not if their sound bee not heard and the peoples bloud which perish by their default bee not one day required at their hands Now as this it is for the Ministers duty that he is a voice so is it also for his dignitie that he is vox Iehouae the Lords voice and this that hee is the Lords voice it first reflects in a memento to the Minister himselfe and then secondly to the people For the Minister himselfe in that hee is the Lords voice it teaches him integritie and humilitie And first integritie for he whom the God of Heauen makes choise of to be his voice need had he be Luke 1. as was Zacharias the Priest a man iust before God walking without reproofe Gods Minister then he must not be a bare voice but he must be as was Saint Iohn the Baptist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a voice he must be more then a voice and his heart must vtter workes of piety when his tongue speakes words of pietie his hands must deale workes of charitie when his tongue deliuers words of charitie nay more then this his modest cloathing like Iohns garment of Camels hayre Math. 3. this must bee a voice preach against the fashions of the times His temperate dyet like Iohns meat of Locusts and wilde Honey this must be a voice and preach against the Ryot of our times and thus must he be not so much a speaking as a walking voice for he must approue himselfe to God as did Saint Iohn Iohn 5. not onely a shining but a burning light not onely a shining light to lighten the dimme Candle of our vnderstāding to make vs to know God but a burning light to inflame the fire of our loue and to make vs to loue God He must be a preaching voice wheresoeuer hee goes as in the Temple preaching words of Pietie so out of the Temple preaching works of pietie that the sinceritie of his workes may giue countenance to the veritie of his words And this was signified in Aarons garment when as we reade in the 28. of Exodus verse 34. vpon the skirts of Aarons cloathing there was a golden Bell and a Pomegranate a Bell to signifie Gods Minister he must be a sounding a preaching voice a golden Bell to signifie the doctrine which he preaches must be sincere and pure pure as the gold tried seuen times in the fire and with this golden Bel is ioined a Pomegranate to signifie Gods Minister he must not onely be a Bell to sound out the Gospell nor onely a golden Bell sound in the sincere preaching of the Gospel but he must be also a Pomegranat as the Pomegranat is full of pleasant kernels so must Gods Minister abound alwayes in the worke of the Lord be full of good workes vt omnia quae loquitur Beda de vest Sacerd. bonis confirmentur operibus saith Beda That the confirmation of his doctrine may be the conformation of his life vnto his Doctrine Now if euer any Church in the world had in it this ring of golden Bels it is the Church of England at this day The church of Rome hath indeed a ring of Bels but they be Tinne they be Lattine Bels the Latine often broken Latine too which makes the ring so much the worse For the Priests of Rome beat so altogether vpon Latine in the seruices of their Church that most of them such is the ignorance of their Masse-Priests doe often breake it whereas our ring it is altogether of golden Bels sound and sincere Preachers of the Gospell delightfull for their pleasant sound and as delightfull for their pleasant sauour For as they be golden Bels for the purity of their doctrine so be they also Pomegranats for their vertuous life Now if it so sometime chance to hap you meet with a golden Bel without a Pomgranat a good Preacher for his Doctrine but not so good for his life neuer the worse mislike the ring but heare his doctrine and beare with his life For well saith a good Father Chrysost in Mat. 23. Si benè vixerint The Ministers if they liue well the benefit is their own Si benè docuerint if they teach well the benefit is yours accipite igitur quod vestrum est nolite discutere quod alienum est receiue therefore and skan their Doctrine for that belongs to you meddle not to skanne their life for that belongs to God for they are the Lords Voices and they stand or fall vnto their owne Master but God be thanked neuer were the Lords voices these golden Bels better tuned for life and doctrine then at this day the Lord so continue them who first vouchsaf't them to be his Voices that these goldē Saint-Bels may ring all in may winne all mis-led Christians to ioyne with vs in our holy profession while their light so shines before men that men seeing their good workes glorifie their Father which is in Heauen Now in the second place as the Minister sees his glory in this that he is Gods Voice so that he may not be proud of this that he is so highly dignified to be the Lords voice he must withall learne this point of humilitie how that hee is but the voice the Word God puts it into his mouth what he shall fay and he is but the Voice to publish it And this we haue cōfirmed vnto vs out of the 40. of Esay where at the sixt verse saith God vnto the Prophet Cry Now the Prophet thus approued to be Gods Voice to cry he awaits his message from God and in humilitie hee replyes to God Quid clamabo What shall I cry Now God he puts his word into his Prophets mouth and bids him cry All flesh is grasse and the grace thereof is as the flower of the field So that by this you see though the Prophet be the Voice to publish the message yet the Word God puts it into his mouth what hee shall say And therefore the Prophets beeing to deliuer their message from God they shew their warrant and still begin with this Verbum Iehouae the word of the Lord. For so begins our Prophet Micah this his Prophecie Chap. 1.1 The Word of the Lord that came vnto Micah as if Micah and all other the Prophets were but so many Voices still ready at hand awaiting and expecting to receiue the Word of the Lord whensoeuer it came vnto them for to publish it Now this being so that Gods Minister he is but the voice the Word God puts it into his mouth what hee shall say Why then first let no Messenger of the most High no Minister of the Gospell be any whit proud or lifted vp with this though hee farre surpasse all other in the gifts of the Spirit for alas he who thinkes himselfe the best and best furnished for the Ministerie hee is but the Lords Voice and not a word not a tittle can he vtter of himselfe but onely the Word which the
Lord God putteth into his mouth euen Balaam in the 22. of Numbers tels him as much where hee tels vs no not for a house full of gold and siluer he can speake a word good or bad but onely the Word which GOD putteth into his mouth to speake that and no other can he speake So that euery Minister of God he must in humilitie acknowledge and confesse what Iohn the Baptist before him stood not vpon to vtter Iohn 1.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am but the voice of him that cryeth of God that speaketh by mee For that which was matter of pride in Herod to heare the acclamation of the people The Voice of God and not of Man must be matter of humilitie in the Ministers of God when they heare The Voice of God and not of Man sith they be but Gods Voices Acts 12.22 the Word God puts it into their mouth what they shall say And therefore in the second place in that Gods Minister he is but the Lords Voice the Word it is Gods Word and hee is but the Voice to publish it This condemnes the great folly of the world which is so ready to taxe the Minister And if his Doctrine like the Arrow shot at peraduenture which smote wicked Ahab betweene the ioynts light vpon some Ahab 1. Reg. 22.34 some vngodly man entring thorow as the Word of GOD is liuely and mighty in operation Heb. 4.12 to the diuiding asunder of the soule the Spirit the ioynts and marrow This wicked Ahab 1. Reg. 22.8 this vngodly man he will hate the Lords Michaiah for this hee will hate the Lords Voice for this because he prophecies he preaches not good but as he conceitsit euil vnto him whereas sond man he considers not with himself how that the word it is Gods Word and the Minister he is but the Lords Voice to publish it and the Voice neither can it vtter good or bad but what the Lord God putteth into the mouth to say as Micaiah told the Messenger of Ahab who entised him to accord with the false prophets and to bring in his omnia bene with the rest Surely saith Micaiah as the Lord liueth whatsoeuer the Lord saith vnto me be it good or be it bad 2. Reg. 22.14 that and no other can I speake And therefore as we blame not the Bow if the Arrow hit vs but rather the hand which directed toward vs so let not men storme against the Voice which carries but the word vnto our eares But what then shall we storme against the hand of God which aymes the Word directly vnto vs Why storme we if we will but Dauid tels vs in his second Psalme wee rage and murmure but in vaine if our rage be not the sooner ouer God shal vex vs in his displeasure and breake these vessels of Clay these bodies of ours like a Potters Vessell be we wise therefore and be we learned in Gods feare and take we heed henceforward how wee storme against Gods Voices as wee doe Verse 39 lest as Gamaliel tels vs Acts 3. we be found fighters against God And take we heede withall how we censure Gods Voices as we doe bringing with vs cutious eares which heare more to descant on the Minister then to profit by his ministerie For in that we censure the Minister of God we seeme to censure God himselfe such the Minister he is but the Lords Voice the Word it is Gods owne Word and the Minister he is but the voice to publish it And therefore as Dauid tooke the indignities done to his Embassadours by the Princes of the children of Ammon 2. Sam. 10. as done vnto himselfe and so reuenged them so though euen Princes neuer so great ones of the world wrong and abuse the Embassadours of the Lord these Voices of the Lord God he will take the abuse as done vnto himselfe and will one day repay it home Henceforth then let the people take heed how they heare sith it is Gods Word they heare deliuered onely by mans voice And let the Minister also take heed how hee speake since it is Gods Word and not his owne which hee is to speake that so there being this sweet harmony betweene the Hearer of Gods Word and the Speaker there may be more true deuotion in the heart and lesse censuring prattle with the tongue And so frō the Ministers dutie proceed we onward to the Peoples It is so you see that the Minister he is the Lords Voice and therefore as it is all our duties to reuerence the Lord so is it also our duties to beare respect vnto his Voices For the Church it is Christs Spouse and the Congregation of the faithfull the Church of God cannot better expresse her loue to Christ her Husband who is in Heauen then by a due respect vnto his Voices who are heere on earth Now the due respect of a louing Wife vnto her Husband consists in three maine duties First to loue him Secondly to cherish him Thirdly to obey him All which the Church of God and Congregation of the faithfull because she is the Spouse of Christ is bound to impart vnto his Voices for they are Christs receiuers heere ouearth to receiue for him these pledges of our loue And so also saith our Sauiour he that receiueth you receiueth me Math. 10.40 Now we are first to loue Christs Voices and this is the thing the Apostle beseecheth at our hands to haue them all in singular loue 1. Thes 5.12 13. who labour amongst vs who are ouer vs in the Lord who admonish vs to loue such with a more then ordinarie with a singular loue for their workes sake and we are bound to loue them in two respects First because they are Christs his Embassadours sent vnto vs with an Ambassie of Peace beseeching vs in Christs stead 2. Cor. 5.20 to bee reconciled vnto God Now if we loue the Prince of Peace needs must we loue these Embassadors of Peace and if we loue CHRIST IESVS who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word needs must we loue them who are the Voices to publish and proclaime this Word Secondly we are bound to loue them because they loue vs they watch ouer our soules nay they loue many a man better then hee loues himselfe for these Voices Hier. 9.1 they oftentimes with Ieremy carry about with them whole fountains of teares in their head and in their heart draw from these Wels with the two Buckets of their eyes such abundance of teares that their eyes shead teares day and night for their sinnes who seldome or neuer shead a teare for their owne sinnes And therefore good reason haue we to loue these Voices or at leastwise not to hate them as too too many doe who little better esteeme of them Gen. 16.12 then of Ishmael their hand against euery man and euery mans band against them I will say thus much to the honour and
from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light Now as the City Hierusalem had need of this crying Voyce euen so hath our Hierusalem this City of ours Our Citizens complaine It is now a dead world a dead time and there is little stirring in the world little trading but they may more iustly complaine in another sense that it is a dead world indeed men carrying about with them liuing bodies but dead soules and There is little stirring in the world for iniquity hath got the vpper hand and iets aboue honesty euery where so that honesty stirres little abroad for she hath little trading in the world while wicked men who make a trade of sinning by their euill customes make the greater part of the world their customers and therefore if euer the Lords crying Voyces cryed to dead mens eares to heare the word of the Lord now is the time for the greater part of men like the widow which liueth in pleasure 1. Tim. 5.6 are dead while they liue And could you but euery weeke haue bils brought you in to signifie within the City liberties and without how many soules dye in a weeke some of a surfet of drunkennesse some of a swelling tympany of pride some of the burning feauer of malice some of the dropsie of couetousnesse some of one or other disease of the soule you would blesse your selues to see most mens bodies to be but liuing Sepulchers for dead soules and you would pity the great taske which is imposed vpon the Lords crying Voyces to heare them cry to dead mens eares which hearing will not heare and to dead mens harts which will not vnderstand and therefore blame we not the Lords Voyces for their importunate crying in our eares crying vnto vs in season and out of season crying at all seasons for they cry most vnto dead men And well saith Saint Augustine Quam difficile sargit quem moles male consuetudinis premit sed tamen surgit post vocem magnam August in Joan. tract 49. Hard it is to awake a sinner whom custome hardens in his sinne and yet such a sinner hee may bee wakened if you often call vpon him for repentance At much and often crying then euen the dead shall heare the Voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall liue Cry then still yee Voyces of the Lord whom God hath made the Cities Criers to cry lost children home againe to him their heauenly Father by repentance and spare not to cry whilest voyce and breath doe serue to cry and though ye cry to dead mens eares yet is not your labour in vaine in the Lord for Truth it selfe hath said it in the fift of Iohn for the comfort of your labours Verily verily I say vnto you Vers 25 the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shal liue And this is also comfort for the sinner that though he be dead in sinnes nay with Lazarus dead foure daies Dead the first day by delight in sin dead the second day by consent to sinne dead the third day by the act of sinne dead the fourth day by a customary sinning so that it may bee said of him as of Lazarus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he now stinkes in the nostrils of the Lord yet if this dead sinner will but heare the Voyces of the Lord crying and crying againe in precept vpon precept exhortation vpon exhortation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come forth thou sinner how come forth why S. Angustine tels thee how quando consiteris procedis August in John ibid. when thou dost confesse thy sinne to God thou commest forth of the graue of sinne And if the sinner thus come forth vomiting vp as it were his sinnes which are a burthen to his conscience the stomach of his soule by an humble confession vnto God Truth it selfe hath said it this dead sinner he shall liue And though hee come forth of the graue of sinne bound like Lazarus hand and foot bound with the chaines of his sinnes yet Christ shall giue his Ministers charge ouer him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loose him from his sinnes absolue him and let him goe in peace And therefore to draw vp all vnto an end Let not Gods Voyces despaire of doing good though they cry most vnto dead men because Truth hath said it for the comfort of their labour The dead shall heare the Voyce of the Sonne of GOD and let not dead men men dead in sinnes and trespasses if they heare the voyce of the Sonne of God despaire of mercy for Truth hath also said it to their comfort They that heare the Voyce of the Sonne of God shall liue they that heare Christs Surgite mortui Arise ye dead in this life and liue the life of Grace in this world shall heare Christs Surgite mortui Arise ye dead after this life and liue the life of glory in the world to come And so come we to the third and last Reason why the Voyce it is a crying Voyce and that is to take away al excuse from the City of Nunquā audiuimus We neuer heard the voyce For man such is his folly when once sin layes open his nakednesse he flatters himselfe all is well if hee haue but a cloake to cast vpon his sinne for so our first Parents no sooner had they sinned but they seeke for a cloake to palliate their sinne Gen 3. and Eue shee must be the cloake for Adams sinne and the Serpent the cloake for Eues sinne And all we Adams sinfull posterity haue worne this cloake of excuse euen almost thred-bare by long vsage of it in palliating of our sinnes And we cloake Drunkenness with good fellowship wee cloake Couetousnesse with good thriftinesse wee cloake Pride with decency and comelinesse there is no sinne but wee haue a cloake for it or else if wee want a cloake for our sinne we are ready to fetch a cloake from heauen and euen to accuse God himselfe to excuse our sinne As Sr Thomas Moore tels vs of a prisoner at the Barre who being conuict of felony pleads his pardon vpon this how that God had so ordained him to be a Thiefe and therefore he could no other doe but steale For who euer resisted the will of God But the Iudge answered him very well If God hath ordained thee to bee a Thiefe and to steale God hath also ordained mee to bee a Iudge and to hang thee for thy theeuerie Now as we spare not thus to accuse God to excuse our sinne So are we most ready to excuse our selues by accusing of Gods Word and the whole world is set on this And some Nations in the world thinke it excuse sufficient for their sin that they neuer had these crying Voices of the Lord to sound his Word and precepts in their eares but Saint Paul tels them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2.1 Thou art inexcusable O man who makest this thy Plea For thou