when the heart comes once to be willing towards God now every thing is possible I may say of him as Christ saith of faith All things are possible to him that beleeves Mark 9. 23. so all things are possible to him that willeth as we use to say there is nothing hard to a willing minde And therefore godly men in Christ Jesus the Apostle cals them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 2 Tim. 3. 12. Fourthly because this takes in the manner of good duties too as well as the matter it is more a thousand times then the bare doing of them a dead heart will serve to doe them Put when the heart is made willing this is more then the bare naked deed as Paul sayes to the Corinthians about Almes ye have begun not onely to doe but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be willing a yeare agoe 2 Cor. 8. 10. as he sayes of his preaching if I doe it willingly I have a reward but if against my will c. 1 Cor. 9. 17. that is q. d. I may preach indeed I may have so much heart to it as to doe the deed alas that is nothing because if I doe it willingly this is it this is it brethren this is the right manner too Fifthly this is an argument that the heart hath an inward principle what is the life of the heart but an inward principle of acting looke where the heart is alive there it workes from within there needs no compulsion to a covetous heart to have regard of his profit no he regards it most willingly he hath an inward principle to regard it and therefore he is alive to it now when the heart puts forth its will towards God now it hath an inward principle of agency it needs no constraint as Peter sayes to Ministers feed the flock of God not by constraint but willingly 1 Pet. 5. 2. that is doe it very lively doe it with an inward principle not because ye see others feed not because ye see the disgrace what will people thinke if I should not preach constantly not because ye dare not doe otherwise conscience will flye in your face alas ye may doe it that 's with a dead heart But doe it willingly where note this is the hearts life this is an inward principle of the heart now the heart will doe it though no body else doe it though he be hated for his labour though he have no thanke for his paines among men Thus ye see this is the life of the heart Now for your better understanding we will open this more particularly this willingnesse of the heart you see in the life of the heart and it containeth seven things First the inclinations of the heart Secondly the intentions of the heart Thirdly the Elections of the heart Fourthly the aversations of the heart Fifthly the appropiating of the heart Sixthly the savourings of the heart Seventhly the carings of the heart Beloved these are the living acts of the heart if these be converted to God in you now your hearts are alive towards him These make up the whole willingnesse of the heart First then the inclinations of the heart it may doe a thousand thousand good things with a dead heart But marke if your hearts be inclined towards God then ye serve God with a live heart if the Lord hath inclined your heart to him I have inclined my heart to performe thy Statutes alwayes even to the end Psal 119. 112. Hath God made you doe thus hath he inclined your heart to his name once ye were without heart but now he hath inclined your heart to doe good now ye finde sweet inclinations to every good duty ye doe not goe to them as a Beare to the Stake but now ye have an inward disposition to them he hath given you a feeling of your sinnes and your wants and that caryes you to Prayer a feeling of your Ignorance and forget fulnesse and that carries you to Sermons that ye may learne more of God that ye may see more into your owne unworthynesse that ye may be stirred up in all his wayes ye doe not onely shunn your owne iniquities in some measure but your heart is inclined unto it inclined to thinke of God inclined to holy talke inclined towards them that are Godly-minded ye had no disposition to the works of God heretofore but now the Lord hath not onely put you upon them but inclined your heart towards them ye â—â—ele inward impressions that bowes you others may be have good talke but you feele an unfeigned desire to be edisied and that bowes you unto it Others may be doe good things but the Lord hath bent your heart to them when you went to good duties heretofore ye went against the hare as a Stone does upwards but now in some measure the Lord hath put in a new nature and ye feele an internall mover This is life now Secondly the intentions of the heart we have a saying in Divinity voluntas sua natura vult finem the heart naturally wils the end now if God were our end if communion with him and sanctifying of God in our hearts and lives were our end our heart could not be dead towards his wayes nay we should be very eager after them all all our deadnesse comes from this that God is onely a matter by the by with us But if he were our end then we would be mainely for him and how to approve our selves to him Would we talke as we doe if edification were our end would we keep such company as we doe if mutuall helpe towards eternall life were our end Looke what the heart does intend from day to day the heart is very earnest after it therefore those that intend to rise if they can in the world they are very earnest in the pursuit after the same flatter fawne please humor they will doe any thing to the attaining of it if it be to rid a 100 miles it 's nothing with them if it cost them never so much O how greedy are they if a man intend to gather an estate if he can or to live in pleasure if he can all the world are eager in their intentions the heart runnes naturally on after it's ends Now when the heart is alive towards God these intentions are towards him now the heart standeth thus so I may obey God so I may take heed of dishonouring God so I may keep my heart close to him this is that I doe desire now I goe to worke so I may keep the world from carying away my heart I shall be glad now I am going to Prayer so I may draw down a blessing and get some farther help to walke before God this is the thing I ayme at now I goe to be in such a company so I may discharge a good conscience carry my selfe well and not bring dishonour to God and the like you may see this in Paul what was the matter he was
company dare talk of their roguery before them as Amnon before Jonadab Jonadab ask't him what he ailed he was so sad O sayes he I would fain lie with my sister Tamar 2 Sam. 13. 4. He knew before whom he was if Jonadab had been a godly man he durst as well have eaten his own tongue as have told him his base lust A godly man the very presence of him would have made him ashamed and to have bitten in his lips When a minister is unsent of God no body does respect him out of conscience they care not for his words whereas when a minister is sent this makes him as an Angel of God when others call him all to naught the conscience of many will plead for him as we see there of Jeremy O this man is not worthy to die for hee hath spoken unto us in the Name of the Lord Jer. 26. 16. There 's never a sent minister but if he come in trouble except peoples consciences be seared with a hot Iron they wil speak for him in their bosomes Alas why is he put down Why is he imprisoned Why is he opposed He hath spoken to us in the name of the Lord. So that this is the second wherein all ministers should agree they should be all sent of God not contenting themselves with the calling of man without being also called of God Thirdly they must all agree in the matter that they preach the same word is delivered unto all ministers to preach Preach the word 2 Tim. 4. The same Gospel the same Truths the same Duties the same Commandments the same Promises the same threatnings Ye know there is one God and one Faith and one Baptisme one Lord Jesus Christ there is but one way of life one gate to heaven one salvation one Bible Now every minister must agree in this You know all men are by Nature the children of wrath in a damned estate now all Pulpits should agree in this every minister labouring to bring their people to a sight of their misery by sinne every minister should shew his people what cursed creatures they are untill they be converted and renewed every Minister should presse the evill of sin and open the wiles of Satan the guilt of the conscience the spiritualnesse of the Law the necessity of humiliation and repentance and amendment of life that there is no mercy but in Christ no salvation but by Christ except people take him to live in their hearts by faith All ministers should let their people know the terror of the Lord the strictnesse of Gods judgements the inseparable connexion of mercy and a godly life that no profane person can enter into Gods Kingdome no hypocrite no meer civill man that a form of godlinesse will not serve turn that none but Saints shall stand at Christs right hand at the last day All ministers should preach what a narrow path there is to Paradise how few there bee that find it that saving grace cannot stand with the reign of the least lust that people must be pure and holy what ever the world think of purenesse and precisenesse and strictnesse yet without this no flesh shall be saved If all pulpits sounded with these truths and all ministers cried those aloud would lift up their voyces like a trumpet and not spare what a land should we have The want of unity in this matter is the cause that wickednesse does so much abound a drunkard a whoremaster a muckworm may come to a Sermon and goe away with hope that he shall have peace When ministers make the pulpit a scaffold in which like Masters of Defence they play their prizes blazon their own wits descant upon their text as though the Scripture were a Rattle for children and fools to sport with tossing it to and fro hither and thither as boyes at a Tennis when they go about to amaze their hearers to mount aloft to be in their high phrases and coyned words more like Mimicks and Comedians then Ministers when they search into moath-eaten Friers affect allegories would fain be thought Linguists and interlace a many of allegations of Latin and Greek sentences which a School-boy might doe with a Polyanthea or if they speak plain they skim the truth of the Scriptures and never dive deep to the edifying of the soule May be they will preach good morall matter But a man may goe to hell though he doe as they teach people may heare them a thousand times and no man made to cry out What have I done They preach of repentance but then they open it so slightly that a man may repent as they say and be damned they preach of faith in Christ but they make it so broad that thousands have it and sink into the bottomlesse pit with it they preach that sin must be forsaken and a good life must be led but they handle it in that wise that their hearers may doe as they say and yet have no more grace then a reprobate nor so much neither Now beloved the unity among brethren should be this to agree in the right matter of preaching that the word may be carved to all as their need is that they may see their own cases that they may understand the wiles of the Devil the fallacies of their own evill hearts the counterfets of faith and repentance and new obedience and that they may not be cousened with them This is the third thing Fourthly they should all agree in the true manner of preaching That which our Saviour sayes of hearing Take heed how yee heare Luke 8. 18. he means of preaching too let your Ministers take heed how they preach Beloved we that are the Ministers of God we are to labour to turn Lions into Lambs and to transform the heart of man to breed new creatures unto God and therefore it is not every kind of preaching will serve the turn 1. Then Ministers should agree in preaching with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power as Paul sayes not with the wisdome of words lest the crosse of Christ be made of no effect 1 Cor. 1. 17. q. d. If we should preach wit and learning eloquence then the death of Christ would be of no effect that is no man would be converted Christ would be offered to none therefore we must preach nakedly to flash the naked word into mens consciences that they may see Thus saith the Lord against their sinful courses thus saith the Lord of their estates this reproofe is from the Lord this threat is from the Lord thus saith the Lord you are a wretch this is thy sin and this is thy cursed condition and it is the Lord and not I that does affirm it It is said of Christ that he preacht with authority and not as the Scribes Matth. 7. 29. What is it to come with authority When a man speakes from God to the consciences of men as when a Constable comes in the name of a King I
of Silver It is no curiosity in Ministers to be inquisitive into their peoples courses It is the Objection of ill-minded ones say they What need Ministers busie themselves they must have their tell-tales we can doe nothing but they must heare of it O beloved we can never preach fruitfully if we stop our eares with wax and will not listen what our hearers do 7ly Ministers should agree in ordering their own conversations aright it is but a folly else to be a Minister we doe but make repentance dearer and at a higher price A Bishop must be blameless as the Steward of God not self-willed not soon angry not given to wine nor to silthy lucre Tit. 1. 7. It is a double wickednesse for a Minister to be wicked to be a company-keeper to be a pot-companion as God said to Aaron Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generation that hath any blemish let him not approach to offer the bread of his God Levit. 21. 17. We can never doe good if we blemish our selves with vice True it is the efficacy of the Word and Sacraments doe not depend upon the quality of the Minister the seed sown in good ground may grow though the sower had a dirty hand Gold is gold though it be in the hand of a thiefe yet such is our weaknesse that they are weak to us People are apt to respect the Word and Sacraments the lesse when they see the Minister is not holy as we see in Elies wicked sonnes for men abhor'd the offerings of the Lord 1 Sam. 2. 17. Their eyes must be taught as well as their eares Those things sayes Paul which ye have heard and seen in me do Phil. 4. 9. Except with Thomas in another case they see they will not beleeve Let a Minister be never so godly he shal doe good little enough The Prophet Esay though a holy man yet he complains he laboured in vain Now if a godly man can doe but little good upon the most much lesse can a wicked Minister A true Minister must be able to say as Gideon Look on me and doe likewise as I doe so shall yee doe Judg. 7. 17. Ministers must be examples unto the Flock 1 Pet. 5. 3. First cast the beam out of thine own eye then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the moat out of thy brothers eye As it is said of Ezra Ezra had prepared his own heart to seek the law of the Lord and to doe it and to teach in Israel Ezra 7. 10. Our Saviour Christ did taught as Luke speakes This is the course of a Minister indeed to doe his own Sermons When a Minister does not do what he teaches this makes him a vile person nay this makes him ridiculous Like Lâ—â—ians Apothecary who had medicines in his shop to cure the cough and told others that he had them and yet was troubled with it himself With what a forehead canst thou stand in a Pulpit and publish the lawes of God and to undertake the charge of souls that when thine own naked nesse appeares when thy tongue is of a larger size then thy hands thy ministery is divided against it selfe thy courses gives thy doctrine the lie thou sayest that men must be holy and thy deeds doe declare thy mouthes hypocrisie thou dost more mischiefe then an hundred others as ` Peter sayes of wicked Ministers Many will follow their pernicious wayes 2 Peter 2. 2. one Minister shal have many followers A good Minister shall hardly get two or three to follow him But when a Minister is wicked he shall have many that will follow him From the Prophets of Jerusalem prophanenesse is gone forth into all the Land Jerem. 23. 15. If the springs bee tainted that taint runnes forth into all the streames People think themselves safe on an Ale-bench when they have gotten the Parson with them this hardens their hearts a thousand times more But a true Minister is a godly man Now when Ministers agree in godlinesse this is another branch of this unity Eighthly and lastly Ministers should agree in concord and in amity even as all deare fellow-servants as Paul sayes of Epaphras the Minister of the Colossians As yee also learned of Epaphras our deare fellow-servant who is for you a faithfull Minister of Christ Coloss 1. 7. Being to write to the Colossians yee see what a tender care hee hath of Epaphras he labours to commend him to his people that they may regard him the more It is an horrible sin when one Minister will gird at another that is faithfull and that in the presence of some of his people This helpeth the Devill to harden peoples hearts against him that hee cannot doe the good that otherwise hee might doe when other Ministers will revile him and traduce him and speak filthy words such as their malice doth prompt them with Paul did not thus When he knew Timothy was to goe to Philippi he does most dearly commend him unto them O sayes he I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your estate Philip. 2. 20. So our Saviour Christ how much did hee countenance and back John the Baptists Ministery to the encouraging of all that heard him Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater then John Baptist Matth. 11. 11. O it is an excellent thing when Ministers doe not envie one another when they love one another and will live together in blessed Harmony Thus yee see what this unity should be The Reasons of this point why Ministers should all agree thus and be all as one are First because this makes Ministers amiable in their peoples eyes it commendeth their Ministeries unto the consciences of their hearers as the Prophet Isaiah sayes How beautifull upon the mountaines are the feet of him that bringeth glad tidings the publishers of peace c. Isa 52. 7. You will say How is that How comes his feet to bee beautifull It followes in the eighth verse Thy watchmen shall lift up their voyce with a voyce together shall they sing Mark that was it that made his feet beautifull because all the watchmen were of one note they sung with one voice together look as one preach'd so preach'd another one did not pull down what another built up one did not preach more pleasing doctrine to the flesh then another but they all sung in one Tune they all were of one heart Secondly as it makes the Ministery more beautifull and comely so it makes it the more powerfull when the Ministers are all of one mind in the Lord when they all draw one way all walk by the same Rule all set themselves to doe good and to promote one anothers good I say this makes the Ministery the more powerfull and profitable The Apostle speaking of an ignorant man coming into the Church to heare the Minister preach hee shewes how powerfull the Word may bee unto him 1 Cor. 14. 25. O sayes he
wee desire to doe what wee are commanded to doe wee shall have enemies enough in the world Our Tribe is a hated Tribe Of all Offices the office of a reprover is the most unwelcome Paul was counted an enemy because hee told the Galatians the truth Micaiah was hated because hee dealt truely with Ahab people love their lusts as their members yea as themselves Ergò of all men wee are most hated Every man is beleeved in his own profession but wee People do not hate Taylors that make them a good garment nor a Shoo-maker that makes them a good Shooe nor a Cook that makes them a good Feast nor a Phisitian that makes them a good potion nor a good Lawyer that makes them a good suite though these doe but provide for the body and yet wee that provide for peoples soules if wee make them a good Sermon that would save their soules for ever so they would obey it wee are hated for our labour Ergò when Moses came to speak of Levi that were the Ministers of Israel hee prayes God that God would deliver them out of the hands of their enemies Lord smite through the loynes of them that hate him Deut. 33. 11. I say wee have many enemies in the world and therefore wee had need to hang together who ever bee at oddes wee should stick close Our message is hardly beleeved and therefore wee had need to bee all of one minde The word which wee preach is adverse to flesh and blood and therfore wee had need all joyntly to obey it otherwise how doe wee think that wee shall perswade any others Force the more united the more strong O if we would all joyn forces in one wee might make all our Parishes quake all the wicked round about their very hearts would bee ready to faile them if every Pulpit did rowze them If they could come in no Church but they were made to sit upon thornes I verily beleeve few would have any heart to goe on in their evill doings Thirdly another Use is how wee see it is a very usefull and a profitable thing that one good Minister should now and then come and help another and preach for another that our people may see our consent that wee all preach the same thing and that is not our private preaching but all the Ministers that are of God are just of the same mind This made the Apostle whensoever hee was to write to a people that hee knew would bee somewhat backward to beleeve them hee would joyne other Ministers with him as consenting together with him Indeed when hee wrote unto Timothy he would not doe it for hee knew that hee did not need hee knew the faithfulnesse of his heart But when hee writ to the Corinthians where false Apostles had been and had made many of them to doubt hee joyned Sosthenes with him as it were confirming the same thing 1 Cor. 1. 1. when hee wrote to the Galatians hee told them hee had Peter on his side and Barnabas and Titus and James and John and how the Apostles gave unto him the right hand of Fellowship Gal. 2. 1. 9. Hee writing to the Philippians hee joynes Timothy with him Phil. 1. 1. And so writing to Philemon about a thing that though hee hoped Philemon would doe yet because hee knew he might have many carnall reasons against it hee joyns another with him Philem. 1. This is of very good use when one good Minister comes and backs anothers Ministery For as it is with men-pleasing Ministers that make as if the way to heaven were easier than it is people hope that other Ministers will come and confirming it make it good Ezek. 3. 6. O they love such a Doctrine alife and they hope there will be moe of that minde So when they heare a strict Minister that delivers the Word to them as it is and as they shall finde it at last day tush this is so uncooth that they hope that it is but the opinion of their precise Minister and that no body else is of his minde Now when God shall bring a cloud of witnesses it is I say of very good use I confesse that when a Minister speaketh the truth though no body else come to set it on besides him hee shall bee a witnesse against all the people that will not beleeve and vext at the voyce of his preaching Noah condemned all the world albeit there were none but hee But yet symphony and agreement and the consent of the Ministers of God is an Ordinance of God when it may conveniently bee had Thus I have spoken of this second point of Doctrine of the unity of Ministers To the Angell of the Church in Sardis I acknowledge this point is not so much for the generall profit of you all But you must bear with me for handling of it Wee shall come now to you ere long For I am sure if any portion of Scripture may doe us good in these dead times the Treating of this Epistle may And yet it is not lost time to speak unto the Ministers if by any meanes I may provoke my self and my Brethren to the abounding in the unity of the Spirit and of Faith and heart and minde for the further spreading and enforcing of good Revel 3. 1. And unto the Angell 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 And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write YEE have had two Doctrines from hence concerning Gods Ministers I told you there is one more and then I have done and so will proceed The Doctrine is this That a Minister may bee in fault that the people are dead that they have no more heart to good things that they are so ignorant so cold so ungodly so worldly so vain as they are I say the Minister may bee in the fault The point is very clear from this place The Lord being to reprove the people here of Sardis for their deadnesse in Religion he directs his reproof to their Minister To the Angel of the Church in Sardis write I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Hee accuses the Minister for the deadnesse of the Church that was committed to his charge hee meanes the Church but hee speakes to the Minister You will say how doe yee prove that hee means the Church I Answer there be three places that doe manifest the same The one is Revel 1. 4. There John tells us that hee indeed writes to the Churches for that in the inscription of every Epistle the Minister onely bee named John to the seven Churches in Asia So that this latter is sent to the Church that is in Sardis John meanes it to the Church and not onely to the Minister A second place is Rev. 1. 11. what thou seest write to the seven
Churches in Asia to Ephesus to Smyrna to Pergamus to Thyatira to Sardis to Philadelphia and Laodicea The third is the conclusion of every Epistle Where it is said thus Hee that hath an eare let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Rev. 3. 6. and so it is at the closure of every Letter to all the rest of the Churches and therefore the Holy Ghost there accuses the Church of Sardis of deadnesse I know thy works that thou art dead and yet hee directs it to the Minister of the Church as a thing that concernes him and that may bee laid to his charge and that hee is faulty in To the Angel of the Church in Sardis write I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead That is thou hast a dead-hearted people and thou art the cause of it Thou dost not doe thy duty thou dost not doe what lies in thee for to quicken them But thou art too remisse in thy Ministery and therefore their deadnesse may bee imputed unto thee Thus you see the Doctrine is very plain from the words The good or bad estate of a people dependeth much upon the Minister Commonly wee see it so fall out as the Prophet Hosea said Like people like Priest Hos 4. 9. Like sheepherd like sheep Such as the builder is such is the building as is the Husbandman so is the husbandry This wee may finde throughout all these Epistles where the Minister is commended the people are commended Where the Minister is taxed the people are taxed And therefore they stand and fall together they swim and sink together a wicked Minister a wicked people an ignorant Minister an ignorant people and so a good Minister the people either are a good people or else they are Monsters nay if the Minister bee good though the world in his Parish bee never so wretched yet hee hath a good people the Church of God in his Parish is very good commonly Well then wee have gotten our point out The Minister may bee in fault that the people are dead I doe not say it is alwaies thus For first the Minister may bee lively and yet the people dead The Lord tells us that Ezekiel had a stiffe-hearted people Ezek. 2. 4. and yet hee was not to bee blamed themselves were in all the fault So Isaiah had a dull-hearted people All the day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gain-saying people Rom. 10. 21. and therefore I doe not say it was alwaies thus Nay Secondly sometimes the people are the cause of the Ministers deadnesse The Jewes hardnesse of heart under the Ministery of Jonas was the cause why Jonas had no heart to goe unto Niniveh O thought hee if Israel will not heare mee much lesse will Niniveh heare mee Thus the people deaded Jeremiah at one time that hee had little or no heart to preach for a fit Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name Jer. 20. 9. Thus Ezekiel was deaded a while by his people too I came to them of the Captivity at Telabib and I sate where they sate and remained there astonisht among them seven daies Ezek. 3. 15. The Lord was fain to rowze his heart up and to tell him hee would require their blood of him before hee could pluck up a good heart to Preach livelily among them The people deaded him Nay more Thirdly sometimes the Lord locks up his good Ministers and suffers them to bee straitned in their utterance and other gifts May bee the people are ready to lay all the blame upon their Ministers O how tongue-tyed are they and it is their negligence and torpor Whereas it is for the peoples sinnes thus the Lord lockt up Ezekiel for the peoples sinnes I will make thy tongue cleave to the roofe of thy mouth and thou shalt bee dumb and shalt not bee to them areprover for they are a rebellious house Ezek. 3. 26. Nay Fourthly Sometimes peoples sinnes are the cause why their Ministers are quite dead and have no life at all in them the Lord sends foolish Ministers among them meerely because of their sinnes So it was in Hosea's time The Prophet is a foole the spirituall man is mad for the multitudes of thy iniquity Hos 9. 7. Mark they had fooles for their Ministers fooles besotted Ministers giddy Ministers Ministers that were wilde and like mad men you will say these were the causes of much sin to the people No saith the Text the peoples sinnes were the cause of such Ministers The Prephet is a foole the spirituall man mad for the multitude of thine iniquity These foure exceptions then there been of the point Otherwise the point is too too true that the Minister may bee in fault that the people are dead You see here the Church of Sardis was grown dead and the Lord faults the Angel of the Church for it I know thy works that thou art dead The like is said of Laodicea Loadicea was grown horrible lukewarme no zeale of God they were neither hot nor cold and the Lord imputes it to the Angel of Laodicea I know thy works that thou art neither hot nor cold and therefore I will spue thee out of my mouth Revel 3. 14 15 16. The same is said of the Church of Ephesus that they had left their first love and yet the Lord hits the Angell in the teeth with it I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love Rev. 2. 4. Beloved the last day I spake of the Ministers concord and unity to the Angel of the Church all the Ministers should bee as one man as if they made up one and the same Angel And therefore our Saviour Christ made choyce of Brethren and Kinksfolkes Simon and Andrew his Brother James and John his Brother St. Peters bark is a fisher-boat not a man of Warre it is not furnisht with mortall Engines but onely with nets to catch fish If Peter were reproved for drawing upon Malchus what reproofe had hee been worthy of if hee had drawn upon any of his fellows this was the Theme that wee spake of the last day Now then let us speak of the influence that a Minister hath in his people hee may bee the cause of his peoples deadnesse if hee doe not take heed And this hee may bee three waies first by his not preaching secondly by his dead manner of preaching thirdly by his dead manner of Life and Conversation First I say by his not preaching yee know the Word of God is the word of life Phil. 2. 16. The Word is that which quickeneth the heart as David saith Thy Word hath quickned mee Psal 119. 50. Now when Ministers doe not preach it this deads peoples hearts Wee see this in those places where the due preaching of the Word is wanting people are dead to all goodnesse nay they that had some quicknesse in them before doe lose them
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
O be quickned the Lord will not endure a dead people get life if yee be wise it is but a folly to have a name to live except yee be alive indeed Now the way for us to quicken our people is First If we be good our selves When Jehosaphat would encourage the Levites to quicken up the people Sayes he The Lord shall be with the good 2 Chron. 19. 11. Hee will blesse your labours hee will strengthen your Sermons to doe good though not to all for the greatest part are not of God yet unto his people Nay if we were good indeed wee might have hope do too much good as it is said of Barnabas he was a good man and much people were added to the Lord. Act. 11. 24. Againe Secondly wee should bee earnest with God to quicken all our hearts that so we may the better quicken our Brethren as Christ sayes to Peter when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren so we should desire God to quicken us that we may quicken our Brethren that wee may wash our hands of our people What an excellent comfort was that unto Paul When hee could take his people to record that hee was pure from the bloud of all men Act. 20. 26. Thirdly We should marke which of our people are dead Ezek. 8. 6. And then thinke what are not we guiltie of his deadnesse Fourthly Let us lay about us soundly that we not may be guilty of their sinnes in any kinde Fifthly Another Use is to let us see What a great danger Ministers are in they may be guilty of all the evill in their Parish if they doe not their duty which is a great thing to doe they have all the sinnes of their Parish lying at their doore This should keepe us from security and from pride many grow proud that are Ministers but alas they know not what an Office they have that doe so Our very Calling should make our hearts tremble and quake to think what a charge is imposed upon us This made Moses and Aaron and many a good man more so fearfull to enter upon this function No man takes this honour unto himself saith the Apostle meaning no godly man no man in his right wits no man that is well-advised what hee does but hee that is called Heb. 5. 4. as our Saviour Christ saith Pray yee the Lord of the Harvest that hee would send forth labourers into his Harvest Matth. 9. 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is in the Originall that hee would thrust forth labourers into his Harvest q. d. God will have no good labourers otherwise those that are good are not over-forward to enter into the Ministery as a Father sayes it is a burden that the very Angels shoulders would tremble under as the Apostle said Who is sufficient for these things If there were no other Argument but this in the Text it might sway all Ministers hearts in the world lest wee bee guilty of our own deadnesse and of others too Another Use should bee to the people that they would bee forward and willing to hear and greedy to drink in the word of life The want of this is the deading of many a Ministers heart I was in much bitternesse saith Ezekiel but the hand of the Lord was strong upon mee Ezek. 3. 14. that is I had had no heart at all to preach but that the hand of the Lord was exceedingly assistant unto mee whereas the forwardnesse of people is a great meanes to quicken up their Ministers When the whole City flocked in to heare Paul though the wicked were mad at it The Text saith Hee grew bold Act. 13. 44 45. When the people crowded in upon our Saviour that hee had not so much as time to eat bread Mark 3. 20. the Text shews that he so be-stirred himselfe there that his own Kinssolk thought hee had been mad Vers 21. Revel 3. 1. And unto the Angell of the Church in Sardis write these things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God c. WEE have done with the Inscription And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write Wee come now to the Subscription and that is in these words These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres Which words contain a description of the Lord Jesus Christ from whom this Epistle is sent unto the Church and hee is described very gloriously to the intent that what hee saies may bee the more reverently and seriously regarded The Description sets forth two admirable properties and royalties of our Lord Jesus Christ First That hee hath the seven Spirits of God that is hee hath the Holy Ghost to give to whomsoever hee please Secondly That he hath the seven Starres that is the Pastours and Ministers of the Church Christ hath them all in his hand to send them to gift them to assist them to preserve them to vouchsafe them to a people or to take them away as hee lists and the Ministers are called Stars because they are to shine in the firmament of the Church First then the first royalty of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is that hee hath the seven Spirits of God by the seven Spirits of God hee meanes the Holy Ghost you will say the Holy Ghost is but one Spirit By one Spirit wee are all baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 13. There is one Body and one Spirit Ephes 4. 4. Through him wee both have an accesse by one Spirit unto the Father Ephes 2. 18. The Spirit of God is but one Yee know there is but one God in three persons one Father one Sonne one holy Spirit There bee three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one 1 Joh. 5. 7. there is but one Father and one Sonne whom the Apostle there calls the Word for so hee is often called in the Scripture The Word was made flesh that is the Son of God was made flesh so there is but one Holy Ghost one Holy Spirit Why then does the Text here say of Christ that hee hath the seven Spirits of God I Answer yee may know that the Revelation uses peculiar phrases august and mysticall Now the reason why John speaks thus in the plurall number is First because hee alludes to the manner of his Visions now in his Visions the holy Ghost was thus represented unto him as yee may see Rev. 4. 5. where he saw seven Lamps of fire burning before the Throne which are the seven Spirits of God So again Rev. 5. 6. where hee saw a Lamb as it had been slain having seven hornes and seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth So that this is one reason why hee calls the Holy Ghost the seven Spirits of God because hee speaks after this manner of the Vision that hee saw Secondly another reason is because hee was to write to the seven Churches of
enough to strike terrough into the hearts of men to put off any Sermon any rebuke any exhortation of Christs Ministers when they know the Lord sends them May bee the Minister is as poore a creature as one of you O but remember who sends him as Christ sayes hee that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth mee and hee that refuseth mee refuseth him that sent me Luk. 10. 16. Revel 3. 1. These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres I Have begun to handle this Epistle wherin I noted foure things First the inscription declaring to whom this Epistle is sent To the Angel of the Church in Sardis write that is to the Minister of the Church and to the Church it self Secondly The Subscription declaring from whom it is sent These things saith he that c. Thirdly The Substance or subject matter of the Epistle I know thy works c. Usque ad ver 4. Fourthly The Conclusion He that over-commeth c. ver 5 6. I have already Analysed all this whole Epistle and Paraphrased upon every part of it and shewed you the meaning of it and the scope of it and have made some entrance upon it namely to reprove their deadnesse and coldnesse in Religion and to quicken them up unto life lest the judgement of God fall upon them I have dispatcht the Inscription And to the Angel of the Church in Sardis write and so I passe on to the second Namely the Subscription These things saith c. These words as ye heard contain a description of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom this Epistle is sent The Description is not a whole and an entire description of him but only accommodated to the businesse in hand And therefore it describes him onely from two admirable Royalties that are in him The first is this That he hath the seven Spirits of God that is he hath the Holy and quickning Spirit to give him to whomsoever he please q. d. if ye would be quickned hearken unto me come unto me I have all the graces of the Spirit to quicken you withall Secondly That he hath the seven Starres that is as I told you he hath all the Ministers of the Church in his hand and at his dispose These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres That is Christ hath all the Starres all the Ministers of the Church they are all in his hand I told you he is said to have them in five respects 1. They have their Mission from him 2. They have their Commission from him 3. They have their Abilities from him 4. They have the successe of their labours from him 5. They have their protection from him he opens their mouths as long as he lists and shuts them when hee seeth fit so to doe I have spoken of the first The Ministers of Christ have their Mission from Christ he hath the sending of them As my Father hath sent me so send I you Joh. 20. 21. it is Christ that sends Ministers to the Church as he told Jerusalem Behold I send unto you Prophets and Wisemen and Scribes Matth. 23. 34. He called the twelve and began to send them forth by two and two Mark 6. 7. So he called the seventy and sent them also Luk. 10. 1. so it is Christ that sends all true Ministers to this day True the Church does Ordain them I but if they be not sent by him too they are intruders Now when he sends them they are his Ministers though the Church put them into Orders As it is with a true Constable though the Parish choose him yet he is the Kings Officer and does things in the Kings name So it is with every true Minister Christ hath the sending of him He is the Minister of Christ as the Apostle sayes Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ 1 Cor. 4. 1. And therefore look what we do in our Office we doe it in his name As Peter said In the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walk So we say unto Gods Elect rise up and walk in the name of Jesus Christ repent of all thy wicked wayes and beleeve and though the world will not stirre at our speech yet they that are elected of God doe stirre they are none but the reprobate that lye still in their sins Sometime or other we get home all the Elect they hear us they obey us they submit to our Doctrine in the name of Jesus Christ The Use of this is first for comfort of the poore Ministers of Christ may be we meet with many wolves in the delivery of his errands We meet with sowre faces and wry lookes suspensions oppositions and such like wolvish dealings for doing of our message what need we care for all these as long as Christ sends us Certainly if he send us he will be with us as God said to Moses I send thee certainly I will be with thee Exod. 3. 12. he will be with us for the good of his chosen in all the course of our Ministery be it short or be it long We shall be usefull unto them though the reprobate world will not obey any of our words Christ will be with us in the Pulpit in the prison in a dog-hole if the wicked put us in it as Christ said Goe and teach all Nations and loe I am with you to the end of the world Matth. 28. 19 20. This is our comfort Christ will be with us and this is the Elects comfort they shall be sure to finde him with us in our Ministery if we be in the Pulpit there they shall hear us teaching of them if in the prison there they shall have us sealing of the truth to them Secondly if Christ hath the sending of us wee must be sure to doe his message that we performe the work he sends us to doe Every messenger should doe thus I seek not mine own will saith Christ but the will of the Father which hath sent mee Joh. 5. 30. if a Merchant should send a servant beyond the Seas to be a Factor for him if that servant should goe and trade for himself to get money for himself and an estate for himselfe and neglect his Masters businesse he may look for a cold welcome home So when Christ sends us to bee Factors for him to see what Soules wee can gain unto him if we should now seek our selves how to be rich how to be some-body in the world how to get preferment and so leave his businesse undone wee may look for a cold welcome home Certainly if Christ sends us we should minde his work we should glorifie Christ labour to reveale Christ to win Soules to Christ This is our businesse to doe Thirdly If Christ hath the sending of us wee must give him account when wee have done When Christ had sent his Disciples to preach they returned again and gave
off the Son of God and everlasting life Still when the Prophets would speak unto the people this was their preface The Lord sent mee so sayes Isaiah the Lord sent mee Esa 48. 16. so sayes Jeremiah the Lord sent mee When they refused to hear what he said O sayes hee Truely the Lord sent mee of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words unto you Jer. 26. 15. One would think it wore enough to strike terrour into the hearts of men to put off any Sermon any rebuke any exhortation of Christs Ministers when they know the Lord sends them Of a truth the Lord hath sent mee to speak all these words unto you May bee the Minister is as poore a creature in himself as one of you O but remember who sends him as Christ sayes hee that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth mee and hee that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent me Luk. 10. 16. So much shall suffice to have been spoken of the first way whereby Christ is said to have the seven Starres that is the Ministers of the Church namely he hath the sending of them Secondly Hee hath them that is hee hath the giving of them their Commission as they have their Mission from him so they have their Commission from him too They are not onely messengers but Embassadors This Commission hath two things first the heads of their Embassage that Christ sends them to treat of Secondly the authority of their Embassage that Christ invests them with For the first the heads of their commission Christ hath the appointing of them what they shall treat of and they are five First they shall preach the Word Goe and preach the Gospel to every creature Mark 16. 15. Secondly to remit the sin of all them that doe embrace the Gospel Joh. 20. 23. that is to pronounce all the promises of the Covenant of Grace and in particular forgivenesse of sins to all true penitent and beleeving Soules Thirdly to administer the Sacraments of the New Testament to all the said persons to whom the promises of eternall life doe belong for the assuring of their hearts concerning all the things of the Kingdome of God to them in particular Matth. 28. 19. Fourthly To build up the Church of God for the perfecting of the Saints and the edifying of the body of Christ untill they all come c. Ephes 4. 12. Fifthly to shut the Kingdome of Heaven upon all that have an evill heart of unbelief to goe on in their sins and not to stoop to the Scepter of Jesus Christ Mark 16. 16. and in divers other places These are the heads of their commission that Christ will have them treat of in their Embassage unto men Secondly now for the Authority that hee invests them with it is not any carnall or earthly authority to jet and to vaunt or to domineere as though they were Lords and Gods heritage 1 Pet. 5. 3. no sayes Christ it shall not be so with you But hee that is greatest among you hee shall bee as the least Luk. 22. 26. and therefore I doe not here speak of any earthly authority No the Authority that Christs Ministers have and they have it from him is a spirituall Authority uamely not onely to preach and to declare forgivenesse of sin and to administer the seales of the covenant and to build up the Saints and to denounce wrath and damnation to all that continue in their unregenerate estate through impenitence unbelief but to do all these things with a heavenly Power and Authority to have an Office under Christ for the doing of them so as to be the very mouth of Christ and that which they doe according to their commission from him to stand firme and good for ever and ever I will give power to my two witnesses Rev. 11. 3. The Lord hath given me power and authority sayes the Apostle 2 Cor. 10. 8. You will say this is great power indeed all the Kings Potentates of the earth have not so great power as this this is a power of life and death not naturall nor temporary but Spirituall and eternall this is a power not oven mens Bodies but over their soules not in small matters but either for salvation ordamnation This is a great Commission how come they by such a great one as this is O sayes Christ I am able to invest them with as much as this comes to For all power is given unto me in Heaven and Earth Matth. 28. 18. q. d. I am able to furnish you with all authority and power goe you in my name and preach you in my name in my name bid people repent and beleeve in my name open heaven to all that doe obey and shut it upon all that doe disobey and I will make it good The use of this is First have the Ministers of Christ such a Commission from Christ then they are the greatest Embassadors that ever were or can be Embassadors of earthly Kings have a great Commission they represent the Kings person from whom they come Alas what are they to these they come about petty things about civill peace or warre and yet they are Lord Embassadors they are Lords by their places they are much respected among men O then what great Embassadors are the Ministers of Jesus Christ that represent the King of Kings person that represent the person of the Lord of Lords that came to Treat of peace betweene God and Man or of open Hostility between the Creator and the Creature as Paul sayes now then wee are Embassadours for Christ As though God did beseech you by us wee pray you in Christs stead be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 15. 20. that is we have a very great commission we represent the person of our Lord Jesus Christ we come to treat with you about eternity according as you heare us or heare us not so it will be with you unto all eternity O consider what we have to do you are enemies unto God from the womb as long as your sins doe remain ye are enemies still we come to set you at one again Yee know the condition yee know what the heads of our commission bee if yee will not hearken unto them and submit yee are damned for ever if ye doe blessed and happy are yee for evermore was there ever such a great Embassage as this as the Apostle sayes To make known the mystery of the Gospel for which I am an Embassadour in bonds Ephes 6. 19 20. q. d. though the wicked and blinde world look upon me as a Schismatique and a malefactour and cast me into the prison and here I am in bonds they see no such thing in me as an Embassadour of the great God yet the truth is though I bee in bonds they shall know it one day to their cost who I was and what a commission I had and what it is to slight it and put it off I
gifts by meanes but then if we would trust Christ for his present assistance and â—erne up to him for prompting it would make our Ministery more lively When a Sermon is an act of Faith that 's it that does most good then Christs Spirit Preaches and not wee then then God speaks and not our notes as the Prophet David sayes The Spirit of the Lord spake by mee 2 Sam. 23. 2. Sixthly this should teach the people of God if they would have their Ministers inabled indeed to doe their soules good to pray for them that Christ would more furnish them How often does the Apostle tell the people that Ministers might have greater gifts if they had a heart O sayes hee Pray for mee that I may have utterance and that I may speak boldly c. Ephes 6. 19. q. d. if yee have a heart to pray I doe verily think that I shall bee the more assisted a great deale The truth is God uses to punish people thus because they are dead and dull and have no heart and are weary of the Word therefore hee with-holds from his Minister on purpose to plague them as God told Ezekiel Son of man thou shalt bee dumb and when thou wouldst reprove thou shalt be tongue-tyed thy tongue shall cleave to the roof of thy mouth now mark the reason why for they are a rebellious house Ezek. 3. 26. But I will recapitulate no more of what I have delivered Thus ye have heard the third thing how Christ hath the gifting of his Ministers They have their gifts and abilities from him Now I proceed on to the fourth That he hath the prospering of them They have the successe of their labours from Iesus Christ Christ bids us preach Repent repent but it is he that must give the Repentance So Paul preached to Lydia and had good successe for the text shews how she was converted by his Ministery But it was God that opened her heart As Rebeccah cookt the Venison but Isaac gave the blessing So we may cooke the Word for you but the blessing is in Christs hands as the Apostle sayes We are Ministers by whom ye Beleeved even as the Lord gave to every man 1 Cor. 3. 5. that is when wee preached among you we had good successe you beleeved What as we would our selves No Alas we would faine have had you all to Beleeve but even as the Lord gave to every man the successe was as he would soto some he gave only conviction by the word to some onely knowledge to some good reformations to some a true faith It was as he was pleased to give to every man So when he preached unto other Gentiles he confesses looke what good successe he had he had from Jesus Christ I will not dare to speake of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by Word and deed Rom. 15. 18. that is as who should say that the Gentiles did heare me that they were brought to obedience in word and deed that I had so good successe in my labours God forbid I should say or thinke it was my doing I dare not say so for a world No no It was Christ and hee alone that did worke by me as his poore Instrument I have all my good successe from him The successe is meerly as he will If he will be pleased to give so good successe Peter shall convert 3000 at one Sermon But if he be pleased to deny a good successe the Prophet Esay shall preach in the reigne of 4 Kings about fourescore yeares and convert hardly one as he sayes to Israel as the Apostle quotes him All the day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and a gainsaying people Rom. 10. 21. All successes are of God and therefore much more successe here Let it be in any calling As for example fishing that when a man goes a fishing he sindes good successe this is of God Simon and his company toyled all night and tooke nothing But when Christ came and gave them good successe then they inclosed a great multitude of fishes two shipfull of fishes at one draught Luk. 5. 5. So when a man runnes who shall get the Goale the man may runne but whether he shall get the Goale that he cannot tell When a man fights the man may fight and be the better man of the two but whether shall overcome that is uncertain unto them the successe is of God as Solomon sayes The race is not to the swift nor the battaile to the strong nor riches to the wise time and chance happens to them all Eccle. 9. 11. that is not as though the swift doe not sometimes get the race and the strong the Victory and wise men riches yet they doe many times namely when God gives successe otherwise they doe not How many times doe men goe about businesses and in all likelihood they might hit well yet how often doe they not the Lord will have us see that successe is from him Now if it be so in outward things how much more here in other things the work is more in the mans hands and the thing is traceable to him but it is not so here VVee may labour to convert Soules but this work is not in our hands the using of the meanes the Lord Jesus Christ puts that into our hands but the doing of the deed the successe is onely from him First Because we are nothing in this worke We may be something at other workes we may study and in an ordinary providence we may make a Sermon But when we come to preach it is not an ordinary providence that will make us to convert soules no here we are nothing Paul may plant and Apollos may water Now marke what followes he does not onely say it is God that gives the increase Paul may plant and Apollos may water but God gives the increase 1 Cor. 3. 6. that is all their successe and all the fruit of their labour is from God That is not all he sayes But in the seventh verse sayes he Neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth any thing but God that giveth the increase As if he should say as excellent gifts as these men had they did nothing in this worke the whole successe is of God Beloved we can but set before you life and death we can but tell you thus ye will be damned and thus and thus ye may be saved But it is God that must blesse this unto you Otherwise we can doe nothing We may preach our hearts out and yet you 'l to hell doe we what we can except the Lord break your careere Elisha's man could lay his Masters staffe upon the child but the child stirred not till Elisha came himselfe and then the child was raised So we can but lay our Masters staffe upon your dead soules But except our Master come himself ne're a dead soule will stand up what
will not let you doe otherwise alas ye may doe it thus with a dead heart but doe it willingly doe it out of an inward principle no obedience is good without it be done with an inward principle if ye be willing and obedient Isa 1. 19. that is if ye obedient with an inward principle of obedience I this is it indeed Thus you see an absolute will is the life of the heart Now least any should be deceived I shewed you what this absolute will of the heart is I shewed you first it is the inclination of the heart ye know the heart that is alive to the world all its inclinations are that way and therefore the will runnes mainely out that way but its averse from God backward to all heavenly things now when the will is absolutely set towards God God inclines it towards him and makes it incline it selfe as David sayes I have inclined my heart to performe thy statutes alwayes even to the end Psal 119. 112. it may be the world may wonder that any man should be so strict as some are to forgo the pleasures of the flesh as some doe be so precise and so taken up with God as some are the reason is this their wills are absolutely set that way the Lord hath inclined them Secondly the intention of the heart we have a saying in Divinity voluntas ut natura vult finem the heart naturally wills it own ends looke what men aime at looke what they would have what they beat at what they drive at that they will naturally that they will eagerly now when the hearts intentions are towards God then the will is absolutely towards him Beloved what is it ye would have what doe ye drive at a dayes what is the souls scop if that be God if that be to commune with him if that be to please him doubtlesse ye are alive towards God for then the wills are absolutely to him This is a rare worke and therefore true grace of life is a rare thing for how few doe attaine this you come to Church if God were your aime certainly ye would heare otherwise then ye doe many would ye set in your pewes so as ye doe if your aime were to please God or that the word should direct you if this were your aime ye would heare in another gats manner so when ye discourse if your meaning and aime were O now I will discourse to be edisied would ye talke so loosely as ye do nay ye would speake more to the purpose a great deale you may see this in Paul what made him so eager to deny himselfe I count all things drosse and dung sayes he O sayes he the intention of my heart is to Christ that I may know him c. Phil. 3. 10. But I must hasten Thirdly the election of the heart ye know all our life is in Bivio There be two wayes in everything there be two wayes of thinking two wayes of speaking two wayes of doing the one godly the other not There be two wayes in eating and drinking in sleeping and waking in studying in praying and in all our cariages one gracious and the other not now which doe your hearts choose if your hearts have such a disposition to choose the gracious way then your wills are set absolutely that way there ye are alive as David sayes I have chosen the way of truth Psal. 119. 30. marke he had this disposition in him to choose the true way Fourthly the conversation of the heart the heart ever shunnes something or other every day and houre the heart puts off something or other now what does thy heart shun every day does it shun things offensive to thee or things offensive to God if thy will be set absolutely towards God then thy hearts shunnings will run there in things displeasing to him as the Prophet sayes I have refrained my feet from every evillway that I may keep thy word Psal 119. 101. Fifthly the appreciatings of the heart or the estimations of the heart what 's the hearts Jewell that the hearts will is absolutely to now doe but thinke what does thy heart prize most of all what 's dearest to thee O sayes Paul I doe not count my life deare so that I may finish my course Act. 20. 24. this was his hearts Jewell how he might doe the worke that God set him to doe how he might finish his course Gods commandements were dearest to him not his owne credit but Gods glory Sixthly the savouring of the heart this is another piece of the hearts will something there is that the heart savours most Now doth thy heart savour the things of God most thou savourest a businesse where there is profit I but doest thou savour Gods word most canst thou finde the best relish of all in holy duties canst thou savour life in them as Paul sayes there 's the savour of life in these things 2 Cor. 2. 16. Seventhly the cares of the heart This is another signe of the hearts absolute will worldly minded men are full of cares above the things of the world but art thou full of cares about heaven does heaven fill thy head full of cares about it how thou mayst get it c. Thus ye heard what an absolute will is Now because when the will is made absolutely to be for God yet there is an unwillingnesle in the same will in regard of the unregenerate part therefore I shewed you there be other acts of life in the heart towards God opposing that unwillingnesse in the flesh But I must of necessity breake off so much for the heart The next thing to be inquired about is the conscience what is the life of the conscience and here the world is deceived too for the conscience may be awakened very much and yet never quickened indeed First à conscience awakened may like all good things Secondly a conscience somewhat awakened may oblige a man to all manner of good things Thirdly a conscience somewhat awakened may be troubled about his sinnes Fourthly a conscience somewhat awakened may urge one exceedingly to good things Fifthly a conscience somewhat awakened may be very eager in this urging Sixthly a conscience somewhat awakened may prevaile very farre with it's eagernesse Seventhly a conscience somewhat awakened may make one looke at God so farre as it prevailes all this may be in conscience and yet the conscience never quickened indeed so that you see what need there is to enquire what the life of conscience is First I say the conscience somewhat awakened may like of God and all his wayes it may like of Gods judgements be they never so terrible as we see there in Pharaoh when God plagued Aegypt his conscience liked of Gods dealings he thought in his conscience the Lord dealt very righteously with him The Lord is righteous sayes he and I and my people are wicked Exod. 9. 27. So when Rehoboam was horribly beset with Enemies
CHRISTS ALARM TO DROWSIE SAINTS OR Christs Epistle to his Churches By WILLIAM FENNER B. D. sometimes fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and Minister of Rochford in ESSEX REVEL 2. 7. Hee that hath an eare to hear let him hear what the spirit saith unto the Churches LONDON Printed by J. D. R. I. for John Rothwell at the Sun and Fountain in Pauls Church-yard M DC XLVI Insigni Eruditione Pietate V THOMAE HILL S. T. D. Acad Cantabrigienss Dignissimo Procancellario Coll Trin in eadem Acad Magistro Posthumum hoc GUILLIEL FENNERI Opusculum In Debitae observantiae Testimonium D. D. D. J. R. Bibliopola TO THE READER THE Author of these ensuing Sermons was a Minister of God famous in his Generation a burning and shining light one to whom if ever to any God had given the Art of winning of Soules whom I have often heard Preaching and alwaies in the demonstration of the Spirit and power and not in the inticing words of mans wisedome He was as Nazienzen saith of John Baptist Tota Vox all Voice A voice in his habite in his gestare and in his life and conversation as well as his Doctrine and being now dead he is still a voice by his Works which he hath left behinde him And in particular by these Sermons Printed according to a Copy written with his own hand which handle a Subject very necessary for these times wherein there are many that have a name to live but are indeed dead and many that are spiritually alive but yet full of deadnesse and unactivenesse to that that is good Now this Treatise will be usefull if God give a blessing to it to make the dead Christian living and the living Christian more active and lively in all godlinesse which that it may effect is the prayer of Thy soules friend in Jesus Christ ALAMY The Contents THE Coherence Page 1 The Division Page 2 1 Observ That Ministers are to be Angels Page 7 1 Vse The Ministery no base office Page 10 2 Vse If Angels they must be holy Page 11 3 Vse If Angels they must be ready to preach and labor in the word Page 13 4 Vse If Angels they are mainely for Gods Elect. Page 17 5 Vse If Angels with what reverence ought wee to hear them Page 19 2 Observ All true Ministers as one ibid. How Page 21 What unity Page 24 Ministers ought to preach often Page 32 The reasons of their unity Page 39 1 Vse Ministers not to envy one another for the faithfull discharge of their duty Page 41 2 Vse Ministers must labour to be of one minde Page 42 3 Vse Good for Ministers that they preach one for another Page 44 Ministers may be in fault the people are no better Page 46 People a cause of the Ministers deadnesse Page 48 Particular Preaching does good Page 51 Generall preaching hartfull seven Reason ibid. Morall preaching does no good Page 57 Not enough to professe onely the name of Christ Page 61 The more the word â—onvinces the more subtleties the heart aeviseth Page 63 Cold preaching of the word is unsutable to the nature of the word Page 64 It is cold two wayes Page 66 Evill life causeth thâ— Preacher seem vile Page 67 1 Vse A Minister may be the cause why the people are dead Page 68 2. Ministers of all mâ—n should care to be most quickned ibid. 3. People should pray for their Ministers Page 69 4. Ministers should take hâ—ed of their charge â—â—â—irable Royalties of Jesus Christ ibid. 1 That he hath the Seven Spirits of God Page 72 Gives the spirit to whom he pleases Page 75 The Reasons why Page 77 Vse 1. If Christ have the spirits what hath he not Page 80 2. We are without excuse if we want the spirit when Christ hath him to give Page 81 How we may obtain it Page 86 3. Those that want the spirit may have supplies from Jesus Christ Page 89 Signes of it Page 93 Second Royalty of Jesus Christ he hath the seven Stars Page 96 Ministers why Stars Page 97 Every Parish should have one Page 98 Vse 1. A Miserable thing when a Land is darkned Page 100 2. We are to blesse God when the Starres shine ibid. 3. Take heed those few Stars we have set upon us Page 101 Six fignes when they are about to vanish ibid. Why God will take away his Stars Page 105 Christ hath seven Stars in five respects Page 107 Vse 1. They have their Mission from him therefore t is comfort to true Ministers ibid 2. They must doe his Message Page 108 3. They must give him account Page 109 4. A great mercy Christ should send unto them ibid. The heads of their Commission their Authority Page 120 Vse 1. If their Commission be from Christ they are the greatest Embassadors that are or can be Page 121 2. They must take heed how they discharge their Function Page 122 3. To condemn them that obey not the Ministery Page 124 4. God takes it not well at our hands that Ministers should be vilipended Page 126 5. They must preach no mercy at all to them that stand out wilfully Page 129 6. They that fear God must obey the voyce of his Servants Page 131 Ministers had need of many rare gifts Page 133 1. To open the Scriptures ibid. 2. To deduce from them Page 134 3. To Convince Page 135 4. To move affections ibid. 5. To speak Pro Re Nata Page 136 6. To chuse speciall Texts for speciall occasions Page 137 Vse 1. A Minister had not need to be a foole Page 139 2. They are not Christs Ministers that are not gifted ibid. 3. They must goe to Christ for gifts Page 140 4. Stir up those he gives them Page 141 5. They must rely on Christ ibid. 6. People should pray for their Minister Page 142 Meanes to enlarge the Ministers hearts and gifts to the people ibid. Christ hath the prospering of his Ministers Page 149 The Reasons 1. Because Ministers are nothing in the World Page 151 2. Conversion is supernaturall Page 152 Vse 1. The Ministers can onely make try all whether they can convert the people or no. Page 153 2. They must waite though they have not successe presently Page 154 3. It may condemn the World that lets not Ministers have successe ibid A Minister hath all good successe from Christ Page 156 Vse 1. Why some Ministers now adayes have so little successe Page 157 Carnall Ministers may sometimes convert Page 159 2. Christ doth blesse true Ministers Page 161 3. If they have not successe they ought not to be discouraged Page 162 4. The greatest hurt to Ministers is to deprive them of the joy of their labors ibid. Christ disposeth continueth or removeth them Page 163 Reason 1. Because no man is a Pastour that entereth not at the doore Page 164 2. None can be placed in a Parish but by this Bishop Christ the Archbishop of our Soules Page 165 3. He payes them
For the place of his exile was like Pauls third Heaven unto him he was ravisht in the Spirit on the Lords day and had abundance of revelations vouchsafed unto him of the things that should occurre in the Church and out from thence unto the end of the world Before which he hath a charge given him to write to the seven Churches of Asia chap. 1. the Church of Ephesus the Church of Smyrna and of Pergamus and of Thyatira these foure are written unto in the second Chapter the other three are written unto in this the Church of Sardis and the Church of Philadelphia and the Church of Laodicea Now that which I have chosen to handle and if God afford liberty I desire to goe through it is the Epistle unto the Church of Sardis wherein we may consider foure things First The Inscription containing a specification whom the Epistle is specially directed unto And to the Angel of the Church in Sardis write Secondly the Subscription containing a description of the Lord Jesus Christ the King of the Church These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres I call it a subscription because in our letters we use to subscribe our names or to write our names beneath at the latter end But it may be called rather a suprascription as Kings write their names above for honours sake so does Christ the King of Sion write his Name above Thirdly the substance or matter of the Epistle I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Be watchfull strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God c. vers 1 2 3 4. Fourthly the conclusion He that overcommeth the same shall be clothed in white raiment c. v. 5 6. First I say the Inscription And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write In which words Saint John is directed whom to inscribe this Epistle unto and that is unto the Church which is in Sardis but especially unto the Angel of it that is the Minister or Ministers of it for that 's the meaning of Angel in this place Secondly for the Subscription or rather suprascription that contains the description of the Lord Jesus Christ from whom the Epistle is sent and he is described by two Royalties the first is in having of the seven Spirits of God These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God that is that hath power to send the holy Ghost unto all the Elect for so the holy Ghost is called the seven Spirits that are before the Throne Rev. 1. 4. He meanes there the holy Ghost not as though there were seven holy Ghosts but he is expressed in the plurall number in regard of the abundance of graces that he infuses into his Churches and the number seven is rather taken then any other number partly because this number is put for a perfect number as implying the perfection of his influence partly because of the present businesse in hand for here he writes to the seven Churches of Asia Now the Lord Jesus Christ hath Spirit enough to send forth into them all This is his first Royalty that he hath the seven spirits of God Another Royalty of his is that he hath the seven Starres that is the seven Pastors of these Churches Christ hath them all in his hand it is he that preserves those Ministers that are faithfull he hath power to raise them up to gift them to protect them to defend them and they are called Stars because they are to shine in the firmament of the Church Thirdly for the substance and matter of the Epistle it containeth three parts First a Reproofe and the reproofe is in these words I know thy works that is I know them all and they are stark naught 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 naught and then he instances in particular as for example thy deadnesse of heart in Religion Thou hast a name to live but thou art dead that is thou goest for an excellent Minister and and excellent Church ye doe professe Religion very fairly and in a goodly manner that to see to thou art alive and thou art taken so too of all thy Neighbour-churches they all think and hope thou art alive but the truth is thou art dead the grace of life is hardly in thee at all This is the first the Reproof Then secondly here 's a remedy annexed for he does not reprove them out of any ill will but for their good and so he prescribes them a remedy and the remedy is twofold The first is To strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die q. d. as many of you as are not quite and clean dead stirre up your selves quicken up your hearts and this is amplified by shewing how they should doe thus O be watchfull sayes he q. d. that is the reason why ye languish in this fashion and yee will languish more and more because yee are not watchfull therefore Be watchfull and also by rendring a motive to presse this remedy For I have not found thy works perfect before God that is thou art hardly sincere a jot thou art full of hypocrisie and rottennesse and formality and thou wilt lose all thy labour if thou dost not look well about thee therefore shake up thy selfe and strengthen the things that remain This is the first remedy The second remedy is to repent and this is amplified by shewing how and that is two wayes First Remember how thou hast received and heard that is consider how thou hast been taught and bewaile thy declinings for thou art horribly departed from what thou hast learned in the Ministery of the word Secondly Hold fast that is so bewail thy warpings wanings and degeneratings that thou mayst get up againe 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 a threatning telling them the danger if they will not be awakened If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thiefe and thou shalt not know what houre I will come upon thee This is the second part of the matter of this Epistle the Remedy Thirdly another part of the matter of this Epistle is a commendation of some particular persons in the Church that were not carried away in the deadnesse of the times and these he does praise very much and he gives them an excellent promise the praise is in these words Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments that is there be some among you though they be but a few that have not been sutted and soyled with others bad examples though others be dead yet they are not dead too for company
too May be some of Gods elect are among you and if there be the Word wil find them out I say this is our main charge to be groping for Gods elect and when any of them appeare to tender them most so shall we shew our selves Angels indeed for the good of Gods chosen More uses I might make and very many too But I will content my self with one more and that shal be to you that are hearers If Gods Ministers be Angels then how should you come to the hearing of the word of God Even as if an Angel should drop down from heaven unto you How should you receive the Ministers of God that desire to be faithful Even as the Galatians received Paul even as an Angel of God Gal. 4. 14. yea even as Christ himselfe yee must not look up into the Pulpit as seeing nothing but a poor mortal man there but as though an Angel of God were standing there How grave should our meetings here bee how reverently should yee sit in your Pewes how sacredly should we stand in our desks how graciously should we deliver Gods errands and you heare them with feare and trembling When a good Minister appeares in the Congregation it is as if an Angel of heaven appeared unto you to speak unto you O what a homely manner doe we come to Churches the Majesty of the Word is not seen nay we may speak it with shame neither by us the speakers nor by you the hearers we do not come to the Word as if an Angel from heaven had spoken it But generally most people see little more then a poore mortall creature in the Pulpit and so they deal with the Word accordingly c. Thus yee have heard the first Doctrine To the Angel of the Church in Sardis write I should now speake of the singular number he does not say To the Angels though there were many Ministers in Sardis yet he speakes to them all as if they were all one From whence we are taught The unity that is between true and right Ministers they are all as one man And then whereas he inscribes the Epistle To the Angel of the Church though he write to all the Church and blames and condemnes all the Church yet he names none but the Angel here we are taught That a Minister shares in the good and in the evill of his Parish if they bee good it is to his praise if they be evill commonly he is guilty of it REVEL 3. 1. And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God c. I Have made an entrance into the words yee have heard the Analysis of the whole Epistle and a short exposition or a paraphrase upon all the verses Unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write This is the inscription or superscription of the letter that Christ would have written to the Ministers and Christians in the town of Sardis Where first yee heard this point of Doctrine That Ministers are as the Angels of God unto their Parishes When God sends his Ministers unto a people it is as if he sent his Angels from heaven unto them But I will not trouble you with any repetitions The next point I foretold you of that ariseth out of these words is this That all the true Ministers of the Church are all one as it were there is or ought to be an unity between them all even as if they were all one Angel Unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write and yet the Town was a great Town and there were many Ministers in it so we may see it was in Ephesus the text sayes that Paul called all the Elders of the Church of Ephesus together and said unto them Take heed unto your selves and to all the flock over the which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers Acts 20. 28. he speakes to the Ministers there as to many and yet S. John is to write to them all as to one Minister Unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write Rev. 2. 1. noting thus much unto us That Ministers should be all as one Minister there should be a sweet harmony and a glorious agreement and consent and unity between them all even as if they were all one Minister so that the doctrine is plain So again John prophecying of John Husse and Jerome of Prague and other godly Ministers in succeeding ages that should mightily strive against the primacy and domineering of the man of sin sayes There followed another Angel saying Babylon is fallen Babylon is fallen Rev. 14. 8. he calls them all one Minister intimating unto us how that they all agree in one I do not mean first that if one Minister be a drunkard that all others should be so too if one be a man-pleaser and a dawber that all others should be so too that if one be an ignorant Sir John all others should be so too every unity is not good there is unity as our Saviour Christ shewes even among the very Devils in Hell For if Satan be divided against Satan how can his Kingdome stand Mat. 12. 26. There is a unity among rogues and theeves Come say they cast in thy lot among us and letus have one purse Pro 1. 14. There was unity among Ahabs foure hundred false Prophets they all hung together in a string Go up and prosper All the Prophets prophesied so 1 Kings 22 12. as the messenger said to Micaiah All the Pophets prophesie good to the King with one mouth let thy word be like theirs be not thou singular be not thou an odde fellow by thy self they all agreed in one There was unity among the Priests that were met together in a Synod for the condemning of Christ they all were in one note That he was worthy to die The Prophet observes that there was unity amongst all the blind watchmen of Judah They are all ignorant sayes he they are all dumb dogges they cannot bark sleeping lying downe loving to slumber they all look to their own way every one for his gain from his quarter Isai 56. 10 11. This is an unity the world is full of nay and hell is full of like the unity of Sodom against Lot the men of Sodom compassed his house round both old and young from every quarter Gen. 19. 4. This is a Devillish unity this is no true unity True unity is in Bono no matter how many are of one mind and of one heart and of one accord if it be not an union in good it is faction and no union as Tertullian told the Marcionites when they brag'd of their Churches forsooth they were the Church saith hee Wasps have their swarms so when wicked Ministers shal cry The Church the Church I say these are swarmes of Wasps I doe not mean such a unity when it is not in good the greater the unity is the lesse union is indeed Secondly I do not mean neither
that Ministers should thus hang together in one that if one be a Boanerges a son of thunder another should be so too For Ministers may be different in different auditories Husband-men sow their seed according to the diversity of their ground the Physician tempers his Physick according to his patients constitution as long as people are of sundry dispositions so certainly the Ministers manner of preaching may be various And therefore I doe not mean such an unity neither that all Preachers should be moulded alike nay the same minister may and must differ from himselfe sometimes come with cordials sometimes with corrasives to sing of mercy and judgment to preach comfort to whom comfort and vengeance to whom vengeance belongs to some hee must give milk to others strong meat Heb. 13. 14. Paul had a rod as well as the spirit of meeknesse Zacharies Pastor was to have two staves the one called Beauty the other cal'd Bands so he was to feed the flock Zach. 11. 7. A Chirurgian hath aking tents as well as suppling oyle The Apostle Paul when he was to deale with Elymas the Sorcerer he set his eyes on him and called him the child of the Devil but when he was to deale with Sergius Paulus he was mild with him Our Saviour Christ preach't the acceptable yeare of the Lord to some and to other some as though he were not the same Preacher he had nothing but woes in his mouth There were two mountains in Canaan there was the blessing on mount Gerizim for some and the cursing on mount Ebal for others Again thirdly we doe not mean that all ministers should be the same in gifts and parts and measure of knowledge and sanctification for that can never bee looked for every Parish can never be provided for alike Starres are of different magnitudes some starres are greater some lesser The Angels are not all of one rank some are ordinary Angels some Arch-angels some are Principalities some are Dominions some are Thrones Coloss 1. 16. and may be those that are meanest so they be godly and sent of God may doe as much good as those that are more excellent nay more convert more awaken more settle more for it is not they that work but God by them who is not tied unto Organs unity is not hindred by disparity Paul calls Epaphraditus who was much inferior to him his brother and companion in labour and fellow souldier Phil. 2. 25. Though Clement were a minister much meaner then he yet he calls him his fellow-labourer Phil. 4. 3. Though Tychicus came never so much short of him yet he terms him his fellow-servant Col. 4. 7. So that there may be unity for all this and a gracious sympathy and agreement betweene ministers though of never so different parts so they be sincere and cordially minded to doe good You will say then What is that unity that must be among ministers I answer 1. They must be all competently endued with ability for the work of the ministery all must agree in this that they be able men in some measure Hee hath made us able Ministers of the new testament 2 Cor. 3. 6. able to preach to the conscience able to doe it with power and might able to divide the word aright able to give every one his portion in due season They are none of Gods ministers that are not able men that are not able to teach and to apply to be the mouth of God unto the people and the mouth of the people unto God that are not able to seek that which was lost to bring again that which is driven away to bind that which is broken to strengthen that which is sick Those that are not able to doe this they are blind guides Idol-shepheards and no ministers Paul sayes that a minister must be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers Tit. 1. 9. Faithfull men able to teach others 2 Tim. 2. 2. This was one of the ends that Christ ascended upon high that he might give gifts unto men for the ministery as one Apostle speakes Eph. 4. 8. and so as it followes He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers All Ministers should agree in this that they be able Secondly they must be all sent of God though a man be never so able yet if he be not sent of God he is not a Minister Private Christians many of them have excellent abilities as the text sayes I am perswaded of you my brethren that ye are full of goodnesse filled with all knowledge able to admonish one another Rom. 15. 14. he speakes of private Christians I say they are able many of them and there is very great use of their abilities too for the good of their families for the good of Christian communion and the like yea it is a shame that privat Christians living under good means of grace doe not grow able to teach When for time yee ought to be teachers yee have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5. 12. Mark he shames privat Christians that doe not grow able to teach But yet this is not enough to make ministers true ministers agree all in this that they are sent of God How shall they preach except they be sent Rom. 10. 15. I have not thrust in my selfe for a Pastor sayes Jeremy They are intruders and not ministers that cannot prove their commission from God as the authour to the Hebrews sayes No man takes this honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron Heb. 5. 4. Christ himselfe alledged this to beare out his ministery He hath sent me to preach deliverance to Captives Woe be to those of whom the Lord shall say I have not sent these Prophets and yet they run It will be sayd to them one day as to the man without a wedding garment Friend how camest thou in hither The want of this is the reason that so many ministers make no more conscience of their duty they make no conscience of taking paines of strict preaching of pressing the word upon peoples hearts of using all manner of means to root out sin in their Parish because they have no dispensation from God committed unto them if their consciences were charged with this it would make them doe otherwise then they doe The want of this is the cause that the ministery of many is impotent they may preach all the dayes of their lives and not one soule turned unto God but themselves and their workes perish together whereas Ministers that are sent make the Devils roare and flesh and bloud chafe their Sermons are links of iron to bind Nobles and Princes and stubborn hearts The want of this is the reason why so many ministers are vile in the peoples eyes people care not a whit for them dare drink and be drunk in their
charge you in the Kings name this is to come with authority Therefore we should not come with the affectation of wit or of reading of fine and filed speaking You wil say What would you have us be foolish in our preaching I answer Never object so for it is the foolishnesse of preaching that saves them which beleeve 1 Cor. 1. 21. as one sayes we must preach Christ crucified in a crucified phrase The world would have gewgawes and garish garnishings and why so because the naked Word is contrary to flesh and bloud like some eyes they must have their silks their cypresses to look upon the Sun by forsooth the Sun beams are too glorious and shining otherwise Pedestris oratio as Jerome speaks a Minister must have a foot-speech and not speak a horseback with trappings and tassels and deckings Though this be foolishnesse unto some yet it is wisdom to them that are of God We speak wisdom to them that are perfect 1 Cor. 2. 6. Mark they that are perfect will accept it to be wisdome it is foolishnesse onely to children and sots and such as are not able to discerne God will have his mercies hidden under homely out-sides that men that will stumble at them may as men hide treasure under straw as the woman of Baharim hid the two Worthies of Israel in a well under a course sack Can gallant preaching make people pluck out their right eyes and deny their own selves and wayes No no when the heart sees it hath to doe with God nothing but this will pull it down away then with our own affections let us labour to come with God into our pulpits that people may see God dealing with them 2. Ministers should agree to preach differencingly to distinguish between the pretious and the vile the clean and the unclean as we must not bruise the broken Reed but deal gently with it so we must not give childrens bread unto dogges Matth. 15. 29. we must not cast our seed into fallow ground but wee must let the fallow ground feele our ploughes tearing we must not fling pearles before swine nor bitter arrowes against Christ his Lambs This were as if we should call for snow in Summer and rain in harvest No no a whip for the Horse and a bridle for the Asse and a rod for the Fools back Prov. 26. 3. If people be like Mules that will not understand we must put in a Bit into their mouthes If people will have their own wayes our word must be fires and hammers and axes and chesils and swords and speares that their bellies may tremble and rottennesse may enter into their bones You will say Why then belike we must have nothing in our mouthes but hell and damnation I answer No nothing but hell and damnation for the naught You will say that will drive them to despaire Why then let it it were well if wee had our people there they must despaire before they come to mercy as Hezekiah sayes O Lord I am oppressed doe thou comfort me or undertake for me Isai 38. 14. People must bee oppressed with our Sermons we must lay load and burdens on their consciences or they will never bee fitted for comforts and Christs undertakings True the servants of the Lord must be gentle unto all men 2 Tim. 2. 24. and suffer the wickednesse of all very patiently praying if at any time the Lord will give them repentance that the Devill may let them goe Nothing but hell and damnation is not good we must not be like James and John that would needs bee calling for fire to come down from heaven to consume the Samaritans no we must be long-suffering but yet we must not let a wicked man live but we must give him his deaths wound by the stab of the Word lest his bloud be required at our hands 3. Ministers should agree in preaching with all their strength constantly and duly not quadragesimall Sermons onely or the like but the Apostle commands Ministers to preach in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4. 2. It is a wicked cavill of some and it is the Devill that doth suggest it It is not good to cloy the people is it not faire to preach once a Sabbath must we have two and a week daye too This is overmuch this is unseasonable that people should trudge and trot to Sermons when they should be at their callings Well bee it so that it is out of season wee must preach out of season too all will be little enough I am sure the Prophet Haggai the word of the Lord came to him twice in one day Hag. 2. 10 20. Austin used constantly to preach twice a day as appears in his 2d Sermon upon the 88. Psalm nay in one place he sayes he preached thrice Doe not wonder my dear brethren si hodie ter sermonem that I have preached three times this one day And he addes this besides that it was not without cause in his 33. Sermon to his brethren in the Wildernesse Nay the ancient Fathers preached every day in the yeare as it is well known to them that are used to read them Chrysostome in his Homilies upon Genesis shewes this almost in the beginning of every Homily And one time perceiving his hearers somwhat few O says he every houre in the day is seasonable for you to heare nay the night is not unseasonable Paul prolonged himselfe unto midnight sayes he Acts 20. I pray did the time hinder him No though he were for a journey the next day yet hee would not think much to break his nights rest Another time preaching by candle-light O sayes he doe you see this same lamp take away the oyle you put out the light even so it is with the gifts of the Spirit the dulnesse of our hearing the littlenesse of our profiting at once our readinesse to decline except we be pricked forward our aptnesse to forget God the commandment of having the word to dwell richly in us the duty of meditating in it day and night do plainly enforce this preaching You will say If Preachers should preach often it would be but prating we cannot preach often soundly I answer it is false for all that I see the ablest Divines have preached the most often as Calvin and Luther and Wickliff and others and Mr. Greenham nay Austin preached extempore that Sermon of his upon the 95. Psalm it seemes that he expected his brother Severus to come and preach for him but his friend failing to come hee preached himself as Dr Don relates the story So Basil also preaching two Sermons upon the works of God that hee made in the six dayes Genes 1. confesses he had no more premeditation then that very morning when he began to preach them Thus many holy men by setting themselves to be instant in Gods harvest time have had such a doore of utterance opened unto them to speak the mystery of Christ that like wise Scribes they could
as occasion was offered bring forth out of their Treasuries new and old Who are they that cry down often preaching whatever colour they would seem to have be such as would cover their own shame by backbiting the diligence of any of their brethren Like the Fox in the Fable that because he wanted a taile himselfe to hide his own filthinesse perswaded the other beasts to cut off theirs too pleading forsooth O it is cumbersome and weighty and ye were better be without but the truth was it was onely to hide his own deformity which were it once in fashion to bee without tails should never be espied A worthy Divine cites an excellent admonition of Hierom to Calphurnius upon the like occasion to this That if he wanted teeth himselfe hee should not bee envious against them which were able to eat Beloved I doe urge an equality of labour upon all but this is most certain that we are bound every one of us to honor the Lord with all our strength and to study the edification and salvation of our peoples souls with all our might It is a shame that ever our people should meet together at Church and wee not take compassion upon them to quicken them with some word of exhortation or other The Evangelists note of our Saviour that when he saw a company about him he had compassion on them and taught them Mar. 6. 34. Whereupon was his Sermon in the mount but because hee saw a company about him Whereupon was that Sermon of our Saviour Matth. 13 It was because there was a company of people before him Certainly if we had compassion on our people we would doe so too If we were not too worldly and dead hearted our selves as we are we would never plead against it Many talk much of the Fathers O the Fathers the Fathers and they doe not love these upstart Divines but it were well they would learn of the Fathers Tertullian sayes there was never any publick meeting in his dayes but before the Congregatiō was dissolved they were fed with a Sermon Nay Babington a reverend Bishop among us That a Minister can no more enter into the Congregation without a Sermon and not be guilty then Aaron could enter into the Congregation at any time without death in case hee sounded not his Bells when he entred I might adde many other particulars concerning the manner of preaching wherein all Ministers should agree but these shall suffice for feare I want time 1. They should preach in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power 2. They should preach differencingly putting a distinction between the pretious and the vile 3. They should preach constantly and to the utmost of their endeavours This is the fourth thing wherein all Ministers should agree Fifthly they should agree in seeking of the Lord for a blessing on their labours they should be earnest with God in the behalfe of the people Alas how else doe they expect to convert any men unto God For when we preach what doe we doe We doe but as Gehezi who brought Elisha's staffe to raise the dead child Poore man he could not raise it for though he had Elisha's staffe he had not Elisha's spirit So my brethren we do but bring our Masters staffe and therefore we should intreat him to send down his Spirit otherwise the dead cannot stand up We trim up a Sermon put we trim it well nevertheles what is this but as the rigging of the sails and what will that doe except the wind blow So we should pray that the wind should blow upon our sails then the ship shall goe indeed as our Saviour Christ sayes The wind bloweth where it listeth Joh. 3. 8. The wind is free When we have preached all that ever we can yet the wind is free whether it will blow or no. The Spirit of God is not tied to blow upon our endeavours that they may have good successe What are Organs without breath What is Pauls planting or Apollos his watering without Gods giving of the increase The Apostle tels us it is just nothing 1 Cor. 3. 7. As a Divine makes the similitude when one heard what admirable victories Scanderbegs sword had wrought he would needs see it and when he saw it sayes he This is but an ordinary sword alas what can this doe Scanderbeg did him word I have sent thee my sword but I have the Arm that did all by it So beloved we have Christs sword but we have not Christs arm and therefore let us pray him that he would together with our preaching reach forth his arm and that will doe our people good without this poore Preachers are we all wee may cut at mens sins but they will never off without him wee may shew people the great things of the Gospel we may invite people to come in to lay hold on eternall life but O for Christs arme and therefore we should study as much how to pray as to preach The want of this is that which marres all May be we preach well but we are not earnest with God to give a blessing we doe not bewail the sins of our people we doe not lay to heart the things that provoke Almighty God wee doe not get into the case wherein God may prove all our pains Sixthly Ministers should all agree in the watching over the souls of men Preaching to and praying for our people is not the whole of a Ministers duty but wee should observe our people watch over them as the Apostle sayes Obey them that have the rule over you submit your selves for they watch for your souls Heb. 12. 17. And indeed how can we preach unto the purpose except we watch them that are committed to our charge as Solomon sayes Be thou diligent to know the estate of thy flockes and look well to thy Herds Pro. 27. 23. This was Pauls course to enquire into the estate of people how it fared with them This was the newes that he asked after his desire was to know how grace went forward in the Ephesians hearts I heare of your faith sayes he Eph. 1. 15. It seems he had been asking of it Thus Epaphras told him of the Colossians estate Thus he learned by some of the house of Chloe the state of the Corinthians Nay all men will enquire and hearken after the health of their friends parents if their children be at the University they will listen after them how they goe on in learning So should the Angels of every Church they should listen what courses are in their Town what sinnes break out what corruptions appeare what proficiency the good ones make who grow who decline who stand at a stay who goe aside and wax worse and worse that they may shape their preaching accordingly that their words be fitted in their mouth that they may apt their rebukes their exhortations their uses answerably For then will their Sermons be like Apples of Gold in Pictures
the secrets of his heart are made manifest and so falling down on his face hee worships God that is the Sermon is made effectuall unto him and turnes his wretched heart But observe now how this comes to passe the Text shewes in the foure and twentieth verse it is by reason of the unity of the Ministers He is convinced of all he is judged of all that is all the Ministers were of one note they all were in one consent one did not preach looser doctrine then another one told him he was a very wretch and another told him hee was a very wretch and a third convinced him hee was a very wretch all had a blow at him O thought he I I I am a very wretch indeed this burst his heart If he could have heard any one of them preach easier doctrine may bee that would have given his conscience some foolish ease and so the man had gone away never the better but when hee was convinced of all and judged of all this strikes him dumb So beloved when a man can goe into no Church but every where hee is met with all the Ministers condemn him all their lives condemn him and all their Sermons condemn him to the pit of hell and he can scramble comfort no where if the man belong to God this is the readiest way to beat him down and subdue his heart On the contrary side when a man is wounded at one Ministers Sermon by and by he drops into another and there hee catches hold of some ease this makes him goe on in his sinnes and to blind his eyes against the truth It is a great stumbling block unto the people this very thing Thirdly as it makes the Ministery more powerfull so it brings more glory unto God As it is said of John the Baptist that when our Saviour did commend him and made the people see that hee was of Johns minde and that he held the same Tenets and that hee would not speak against a tittle that John had delivered but testifyed his unity with him And made it appear what a reverend esteem hee had of him saith hee Hee is a Prophet and more then a Prophet Yee shall see how this brought glory to God The Text saith When the people heard this and the Publicans they justifyed God being baptized with the Baptisme of John Luk. 7. 29. The use of this is first to condemne such as envy their fellow-Ministers and will not bee in the unity of minde and heart and life with them In the most the Proverb is too true Figulus figulo invidet One potter hates another one Tradesman envies anothers custome so one Minister another if there bee a Minister that desires to powre out his soule in the doing of good in the taking of paines in the discharging of his Conscience there are some that will envy such a one their hearts rise up against him nay not onely so but the worst Enemy that Jeremy had was Pashur one of his own Coat Jer. 20. 2. The sorest adversary that Amos had was Amaziah a Priest of Bethel who would never leave heaving at him untill hee had gotten him away Amos 7. 12. and why so because hee would not preach such pleasing Doctrine as hee Forsooth the Land was not able to bear Amos his words hee Preaches as if hee would scare people out of their wits Hee preaches Schismatically and as if hee loved to bee singular The cheif Priests were furious against our Saviour Christ because his Ministery was more blest then theirs was nay they hated him more then Pilate Pilate a very Pagan his Conscience told him hee found no fault in him Why what evill hath hee done Their envy against Christ was so palpable that hee did discover it Hee knew that for envy they had delivered him unto him So when all the Country know in their Consciences that such and such teach the waies of God sincerely set themselves to roote out sin and to save soules nay the very Drunkards you shall hear them say I I hee is a good man Gods blessing on his heart hee tels us our faults wee may doe what wee list for all such and such but hee tells us of our faults and God help us to amend them and when they are sick they would rather have such a Ministers prayers then twenty of other Ministers that will soothe them up and bee haile-fellow with them Whereas there bee many of our own Coat that are implacable against a Minister that labours to bee faithfull How contrary is this unto the Rule The Ministers of God should bee all one and if one bee godly all should bee if one painfull all should bee so if one preach home to the conscience all should doe so they should all live as Brethren What saies our Saviour Christ Yee are the Salt of the Earth but if the Salt hath lost its savour wherewith shall it bee salted it is thenceforth good for nothing but to bee cast out and to bee trodden underfoot of men Matth. 5. 13. That is Salt may season others but if it have lost its savour nothing can salt it A Minister is of an excellent calling appointed to season mens hearts but if hee have lost his savour hee can never truely bee seasoned again nothing can doe him good An evill Minister is a more desperate forlorn man than any else Secondly Another use is that all that are the Ministers of God would bee hence stirred up to be all of one minde all drawing one way all bending our forces to one and the same end the glory of God and the salvation of our people It s a fine comely thing to fee any Brethren in unity Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aarons beard that went down to the skirts of his garments as the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountaines of Zion for there the Lord commended his blessing even life for evermore Psal 133. 1 2 3. I say this is a very comely thing to see any brethren to dwell together in unity it is like the perfume of Aaron that made all his garments fragrant-sweet it is like the dews of Hermon and Zion that made all the ground fruitfull this is that which hath the Lords blessing annexed to it it is an excellent meanes unto eternall life As the Apostle saith If there bee any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies Fullfill yee my joy that yee bee like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one minde Philip. 2. 1 2. if it be so necessary for Brethren to bee united how much more for Brethren in the Ministery of all men Ministers have most reason to bee of one minde because wee are to teach union unto others Besides if
more and more As Solomon saith Where there is no vision the people perish Prov. 29. 18. that is where preaching is defective the people die they are spiritually dead in trespasses and in sins Can a man live without bread or without food no more can people live without constant preaching The Word is the bread of life now when this is not broken unto people they must needs dye Mark how Zachary describes them that are without preaching They are such as fit in darknesse and in the shadow of death Luk. 1. 79. that is they are blinde and ignorant and livelesse dead while they live they are wicked and abominable in the power of Satan under the wrath of God strangers from the life of God such Ministers as doe not preach constantly they are soule-murtherers they are guilty of their peoples blood they doe not give them that which should quicken them up unto eternall life they should quicken them up unto newnesse of life but they doe not they should powre in the words of eternall life into their hearts but they doe not people are naturally dead to Prayer and dead to communion with God and dead to all holinesse they have no heart to purenesse and righteousnesse of walking and such Ministers doe not study to revive them Secondly as a Minister may bee the cause of his peoples deadnesse by his not Preaching so he may be the cause of their deadnesse by his Preaching when the manner of it is dead Preaching may be dead in the manner of it 7 waies First When it is too generall when they preach onely in generall That which wee say is very good for the generall but wee doe not apply our selves to every particular mans Conscience this â—eads peoples hearts Beloved it is particular Preaching that does people good When Nathan told David Thou are the man 2 Sam. 12. 7. this stirred Davids heart When Peter had said to his hearers Yee have crucifyed Christ Act. 2. 36. This prickt them to the heart Generall preaching cannot quicken First because generalls cannot act Actio est singularium as wee say It s onely a particular works Let a man preach home and in particular and this will work on the hearers This made Michah a powerfull Preacher when hee preached particularly to his peoples Conscience Truely I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord and of judgement and of might to declare unto Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin Mich. 3. 8. this made him a powerfull Prophet to quicken up his people because hee told every man his sin and smote every man conscience for his transgression No man is stirred till hee feeles his case laid open till hee sees the Minister beates upon him and hit him till the Minister treads hard upon his toes hee will never cry out Secondly Generall Preaching leaves the Sermon to the people to apply it now the people will never apply it while the world stands Nay David himself would not apply as long as Nathan dealt with him in generall as long as Nathan was speaking of a man in the clouds a rich man that had wronged a poore man Davids heart was as whole as a fish till hee came to Thou art Him Now hee cries out I have sinned Nathan was fain to make application For David would never have done it else Will a truantly Boy ever whip himself the Master may lay the rod before him but except the Master lay it on hee will goe scot-free if hee can The words of the wise are as goods and as nailes fastened by the Masters of Assemblies Eccles 12. 11. Mark the Masters of Assemblies must fasten them into the post lay the nailes by the post it self will never knock them in So though the Sermon bee never so good a naile yet hee must knock it in the people will never doe it The Prophet Jehu must come and say to Jehosaphat Shouldst thou help the ungodly Wrath is upon thee from the Lord 2 Chron. 19. 2. Hee fastened in the naile though Jehosaphat were a good man yet the Prophet knew he would not do it Nay people are so farre from applying the word unto themselves that they will apply it to any body else rather than to themselves the Minister met with such a one to day there was a lesson for him But none will say this was for mee and I am a vile wretch and vengeance hangs over mee unlesse I doe amend and therefore certainly generall Peaching is a dead manner of preaching Thirdly Generall Preaching is confused when Ministers tell people they must repent and beleeve and serve God and bee godly and carry themselves well in all their places and callings When they doe thus in generall this is like as if the trump should give an uncertain sound like the noise in a battle a confused noise as the Prophet speaks Esa 9. 5. Like the confusion in Ephesus Great is Diana of the Ephesians they kept a great stirre Act. 19. 32. the Text saith The assembly was confused and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together so while wee preach onely in the generall Great is the Lord Jesus Christ and wee are great sinners and great is the need of repentance but wee neither tell the people how nor when nor who nor what may bee our Sermons may keep some pudder in mens Consciences but people have no distinct edification they goe away and say O it was a very godly Sermon I pray God give us grace to follow it But no man is the better They heare admirable things about repentance but they are not taught how to goe about it there they are at a losse They remember gracious things about the serving of God and about a good Conscience and the like But they know not how in the earth to set about these things to any purpose if ever wee would quicken our peoples hearts wee must let them see distinctly the will of God concerning them the particular means and helps and signes of it the particular motives and Arguments to it the particular circumstances of it the particular hinderances lets and impediments of doing of it and you can never doe the will of God as long as yee doe thus and thus and this course will break your neck this practise of yours will bee your utter undoing when people heare distinct Preaching this doth them good if any thing will Generall Preaching is like the setting of good Physick before the Patient without giving him directions for the taking of it Fourthly Generall Preaching is deceitfull Est dolus in generalibus as wee say there is deceit in the generalls wee Preach that people must love God and feare him and thank him and they must bee new men and they must leave their sinnes and they must Pray and hear the Word and they must doe every thing to Gods glory Now mark what deceit there is in such preaching as this this is in the generall People goe away and
field and give a slash a generall slash at one Corn of the field as though that would fetch down all the Corn No they apply it to the Corn to reap it down The preaching of a Generall Sermon is but a sickle now except it bee applyed to all the people it is not the way to reap in Gods harvest Preachers are called Christs seed-men The sower went out to sow his seed Luk. 8. 5. Now what does the seeds-man does hee onely bring in a sack of seed and powre it all on a heap in the field does hee think that every spot of ground will draw it unto it self No hee sprinkles it and disperses it abroad that every Lea may have its part Whence comes that foolish conceit that reading is Preaching a tenet which many hold the truth is it comes from hence because Generall preaching is made by most Ministers to serve the turn Now if this were Preaching reading were Preaching indeed But this is no preaching preaching is the opening of the Word of God and the applying of it according as every man hath need The not doing of this leaves poore people in their hardnesse and deadnesse of heart This is the first Generall Preaching is such a manner of preaching as leaves the heart dead Secondly Morall Preaching is a dead manner of preaching When Ministers preach honest matter but doe not goe to the quick they strike at the boughes They preach against Drunkennesse and intemperance and malice and hatred and tale-bearing and lying and covetousnesse and making of shews it is very good to preach against these things and wee must too and let them know they are farre from the Kingdome of God that live in these or any other such lusts But alas this is onely to strike at the boughes If we would awake the Conscience indeed wee must preach deeper then so The axe is laid at the roote of the tree Mat. 3. 10. John the Baptist was a lively Preacher now the Text shews hee did not onely strike at the boughes but hee laid his axe at the roote of the tree When Ministers preach onely good morall matter this kinde of preaching does not quicken First Because Morall preaching does not hit all many are very Morall people that have not one whit of grace in their hearts True this may hit some Paul told Felix of his intemperance and how that there was a day of Judgement to judge all such persons this made him tremble Felix trembled saith the Text Act. 24. 25. I say morall preaching may startle some but it does not startle all Many Heathens have been sober and temperate and true in their speeches and just in their dealings and loving in their carriages and painfull in their callings as Paul saith they have done by Nature the things contained in the Law Now yee know the Heathens are without grace and are not acquainted with God neither have they any communion with God Powre out thy wrath upon the Heathen that know thee not Jer. 10. 25. Mark they have no communion with God they doe not know Jesus Christ nor the mysteries of saving Grace So that a man may bee very finely morall and yet bee without grace Now then if a Minister should content himself with good morall teaching many would goe away and conclude well of their own estates though they have no grace Secondly Morall preaching those that it does hit it does them indeed some good but it does them not the good it never quickens them up unto eternall life it seemeth to civillize their lives and to reforme them a little but it never reneweth them neither does it put them into Jesus Christ Let a Drunkard heare hee is a damned wretch if hee do not give over his drunkennesse if this Sermon hit him what does hee say why then I will bee sober and I will never bee a drunkard more And I can tell you this is very rare too But suppose it bee hee may goe to hell for all this Suppose wee doe make all our people morall which were a fine thing if wee could but grant wee could this does not quicken them together with Christ No no a man must see his vile nature and loathe himself and bee made to deny himselfe to mortifie his carnall reason to put off his corrupt will to feele his cursed condition in himself to bee emptyed of himself that Christ may bee all in all to him that hee may bee led by the Spirit of Christ and guided by the word of Christ that hee may hang onely upon the promises of God in Christ that his minde may bee taken up with Christ and his thoughts and affections daily bee laboured to bee fixed upon the things above none are alive unto God but such Now Morall preaching will never doe this God-forbid I should speak against Morall preaching absolutely or against Morality it self it is a very good thing Who will not commend Abimelech for the integrity of his heart that hee pleaded before God Gen. 20. 5. Yee know how the Lord himself liked of it who will not say but that the young man in the Gospel was a very commendable man that had observed all these from his youth Nay the Text saith That Christ in some sense did love him Mark 10. 21. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar what an excellent thing Morality was O! saith he If thou wilt break off thy sins and bee righteous hee means Morall righteousnesse towards man if thou wilt shew mercy to the poore it may bee God will lengthen thy tranquillity Dan. 4. 27. The Prophet Esay tell the Moabites what a deale of good they might doe to themselves if they would but bee morally honest saith hee Take Counsell execute Judgement hide the outcasts let mine out-casts bee with thee Esa 16. 3. Q. d. If thou wilt bee kinde and loving to my people thou shalt fare the better When the King of Babylon punished the wickednesse of Tyre the Lord rewarded them very richly for it I have given him the Land of Egypt for his labour saith God because he wrought for mee Ezek. 29. 20. Morall goodnesse is commended of God as well as spirituall goodnesse in Jesus Christ Nay it is needfull that Ministers should insist very much in pressing of morall duties and the godly are to bee willing to hear such Sermons to look to just dealing to Civill honesty to justice between man and man How aboundant is the Scripture in urging this Theme it is thought by some there is no Divinity in this and such a Minister is not deep enough and why does hee stand so much upon such things as these which the light of nature calls for But these doe greatly erre the Holy Ghost is carefull to urge such duties as these to bee honest Walk honestly towards them that are without saith the Apostle 1 Thess 4. 12. Let us walk honestly as in the day saith hee Rom. 13. 13. Provide things honest in the sight of all men Rom. 12. 17. Nay
honesty civill honesty between man and man is a sweet thing the Apostle himself brings it among other things as a testimony of his sincerity Wee trust wee have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly Heb. 13. 18. O it is an excellent beauty to a servant of Jesus Christ when his Moralls are sound and exemplary and there cannot bee any thing that will make the profession of Religion odious in the eies of the world then want of Morality when Christians faile palpably in their Moralls May bee such a one thou wilt think comes farre short of thee in grace in the knowledge of good in the beleife of the Truth in a spirituall in-sight into the mystery of Christ O then count it a shame that hee should goe before thee in the keeping of his Word There cannot be a greater dis-honour unto God than when a naturall man shall bee able to accuse thee of any dis-honesty in any kinde The Spirit of God sets it down as a great shame upon Sarah that Abimelech a Heathen man should be able to reprove her Thus was shee reproved saith the Text Gen. 20. 16. When Jacob perceived that his sonnes had sinned against morall honesty there in the matter of Shechem O saith hee yee have made mee to stink among the Inhabitants of the land Gen. 34. 30. Yee have troubled mee saith hee it was a great griefe of heart to the good man hee knew this would bee a great dis-honour to God as well as a shame unto himselfe and therefore God forbid I should speak against a Ministers speaking for morality Yet Beloved this know that this is not enough a man may professe the name of Christ and thinke verily that hee Beleeves in Iesus Christ and be a very admirable morall man and yet never quickned up to the grace of life Saint Paul shewes this plainly in himself I might have confidence in the flesh if any other man might trust to that I might be circumcised the eighth day of the stocke of Jesse of the Tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the Law a Pharisee Phil. 3. 4 5 6 9. if any fine-carriaged man under heaven could hope he is right I could before my conversion I was admitted into the Congregation of Christ by the Sacrament of Circumcision I was borne in the true Church of God I had godly Parents I was of the Common-wealth of Israel Nay I was a Pharisee which was so admirable a strict order that after his conversion he was not ashamed to be still called a Pharisee I am a Pharisee and the sonne of a Pharisee sayes he Act. 23. 6. He cals himself a Pharisee still Nay he was zealous and concerning the righteousnesse of the Law he was a very blamelesse man so that if any faire cariaged man under Heaven were right hee was right But the truth is S. Paul Confesses that when God came to opon his eyes he finde that he was a dead man a vile wretch he shews he had gone sheere to hell for all this if God had not converted him So that morality is a poore thing And yet people makes it their Idoll and trust to it and thinke certainely they are the children of God certainly they shall have mercy certainly they shall to heaven And how many Ministers make this to be true Religion and preach nothing but this This then is another way whereby Ministers doe leave a dead Congregation by morall preaching Thirdly A flat preaching is when there is no keennesse in our Sermons when we do not strive to stagger mens consciences that are to be staggered When a man goes on in a track Preaches true doctrine though it were to be wished that more Ministers would do thus This does not hunt the heart out of its owne starting holes this Ministery leaves people dead It is said of our Saviour Christ that the people were astonisht at his Doctrine Matt. 7. 28. he stun'd their consciences he set them at a stand so if a Minister would quicken hee should labour to set the wicked at a stun Yee know every wicked one gets somewhat or other to hang on to hope they shall not be damned for all they are no better Now when a Minister sets himselfe to put his hearers to a stun still to startle truth in an astonishing manner that may flash the bare truth into the soule and to make them see their bad estates this is quickning preaching But when a mans Ministery is cold there is nothing to stun the heart their heart may have its starting holes for all it his Ministery does not labour to meet with them this leaves people dead a Minister that still goes on in a track can never looke to quicken First Because a good Minister must make Conscience to bring out new things as our Saviour Christ speakes The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto an Housholder that bringeth out of his treasure things new and old Mat. 13. 52. that is though he bring none but the old things that were brought before Yet still he brings them forth as new He labours to keepe the Word stil new unto the heart the reason is this when people have once been convinced of the truth presently it growes stale to them and so they are subject not to be quickned by it at all O this we knew before and so the heart makes little or nothing of it I knew this before Now when the Ministery of the Word darts it in a-new and makes it looke still with a fresh looke upon the Conscience this is a quickning Ministery Like a man that keeps his Barrell still fresh when a man gives the drinker still fresh from the Barrell so when a Minister preaches still fresh from the Word But when a Minister does not do thus he is like a man that gives one liquor that hath stood a great while in the Cup it growes dead Secondly Because a good Minister must goe further and further or else he cannot quicken My meaning is this the more people are convinced by the Word the more subtleties still the heart does devise the more word is in the Conscience the more wiles the heart mints the Devill also prompting thereunto so that if a Minister doe not follow mens hearts still further and further this will leave the people dead The reason is this Because when the heart hath once invented a wile to maintaine its owne hopes for all the same truth we may preach the truth all the dayes of our life it will never quicken that mans heart because still when he heares that truth he hath a wile lying by him that still defends himself from it so that there is a necessity for a Minister to go further and further The Word of God is a deepe mine there is no Bottome a man may still dig deeper and deeper Thy judgements are a great deepe Psal 36. 6. When the Minister besieges the heart he is to dig round
about it and dig deeper and deeper Still as the heart beares it selfe he is to come with more and more supplies out of the Word against it It is a strange thing to see how deepe Ministers have gone and yet people arme themselves against the Word of God and are not converted by it Tell them they must be new Creatures they confesse it and though they be none yet they have many faire colours to hope they are Tell them of Communion with God and fellowship with his sonne Iesus Christ and Heavenly-mindednesse and hatred of all sin love to universall obedience plucking out their right eyes looking at the Glory of God not to trust in their performances to go out of themselves People make a shift to have something to answer all All these things they hope they have done in some measure Now when Ministers goe on and on and do not goe further and further this leaves such people dead It is said of a Preacher that is wise that he still teaches the people knowledge Because the Preacher was wise he still taught the people knowledge Eccles 12. 9. That is people could never come to him but still hee made them know more and more You will say how can a Preacher doe thus I Answer if a Preacher bee well studied in his own heart and in the Book of God this will help him to doe it For still as hee sees further into his own heart still hee will see further into the Word of God and let out more and more light It is said of Christs Ministery That in it the light did spring up Matth. 4. 16. So this is a true Ministery indeed when the light springs up in it Yee know in a Spring the water springeth up more and more now when a Minister goes on in a track and does not doe thus this is a deading Ministery This is the third thing Flat Preaching leaves people dead Fourthly Cold Preaching too when a Minister preaches coldly when the Word floweth coldly from his mouth When a man hides the affectionatenesse of the Word from the people by the coldnesse of his uttering of it Beloved the Word is full of affections what a deale of affection is there in all the Truthes of the Gospel they are all steept in the warm blood of the Son of God there is affection in the promises they proceed from the tender bowels of God Affection in the threatnings they all issue from the infinite wrath of God against sin The Word of God is as fire Jer. 23. 29. Now when a Minister shall preach the Word coldly hee preaches the Word otherwise then it is Hee does as much as in him lies to hide the affectionatenesse of the Word from the peoples hearts Suppose the Town were all on fire would yee not count the man a ridiculous man that should come to us and tell us a cold story Sirs let mee tell you a thing there is a great fire in the Town and I verily think it may burn all the Town and you should doe well to goe and quench it This man tells us so indeed but would not you count him a fool for telling us such a thing in a cold carelesse manner as if it were a small matter Nature teacheth us another course in such a case Fire fire help O help for the Lords sake water water in all haste Alas alas wee are undone quickly quickly run for ladders run for buckets run for wet cloathes ah you lazie villaine run apace for iron hooks and the like Thus nature teaches to deliver such a truth that does so neerly concern us affectionately So it is here Brethren what weighty things does the Word contain Truths that our very bowels should yern and wee should powre out our affections in the Pulpit that wee may shew by our delivery what they are Now when this is not done this deads peoples hearts They fit as quiet at a Sermon though they heare of matters of life and death eternall life salvation and damnation Yet they sit like blocks in their seats as though it were no great matter Why they hear one standing in the Pulpit as though hee were saying his lesson wicked people will not beleeve they are going to hell though wee tell them they will not beleeve the waies of Jesus Christ are so good as they are though wee tell them It is a pretty story of Demosthenes when one told him that hee was beaten and mis-used by such a man it seemes hee told it very dreamingly and coldly shewing no affection at all Why saith Demosthenes hath hee beaten thee I doe not beleeve it No saith the man and so the man was as it were in a great passion I am sure thus and thus hee did to mee and doe not you call this beating Nay saith Demosthenes now I beleeve hee hath beaten thee indeed Now you speak as yee had been beaten as yee say So when a Minister preaches unto people in a dreaming manner though the things bee never so weighty yet they will not beleeve them He saith in a cold manner that Drunkards are in a bad case and such and such persons are in a sad condition and saith yee must repent or you will all perish But people heare him speak so frigidly of these things that they will not enter into their hearts If these things were preached as they should bee it would make people quake It is said of our Saviour That when hee was teaching the Disciples hearts burned within them Luk. 24. 32. Did not our hearts burn within us when c. Keckerman makes that to bee the meaning of St. Matthew where hee saith that our Saviour Taught with Authority and not as the Scribes that is saith hee hee did not preach coldly but with life and zeale and this went with Authority Now the manner of Preaching is cold two waies and so dead First When it flowes not from the heart for then it is unlikely that ever it will goe unto the heart Pectus facit esse disertos The heart is the best Oratory as Paul saith What doe you weeping and breaking my heart Act. 21. 13. they spake so heartily and affectionately and meltingly to him this burst his very heart In the 17 of Acts the 16 verse it is said Pauls spirit was stirred in him to see all Athens given to Idolatry Hee was inwardly moved in his own heart in his preaching unto them Now if you look into the 34 verse of that Chapter how this quickned some there Dionysius and Damaris and some others cleaved unto him that is hee preached so movingly that he made their very soules cleave unto him Why hee spake from his heart There bee many clamorous Preachers saith Galvin who declame against the sinnes of the people and thunder against them make as though they had a great deale of zeale and yet never move a jot because themselves have a dead heart and a secure heart the people see through their actings that they
mis-givings self-condēnings uncertainties about his later end doubtfulnesse whether any thing be sound yea or no and yet no heart of prayer no strainings after Christ to have the Holy Spirit of him Nay tittle tattle is preferred before comming about Christ and every idle busines more takes up our thoughts then how we may injoy Jesus Christ Thirdly where is the man well-neer that is holy some indeed are civill and not very many no not of them that would bee held for Professers For what Civility Honesty is there when people are palpably proud and palpably covetous and palpably malicious and spightfull and envious but put case many be Civill yet holinesse is hardly any where to be seene Where are any that are mortified unto sin Crucified to the world Pilgrims on earth Heavenly-minded taken up with God The Spirit indeed is a Spirit of Holinesse Rom. 1. 4. And Christ hath him to give but hee cannot have our custome We are not thirstie after such matters Fourthly Where is the Communion of Saints a Theme I spake of the last Sabbath day We are all like unto Ephraim Ephraim hath mixed himself among the people Hos 7. 8. that is they had no Communion of Saints there among them They were a mish-mash people there was a Chaos and a confusion and a medly among them If there be any that beare the name of Saints They are like Lambs feeding all alone in a large place Like Israel when they are scatterd Hos 4. 16. Lambes withour flockes Birds without mates As if they were all frighted asunder No Communion of Saints no Communion of graces nor duties nor hearts nor affections I confesse if we had the Holy Spirit of God we would make a communion among us As Paul sayes The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen 2 Cor. 13. 14. He would make a Commuinon among us and Christ hath him too and there we might have him but we care not for him which is a most fearefull thing a signe of horrible deadnesse and livelesnesse in good as it is with the boughes of a tree when they are dead they fall off but they hang together as long as they are alive Though communion of Saints be an Article of our faith yet we let it dye We see in nature if we sling any meat to a Hen presently shee cluckes for all her Chickens to have part So looke what graces we get we should impart what we can the Lord hath appointed mutualgiving good example unto one another edifying one another exhorting one another admonishing one another comforting one another conferring one with another supplicating one with and for another As it is said Luke 5. 10. That Simon and James and Iohn were partners in their fishing looke what fishes they caught they divided among one another so Christians should be partners What they get at a Sermon they are to impart What they get in prayer or at Sacraments or in affliction there be others that should be partners with them as the Apostle sayes Looke not every man on his owne things but every man also on the things of others Phil. 2. 4. O sayes he if there be any fellow-ship of the Spirit thus it must be that is the Spirit would breed this fellowship and communion among you Now Beloved where is this holy Spirit to be had but in Christ I say wee are without excuse if we doe not get the Holy Spirit of God Because Christ hath him for us if we would resort to him and therefore wee can have no plea. First Wee cannot plead wee have no need of the holy Spirit of God what need wee have him as long as wee beleeve there is such a one Is it needfull wee should have him I that it is why else did God make his Son to bee the dispenser and the distributer and communicater of him O Beloved the Lord hath done this because wee cannot bee saved without the holy Spirit of God would wee bee regenerated and born again wee cannot without the Spirit That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Joh. 3. 6. Wee can never bee spirituall without the Spirit of God none but spirituall men and women shall enter into the Kingdome of God Drunkards and adulterers and lyers and muck-worms and better men than they are carnall men Now to bee carnally minded is death but to bee spiritually minded this onely is life and peace so that wee cannot plead that Again Wee cannot bee justified without the Spirit of God Yee may say O wee hope to bee justified onely by Faith in Christ True but if yee have not the Spirit of God yee have no Faith none have true faith in Christ till first they have the holy Spirit of God and therefore it is called the spirit of Faith that is a spirit inclining a man unto Christ bowing of the minde and heart and soule to all heavenly things in Christ no man can bee justified without this as Paul tells the Corinthians But yee are sanctified yee are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 6. 11. Again Yee cannot have free-will to doe the will of God without the holy Spirit of God I confesse by nature no man hath free-will I but if yee bee not more then nature yee cannot bee saved Yee must have free-will to all the waies of God or yee cannot bee saved Now yee never can have this without the Spirit of God Can yee mortifie every wicked lust can yee resist the devill every day can yee keep out the world and ward off the temptations of the flesh yee can never doe it while the world stands in a holy course without the holy Spirit of God Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. Mark there is free-will to all these things that man hath liberty to doe supernaturall things that hath the Spirit of the Lord and no man else Again Yee are none of Christs if yee have not the holy Spirit of Christ that is the Mark hee brands all his sheep with as a man saies when hee heares tydings of any of his sheep saith hee if they bee mine they have such a mark they have an A. and a B. on the left side or so so saies Christ if they bee mine they have my Spirit if any man have not the Spirit of Christ hee is none of his Rom. 8. 9. Hereby wee know that hee abideth in us saith John by his Spirit which hee hath given us 1 Joh. 3. 24. so that wee have need of the spirit and therefore this cannot bee our plea that wee have no need wee have such need of Gods holy Spirit that wee cannot bee saved without the having of him Secondly wee cannot plead wee know not where to have him For Christ saith hee hath him to give to all that will receive him The Spirit of the Lord
unto the Angell 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 These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres THese words contain the Description of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom this Epistle is sent unto the Church in Sardis and in particular to the Minister there who is here called the Angell of the Church in that place And the description does instance in two royalties of our Saviour Jesus Christ First That hee hath the seven Spirits of God that is he hath the Holy Ghost and all his spirituall graces in his hands to give to whomsoever hee pleases for the quickning of them and the sanctifying of them that if any of his members want spirit or any spirituall good hee hath it for them These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God This wee handled the last day Now wee proceed to the second Royalty of our Lord Jesus Christ That hee hath the seven Starres hee speaks of the seven Churches of Asia Christ hath all their Ministers in his hands and hee calls them starres First because the starres doe direct It s a great help when Mariners can see a starre in a dark night When Paul and they that sailed with him could see neither Sun nor Starre the company were without all hope of comming safe to Land Act. 27. 20. they knew not what to doe when there was not a starre to bee seen The starres serve for direction in the night So good Ministers are for direction unto people they serve to direct people to Christ Like the starre in the East When the Wisemen saw the starre they rejoyced with exceeding great joy Matth. 2. 10. that starre directed them to Christ it went before them all the way and shewed them where to finde Christ so a poore soule rejoyces to finde a godly Minister O thinks hee he is a starre to direct mee to Christ Secondly Because the starres doe shine so good Ministers doe shine forth and hold out a light to give light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death Yee are the light of the world sayes Christ Matth. 5. 14. when a man sits in a dark house hee cannot see to doe any thing but if one come and open a window or a casement and letteth in light now hee may see to goe about his businesse so Beloved people that dwell in dark Parishes where no sound Ministery of the Word is they know not what to doe to bee saved they erre they wander they grope they stumble and fall they see not how to bee godly and happy for evermore But when a faithfull Minister comes now light is let in and those that have a minde to goe to Heaven now they may see the way thither so that in this sense too Ministers are starres Thirdly Because starres have influence upon these inferiours bodies as God sayes of the Pleiades and Orion which are a company of starres in the heavenly Orbe Canst thou binde the sweet influences of the Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion Job 38. 31. the starres have influences into things here below The Pleiades open the earth they make herbes and flowres grow the spring is when they arise once Trees begin to sprout and the plants do waxe green Orion it produces cold the Winter comes when that shews it self the starres have a great influence into sublunary bodies so it is with Ministers Bad Ministers are like the starres of Orion they serve to coole peoples hearts and dead them to all goodnesse But good Ministers are as the starres of Pleiades no soule can have any minde in him to that which is good but they doe exceedingly help and further they quicken the heart they warme and fructisie the soules of Gods Elect. Againe the Starres doe hang high so the Ministers of Christ are set high they hang high that all the people may have the benefit of their glistering Zachany calls them the Prophets of the most High And thou childe shalt bee called the Prophet of the most High Luk. 1. 76. But I have handled this Point in effect when I spake of Ministers being Angels and therefore I will omit it now Thus yee see the Ministers are starres Now hee calls them seven because hee speaks of seven Congregations Ephesus Smyrna Pergamos Thyatira Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicea Seven Churches seven Congregations and every one had their severall stars Whence wee see that every Parish should have a particular faithfull Minister Paul appointed Titus to ordain Elders in every City Tit. 1. 5. The Apostles ordained Pastours and Elders in every Church Act. 14. 23. So it was in the time of the Law as the Text sayes Moses of old time hath in every City them that Preach being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day Act. 15. 21. The Reason is first because those Towns that have not a faithfull Ministery in it generally doe all perish I doe not deny but some soules in such blinde places may come otherwise to bee converted and saved but generally they perish for ever that live in such places as the Evangelist sayes of Galile True they had sorry Priests but they had not a faithfull Ministery sayes hee The people sate there in the region and shadow of death Matth. 4. 16. that is till they had a better Ministery they were in a damnable estate So that it is a pitifull thing when any Town or Parish are without a faithfull Ministery no starre of Heaven shining among them Secondly because when people have no faithfull Minister of their own generally they care not for removing of their dwelling neither will they goe a mile or two for the meanes they content themselves with what fare they have at home though it starve them to death Like the people under the false Prophets they liked them well enough My people love to have it so Jer. 5. 31. Nay they love such prophets better than them that would deale plainly with them Nay there bee many that when they have a faithfull Minister at home will bee sneaking out to a drunken Minister abroad they would rather live under such a one Thirdly Another Reason why every Church should have its particular Starre every congregation had need of a faithfull Ministery of their own Because if there be any godly Soule or any one that desires the salvation of his Soule and lives under a blinde guide hee cannot goe out without giving very great offence it will bee thought a giddinesse and a flighting of their own Minister at home now if every Parish had a sound Ministery in it this would not bee When people came out of every Parish round about unto John they had no Pastour of their own but they came flocking unto John no question but this bred heart-burning against John I and ill-will against those
people that would not bee satisfied with what teaching they had in their own Synagogues Now I say if every Parish had its severall shining Starre this would not bee Fourthly When some Parishes have their Starres and many have not This casts in a bone of discord between Ministers for they that are idle and vain and scandalous will envy them that spend themselves in giving light Again the people of such Parishes have many times occasion of conversing together and falling into one anothers company Now how will this harden one anothers hearts when people shall say Gods blessing on our Ministers heart hee does not meddle or make with us wee may doe what wee will for all him who would dwell in such a Parish as yours is wee hear hee keeps a horrible stirre with you hee will not let you alone you cannot bee merry now and then but you are sure to heare of it hee is so strict forsooth and so precise you must have preaching forenoon and afternoon and there is such adoe to get precise Constables that you cannot bee quiet What a wofull thing is this how does this harden the Countries hearts The Use of this is first this shews what a miserable thing it is when a Land is darkened that hath but a few starres May bee here one and there one but most places are in darknesse and have none Beloved this is a sign of the wrath of God God is wroth with such a Land and powres his wrath upon such a people as the Prophet sayes Through the wrath of the Lord of Hoasts is the Land darkned Esa 9. 19. Again secondly you that have your stars shining among you how are you to blesse God when there are so many places in the world that have none Suppose the Harvest should bee comming and the earth hath great need of rain to plump up the eares the Corn is quite spoyled for want of rain if it doe not rain Alas our Corn will bee burnt up and prove little worth Now if God should rain upon your fields and not upon your Neighbours Your Closes and Leizes have raine but on the other side of the hedge there is none What a speciall mercy is this unto you As God sayes I have caused it to rain upon one City and caused it not to rain upon another one piece was rained upon and the piece whereupon it rained not withered Amos 4. 7. is not this a great mercy to the owner of that ground where the rain falls and does not fall else-where so my Brethren you that have the spirituall rain in your particular parishes what a mercy of God is it unto you when so many Parishes have not one drop of it Again thirdly let us take heed lest those few starres that yet bee set upon us and so wee bee all in darknesse wee have a little rain yet here and there some O let us repent and be more forward to bring forth more fruit if wee continue to provoke God with our unfruitfulnesse as wee doe that little shall be taken away from you When Gods Vineyard in Judah became barren and brought forth no grapes but wild ones What sayes God I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it Esa 5. 6. q. d. I will take away all the rainy clouds yee shall have clouds still but they shall be clouds without rain starres without light and heat Ministers that shall doe you no good this is a fearfull case and yet God will bring it upon us for a certain if wee doe not take heed There be six signs of all the starres vanishing away that God will take away those few starres those few godly Ministers away that are left First when people will not walk in the light while they have the light As our Saviour Christ sayes Yet a little while is the light with you walk while yee have the light lest darknesse come upon you Joh. 12. 35. q. d. yee have the light a little while the Lord lets you have it hee lets it stay with you a little while longer but if ye will not walk in the light the light shall bee gone and yee shall bee in darknesse this is an evident signe that the light will surely away from us what a deale of light is yet held before our faces and scarce any have a heart to walk in it When servants are idle and will not mend their cloathes in the day time at spare houres why should the Master allow them any candle so we have a day among us and people will not bestirre themselves they goe all rent and tottered in their garments they care not for doing of their businesse therefore the Lord will allow them no candle he will put out all the lights Secondly when people grow deader and deader when they forsake their first love they were once more earnest for heaven more tender in Conscience more eager for good things more lively in Prayer more zealous in holy duties but now they abate and slacken they are told of it and yet they doe not amend when it is once come to this passe the Lord will remove the faithfull Ministery of his Word To what end should he let it stay any longer as Christ sayes to Hphesus Remember from whence thou art falne and repent and doe the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candle-stick out of its place except thou repent Rev. 2. 5. this is another signe of the Ministeries departing away from us Candle and candle-stick will away for wee will not amend Wee have been told of our formality we have heard whole Sermons against our luke warmnesse and against our declinings and yet nothing wil fetch us up again Wee will not think soundly from whence wee are falne we will not bee perswaded to doe our first works our hearts are grown senselesse and nothing can pluck them up therefore how can wee hope but our candlestick will bee removed and quickly too Thirdly when people wax weary of Gods Ordinances they are even cloyed with them like the Israelites there in Amos when will the New Moon bee gone that wee may fell corn when will the Sabbath bee over that wee may set forth Wheat Amos 8. 5. q. d. here is such adoe with Lectures and Sermons wee can hardly have time for our Markets such adoe with the Sabbath it is so tedious so irksome wee are not able to hold out Prayers in the Family come so fast about and duties come so thick wee have hardly any space for our other businesses Ministers require so much of us Sermons are so strict Sacrifices are so often we can have no breathing thus people are cloyed they are full fed they care not much if they had lesse nay some will not stick to say it and others that in their hypocrisie will not say it yet they have no stomack no appetite there is so much Word that they are not able to
Embassadors of Peace to treat with him of Peace as Theseus said once Goe sayes hee and tell Creon Theseus offers thee a gracious offer Yet I am pleased to bee friends if thou wilt submit This is my first message But if this offer prevaile not look for me to be up in Armes So Beloved Gods offers of peace have been made already again and again and they have been rejected Now his Embassadors must cry Armes Blood and fire and pillars of smoak At the first God dealt with us as Tullus with his Enemies Quae verbis componere potuit armis non decrevit as long as hee could reconcile them with his word they should not have his blows So the Lord hath dealt with us at the first he perswaded us with the promises of his Word now seeing no more can be gotten in that way hee will have his Ministers lay the axe at the rootes to hew down and to destroy and to slay people with the sword of his lips Doe not wonder when we preach hell and damnation to all rebellious soules You will say here is nothing but judgement Preachers send us all to the devill they preach as if they would drive us to despaire they should put in except wee repent I Answer it is enough now to understand it when the Gospel hath been a long time in a place Gods Embassadors must hold out the black flagge when Tamberlane had hung out his White flagge and that would not doe and his Red flagge and that would not doe neither then he hung out his Black flagge Now look for no mercy So Christs Embassadours should doe When Paul knew that the Gospel was contemned in Corinth the white and red flagge had ceased to doe good You see how hee hung out his black one Know yee not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Bee not deceived No idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor railers nor covetous shall ever inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. He does not put in now except yee repent no no now look for no mercy So the Apostle John The fearfull and unbeleevers and whoremongers and lyers shall be cast into the Lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Rev. 21. 8. hee does not put in except ye repent if we should bee ever putting in except yee repent and concluding with mercy upon condition of repentance what would hard-hearted people say O wee had a terrible Sermon to day but the Preacher gave us comfort in the closure he had a sweet bit at the last and thus they heale all again Nay when people grow once to be stubborn then Prophets have been so farre from putting in except yee repent or any other tearm of mercy that they used to meet with the peoples presumption of repentance So Jeremiah and Ezekiel and others they threaten destruction to the wicked and they adde this above all though they cry for mercy nay though they fast and could get Noah and Samuel and Job and Daniel to pray for them yet they shall have no mercy q. d. ye think to avoid these judgements by repenting another day no no when yee cry for mercy yee shall not have it When a Nation or a Parish or any people grow perverse and have rejected the sweet tenders of mercy Gods Embassadors are to look upon such wretches as rebels no indenting with them more no tearms of peace more as the Law sayes with Pirates and Traytors and Rebels the Law of Armes is not to bee observed as Baldus speaks they have broken the league as Florus speaks when Spartacus the Rebell desired an Embassage of peace hee would faine have Crassus contract a league with him Crassus scorned the motion when Talfarinas that egregious Robber and Traytour sent an Embassador with treaty of Peace to Tiberius the Emperour Tiberius took it with indignation that hee should bee so sawey with him No Embassage of peace is to be made with rebellious wretches wee need not put in except yee repent when we are to deal with such No no when ye grow once to despise reproof see you to that True if yee doe repent who knows what God will doe Though Crassus would not parlee with Spartacus about peace yet when hee did repent indeed hee received him to mercy So will God doe with you But in the mean time know that the God of Heaven is at defiance with you and all the curses in his Book are directed against the face of you Yee have played the deaf Adder against the gracious tenders of mercy from day to day and therefore see your damned condition The Embassadors of Christ have not one tittle of mercy of you if we could see you melt and cry out and down on your knees and your hearts turn and your spirits sink down before God then wee might say something unto you therefore Brethren if the Ministers of the Gospel doe daily preach more and more judgement doe not think much they ought so to doe Sixtly and Lastly one Use to you that feare God and beleeve his Embassadors and are besought by them Let me say to you as the Prophet Isaiah said Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his servants that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Esa 50. 10. that is bee of good comfort though all the world and all the devills in hell bee against you yet bee of good cheare what although yee meet with never so many temptations and feares such a fogge of them that ye can see no light yet it shall assuredly goe well with you Though others have not come in at the preaching of the Word ye have Howbeit others will not reform will not see the Lords hand lifted up they will not acknowledge their sins and sinfull doings and damned case yet ye have Yee have seen it and felt it and run to the throne of Grace and have sought the Lord according as Gods Embassadors have directed you out of his Word yee have feared God and obeyed the voyce of his servants though others make a mock of such as will be ruled by Preaers tush they shall not curb mee sayes one and they shall not controll mee sayes another What does hee think to lead mee in a string Yet yee doe fear God and yee dare not stand out against the preaching of his servants yee desire that yee may ever practise their Word and lead your lives according to it what ever others doe Bee of good chear sayes the Prophet The Lord is your God and doe yee stay your selves on him the Doctrine that God hath sent unto you by the Ministery of his servants is the only Doctrine of Salvation and therein yee shall finde eternall life Revel 3. 1. These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres THese words are the Subscription of the Letter unto the Angell
of abilities to move the affections of their hearers not only to informe their judgements but also to work upon their affections not onely to illighten their understanding but also to stirre up their hearts as Peter sayes I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle to stirre you up 2 Pet. 1. 13. a Minister is to stirre up his people to stirre their hearts and affections hee may preach a wholsome Sermon and the hearers bee like Mill-posts and not stirred a jot Paul laboured to stirre affections too Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5. 11. that is wee labour to work upon your affections and therefore Christ sent a Seraphim with a live coale unto the Prophet Isaiah to touch his lips Esa 6. 6. he had need of live coales in his lips to fire the affections of his auditory So hee sent the Holy Ghost down upon his Apostles in fiery tongues without this the information of the judgement is little worth Religion consists more in the will and the affections of men then in any other faculty of the soule I confesse the Minister must shine too I but he must heat too John the Baptist was a burning and a shining light Fifthly To speak Pro re natâ a Minister hath need of extemporary abilities sometimes hee shall bee called before Councills hee preaches such doctrine as angers the world and therefore he is in danger to be had before Councills and therefore hee had need to have an extemporary faculty that he may answer as hee sees cause as Christ sayes When they deliver you up take no thought how or what yee shall speak for it shall bee given you in that same houre what yee shall speak Matth. 10. 19. sometimes to preach upon short warning as Augustine did when hee relyed upon his Brother Severus to Preach for him hee not comming hee was faine to goe up extempore himself and so hee preacht upon the 95 Psalme So when there was a suddain judgement of God that fell out there in Hippo though Augustine had preacht twice that very day before yet he went up again and preached the third time O sayes hee doe not wonder my deare Brethren Si hodie ter Sermonem c. doe not wonder that I preach thrice this same time it is not without cause c. Again a Minister may be put upon it as Philip was by the Eunuch concerning the meaning of a place of Scripture to speake of it at first sight a Minister must not only have this knowledge in his note-book but in his lips that is to be in a readinesse upon every occasion His lips must preserve knowledge Mal. 2. 7. Sometimes he may come among his people he may light upon their company by chance now if he have not good abilities he cannot doe the part of a Minister As Paul sayes I long to see you to impart unto you some spirituall gift Rom. 1. 11. A Minister when he sees his people he should be a well-stored man to impart some spirituall thing or other to them a word of instruction a word of exhortation a word of admonition when he does but see them he should be able to drop something among them Sixtly to observe seasons to be able to make choice of speciall Texts for speciall occasions For howsoever all Scriptures are full of divine and Heavenly truths yet some Scriptures sit some persons and some occasions better than othersome Aarons bells must be wisely rung sometimes in one tune sometimes in another as the occasion serves A Minister is to change his note as the circumstances do require A Steward in a family must have aswell wisedome to Minister every owne his portion in due season as fidelity to dispence his Masters goods A word fitly spoken in due time is like Apples of Gold in pictures of Silver Pro. 25. 11. The very Heathen man Commends much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When a man speakes in due season S. Paul had this gift in all his preaching to ponder all circumstances who and what and where when how I made my self a servant unto all saies he that I might gain the more To the Jewes I became as a Jew that I might gain the Jewes to them that are under he Law as under the Law that I might gaine them that are under the Law To the weak I became as weake that I might gain the weak I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some 1 Cor. 9. 22. To Beloved we are the ministers of God and we have need of abilities to fit our doctrine to the present time and occasions and persons that we may profit hearers When the Apostle came to Athens he tooke his Text according to the present hint He found an Altar with this inscription To the unknown God and so he spake of that Act. 17. 23 24. He tooke occasion from thence to speake of the God of Heaven and Earth to them When our Saviour Christ saw the woman of Samaria come to draw water hee tooke opportunitie to preach unto her of the living water Joh. 4. 10. Ministeriall gifts are for this very purpose as the Prophet sayes The Lord hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speake a word in season Isa 50. 4. It is noted of John Baptist that when he saw the Scribes and Pharises came in to heare him he had about with them O generation of Vipers who hath forewarned you to slie from the wrath to come q. d. What do you make here yee are Hypocrites ye are vile wretched persons repent or else you 'l to hell This was now in due season So when a Drunkard comes in we should let fly at him Weepe and howle yee drunkards See what God saies of you to whom is wo but to you See what the Scripture sayes of your courses yee shall never inherit Gods Kingdome none of you as the Apostle speaks So when Whoremongers step in we should give them their doome O ye Whoremongers Adulterers God will judge you one day This is like the former and the latter Raine Then it comes when the ground hath need of it So when a Minister observes seasons then the word comes when the soule hath need of it It comes pat as we say Then people may see a speciall providence in it I see a speciall providence of God that the Minister should speak of such a Theme this day that he should hit so right upon my sin when a man hath beene cozening then to come to Church and there heare of it againe When a man hath beene swearing and lying then to turne in to the preacher and heare of that very sinne and the danger of it and the damned estate of the commit of it When a man hath beene thinking to do evill then to sit in his seat and heare his evill ript up and all his secrets laid open and wo
to you wretch that devise evill the Lord knowes your devilish intentions ye are thinking to be revenged but God will be revenged on you ye are minding to go by-and-by to such a piece of villany but the Lord will find you out This is preaching in season So when a soule cannot be cast downe but when he comes to a Sermon there he meets with his owne case his temptations are treated of wine and oyle is powred into his wounds this is to preach in due season O what gifts had a Minister need to have He had need of daily inflvence from God Daily instincts that God should guide his tongue and his heart Now Beloved it is Christ alone that gifts all his true Ministers I will be with thy mouth saies he to Moses The use of this is First here we see that a Minister had not need be a foole no no he that winneth soules is wise Pro. 11. 30. he must be a wise man that would be a Minister it requires more then humaine wisedome to catch soules when the heart hath so many put-offs so many deceits so many strongholds so loth to obey the word so subtill to invent excuses so crafty to thrust away the truth There is some wisdome required to catch fishes and birdes and vermine how much more to catch men who is sufficient for these things The best of us all may blush to thinke how unfit we are to be Ministers O how should we blesse God if he fit any of us in any suitable measure and when we have done our best we had need to goe home and downe on our knees and cry shame on our selves for not doing better Secondly Then they are none of Christs Ministers that are not gifted for this mighty worke Will he send a foole on such a waighty Message as this is He that sendeth a Message by the hand of a foole cutteth off the feet and drinketh dammage Pro. 26. 6. That is if a man have a businesse of any great importance He had not need to imploy a foole in it lest he suffer great dammage It is all one as if one should chop off ones feet then bid him go on our errand O Beloved preaching of the Gospell is a worke of infinit importance the humbling of mens hearts the convincing of consciences the converting of mens Soules these are great businesses doubtlesse they are no Fooles that Christ sends on such errands True all Christs Ministers are not alike gifted some have meaner gifts then othersome have but he that hath least he is fitted in some measure to dispence divine mysteries to call home Gods elect to build up the called to judge all his hearers to stop the mouthes of gainsayers to hew down the obstinate to shew unto men the things belonging to their peace to give the Saints their due and the wicked their due That a good man cannot come but he shall have heavenly meat to feed on Nor a wretch neither but his Ministery wil single him out give him his bit to chew upon He that cannot doe this in any measure he is none of Christs Ministers Surely he will not send such a Message by a fooles hand but either he makes him a wise able man or else he runs without his sending Thirdly then my Brethren hence we learn whether to go for gifts if we would be enabled to our calling let us goe to Jesus Christ that hath the seven stars in his hands he can make our inflvences strong and our light heate mighty he can give us a gift of boldnesse to feare no mens faces He can unty our stammering tongues that we shall have liberty in speaking He can make our tongues a sharpe sword He can make us sons of consolation unto some of thunder unto others If we want knowledge in the mysterie of Christ let us make our wants knowne unto him he will instill into us If we want words he can make them flow in unto us If we want affections he can purge away our iniquities fire our hearts lips While the Apostles were together at prayer Act. 1. 14. suddenly the Lord Jesus sent them the gift of the holy Ghost in fiery cloven tongues Act. 2. While Paul and Silas were praying in the prison the Lord backt them from Heaven made them instruments of turning the heart of the Goaler Let us pray then not only in our Pulpits before our Sermons but also in secret God giveth the greatest gifts in secret and like man revealeth himself apart as secret meales make a fat body so does secret prayer it makes a well-liking soule Again this should teach us to stirre up the gifts that hee gives us Wee should labour to put them forth a man may lose the benefit of Christs gifts for want of rouzing up himself and putting of them forth as Paul sayes to Timothy I put thee in remembrance that thou stirre up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of hands 2 Tim. 1. 6. wee must stir up the gift in us When Father Isaac would prophecy to his Sons hee stirred up his spirit with savoury meat When Elisha would Prophecy before the three Kings hee called for a Minstrell to stirre up the spirit of Prophecy in him Deborah cryes awake awake Deborah Awake O my soule sayes David When Christ would pray to his Father the Text shews how hee stirred up himself These things spake Jesus and lift up his eyes unto heaven Joh. 17. 1. He lift up his soule and his spirit as Sampson went and shook himself if his spirit had been in him it had been well but like a foole he had driven him away But it should seem when hee had the spirit in him this was his wont hee shooke himself as at other times hee used to stirre up the Spirit in him so wee should stirre up the Spirit in us wee should rouze up our gifts like sparks out of the ashes and bestirre our selves soundly remisse using of them lets them warpe and wane Again wee should labour to relye more upon Christ we trust too much to our notes but O if wee could trust more to Christ that 's warmest matter that comes down from heaven in the speaking not that wee should leave all without study till wee come into our Pulpits No prepare as much as wee can But then if we would trust in Christ for his present assistance and yearn up to him for prompting it would make our Ministery more lively When a Sermon is an effect of Faith that 's it that does most good then Christs Spirit Preaches and not wee as the Prophet David sayes The Spirit of the Lord spake by mee 2 Sam. 23. 2. Again this should teach the people of God if they would have their Ministers inabled indeed to doe their soules good that they should pray for them that Christ would mor furnish them How often does the Apostle tell the people that
Ministers might have greater gifts if they had a heart O sayes hee Pray for mee that I may have utterance and that I may speak boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel Ephes 6. 19. q. d. if yee have a heart to pray I doe verily think that I shall bee the more assisted a great deale Our Chariot drives the more heavily because it wants the wheels of your Prayers and the truth is God uses to punish people thus that because they are dead and dull and have no heart and are weary of the Word therefore hee with-holds from the Minister on purpose to plague them back again as God told Ezekiel Son of man thou shalt bee dumb and when thou wouldst reprove thou shalt be tongue-tyed thy tongue shall cleave to the roof of thy mouth now mark the reason why for they are a rebellious house Ezek. 3. 26. Mark it was long of Judahs sinnes that the Prophet Ezekiel was tongue-tyed and locked up An excellent Minister and yet straitned for the peoples sinnes O Beloved I will tell you what would enlarge our hearts and our gifts towards you First if you would more flock to the Word and attend It is said in Matth. 5. 1 2. That Christ seeing the multitude Hee opened his mouth that is he was the more inlarged to Preach upon the sight of such a great auditory Who would not cast his net amidst multitudes of sishes The Text sayes When Christ saw the multitude hee had compassion on them So if Ministers could see all their Parish come in all that might hear the sight of such a multitude would stirre up pity O would wee think O what a goodly company is here O it is pity but they should have somewhat O if I could win some of you There may bee a lust in this thing and wee must take heed of it too lest we be tickled with flockings or discouraged with thin Pewes This is pride but yet there is a truth in this What a shame is it that there should bee fewer of our own Parish every Lecture-day than of strangers is it not just with God to make the brests dry when the Children care not for sucking Secondly if God had more among you to bee saved as God said to Paul concerning Corinth Bee not afraid speak hold not thy peace I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee I have much people in this City Act. 18. 10. this opened Pauls mouth this made him finde abundance of assistance from Christ because God had much people there Thirdly if you would hear with alacrity and with a ready and a greedy minde When Cornelius and his company were all listening and earnest to hear and to hearken O say they Speak Peter wee are all here before God to hear every thing thou speakest Then Peter opened his mouth Act. 10. 33 34. But when people look dully and blockishly and sit sleepily and drowsily as though they were weary of hearing and cared not whether they heard or no Nay this is the reason why the Devils instruments are so bold to oppose the Ministery of God they see they are not much cared for none but here one and there one a sort of precise fooles whereas if people would bee eager to hear over all the land they durst not meddle with them as it is said of our Saviour the Chiefe Priests and the Scribes sought to destroy him but they could not finde what they might doe For all the people were very attentive to hear him Luc. 19. 48. Fourthly if yee would bee fruitfull in obedience and in learning this would put life into our Prayers at home this would quicken our labours and paines in the Pulpit The very hope of having fruite made Paul very eager to come to Rome Rom. 1. 13. The very thought that the people are gracious and godly and fruitfull carries the Preacher beyond himself Nay it s strange to consider how when the Minister knows hee hath but one understanding judicious hearer one gracious Soule in his Parish it provokes him very much it makes him look about him the more a great deale How much more when there be many such But when a Parish is senselesse and heavy and froward it is unspeakable to consider how it straitens a Minister Let a man be to pray in a meeting where they bee gracelesse and dull and hardly any almost godly hee cannot tell what to say almost hee is not himself Whereas if he were to pray among them that hee knows can savour gracious things there hee hath more liberty to let out himself Revel 3. 1. These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres And the seven Starres THe Doctrine we continue yet in is That Christ hath the seven Stars he hath all the Ministers of the Church I told you he is said to have them five wayes First hee hath the sending of them they have their Mission from him Secondly hee hath the delegating of them they have their Commission from him Thirdly hee hath the gifting of them they have their abilities from him Fourthly hee hath the prospering of them they have the successe of their labours from him Fifthly he hath the disposing of them either for placing or removing for freedome or restraint The first three I have handled already the last whereof was this That Hee hath the gifting of his Ministers As Paul sayes Hee hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament 2 Cor. 3. 6. This was one of the ends of his Ascension Hee ascended up on high hee led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men Ephes 4. 8. Thus the Text sayes of the Apostles they preached every where the Lord working with them and confirming the word with signes following Mark 16. 20. So Paul had great gifts and abilities which he calls the signes of an Apostle Truely the signes of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience with signes and wonders and mighty deeds 2 Cor. 12. 12. they that are not competently at the least gifted for the Ministery they shew no signe that they are the Ministers of Jesus Christ Christ gives all his Ministers a gift of utterance a gift of speaking to the Conscience a gift of dividing of the Word aright mighty deeds They may all say to the people Truely the signes of a Minister of Jesus Christ hath been wrought among you These gifts are the witnesses whereby he gives witnesse to a man that hee comes from God to a people as Paul sayes God also bearing them witnesse both with signes and wonders and with divers Miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will Heb. 2. 4. I confesse such wonders and Miracles are now ceased I but the gifts of the Holy Ghost are powred out still upon all the true Ministers of Christ and these are Gods witnesses that people may know they are sent of Jesus Christ I shewed you how Ministers have
need of excellent and rare gifts I and you have need that they should bee well-gifted that so they may be able to doe you good First for the interpreting of the Scriptures they are a sealed and a clasped booke they are shut up naturally to a man It is said of Christ that He opened the Scriptures Luc. 24. 32. So a Minister had need of gifts to open the Scriptures to give out the sense as the Priests in Nehemiah did St. John wept when no man could open the sealed book When a Parish hath a Minister that cannot open the sealed Book it is enough to make good people weep and lament Secondly they have need of gifts to teach He that would teach had need to be an able man as the Apostle sayes that are able to teach 2 Tim. 2. 2. The servant of the Lord must bee apt to teach 2 Tim. 2. 24. there is a gift of fitnesse and aptnesse without which a man cannot be a good teacher Thirdly they have need of gifts to be able to convince it requires a great art to speak irrefragably to mens mindes Many truthes the hearts of men doe not like and therefore they labour to put them off And therefore a Minister had need of a gift of convincing That he may be able by sound Doctrine to convince the gainsayers Tit. 1. 9. as it is said of Stephen they were not able to withstand the spirit and the wisdome by which he spake Act. 6. 10. Fourthly to move the affections a Minister is not onely to informe mens judgements but also to work on their affections as Peter sayes I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle to stirre you up 2 Pet. 1. 13. a Minister is to stirre up his people to stirre their hearts and affections as Paul sayes Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5. 11. that is wee labour to stirre your affections Christ sent a Seraphim with a live coale to touch Isaiah his lips Esa 6. 6. we had need of fire coales in our lips to heat your affections Religion consists in the will and affections of men more then in any other faculty of the soule Fifthly To speak Pro re natâ a Minister hath need of extemporary abilities to bee able upon short warning when Severus Augustines Brother failed him one day hee was faine to goe up extempore into the Pulpit himself and Preach A Minister may come into the company of his people now if hee bee not habitually furnisht how unprofitable will hee bee Saint Paul sayes when he came among his people he would impart unto them some spirituall gift Rom. 1. 11. Sixthly A Minister had need of abilities to observe seasons that Aarons bells may be wisely rung sometimes in one tune sometimes in another as occasion serves A word sitly spoken in due time is like apples of gold in pictures of silver Prov. 25. 11. The use of this was First here we see that a Minister had not need be a foole no he must bee a well-gifted man He that winneth soules is wise Pro. 11. 30. hee must bee one that may winne soules and therefore he must be a wise man when the heart hath so many wiles and so many put-offs and so many evasions and distinctions and excuses and strong-holds hee had need bee a wise man that will goe about to catch it There is some wisdome required to catch birdes and beasts and fishes and vermine because they are all subtill in their kinde how much more to catch the heart This is Onus humeris angelorum for midandum as Chrysost speaks Who is sufficient for these things sayes the Apostle 2 Cor. 2. 16. The best of us all may blush to thinke how unfit we are to bee Ministers and therefore how should wee blesse God if he fit any of us in any suitable measure Secondly another Use was Then they are none of Christs Ministers that are not gifted for this mighty worke Will he send a foole on such a weighty Message as this is Hee that sendeth a Message by the hand of a foole cutteth off the feet and drinketh dammage Prov. 26. 6. There is great dammage in the Church because so many fooles have the handling of Gods message But I let this passe Thirdly Hence we learn then whether to goe for gifts if we would be inabled to our callings let us goe to our Lord Jesus Christ that hath the seven Starres in his hands he can make our influences strong our light mighty he can give us a gift of boldnesse to fear no mans face Hee can untye our stammering tongues that they shall have liberty in speaking that words may flow in Hee can make our tongues a sharpe sword Hee can fire our hearts and lips While the Apostles were together in prayer Act. 1. 14. the Lord Jesus Christ sent down the Holy Ghost on them in fiery tongues Act. 2. 1. Fourthly This should teach us to stirre up the gifts that hee gives us we should strive to put them all forth as Paul sayes to Timothy Stirre up the gift that is in thee by the putting on of hands 2 Tim. 1. 6. we must stirre up the gift that is in us when father Isaac would Prophesie to his sons he stirred up his spirit with savoury meat when Elishah would Prophecy before the three Kings he called for a sacred Minstrell to stirre up the Spirit of Prophecy in him so Samp son used to goe and shake himself when he went against the Philistims as Deborah while she was at her work in Gods worship Awake awake Deborah sayes shee shee shook up her self wee should labour to use all our gifts to the full as the Apostle sayes Make full proof of thy Ministery 2 Tim. 4. 5. so wee should make full proof of every one of our gifts put them out to the utmost Ministers should be able to say as Paul does I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ Rom. 15. 19. to preach fully to convince fully to exhort fully fully to terrifie the hearts of the wicked not to use our gifts by halves O how shall wee answer it if we let our gifts rust for want of sound using of them Fifthly Wee should rely more on Christ we may trust too much to our notes but O that we could trust more in Christ that is warmest matter that comes down from Heaven in the speaking not that we should leave all without study till wee come into our Pulpits and then hope to have it given us in that moment No we must prepare as much as we can as Solomon sayes Prepare thy work without and make it fit for thy self in the field and afterwards build thy house Pro. 24. 27. So we must prepare our Sermons and make them fit for our people in our studies and then come and preach them Give attendance to reading to exhortation to Doctrine sayes the Apostle 1 Tim. 4. 13. God gives
of his Ministery as being the peoples fault and therefore he complaines of them unto God Lord who hath beleeved our report Esay 53. 1. The conscience of man knows this to bee true for hee knows hee sinnes willingly and hee knows hee would not doe otherwise hee daily feeleth Gods Spirit haling him to good and telling him he ought to live thus and thus and yet he is loath and will not he inclines the other way and rather would do as he does then as he knows God would have him what is this but contempt and indeed this is the great sin of this Land the contempt of the Gospel people count it not a precious but a tedious thing Never merry world sayes some since we had so much Preaching as if the Sun shone too bright like the Israelites who stumbled at the plenty of Manna Nay they are akin to the Devils who asked Christ if hee were come to torment them they account the Gospel a torment because it crosseth their lusts and lets in so much light These can spend dayes and nights in vanity but an houre at a Sermon is tedious if they had any delight in the Word they would not care though their Minister stood somewhat long Though Zachary stayed long in the Temple yet the people waited for him till hee came out Luk. 1. 21. they marvelled indeed he stayed so long but the Spirit of God notes that they waited for him But our people sit upon thornes at a Sermon but they can lye soaking at an ale-bench as though they sate upon soft cushions The Onions of Egipt have a better taste with them than the Quailes of the Wildernesse They had rather live at the Hogs-trough than in their Fathers house With the Gadarens they parfer their Pigges before our Saviour Christ O say they we cannot live by Sermons Sermons are too holy and strait for them Bid them take up Christs yoake they care not for it except it were wider The Ministery hath no successe at all with them unto any purpose What a thing is this Brethren Whence is it that wee regard the Gospel no more The sooth is people know not their damned estate neither will they beleeve it though we tell them nay they care not whether they hear it or no. But if they knew the goodnesse of it they would run from East to West for it if drunkards and worldlings and such rabble knew their fearfull estate the Minister should be as welcome to them as bread to the hungry or a pardon to a Theif So that yee see this condemneth them deeply that the Word hath no successe with Thus yee see the Ministers of Christ have all successe from Christ if any one soule come in at their teaching it is an evident signe it is of Jesus Christ for otherwise people hold off some hold off altogether others yeeld a little way but will not yeeld full out if a man yeeld to us indeed it is meerly by Jesus Christ Now I will shew you that as a Minister hath all his good successe of his labours from Jesus Christ So if he be a true Minister of Christ Christ uses to give him good successe When Christ put Peter into the Ministery He told him from hence forth thou shalt catch men Luk. 5. 10. That is as I have made thee a Minister So thou shalt have good successe They shall have some good successe as we see in the sence though three parts fell into hard ground yet some fell into good ground Mar. 4. 8. Nay though Christs Ministers come into the most Desperate places that can be as we read in the Acts of the Apostles notwithstanding the places they went to were deepely rooted in Idolatry and full of persecuting Jewes and they were ready to be stoned to death the people were so madde against their Doctrine yet they never Preached any where but they had good successe with some When Paul came to Thessalonica the text notes some of them beleeved and joyned in Company with him Act. 17. 4. When he came to Athens though some mocked and some hung in suspence like Neuters that were neither fish nor flesh howbeit certaine men clave unto Paul and beleeved Act. 17. 34. So when he came to Rome Though some stood out yet some were perswaded Act. 28. 24. Yea when Philip came to Samaria though it was a Towne that was bewitcht full of sorcery and witchcraft and they had even given their soules to the Devill A Minister could hardly come into a worse Towne yet the people gave heed to those things that he spake Act. 8. 6. Nay the context shewes he had marveilous good successe the Lord maketh that precious account of the Ministers of the Gospell that he never bestowes it upon any place where he hath not some elect other blessings God bestows more promiscuously Reprobates have as great plenty as others All things come a like to all But this blessing he gives to no place where he hath not some to save Either some in the Towne or some there abouts The use of this is first Here we are to enquire then what may be the reason that Christs Ministers have so little successe now adayes First Some Ministers have the lesse successe by raysing up of others that have greater As Calvin after Luther Luther had admirable successe for a time and then when Calvin came he did increase and Luther did decrease So John observed of himselfe he had admirable successe for a time but when Christ came John had the lesse He must increase but I must decrease Joh. 3. 30. Againe it may be peoples unthankfulnesse for the Ministry of the Word When people have had the Word along time and yet they will not obey it may be God sayes to them as he did to the Fig-tree Never fruit grow on thee more while the world standeth Then God sends Esay to make the heart of the people fat Then Jeremiahs errands most an end to plucke up and to pull downe Then John is to say He that is filthy let him be filthy still Then Hosea cryes Ephraim is joyned unto Idols let him alone Thirdly Some Ministers may be have the lesse successe for their owne fault in not speading of the net when their preaching is little better then reading True it may be a man may be converted by reading as Luther sayes he was And John Husse by reading Wiclefes bookes Austen sayes he was converted by reading the 13. of the Romans and the 14. vers There is a Blessing that may be looked for by reading Blessed is he that readeth Rev. 1. 3. But this is very rare There may a fish or two hang on the net being let downe on a heape but that is a chance No no it is not the net lapped up together that bringeth in the draught but hayled out at length and spread all abroad this closeth in the fish So it is the spreading of the Word the stretching of it out upon
every soule present this is the way to catch some When a Minister labours to hit all Fourthly some Ministers may be unsuccessefull for not preaching roughly enough Beloved our times are knotty times Rough hewing is needful Now people had need heare of hell and damnation and wrath and vengeance against their sins Some save with feare as the Apostle speaks plucking them out of the fire Jude 23. Fifthly Again May bee a Ministers successe is not seen may be he is successefull though he shall not live to see it as Christ sayes One sowes and another reaps Joh. 4. 37. as the Prophets sowed and the Apostles reapt So Beloved we may sow now and those that come after us may bee they shall be the reapers The present age now may sow seed for the succeeding Arbores serit quae alteri prosuit saeculo As the Chinah make their dishes the Fathers lay them into the fire and the third generation after takes them out Though we doe not see our seeds to come up may be we meet with no harvest this may be our comfort if we can but sow for others afterwards to reap Let us have a care of sowing many a man that now hears the word and now is brought up under a good teaching Ministery though yet he doe not obey it who knows what God will doe may be God may cast him into some horrible affliction yet before he dyes and sling terrour into his Soule and then what we have delivered may doe him good And therefore we should never lin sowing though wee never see the Harvest this should bee our comfort that the ground hath the seed Let us still powre in good examples into our people Parents into their children Masters into their servants Ministers into their hearers let God alone with it when and what and where the Harvest shall bee Lastly Some Ministers are not godly and then how can they looke for good successe as God sayes If they had stood in my Counsell and caused my people to heare my words then they should have turned them from their evill way Jer. 23. 22. I dare not say absolutely that a carnall Minister shall never have good successe in his Ministery As if a Minister should conclude hee were a good man because God hath blessed his labours No that is not a good argument for First It is the Word that converts and not the person of the speaker I dare not tye God to the goodnesse of any mans person God as he is a Creator he is a wise God and can write well with a bad pen and cut well with a blunt naughty knife Secondly Such may bee sent of God and gifted for the Ministery and therefore for all that I know they may bee an Organ of conversion sometimes Thirdly Paul rejoyced that Christ was preached by the false Apostles though it were but of envy Phil. 1. 15 16 17 18. you will say how could he rejoyce in that that was a wicked manner of Preaching Why surely hee could not rejoyce in it but that hee did think that it might doe some good Fourthly This may bee thus or else no man can be assured of his salvation For if a carnall Minister cannot be the meanes of conversion c. Fifthly They may say at last day Lord Lord wee have Prophesied in thy name and in thy name have we cast out devils and yet Christ will say unto them I know you not c. Sixthly Why else does our Saviour Christ bid people heare the Scribes and Pharisees but that he implies they may be a meanes of good to them Seventhly Judas was sent out to Preach Matth. 10. 4. Christ said to him as well as the rest When yee goe Preach saying the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand ver 7. Eightly Experience hath found this to bee true some godly soules have confessed this very thing that such as now they see to be palpably carnall have been the means of their conversion c. Many helpt Noah to build his Arke that perished in the waters God may make the crowing of a Cock to be a meanes of a wakning Peters Conscience The temptations of the Devill to be the means of Luthers quickning and therefore I doe not simply affirm that carnall Ministers cannot convert But this I say it is a very rare thing as Christ sayes If the blinde lead the blinde both shall fall into the ditch Matth. 15. 14. So if a Hypocrite lead a hypocrite the Drunkard lead the drunkard c. It is a woe to a Parish when their Ministers are not godly Woe to the City sayes God Zeph. 3. 1. why so Her Prophets are light persons ver 4. Woe to such Townes whose Ministers will goe to the Alehouse whose Ministers will keep company and bee haile fellow with every vain fellow whose Ministers will embrace this present world whose Ministers are proud and envious and malicious that give a bad example to the people that depend upon their charge Woe to them sayes God The curse of God is upon such Parishes God hath hardly any intention to save such peoples soules Or if he have any of his Elect there God will save them some other way as God told the naughty Shepheards I even I will search out my sheep and seek them out Ezek. 34. 11. that is I will search them out some other way I will not do it by you and therefore when he hath a minde to save a poore people he sends good Ministers among them or them to good ones Turn o backsliding children sayes God and I will take you one of a city and two of a family and I will give you Pastors according to my heart Jer. 3. 14. c. God would have none but wise-hearted men to work in his manuall Tabernacle Exod. 35. 10. how then doe we think he will let fooles as all carnall Ministers are c. Saint Paul said it was a part of the hope that he had in the presence of Christ at his comming that God had made him the instrument of gaining soules to his Kingdome For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoycing are not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his comming 1 Thess 2. 19. and hath made a promise to such as convert soules so runs the Promise They that turn others to righteousnesse shall shine as the stars Dan. 12. 3. indeed this is but a secondary evidence of Salvation c. O Beloved if we could convert any of your Soules what a comfort would it be whereas if a man be a wicked man what hope can he have that God will blesse his labors nay he hath said expressely that if a man will not obey the voyce of the Lord cursed shall he be in the field and in the house and so in the Pulpit in his studies he cannot look for Gods assistance as God told the wicked Priests I will curse all your blessings if ye will not lay it to heart Mal.
2. 2. Secondly Another Vse is does Christ use to blesse and prosper his true Ministers then let us labour to get this blessing of him Let us seek to him to give us good successe O how eager is Paul every where in prayer to God for good successe Thirdly Another Vse is if we have not the successe that we could wish let us not bee discouraged as the Prophet Isaiah sayes My labour is with the Lord though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious Esa 49. 4 5. The Husbandman looseth by an ill crop I but if wee bee faithfull wee shall not loose though our crop be never so ill if we have plowed well and sown well no matter what the crop bee wee shall have our pay If I preach and you repent not it shall never repent me of my paines I will preach still For though my preaching be not a sweet savour yet it shall bee to God even in thee and thou shalt smart for it and therefore let us not cease working many a draught the poore fisher man makes and takes nothing yet hee leaves not off many a time is the net of Preaching shot forth and yet none converted thereby So it pleaseth God to exercise the patience of his servants Yet still the work must bee followed and the Lords leisure must be waited for Oftentimes the net taketh fish and they slip out again So there bee many that seem to be pulled in by the Gospell neverthelesse they slide away again Again there is oftentimes brought in into the net that which is yet good for nothing when it is got there comes in frogges and weeds and a great deale of trash which in the end are cast away and yet for love of the fish the fisherman is content to hale all in that hee can So Beloved wee draw in many hypocrites many that prove nought and yet for hope of good fish wee must still bee a labouring and may be wee may have a good Harvest yet though yet wee see little likeli-hood Bee not weary of well-doing sayes the Apostle for mee shall reape if wee faint not Gal. 6. 9. Fourthly another Vse is to you that you doe not wilfully stand out to deprive us of good successe The shrewdest turn you can doe your poore Ministers is to deprive them of the joy of their labours the way to rejoyce them is to imbrace the Gospell they preach it will bee heavy for you when wee shall groane to God that we could not perswade any of you If thou wilt not now hear that which may profit thee thou shalt heare one day that which shall make thy heart ake Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire O remember Sodome and do not stand out against the Ministers that come from Jesus Christ to you Revel 3. 1. These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres HAving done with the inscription of this Epistle To the Church that is in Sardis write wee came to the Subscription containing the person from whom the Epistle is sent The Lord Jesus Christ who is here described from two Royalties of his First that he hath The seven Spirits of God that we have handled already Secondly that he hath the seven Starres or the Ministers of the Church This we have almost finished too wee shewed you that Christ is said to have the Ministers of the Church five wayes First hee hath the sending of them they have their Mission from him Secondly hee hath the delegating of them they have their Commission from him Thirdly hee hath the gifting of them they have their gifts and abilities from him Fourthly he hath the prospering or not prospering of them they have their successe from him All these foure I have spoken of already Now remains the fifth and the last hee hath the disposing of them the placing of them in a Town the continuing of them or removing of them the holding of them up or the pulling of them down as the Apostle speaks Hee hath the key of David hee openeth and no man shutteth and he shutteth and no man openeth Rev. 3. 7. that is he hath all power in the Church to place it or displace it To settle it or to transplant it to prescribe or not prescribe to absolve or to condemne to save or to destroy to give Ministers liberty or to take it away As Christ telles the Minister of Philadelphia I have set before thee an open doore and no man can shut it Rev. 3. 8. good Ministers shall have Liberty to preach in their stations as long as he pleases and they never can be hindred till he is pleased so to permit it or appoint it So when Paul was at Ephesus though he had never so many adversaries there that would faine hinder him if they could Yet as long as Christ gave him an open doore to preach and to do good none of them all could withstand him A great doore and effectuall is opened unto me and there are many adversaries 1 Cor. 16. 9. First Christ hath the placing of his Ministers As he saith to Ieremiah I have set thee So Christ sayes to all his true Ministers I have set you God hath set to all men the bounds of their habitations Act. 17. 26. that one man shall dwell here another there one in this Parish another in that Parish How much more does he appoint unto his Ministers their habitations that John the Baptist shall be in the Wildernesse of Judea Titus shall be in Creete Epaphras shall be at Colosse Epaphroditus at Philippi Timothy at Ephesus and the like Nay he is no Minister of Christ that is not of Christs placing As the Apostle speakes Take heed unto your selves and to all the flocke over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers Act. 20. 28. Over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers He is a true Minister to this or that Congregation that can say that the Holy Ghost hath made me an overseer to them The Reason is first Because no man is a Pastor or a Shepheard to any sheepe that did not enter in by the doore into those sheep He that entreth in by the doore is a shepheard of the sheep Joh. 10. 2. Now who is this doore but Jesus Christ I am the doore saith he By me if any man enter in he shall be saved As it followes there in the ninth verse As he is the doore no man can enter into the Ministery rightly but by him He must have his Letters of Orders from him So he is the doore into any flocke and if a man have not institution and induction from him he is no Shepheard of the flocke Nay Christ tells him flatly he is a theefe and robber and a hyreling When the Danites askt the Levite in Mount Ephraim who brought thee hither What makest thou in this place Judg. 18. 3. ye know he put himselfe there he sought for the place himselfe and it was
and ye shall prosper 2 Chron. 20. 20. O if Kings and Princes would do so now call upon people up and down O Sirs beleeve the Lords Prophets and ye shall prosper Ye that have Gods Ministers among you beleeve them may bee when they threaten against all your sinfull courses they tell you of hell and damnation and heaven and salvation ye hardly beleeve any such thing O beleeve them that it may goe well with you Remember they be of Christs placing among you He put them into your Pulpits he gives them the Themes that they preach to you from day to day Beleeve them Fourthly Hath Christ the placing of Ministers then never complain of gracelesse Ministers O ye have gracelesse Ministers and our Minister is not as he should be he is not a good liver he does not preach to the Conscience People are apt to complaine of Patrons and such and such causes but let mee tell you you murmure against Jesus Christ every Parish in England might have a good and a godly Minister a Minister after Gods own heart for all that I know if they would goe to Jesus Christ he hath the placing of Ministers Now what is the reason that there are no more able worthy Ministers every where Answer Surely if Christ were sought to this would quickly be holpen when Judah had no Ministers in the Captivity their soules starved for want of good feeding thousands perisht and their soules were quite lost for lack of Vision What sayes Christ to them Turn ye backsliding children saith the Lord for I am marryed unto you and I will take you one of a city and two of a Family and I will bring you to Zion And I will give you Pastours according to my heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding Jer. 3. 14 15. people are subject to murmure and this is long of such and such that wee have no better Ministers whereas the Truth is it is long of our selves iniquity abounds every where the love of many waxes cold people grow weary of wholsome Doctrine they have itching eares they are full fed any Ministery is good enough for them if a man prophesie of Wine and strong drink hee shall even bee the Prophet of this people Mich. 2. 11. that is any Prophet is good enough for them fitter than a better One that would shew people how to get Bread and Drink and Wine and profits and pleasures People would rather hear such a one preach than to hear of Repentance and Mortification and Faith and Holinesse and the wayes of God they care not for these things The true Preaching of the Word is as contrary to the disposition of men as can be Nothing is more irksome unto them as the Word rightly taught It goes against their lusts it crosses their wicked wills They are weary of it they say unto God depart from us they will not let Christ reigne in their hearts therefore we may rather wonder that there is any good Minister in the Kingdome any where wee are to blesse God and pray for our Governours that wee have any good Ministers at all the truth is wee deserve not any There is so little Religion every where so much hypocrisie so much profession without any power of godlinesse such a deale of vanity and unsoundnesse and hollow-heartednesse nay among such as have gone for good Christians so much falsehood and rottennesse and apostacy to what end should Christ let us have any more Preaching Wee give the world occasion to think that Preaching is the cause of all this wretchednesse What a dishonour is this to Jesus Christ and therefore no marvaile we have no more wee may admire the patience of God that wee have any Fifthly Hath Christ the placing of Ministers then see whether to goe for good Ministers Christ is the generall Patron of all Livings Hee can present whom hee will to a Parish and therefore we should pray unto him When our Saviour Christ preached here and there and saw how the people came out of all Parishes to him it seems though they had Levites in their own Synagogues yet they did not know how to feed their flocks they were as sheep for all them without a shepheard there was hardly ere a good Minister among them all Mark what the Text sayes Jesus had compassion on them because they were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepheard O sayes he Pray yee therefore the Lord of the Harvest that he would send forth labourers into his harvest Mat. 9. 38. so much for the first Secondly Now as Christ hath the placing of Ministers so hee hath the continuing of them as long as hee pleases Hee continued the Prophet Isaiah in his Ministery during the Reigne of foure Kings Hee kept the Prophet Hosea in his function during the reign of five Kings though the times were very bad When it was told Christ that Herod sought his life that hee would not onely put him besides his Ministery but also his very life sayes he Goe tell that Fox Behold I cast out Devils and I doe cures to day and to morrow and the third day I shall bee perfect Luk. 13. 32. Christ had his time appointed him by his Father himself and hee would Preach all that time out and all the devills in hell and all his Enemies on earth should not hinder him So Beloved it is with all his Ministers hee hath set them a time and hee hath power to continue them all that time I shall preach to day and to morrow and such a day doe the world what they can they cannot hinder his ministers from preaching till Christ please as hee told his people Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy Teachers bee removed into a corner any more But thine eyes shall see thy Teachers Esa 30. 20. q. d. though thy Ministers have been put by yet I will restore them againe and they shall not be put by any more I have power to continue them as long as I will when he called Noah to preach to the old world he appointed him 120. years and hee continued him all that while whether the wicked world would or no. And the Reason is first because Ministers are his Embassadors Now a King it is in his choyce how long his Embassadors shall lye Lieger in a forain Country he hath so many businesses for them to doe and so long they shall continue there So true ministers are the Embassadors of Christ as the Apostle Paul speaks Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us wee pray you in Christs stead be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 20. we are Christs Ambassadours and therfore he will continue us as long as he list as long as he hath any busines to doe as long as he hath any soules to save any men or women to reconcile to his father or to build up so
long he will continue us It s a dolefull signe when Christ takes away his Ministers from a place it s a signe he hath no more soules to save if he had he would let his Ambassadours lye beseeching still so that this is one great reason because Ministers are His Ambassadours Secondly Because Christ hath all power in Heaven and in Earth as he told his Apostles when he sent them out to preach All power is given to me in Heaven and in Earth Math. 28. 18 q. d. I have power to send you and I have power to continue your Ministery as long as I thinke fitting and I have power to take you away I have power to ordaine you either for salvation or the damnation of men Whom I will I can convert by your Sermons and whom I will I can deliver up to the counsell of their own hearts that they shall not be converted by you Now if Christ have all power in Heaven and in Earth then he hath power to continue his Ministers as long as his will is I need not stand to prove this it is too evident he hath power to lengthen his Ministers lives to prolong their liberties when he takes away one he hath power to put in another as good when he meant to take away Elias he anoynted Elisha in his roome If their enemies be never so many he can tye up their hands he deliverd Paul from the mouth of the Lyon though fortie men had vowed to take him away by death he diverted their plot and continued him still nay when he was in Bonds yet he was able to get him liberty to go abroad with his keeper and to preach the Kingdom of God to as many as came Suppose the world be never so mad against Christs Ministers yet as long as he hath any more worke for them to doe he can hold off their singers from meddling with them till they have finished the Taske that hee hath given them to doe The Use of this is first That Ministers should not fear to bee deprived of their liberty so long as they doe well indeed if they doe ill if they bee wicked or idle or unworthy such Ministers should fear they doe deserve to be put down But if wee bee godly Ministers it is our basenesse to feare any such thing Christ hath the continuing of us our times are not in mens hands but in his What a horrible thing is it that wee should goe against our conscience in any thing or bee afraid to speak what God bids us to bee mealemouthed to bee discouraged with rumours or dangers wee should keep nothing back of the whole counsell of God wee are starres in his hands and hee hath the continuing of us though men fight against us they cannot prevaile against us till our businesse is all done As the Lord told the Prophet Jeremiah They shall fight against thee but they shall not prevaile against thee for I am with thee Jer. 1. 19. Let us then be afraid of nothing but sinne Let us bee afraid to doe any evill either towards God or towards man let us be harmlesse in the midst of a crooked and a perverse generation Let us deale faithfully with our people let us undauntedly Preach Rebuke Exhort with all long suffering and Doctrine make our faces hard against the wickeds faces no matter for their railings their threatning speeches their malicious accusations and not feare the Lord Jesus hath the continuing of us Secondly Here we may see the reason why the Gospel continues in any place a man would wonder it should continue any where because the world cannot abide it Which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted saves Stephen Act. 7. 52. They that doe evill hate the light it cuts them to the heart Every one hates mee sayes the Prophet hee was reproached for the Words sake Report say they and wee will report it One time they put him into a dungeon Another time they would have killed him Shemaiah writ Letters to the high Priest against him Jer. 29. 25. And yet hee continued his Ministery untill the day of the Captivity Nay hee had liberty when others had their liberty taken away Yee know Christ himself Preached dayly in the Temple and they took him not though they gnasht their teeth at his Doctrine and sometimes were in the minde to throw him down headlong and break his neck sometimes to stone him yet till his houre was come he had his liberty And the truth is a man would wonder how any of Gods Ministers have their Liberties continued when there bee so many Drunkards so many Enemies of all goodnesse so many that follow their own ungodly lusts and the Gospel is an eye-sore unto them and yet in many places it stands still This is Gods doing You see here Christ hath the continuing of his Ministers they shall have their liberty as long as God hath any use for them Thirdly Is it so that Christ hath the continuing of his Ministers then this is of use also unto you Now you heare whence to have your good Ministers continued even by seeking to Jesus Christ hee can lay a charge upon all the world where they are to let them alone He can say Doe my Prophets no harme Psal 105. 15. you will say why what shall we doe I Answer first let us repent of our sinnes it is our sins that removes the Ministers of God if we would repent us of our sins and turn from our wicked wayes and let the Word work upon our hearts this would continue the ministery of the Word as God told Judah when they should repent of their sins O sayes hee I will bee your God and you shall be my people and my Sanctuary shall be among you for evermore Ezek. 27. 27 28. that is by Sanctuary he meanes his publique Worship the preaching of his Word and other of the meanes of grace when they repented of their sins then these should be continued So Beloved if yee would repent of your sins I do not mean one or two or a few or so But if there might be a generall Reformation among us this would fasten the Word among us as in a sure place Secondly Let us prize the Gospell the Gospell loves to stay there where it is welcome it will never goe away if it might have good entertainment if wee would honour it and glorifie it and pluck up our affections in the dearest manner to it this would preserve it among us for ever The Church of Philadelphia that used the Word best had it longest c. Our Saviour Christ hath a saying Into what soever Towne or City yee enter enquire who is worthy there abide Matth. 10. 11. And as hee sayes Luk. 10. 7. Goe not from house to house The Gospell does not love to change houses till it be urged so it does not love to change Townes if it may have good usage So Beloved if wee would give the
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
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
shall be alive that seekes God Psal 69 32. that is you whose hearts are inclined to serve God your hearts are alive now when a man hath no divine inclinations to all heavenly duties and courses though he doe never so much professe the following of them he followes them 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 the man to make him to leave them perhaps it approves such and such holy performances yea but it hath no power over him to cause him to buckle to them indeed this is a dead conscience it hath no life at all in it when the conscience hath life in it once then it hath power it hath a mighty force over a man as the Church my soule made me like the Chariots of Aminadab Cant. 6. 12. that is my conscience was very forceable and powerfull in me it made me not onely to goe after God but it carryed me as it were in a Chariot very willingly But when the conscience can whisper onely and finde fault and hath no power at all with it to make one obey from day to day this is a dead conscience Fifthly deadnesse of affection when the affections are clumbzie and will not stirre towards God and all heavenly things when a man is like a block in good duties he hath no affections to them nor in them when the affections are all alive to earthly things when they are still out of order as the Apostle Paul sayes mortifie your inordinate affections Col. 3. 5. that is your affections must not be out of order if they be alive to other things ye must kill them that way that they may be alive towards all the things that are above now when the affections will not move that way at all then they are dead But I will speak no more of this well then let us come to the doctrine a dead Christian is even as good as no Christian at all goe through all Christianity and we shall see this to be true in every passage should a man have all Christianity in him and yet be dead and dull and without life it is even all one as if he had just nothing First for conversion should a man seeme to be converted O what a changed man is this he was a drunkard and now he is sober he was a whorer and now he is chaste he was a Prophane beast and now he is cleane another man this is well I but if thou beest dead to the wayes of God if thou beest not quickened up to them this is magnum nihil conversion is a quickning when we were dead in sinnes he hath quickened us together which Christ Eph. 2. 5. conversion is not onely a turning of a man from wicked wayes to good but to be quickened up in them conversion puts another life into a man a man may be converted from prophanesse to civility from not praying constantly to praying constantly from not hearing to hearing from not preaching to preaching from not professing to professing True this man shall have the lesse hell yea but this is nothing towards heaven except a new life be put into this man to be alive in all these good ways except he be quickened together with Christ Secondly faith should a man leane himselfe upon God and upon Christ should a man apply all the promises of the Gospell to his soule and beleeve all that 's contained in the covenant of grace alas what of all this if this man be dead still without such a faith as produces life it is little better then nothing as Christ sayes He that lives and beleeves in me Joh. 11. 26. true faith carries life with it wheresoever it is and therefore if a mans faith be without life it is but equivocall faith faith it may well be But true faith it cannot be for if thou wouldst be able to say thou beleevest in Jesus Christ thou must be able to say that thou livest too in him it 's impossible a man should rightly beleeve in Christ and be dead â—o he lives that beleeves in me sayes Christ Thirdly as ye heard heretofore to be a member of the visible Church of God to be a stone in Gods building were a man the finest and the most carved stone of all put in by Baptisme kept in by profession of the Christian faith this is a poor thing if this man now be not a lively stone ye also as lively stones are built up a spirituall house a holy Priest-hood c. 1 Pet. 2. 5. The right stone in Gods spirituall house are all lively stones if thou beest but a logge a heartlesse dull dead member thou art none of Gods spirituall house house no part of his holy Priest-hood thou art no more a Christian then a dead man is a man Thou art but a sit roome thou hast nothing but a name of a true Christian The body of Christ is all full of life derived from him the head all the branches that are in him have the life of the root in them if thou beest but a dead branch thou hast no communion with Christ at all though thou beest in the body Fourthly for hope it may be thou hast hope that thou art a good Christian that thou hast a part in the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ thou hast a hope of the heavenly inheritance that thou shalt be saved in that day now if thy hope be a dead hope if it doe not quicken thee up to trample on the world to beat down thy worldly lusts to scrue thee up to a gratious life more and more to carry thee on through thick and thin this is not a gratious hope no no the grace of hope is a lively hope as the Apostle speakes Blessed be God father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us againe to a lively hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. this grace of hope it quickens up all them that have it it is not a dead hope that lyes sluggishly and blockishly in the soule and does not stirre it up every day no it revives him towards God it makes him eager after the best things if thy hope be a dead hope that lies like a carcase in thy heart to little or no purpose it is no good hope through grace but a hope in a dreame Fifthly for repentance what ever thou hast to say for repentance canst thou plead a 1000 changes and reformations yet if thou hast not gotten out of a dead temper thou art yet under an impenitent heart That repentance that is the gate of heaven the Evangelist cals it repentance unto life Act. 11. 18. true repentance it rends the heart it shewes sinne to be the greatest evill and it rowzes a man up daily to take heed of it it makes us see what a God we have dishonoured
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
esteemed among men in their consciences indeed they say they are better then the whole world I but their heart does not greatly esteeme them nay it slights them and seekes them accordingly this is a dead heart Eighthly thus ye see what is the life of the heart it is the absolute will of the heart when the heart is inclined towards God when it intends God when it maks choice of his wayes and puts off whatsoever is contrary to them when it prizes and endeares every one of them all when it savours them and is full of care for them I might adde another the cleaving of the heart when the heart cleaves to the Lord as it is said of Hezekiah that he clave to the Lord 2 King 18. 6. when the heart closes in with God and will not let him goe no nor let his wayes goe it sticks to a Godly course all the world cannot pull him away not firenor faggot though it be never so much hindred and interrupted by the flesh yet now it hath a sticking quality in it as David sayes I have stuck to thy Testimonies Psal 119. 31. Now because when the heart is made willing on this fashion towards God there is left still an adverse unwillingnesse by reason of the flesh so that the heart can never put forth these acts without horrible clogges therefore now in a live heart towards God there be other acts that are not in a heart that is alive to the world And the reason is this Because when the heart is alive to the world the hearts of it own nature is willing unto that and there is no unwillingnesse mixed together with it never was it heard that the heart should be willing and unwilling to the same thing till saving grace came to divide asunder the will in two ye know the regenerate are two men apeice and they have two wills one towards God and another towards sinne and the world nay it 's the same will that hath both these branches in it and this does much puzzle the hearts when they finde such a deale of unwillingnesse in them towards God Therefore I say there be other acts of life in the heart towards God aud they are five The first is the preparing of the heart whereby the heart prepareth it selfe towards God 2 Chron. 30. 18. 19. 1 Sam. 7. 3. The second is the Combating of the heart Gal. 5. 17. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I beate downe my body 1 Cor. 9. 27. The third is the endeavouring of the heart it reaches forth it selfe Phil. 3. 13. it stirres up it selfe it awakens it selfe why art thou so sad O my soule Psal 42. 5. The fourth is the binding of it selfe by determinations and purposes so Paul bound his owne heart with a determination before he came unto Corinth 1 Cor. 2. 2. Daniel knowing how unwilling his heart would be to abstaine from the Kings meat though by grace he was willing therefore his heart bound it selfe with a purpose he purposed not to defile himselfe with the Kings meat Dan. 1. 8. So Act. 11. 23. The fifth is the groaning and sighing of the heart as David though he were willing yet feeling the unwillingnes of the flesh therewithall fetch a groane O that my wayes were so direct that I might keepe thy Statutes Psal 119. 5. So Paul groaned earnestly to be dissolved 2 Cor. 5. 2. This is the putting of the heart more forward These I have named you may name more it may be But thus if the heart be alive towards God it will doe because it feeles a great deale of unwillingnesse it gets what advantage it can of it selfe to make it selfe willing as the Church ere ever was aware my soule made me like the Chariots of Aminadab Cant. 6. 12. it sets it selfe right as the soule when it 's dead it neglecteth this act quite and cleane from day to day as the Psalmist sayes of dull Israel he calls them a generation that set not their heart aright Psal 78. 8. REVEL 3. 2. And art Dead WE are come to declare what it is to be a live Christian quickened up towards God and all his holy wayes and after sundry passages we came to enquire what is the life of the soul here I propounded five things First what is the life of the minde Secondly what is the life of the heart Thirdly what is the life of the conscience Fourthly what is the life of the memory And Fifthly what is the life of the affections We have spoken of the first what is the life of the mind ye know by nature the minde is alive to the things of the world and dead towards God and therefore we enquired what the life of the minde is it cannot be the bare knowing of things it may be dead to what it knowes it cannot be the bare thinking of things nor the bare approving of things nor the bare studying of things the minde may performe all these acts to a thing that it is dead to no no the life of the minde is First the applying of the minde Secondly the meditating and minding of the minde Thirdly the considering and weighing of the mind Fourthly the remembring of the minde Fifthly the devising and plotting and projecting and contriving of the minde Sixthly the Judgement of the minde The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the minde looke where the minde is alive there it puts forth these dispositions and therefore when the minde is alive towards God it lets out these towards him Then in the second place we came to enquire what is the life of the heart and this we spake of the last day we shewed you the heart may be somewhat towards a thing and yet be dead towards it for all that First there be shallow acts of the heart the outside acts of the heart there may be so much heart as to bring a man to good duties to constant preaching and hearing and praying and the like and civill carriage and the like and yet the heart dead to them all This is not the life of the heart The life of the heart lies at the bottome of the heart not in the outside no it lies deep within as Salomon sayes my Sonne keepe my sayings in the midst of thy heart Prov. 4. 21. Secondly there be flitting acts of the heart Though they be never so deep in the heart yet if they be such as doe not stay there the heart is dead still for if it were alive it would keep them Let thy heart retaine my words keepe my Commandements and live Prov. 4. 4. Though the word doe stirre one never so much for the present This is no life except thou retaine it and hold it fast a man may have many flashes of life in him but as long as the heart does not keep them it remaines dead when people are moved onely by sits humbled by fits startled by sits their righteousnesse is onely as a morning dew
a man may have sits of quickening sits of awakening sits of enlargements and sits of humiliation remaine in a dead state what a fine fit had Israel they remembred that God was their Rock and that the holy God was their redeemer Yet their heart was not right with him they were not stedfast in his Covenant Psal 78. 37. mark it was but a sit like Esaus crying for a fit Therefore this is not it Thirdly there be wouldings and wishings in the heart and these cozen the world more then any other these they thinke verily are effects of true life I told you reasons why people thinke verily these are arguments of life and then I shewed you reasons why they are not and then I shewed you the difference betweene the wouldings of a live heart and the wouldings of a dead heart But I let all these passe Then I proceeded to shew you what the life of the heart is namely when it puts forth an absolute will to a thing so that when the heart puts forth an absolute will towards God and all his holy wayes then it is alive towards God when a man is at this passe that he will beleeve come what can come of it he will beleeve and he will repent and he will hate every sinne love God above all feare God above all and he will set God before his eyes though it meet with never so many hinderances without and within pul backes rebellions yet it will doe it for all them now it 's alive as Paul sayes to will is present with me Rom. 7. 18. when a man can say from the bottome of his heart that to will is present with him I will be ruled by God I will deny my selfe though the flesh be never so violent and may be many times and often beares downe all before it yet he hath a will present within that will stand it out and that can never be borne downe the act may be borne downe and affections may be borne downe I but this will is still present I will be for God he is my chiefe good his Law is my rule his will is my will and I wil be at his dispose as the Author to the Hebrewes sayes His will was to live honestly Heb. 13. 18. As soone as ever the prodigall Son was come to this passe that he could unfeignedly speake it I will arise and I will goe to my Father Luk. 15. 18. you see the next newe ye heare of him was he was alive his Father said he was alive This my Sonne was dead but now he is a live you will say what if one had bound him hand and foot that is all one now he will goe he will bite the cord aforesaid if he can if one should hold he'ele wrastle he ele bite he will scratch he 'le spit in his face if he cannot get loose he 'le cry out O how they bind me here O my father my father I wil goe to my Father he cannot be quiet without his Father he will goe to his Father if they should cut off his Legges he will crawle to his Father I say when the will is absolute once towards God then it is alive towards God I gave you reasons of this why this must needs be the life of the heart First Because this is the perfectest operation of the heart when it absolutely willeth a thing There be many operations of the heart but none of them is perfect but this as David said to his Sonne my Sonne know thou the God of thy Fathers and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde 1 Chron. 28. 9. q d. this is a perfect heart when thy will is to serve him how ever things goe thou wilt serve him now thy heart is perfectly set towards him Secondly because this is the might and the strength of the heart ye know the heart is a very hard lusty thing where it is absolutely set and therefore when a man will goe on in sinne what ever come of it reprove him threaten say what you will he will still goe on we say he hath a hard heart nay the Scripture cals his heart a Rock or a Stone I say the resolute will is the strength of the heart now therefore when that is towards God his strength and might is to God as God sayes Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might Deut. 6. 5. a dead heart gives onely a few sick and weake acts towards God How weake is thy heart Ezek. 16. â—0 therefore that is not it an absolute will that onely is it for that 's the might of the heart Thirdly because this makes every thing possible naturally a man cannot beleeve he cannot habitually resist his owne flesh he cannot overcome the world he cannot live godly in all his wayes but now when the heart comes once to be willing towards God now every thing is possible I may say of this as Christ sayes of faith all things are possible to him that beleeveth Mark 9. 23. So all things are possible to him that willeth And therefore those that are godly in Christ Jesus are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 3. 12. Fourthly this takes in the manner of good duties too as well as the matter it 's more a thousand times then the bare doing of them a dead heart will serve for to doe them But when the heart is made absolutely willing this is more then the naked deed as Paul sayes to the Corinthians about Almes ye have begun not onely to doe but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be willing a yeare agoe 2 Cor. 8. 10. as he sayes of his preaching if I did it willingly I have a reward but if against my will c. 1 Cor. 9. 17. q. d. I may preach I may have so much heart and so much will as to preach alas that is nothing But if I doe it willingly that is if my will be absolutely thereunto this is it Brethren This is the right manner too Fifthly this is an argument that the heart hath an inward principle what 's the life of the heart but an inward principle of acting looke where the heart is alive there it workes from within There needs no compulsion to a covetous heart to have regard of his profit no he regards it most willingly he hath an inward principle to regard it as a Stone hath an inward principle to tend down-wards therefore hee 's alive to it now when the heart puts forth its absolute will towards God now it hath an inward principle of agility it needs no complaint as Peter sayes to Ministers feed the flock of God not by constraint but willingly 1 Pet. 5. 2. that is doe it very truly doe it with an inward principle not because ye see others feed not because ye see it 's a disgrace not to feed or because your conscience
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
am an Embassadour of the mystery of the Gospel though I be in bonds Secondly Have some Ministers such a commission from Christ then let them learn how to behave themselves in their function My Brethren Christ hath committed unto us the custody of his own power and authority and therefore we are to exercise it in his name our commission is to charge the great men of the world Charge them that are rich in this world that they bee not high-minded 1 Tim. 6. 17. True we are your servants for Jesus his sake and wee are to be humbled and to wait upon men of lowest degree and to condefcend unto men of meanest capacity and there is a time when wee should for loves-sake intreat but the truth is too wee have power to charge and command These things command and teach 1 Tim. 4. 11. These things speak and exhort and rebuke withall authority Tit. 2. 15. We must not betray the power and majesticall simplicity of the Gospell of Jesus Christ We have Christs owne power and authority in our ministery and therefore wee are to command you in his stead as ever you will answer Christ before his Tribunall at last day neglect not those things which we preach to you from him Now we command you Brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that yee withdraw your selves from every brother that walkes disorderly and not after the Tradition which hee received of us 2. Thes 3. 6. True we are inferiors to Kings and Princes and Magistrates and the Nobility and Gentry of the land There be thousands and thousands that are our Betters in all civill respects but our Embassage is above all The Lords own Power and Authority goes through the ministery as a Trunk As the King may send a Command to the greatest Nobleman of the Kingdome by the hand of a meane man and he is to hearken to it though the messenger in himselfe be his underling yet his message is above him and he looses his head if he despise it So beloved we are over you in the Lord that is in regard of our message Though we be your inferiors and some of you be our betters and wee are to stand with Cap in hand to you yet ye loose your soules if ye will not heare us and obey our Embassage We must not bow to your humors nor make the Spirit of Christ in the Gospell to bend and comply with human lusts If Princes and Potentates were by we must not spare their sins Nathan deales roundly with King David Thou art the man Jehu with King Jehosaphat wrath is upon thee from the Lord because thou hast helpt the ungodly We must let all the world know that Christ whom wee preach is above them all wee must not prostitute Christs Scepter no not at a Monarchs foot If we be men-pleasers we are not the servants of Christ We must not suffer Christs word to be bound whosoeuer is our hearer whether high or low We defie popish Divinity that exalt their Antichristan Clergy above the civill Magistrate Belarmines Martin is but a foysted story But yet in this sense we are above all the Kingdomes of men as God sayes Behold I have put my words in thy mouth and loe I have set thee this day over Nations and Kingdomes to plant and to root up to build and to throw downe Jer. 1. 9. 10. Let no man thinke we are saucy though we reprove the greatest of you all as long as we doe it in Christ and from Christ we are the mouth of the Judge of quick and dead and he will make our words good The meanest Sergeant in the Kings name dares arrest the greatest Duke So my Brethren we come in the Kings name in Christ his name and therefore we must not be afraid of your faces As Paul told Philemon I have great authority in Christ to command thee that which is convenient Philem. 8. We have great authority to command every one of you to doe your Duties towards God and man We have Christ for our Author and therefore he will be a wall of Brasse to us We are his Embassadors and therefore our Message is with great power Thirdly Have we this Commission from Jesus Christ then this may serve to condemne all such as doe not obey our Ministery Though wee have all this authority the very power of Christ himself in our mouthes that equally binds King and Begger Yet who obeys our commands who stirres who repents who submits himself unto our commission we have called for humiliation but no man will humble himself We have cryed for reformation and amendment of life but no man relents wee have read our commission every week unto people we shew them our Letters Patents from the Lord Jesus Christ and they are counted as idle tales by the most O what an indignity is this unto our Lord Jesus Christ we are his Embassadors and your standing out against us is not against us but against him and he will repay it O sayes the Apostle if any man obey not our word By this Epistle note that man 2 Thess 3. 14. q. d. note him with a brand of infamy note him as a Rebell against Jesus Christ look upon him as a wretched miserable creature take heed of him avoid him withdraw your self from him point at him yonder goes a wretch that will not obey the voyce of his teacher excommunicate him from your company have as little to doe with him as you can Be ye shie of such a man certainly there is great wrath hangeth over him So Beloved if any obey not our word note such persons note such parishes note all such families the wrath of heaven hangeth over them their stubbornnesse and hardnesse of heart is not against us but against the Lord. These are notorious Townes notorious people that have Christs Embassadors among them and yet will not be obedient and yet how is our Embassage made nothing of if Kings onely and Princes and Lords and great men should make nothing of it we should not so much wonder because they are greater men then those that God sends his Embassage by and yet if they were wise and knew what they did they durst not doe as they do but every base fellow stops his eare and hardens his heart against the God of Heaven and earth and will not obey our word nay men can hear their sins ripped up and the Anathema's of Christ spread before their faces and not blush They can heare that those very sinnes they live in doe separate from God do adjudge them to hell and shew them to be under the blacknes of darknesse and the sentence of damnation they can see it showne them out of the word which they cannot deny for their hearts though they would never so faine and yet they will not repent nor returne that they may have mercy Not one drunkard will leave nor one Mocker leave nor one Covetous person nor one gracelesse
wretch leave they will have their owne wayes doe the Ministers of God what they can We can get none to be awakened none quickened none stirred none startled to any purpose Setting aside here one and there one that truely obeys the voyce of Gods servants the whole countrey lying in ignorance of God in the privation of his Spirit unreconcilednesse with heaven voydnesse of faith emptinesse of grace and life the nakednesse of an outward profession having no true quickening within nay the most in grosse wickednesse drunkenesse company-keeping unrulinesse disorder uncleanenesse lasciviousnesse covetousnesse mocking at the pure in heart malicious alienation of spirit against the holy wayes of God Nay since we have spoken to them in the name of the Lord yet none will hearken to any effect that their soules may live Fourthly therefore I pray you let me adde one use more doe but consider how the Lord taketh this at our hands that his Ministers are thus vilipended They are in more danger of their liberty for reproving then the wicked for committing of their sins Are his Ministers his Embassadors then he will never endure that his Embassadors shall bee abused When the King of the Ammonites had abused Davids Embassadors that he sent him in love 2 Sam. 10. Ye know what it cost it cost above 40. thousand mens lives The Romans slue the Illyrians and the Tarentines for mis-using of their Embassadors and as Cicero sayes our Ancestors sayes he for this very thing destroyed all Corinth For alas how could Princes deale with one another if Embassadours should not goe safe and be hearkened unto Therefore Embassadors must be regarded When Scipio Africanus tooke a ship full of Carthaginians though he meant to rifle all they had yet when they said they were Embassadors he would not meddle with them True they were not they did but counterfeit that so they might escape But yet you may see how inviolable Embassadors were the least indignity offered to them was punisht as if it had beene offered to the person of that Prince that they did sustaine Well then how doe we thinke will the Lord take it at peoples hands that his Embassadors are abused and disobeyed that people will not diligently come to them and acknowledge their errands and yeeld obedience to him no Nation under heaven hath had more Embassadors from Heaven then we have had and though some have hearkened to them yet for the most part they meete with Ammonitish dealings they are disfigured and mocked and laded with indignities denyed to deliver their message every paltry rascals complaint admitted against them none walke in so much danger as they none more shot at then they scarce any will heare them and submit to their Embassage and those few that doe are counted the only factious people and pestilent fellows in the land O what wrath is there against us for these things For this very cause the Lord plagued all Judah even because they would not listen to Gods Embassadors that he sent to them earely and late as the Prophet speakes Jer. 29. 17 18 19. Thus sayth the Lord of Hoasts Behold I will send upon thee the sword the famine and the Pestilence and will make them like vile Figges that cannot be eaten they are so evill and I will persecute them with the sword with the famine and with the Pestilence and I will deliver them to be removed to all the Kingdomes of the earth to be a curse and an astonishment and an hissing and a reproach among all Nations whither I have driven them Mark now what is the reason why God would doe thus Because they have not hearkened to my Word saith the Lord which I sent unto them by my servants the Prophets rising up early and sending them but yee would not heare sayth the Lord. This was the reason why God would plague them so grievously because they would not listen to his Embassadors that he sent them for their good The like we reade of the ten Tribes the Lord powred his vengeance on them too for this very reason because they would not heare his Embassadors therefore the Lord cast them out of his sight and flung them away from being his people and hee would never be their God more the place is 2 King 17. 13 14 15. The Lord testified against Israel Judah by all the Prophets Seers saying Turne ye from your evill wayes and keepe my Commandments and my Statutes according to all the Law which I commanded your fathers notwithstanding they would not heare but hardned their necks like to the neck of their Fathers and did not beleeve in the Lord their God and they rejected his Statutes and his Covenant that he made with their Fathers Mark this was the cause why the Lord was so angry with them and removed them out of his sight Because they would not doe as his Embassadors did command them in his name Now as God hath let out his fury upon them for not attending to his Embassadors so he hath done and daily doth and will yet more doe upon us For though for temporall Judgements God be patient and forbearing beyond all admiration we feele yet no Sword no Famine no Pestilence we may be astonisht to see how long suffering he his O if we had the grace to consider of it neverthelesse the Lord is effusing out upon us the very dregges of his Cup he fats us up for his eternall ire he hath done converting of our hearers he hath done blessing of our Sermons he hath made us Loammies and Toruhamahs turned us into a generation of his wrath You whose eyes God hath opened whose hearts God hath inclined unto him whose Consciences God hath purged and Sanctified and made you Saints Blesse him and praise his holy name and make more of his infinit grace and goodnesse For it is to be feared God will now adde no more to your mumber he delivers people now to a reprobate sence he resolves to be revenged on our land in fire and Brimstone for the contempt of his glorious Gospell that hath beene preached so long a time He lets men fill up the measure of their sins that those that are filthy may be filthy still those that are drunkards may be drunkards still those that are led with their lusts shall be so still to the intent that he may bring upon the world all the fiercenesse of his spirituall and everlasting wrath and that he may revenge the quarrell of his Covenant and the labors of so many Embassadors whom he hath sent unto you and ye would not heare O that this might move some of your soules that so ye might prevent this dreadfull judgement and be plucked out like Brandes out of the Burning Fifthly Another Use is are Gods Ministers his Embassadors then they must Preach no mercy at all unto such as wilfully stand out against Jesus Christ When Antony was a Rebell O sayes Tully it is not fit to send him
dead Ministry God seldom goes along with it nay that 's the life of a Ministry when the Minister seekes God to goe along with him now a dead Ministry God goes not along with it a lively Ministery Christ goes along with it So I am with you to the end of the world Matth. 28. 20. if there be any of Christs sheep in the parish a lively Ministery does assuredly one time or other finde them out those that are not Christ his sheep a lively Ministry hewes them all downe slayes all their Souls ripens them apace for hell and for the pit But a dead Ministry the Lord does not goe along with that the Lord does not Crowne it Fifthly a dead Ministry prophanes the word of God it makes it seeme nothing worth it does not hold forth the glory of the Lord nay it hides it keeps it from being seen either by dwelling upon Generals and what 's that but hiding for people will confesse the word in generall they see it the generall all their blindnesse is in particulars there they slip away like Fish out of a broad Net or else by delivering it so coldly that people think it no great matter a lively Ministry holds forth it lets out God into the conscience it gives people to understand they come upon life and death it makes people looke about them it makes people consider all that ever they have done it slashes the word of God into their hearts as a light to discover all their wayes it gives them a view of their Christian estate either one way or other as it is said of Pauls Ministry The word of the Lord was glorified by it Act. 13. 48. But a dead Ministry prophanes it it vailes the glory of it it lets people sit quiet under it it diseases no sinner where as if it glorified Gods word it would either trouble them or turne them The use of this is first here we see the 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 whereas a lively Ministry can hardly come into a pulpit but presently he is halfe a martyr Briers and Thornes were with Ezechiel Ezek. 2. 6. lively Ministers cannot give the world any good content they fought against Jeremy they played the wolves against the Apostles of Jesus Iohn the Baptist was counted too sterne and austere and Luther sayes it is impossible for a man to be a true lively preacher of Gods word and not be persecuted there 's an utter antipathy between the world and such a one the world and such a Minister can no better agree together then light and darknesse such a Ministry stands in the worlds light it makes the world see their works are evill it detects it shames it opposes their sinnes that the world tumbles in as Christ sayes I have given them thy word and the world hates them because they are not of the world Joh. 17. 14 therefore there cannot be a lively Ministry any where but the world hath a sling at it but now let a man have a dead Ministry that 's let alone that may stand long enough that never comes home to men to shew them their ill estates the devils dawbers the devils upholsters that doe not pluck mens pillowes away from under their arme-holes that deale gently with men and they may do what they list for all them these are the worlds minions and applauded at all hands what a thing is this whereas a dead Ministry is the undoing of mens soules it lets men perish and never drawes them back Secondly this may serve to reprove us that are the Ministers of Jesus Christ I desire to speak to my self especially that we 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 alack how if we be found guilty of it that we preach no more quickningly I confesse blessed be God we have so much lively preaching left yet among us that woe be to them that are dead and have to grace of life But O that our Ministry had more lively-hood in it that it were more exciting and provoking Is the Apostles of Christ complained of dull hearers Heb. 5. 11. how many dull hearers have we why then shall we make our soules guilty of their dulnesse 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 how many people are very neer the Children of wrath how they cannot be saved except they be justified and sanctified in Jesus Christ how few are so how hard a thing it is to awaken mens hearts nay the world and the cares of this life carry their minds quite and cleane away how scarce any almost seriously consider their latter end don 't we see how the devill tempts how the flesh and the world reigne in most and how little religion we have up and down the Saints scarce the wicked many times very bad the shortnesse of life the irrecoverable estate after death the immortality of the soule the paines of hell and the joyes of heaven and how that without holinesse no man shall see God how should we bestirre our selves to beat these truths into mens minds that they may be bethinke themselves and flee from the wrath to come The cold preaching of such weighty things cleane cozens the world so that they hardly conceive any great matter in the businesse live and dye perish for ever in their sinnes and we give them such faint warnings that no wonder so few do take any warning we found the trumpet too too low that scarce any almost prepare themselves we come into the pulpit but we doe little or no thing there may be we preach good doctrine but we doe not presse it to the quick that the conscience may feele we doe not bleed for our peoples security and though they do not heare how little does our soul weep in secret or melt in publik Bucolcerus that admirable lively preacher was wont to say that a Minister should preach flebiliter obsecratorie anxie humiliter expectore cum gemitu that is a Minister should preach mournfully over peoples soules beseechingly anxiously humbly heartily groningly as it is said of our Saviour Christ he groned for the peoples unbeliefe now when our Ministry is deadish as though we cared not much whether people doe our doctrine or no whether they be damned or no this is a lamentable thing The poore soules of our hearers may say to us as the disciples of Christ said to Christ and more justly they said it unjustly to him Master carest thou not that we perish Mark 4. 38. he was asleep and they awakened him Master carest thou not that we