Selected quad for the lemma: diversity_n
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A51323
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The wise Gospel-preacher his praise and practice, duty and dignity, opened in a sermon on Eccles. 12. 9. By S.M. minister of the Gospel
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More, Stephen.
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1650
(1650)
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Wing M2687; ESTC R213884
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133,568
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256
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People are so hard to learn Isa 28.9 Therefore the Lord hath conferred upon the Church diversity of Gifts though they proceed from one Spirit He hath set in his Church not only Teachers but Prophets also and dare we despise Prophets or Prophesyings and say What need have we of these Ministrations Hath the Lord given diversly as to Degrees or Measures to one three to another five Tallents and shall he that hath received the least be thought unmeet to have the freedom to improve his Measure for his Lords Honour or his Brethrens Advantage or where the Lord bestows a larger Measure and his Servants are faithful in the Stewardship thereof dare any say the time is waste and the Message too long Not remembring that although he that can speak but five words understandingly must be accepted yet he which can speak ten must not be muzled or restrained Christ and his Spirit ought to be free Wherefore remember that saying of Paul Let no man blame us in this abundance which is administred by us 2 Cor. 8.20 And to cure this evil take this short direction Be more sensible of your want of the means of Grace and more humble spirited truly hungring and thirsting after Gospel-Ordinances Lastly Let it be a word of Exhortation If our Means and Provisions be abundant and redundant let not our fruitfulness be short lest what the Lord Jesus said to Jerusalem he say to us also The Kingdom shall he taken from you and given to a People bringing forth the Fruit thereof and he let out his Vineyard to other Husbandmen Matth. 21.34 41 43. with Heb. 6.8 How dreadful then will thy state and mine be to enjoy much means of Grace and to bring forth none or little Fruit by it Oh! consider this all you that forget God So much for the first Particular or word in the Text Moreover Now let us consider the next Particular which contains the Reason of what the Preacher said or did that is in these words Because the Preacher was Wise Before I go further Three things need some clearing or Exposition First How this suits with some other of Scripture-Expressions for Solomon to commend himself or to say the Preacher was Wife or Painful yea Useful also Secondly What a Preacher is or what this Preacher was Thirdly What this Wisdom is that is here spoken of For the clearing of the first thing Though this Book is Solomons and bears his Name and was by him Composed yet is it not clear that this Copy or these Words were his own But as David and other Kings had their Scribes and Pen-men which did write for them and wrote after them even so might Solomon and doubtless had as his Story in 1 Kings 4.3 compared with 2 Chron. 9.29 doth declare And so though he did not yet they well might set him forth But secondly Although in moral respects and at some time it is not fit for a man to commend himself yet in two respects a man may especially a Preacher so do and be innocent in so doing First in case of scandal he may vindicate himself from unjust aspersion and reproach So Samuel did the people had clouded and eclipsed his worthy and innocent Government 1 Sam. 8.4 5. therefore Chap. 12. he vindicates himself So also did Jeremiah Chap. 15.10 So Paul in 2 Cor. 10.3 7. so in Chap. 12. with that of Job 29. Secondly In furtherance of man's Work or Imployment a man may commend himself So Paul did 2 Cor. 2. and it Gal. 1.12 to 19. with chap. 2.6 7 8 9. Anâ— thus Nehemiah acted in chap. 5. from vers 14 to the close of the Chapter And thus I conceive if Solomon did commit this to the Churches Treasury from his own Hand or Pen in this latter sense he might humbly and innocently do it Bâ—â— possibly the stick or obscurity may be from thâ— Translators so rendring the Words for if thâ— words be thus read this difficulty is easily avoided and the sense preserved intire Moreover A Wisâ— Preacher will still give good heed and so it speak Duty and not Commendation Secondly Let me a little open this Particular What a Preacher is or this Preacher was that here is spoken of A Preacher is not onely such as are under Ministerial Unction or calling in Office oâ— Ministry But a Preacher is any or every such Person or Disciple of Christ that hath received Gifts of the Spirit to profit withal and is able to speak a word in due season to him that is weary for Edification Exhortation and Comfort and theâ—â— in Scripture are called Prophets or Prophesying Preachers as in that of Gen. 20.7 1 Cor. 12.28 And such a Prophetical or Prophesying Preacher was Solomon the Preacher in my Text and not an Official Ordained or Ministerial Preacher for such were only at that time the Tribe of Levi the High Priest Priests and Prophets Extraordinary But the Book tells us this Preacher was by Office a King not a Priest he was onely a Prophet or Membral Preacher even such a Preacher as that Church had many of and any Brother or Member of that Church who was able though not so able might as freely and as lawfully preach as Solomon as that passage Acts 13.15 compared with Luke 4.16 17. Ye men and brethren if you have any word of exhortation for the People say on And such Preachers Moses and Paul allowed Numb 11.29 And Moses said Enviest thou for my sake Would God that all the Lord's people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them compared with 1 Cor. 14.29 31. Let the Prophets speak and let the other judge for ye may all prophesie one by one that all may learn and all may be comforted Many other Testimonies may be added but because I shall speak to this more hereafter let this at present suffice The third thing to be cleared is What this Wisdom is or what is this Wisdom that Solomon saith the Preacher had and what that Wisdom is that every Preacher ought to have that will thus wisely or profitably Preach Wisdom as Solomon phraseth it doth not onely excel Folly Eccles 2.13 but Wisdom also excels Wit Wit is a quickness or acuteness of the Understanding to catch or apprehend things by But Wisdom is that depth of Reason and Judgment whereby Apprehensions Thoughts Sciences Purposes and Businesses are begun and compleated or are honourably profitably and regularly performed A Fool may have Wit only a Wise Man can have Wisdom or carry on his Design or Business wisely But still the Question is What Wisdom that is that is here treated of or is Preaching Wisdom even that Wisdom without which a man cannot be competent or profitable Preacher To which Question I Answer first Negativeâ— It is neither Moral Natural or acquired Wisdoâ— as Languages Tongues Arts or Sciences Thâ— I not only affirm but shall also confirm thouâ— when all is done no doubt but so saying mâ— make some
think otherwise of them as burthensome and unprofitable persons such as there is little or no need of and they can live well enough without knowing so much as others or that which others can tell them and have Grace and Light within and need not such to guide them and are wise enough to know the things of their own concernment and therefore need not others to teach them All that I shall say to these is what the Lord said by Moses O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Deut. 32.29 To which I add Wo unto them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight Isa 5.21 And Lastly Let these hear the Word of the Lord How do you say we are wise and the Law of the Lord is with us Lo certainly in vain made he it the Pen of the Scribes is in vain the wise men are ashamed they are dismayed and taken Lo they have rejected the Word of the Lord and what wisdom is in them Jer. 8.8 9. Exhortation But Secondly This Doctrine affords us a double word of Exhortation First To such as are or ought to be wise Preachers First As Goads and as Nails and as Masters of Assembles Let your Light so shine before men that they may see your good Works as well as hear your good Words Thus Paul did saying Be ye followers of us as we are of Christ For we have given you an Example that so doing you should feed the Flock 1 Cor. 11.1 and Acts 20. O let us that preach to others preach to our selves to be like what we are resembled to even Goads and Nails and Masters of Assemblies though under that great Shepherd the Lord Jesus as Peter tells us as not being Lords but skilful Master-workmen quickning and exciting the Flock to love and good Works And for this end take we care of two things First Be shining Examples in the practice of what-ever light of Doctrine we hold forth to others Practice in our selves is best preaching unto others But Secondly Since we are resembled to such useful necessary things let us as Leaders of the Flock both know and take care of the state of the Flock quickning and provoking such as are backward dull and wanting both by encouragement and reprehension as the Peoples case requires imitating Holy Peter who resolved so long as he was in this Tabernacle to stir the People up by putting them in remembrance 2 Pet. 1.13 That so the state of Jerusalem may be a quiet Habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down nor one of the Stakes thereof ever be removed neither any of the Cords thereof be broken Isa 30.20 Exhortation 2. But Secondly Let me now offer a word of Exhortation to you that are Hearers which is If wise Preachers should be like goads and nails and masters of Assemblies then let me persuade you to suffer them so to be unto you suffer them to oversee your state and to deal wisely and faithfully with you quickning and exciting you rebuking and reproving you when your Condition calls for it and let them stablish strengthen settle you according to their Duty as Joshua Ezra Nehemiah and Paul and other Master-workmen did as you may read Josh 23. with Ezra 10. and Nehemiah 5. with Acts 20. And consider although this is the Preachers Duty thus to do yet is this more than many Hearers and Church-members can bear either to be observed rebuked quickened or fixed in their places to their work and duty But are rather like those Psalm 2. who say Let us break their bonds asunder and cast their cords from us or like those that said Our tongues are our own who shall controul us Psal 12. And how then can a Preacher how wise how diligent how zealous how faithful how loving how watchful soever do his Duty to be as goads and as nails when the People cannot submit to him but are like those the Lord complains of saying Let no man strive or reprove another for this people are as they that strive with the Priest Hos 4.4 O therefore let me exhort you that are wise Hearers and enjoy wise Preachers accept of the Counsel given Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves For they watch for your Souls as they that must give an account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you Heb. 13.17 But again Lastly If wise Preachers be such great Blessings such useful necessary enjoyments even almost of necessity to be enjoyed then all you that enjoy such Blessings bless God abundantly for them and be a blessing to them by accepting them and their Labours by obeying and submitting to them and their Doctrine Be enlightned by their enlightning words and quickened by their quickning words and fixed by their fixing stablishing words and Arguments Not being wavering-minded ones carried about with every wind of Doctrine or cunning craftiness of men Heb. 13.9 Eph. 4 4. But suffer your Preachers to say as Job did When the ear heard me then it blessed me and when the eye saw me it gave witness to me I was eyes to the blind and feet was I to the lame I was a Father to the poor and the Cause which I knew not I searched out I brake the Jaws of the wicked and pluckt the spoil out of his teeth Job 29.11 15 16 17. and so much for this Doctrine One thing more I shall speak to and so conclude the Text which is this The Fourteenth Doctrine That all Ministries and Ministrations spring from the alone will and wisdome of the Lord Jesus that one Shepherd and are freely given for the advantage of his people As we have it in the Text Which are given from one Shephard Take for the proof hereof these Testimonies Wisdome hath builded her house she hath hewed out her seven Pillars she hath killed her beasts she hath mingled her wine she hath also furnished her Table she hath sent forth her Maidens c. Prov. 9.1 2 3. But again hear what John saith All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made John 1.3 and Paul tells us Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Rom. 11.36 And again he tells us God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers after that are Miracles then Gifts in Healing helps in Government diversity in Tongues 1 Cor. 14.28 This may suffice for the proof of this point That all Ministers Ministries Ministrations which are divine and evangelical must and do come from the alone good will and wisdome of the Lord Jesus and are freely given for the good of his People But for the better opening of this Doctrine let me explain these few things 1. What I mean by Ministers Ministries and Ministrations 2. How they spring from the alone