Kings Priests or Prophets with but according to divine Direction and Institution remembring that word See that thou makest all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the Mount Heb. 8.8 compared with Exod. 25.40 Christ's Ministers are to administer according to Christ's appointment not Man's for they are His and not Man's Servants and therefore must teach themselves and the People to observe all things that Christ hath commanded and nothing which he hath not commanded to be observed or taught Dare they observe or teach others to observe as our Lord teacheth Mat. 28.20 and Paul practised 1 Cor. 11.23 saying That which I received of the Lord that delivered I also unto you and nothing else Christ's Ministers are not to seek what to do in the Administration of their Office but have all things plainly written in the Tables of the Scripture that he which runneth may read his Duty their Rule is Scripture their Help the Spirit their Work Christ's instituted Will and Worship and their Ability and Sufficiency the Grace and Gifts of the Spirit and their Wages only the good Will of Christ's People among whom they Iabour they need not any man to teach them but as that Anointing teacheth them all things they can Pray without a Prayer-Book and Preach without Common-Places or the help of Commentators and Administer Sacraments and Censures without a Directory or Book of Canons of Man's making being throughly made wise and sufficiently furnished unto every good and Gospel-Work by Grace and Scripture without any of Saul's Armour they need no Garments of Distinction nor shews of Piety or Purity or Gravity without Substance Neither want they any vain unwarrantable Ceremonies or Gestures of Man's devising to make their Administrations appear beautiful and prove edifying and yet all their things to be done decently and according to due or Gospel order Now if thus you please to try and prove or measure Christ's professed Ministers and their Ministrations by the Golden Reed of the Scripture you may certainly know who they are that say they are Apostles and are not but do lie and as polluted let all such be put from the Priesthood 'T is these Wise-Preachers and Gospel-Ministers that I only assert spring from the good Will of Christ and appertain to Christ the rest are but Apocrypha-Writing and as groundless and useless meet to be of all that belong to Christ the Lord rejected And this I suppose may be sufficient for Gospel-Ministers and the Ministrations Vindication against any that shall dare to traduce or slander them as Incroachers and Intruders into other mens Work and none of Christ's Ministers but a sort of Factious Schismatical and Heretical Persons disobedient and turbulent or troublesome to the Government Yet let what hath been said be but weighed and considered and it will appear that they are given forth from the one great Shepherd of the Sheepfold And O how beautiful are the feet of such who bring glad tydings of peace So much for this Use in which I have been the larger because of the weight and consequence of these things The third Vse is for Exhortation The third and I suppose the last Use I shall make of this Doctrine is for Exhortation First To such as are Christ's Ministers Secondly To all you that are Christ's Churches and Servants First Let me beseech and exhort you all Fathers and Brethren that are Gospel-Ministers under the Lord Jesus If your Office and Ministry be given and derived from the Lord Jesus O then as that great Preacher of the Gospel to the Gentiles Paul said Let us magnifie our Office Rom. 11.13 Even by so doing as he did by labouring if by any means we may provoke to emulation them that are our flesh and might save some of them O let us who are Christ's serve the great design of Christ and let not us as some do serve our own Bellies and not the Lord Jesus Rom. 16.18 O if not only our Ministry be of Christ and from Christ but a Ministry for Christ O then be exhorted to make it our great and main business to seek not our own things or glory but the things of our Lord Jesus and his great glory to whom belongs all honour and glory and blessing for ever and ever Amen If we have his glory as great in our eye then let our great business be to get or procure his glory as our Lord tells us he did before us John 8.50 I seek not my own glory yea our blessed Lord makes it a Character of a true Minister that he is thus minded telling us He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory but he that seeketh his glory that sent him the same is true and no unrighteousness in him John 7.18 Servants must not so much whilst Servants promote their own Interest and Credit as their Lord and Masters even no more should we promote our own Glory or Interest in the World but Christ's Secondly Let me Exhort you my Brethren if you are Christ's Ministers and spring from him then pray you approve your selves to him remember how you have received and be faithful in your ministration to him Let us not forger that saying Behold I send an Angel before them to keep them in the way and to bring them to the place that I have prepared But beware of him and obey his Vâ—â—ce and provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my Name is in him Exod. 23.20 21. O consider he will not spare Levites Priests nor Ministers of the House of Israel no more no nor so much as others of the House of Jacob You know what is written Then Moses said unto Aaron This is it the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the People I will be glorified Levit. 10.3 Wherefore let us be faithful Stewards of the manifold Mysteries of God let not us neglest Christ's Work nor corrupt his Work Cursed is and shall he be that doth the Work of the Lord negligently which is deceitfully not doing as many which corrupt the Word of God but of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ 2 Cor. 2.17 But to come nearer Let me humbly offer a few things which I would desire all that are Christ's Ministers to take special care of First Consult often your Commission ponder your instruction for Ministration and do not be a stranger to the Weight and Duty of your Ministry If the Kingly Ministry had need daily to be Looking or Reading in the Book of the Law what his Office and Duty towards God and the People is as from that passage of Deuteronomy was declared certainly even so have Christ's Priestly Ministers much more need to study the Scripture which are Christ's Book of Ordination that we may know how we ought to behave our selves in the House of God the Pillar and Ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 Study to know our
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 Isa 52.7 How beautiful upon the Mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tydings that publisheth peace c. Printed for the Author To that Congregation over whom the Lord hath made me an Overseer Increase of Grace here and Glory hereafter BRethren and Beloved in our Lord Jesus these Sermons as they were preached amongst you even so was their Publication earnestly sollicited by some of you at whose request I have yeelded to that I designed not in their Preaching nor intended to have done long since that task was finished But remembring I am not only a Debtor to Jew and Gentile but more especially to you also not onely by one means but by every means to endeavour your furtherance in the Faith I judged my self obliged to help you with that Printed which the Lord gave you in Preaching And I may safely say so near as I could your Eys now have only what once your Ears heard As to you my Beloved whose importunity prevailed upon me to undertake this Work know two Arguments prevailed upon me to Answer your Request The one My Love towards you the other My desire of your Spiritual and Eternal Welfare and if my Labour of Love for your sakes may providentially extend or reach to the advantage of any others that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity I therein shall and will rejoyce I need not here give you any account of the Nature of this Treatise you well know it is to open both the Wise-Preachers and the Wise-Hearers Work and Business you know I need the one and I also judge you want not need sufficient to learn the other As to the Method it is and ought to be plain as best becoming Gospel-Mysteries 't was Truth not Humane Wisdom or Eloquence that I designed to manifest and surely should I thus have acted I should have pull'd down with one hand what I was setting up with the other and so should have been found a transgressor As to my often hinting of any thing minded in this Discourse know the nearness of the Phrases in the Text one to another constrained it except I should have broke the bounds and dealt partially with the Text and my thoughts are that Plenty may even conduce to Profit And as for those Phrases Titles and Denominations of Persons which in this Discourse may seem unto any tender ear to be plain harsh or reproachful to any know this I have warily considered to fasten them only on persons really deserving such names and although I have herein followed the footsteps of the Saints Penmen of the Scripture yet have I abated rather than exceeded their practice as is most evident if you consider of some expressions wherein how great or learned or seemingly pious soever some sinners were yet both Christ himself and the Prophets and Apostles have spoken very home and hard against such Persons stiling them Hypocrites Devils Children Wolves Dogs Lyons Foxes Vipers painted-Sepulchres whited Walls Princes of Sodom Rulers of Gomorrah Adulterers Adulteresses and such like as the Scripture witnesseth wherefore marvel not at my freedom of expression to sinners of the same dye And lastly My resolution was to avoid the reproof due to such as give flattering Titles unto men and as Elihu saith Let me not I pray you accept any man's person neither let me give flattering titles unto men for I know not to give flattering titles forin so doing my Maker would soon take me away Job 32.21 22. And further If any suppose I have in this Discourse affected and discovered a Spirit of singularity and diversity of Opinion from the most of even pious judicious and sober men of this Age. I Answer in uprightness 't was not affectedly but constrainedly done and I suppose even such Objectors will not deny 't is better differing from men how wise soever than from Christ and since all men know but in part and Prophesie but in part that may be Christ's Truth which is not acknowledged or understood by many is it not written Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment Exod. 23.2 and as Paul saith I believed therefore have I spoken 2 Cor. 4.13 I shall willingly receive better information and then speedily change my present apprehension Lastly If any Object against the largeness of this Tract my Answer is 'T was my desire to have prevented it could I with fidelity and prudence have effected it and the truth is I have denyed my self and slipt over some Particulars which might more largel have been insisted on that this Exception might have been spared And now my dearly Beloved whose importunity begat me this labour Let me now crave leave before I conclude this Epistle to request a few things of you First My Brethren if you meet with any Advantage Content or Comfort by perusing these Lines pray give all the praise and glory to God whose hand alone hath wrought it and whose Spirit hath revealed it and think often upon 1 Chron. 29.10 to 16. Secondly Pray be not only knowers of these Truths but doers of the same Oh be not only so principled but so practising also let the height of Holiness in this Discourse discovered be your main business to attain so shall I not want a good reward for this my labour Thirdly Labour to train up and educate your Families in this good knowledge of the Lord and shew them the good old way wherein they should walk with God as Moses adviseth Deut. 4.9.10 saying Only take heed to thy self and keep thy Soul diligently lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thy heart all the dayes of thy life but teach them thy Sons and thy Sons Sons Especially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb when the Lord said unto me Gather me the people together and I will make them hear my words that they may learn to fear me all the dayes that they shall live upon the earth and that they may teach their Children with 11 19. Fourthly Wonder not neither be stumbled if you find these Truths evil spoken of scorned traduced but remember this was to be expected in such a day as this And lastly Forget not him that you have prevailed upon but in all your supplications remember me and pray for me both night and day that I may be faithful to the Death that I may be filled with the Spirit that I may be abundant in the Work of the Lord and that my Labours may be acceptable and succesful among the Saints that so I may finish my course with joy and not with grief according to the Will of God And thus with my Prayers for you also I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is
ought to be and do whence we may collect thus much Doct. 1. That the Lord is not sparing or scant in means of Grace to his Church and People but hath provided and doth afford them one and another means of help and advantage for Soul-Concernments God as God hath in Mercy and Wisdom dealt with the Second Creation and state of Grace as with the first Creation In Nature he hath not made single Fruits Flowers Plants Grain or Beasts Birds or Fishes but innumerable in number and manifold in kind even so great variety and plenty that even the wisest of Moralists or Naturalists scarce knew what need or end there is even of that variety or plenty unless to commend the Creator Men are often times at a loss how to improve and not despise that plenty Even so is it in spiritual and supernatural things Men are so fully provided of them that they even surfeit and are wanton under God's Divine Ordinances and Provisions of Grace as once Israel did of Manna yet it seems good to God to have moreovers and to minister himself in manifold wisdom to his People To instance thus God dealt with Israel he gave them not onely Moses but Aaron also not onely Sacrifice but Circumcision also nor Circumcision only but the Passeover also nor the Tabernacle but the Temple also not onely Priests and Levites but Prophets and Nazarites likewise That so God might say as Isaiah 5. What could I have done more for my Vineyard which I have not done And this Job tells you Chap. 33.14 15. So Solomon in the 9th of his Proverbs Even so hath he done under the Gospel not tying us to any one Way or Means but affords us various Means and Seasons We have the Heaven and the Earth declaring his Glory and Handywork Psal 19. Also we have the Law and Statutes of God in his Scripture which is able to make the Man of God wise unto Salvation We have also the Law written in our hearts We have Instruments without and Instincts within We have the Word and Men without and the Spirit within We have Mercy and Judgment all whispering to us Fear ye the Lord. So that we may truly say God as well as Man hath his Moreovers And we serve not a hard Master nor is our reproof and destruction less than sufficiently of our selves Now the Grounds and Reasons why God walks thus towards his People are briefly these Reas 1. That the Glory of the Wisdom Power and Bounty of God might the more gloriously appear by the riches of his Liberality and plenty of Provisions afforded to his People Prov. 16.4 Rom. 2.4 Ephes 1.18 19. Col. 1.27 Reas 2. God makes his Provisions to be very large and plentiful affording us moreovers to the end that we might with the more ease and facility do his Will and attain the knowledge and enjoyment of Salvation so Isa 28.9 10 11 12. and this the Apostle seems to eye Acts 17.30 31. And the Prophet Micah Chap. 6.6 7 8. Christ saith His Yoke is easie and his Burthen light because he affords light sufficient to see it with and strength enough to do what is required and helps many to assist us and rewards full and rich enough to quicken and incourage us But again Reas 3. The Lord doth it to comply with our nature and frailty which is not so well satisfied nor so effectually furthered or helped by one Way or Means as by diversity and variety and therefore vouchsafeth us his Moreovers or Line upon Line and Precept upon Precept Reas 4. And lastly It is to stop the Mouth and leave silent and inexcusable all neglecters and despisers of Gospel-Grace and Provisions since God can say to all such What need I have done more than what I have done This God pleads for himself 2 Chron. 36.15 16. and Luke 13.7 8 9. The first Vse is of Information By way of Improvement or Application briefly let this first admonish us to believe how inexcusable wicked and ungodly Men and Women are who have God's overpluses and moreovers I mean that living under the light of the Gospel among the Saints enjoy such means to better them and change them and yet remain ignorant profane and ungodly Will not all this present favour and goodness of God to them one day rise up in judgment against them and be an aggravation against them as Paul saith Rom. 2.3 4 5 6. Oh! let such think seriously and timely upon two Scriptures and I shall say no more to this Use Luk. 19.41 42. And when he was come near he beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes compared with Heb. 6.4 5 6 7 8. For it is impossible for those who were once inlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance seeing they crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame For the Earth which drinketh in the Rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth Herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God But that which beareth Thorns and Briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Secondly Caution Secondly Let it be a word of Caution to all of us not to be wanton and despise and slight God 's moreovers or his overplus kindnesses as I am afraid too many do among Professors at this day like wanton Israel that despised God's Manna Numb 11.4 5 6. calling it light Bread Chap. 21.5 Even saying as Christ's Disciples What need this waste Matth. 26.8 Like unto many now-adayes that say What need so much Preaching Yea What need of such long Preaching Is not shorter Preaching better Preaching I beseech you take heed of such thoughts lest God takes away our plenty and give us scarcity enough Oh let me perswade such wanton Christians to take the Counsel Peter gives to Simon Magus Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee Acts 8.22 23. Oh Friends take heed of such thoughts of such vain yea vile thoughts for surely we are not grown such quick Learners or good Scholars or so soon taught what the good and perfect Will of the Lord is as to conclude we need few Preachers or little Preaching Neither is the Preaching of the Gospel such a mean Excellency as worth little more than to be despised or hath the Lord Christ given Gifts to men in vain Oh no he that hath given Gifts to many not to one he well knew many Preachers were necessary that by here a little and there a little by Line upon Line and Precept upon Precept because the