how apt are people to forget any thing that is good to put off any thing that should pull them downe before God and therefore we should labour to help our poore people that if it be possible we may stop them from going downe into the pit Fifthly we should labour to make the things that we preach as if it were lively before peoples eyes as the Apostle preacht Christ crucified to the Galatians even as if he were crucified before their very eyes Gal. 3. 1. so Moses had a very lively Ministry the text sayes he set his points before their very eyes I call heaven and earth to record against you this day that I have set before you life and death blessing and crusing Deut. 30. 19. marke he set before their eyes life and death heaven and hell he preached so evidently that the people might see as it were with their eyes the things that he preached this is lively teaching as the Orator sayes Hypotyposis is an excellent meanes to perswade when the speaker does as it were point before the hearers eyes when he represents the things he speakes of this is preaching in the evidence and the demonstration of the spirit 1 Cor. 2. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when a Minister demonstrates his points and this it is this is the sinne and this is the case and this is the misery and thus it stands with you when he labours to make people see it and they must needs see it unlesse they be wilfull and shut their eyes otherwise people heare a Sermon as if it did not concerne them there 's a man in the pulpit and they heare what he says but they never consider how deeply it concernes them Sixthly we should be truly affected with the word of God our selves laying nothing on our peoples shoulders but what we lift upon our owne we should speake the truth from the bottom of our hearts uttering the word of God with feeling and with a contrite heart we should be heavenly as the word is that lip and heart and word may be all a like O if we did drop downe our Sermons as dew downe from heaven on our people this would be a lively preaching indeed as the Prophet Ezekiel did He dropt the word of God on Ierusalem Ezek. 21. 2. if our Sermons did come dropping downe from us as if they dropt downe from heaven O how homely doe our Sermons come from our mouthes as though they never were higher then the pulpit we doe not preach as if the word came dropping down from heaven and therefore people doe not look up to heaven while they heare their mindes are no higher then our pulpits whereas if we had heavenlier hearts and lippes it would more quicken a thousand times or at least be a sitter instrument to quicken Seventhly and lastly we should get the Lord to goe along with our Ministry for it is not our preaching it selfe that hath any life nay it is but a dead letter as it issues from us if we were such men that had the Lord going along with us throughout all our Ministry what a deale of profit would there be in our Ministry as Micha sayes I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord Micha 3. 8. But I let this point passe thus ye have heard the words as they have relation to the Ministry of the Church in Sardis Thou art dead that is thy Ministry is dead Now I come to the words as they have relation to the Church it selfe Thou art dead Thou art a dead people though thou hast a name to live yet thou art dead that is thou art outwardly reformed thou hast goodly order'd congregations good sober civill and faire carriaged people all professing the true religion and frequenting the good Ordinances of God yet thou art dead that is thou art even as good as nothing the doctrine hence is a dead Christian is as no Christian at all Ye know we are all dead by nature in trespasses and in sins that is we are alive to the workes of the flesh and to the world but dead towards God And a true Christian is he that is made dead unto sinne and the world but alive unto God as the Apostle Paul sayes Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 11. this is a true Christian that so leaves his sinnes and so takes up the worship and service of God that he is dead to his sinnes and alive towards God now when a man it may be leaves his sinnes after a manner and takes up the profession of Gods Service and yet he is alive still unto the flesh and dead towards God this is just nothing By dead I meane things first deadnesse of guilt when a man is guilty of any offence that is death by the Law he is said to be a dead man therefore every man hath sinned against God which is death by Gods Law so that every man is dead by nature when a man is pardoned of God then he is alive again and therefore it is called justification of life Ro. 5. 18. now when a man is not pardoned of God he is dead though he have never so many hopes and conceits of forgivenesse thought to apprehend himselfe to be pardoned yet as long as God hath not pardoned him indeed he is a dead man Secondly deadnesse of minde when the minde is Ignorant of God in regard of saving knowledge when a mans minde is without saving understanding then his minde is said to be dead true saving understanding is the life of so many mindes as David sayes give me understanding and I shall live Psal 119. 144. then my minde shall be alive sayes he then I shall know thee aright now let a man have never so much knowledge and learning yet in divine things is otherwise and have nothing his minde is still dead he is a dead man to all the things of God he cannot see God in all his wayes no more then a dead man he cannot minde God he may minde earthly things but he cannot minde God nay though he can mind learning divinity learning learning about God yet he cannot minde God his minde is dead to such savoury knowledge even as dead as a dead man he knowes not how to pray to God as a childe to his Father he knowes not how to doe any duty in a godly gratious manner his minde is as dead to these things as a simple Country-mans is to Latin or Greeke or Hebrew Thirdly deadnesse of heart when the heart is not inclined towards God then we say it is dead towards God and all goodnesse though he goe to good duties every day yet as long as the heart is not inclined to them it goes about them in a dead manner when a mans heart is once inclined towards God now it begins to be alive towards him as David sayes the heart
eare to heare before it be too late Consider first thou art farre from the Kingdome of God such as are sober and morall and frequenters of the ordinances of God professe godlines though they be not alive yet they are not farre from the Kingdome of God as Christ said of the discreet Scribe Mark 12. 34. But thou art a hundred hundred degrees farther off thou art so farre off that thou hast need to hasten quickly thou hast a 1000 degrees of reformation to passe over before thou canst get so neere as some of them that are short Secondly thou art altogether become unprofitable as the Apostle speakes Rom. 3. 12. thou art good for nothing but to doe mischief in a parish to infect to spoile youth to trouble thy wife and thy poore Children to corupt thy servants and thy neighbours to spill the good creatures of God to be a very slave to thy fleshly-lusts others that are well governed in their lives though they be dead yet they doe a great deale of good they help the Saints they are I say gotten to stand for good order but thou art a very burden to all well disposed people the very shame of the Towne the disgrace of the family where thou art what will people say yonder 's a drunkard yonder goes a fornicator a dissolute fellow though he be a gentleman yet he is fit for none but rogues and raseals and tinkerly companions a man that hath but a spark of honesty would be ashamed of him a Christian no he is a very beast he cannot govern himselfe But what doe I stand spending of time to speak against such wayes which the Apostle sayes should scarcely be named in Christians mouthes The very heathens shall judge thee the Lord open thine eyes to see what a cursed creature thou art that thou maist come out of the snare of the devill I have hindered my selfe from going on I should shew you first a reproof of those that are Christians and yet dead Secondly I should shew you the danger of being a dead Christian Thirdly what it is to be a lively Christian Fourthly how we may know whether we be dead Christians or no. Fifthly how farre forth a childe of God may be dead Sixthly what is the reason that so many are dead Seventhly how we should all come to be lively Eighthly what motives there be to induce us to labour for life in our Christian course But of these at another time REVEL 3. 1. And art Dead THe last doctrine that we gathered out of these words was this that a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all though a man be orthodoxly converted baptized reformed though a man professe the true faith towards God repentance and amendment of life and follow all manner of good and honest courses for the matter of them yet if he be dead to them he is even as good as nothing I told you what I meant by a dead Christian I shewed you this in five things First deadnesse of guilt when a man is guilty of any offence that is death by the Law he is said to be a dead man so every man hath sinned against God which is death by Gods Law and therefore every man is dead by nature when a man is pardoned of God then he is alive againe and therefore it is called Iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. now when a man is not pardoned of God he is dead though he have never so many hopes and conceits of forgivenesse yet as long as he is not forgiven indeed he is but a dead man Let a man have never so much Christianity about him if he be not forgiven indeed he is a dead Christian Secondly deadnesse of minde when the understanding of man is dead my beloved ye must know it is not bare knowledge that quickens the minde a man may have the knowledge of all Christian divinity and yet have a dead understanding it is said of Christ every true Christian that he is of a quick understanding in the feare of the Lord Isa 11. 3. then is the understanding quick when it is quick in the feare of God when it feeles the weight of all divine truth we may see this in worldly minded men their understandings are quick in the things of the world if there be any booty to be had presently they feele it you may lead them any way so you doe but let them see profit and gaine there is weight in such reasons But now shew them divine reasons why they should beleeve the sacred writings of the holy Prophets and Apostles and yeeld obedience unto the form of wholsome words delivered in the Gospell though they understand well enough what we say yet they feele no weight in these reasons whole Sermons doe not stirre them their understanding is here dead so that this is a dead Christian who though he have never so much knowledge yet his understanding is dead he feeles not the weight of divine things he hath divine things in his speculative understanding and carnall in his practicall gracious truths in his fore dictats and carnall in his last when he knowes heavenly things but mindes earthly my meaning is this O sayes his understanding I should live thus and thus this is the rule this is the will of God But then his owne corrupt will suggests unto him for to doe otherwise and His understanding does not hinder Thirdly deadnesse of heart when the heart is not inclined towards God The life of the heart consists in the inclinations and bents of the heart as David sayes Incline mine heart to thy Testimonies Psal 119. 36. what followes quicken thou me in thy way This is the quicking of my heart to thy Testimonies when it is inclined unto them now though a man goe to good duties everyday yet as long as the heart is not inclined unto them it is dead to them all it goes about them in a dead manner as a Boy that is not inclined to his Book though he doe goe to Schoole it is with a dead heart This then is another expression of a dead Christian he is a man though he be a professour of Holinesse yet his heart is not inclined towards God and all goodnesse and therefore he goes on in good duties with a dead heart Fourthly deadnesse of conscience when the conscience hath no force it may be it finds fault with such and such wayes but it hath no power over a man to make him to leave them it approves such and such holy courses yea but it hath no power over him to make him to buckle to them indeed O sayes the conscience I should not doe thus I should be more mindfull of God I should not be so vaine I should not spend my time as I doe I should make another use of Gods warning then I doe I should be better But it hath no force over the man whose conscience it is this is a
Joh. 1. 4. in him we live and move and have our being and therefore it is a great sinne not to be thankfull to him for our naturall life David blesses God for his naturall life very often life is a very great blessing a poor thing that hath life a living dog is better then a dead Lyon A man will give skinne for skinne and all that he hath for his life I am sure many of us may be very glad of life for if it were gone now we should be in hell and therefore we had need to make much of our naturall life yea every houre of it least we dye before we be converted and brought home to God But this is not the life that we doe speake of we speak of spirituall life and God is the author of that more especially when a man is alive towards God he is the onely cause of it He spiritually moveth our hearts by the holy Ghost and begets us againe after a strange and an inessable manner by joyning his spirit to our spirits his minde to our mindes and his will to our willes he revives all the powers of the soule with his presence and therefore this life is called the life of God which the world are strangers to and aliens from being alienated from the life of God Eph. 4. 18. so likewise it is called the life of Iesus 2 Cor. 4. 11. He onely is the author of it Thus ye see the efficient cause of it Secondly the Instrumentall cause of this life is true faith this is the ligament that couples this life and a man together that now he is said to be a living man ye know God is the onely living God they that are not united unto him remaine in the congregation of the dead now faith unites a man unto him faith is the having of him He that hath the Sonne hath life and he that hath not the Sonne hath not life 1 Joh 5. 12. when a man cleaves unto God by a true and lively faith this man hath life as Moses sayes That thou mayst love the Lord thy God and that thou mayst obey his voyce and that thou mayst cleave unto him for he is thy life Deut. 30. 20. Though a man hath not that strong faith that some have whereby he hath a cleare evidence of Gods love and favour in Jesus Christ though a man have not this faith yet if he have a faith of adherence and cleaving unto God this man is a living Christian this man is joyned unto the true life This is the true God and even life and therefore whosoever cleaves to him hath life if he will not away from him he will still seeke him still pray unto him still make him his refuge though he have no feelings that is not it if a man will never give over seeking of God He beleeves God is the fountaine of all life and peace and grace and comfort and Gods way is the onely way he beleeves himselfe is a cursed wretch in himselfe and that all hope is in Christ now if this man have such a faith whereby he adheres though with never so much weaknesse this man is a live This is the faith whereby a Christian lives as Paul sayes the life that I live I live by the faith of the Sonne of God Gal. 2. 20. Thus ye see the Instrumentall cause of it Thirdly now for the parts of it The parts of it are three The first part is the life of Justification ye know every man by nature is a dead man as a malefactour that hath committed an offence that is death by mans Law we say he is a dead man so we have all offended God from the womb which is death by Gods Law and therefore we are dead men now when God hath justified a man freely by his grace when God hath given him a pardon in Christ Jesus now he is a live man and therefore Justification as ye heard is called Iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. now beloved this life is not in the man that does live but in Christ that he lives by this life supposeth no life in this party no it lookes upon him as a dead man in himself But God counts him alive in Jesus Christ as the Apostles sayes Christ is our life Col. 3. 4. q d this life is not in us but in Christ so that this life denominats aman alive as Christ denominated the demosel alive that was yet dead The Damosell is not dead sayes he Matth. 9. 24. ye know the Damosell was dead at that time when Christ said so and yet he said she was not dead because he had life for her she had life in him now when he raised her up then she had life in her too And so I come to the second part of this life and that is the life of Sanctification and this life is in him that doth live for though he were dead before to all goodnesse and holinesse and alive unto sinne yet now he is made dead unto sinne and alive unto God as the Apostle speakes likewise also reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sinne but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 11. this life is called the life of grace and new obedience when a man is quickened up to all the wayes of God you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2. 1. and this is the quickening that I would faine open to you The third part of this life is the life of joy and comfort ye know when a mans eyes are opened to see his sinnes and his damned estate by reason of them the Law comes and that kils him his very heart dyeth in him now when God propounds to him a Saviour and causes him to beleeve in him this revives his heart againe this yeelds him some joy and comfort so that true joy is a life too we may see this in the Children of God let their joyes and comforts be all gone this makes them all amort this makes them very heavy and sad as if they had no life at all in them as the Church sayes Wilt thou not revive us againe that thy people may rejoyce in thee Psal 85. 6. Now my brethren all this is onely by way of preface to come then to the question what is it to be a quickened Christian a Christian that hath not onely a name to live but is dead dead towards God dead to all good duties no But is quickened up to them I answer that as death is taken in a metaphoricall sense when we say such a one is dead to God dead to the holy ordinances of God we doe not meane properly dead as if he were naturally dead and had no soule in his body but we take it in metaphoricall sense so is life here to be taken too namely for the activenesse of a thing when a thing is not active we use to say it is dead as
be holy Let thy Urim and thy Thummim be with thy holy one Deut. 33. 8. so that our very calling will testifie against us if we be not holy We of all men should labour to be holy What a Minister and yet a drunkard a Minister and yet a whoremonger a Minister and yet without the feare of God a Minister and yet have a dead heart O consider what God sayes What hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldst take my covenant within thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and hast cast my words behind thee Psal 50. 16 17. With what face can we here stand in a Pulpit and preach against sin and teach our hearers to make conscience of all their wayes and denounce the judgements of God against them that doe evill if we that condemne another do the same things or as bad How inexcusable are we if we can preach the straitnesse of heavens gate and the narrownesse of the way and the strictnesse of the account the people shall be forced to give at the last day and lay heavie burdens on other mens shoulders and we our selves not touch them with one of our fingers Teach precisely and live loosely teach graciously and walke broadly This is grosse hypocrisie act zeal and goodnes in the Pulpit and be heartlesse and luke-warm in our private duties unto God Again we can never look to doe good if we be not holy as Jet will not draw if it be not clean For how can we hope our people will follow our exhortations if they see we doe not follow them our selves When S. Luke had shewed how Barnabas exhorted the Christians to cleave close unto God Acts 11. 23. presently he gives a reason why he might well exhort them to do so For he was a good man full of the holy Ghost and of Faith v. 24. When our hearers are met with for any of their sinnes when wee rub their consciences with our Sermons presently their eye is at us and if they see us to be vain and worldly this heals them again though the word wounded them yet this is an ease to them O think they he is as bad himselfe and we see no such holinesse in him and we are as faire for heaven as he he loves his peny as well as we he is as ready to quarrell as we he is as proud and ambitious and fearfull and idle as we he loves to sleep in a whole skin what wil not hee doe rather then lose his living hee 'l break the Sabbath and teach others to doe so Now my brethren how should we abhorre this O it should prick and spur us up to study holinesse of life that so our Ministery may be powerful Thirdly are Ministers Angels Then they should be apt to teach ready to preach and to labour in Word and Doctrine It is said of the Angels that they have wings One of the Seraphims came flying unto me Isa 6. 6. They are ready prest to doe any thing that the Lord gives them in charge so should we be or else how should we beare the name of Angels We must labour that we may be fruitful in our labour among our people You know the Angels are called Reapers and so are Gods Ministers I sent you to reap John 4. 38. When a man reaps he gathers nay Christ chuseth good Ministers for this end that they should bring forth fruit in their places I have ordained you that yee should goe and bring forth much fruit John 15. 16. Nay our Saviour Christ supposes that all his true Ministers are fruitfull upon some Every sower though he have some high-way ground to sow in and some thorny ground and some stony ground yet he hath some good ground or other For first a good Minister it is the desire of his soul to see the fruits of his labours As a Hen many a Hen will hardly ever off from her egges till she see a young chickens bill peep nay she will sit stil till she die before she will off What made Paul so desirous to come to the Romans Was it onely to see them and to be among them or to take his tythes or his maintenance No it was that he might have some fruit Rom. 1. 13. And certainly this is the study of every true Minister that he may see his preaching fruitfull in the conversion and salvation of some that some are awakened by his means that some are quickned some are made to leave their sinnes and to become new creatures unto God Secondly does not every man count it a misery to be unprofitable The Lord names it as a brand upon wicked men that they are unprofitable Rom. 3. 12. What a wofull brand is this when we can live two three seven ten twenty yeares in a place and our services are unprofitable no man delivered out of ignorance no man purged from his filthinesse by our means when our Ministery is a dead letter we preach without life and no man is translated from death unto life by it I say this is to bee unprofitable like salt that hath lost his savour I confesse the best Ministers may have little takings as the best tradesman may have little vent for his wares when his trading growes dead Nay thirdly this is the end of our gifts that wee may profit with them as the Apostle sayes The manifestation of the Spirit is given unto every man to profit withall 1 Cor. 12. 7. Hath he given us knowledge He hath given it us that we should profit others with it Hath hee given us skill in the opening and applying of the Scriptures He hath given it unto us that we may doe good with the same And therefore O how earnest should we be that our Ministery may profit that our pains may be profitable and successfull that we may say with the Prophet Esay Lord behold I and the Children whom thou hast given me Fourthly this is the best argument that God hath of a certain called us to bee Ministers in his Church If we have called our selves and run without sending then no marvell if we be fruitlesse and doe little or no good But if we find that God blesseth our labours this is the best seal of our ministery as if the arrow hit it 's a good sign it was sent out of the bow it may fall out of the bow of it own accord but then it never hits but when it is sent out of the bow ye know he that sends it will aim and therefore now when it hits that 's a signe it was sent indeed so when a Minister converts peoples soules this is a good signe that God sent him when a Minister can say to his people as Paul to the Corinthians The seale of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord 1 Cor. 9. 2. though I be not an Apostle unto others yet doubtlesse I am unto you For the seale of my Apostleship are ye in the
deceive themselves in the particular They think they serve God and they love God or else they were not worthy to live they think they say their Prayers every day and that they are thankfull unto him they never eate their meat but they say Grace they never recover out of siâ—knesse but they blesse God Whereas if we should deale with these men in particular it would appear they are haters of God they are gracelesse and unthankfull wretches they never prayed true Prayer to God in all their lives hence it is that people generally like a generall Minister Why they can goe along with such a man and be heart-whole But now if a particular Minister should come and tell them they are worldly and mockers of God and all goodnesse as they are in very good deed they cannot abide him they would say wherein Such were the Jewes under the overly Ministery of the Priests When Malachy dealt particularly with them saith hee Yee have despised the name of the Lord Wherin say they Mal. 1. 6. Yee have wearied the Lord with your words Wherein say they have wee wearied him Mal. 2. 17. Yee have robbed God Wherein have wee robbed him say they Mal. 3. 8. Your words have been stout against the Lord yet their answer was Wherein have wee spoken so much against the Lord Mal. 3. 13. Alas alas their Priests had taught them onely in generall and therefore when the Prophet was to deale particularly with them and told them what vile courses they took they cryed wherein and whereof and why doe you say so of us hee was forced to come to particulars Otherwise they would have gone away and blessed themselves Fifthly Generall Preaching lets people see their sinnes if they will But beloved this will doe no good if wee let you see your sins if you will wee must make you see your sinnes Son of man cause Jerusalem to know her abominations Ezek. 16. 2. Wee must not onely let you understand if yee will it is said of the good Priests that they caused the people to understand Neh. 8. 8. Naturally people love their own selves and their lusts and they will not see them till they needs must they doe not love to bee precise they will not willingly yeeld that they must bee so strict and so mortified as the Lord Jesus will have them if they mean to bee saved and therefore if they can put it off they will shew them there is a difference between people and people some are the people of God and some are the children of the devill some are the redeemed of Christ and some have nothing to doe with Christ some are clean and some are unclean though wee show them the difference between these two they will shut their eies if they can Generall preaching does no more it shews them these things But may be neither the Minister nor they will see for all that now wee must cause them to discern whether they wil or no if we can They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane cause them to discerne between the uncleane the clean Ezek. 44. 23. that is tell them this is unclean and this is clean such and such persons are prophane and such are holy Hold it before their eyes cause them to discern this is the way to quicken mens hearts Now Generall preaching does not doe thus It onely puts the truth before men that they may see if they will but if they will not it does not urge them this deads our people and does them no good for people will not bee awakened as long as they can shift it Sixthly Generall Preaching is a-loft and a-loofe off particular preaching is the most close and the most plain and the most sensible preaching of all if any Preaching will sink into peoples heads this will it makes the truth even sensible after a sort as King James said of a Reverend Bishop of this Land that is now dead and gone This man saith hee Preaches as if death were at my back So a presse Preacher preaches as if death were at a mans back as if judgement and hell were at a mans back hee brings the point home to the soules door 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Generalls are not plain Ignorant people are most led by sense People may live seven yeers under a generall Teacher and bee never the nearer such a Ministery breeds onely swimming knowledge it does not lay the Truth at every mans doore may bee they get knowledge but their knowledge does them little good it is said of the good Levites that they taught the people the good knowledge of the Lord 2 Chron. 30. 22. That is such a knowledge of the Lord as made the people good they laid the Truth at every mans doore they preacht to the people as if 〈…〉 were at their backs They did livelily teach them 〈…〉 informe them this did them good Generall preaching is like an Arrow shot at rovers that does not hit the mark as if the Minister would lay his Sermon on his Cushion and never dart it into his peoples bosomes Alas Brethren if people doe not feele our points at their backs and like speares in their sides and swords in their bellies they will feele nothing it is naked preaching when wee make mens estates even visible before their eyes when wee preach so of Gods wrath as if they saw it when wee so set out Christ as if hee were palpable to mens senses this quickens and no other as Paul saith O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that yee should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth and crucified among you Gal. 3. 1. Mark how sensibly hee had preached Christ to them even as if hee had held him before their eies and therfore hee saith they were even bewitcht that they could not see them q. d. how is it possible that yee should not see him that yee should not obey the truth where it hath been so sensibly preached unto you and painted to the life even before your very eyes If any Preaching will quicken this will and therefore Generall Preaching that will not doe the deed Seventhly Generall Preaching is against the nature of Preaching for wherefore is preaching but to take the word of God and apply it unto people in particular it is called the dividing of the word of truth aright 2 Tim. 2. 15. When the Minister is a good carver to divide to every man his portion Conviction to the ignorant reproofe to the offender terrour to the obstinate comfort to the broken heart judgement to the wicked mercy to the Saints and true penitent soules Then the Minister applies it unto every man Preachers are Gods Harvest-men as our Saviour Christ saith Pray yee the Lord of the Harvest that hee would send forth labourers 〈◊〉 his Harvest Matth. 9. 38. Now Harvest-men what 〈…〉 Doe they onely bring a sithe or a sickle into the
are not moved themselves and therefore this does not move them neither when people can see through a Minister that hee does not preach out of his owne heart this deadeth their hearts God bade Ezekiel eate the Book c. Secondly The manner of preaching is cold when the Sermon is not delivered in a lively manner when hee preaches dully and bluntly The Apostle shews in the first of the Colossians that Epaphras did a great deale of good in his Ministery at Colosse Now in the fourth of the Colossians and the 13 verse the Apostle saith hee was a zealous Preacher I bear him record saith hee that hee hath a great zeale for you But when a Minister hath a cold delivery this is a great hinderance to the Word You will say how can this bee Is it not the same word whether preached coldly or with heat Yes it is But the Word hath two things in it first the bare naked truth secondly the fatherly affectionatenesse of God in the same Now a zealous Minister le ts the people in some measure see both But a dull Ministery holds out the one and hideth the other Again though the Word onely convert it is not the Minister that works but the Word yet the Minister is appointed of God to bee a meanes to draw peoples attentions to the word Now when hee does it in a cold manner the people are the more apt to let fall their intentions and not mark it Thus you see how a Minister may bee guilty of the deadnesse of his people two waies first by his not preaching at all Secondly by his dead manner of preaching There is one more yet remaines and that is Thirdly by his dead life and conversation an evill life in the Minister makes preaching seem vile When hee makes it appear by his course that hee makes no conscience of framing his life according to his own teaching Is strict in the Pulpit and dissolute in the street I confesse many are ready to quarrell with the lives of their Teachers without cause as the false Apostles with Paul as though hee were carnall 2 Cor. 10. 2. But when a man will bee a Minister and yet walk like men hating to bee reformed and running into the same excesse of riot with others how doth this harden peoples hearts and deadeth the Doctrine it self it makes preaching seem but a â—oy When a man will seem to perswade to that which hee neglects himself and to cry out against that of which himself doth make a common practise Let no man despise thee sayes Paul unto Timothy You will say how shall that be Be you an example unto them that Beleeve 1 Tim. 4. 12. But I am prevented of time There is nothing that more deads a mans Ministery then this when the people know in their Consciences that the Minister is as vile as one of them Let him preach never so excellent things they will say alas alas wee know hee loves his penny hee loves the pot hee is not right no more then one of us But I am forced to give over The use of this is First Is it so that a Minister may be the cause why the people are dead Then here we see the reason why the Devill is so busie to poyson Ministers He knowes if he can poyson Them he can quickly poyson all the Parish well-neare Simon Simon Satan hath desired to sift thee Luc. 22. 31. when Joshua was exercising the office of the High-Priest Satan stood at his right hand Zach. 3. 1. The Devill is like the Syrians O sayes he fight neither against small nor great save only against the King of Israel If they could slay him they knew they should quickly take his Armie so if the Devill can take the Minister he cares not If he can make him a worldling or a drunkard or a Drone or a Pluralist that is it he desires The deading of one Minister deads a 100. others if he can be a lying spirit in a Ministers mouth he is able to deceive 200. at once Secondly Here we see that Ministers of all men should have a care to be quickned For if we be not quickned Brethren our guiltinesse is very great we shall involve many others in our sinne It will go hard with every private person that is dead to all goodnesse He cannot be saved he cannot escape the second death How then can a dead Minister escape that hath not onely his owne deadnesse to answer for but also the deadnesse of all his people What sayes the Lord to the Ministers of the dead Churches of Sardis Repent Repent sayes he lest I come against thee as a theefe in an hower before thou art aware Rev. 3. 3. And therefore let vs be awakened that wee may be quickned Beloved the times now are very dead and it is wee that are the Ministers of the Church have let this deadnes in our not being watchfull our not being lively and stirring in our places our not being quickened O what wrath hangs upon us if we doe not labour for life that we may communicate it unto our people The common deadnesse up and downe should be an argument unto us to excite us When Elisha saw the badnesse of the Church in his dayes he was very earnest to have the spirit of Elias doubled upon him 2 King 2. 9. We have need of a double spirit of the good Ministers of God that were before us the dayes doe require it never was there more deadnesse then now is There are not many that professe holinesse at all but of them that doe O how many are dead and without life now who should bee a meanes to quicken people but wee Thirdly This should teach good people to pray for their Ministers the more quickned the Ministers be it is the better for them But if they be dead the infection will descend downe into you When Paul and Silas went out to preach the Text sayes They were Commended by the Brethren to the grace of God Act. 15. 40. Fourthly This should be an exhortation to us of the Ministery that wee would take heed unto our selves and to all the Church of God that is committed unto our charge that we would rouze up our selves and specially now when there was never more need When the children of Israel were about to goe backe againe into Egypt the Text sayes how Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the Congregation of Israel to beseech them to forbeare Num. 14. 5. They were so mightily affected with the peoples sinne that they fell upon their faces before them q. d For the Lords sake and for your own soules sake Take heed of this sin What! will you pull all Heaven about your eares Will you provoke the living God against you O my Brethren take heed what yee doe so wee should doe we should labour to be affected with our own and our peoples deadnesse Wee should call upon them to be quickned
digest it neither have they any minde to concoct it therefore mark there what follows Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord ver 11. that is you are more afraid of a famine of bread yee would bee more troubled if you had no Bread to eate nor liquour to drink you care not so it bee not that famine But think what you will I will send you a worse famine than that a famine of hearing of Gods Word Yee shall have Preaching little enough Little enough food for your soules seeing yee will bee filthy yee shall be filthy seeing ye will be heartlesse towards heavenly things ye shall bee heartlesse yee shall be hardned yee shall be let alone and the blinde shall lead the blinde and both shall fall into the ditch the wicked shall lead the wicked wicked Ministers the wicked people and both shall perish together and then though yee would never so fain have a Sermon that may come to the Conscience yee shall be long enough before yee shall hear it Yee shall starve for want of spirituall knowledge starved to death for want of life Seared in your sins yee shall have no Sermons to dispossesse you of Satan no teaching to purge your hearts to humble your soules before God or to minister the Spirit unto you yee are weary of the sound Ministery of the Word therefore ye shall not bee troubled with it This then is another sign that God will take away those few Stars that are yet remaining And then woe bee to you Fourthly when there are hardly any sonnes of peace that the Ministers peace may light upon then the Lord bids them pack away Like the Market folkes when they see their Commodities lie upon their hands they take up their Commodities lie upon their hands they take up their Commodities and goe home O say they people will give nothing they will not give our price wee and our children will have them for our own selves rather then wee will part with them for nothing So they goe away so Gods Ministers goe away when the Market is dead no Customer will come to their stalls So Paul and Barnabas went away from the Jews Yee put off the word from you and therefore lo wee turn unto the Gentiles Act. 13. 46. q. d. yee will have none of it wee have offered it to you and we were bid to doe so but ye put it off from you therefore fare yee well Die in your sins So people now put off the word of God our Doctrine sinks no where almost one puts it off from him another puts it off from him Like as the Cities of the Philistims did with the Ark. The men of Ekron they cryed out and doe you bring it to us and so the men of Ashdod said and it shall not abide with us 1 Sam. 5. 7. Every one put it off they would have none of it Fifthly when people oppose they are so farre from repenting at the preaching of the Word that they fall to oppose and to mis-use the bringers of it as the Jews did Saint Paul The Text sayes Hee shook his rayment at them and told them your blood bee upon your own heads and away hee went Act. 18. 6. when people lay their heads together how they may heave out the Minister many times God gives them leave for to doe it that they may bring evill on their own heads the Lord lets them have their cursed wills to their own utter destruction and condemnation Sixthly when God hath sent all his Ministers that ever hee means to send Hee sent one Minister and they would not hear him hee sent another after him and they would not hearken to him neither a man would wonder surely God will send no more well may be God in his great goodnesse sends another good man and he does what he can but the people will doe wickedly still Yea but when God hath sent all that Hee means to send now he will send no more as God did with Judah I have sent unto you all my servants the Prophets rising up early and sending them saying return from your evill wayes but yee have not inclined your eare unto me Jer. 35. 15. when God had sent all then hee would send no more You will say how can this bee a signe when God hath sent all that he means to send who can tell that I Answer Beloved God may shew it plainly that God hath sent even all that he means to send when he blocks up the way that more cannot bee suffered to come to us then those that are come when such courses are laid that ne're a faithfull one more is permitted to enter when Gods faithfull ones are forbidden to Preach as Paul sayes They forbid us to Preach When people will have Pashur's and not Jeremiah's When there be Laws made Look yee speak no more in his name When they say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie it When the good Levites are made to goe away and to leave their own places as it was in Jeroboams time 2 Chron. 11. 14. Again when the shadows wax long it is a signe that the Sun is going down The reason why God will take away all his Starres when matters are come to this passe is First because it is but lost labour and Cost cast away to administer phisick to such patients whose diseases are desperate my Brethren God is a wise phisician and he knows whom hee hath to deale with when hee sees men rend in pieces his Prescripts and pull off his plaisters and vomit up his wholesome potions that he gives them for their good he gives them up for gone hee will bee their Physician no longer This was the reason why God did leave Judah Thy disease is incurable Jer. 30. 12. Secondly because it is not only lost labour but it is worse then lost to let such people have the Ministery of the word it makes them much worse Why should yee bee smitten any more yee will revolt more and more Esa 1. 5. why should yee bee preacht to any more yee will c. Thirdly Because if men will needs goe on in their sins God would rather they should doe so without his word then with it as a husbandman if the ground bee stark barren he would rather never plough it and sow it with seed then to have it barren after the seed sown when people will needs bee wicked God would rather have them doe all their wickednesse out of his sight then in it I will cast you out of my sight Jer. 7. 15. God cannot abide to look upon a people that will have their own wayes they anger him more when they commit all their wickednesse under his Word God looks towards a people when hee sends them his holy Word hee looks upon them to doe them good
company of hypocrites and teachers of vanities what are these Preachers wee see little good they doe what becomes of all their Preaching factions and odde opinions in one Towne and dissolutenesse and all manner of licensiousnesse in another If the whole world should let us alone I verily feare God himselfe would put us down immediately in the end So many scandals so many thousand offences are given every day that its a wonder wee stand as we doe That the Lord of heaven lets any Minister in England come into a Pulpit more nothing but pride and self-conceits and selftrustings and feared consciences dead hearts and profanenesse unlesse it be a very little handfull O Beloved if where preaching is it were honoured as it ought to bee and obeyed as it should if people would doe as we teach I dare be bold to affirme wee might Preach long enough If our Townes would sweetly reforme set up good Government root out all disorders and cursed abuses live like Christians indeed be humble and sober and loving and dutifull to God and Man Giving to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods If we would feare God and honour the King Reverence Gods Courts obey the voyce of his servants love Christ and his word above our appointed food this would lengthen the Ministery of the Land this would bee a meanes for the establishing of Gods Kingdome among us Christ would never repent that ever hee sent his Gospell unto us where wee have some wee should have more where we have more wee should have a hundred times more as the Apostle Peter sayes Who is he that will harme you if yee be followers of that which is good 1 Pet. 3. 13. Thirdly Another Use is is it Christ that takes away Ministers either by death or restraining or by any other way Then let it bee a meanes to exhort us to repent of our sinnes that Christ may still give a doore of utterance to his Ministers that they may still speak in his name This should move us to seek God When Peter was cast into prison O what fasting and crying and praying was there to God for him till hee was restored again Act. 12. 5. they did not goe to Herod to restore him No they knew Christ was hee that tooke him from the Church whoever were the instrument therefore they sought to Heaven for him again if any peoples Ministery bee gone this is the best way to fetch them again Paul knew this to bee true and therefore when hee was in prison at Rome hee writes to Philemon thus I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you Philemon v. 22. Nay hee is so confident that if people would but cry hard for him to God that hee should quickly bee enlarged Nay sayes hee prepare mee a lodging for I trust that through your prayers I should be given unto you q. d. I make no question but I shall out of prison if you will but bee earnest with God So also it seems the Authour to the Hebrews was restrained from Preaching Now mark what an exhortation hee uses Pray for us sayes hee and I beseech you the rather to doe this that I may bee restored unto you the sooner Heb. 13. 18 19. Thus I have finished this part of the Description of Jesus Christ That hath the seven Starres in his hand and the whole Subscription too These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres I come now to the Epistle it self I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead but of this more c. REVEL 3. 1. And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven starres I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead I know thy works c. Revel 3. 1. I know thy workes c. YE have heard two things concerning this Epistle First the Inscription that declareth the person to whom it was sent To the Angel of the Church in Sardis write That is it was sent principally to the Minister of the Church in the Town of Sardis and also to the Christians that were in that Church Secondly the subscription that declareth from whom it was sent These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Stars that is it was sent from Jesus Christ Now we come to the third thing and that is the subject matter of this Epistle which consists of three things First a Reprehension of the sins of the Minister and the body of his congregation Secondly a Direction or the shewing of the remedy for the curing of their sins Thirdly a Commendation of some particular persons in that Congregation that were not carryed away with the sins of the times The reprehension is either in generall I know thy works that is I know them all and I know them to be stark nought for the most part what-ever they seem they may seem to be very good but I tell you plainly I know them all what they be q. d. Generally they are stark nought And then in particular hee instances in two first the sin of hypocrisie or seeming to be good Thou hast a name that thou livest Secondly the sin of deadnesse of heart But thou art dead This is the reprehension or the reproof Then follows the Direction or the shewing of the remedy for he does not reprove them out of any ill will but for their good And therefore he prescribes them a remedy and the remedy is twofold The first is to strengthen the things that remain that are ready to dye v. 2. q. d. as many of you as are not quite and clean dead stir up your selves quicken up your hearts and this is first illustrated by shewing how they should doe thus Be watchfull sayes he q. d. that 's the reason why ye languish on this fashion and ye will languish more and more because yee are not watchfull therefore be watchfull and then it is urged by rendring a motive to use this remedy For I have not found thy workes perfect before God that is thou art hardly sincere a jot thou art full of hypocrisie and formality and thou wilt lose all thy labour if thou dost not look well about thee therefore shake up thy self and strengthen the things c. this is the first remedy The second remedy is to repent v. 3. and this is amplified by shewing how and that is two wayes 1. Remember how c. i.e. consider how thou hast been taught and bewail thy declinings for thou art horribly departed from what thou hast heard out of the Word 2. Hold fast i.e. so bewaile thy warpings and degeneratings that thou mayest get up again and hold thee fast there when thou art up Now lest they should neglect the using of this remedy the Lord Jesus sharpens his speech with
is thus they jear these things but beloved t is certain for it is not enough to beleive except we do it with life he that liveth and beleeveth in me Joh. 11. 26. faith without life is but equivocally termed faith so it is not enough to hope in God except we doe it with life he hath begetten us againe to a lively hope says Peter So it is not enough to be a member in Gods Church a Stone in Gods building except we be lively Stones Ye also as lively Stones sayes he 1 Pet. 2. 5. The like I may say of all the duties of Religion it is not enough to doe them but we must doe them with life as to pray to pray with a dead heart is nothing no sayes David Lord quicken us and we will call upon thy name Psal 80. 18. In a word not to heape particulars we cannot walk in any of Gods wayes aright as long as we walke in them with a dead heart as the psalmist sayes Lord quicken thou me in thy way Psal 119. 37. it is a poore thing to walk in Gods wayes onely for the matter of them That indeed a dead heart may doe there 's no duty that God bids a man doe unlesse it be them that consignifie life but flesh and blood may doe it for the matter of it if there be matter and forme in it True some duties are simple that flesh and blood cannot doe as to love God to delight in God to have communion with God himself to take God for ones Portion and Lot and inheritance to be all in all to him these are simple acts they are not compounded of matter and forme But when a duty is compounded of matter and forme flesh and blood may doe the matter of it whatsoever it be now then as the essentiall forme is the life of the matter so the matter without it is a dead matter and the doing of it dead Well then now we see what is meant by dead the next is what is the meaning of Thou Thou art dead the word hath a double relation the one to the Minister of the Church in Sardis thou art dead thy Ministry is dead the other to the Church in Sardis it selfe thou art dead thou art a dead people First it hath relation to the Ministry thou art dead thy Ministry is dead there 's no life in it at all hence the Doctrine is this that a dead Ministry is as good as no Ministry at all for this our Saviour meanes in regard of the Angell of the Church in Sardis q. d. thy Ministry is little better then no Ministry it is stark dead well neare it is not lively at all there is little or no warmth to be had by it Like the Ministry of the Scribes that had no authority nor power at all in it Mat. 7. 29. As Luther said when he heard a cold Sermon cold cold cold sayes he this is cold Preaching here is no heat at all to be gotten as God sayes of the Ministry of Laodicia Thou art luke-warme Rom. 3. 16. that is as there was no heat in his people so there was no heat in his Ministry this is little better then no Preaching at all it is even as good as nothing First because true preaching is lively preaching when the Minister is a stirring Minister as Peter speakes I think it meet to stirre you up a Pet. 1. 13. when the Minister is earnest to save the peoples soules as the Lord sayes I earnestly protested to your Fathers Jer. 11. 7. He speakes of the Ministry of Moses and the prophets down along untill the Prophet Jeremies time they did not onely witnesse the word of God unto the people but they did it in a lively and earnest manner as Paul did I have striven to Preach the Gospell Rom. 15. 20. marke he belaboured him in the Pulpit he lay about him soundly that his Ministry might have life in it Saint Luke shewes that he had sweaty Handker-chiefes Act. 19. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Hugo sayes upon the place it seemes he swet much in preaching and so Christ compares Ministers to Harvest men that labour in Gods Harvest ye know Harvest men are hot at their worke so Ministers should be Harvest men they should be hot at their worke Thus ye see dry and dull Preaching is little better then no preaching at all it is contrary to the manner of preaching contrary to the practice of all true and right preachers Secondly a dead Ministry is called no Ministry the Scripture calls it no Ministry in effect The Scripture is the best Judge what is a true Ministry and what is not now the Scripture makes a dead Ministry and no Ministry all one the Scribes and the Pharisees ye know were partly morall men most of them as we may see by Pauls Testimony of himself and they were orthodox Ministers as our Saviour witnesses of them in the maine for our Saviour bids people heare them yet their Ministry was little better then no Ministry as the Text shewes the people that sate under their Ministry are said to be as sheep having no Shepheard Mat. 9. 36. they preacht as if they did not preach people might come to their Sermons and be neere a jot moved nay such as came with a desire to be quickned could get no quickning at all under them Matthew sayes they sate under darknesse yet for all them These are Idoll Sheepheards wo to the Idoll Shepheards Zach. 11. 17. Thirdly a dead Ministry does doe little or no good though it be never so true yet it is very unfruitfull it does not awaken any of the auditory it does not startle any of the hearers it does not rowze up mens hearts it does not grapple with the obstinate it does not pull down the proud neither does it carry life at all with it neither is it sitted to work upon the conscience you may see an example of this in the Angell of the Church of Sardic a dead Minister a dead people as he was dead himselfe so his people were dead too a lively Ministry does a great deale of good it even is the saveur of life unto life unto those that be of God or else the savour of death unto death unto those that be not of God 2 Cor. 2. 16. it ever workes one way either it makes people rage or it fats people up or else it drives people home unto God which way so ever it works it is a sweet savour unto God it glorifies God but a dead Ministry does neither it is a flat weapon and cuts not it is a blunt Sword and wounds not may be it hath the true words of God but they are not in a wise work mans hands to make them as Goads and sharp Nayles partly good points but not pointed to prick any bodies heart it is said when Paul Preacht some went away converted others went away blaspheming Act. 13. 45. 48. Fourthly a
life of Eloqution so I may say of preaching affections are the life of preaching now by affections I doe not meane feigned and forced affections they are no affections indeed but when a man preaches so for the matter and manner indeed affectionate matter and with a true affected heart that he may move the hearts of men as one says the world is now full of knowledge as a drunkard is full of wine that his stomack is not able to digest so I say people have more knowledge then they can well digest the stomack wants heat to concoct it for their good as Rodolphus Agricola speakes any man that hath learning may teach but to move the heart and affections it requires more a great deale This is lively preaching when a Minister sets himself to be in mens bosoms what alively preacher was the Apostle Paul you may see by his dealing with Agrippa he made the Kings heart even yearne againe with his speaking the King confest how his speaking worked within his bosom almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian Act. 26. 28. so you may see by the Galatians his preaching did not onely convert many of them but those whom he did not convert he did wonderfully work upon their hearts that they could have be contented to have pluckt out their eyes have given them to him Gal. 4. 15. such a lively preacher was he in the second of Judges that when he preacht he set all the people a melting a weeping like little children that had been beaten Judg. 2. 4. 5. I grant it may be the best and liveliest Ministers under heaven cannot do so now peoples hearts are more hardned But yet though we cannot undertake to move any one mans heart that 's the worke of God yet our Ministry may be lively First by labouring to make the things that we preach as it were lively before peoples eyes as the Apostle preached Christ crucified even as if he were crucified before his peoples eyes Gal. 3. 1. so Moses had a very lively Ministry the Text sayes he set before them life and death he laboured to preach with that evidence as if he had set before their eyes life death heaven and hell good and evill when a Minister preaches in the evidence and the demonstration of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 4. when he labours to bring the Gospell plainly to mens hearts a man may teach the Gospell but it is not preaching except he set it lively forth and labour to make people see it this is the truth and this is your sinne against that truth this is the doctrine and thus you faile in the doctrine this is the threatning of God and thus you lye under the threatning otherwise they heare a Sermon as if it did not concern them Secondly coming to particulars generals are but dead we see they leave people dead people have a hundred tricks to put them off but when a preacher comes to particulars he either quickens or slayes he convinces either to life or to death when a Minister layes the truth at every mans doore he presses it upon every mans heart he meets with many a put off he makes every conscience say I am the man except they be asleep or their minds are a wooll-gathering he darts into his hearers faces a view of their particular estates he toucheth their copy-hold he confutes their false pleas and knocks off the fingers that would be applying of a promise when it does not concern them puts it onely upon the soule to whom it does belong This is lively preaching that gives to every soule his due terror to whom teror comfort to whom comfort belongs milk to the Babe strong meat to the grown oyle to the bruised and a sword into the hard heart a whip for the Horse and a Bridle for the Asse and a rod for the fooles back Prov. 26. 3. application is the life of preaching this serves to condemne such a one this serves to confute such a one this serves to comfort such a one when a Minister does as Paul sayes divide the word aright 2 Tim. 2. 15. Thirdly by worrying of people out of their sinnes when a Minister will not let people be quiet in any of their sinfull courses when he labours daily to vex their guilty consciences and to turne them from day to day as the two witnesses did Rev. 11. 10. that they may say we cannot be quiet for this man he makes me sit upon thornes when a Minister labours to make hell to have every vile wretch and heaven and the promises to have every honest heart c. Fourthly by being pittious and affectionate towards the poore people to let them see how we pity their condition as we should doe what we can to make them feele their damned estate as also with bowels and compassion labour that they may see we doe pity them therefore preaching sometimes is called lamentation in Scripture Ezek. 19. 1. it may be people then may say what a beast am I how does our Minister pity us he mourns over us and bewayles us what a wretch am I that I doe not bewayle mine own case O beloved what a wofull thing is it that any of us should perish to be damned for ever in hell to lye in eternall paines what a pity is this is it not much better ye should embrace the good word of God and beleeve and take Jesus Christ and be willing to doe any thing he would have you to doe then to lye by it for ever in the paines of hell for the pleasures of sinne for a season alas it is for want of bowels that we doe no more good Fifthly by being deeply affected with the word of God laying nothing on peoples backs but what we lift up upon our owne shoulders speaking the truth from the bottom of our hearts uttering the word of God with feeling and with a contrite spirit O if we could drop our Sermons as dew down from heaven on our people this would be lively preaching indeed as the Prophet Ezekiel did he dropt the word of God upon Ierusalem Ezek. 21. 2. so if our Sermons did come droping downe from us as if they dropt downe from heaven O how coldly doe our Sermons come from our mouthes we doe not preach as if the word came downe from heaven as if our hearts were no higher then our pulpits Lastly by getting the Lord to goe along with our Ministry for it is not our preaching it self that hath any life no it is but a dead letter as Micha sayes I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord Mich. 3. 8. REVEL 3. 2. And art Dead THese words as ye heard have a twofold relation one to the Angell of the Church in Sardis thou art dead thy Ministry is dead there 's no life nor heat at all in thy Ministry it is no stirring Ministry thou art dead another to the Church it self thou art
a dead people a dead congregation For the first thence we had this point of Doctrine that a dead Ministry is little better then no Ministry at all By a dead Ministry I meane though the matter preached be never so sound orthodox yet when the preaching of it is dead this is a dead Ministry as a Prayer may be dead though the things prayed for be never so honest and godly now such a Ministry is little better then no Ministry there 's no warmth hardly to be had by it at all like the Ministry of the Scribes that had no power nor authority in it at all Matth. 7. 29. as Luther said when he heard one preach very cold cold cold sayes he this is cold preaching here 's no heat at all to be gotten First this is nothing like a true Ministry indeed a true Ministry indeed is lively it is a Ministry that warmes and heats it is a very earnest Ministery as when the Lord let the Jewes have a true Ministry he sayes they had a lively Ministry I earnestly protested to your Fathers Jer 11. 7. he speakes of the Ministry of Moses and the Prophets it was a very lively Ministry they preacht in good earnest to the people so Paul was earnest in his Ministry I have striven to preach the Gospell Rom. 15. 20. he belaboured him hard in the pulpit he laid about him soundly so that a dead Ministery is nothing like a true Ministery Secondly the Lord counts a dead Ministry even as if it were no Ministry at all The Scribes and the Pharisees were very morall men most of them as ye may see by Paul's Testimony of himself and they were orthodoxe Ministers for the maine as our Saviour sayes of them for he bids people heare them yet he counted their Ministry even as no Ministry at all he cals the people that sate under their Ministry people having no Shepheard Matt. 9. 36. true they had Shepheards but as the Prophet sayes of the Shepheards of Judah they were Jdoll Shepheards Zach. 11. 17. they were very Idols ye know Idols are dead Images Thirdly a dead Ministry does little or no good it is very unfruitfull it does not awaken any of the auditory it does not stir any of the hearers it does not rouze up mens hearts it does not grapple with the obstinate nor pull down the proud neither does it carry life at all with it as Ieremy sayes of many of the Priests and the Prophets of Israel they did not convert any God tels them if they had stood in his counsell they should have turned many Jer. 23. 22. But as the matter went they turned none they converted none a lively Ministry doth a great deale of good but a dead Ministry is a flat thing Fourthly a dead Ministry God seldome goes along with it nay that 's the life of ones Ministry when the Minister seekes God to goe along with him now a dead Ministry God goes not along with it a lively Ministry God gos along with that as Christ sayes Lo I am with you to the end of the world Matth. 28. 20. such a Ministry God blesses it gathers up Gods Jewels it builds up Gods Church it helps to perfect the Saints But a dead Ministry the Lord does not goe with it he does not worke with it Fifthly a dead Ministry prophanes the word it makes it seeme nothing worth it makes people thinke there is no great matter in it a lively Ministry glorisies the word it lets out God into the conscience it givs people to understand they come upon life and death it makes people looke about them it makes people heare over all that ever they have done it flashes the word of God into their hearts as a light to discover all their wayes it gives them a view of their eternall estate either one way or other it is the savour either of life unto life or of death unto death as it is said of Pauls Ministry the word of the Lord was glorified by it Act. 13. 48. But a dead Ministry prophanes hides the glory of it it lets people set quietly under it it diseases no sinner The use of this was first here we saw a reason why a dead Ministry is not houted at but applauded in the world Why it is as good as no Ministry at all it does not make the devill roar it lets people sleep in their sins such Ministers are dawbers they are the divels upholsters they doe not pluck away mens pillowes from under their arme-holes people may doe what they list for all them The world will let such alone they may sleep long enough whereas a livelie Minister can heardly come into the pulpit but presently he is halfe a Martyr as the Lord said to Ezekiel Briers and thornes are with thee Ezek. 2. 6. The world fought against Ieremy they played the wolves against the Apostles of Jesus Christ Lively Ministers cannot give the world any good content there 's an antpathy between the world and such they cannot more agree then light and darknesse such a Minister stands in the worlds light he makes the world see their works are evill he detects shams and opposes the sins that the world wallows in such a Ministry is a dissering Ministry it makes a division among men There cannot be a lively Ministery any where but the world hath a sting at it But a dead Ministry may goe Scot-free it does not torment them that dwell upon the earth Secondly this may serve to reprove our selves that are no more lively in our Ministry That our Ministry hath no more edge upon it to enter into this horny thick-skin age we complaine of much deadnesse now a dayes alas how if we be found guilty of it in that we preach no more quickeningly if the Apostles of Christ complained of dull hearers Heb. 5. 11. O how many dull hearers have we The Lord awaken our hearts The deader people be we had need to be the quicker in our Ministry or else we cannot say we are pure from their blood Don't we see the damned estate that our people are in by nature the carelesnesse of getting to be delivered out the necessity of faith of repetance of holinesse the danger of sinne the multitudes of them that perish and the fewnesse of them that strive to enter in at the straight gate the deceitfulnesse of the heart how the world and the cares of this life carry almost all eleane away the badnesse of the times the shortnesse of this life the irrecoverable estate after death the immortalitie of the soule the paines of hell the joyes of heaven O how should we bestirre our selves to beat these truthes into mens hearts that they may bethink them and flye from the wrath come The cold preaching of such weighty things quite cozens the world we give them such faint warnings that it 's no wonder that so few doe take any warning we sound the Trumpet
heare with life use the ordinances in publike and private with life the naturall life that is in the soule it turnes it to God it turnes the man about as a ship is turned on the Sea that sayled before towards North now it sayles towards South So when grace comes into the soule ye know the man had life afore but it sayled towards the world and the things of the world but when grace does come in it makes it row and sayle and steere towards God so that when a Christian is dead he is as no Christian at all Secondly a dead Christian hath not Christ dwelling in his heart by faith he is no Christian indeed that hath not Jesus Christ dwelling in him by a truly and a lively faith It is the indwelling of Christ that makes one a true Christian now when Christ does dwell in any man Christ is a quickening spirit as the Apostle speakes the second Adam was made a quickening spirit 1 Cor. 15. 45. that is Christ he is the second Adam he is a quickening spirit where ever he dwels he quickens all the soule He makes it dead to that which by nature it was alive to and alive to that which by nature it was dead to he inclines the soule unto God he infuses a principle into it to shine with life towards God he does more and more hale the strength of the soule towards him though he doe not doe it at all once yet he does it more and more now when a man is still dead to God and all goodnesse he hath not Christ dwelling in him by a lively faith for if he were in once though the soule may complaine still of deadnesse as commonly those that are alive complain most of deadnesse yet it hath a supernaturall quickening and it shall have more and more Thirdly a dead Christian was never yet soundly wrought upon by the word the word of Christ is a word of life and it quickens where it doe effectually work and therefore though such a one have heard a 1000 thousand Sermons he never fed upon them in all his life as Christ sayes If any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever Joh. 6. 51. it is better then ordinary bread ordinary bread indeed if a man have a naturall life it will feed it and preserve it But if a man be dead it will not revive him But the word of God is such a bread that as it feeds a spirituall life in them that have it so it is able through the eternall spirit to quicken the dead it is able through God to put life into men that never had any and it does so to all that are of God sooner or latter now when a man is dead it 's a plaine signe that the word hath not yet wrought upon that man it may be it hath shaken him many a time yea but if he be yet dead it never wrought upon him soundly the oracles of God are lively oracles as Steven cals them Acts. 7. 38. they make their hearts lively that they come to worke soundly on though they were never so dead to God and good things afore yet now they waxe lively they make their hearts to receive a divine strength that now they waxe able in some measure to live towards God to hunger and thirst after God to delight in the seeking of him be their lusts never so mighty now they can compose themselves to oppose them and to swimme against the streame now they can pray and they cannot abide to have blockish hearts in that nor in any other duty they have a life that resists that same deadnesse that dwelleth in them So then this is another reason that a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all the word hath never wrought soundly on that Man The use of this is first if the dead Christians in Sardis be as good as nothing what are the riff-raffe in the Towne that are not so much as Christians in name if a dead Christian be rejected of God what 's a dead drunkard a dead whormonger a dead prophanling if one that walkes in good courses be refused because he is dead in them then what shall become of them that will not follow good courses at all if such that are Saints to them cannot be saved where shall they appeare it is said that Christ loved the goodly fine carriaged young man Mark 10. 17. Christ is never said to love a drunkard a prophane wretch no he regards one that carries himself in a sayre civill honest way more then all the world besides except onely his own children and therefore if he counts meer civill men stark naught how much more does he thee that art a very beast compared with them thou art so vile that we that are men doe know thou art in a fearefull estate nay the Lord pronounes a woe upon them that dare speake well of thee these sinnes are to be punished by the Iudges if thou hast lived in Israel thou shouldst have been put to death a drunken Son should have been stoned an adulterer a fornicator should be burnt a blasphemer should be brained to death Thy sinnes are so palpable that pillaries and stockes and prisons and gallowes should be thy fare if thou wert well served Thou art not onely dead for the manner of thy life but for the matter too not onely the Saints doe abhorre thee but all that have any civility in them doe loath thy filthy doings and would not doe as thou doest no no for a world as Solomon sayes such as thou art are not onely dead but in the depth of hell Pro. 9. 18. There be many though they be not right yet they are so much reformed that the Saints of God cannot say but that they may be good Christians But thou art so foule that he that hath but one eye may see the devill leads thee there be some that a man may be to blame for judging them wicked but he that judges thee other wise hates his own soule poor creature does thy foolish heart promise thee hopes to finde mercy alas the devill does but lead thee in a string he knowes well enough though he will not let thee see it there is no mercy for them that goe on still in their wickednesse Thou hast not so much as a name that thou livest how dead then art thou Thou art dead and rotten and stinkest not onely in the nostrils of God but of all that have any common grace in them Others may be in a damned condition for all their profession but to be sure thou art in a damned condition there 's nothing between thee and hell but onely the poore thread of thy life How canst thou keep out of hell that canst hardly keep out of the Ale-house O heare this ye that have not so much as any face of Religion See the word of the Lord and thinke upon it for your good if ye have any
give you an acquittance when ye pay in onely wash duties clipt obedience if ye served God with life conscience would give you an acquittance when ye have prayed it would give you an acquittance when ye have done a dayes worke in his harvest it would acknowledge the receipt of it well done good and faithfull servant it is well done in some measure This made Paul full of life every day Herein doe I exercise my selfe to have always a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men Act. 24. 16. that is I doe not onely goe on in good duties both towards God and towards men but this I doe always I do even exercise my selfe that I may have an acquittance from mine owne conscience when I have done that my conscience may give me a true discharge well done I have done well in some measure now as long as we are dead-hearted and hollow in Gods wayes our conscience can never give us a discharge no marvell that so few of us have Peace of conscience when we are so dead-hearted as we are if we would stirre up our selves to serve God with all heart and life we should have Peace but till this will be once we can never looke to have Peace and comfort Fourthly Though we have comfort in time of prosperity yet we cannot have comfort in affliction if we be of a dead heart how many are there that seeme to have comfort while they are well but when they come to be sick and at deaths doore then they are all to peeces then they see they have no grace no faith no good cards to shew then they are stript stark naked then their conscience sees what they are O I am a wretch how have I deceived my self so beloved though we have comfort in time of prosperity yet if we be dead-hearted we can have no comfort in affliction As David sayes this is my comfort in affliction thy word hath quickened me Psal 119. 50. when the word of God hath quickened our hearts and made us lively in all manner of goodnesse this will yeeld us comfort in affliction But if we be dead to all spirituall wayes though we scramble up hopes now they will not hold when affliction comes now what a fearefull thing is 't we shall all come to affliction ere long for man is borne to trouble as the sparks that fly upward as Job speakes nay we know not how soone man knoweth not his time as Solomon speakes but as the Fishes are caught in an evill Net so are the Sonnes of men snared in an evill time when it falleth suddenly on them And God onely knowes what sore afflictions we may have the Cup of affliction is in Gods hand and he tempers it and powres it out as his pleasure is I say what a fearfull thing is it not to have comfort then then we have most need of comfort and if we have not comfort then we are utterly undone now my brethren it is not a dead dull profession will yeeld us comfort then Let us thinke of this as God sayes What will ye doe in your day of visitation to Whom will ye flye for helpe then Isa 10. 3. so may I say though ye can be quiet and comfortable enough now in the dayes of health and peace your deadnesse does not trouble you now but what will ye doe in the dayes of visitation doe but consider what a sorry comfort ye shall have then assuredly a dead heart will assord not a syllable of true comfort then Fifthly we can never blesse God with a dead heart a dead heart is not able to affirme upon any good ground that God is his or that the promise is his or that Christ is his the soule knowes Christ is a quickening spirit and they that have him are quickened up by him the promise is a promise of life and they cannot be dead that are the possessors of it we cannot blesse God either for love or mercy or grace or any thing else when we would blesse God for any of these things the deadnesse of heart it will be objected to us O I am so dead that how can I hope that these things belong unto me Let my soule live and it shall praise thee Psal 119. 175. when the soule is alive towards God then it can praise God then it knowes all the good it hath it hath it in mercy doubting and deadnesse doe ever goe together or it 's a great marvell And indeed what is deadnesse of heart towards Christ and all his holy Gospell but a secret doubting whether it have any part in it or no as when a poore man sees a rich treasure it does but dead him the more because he sees no interest he hath in it if he could see he had an interest in it this would quicken up his heart and put it out of it's dumps And is not this now a miserable condition when a man cannot praise God if he pray it is but in a sorry manner no life no heart at all But for blessing and praising of God that he cannot doe at all except he be in a fooles paradise and dreame of a false gift This is a dreadfull condition when we are hindred from that which God most delighteth in what is there that more delighteth God then to blesse him and praise him The Lord sayes we never honour him otherwise who so offereth me praise he glorifieth me Psal 50. 23. now we can never offer God praise except our heart live Sixthly Religion is a very irksome thing unto us as long as we are dead-hearted what is it that takes away the grievousnesse of it but a lively heart when the heart is dead it must needs be very tedious very tedious to be thinking of God to be meditating of death or the world to come to be imployed in prayer to be constant in the humbling of the soule or the abstaining from our naturall inclinations to be discoursing of repentance or studying of Gods heavenly Kingdome to be imployed in the word or to goe through dirty and frozen wayes to it to goe and repeate it in our Families or to urge it upon our hearts O what weary tedious duties are these when the heart is a dead heart This is the reason why the world lets them all generally alone and never troubles their hearts with them at all because they have no life in them and many that are better minded fend them very tedious because they are dead-hearted as Solomon sayes correction is grievous to him that forsaketh the way Prov. 15. 10. now as long as we are out of the way of life while we are dead-hearted we forsake the right way and therefore correction is grievous unto us nay all the commandements of God are grievous unto us does a dead heart rejoyce to goe to Prayer nay generally he is loth to goe to it is he glad that the Sermon Bell rings is he glad at an opportunity