the Nobles did not restrain them what these men did is laid to the Charge of the Nobles And Nehemiah tells them they brought Wrath upon Israel by prophaning the Sabbath 3. If you carry it toward those men as though they were righteous acquiting them when complaints and appeals are made to you or rewarding them as though they had done well when their iniquity and folly is manifest and hateful almost to all men you will lose your respect among the People Prov. 24.24 25. He that saith to the Wicked thou art Righteous him shall the People Curse Nations shall abhor him But to them that rebuke him shall be delight and a good Blessing 4. They are usually the basest of men that take upon them this imployment men of a very ill same in the Place where they live if their conversations were Looked into there are such Blots upon some of them as would make them abhorred of all sober men And if such men be exalted countenanced and rewarded it will cause Wickedness and Wicked Persons to abound in the Nation Prov. 12.18 The Wicked walk on every side when the vilest persons are exalted If you harken to the Lying informations these men bring against innocent Persons it will not only incourage them but others also to Tread in their Steps Prov. 29.11 If a ruler hearken unto lyes all his Servants are Wicked But if you would shew your selves angry with them for Backbiting and Slandring those that are peaceable you would soon free your selves from the Trouble of these men and the Nation also Prov. 15.23 The North Wind driveth away Rain so doth an angry Countenance a backbiting tongue 2. My humble request to you is that you would not punish any of the Ministers or other Servants of Christ when no other Crime is or can be proved against them but their meeting together to pray to God in the name of Christ or to preach and hear his holy Word The advice which Gamaliel gave the rulers of the Jews when the Apostles were brought before the Council for Preaching after they had received strict Charge to forbear teaching the People was wise and seasonable advice I humbly offer the same to you Act. 5.38 39. Refrain from these men and let them alone for if this Council or this Work be of men it will come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot overthrough it lest happily ye be found even to sight against God That this advice may be more effectual I humbly intreat you to consider 1. What a strict charge the Lord Jesus hath given his Ministers to preach his word He chargeth them three times as they love him to feed his Sheep and his Lambs John 21.15 16 17. Jesus said to Simon Peter Simon Son of Jonas Lovest thou me more than those Feed my Lambs Lovest thou me Feed my Sheep Lovest thou me Feed my Sheep He chargeth them as they will answer the neglect thereof at the day of Judgment to preach the word in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4.1 2. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing Preach the word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all patience and long suffering He hath laid it upon them as a necessary duty to Preach the Gospel and pronounces a Wo against them that neglect it 1 Cor. 9.16 Necessity is laid upon me Yea Wo unto me if I Preach not the Gospel Will ye forbid will punish these men for doing that for which they have such a strict command from Jesus Christ 2. Consider what a high respect and dear love the Lord Jesus beareth to all those that hear his word and do it He loveth and honoureth them as he loved and honoured his Mother and his Brethren Luk. 8.20 21. And it was told him by certain that said Thy Mother and thy Brethren stand without desiring to see thee And he answered and said my Mother and my Brethren are these which hear the word of God and do it If the Virgin Mary the Mother of Christ were now upon the earth you would offer no injury to her you would not disturb her at her devotion you would not punish her for hearing the word of God but shew all respect to her You should be as unwilling to offer any violence or suffer any wrong to be done to those that hear and do the word of God as you would to the Mother and Brethren of Christ For he loveth and respecteth them that hear and do Gods word as he did his Mother and his Brethren 3. Remember what a charge the Lord hath given you not to touch his anoynted and do his prophers no harm Ps 105.15 Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm This charge is given in an especial manner to Rulers and Governors as appears from the foregoing words He reproved Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no harm By his anointed whom he would not have you touch Fiscator and several other interpreters understand Vnctos donis Spiritus Sancti Such as are anointed with the gifts and graces of the Spirit The pouring out of the Spirit is called an Unction and the anoynting 1 John 2.20 27. Prophets were of two sorts first such as had an extraordinary call and could foretel things to come Secondly as were qualified and called to teach and instruct the people though they had no extraordinary gifts 1 Cor. 14.3 He that Prophesieth speaketh unto men to edisication and exhortation and confort And so the word prophet is used Math. 10.41 for a Minister of the Gospel Now though this charge of not touching his anoynted and doing his prophets no harm was primarily given to those rulers where Ahraham and his posterity sojourned yet it equally concerneth all rulers in all ages not to touch those he hath anointed with his holy Spirit and to do no harm to any of his Ministers 4. Let it be considered that Praying and Preaching are means appointed by God for the saving mens souls Prayer is a means of obtaining salvation Rom. 10.13 Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Amos. 5.4 Thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel Seek ye me and ye shall live And the Preaching the Gospel is a special means for obtaining salvation Rom. 1.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth Yea even that Preaching which the world derides and counts Foolishness God blesseth it to the saving of Souls 1 Cor. 1.21 After that in the Wisdom of God the World by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe And the saving of Souls from hell torments is a work of the greatest moment in the whole world The Eternal Son of God became man and humbled himself to death to
the painful accursed death of the Cross to save lost Souls 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners And great care should be used that we do not hinder the obtaining that for which Christ shed his precious blood The greatest good we can do for any man is to further and the greatest hurt is to hinder his Salvation 5. It is recorded to the honour of Hezekiah that he was an encourager of all that did faithfully dispence the word of God 2 Chr. 30.22 Hezekiah speak comfortably to all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord. And as he did incourage the Ministers of Gods word so God did wonderfully bless him 2 Chr. 31.30 Hezekiah prospered in all his works And it is recorded of Herod as one of his chief sins that he imprisoned one of Gods Ministers Luk 3.19 20. But Herod the Tetrarch being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philips wife and for all the evils which Herod had done Added this above all that he shut up John in prison Herod was guilty of many evils but this is noted as the principal as that which was above all the rest that he shut up John in prison And as it is a great sin to afflict the Ministers and servants of Christ so it is usally followed with a sore judgment Herod who stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the Church soon after dyed in a miserable manner being eaten up of Worms Act. 12.1 2 3 23. Pharaoh who oppressed Israel and would not let them go to serve the Lord in the wilderness was followed with one plague after another till he was destroyed 6. Rulers ought not to be a terrour to such as do good works but to encourage and protect them Rulers are not a terrour to good works but to the evill Wilt thou then not be affraid of the power do that which is good and thou shall have praise of the same Preaching of the Gospel whereby men may be saved and praying to God in the name of Christ are good works and therefore rulers ought not to be a terrour to any man for these works 7. We are taught and Commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ to pray to the Lord to send forth labourers into his Vineyard because the harvest is great and the labourers are but few Then said he to his disciples The harvest truly is plentious but the labourers are but few Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth labourers into his harvest To pray for labourers and when God hath sent them forth to molest and trouble them for labouring is to contradict our prayers Let the Ignorance Atheism Profaneness the growth of Errour and the small number of Preachers that are found in the Faith and of an holy conversation be considered and laid to heart and it will evidently appear that there is great need of prayer for more Labourers and of encouraging those that are sent forth and of not suppressing any that are faithful peaceable and diligent in the Work of the Lord. Obj. 1. If it be replyed These informers accuse these Ministers that they keep seditious Conventicles and are ready to give oath of it and as such we are obliged by the Law to suppress them An. 1. Rulers ought to be wise as an Angel of God to discern good from evil 2. Sam. 14 17. As an Angel of God so is my Lord the King to descern good and bad And that is no hard matter in the Noon day of the Gospel to distinguish between Religion and sedition When Job was a Ruler among his People he was diligent to search out the truth of all causes that came before him and when he found any Wicked man oppressing the righteous he was so far from rewarding him that he plucked the Spoil out of his Teeth and if he held it fast and would not let it go he break his Jaws rather than suffer him to hold his Spoils Job 29.16 17. The Cause which I knew not I searched out I break the Jaws of the wicked and pulled the Spoil out of his Teeth 2. These Ministers as was hinted before do abhor seditious Conventicles and are falsly accused by these Informers and Magistrates should be slow to believe their false accusations and not proceed to Act against them till they have searched into the truth of these informations and that for several reasons as 1. The great enmity that is in the heart of the Wicked against Righteous men which makes them eager to do them all the Mischief they can The Scripture speaks so frequently and so fully of this that I shall need to say the less Prov. 4.16 They sleep not except they have done Mischief and their Sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall Ps 37.19 32. The Wicked plotteth against the just and gnasheth upon him with his Teeth The Wicked watcheth the Righteous and seeketh to slay him 2. They are under a temptation of gain and the Love of Mony is the Root of all evil and therefore it is no wonder if they prove false accusers of them against whom they have a great enmity and by accusing of whom they make a great advantage 3. The rule that is given to Magistrates in the word of God is not to proceed to Punishment upon reports till they have made diligent search and have certain proof of the truth of the fact Deut. 13.13 14 15. If thou shalt hear say Then shalt thou enquire and make search and ask diligently and behold if it be truth and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought among you 3. These Ministers and those that assemble with them are oftentimes judged and sentence passed upon them for to take away their Goods before they have been heard or had their accusers Face to Face yea sometimes before they know who it is that hath accused them and this seemeth to me to be against the Light and Law of Nature which teacheth that a man ought not to be condemned till he hath had his accusers face to face and hath had Licence to answer for himself The Romans had no other Light to regulate them in their judicial proceedings but the Light of Nature yet they observed this Rule not to pass sentence upon a man till he had his accusers face to face and had liberty to answer for himself Act. 15.16 It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to dy before he that is accused hath the accusers face to face and have Liberty to answer for himself concerning the Crime laid against him If the Romans which were Heathens how much more should Christian Magistrates forbear condemning any man till he hath seen his accusers heard his accusation and been Permitted to make his own defence The name of Pilat is odious in the Christian World and will be to all generations for Condemning our Lord
a love to these men you would pity them under their affliction Job 6.14 To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend Be it so that God hath a controversie with them it doth not become you to trample them under your feet Is 47.6.11 8 Arg. As they are Ministers of the Gospel your sin is exceeding great in hindring them in the exercise of their Ministry and persecuting them for Preaching the Gospel For 1. To misuse the Lord's Messengers and his Prophets is a sin that brings down wrath without remedy 2 Chr. 36.15 16. And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers but they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of God arose against these men until there was no remedy 2e God will smite through the loins of those that rise up against his Ministers Deut. 33.12 Bless Lord his substance and accept the work of his hands smite through the loins of them that rise up against him and of them that hate him that they never rise again This is Moses his Prayer which he puts up for Levi when he was blessing the Children of Israel before his death v. 1.8 The tribe of Levi was separated by the Lord to bear the Ark of the Lord and to Minister to him and to bless in his name Deut. 10.9 And therefore what is here spoken of Levi belongs to all the Ministers of the Gospel what Moses prays for in the behalf of Levi that God will do to the Ministers of the Gospel and to them that rise up against them He will bless their substance and accept their works he will strike through the loins of them that rise up against them And what is that 1. He will give them a fatal stroke he will give them such a deadly wound that they shall never recover it he will break in pieces their power and strength The loins may signifie a mans strength Joh. 40.16 Lo now his strength is in his loins 2. He will not only punish themselves in a dreadful manner but he will visit this their sin upon their posterity from generation to generation persecuting the Ministers of the Gospel is a sin which God visits not openly upon the fathers but the children and the childrens children unto the third and fourth generation Exod. 20.5 The loins does signifie a mans posterity 1 Kings 8.19 Thy Son that shall come out of thy loins 3. The loins signifie sometimes the mind or understanding as 1 Pet. 1.13 Gird up the loins of your mind And if loins be taken in this sense the meaning is Lord give them up to a reprobate mind and that is a sore judgment and a very dreadful token of the wrath of God Rom. 1.18.28 And it 's usual with the Lord to smite the enemies of his Ministers with this judgment And it 's rare if ever such persons rise again that are thus smitten of God Now those whose loins God will strike through that they rise not again are such as hate and such as rise against the Sons of Levi that is the secret and the open enemies of the Ministers of the Gospel There are some that hate them but conceal their hatred these are secret enemies and there are some that manifest their hatred by rising up against them these are open enemies 3. The Ministers of the Gospel are Christ's Embassadors sent into the world to treat of peace between God and men 2 Cor. 5.20 Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as though he did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God What injuries are done to an Ambassador of an earthly Prince he takes them as ill as if they were done to his own person If the Ambassador be reviled plundered imprisoned interrupted in the delivery of his message the Prince takes this as ill and will punish it as severely as if it had been done to himself So doth the King of Heaven who is King of Kings take all injuries done to his Ambassadors as done against himself 1 Thess 4.8 He therefore that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath given us his holy Spirit And what is said of despising is true of all other affronts and injuries which are offered to the Ministers of the Gospel the Lord takes them as done to himself Obj. If these men were Prophets or Apostles and could work miracles if then we should molest them we should think our selves worthy of death One might fear the wrath of God should break forth upon us but they are but ordinary men subject to the same passions and infirmities as other men are and therefore we can't think there is such danger in opposing them Ans 1. Ordinary Pastors and Teachers are of God's sending and appointing they are of divine institution as well as Prophets and Apostles 1 Cor. 12.28 God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles Eph. 4.11 He gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers It is God gives and God sets Pastors and Teachers in his Church as well as Apostles Prophets and Evangelists 2. The Apostles and Prophets though holy men of God and guided by an infallible Spirit yet were but men subject to the like passions as we are Elias was an eminent Prophet yet is said of him Jam. 5.17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are Barnabas and Paul were eminent Apostles yet when the men of Lystra would have adored them as Gods and done Sacrifice to them they cryed out Sirs why do you these things we also are men of like passions with you Act. 14.15 They that despise the Ministers of the Gospel in those days would have despised the Prophets and Apostles had they lived in their days for they that were enemies to the power of Godliness despised the Apostles and Prophets then even as many do now the Ministers of Christ Take an instance of the Apostle Paul who though he was full of the Holy Ghost yet some thought and spake contemptibly of him 2 Cor. 10.2 Some think of us as though we walked according to the flesh v. 10. His letters say they are weighty and powerful but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible Many other vilifying expressions were given concerning this Apostle which I forbear to mention 3. A man may be a true Minister of Jesus Christ and yet be able to work no miracles John the Baptist was a true Minister and lived in the time when the gift of miracles was frequently given yet it 's said of him John did no miracle Joh. 11.41 And some that had the gift of miracles were destitute of true Grace Matt. 7.23 24. And therefore we should not decry a man as no Minister of Christ because he can't work miracles especially seeing working of miracles is now ceased 4. Our Lord Jesus would have every one