see that your neglect in this thing will be of dreadfull consequence at the long run and that the persuite of the things of the world which divert you from this main business will bring you no comfort and be of no signification except it be to disquiet your conscience and increase your torment Thirdly From this consideration People of all Ranks should be moved to great Faithfulness Activity and Dilligence in the Matters of GOD because the Enemies that oppose this Work are very diligent lively and active Psal 38.19 Verse But mine Enemies are lively and they are strong and they that bate me wrongfully are multiplyed The Godly man complains here of his Enemies you see That they were strong and livey but does this discourage him Nay but on the contrare it awakens him to a more vigorous prosecution of his Work Thirdly This Exhortation being directed to all sorts of Persons States-men Church-men and Commons to be strong and work it calls all those cordially to unite and joyn together to build up the Temple of GOD whose foundations are already laid and then they shall accomplish the Prophesie of the latter dayes Zeph 3.9 For then will I turn to the people a pure Language that they may all call upon the Name of the LORD to serve him with one consent And as the words are rendred in the Originall Language they shall serve the LORD with one Shoulder I suppose that many may have heard of the Father that had a great many Sons and when he was going to make his Latter Will he called for them and commended unto them a keeping of Unity and Harmony together in their Converse and Business which would greatly tend to their Comfort and Advantage and to demonstrate this to them he caused bring a Sheaf of Arrows closely tyed together and gave them to the Eldest to break but he could not breake them and so he gave them to the Younger sucessively and they could not break them but when they were divided they were easily broken so it is with Magistrates Ministers and People in the Land When they unanimously and cordially joyn together in the Work of GOD they cannot easily be broken and destroyed We say vis unita fortior and Unanimity in the work of GOD when all joyn together as it were with one Shoulder without lying by or interfeiring or drawing back or obstructing one another is a good taken of a thriving work when Magistrates make such Laws as authorize only the true worship of GOD and take care to see them duely execute that such as hinder uniformity in Religious Worship may be removed that so the Doctrine Worship Discipline Government of the House of the GOD of Heaven may be according to the Laws of the GOD of heaven through the whole Land For purity of Doctrine does not consist in a Lawless Liberty or Tolleration for men to do and say what they please in matters of Religion But it consists in a joynt uniformity to Worship GOD according to his own precept and this promise they shall all serve the LORD with one Consent which was calculate for the latter days So much then you see is implyed in this Exhortation be strong viz Courage and Resolution Activity and Diligence with Unity and Harmony In the next place I come to shew you negatively what this Exhortation be strong prohibits or what is not meant by it As 1. It forbids timorousness for men to be possessed with a humane or slavish fear that keeps them back from their Duty to GOD and His Work in their Station this is a thing very unbecoming to such as are Zerubbabels Joshuas and Nehemiahs should such persons as they fear Whom had they to be affraid of but cursed Canaanites and such as were no better in after Generations What could Nehemiah and these that were with with him be affraid of when he was come from Babylon cloathed with the Kings Letters and Authority in order to the carrying on of the forslowed work of Reformation surely he had not the King neither the GOD of Heaven nor the honest party of the Land to be affraid of I know none that might be a terrour to him and them that were joyned with him but the Gerizzim party who were sinfully united to oppose violently and cunningly the building of the Temple and the true Worship of GOD that they would so gladly have destroyed Let me say it to this Honourable and High Court of Parliament without offence and in all Humility what have you to be affraid of that you should be Faint hearted in the Work of GOD surely it cannot be of the GOD of Heaven nor of our Gracious King and Queen not of the Protestant Princes abroad nor of such as are true Protestants at home sure all these will be Cordial Friends to our carrying on the Work of Reformation and when ye have all these on your side you may well be strong and put on Courage and Resolution for you have a mighty great backing But of whom are you indeed affraid Is it of the Pope or of the French King and his Allies or is it of the Gerizzim party of these Lands That they get up their head again and that ye and your Posterity and Estates be ruined Surely the Midwives of Aegypt will rise up in Judgement against you who were in worse Circumstances then you are and yet were not affraid of the wrath of the King but even over the Belly of Dangerous Laws befriended the Children of Israel How much more should ye whom GOD in his Providence has raised up to Midwive out the Churches deliverance and are under the terrour of no bad Laws to frighten you from your work Put on Courage and Resolution to help your Travelling Mother the Church to bring forth the Man-Child of a Glorious Reformation and then I may promise ye shall be blessed as these Midwives were Exod. 1.21 Of whom it is said because they feared the LORD be made them houses That is he preserved and Increased Propagated and Enriched them and their Familys Will you read believe that Scripture Isaiah 51.12 13. verses compared with the 7 verse I even I am be that comforteth you who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die and of the son of man that shall be made as grass and forgettest the LORD thy Maker Who hath stretched forth the Heavens and laid the foundations of the Earth And hast feared continualie everie day because of the furie of the oppressour as if he were readie to destroy and where is the furie of the oppressour And verse 7. Fear ye not the reproach of men neither be afraid of their revilings For verse 8. The Moth shall eat them like a Garment and the Worms shall eat them like Wool but my Righteousness shall be for ever and my Salvation from Generation to Generation But if these Enemies were never so formidable and numerous Let me bespeak you as the Leaders of
why we must take heed to our Ministerial work is because it is a difficult work partly from the various and numerous enemies that oppose it Satan that roaring lion and restless enemie of the Church standing at our right hand Zech. 3.1 Also what principalities and powers and spiritual wickednessess in high places what rulers of the darkness of this world have we to wrestle against Eph 6.12 yea what opposition from men among whom we live some with open violence breaking down as far as they can the carved work others under a vizour and pretence to build with us like the false apostles intending nothing less then to bring us back to abandoned Corruptions in the House of GOD. Partly from our own Ignorance the work is made difficult which disables us to manage this trust to the best advantage how hard is it for Ministers to speake aright to the various Cases and Conditions of their People and to find fitt words to hold forth the Evil of Sin by the Loveliness of Christ The beauty of Holiness the danger of living carelesly and unconcernedly under the means of Grace and repeated offers of the Gospel The third Reason why Ministers had need to take heed to their Ministry is this that there has been Ministers in the Church and we have had sad Instances of it in our days professing pretending highly for CHRIST and the purest work of Reformation that afterwards when the Occasion and Tentation offered have betrayed the cause discovered their rottenness and ruined the Church and Work of GOD as far as they could Some of them bewitched and enticed with the Riches of this World so to do like Judas and Demas Others with the Honours of this World like Diotrephes and O how many Archippus-like even in the best of times would be found Coldriffe and Remisse in this great Work 4ly We must take heed to our Ministry if we consider what a great LORD and Master we have received it from And whose Eye is alwayes upon us to see how we manage this trust as it was upon the Angels of the seven Churches and his writting to them since he Ascended and discovering their failures and short comings with the punishments due thereunto should be a warning to Ministers in all succeeding Ages of the Church to take heed to their Ministrie 5ly We had need to take heed to our Ministry when we consider with what a severe certification our great LORD and Master has committed it unto us Ezek 17 18. ver Son of man I have made thee a Watchman to the house of Israel therefore bear the word at my mouth and give them a warning from me when I say unto the wicked thou shalt surelie die and thou givest him not warning from me nor speakest to warn the Wicked from his wicked way to save his life the same wicked man shall die in his iniquitie but his blood will I require at thine hand 6ly Ministers had need to take heed to mannadge their trust aright seeing a severe account will be required of them for it is a stewardship that must be reckoned for and none of us know how soon that message may be sent unto us Luke 16.2 Give an account of thy Stewardship and whether we have received moe or fewer talents we would alwayes remember to be so laying them out and improving of them as those that must give an account Heb. 13 17. Lastly Such Ministers as have been heedfull and faithfull shall be greatly rewarded Dan 12 3 And they that be Wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the starrs for ever and ever Matt 24.25 26 27. who then is a faithfull and wise servant whom his Lord hath made ruler over his houshold to give them meat in due season Blessed is that servant whom his LORD when he cometh shall find him so doing Verily I say unto you that he shall make him Ruler over all his goods Rev 2.10 Be thou faithful unto the death and I will give thee a Crown of life We would keep constantly and closely to this work and prosecute it with the greatest diligence that believe such a reward as this which will eternaly compense all the labour and toyle in this World We would also frequently consider what severe punishments shall be inflicted on the heedless and sloathful servant Matt 24 Verse 48. Unto the end But and if that evil servant shall say my Lord delayeth his coming and shall begin to smite his fellow servant and to eat and drink with the drunken The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he Looketh not for him and an hour that he is not aware of and shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with hypocrites where shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth I come now to the use of the Doctrine is heedfulness in managing of the Ministerial work so necessary in all the forementioned respects Then let all of us that bear this office take heed to out Ministry for this is the voice and call of my Text to every one of us and especially with respect to those two things that ly in the latter part of the words The first is to take heed how and from whom we received this Ministrie whether from the LORD JESUS CHRIST or not who is the only LORD and head of the Church and whose prerrogative it is to set up and send forth Officers unto his Church Ezek 2 3. And He said unto him Son of man I send thee unto the Children of Israel I Who sit upon the Saphirine throne as you have it in the first Chapter of this Prophesie of Ezek 26 Verse And who has all power in mine hand Christ is invested with all power in Heaven and in Earth Matth 28 and 18 Verse and therefore sends forth Officers unto all Nations And for this End we must see that we be come in at the right door for there are some as Christ tells us who call themselves Sheepherds that come not in at this doar Jo 10 1 Verse But climb up another way if we be right Ministers of Christ we must come in at three doors 1. The door of an Internal call of GOD upon the Soul 2. The door of the External call of the People 3. The door of a legal Mission and Ordination by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytry A second thing that lyes in the latter end of the Text about which we must take special heed is this that when ever we find out selves entered by the right door unto this great and difficult Work we must take heed to fulfil it Every Minister must take heed to fill up a right both the doing part and the suffering part of his Ministry so as the work may not suffer or be blamed on his Accompt The Apostle took care of this and sets it as a Copy before thir Collossians Chapter first 24 Verse Who now rejoyce in
necessarie to carry on my work But if you would study and endeavour to have right uptakings of me as the LORD of hosts Stronger by far than all your Enemies then ye will not be affraid to go on in the work when you see I am able to secure you against all oppositions And indeed right uptakings of GOD and his promised presence will be argument enough to put Life Courage in the most timorous Member of this house to act vigorously for GOD and his intrests when inferiour Creatures are backed with superiour they will put on courage and venter far a cowardly Souldier or Servant when he is under a couragious Captain or Master will be quite another thing than alone how much more should Magistrats Ministers and people be valiant for the truth when they have GOD to own them Psalm 118 6. The LORD is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me and how safe and secure will that Land that Church be about whom the LORD will be as a wall of fire whatever carnal reason may say to the contrair and to have God not only to be a wall of fire round about But to be the Glory in the midst of us must be a desireable state for as this will reflect comfort upon us who are lodged within such blessed Boundarie so it will reflect terrour upon the Adversaries which will make them not only not to come neat but to flee away as you have it Psal 48.3.4.5 and 6 Verse GOD is known in her palaces for a Refuge For Lo the Kings were Assembled they passed by together they saw it and so they marvelled they were troubled and hasted away fear took hold on them and pain as a Woman in Travel And O what a Rich promise have we for such a securitie if we will but answer GODS Call and be found in our dutie Zech. 2.5 For I saith the Lord will be unto her a wall of fire round about and will be the glorie in the mdst of her Why should we be affraid for if we under so many eminent Calls of GOD and so many gracious promises of his presence and conduct then we are under a Captain General that never failed his Church can accomplish their compleat deliverance over the greatest enemies that oppose it he can lay Pharaoh and his Army in the deepths of the Sea and divide the mighty waters that his Redeemed might pass through He can make the little hills and great mountains to get out of the Way Psal 114 verse 3. The sea saw it and fled Jordan was driven back The mountarns skipped like Rams the little hills like Lambs why what was the matter could not thou O Sea have kept still thy ordinary motion and currents you little hils and great mountains your ordinary posture and place and have stopped the deliverance of the Church out of Aegypt and their march towards Canaan Was it the terrour of Pharaoh and his host or of Moses and the armies of Israel that made you quite your ground and give way No no it was for none of these if they had not been headed by the Mighty GOD of Jacob it was the presence of JEHOVAH that made the Earth to tremble the depths dry up and the mountains get out of the Churches way verse 5. What ailed thee O thou Sea that thou fleddest Thou Jordan that thou wast driven back Verse 6. Ye mountains that ye skipped like Rams and ye little hills like Lambs ver 7. Tremble thou Earth at the presence of the LORD at the presence of the GOD of Jacob. What need you fear then to throw down the Groves Repair GODS Altar and build His house Gideon and Nehemiah like when the LORD of Hosts is with you may you not clearly see that your help is in the Name of the Lord but your fear is in the name of man Are you Zerubbabels Joshuas and Nehemiahs Persons in publick Trust then ye ought to carry like God because ye are in Gods place And carry by your Offices that Tittle in the World Psal 82.6 I said ye are Gods c. And among other things ye should resemble Him in Courage and Holiness are none of the least What a vile sight is it to see a drunken god or a swearing god if I may so express it And how unbecoming a thing is it also to see a trembling god You that ought to be a terrour to others and would be so if you manage that Office and Trust aright with that Courage Resolution and Boldness yet when you faint in it in order to the work of God it sayes that other persons and inferiours too are a terrour to you Now for removing of this distemper of Humane and slavish fear that Courage and Resolution may take its place Let me recommend this one Remedie unto one and all of you especially such as stand in publick Office and it is a cure with a probatum est tryed and left to Magistrates and Ministers by that great man Moses Heb. 11.27 verse it is said there He feared not the wrath of a King as seeing Him who is invisible And yet any might think he had great reason to be afraid of so potent an Enemie who with his Ancestours had detained the Church in bondage for four hundred years and so it is like questioned neither his power nor his right to detain them But the Text tells you what was the Antidote against this fear Viz. That by Faith be saw Him who is invisible his faith was at work in heaven to get God to counsel assist strengthen him while his hands were at work on Earth to relieve the Church and people of GOD from their Long and sore Bondage I wish that all the great Ones of the Land and especially such as are in publick Office had the Exercise of this Faith by which they might take up the Almighty power of God and his Every where Presence that so their fears and faint-heartedness might be removed if Moses had been possessed with many peoples fears in our day it 's like he would have made an Act of Comprehension and Compounded with Pharoah and so matted the Churches deliverance This was the Remedie that good Hezekiah also made use of to encouradge his Subjects and Souldiers against the fears and threats of a very bold and huffie Adversary as you may read 2 Chron 32. Verse 7. Be strong and Couragious be not afraid nor dismayed for the King of Assyria nor for all the multitude that is with him for there is moe with us then with him Verse 8. With him is an arm of flesh but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battels And while he made use of this excellent Remedy for their Support and Encouragement under such sad Circumstances how succesful was it for the relief of the spirits of that people Therefore it is said in the Latter part of the 8. Verse The