enough for so great and glorious an undertaking Paul speaking but of the accomplishment of the Work of one of Christ's Ministers saith and who is sufficient for these things Then surely much less sufficient to institute a Frame Constitution for Ministers and Ministrations which requires a greater capacity or sufficiency then the former wherefore John tells us No man in Heaven nor in Earth neither under the Earth was able to open this Book neither to look thereon Rev. 5.3 4. Wherefore this concern must be let alone to him to whom of right it doth appertain even to the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah our Lord Jesus for he onely is worthy and capable thereof as we read vers 5. compared with vers 9. But to proceed Reason 3. Thirdly This must needs be the peculiar Prerogative of Christ to appoint his own Ministers and Worship or Service because 't is his own 't is for himself 't is for his own Church and Kingdom and who shall appoint him Servants or impose Servants and Services upon him It stands not with his honour or faithfulness to admit it But again Reason 4. Lastly Ministries and Ministrations Spiritual Ecclesiastical appertaining to the Kingdom of Christ must spring from the Free-will and Royal-Pleasure of the Lord Christ because that as it stands not with his Honour Greatness Wisdom and Goodness to commit this concern into the hands of Angels or Men being below true fitness or capacity for the work so neither can any created Power snatch Authority or exercise Power of imposing Ministers and Ministrations upon him against his Royal Will and Pleasure and if they but attempt to do it let them look to it for he will one day dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel Ps 2. And however the Sons of men may attempt to incroach this Power and Priviledge of the Lord Jesus into their hands yet let me say to these as the Prophet in a like case did What is the Chaff to the Wheat saith the Lord Jer. 23.28 Even so what is the Will or Power of Man to the Will and Power of the Lord Jesus that he should oppose him or impose upon him 'T is truth Man may impose upon the Son of Man but who can impose upon the Son of God Sampson and Peter were both imposed upon and carried whither they would not but none can impose any thing upon Christ against his will for he will and can refuse to drink such Gall and Vinegar however they be that offer it to him Therefore it remains most clear and visible from all that hath been offered That this is the alone Glory and Prerogative of the Lord Jesus to be the Spring and Fountaneous cause of all Ministries Ministers and Ministrations belonging to his own Church upon whom he freely bestowed them Thus much for the confirming and clearing of the Doctrine I come now to the Application of this great Point Use of Information First This serves for Information in two or three Particulars First It informs us how much such are mistaken that conceive and affirm that it is left free and arbitrary to States and Princes to judge and conclude what Ministry and Ministration the People of God should injoy in their Dominions whereas in truth it nothing at all appertains to them but only to the Lord Jesus to appoint and determine what kind of Ministers and Ministrations his People shall fall under as the Arguments before alleadged do manifest Men have liberty and freedom to judge and determine for themselves but no power to impose or determine for others as Paul saith Who art thou O man that judgest another Man's Servant to his own Master he standeth or falleth yea he shall be holden up for God is able to make him to stand Rom. 14.4 But again to proceed Secondly This informs us how far that assertion is from being a Scripture-Truth which maintains That Ministries and Ministrations depend upon the Christian Magistrate for confirmation whereas indeed it depends upon the good will and pleasure of none of the Sons of Men but onely upon the Son of God who is Lord of all things I suppose in this case I may say with truth what Korah and his Complices said with falshood Ye take too much upon you who-ever you are that thus affirm and practise Numb 16.3 Thirdly This acquaints us that such Ministers and Ministries and Ministrations that spring not from the Will Wisdom and Authority of the Lord Jesus are none of his Ministers Ministries or Ministrations but Man's either their own or other mens creation or creating Let them be dignified or distinguished by what Names or Titles soever even from the Pope to the Parator and if such will not be called Antichristian Ministers yet must they suffer me to call them Man's Ministerâ— and let all such Ministers of Man and of the Will of Man hear their doom Mine hand shall be upon the Prophets that see vanity and divine lies they shall not be in the Assembly of my People neither shall they be written in the House of Israel neither shall they enter into the Land of Israel and ye shall know that I am the Lord God Zech. 13.9 Further this informs us That all such Ministrations as spring not from the Lord Jesus neither are instituted by him nor found in the Writings of the New Testament are none of Christ's Ordinances but mens sinful inventions and superstition concerning which our Lord long time since gave his Judgment saying But in vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrine the Commandments of men Mat. 15.9 Fourthly and Lastly This acquaints us That the Innovation or bringing into the Church of God such Ministers and Ministrations as our Lord Jesus Christ never instituted neither spring from nor depend upon him is no small but a magnified Transgression If it be Treason against a King for any in his Dominion to introduce Offices Officers Laws and Ordinances without his consent O! what high Treason is it against our Sovereign Lord King Jesus the King or Prince of the Kings of the Earth Rev. 1.5 I say What Treason is it for any man or number of men to make and appoint Ministers and Ordinances in his Church and Kingdom without him Let all such Traytors against the Lord Jesus think seriously on two or three Texts of Scripture I shall commend unto them one is that of Isaiah Wherefore the Lord said Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouths and with their lips do honour me but have removed their hearts far from me and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men Therefore behold I will proceed to do a marvellous work amongst this people even a marvellous work and a wonder for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid Chap. 29.13 14. Again think on that passage of Ezekiel And he said to me Son of man the place of my Throne and the place
ought to be and do whence we may collect thus much Doct. 1. That the Lord is not sparing or scant in means of Grace to his Church and People but hath provided and doth afford them one and another means of help and advantage for Soul-Concernments God as God hath in Mercy and Wisdom dealt with the Second Creation and state of Grace as with the first Creation In Nature he hath not made single Fruits Flowers Plants Grain or Beasts Birds or Fishes but innumerable in number and manifold in kind even so great variety and plenty that even the wisest of Moralists or Naturalists scarce knew what need or end there is even of that variety or plenty unless to commend the Creator Men are often times at a loss how to improve and not despise that plenty Even so is it in spiritual and supernatural things Men are so fully provided of them that they even surfeit and are wanton under God's Divine Ordinances and Provisions of Grace as once Israel did of Manna yet it seems good to God to have moreovers and to minister himself in manifold wisdom to his People To instance thus God dealt with Israel he gave them not onely Moses but Aaron also not onely Sacrifice but Circumcision also nor Circumcision only but the Passeover also nor the Tabernacle but the Temple also not onely Priests and Levites but Prophets and Nazarites likewise That so God might say as Isaiah 5. What could I have done more for my Vineyard which I have not done And this Job tells you Chap. 33.14 15. So Solomon in the 9th of his Proverbs Even so hath he done under the Gospel not tying us to any one Way or Means but affords us various Means and Seasons We have the Heaven and the Earth declaring his Glory and Handywork Psal 19. Also we have the Law and Statutes of God in his Scripture which is able to make the Man of God wise unto Salvation We have also the Law written in our hearts We have Instruments without and Instincts within We have the Word and Men without and the Spirit within We have Mercy and Judgment all whispering to us Fear ye the Lord. So that we may truly say God as well as Man hath his Moreovers And we serve not a hard Master nor is our reproof and destruction less than sufficiently of our selves Now the Grounds and Reasons why God walks thus towards his People are briefly these Reas 1. That the Glory of the Wisdom Power and Bounty of God might the more gloriously appear by the riches of his Liberality and plenty of Provisions afforded to his People Prov. 16.4 Rom. 2.4 Ephes 1.18 19. Col. 1.27 Reas 2. God makes his Provisions to be very large and plentiful affording us moreovers to the end that we might with the more ease and facility do his Will and attain the knowledge and enjoyment of Salvation so Isa 28.9 10 11 12. and this the Apostle seems to eye Acts 17.30 31. And the Prophet Micah Chap. 6.6 7 8. Christ saith His Yoke is easie and his Burthen light because he affords light sufficient to see it with and strength enough to do what is required and helps many to assist us and rewards full and rich enough to quicken and incourage us But again Reas 3. The Lord doth it to comply with our nature and frailty which is not so well satisfied nor so effectually furthered or helped by one Way or Means as by diversity and variety and therefore vouchsafeth us his Moreovers or Line upon Line and Precept upon Precept Reas 4. And lastly It is to stop the Mouth and leave silent and inexcusable all neglecters and despisers of Gospel-Grace and Provisions since God can say to all such What need I have done more than what I have done This God pleads for himself 2 Chron. 36.15 16. and Luke 13.7 8 9. The first Vse is of Information By way of Improvement or Application briefly let this first admonish us to believe how inexcusable wicked and ungodly Men and Women are who have God's overpluses and moreovers I mean that living under the light of the Gospel among the Saints enjoy such means to better them and change them and yet remain ignorant profane and ungodly Will not all this present favour and goodness of God to them one day rise up in judgment against them and be an aggravation against them as Paul saith Rom. 2.3 4 5 6. Oh! let such think seriously and timely upon two Scriptures and I shall say no more to this Use Luk. 19.41 42. And when he was come near he beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes compared with Heb. 6.4 5 6 7 8. For it is impossible for those who were once inlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance seeing they crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame For the Earth which drinketh in the Rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth Herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God But that which beareth Thorns and Briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Secondly Caution Secondly Let it be a word of Caution to all of us not to be wanton and despise and slight God 's moreovers or his overplus kindnesses as I am afraid too many do among Professors at this day like wanton Israel that despised God's Manna Numb 11.4 5 6. calling it light Bread Chap. 21.5 Even saying as Christ's Disciples What need this waste Matth. 26.8 Like unto many now-adayes that say What need so much Preaching Yea What need of such long Preaching Is not shorter Preaching better Preaching I beseech you take heed of such thoughts lest God takes away our plenty and give us scarcity enough Oh let me perswade such wanton Christians to take the Counsel Peter gives to Simon Magus Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee Acts 8.22 23. Oh Friends take heed of such thoughts of such vain yea vile thoughts for surely we are not grown such quick Learners or good Scholars or so soon taught what the good and perfect Will of the Lord is as to conclude we need few Preachers or little Preaching Neither is the Preaching of the Gospel such a mean Excellency as worth little more than to be despised or hath the Lord Christ given Gifts to men in vain Oh no he that hath given Gifts to many not to one he well knew many Preachers were necessary that by here a little and there a little by Line upon Line and Precept upon Precept because the
People or Multitude of Believers being intrusted with this business will chuse simple and unwise Preachers I Answer briefly Their Rule in this business prevents this Objection For they must be wise that ought to be admitted to Preach and the Church must not only be simple and ignorant but undutiful and disobedient to Christ's commands or else this danger is avoided And though Babylons Builders are blind in this matter yet Christ's Church is wise and seeing and the Spiritual Man discerneth all things 1 Cor. 2.15 2 Thess 2.15 And so much for this Objection The second Use is of Caution Secondly Let this Use be a word of Caution to all such as either design or are already engaged in Preaching-work Look to this Doctrine That you are in God's as well as his Peoples account wise truly wise richly wise with the Spiritual Heavenly Gospel-wisdom Oh Beloved undertake not this weighty glorious honourable Work or employment of Preaching without sutable aptness and fitness thereunto Run not before Jesus Christ sends you remembring Rom. 10.15 How can they Preach except they be sent 〈◊〉 Take not this honour this undue honour to your selves to be judges of your sufficiency For it is written Heb. 5.14 No man taketh this honour t◠himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron Be of the temper and spirit of Jeremiah have lo◠thoughts of your selves and abilities and uprightly say as he did Ah Lord God behold I cannot speak for I am a Child Jer. 1.6 And with Moses say Oh my Lord I am not eloquent neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken to thy Servant but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue Exod. 4. Oh you Beloved to whom I am now speaking in this Use be mindful of that word Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy Mouth and let not thy Heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven therefore let thy words be few 'T is Soul-work you are to do therefore be wise 't is Christ's Work therefore be wise 't is honourable Work therefore be wise 't is hard Work very difficult Work therefore be wise For who is sufficient for these things 't is dangerous Work yea most dangerous of all Work If we do this deceitfully or negligently or foolishly think on that word Eccles 5.6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin neither say thou it was an error Wherefore should God be angry at thy voice and destroy the work of thy hands Oh remember Ezek. 3.17 18. If thou warn not the wicked from his wicked way the same wicked man shall surely die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thy hand Be therefore wise truly wise Heavenly wise spiritually wise richly wise in all the revealed wisdom of God for God hath said He will be sanctified in them that draw nigh him and before all the people he will be glorified Numb 10.3 But that you may be wise take these few Directions and helps as sufficient for the attainment of Preachers-wisdom Direct 1. First and above all Be much in Communion with God by Prayer for wisdom for every good and perfect Gift cometh down from the Father of Lights and your way to have it is by Prayer So saith James If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth liberally and upbraideth not chap. 1.5 Beloved all we that Preach and all ye that desire this great Work of Breaching we do all of us lack wisdom yea very much lack wisdom therefore pray Oh pray abundantly for wisdom that we may receive it Thus did Solomon and pleased God and obtained his request 1 Kings 3.7 8 9. And this Paul the great Apostle of the Gentiles desired the Thessalonian-Church do do for him even to pray that the Word of the Lord might have free course and be glorified by him and his Companions On Brethren and Beloved pray much and fervently for your selves and beg also the constant fervent Prayers of all the Saints and Churches of the Saints that you and all that labour in the Word and Doctrine may be truly richly Spiritually wise Direct 2. Secondly Would you be Spiritually wise Be diligent painful and abundant in the study and searching into the Scriptures for this is able onely able of outward helps to make the Man of God wise even throughly wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 with 1 Tim. 4.15 16. Meditate on these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all continue in them that thou mayest save thy self and them that hear Oh my dear Brethren and Friends this is a Preachers study and work to search and study the Scriptures not Fathers Commentators or School-men as his business this is but a by-study it is Scripture-study even the Old and New Testament which is our great business even our all to study for 't is Scripture and Gospel that you must Preach not Books nor mens Opinions therefore study the Scripture diligently and humbly Direct 3. Thirdly Be very much in the practice of Godliness walk much with God if you would be wise and know much of the mind of God Thus God acted towards Abraham Gen. 18.17 He would not hide his Counsel from him because he was Godly and would command and reach his Family the fear of the Lord so in Danel's case So our Lord also promiseth John 7.17 saying If any man will do his Will he shall know the Doctrine whether it be of God Direct 4. Fourthly Be much in Communion with Saints for with the well-advised is wisdome therefore if Preachers would be wise they must walk in the way of good men and keep the paths of the Righteous Prov. 2.20 Paul sat at the feet of Gamaliel and thus Apollos became wise through converse with Aquila and Priscilla and thus Mary may be said to become wise by sitting at the feet of our Lord Jesus Acts 22.3 with chap. 18.25 26. and Luke 10.25 So that if a Preacher desire to be wise his way is to hold and maintain much Christian-fellowship and Communion with the Saints even with the wisest and most experienced among them This may serve for direction in this matter therefore I beseech you that are Gospel-Preachers to strive to be wise by the exercise of all holy Means for by so doing you may obtain to be such Preachers of whom it may be said Moreover because the Preacher was wise he still taught the People knowledge And this shall suffice for the first Branch of this Verse concerning what the Preacher was and his qualification I come now to the second Branch of the Text which contains the first part of the wise Preachers Act or Work He still taught the People knowledge First These words contain either the Preacher's persistency or going on with his Work Or Secondly His proficiency or ripening at or in his Work He still taught the people knowledge Not as one that was at a stand or height but as
mouth to cause thy flesh to sin neither say before the Angel it was a sin Eccles 5.6 But this I must speak more to on another particular and therefore shall come to the Reasons of the Point that Preachers had need to give good heed to what they Preach Reas 1. First Because if they Preach heedlesly Christ will mind it heedfully 'T is dangerous Preaching heedlesly in the ears of heedful Hearers but especially in the ears of Jesus Christ whose eyes are like a flame of fire and observes all our deportments in his Concernments If he hear us Preach heedlesly he will set this sin in order before us though he seem to over-look it and we think he hath forgotten it Carelesness and rashness in the Ministry of the Lord's Word meets with swiftest Observation and severest Chastisments Therefore take heed and be holy ye that bear the Vessels of the Lord remembring the case of Nadab and Abihu Levit 10. and of Vzzah 2 Sam. 6.6 7. Reas 2. Secondly The reason of Preachers heedfulness is this The Observance of men Are the Hearers Sinners and the worst of Hearers they will and do observe the best of Preachers and lie as it were in wait to entrap and catch them or intangle them in their talk or Preaching Such as can observe little of the Marrow of Preaching or a Sermon will be able enough to observe all the Mistakes or Errata's of a Sermon Therefore take away occasion from them that seek it as Paul did 2 Cor. 11.12 But again 2ly Let Preachers preach heedfully because of Saints their eyes are upon you and their ears open to you and they are taught of God to know all things and as Spiritual men judge all things and have senses exercised and like these noble Bereans will try all things Therefore O therefore Preach with good heed and Preach only good things for their Knowledge Reas 3. Thirdly Preachers had need Preach heedfully because that which they Preach is hard and difficult to Preach Preaching is not easie Work it is hard Work 't is curious Work it needs much wariness wisdom and circumspection to draw Water out of these Wells of Salvation and to fetch Gold out of these Mines of Divine Wisdom therefore ought they to give good heed to Preaching Reas 4. And lastly Preachers should give good heed how they Preach because of the worth and excellency of what they Preach Though men care not how they scatter their dross yet they are very careful what they do with their refined Gold Though the Husband-man passeth not what he doth with his Chaff yet he is very careful what he doth with his Seed-corn Even so should it be with Preachers they should be very heedful where they Sow and how they bestow their principal Wheat Oh! Sow not upon the Rocks nor on the High-way side but on good Ground and carefully look to your Seed to Christ's Seed it is too choice to sustain any loss Oh therefore heedfully Preach that you lose not your labour nor your reward Thus much for the Reasons of this Point now to close this Head with a word or two of Application First of Reproof Application First If Preachers ought to give good heed how they Preach then this ministers a word of Reproof to such as are heedless Preachers that think it is an easie facile Work to dispense and propagate Truth surely such do not remember the weightiness of Preaching so they can but Preach pleasingly to men profitably to themselves and securely in respect of others they think it is enough never applying themselves to over-see or consider the state of the Flock the various state of their Hearers the avoiding of their Enemies the Salvation of Sinners and the perfecting of the Saints by an acute exact circumspect thorough search and enquiry after Gospel-Truths that they might Speak and Preach as the Oracles of God Well I shall not stand upon this only be minding these of that sad word Cursed be he that doth the Work of the Lord negligently And let these Preachers know what God hath threatned to all slight Preachers by the Prophet Jeremiah saying Therefore I am full of the fury of the Lord I am weary with holding in I will pour it out upon the children abroad and upon the Assembly of young men together for even the Husband with the Wife shall be taken the Aged with him that is full of dayes And their Houses shall be turned unto others with their Fields and Wives together for I will stretch out my hand upon the Inhabitants of the Land saith the Lord For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one of them is given to covetousness and from the Prophet even unto the Priest every one dealeth falsly They have healed also the hurt of the Daughter of my people slightly saying Peace peace when there is no peace Jer. 6.11 12 13 14. Note And so I conclude this Use 'T is a dangerous and a destructive evil to be a sleighty Prophet or Preacher The second Vse is of Exhortation Secondly Let this exhort all wise Gospel-Preachers to remember the Text and also give good heed to the Work of Preaching 'T is not only honourable but difficult likewise 't is high 't is hard Oh therefore give good heed to this Work of Preaching 'T is not man's Work or a Work performed so much for men as for God 'T is Soul-Work as you love Souls or have a value of immortal Souls take heed to your selves in this Work this blessed Work of Preaching Oh be intent upon this thing to seek the profit of many that they may be saved Oh Speak or Preach as Paul words it as you ought to speak Ephes 6.20 study Scripture study Men listen to the Spirit follow its Guidance give your selves up to this Work taking Solomon's Counsel Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with all thy might Oh strive mightily to be spiritually exact and perfect Preachers Oh remember It is required of a Steward that he be found faithful 1 Cor. 4.2 Therefore let me beseech you Men Brethren and Fathers even all you that are Christ's Stewards and Gospel-Preachers give good heed to this thing that you may give up your account with joy and not with grief of heart The third Use is of Vindication Thirdly Let this Doctrine vindicate such Preachers as give good heed in Preaching so to Preach that they may approve themselves good Work-men even Work-men that need not be ashamed dividing the Word aright such as Preach not as pleasing men but as pleasing God which tryeth the hearts 1 Thess 2.4 I say This Truth now cleared will acquit and justifie all such sober serious exquisite faithful painful wise Preachers which give good heed and apply themselves to be Physicians of Value such as endeavour both to sound their own and the peoples hearts and to see that they Preach as the Spirit gives them utterance and guidance Acts 2.4 Such
thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts The third Vse is of Exhortation But again The next Use I shall make of this Point is for Exhortation in two Branches and that to two sorts of persons First Such as Preach the Gospel Secondly To such who hear the Gospel preached The first Branch First Let me presume to speak a few words to all such as fear the Lord and preach the Gospel of our Lord Jesus first Be exhorted so to Preach or make manifest the Gospel as it ought to be preached or made manifest as Paul words it Col. 4.3 4. Oh! as wise Preachers and not unwise seek and search after the mind of Christ contained in the Proverbs Problems or Word of Christ Oh! hunt as Hunts-men do for Game follow it hard and follow it close through thick and through thin through Bryars and through Thorns as such who are resolved not to lose their time and labour or desire if it be possible Even so let every wise Gospel-Preacher endeavour to preach the Gospel as striving not to lose his labour so Preaching that he may reap the Harvest or Blessing of his preaching and not onely preach but so preach as every wise Preacher ought to preach not only unto men or unto mens ears but unto mens ears and into mens hearts also if possible Thus Paul preached to the Galatians travelling in Soul for the good of their Souls until Christ was formed in them Oh Beloved study not only to preach Notions unto the People so much as to preach Motions into the People that Christ may be formed in them Oh! study Soul-convincing and Soul-converting Doctrine striving and designing that all your Hearers may be delivered into the form of that Doctrine which from Christ by you is to them delivered Oh! this will cause you not only to have matter of Peace but of Joy and Thanksgiving also with Paul Rom. 6.17 It is easier to seek out and find out a Sermon to preach unto the People than to find out this skill and wisdom how to be able to distil or preach a Sermon into the People for if God that gives us a Door yea an open Door of Utterance unto the People do not also graciously give us a Door an open Door of Entrance into the People also our Preaching will be vain and lost Preaching as to the People to whom we Preach no good will be done the People will be undone rather by us for the better the Preacher is and the more he preaches and the People not the better but the worse the more dangerous is that peoples case and condition and the greater will be their damnation Wo to thee Capernaum which art exalted to Heaven thou shalt be brought down to Hell For if the mighty Works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained till this day But I say It shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom in the Day of Judgment than for thee Mat. 11.23.24 Oh therefore as the High Priests of old bare the Children of Israels Names upon their Breasts even so let all wise Preachers carry their Hearers upon their Hearts that God would make their labour of love useful and not a savour of death unto death unto any of them But again Let me perswade and exhort such as Preach to seek that they may first be preached to and that doubly Get thy Soul first preached into Christ before ever thou goest to preach Christ unto any Secondly Get the mind of Christ preached unto thy Soul before thou goest about to preach the mind of Christ to any Soul remembring what is written How can they preach except they be sent Rom. 10.15 Oh Preachers seek before ever or whensoever you go to preach to others to get Christ to preach forth his blessed Truth to the which he would that day have preached forth by thee to others For how can one receive any thing except it be given him from Above or from Heaven Joh. 3.27 Oh seek and search out diligently what Message is most meet for the People and what Message Christ would have thee now hand forth to the People for 't is not every Message but present Message is a meet Message to be delivered to the People This we have hinted in the Description of the wise Scribe that he brings forth of his Treasury things new and old things sutable and necessary for present concernment Mat. 13.52 The Peoples present need should be every wise Preacher's business to supply and that in the first place Oh search as after the Peoples Lessons so after the Peoples profiting be not foolish Seedsmen as to sow your Seed yea Christ's principal immortal Seed of the Word and never look after it be not like the World's Sons of Levi that only preach to preach themselves into the People and the Peoples Money into their Pockets and having performed as much of this as Law requires and will effect their end they never care what becomes of their preaching Oh pray over your preaching yea pray after your preaching that God would bless your preaching and add the upper as the nether Springs to your preaching and not let you run and labour in vain Search after the profiting of your Hearers and see how the Seed sown makes increase in some thirty in some sixty in some an hundred fold Mark 4.8 But again Let me once more exhort wise Preachers to seek out the deep things of God contained in the Mysteries of the Gospel or manifold wisdom of God Oh! be not blind Leaders of the blind World lest you and they fall into the Ditch search and study the Scriptures which are able to make the Preacher or the Man of God perfect or throughly furnished unto preaching Knowledge Gospel-Knowledge is deep Waters Apply your diligence to draw it out of the Wells of Salvation But lastly Suffer me to add one word of Exhortation more Search and see there be no root of Gall or Wormwood springing up to trouble you in your Work I mean see that the mouths of gain-sayers and such as oppose your preaching or slander your good Conversation be silenc'd that they which speak evil of you may be ashamed The better and more wisely any Preacher preaches the more will be his opposition and therefore his wisdom should be to take away occasion from such as seek occasion that they of the contrary part may be ashamed Oh seek to preach preventingly that whosoever be Hearers they may not find any occasion against you save onely in the matter of your God Strive to countermine Satan and Sinners that whilst you are sowing precious Seed will not spare to sow the Tares Therefore strive so to preach as to leave them no place or advantage for the Tares yea seek especially so to preach as the Children that come to you for Bread may not meet with Stones or suppose you give them Serpents for Fishes I mean Fancies and Errors instead
34.18 19 20. I beseech you dear Brethren let it be our Work and Business to do what the Prophet was commanded to do when the Lord answered and said Write the Vision and make it plain upon Tables that he that runneth may read it Habak 2.2 Oh let it be our main business not onely to know that the Lord hath Proverbs and that our Lord Jesus spake nothing without a Parable Mat. 13.34 that is little without a Parable I say This is not so much our business as to comprehend and understand how to set these Parables in order in due order in their own order Oh this is necessary and becoming wise Preachers thus to do and not to set Proverbs out of order into their own or other mens order labouring more in Preaching to keep close to their own or other mens sense and order in opening the Scripture than unto Christ's and the Scriptures order It matters not what Commentary or Commentâ— or we decline or contradict so we harmonize the Scripture and agree with the Original Sense and Scope thereof Let such as preach and would preach wisely and approvedly bâ—onfult the Sense and Interpretation of Text as well as Observation or Application of Text. For how can the Observation be true or natural or the Application forcible and strong if the Interpretation be wrong Oh taâ—e heed of wronging Proverbs by knocking Proverbs even God's Proverbs out of order and lie and say not the truth when you say the Lord saith it or the Lord's Word teacheth it and the Lord hath not said it neither doth his Word reach it Oh think frequently of that word Behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that use their tongues and say The Lord saith it Jer. 23.31 Think it not wisdom or excellency to darken vail or lobscure the Scripture or the Proverbs thereof but to unvail or enlighten the Scripture that is make its real Light appear lest by so doing we not only contract to our selves our own but the sins of other men also even the sin and right to the punishment of as many as have received and believed our dreams for the Visions of the Lord. 'T is more than we can well bear our own guilt and the chastisements of our own sins and errors But O! how intolerable and heavy may it prove to us to bear the guilt or punishment of the many deceived and corrupted by us The greatest of Preachers and Writers without conformity to this Doctrine lie in greatest danger as being the greatest of Deceivers But I shall say no more to this Use or Doctrine save only a closing word because I am speaking to the wise and a word to the wise may suffice and truly such as are otherwise 't is not the many words will do any good as Solomon tells us Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a morter among wheat with a pestle yet will not his foolishness depart from him Prov. 27.22 Wherefore my Brethren let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Philippians 3.15 And so I come to the next verse or next words of the Text though I might offer another Observation from the number of Proverbs the wise Preacher set in order 't is many or the All of the many Proverbs that are in the Scripture We might note Wise Preachers are fruitful Preachers not barren lean or dry Preachers that can onely interpret some one or other single Proverb but can set in order the many or manifold Proverbs in the Scripture but I shall rather proceed and hasten to a close As this Scripture is Prophetical and looks towards the truly wise or transcendently wise Preacher our Lord Jesus that greater than Solomon we might note divers things but this I now shall want time for you find in vers 10. The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words and that which was written was upright even words of truth In general This Verse gives us account of what the Preacher sought even acceptable words and this is the second thing he sought as this verse compared with the former acquaints us But more particularly In the Verse we have two things First An account of what the Preacher sought to find out even acceptable words Secondly The excellency or property of those acceptable words in these words and that which was written was upright even words of truth or according to truth not only upright but also words of truth To begin with the first of these The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words This is every wise Preacher's Work to seek how to find out acceptable words or how to make his words acceptable For the improvement of these words one question is necessary to be resolved to wit What acceptable words are or such acceptable words are which Preachers ought to seek out I Answer First Negatively Not flattering words or deceitful words though sometimes such words Preachers seek out and the People account them acceptable as in that passage of the false Prophets who knowing the affection of the King to be for War finds out acceptable but deceitful words who said with one consent Go up for the Lord shall deliver it into the hands of the King 1 Kings 22.6 But you find these were neither upright words nor words of truth but of deceit and falshood as the consequent declared it but the words the wise Preacher sought to find out as acceptable to the People were upright even words of truth But secondly Affirmatively I say Acceptable words which wise Preachers should or do seek to find out are words meet to be accepted from him that preaches by them to whom he preaches and so is every word of truth in the general though some words more especially as Paul implies in that expression This is a saying worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners of whom I am chief 1 Tim. 1.15 Thirdly Acceptable words imply words which God accepts and therefore should be acceptable with the People Though the People do not accept them yet they may be accepted of God Such were Mieaiah's words to the King when he said I saw all Israel scattered upon the Hills as Sheep that have no Shepherd and the Lord said These have no Master let them return every man to his House in peace 1 Kings 22.17 Fourthly Acceptable words imply sometimes such words as are not only words of truth in themselves and so acceptable to God but words accepted with the People and so acceptable in all respects Such were Philip's words to the Eunuch If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest Acts 8.37 The former of these cannot be wanting in an acceptable word the latter may and yet the words be acceptable as in that of Jeremiah when he told the King of Judah Behold Pharaohs Army which is come forth to help you shall return to Egypt into their
heed that we open not the mouths of the uncircumcised Philistines to rejoyce or blaspheme Let Professors know what they can and talk what they will 't wil signifie little unless they walk also in this Spirit of Truth and Uprightness Vse of Exhortation But secondly and especially Let this be matter of Exhortation to us all even as many as fear the Lord both Preachers and Hearers to labour for and walk in a Spirit of Truth and Uprightness This we have seen is a most excellent choice frame of Spirit in the esteem both of God and Man Oh therefore labour to attain such a frame of Spirit For naturally our Spirits are otherwise in the frames of them for what the Prophet once said is still truth Every one is an hypocrite and an evil doer and every mouth speaketh folly or falshood Isa 9.17 'T is Mortification of earthly Members and Sanctification of the Spirit must make us Men or Women of this frame of Spirit for naturally we are born of another temper and you who know what Mortification is know it is not easie work to mortifie the deeds of the flesh but be it what it may be yet be prevealed upon in the fear of the Lord to set upon this duty even to get our Spirits into this frame even into this good frame and if it will cost us the plucking out of our right eyes or cutting off our right hands yet subscribe to it And first Let me freely tender this word of Exhortation to us that are Preachers and should be wise Preachers seeking out acceptable words and that which by us is at any time preached and written upon the heart of the People should be upright even words of truth Let us be a living Word as well as a speaking Word let our lips and our lives joyn together and speak one thing even Holiness to Jehovah Oh let not us reprove sin in others and allow or indulge it in our selves What is that but down-right dissimulation Oh let us not commend Patience and be impatient and Humility and be Sons of Pride our selves This is not to walk with the foot of uprightness according to the Gospel This is not to be a wise but an unwise Preacher if not a proud Pharisee and a very Hypocrite Wherefore if a Preacher be under such temptations as to pretend Christ and preach Self and to seek Christ and seek mostly Self as to cry down all sin and yet live in cry'd down sins to commend Grace and Vertue and yet live short in Grace and empty of Virtue placing thy excellency and piety in seeming so and saying so and in washing the out-side neglecting the inside make broad the Phylacteries and enlarging the borders of your Garments that is in using singular or peculiar restraints and modes of Gesture and Vesture from other sober and pious Persons Oh know 't is not marring of our Beards or Locks and having our Cloaks long and our Girdles strait that can or will prove us wise Preachers or men of this excellent Spirit of Uprightness and Truth Oh no! we may be Fools and Hypocrites for all this and therefore it nearly stands us upon to do as that great Preacher and Apostle of the Gentiles did Even to keep under or beat black and blew our body and bring it into subjection lest O mark it that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast-away 1 Cor. 9.27 And answer all temptations to contrary-mindedness or contrary-spiritedness to this Doctrine and frame of Spirit as good Nehemiah did saying Shall such a man as I flee Who being as I am would desist Chap. 6.11 So let us Who that is as I am a Man Ah more than a Man a Christian yea more than a Christian a Preacher to Christians that would seek great things for himself under pretence of seeking great things for Christ Oh who that were a Preacher as I and preached down Covetousness Idleness Earthly-mindedness in others would live in these things himself Oh no my Soul I will not I dare not lest I be not found a wise but an unwise Preacher and that which by me is written or preached be not words of Truth and Uprightness And in the Close what-ever I may be to others I be to my self a cast-away O therefore let Preachers especially receive and improve this Exhortation and see that our conversation be only as becometh the Gospel Phil. 1.27 And to close up this Head of Exhortation Let as many as are and would be found wise Preachers be perswaded to think often and deeply of that Scripture 2 Cor. 4. Therefore seeing we have this Ministry as we have received Mercy we faint not but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every man's Conscience in the sight of God Having thus tendred my Mite to Preachers let me now be your Exhorter that are Hearers Men and Women fearing the Lord Oh let this be your frame of Spirit be like your Father Jacob of a plain Spirit who hath his commendation in his youth that he was a plain man Gen. 25.27 Oh such let us that fear the Lord be let our inside be manifest by our out-side let our Words and our Works agree our professions both to God and Man and our performances agree and correspond together let our Light and our Life agree our publick and private walking agree so shewing forth that we are Israelites indeed in whom there is no guile Even the Epistle of Christ written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables of Stone but in fleshly Tables of the heart as we have it 2 Cor. 3.3 Oh 't is living forth this Doctrine will speak us forth clearly to be Christians or the Epistles of Christ when we have such frames of Spirit as are throughly seasoned with Uprightness and Truth Christians look to your frame of Spirit Hypocrites can look to their Words and Speeches Look you to your Hearts good Words and good Works Hypocrites have for God 't is Saints onely have good Hearts for God Oh look well to your Spirits how the frame stands bent whether for Truth and Uprightness or for Falshood and Hypocrisie and forget not that word Mal. 2.15 Take heed to your Spirits Oh dress your Spirits with Truth and Uprightness for the dress of the Soul goes further with God than all the dresses of the Body with men can do as Peter informs us where he advises Women Not to let their adorning be outward adorning but let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which in the fight of God is of great price 1 Pet. 3.3 4. Oh my Brethren look mostly after the dress and adorning of your Spirits for God is not only a Spirit but converseth most with
regardest not the persons of men Matth. 22.16 And to you Hearers that are wise Heaâ—ers of the Word of God take that counsel of Zechariah These are the things ye shall do speak ye every man truth to his Neighbour execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his Neighbour and love no false Oath for all these are things that I hate saith the Lord Zech. 8.16 17. Thus I have briefly finished this Point and this Verse because I am not willing to detain you any longer I shall proceed to the next Verse and Words in the Text Vers 11. The words of the wise are as Goads and as Nails fastned by the Masters of Assemblies which are given from one Shepherd This is the close of this Argument and of the Text and is the third Particular asserted concerning all wise Preachers in the 9th Verse we have his pains and diligence mentioned in the 10th Verse we have his Doctrine vindicated and in this Verse we have the Original and Advantage of such Preachers and Preaching declared The words of the wise are as Goads and as Nails fastned by the Masters of Assemblies which are given from one Shepherd In which words generally we may observe two things First The Nature and Property of wise Words or the words of the Wise They are as Goads and as Nails fastned by Masters of Assembles Secondly We have presented to us the Rise and Original both of such Preachers and Preachings they are given from one Shepherd In the first we have also two Particulars first The Persons spoken of only the Wise and the Words or the Words of the Wise Secondly That where-unto the Wise and their Words are resembled and that is Goads and Nails In the second general we have also two Particulars First The Person or Spring from whom wise Preachers and wise Words come that is from the one Shepherd Secondly Note how they come from the one Shepherd voluntarily freely they are given from one Shepperd Let me briefly open or explicate the Text. Explication First What are those Goads and Nails to which the words of the Wise are resembled A Goad seems to be that usual and necessary Instrument which Neat-herds or Drovers use about Oxen at labour and in travel such we read of Judges 3.31 and in 1 Sam. 13.21 Nailes are either such as were used to fasten Tents and the Tabernacle with or other Habitations and things withal Such was that Nail Jael took to kill Sisera with Judges 4.21 Masters of Assemblies or Masters of Companies or Master-workmen in all Occupations Some are choicer Workmen than others one Shepherd or the great and chief Shepherd is our Lord Jesus Christ The drift of these words are only to imply the choiceness and usefulness of Wise-Preachers and Wise-Preaching They and their Work are as perfect useful and necessary as the choicest Artists and their Works Such being as necessary and useful in Spirituals as any other things can be in Humane Cases and Concernments From the words thus opened divers Observations or Doctrines might be raised as from the Persons and work here spoken of The Words of the Wise We may note Doctrine 1. That it t is not any Preacher or Preaching but only the wise Preacher and wise Preaching that is the Peoples Blessing and Advantage such only will prove like to Goads and Nails The second From the Comparison as Goads and Nails which are not only good and exact in their Nature and Kind but needful and necessary in their Use from which I might note Doctrine 2. That wise Preachers and Preaching are very necessary and needful for the People Thirdly From the ground and occasion of Goads and Nails which are not only good but also to quicken and fasten From whence we may note Doctrine 3. That the best of Saints need quickning and setling which are the ends of Goads and Nails Fourthly From the manner of attaining these Note Doctrine 4. Either to be wise Preachers and capable to give wise words or to be a People so priviledged as to have wise Preachers and wise Words is a free gift of God as 't is said in the Text which are given from one Shepherd Doctrine 5. Lastly Note All divine Ministries and Ministrations come from the Lord Jesus that one Shepherd or that original Shepherd For brevity sake I shall only insist upon two Observations into which I shall draw the substance of all the rest The first is this That wise and spiritual Preachers and their words are very useful and necessary for the spiritual service and benefit of God's People as the things mentioned or the choicest things in Nature are or can be for natural ends and purposes The second Conclusion is this That all Divine Ministries and Ministrations spring from the alone Will and Wisdom of the Lord Jesus that one Shepherd and are freely given for the advantage of his People as we have it in the Text which are given from one Shepherd or from the one Shepherd To begin with the first of these to wit That wise and spiritual Preachers and their words are very useful and necessary for the spiritual service and benefit of God's People as either the things mentioned or the choicest things in Nature are or can be for natural ends or purposes The truth of this Conclusion shines evidently in Scripture as in that of Solomon A word fitly spoken is like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver As an ear-ring of Gold and an Ornament of fine Gold so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear or as the cold of Snow in the time of Harvest so is a faithful Messenger to them that send him for he refresheth the Soul of his Masters Prov. 25.11 12 13. Hear also what the Apostle saith How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard And how shall they hear without a Preacher Oh see the great necessity and utility of a wise Preacher But lest this were not enough he adds from the Prophet as it is written How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace and bring glad tydings of good things Rom. 10.14 15. To trouble you with no more take that Ephes 4. where we find the End and Use of wise Preachers it is for perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry for edifying of the Body of Christ that we hence-forth be no more Children cossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive vers 12 14. Two or three things in the Text clear this sufficiently Reason 1. First The Appellation put upon Preachers I mean onely wise and profitable Preachers they are stiled wise and that is as honourable to the Preacher so also profitable to the People For as that