savorie doctrine and holy example they season others changing and altering them for the better And on the other hand being bad themselves they infect others So as what the Lord speaks of the Prophets and people of Israel in another sense Hos. 4. 9. We may use it in this Like Preist Like people Surely it was not without cause that the Lord sending his destroying Angell to Ierusalem he orders him to begin at the Sanctuarie Ezek. 9. 6. From thence came the rise of all those Abominations that were done in the midest of that Citie of which he speakes verse 4. they began at the Preists who if they had not been first corrupted themselves the people had not been what then they were Thus are the Ministers of God like Stars for those Influences which they have upon the people To which I might add did I not feare the straining of this string as an enlargment or further improvement of this Resemblance Stars having such an Influence upon the earth they have also a power of Binding and Loosing Such are the properties of those two a foresayd Constellations Pleiades and Orion The one bindeth the earth with the hard frost the other looseth it by the warme ayre and showres And such a power hath Jesus Christ given to these Stars the Ministers of his Gospel a Binding and a Loosing power This power he gave to Peter Mat. 16. 19. I will give unto thee the keyes of the Kingdom of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth shall be bound in heaven whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth shall be loosed in heaven But not to Peter alone but to the â—est of the Apostles and Disciples as well as to him So you shall finde it Ioh. 20. 23. Where explaining what he meant by binding and loosing with their solemn Mission he giveth them this Commission Whosoever sinnes ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins ye retayne they are retayned This power did Jesus Christ give unto them and their successors putting the Keyes of the Kingdom of heaven into their handes the Keye of Doctrine and the Keye of Discipline whereby they open and shut binde and loose binde the Obstinate loose the Penitent both which they doe in a Ministeriall and declarative way Even as it may be conceived of those two foresayd Constellations Orion and Pleiades the one bindeth the earth the other looseth it But how Not meerely by their owne influence as being the sole or yet principall Cause of that Change for that is to be attributed to the Sun which by his Recess and returne maketh that alteration but they by their rising notifie those changes Even so is it with these Stars the Ministers of Christ what herein they doe they doe it not by their owne power or vertue as Peter said of his healing the Cripple Act. 3. 12. but by Anthoritie from Jesus Christ in his name declaring what his will and pleasure is Here is a sixth Resemblance To which I might yet add some other which are reached unto me by other handes But I would not seeme to straine the Allegorie by drawing that from it which it will not naturally and voluntarily yield And I shall have occasion to touch upon some and diverse other in the Application Which let it be directed both to Ministers and People 1. For the former were the Audience sutable I might from hence take a just occasion to speake largly to the men of my owne Tribe minding them of their Duty and exciting them to the discharge of it But however give me leave here to present to you what more immediately and properly concerneth them Hirein I shall preach to my self and you must give us leave sometimes so to doe Whereof you may have the benefit afterwards Besides you hearing what the duties of Ministers are may be the better able to doe what you are 〈◊〉 onely allowed but in some cases required to doe viz. to say to Archippus as Paul biddeth them Col. 4. 17. take â—â—â—de unto the Ministery which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfill it I meane in a Christian and becoming way to excite and admonish those whome God hath or shall set over you in case they shall be found remiss or negligent in their Ministerial duty and service Upon this account I shall give an account to you of what more properly concerneth my selfe and others of my Brethren To whome the sum of what I have to say is onely thus much that seeing they are set by God as Stars in the firmament of his Church they would performe the like offices to those committed to their charge as the Stars doe to this Inferiour world But before I come to prosecute this Exhortation let me first premise one or two Premonitions Let them first see that they be Stars such as are so placed by God in the firmament of his Church Therein do true Stars differ from Comets The one is fixed by God the other ascends of it self Let not the Ministers of the Gospell doe so Let not them ascend into Mose's Chayre as that new starre is sayd to have done into Cassâ—â— pâ—â—â—s in the yeare 1572 of themselves thrusting themselves whether upon the Ministeriall function or yet particular Charge without a regular and warrantable mission So did those false Prophets in Ieremies time of whome the Lord complayns Ier. 23. 21. I have not sent these Prophets yet they ran I have not spoken unto them yet they prophesied Thus did they all on their owne heades having neither Mission nor Message from God Let it not be so with Gospell Ministers They who take that office upon them let them looke to their calling Noe man taketh this honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as Aaron was saith the Apostle of the Priesthood Heb. 5. 4. speaking not de facto but de jure not what men doe but what they ought to doe Uzziah though a King must not take upon him the office of a Preist 2 Chron. 26. 16. No more ought any to usurpe upon a Gospell ministerie taking upon them to dispence Ordinances in a ministerial way without a warrantable calling from God Let them see that they be Stars not Comets that they be set by God in the firmament of his Church 2. And being thus set let them now seeke after Illumination that they themselves may be inlightened So are the stars being set in the firmament they are inlightned without which they would be of no use And this let these mysticall stars seeke after even a supernaturall illumination God hath shined into our hearts saith the Apostle that we should give the light c. Ministers that they may inlighten others they must first be enlightned themselves And this let them seeke after And where shall they have it Why where have the stars their light but from the Sun And where should Gospel Ministers have their light but from Iesus Christ. He
and glory hereafter And such is the office of all the ministers of Jesus Christ. Which the same Apostle sets forth 2 Cor. 4. 6. God hath shined into our hearts speaking of himself and other Gospel Ministers that we should give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ that being our selves effectually illuminated we might be instrumentall in the inlightning of others This are the Ministers of Christ to doe by word 2. And as by word so by worke As by Doctrine so by Example Thus are they to shine before others in an Exemplarie Conversation So indeede ought all Christians to doe It is the Commendation which the Apostle giveth of his Thessalonians 1 Thes. 1. 7. They were ensamples to all that beleeved in Macedonia and Achaia But the Ministers of Christ in a special manner They beeing by their office shepheards they should as shepheards anciently were wont to doe go before their flocks Or to hold to the Emblem in the Text from which I would deviate as little as may be as that Star did which was given for a guide to the wise men to direct them to the place of Christs nativity It went before them saith the Text until it came and stood over where the young child was Matth 2. 9. Such Stars should the Ministers of God be unto the people Being given them for Guides they should not onely shew them light which that star also did to them but they should go before them till they bring them to heaven being Ensamples to them So was Paul to the believers of his time Marke them saith he to his Philippians which so walk as ye have us for an ensample Phil. 3. 17. Whereupon he there propounds himself unto them as a pattern for their Imitation Brethren be followers together of me And such all Gospel Ministers either are or ought to be This is that which Paul requires from Timothy 1 Tim. 4. 14. Be thou an example to the believers in word in conversation c. And the like from Titus Tit. 2. 7. In all things shew thy self a pattern of good works And it is Saint Peters charge to all of that Tribe Neither as being Lords over Gods heritage but being ensamples to the flock 1 Pet. 5. 3. The Ministers of Christ though they be as stars set over others by God yet they may not as Astrologers tell us some of the stars do Lord it over their Brethren Whether over their Consciences or Personâ— by an imperious obtruding of their own dictates instead of Gods Commandements as the Pharisees did or by carrying themselves Magisterially towards any under their charge But Patterns they should be teaching the people as by Doctrine so by Example Here is a fourth resemblance to which add a fifth 5. Stars have light and give light but it is a borrowed light In that differing from the light of the Sun whis is originally in the body of it The Sun being the fountain of light it hath light in and from it self But so have not the stars Their light is a borrowed light which they receive from the Sun And such is the light which the Ministers of Christ communicate unto others it is but a borrowed light Therein differing from that light which is in Christ who is the Sun of Righteousness as he is called Mal. 4. 2. the fountain of all spiritual light That was that true light saith Saint Iohn speaking of Christ Iohn 1. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 light it self Original light So was not Iohn the Baptist as the verse foregoing hath it He was not that light A light he was and that a shining an eniment one but not that light that Original light This was onely Iesus Christ. He is the Sun As for his Ministers they are but stars receiving their light from him I have received from the Lord that which also I delivered unto you saith the Apostle to the Church of Corinth touching the Doctrine of the Sacrament And the like may be said of the whole doctrine of the Gospel This the Ministers of Christ receive before they can deliver it Being themselves enlightned before they can enlighten others God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined into our hearts saith the Apostle that we should give the light c. in that place fore-named 2 Cor. 4. 6. Hence is it that sometimes they are compared to Candlâ—s or Lamps Ye are the light of the world saith our Saviour to his Apostles Matth. 5. 14. But what light why not Sun-light but Candle-light So the verse following explains it Neither do men light a Candle and put it under a bushel meaning that he had not communicated unto them that light to the end that they should hide it And thus it is said of Iohn the Baptist that he was a shining light John 5. 35. But what light why a Lamp or a Candle for so the word there properly signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence cometh the Latine word Lychnus and the English Linke And such were these Angels the Ministers of these seven Churches of Asia the Churches being the Candlestick as they are here represented to Iohn in this vision they were the Candles in them Now a Candle or Lamp how great soever the light be that it giveth yet it is but a borrowed light And so is it with the Ministers of the Gospel Their light is but a borrowed light Here is a fifth resemblance Take one more 6. Stars are Influentiall As they all give light and the same light so they have their severall Influences What those Influences are it is in a great measure a Mysterie a secret to us But that they have such Influences it is not to be questioned So much we may learne from God himselfe who Putteth the Question to Iob Cap. 38. 31. Canst thou binde the sweete Influences of Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion Pleiades and Orion two of the Constellations of heaven Pleiades the seven stars which rising in the spring bring warme showres for the moistning and refreshing of the earth Orion a winter Star which brings with it hard frosts which are there called the Bands of Orion because the earth is as it were bound with them Thus are they both Influentiall changing and altering the Earth and the Ayre And like Influences have these Stars the Ministers of the Gospell upon the Persons and places over which they are set working upon them as by their Doctrine so by their Examples Both which are very Influentiall and operative for the changing and altering of the people either for the better or the worse Hence is it that they are compared to salt Mat. 5. 3. Ye are the salt of the earth Salt being layed upon a peice of flesh it hath in a little time a great influence upon it in altering the taste of it seasoning it and making it savorie And thus the Ministers of Christ by their wholesome and
by every of us Not to the end that we should abuse this mercy turn this grace into wantonnesse as Saint Iude saith of some in his time did Iude 4. taking occasion thereby to go on and continue in sin What shall we say then Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid saith the Apostle Rom. 6. 1. Shall we therefore go on to provoke this God because he is so compassionate towards us so loath that we should perish what were this but to abuse this his lenitie and goodnesse to our own just condemnation But on the other hand let this goodnesse of God lead us unto repentance This is the right use of it as we may learn from the same Apostle Rom. 2. 4. Be we hereby provoked to break off the course of our waies provoking sins and to come in unto this God by serious and unfeigned repentance This use will an ingennous child make of the indulgent affection of a tender hearted parent When he seeth the bowels of his father or mother yearning towards him bewailing his destructive courses if there be any spark of ingenuity left this cannot but work upon his heart and make him think of betaking himself to a new course which may be pleasing and contenful to so affectionate a parent Behold thus is our heavenly Father and thus is our blessed Saviour affected towards poor sinners And therefore let it have the like work upon every of us to provoke us to break off those sinfull wayes and courses which are so offensive to those pure eyes and come in unto our God by serious and unseigned Repentance So doing now doubt not but we shall have comfortable experience of his grace and mercy What was the Lord Iesus so affected towards a stubborn and rebellious people that he so earnestly wisheth their good and so passionately bewaileth their calamity and will he not shew the like affection to poor penitent sinners such as by coming unto him seek for mercy from him Surely the Lord Iesus hath carried his bowels to heaven with him still retaining the same affection tovvards poor sinners that here he had upon earth Hovv ever he be not capable of expressing it in the like vvay He can hence forth weep no more All tears being wiped from his eyes as they shall be from the eyes of all his Saints vvhen they shall be translated to that blessed and glorious condition Yet still he retaineth the same affection towards poor sinners He that wept over Ierusalem here wishing that it had been othervvise vvith them then it vvas and vvas like to be he doth earnestly desire that those tears and that blood vvhich he here shed in the dayes of his flesh may be made effectual for the vvashing avvay the sins of poor sinners Which also they shall be to all those who turning away from them come unto him receiving him as their Saviour and Lord. But I shall not any longer dwell upon this which I take up from the general consideration of the words or from the manner of speaking Come we now to the matter taking a nearer and more particular veivve of this Lamentation Wherein we shall take notice of two things the Evil of sin it self which our Saviour here bewaileth and secondly the Aggravations of that evil The evil bewailed is their stupidity their not knowing of what belonged to their peace The aggravations of that evil are two the one taken from the persons the other from the time The persons who were thus stupid Ierusalem If thou even thou The time the day of their visitation At least in this thy day These are the severals we have now to deal with Begin with the first The evil lamented their not knowing the things which belonged to their peace Here by way of explication three things are to be unfolded 1. What is here ment by peace 2. What were those things which belonged to Ierusalems peace 3. How it is said that they did not know those things Q. For the first by Peace here understand we prosperity felicity So the word was familiarly used among the Hebrews In as much as Peace is a comprehensive blessing they set forth all blessings under this Thus in their ordinary salutations they were wont to wish Peace Peace be unto thee and peace be unto thy house and peace be unto all that thou hast It is the salutation which David sends to Nabal 1 Sam. 25. 6. And thus our Saviour sending forth his Apostles he puts this word into their mouthes directing them to salute the families where they came after that manner with an apprecation of peace Into whatsoever house ye enter ye shall first say Peace be to this hous Luk. 10. 5. i.e. all kind of happinesse And so look we upon the word here in the text By peace understanding here all kind of felicitie Omnes foelicitatis partes as Calvin hath it all the parts and kinds of happinesse Happinesse both present and future temporal and eternal Q. 2. But what were the things which belonged unto this their peace A. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why in one word Christ himself and the doctrine of salvation by and through him Christ and his Gospel These were the things which conduced to their peace to the making of them a happy people and that both here and hereafter Other things there were which in a Political and civil way might have tended to the outward peace the temporal prosperity of that place But none like this none like Christ who is the Prince of peace Isai. 9. 6. And our peace Ephes. 2. 14. In him is the salvation of a people bound up This it is which maketh a people truly happy The knowledge of Iesus Christ. And this knowledge the inhabitants of Ierusalem were destitute of They neither did nor would know this their Peace-maker Moses they knew he being read in their Synagogues every Sabbath day Act. 15. 21. But Christ they knew not Q. 3. But what did not they know him had they not heard of him Nay had they not both heard and seen him heard his Doctrine seen his Miracles A. True but they did not receive him He came unto his own and his own recived him not Joh. 1. 11. He came unto his own to Israel his own peculiar people to the land of Canaan his own Countrey he being of the seed of Abraham to Ierusalem his own City he being the Son of David but they received him not they would not own him they would not acknowledge him to be their Messias they would neither believe on him nor submit unto him This it is truly to know God and Iesus Christ to know them in an affectionate way Not barely to know and believe that there is a God and a Christ no nor yet to know that Jesus is that Christ. This knowledge the Devils had and have I know thee who thou art even that holy one of God saith