheards Office by seeking out his flocke and thereupon professeth to all the world that he was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and again I am not come to call the righteous saith he but sinners to repentance and againe he saith behold I even I will both search my sheep and seeke them out and as a shepheard seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered Ezek. 34 11 12. so will I seeke out my sheepe and will deliver them out of all places wherby they have bin scattered in the cloudy and darke day saith the Lord God Secondly hee shewed his faithfulnesse in the exact performing of his shepheards office by delivering up his life for his flockes sake Hee who being in the forme of GOD Phil. 2 6. and thought it not robbery to be equall with God made himselfe for his flockes sake of no reputation yea humbled himselfe and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse for his flockes redemption Oh my Christian brethren was there ever shepheards love like to the love of this our great Shepheard Oh here is love passing the love of women Many shepheards there are which peradventure will be very carefull for the safety of their flocks but never any shepheard save this our great Shepheard the shepheard of our soules that ever laid downe his life for to save his sheep He did it alone Gal. 3.13 and none but he suffering himselfe to be made a curse for us that wee might obtaine the blessing of the Father through him and thereupon tearmes himselfe to be and that meritoriously Pastor ille bonus that rare and excellent and good Shepheard that did dare to doe such a matter for his flockes salvation professing farther that as the father did know him that so hee did know the Father Ioh. 10.15 and that he did lay downe his life for his sheepe And thus much for the first title of the office which our Apostle Saint Peter renders to our blessed Saviour here namely that hee was a shepheard come we now to the second namely that he was a Bishop also and that animarum vestrarum the Bishop of your soules as in the words of the Text but now are yee returned to the great Shepheard and Bishop of your soules 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Bishop As our blessed Saviour is called a Shepheard from governing and guiding his flock so is he most justly called a Bishop from his teaching and instructing them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the overseeing or looking into or searching or throughly considering the nature of his flocke for so did our blessed Saviour carry himselfe towards his blessed Lambes even from the manger to Mount Calvary even from Maries wombe to Golgotha In short therefore let all the world know that our Saviour was a true and reall Bishop and that because too all the significations all the interpretations Nay all the full and whole meaning of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Bishop as in their proper place and center met in him Three manner of waies is our Saviour justly to be tearmed Bishop Three manner of wayes therefore in briefe may wee call our blessed Saviour an absolute and reall Bishop
the holy and sacred Scriptures which if I may be so bold to use the phrase like faithfull suffraganes or surrogates are supporters and helpers to the Bishops flock For instance sake when any wounded conscience is terribly skared with the affright of sin then speak Christs suffraganes even the holy Scriptures viz. that we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for all our sins Rom 8.1 If again death and damnation tell us wee are damn'd then speake Christs suffraganes even the blessed Scriptures namely that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus In a word when Sathan sets upon any within the jurisdiction of our Bishops See telling them they are but lost sheep and under the shaddow of death then speake Christs suffraganes even the supporters of his poore flocke that they are delivered from the power of darkenesse and translated into the kingdome of Gods deare Son Col. 1.13 Thirdly The third agent of comfort which our Bishoâ— useth in his Diocesse for to comfort his people withall is his register book or the third agent of comfort that our Bishop hath for to support aid and comfort his little flock the Church is Regestum his Register booke wherein heavens records are most purely kept and preserved and this Register book I hope without any offence either to the Bishop of our soules or else to any of his beloved sheepe of his blessed Pasture may be adjudged of us to be liber vitae the book of life Which Register book of our blessed Bishop that I may speak all in a word is extraordinarily helpfull and comfortable to the whole Diocesse I meane to all Christs Saints that are members of the same and that for these three reasons following 1. Because all Christs Lambs all his deare Saints all the sheepe of his Pasture yea all that love him and are labourers in his sacred Gospell have their names there recorded Phil 4.3 2. Because their names being once there entred they shal never be cancelled out they shall never be obliâ—erated but Christ will confesse them before his Father The fourth agent of comfort which Christ hath in his Dâ—ocesse are his powerfull proctors vâ—z His sufferings and temptations which sollicits his Churches cause and before his Angels Rev. 3.5 3. Lastly because they shal be adjudged and because they shall have sentence past upon them by their soule-saving Bishop according to the records that are found therein Rev. 20.12 Fourthly or the fourth sort of comfortable agents that our Bishop hath for to speake for his Church and flock are procuratores are his powerfull Proctouâ—s which my brethren under him he being the grand Advocate of heaven and earth doe continually in the presence of his Father sollicite his Churches cause and these procuratores these powerfull Proctors are generally two viz. 1. Sanguis passiones his bloud and sufferings 2. Temptationes his Temptations which hee endured when he was on earth First I say againe the first Proctour that the Bishop of our soules the grand Advocate of heaven and earth The first proctour to sollicite Christs Churches cause is his sufferings hath for to sollicite his Churches cause in the presence of the eternall Father is sanguis passiones is his bloud and sufferings Oh his death and Passion my brethren is a powerfull pleader in the eares of the great Iudge yea their pleadings and sollicitations are so full of power and truth that they prevaile with the eternall Father to commiserate his oppressed Church and thereupon saith the blessed Spirit speaking of the efficacy of our Saviours bloud namely Heb. 12.24 that his bloud speaketh better things for us then that of Abel Yea and againe Heb. 9.13 14. If the bloud of Bulls and Goates and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the uncleane sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh ô how much more shall the bloud of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serve the living God The second proctour to sollicite Châ—ists Churches cause is his temptations Secondly or the second Proctour that the Bishop of our soules hath for to sollicite his Churches cause in the presence of the eternall Iudge is temptationes is his temptations that he endured for us when hee was on earth Oh my brethren as his wounds plead for us that we may be made whole as his stripes plead for us that wee may not bee beaten as his shame pleades for us that we may enjoy honour so his temptations plead for us that wee may not bee tempted above our strength but that we may have through his merits an happie issue out of all according to the saying of the sacred Spirit namely In that he himselfe hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2.18 Lastly or the last agents that our Bishop useth for the good of his Church and flocke The last agents of comfort for Christs diocesse are the Apparitours hee useth are Apparitores are his Apparitours whose office it is to summon all his flock to appeare before him either in the Court of conscience here where hee sits as chiefe or in the great Court of Heaven hereafter where he sits as Iudge And these Apparitors in the generall we finde to be three The three Apparitours which our Bishop useth for to summon al his Diocesse to appeare before him 1. Reprehensio Sanctorum the due reproofe of his Saints 2. Castigatio filiorum the chastisements he sends his sons 3. Vox tubae ultimae the sound of the last Trump The 2. first of these summon our Bishops flock to appeare before him in the Court of conscience here wherupon they make a conscience of their lives to come and the third which we may call Apparitor Apparitorum to wit the great and generall Apparitor of all namely vox tubae ultimae the sound of the last Trumpet summons them to appeare at the great Court of Heaven hereafter to heare then their judgment that shall last for ever First then againe I say the first Apparitor The first Apparitour that our Bishop useth to summon his flock that they may appeare before him in the Court of Conscience here where he sits as chiefe is reprehensio Sanctorum is the due reproofe of his Saints Witnesse that one example for all namely Acts 2.41 our Apostles three thousand soules who sometimes were ranke geerers of our Bishop and his Gospell too Oh my brethren for illustration hereof what I pray made those madde Cretians at the first to appeare such good Christians at the last what summoned them now to appeare in the Court of conscience and that before him whom they had contemn'd and scorn'd when before all their life time they made no conscience of what they did at all ver 12 13. What makes them to appeare now full