it is with those who are able Ministers of the New Testament They are that to the body Mystical the Church which the eye is to the body Natural They are our Spiritual guides unto Salvation not only Mercurial Statues pointing the way to others and standing still themselves but like the Star that did not only lighten but lead the wisemen of the East till they came to the Child Jesus And if we be lights indeed we shall not think it enough that we have lamps unless we have oyl in Our Lamps Nor that we have oyl in them unless they are burning and shining so as to give light unto others by our holy life and doctrine bringing thereby glory to God credit to Religion Salvation to our own Souls and theirs that hear us We are not only to be painted but real flames like torches giving Light to others though at the same time they consume themselves But here we must take care that our Light be not a false Light not an ignis-fatuus to draw and seduce men into bogs and precipices not an ignis Graecus a Wild-fire to inflame and heighten their animosities and passions nor like that of a glow-worm where there is light without heat nor like that of a candle in a Dark Lanthern to give light to none but our selves nay nor like that of a fiery Meteore vanishing as soon as it appeareth but like that of the Sun and Stars constant perpetual and invariable And this unspotted being must not be obscured and overclouded with thick vapors of lusts Neither must it burn downwards towards the earth and be put under a bushel but upwards towards heaven So that it is not sufficient for us to have light except our light so shine before men that they may see our good works c. 2. Which brings me to the second General from the dignity of the Gospels Ministers to their duty We must not only be lights for glory and glaring but for the use and service of enlightning others We must not only have those graces which are radical and fundamental in the root but those also which are visible and external in the fruit nor those only which are terminated to our selves but those that extend to others It is not enough that our goodness extend unto God the searcher of hearts but it must be conspicuous in the world Psal 16.3 to the Saints that are in the Earth And so our gifts and knowledge within must shew themselves by giving heed to our doctrine and exhortation without James 2.18 and Our faith within must appear by Our works and the effects of a transient charity to others And we must be as Christ was Prophets mighty both in word and deed Luke 24.19 We must have Exod. 28.30 as the high Priest of old had both our Urim and Thummim light of Doctrine and perfection of life Exod. 28.33 We must not separate Aarons bells from his pomegranates We must not only have an empty sound like a tinkling Cymbal in our teaching but bring forth fragrant fruit in our living and in this regard be savours of life unto life 2 Cor. 6.16 Our Conversation must preach as well as our discourses and we must be Instructors and teachers of babes not only to their ears that is only doing our work by halves but to their eyes and so we shall make religion palpable to their very senses When they not only hear our Sermons to practise them but behold our honest Conversations to imitate and follow them then and not till then shall we be able with the Apostle to charge them to walk as they have us for an Example Philip. 3.19 and they need not be charged as the Jews were to do after our sayings but not after our works All that I shall say hereon I may reduce to two heads of Our Doctrine and Life 1. For the Light of our doctrine which denominateth us Teachers in which as in other things I desire my Reverend Brethren of the Ministry now I am by the providence of God and by the Injunction of my Superiors called hither to give me the Liberty of speaking my thoughts without offence and mind them of that which we know Saint Paul straitly chargeth Timothy to take heed unto himself and his doctrine and put them in remembrance 1 Tim. 4.16 1 Tim. 4.6 2 Tim. 2.14 to stir up the gift of God in them Ministers of the Gospel should have their senses exercised to discern Spiritual things that differ above private Christians and being in this regard as stars the more Dense parts of their Orbs or Vortices so as their light be more compacted and united whereby to enable them to out-shine others It is not enough for them to fill the Golden Candlesticks of the Temple unless they give light to those who enter in otherwise they are but as Antiques under a building that seem to groan under their burden whereas in stead of supporting they are only supported themselves Our Saviour chargeth us therefore not only to have our loins always girt Luke 12.35 i. e. with the girdle of truth and sincerity or so as to be still in procinctu ready for his comâ—ng or if you will by external conformity in our habit but we must have Our lights burning to illuminate and direct others in their way to heaven and be to them as the pillar of fire by night was to the Israelites in their journey through the wilderness towards Canaan What good else doth light if it discover not it's self to them who sit in darkness No more than painted fire to those who are benum'd with cold For the Priests lips should preserve knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth Mal. 2.7 for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts It will not be enough for us in the last day when we are to give an account of our stewardship to our Master in heaven that we have lived an unprofitable though Innocent Anchorets life that we have laid up our talent in a Napkin Lûke 19.20 No we must lay it out for our Lords profit We are bid to preach the word to be instant in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4.2 to reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine We are not allowed to lock up a treasure of knowledge in our own breast or cover our fire under the Ashes but it must break out as a fire on the Altar and we must still have before our eyes our solemn promise made when we received holy Orders to give faithful diligence to Minister the Doctrine and discipline of Christ We must not be like wandring planets which are sometimes Stationary sometimes Retrograde much less like vanishing Comets but as constantly as well as publikely useful as those Luminaries are in Lightning and guiding the lower World Now because our Saviour seems to propose Saint John the Baptist as our Example herein John 5.35
may serve for a pregnant instance to us how far an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and rash misguided Zeal may transport men so as to think that while they endeavour the subversion of a setled Ministry they are doing God Service and may be an Item to us likewise of the dangerous consequences of those Principles which the aforesaid Sectarians so confidently proceed on viz. The necessity of abolishing things once abused to Idolatry and Superstition and the unlawfulness of using any thing of an indifferent nature even as to the Circumstantials of Gods Worship which is not expresly Commanded in holy Writ Let us 4ly Consider the danger of neglecting our duty herein Maâ—th 23 14. and of giving offence and bad example unto others Such certainly as our Saviour said of the Pharisees shall receive the greater damnation when they shall hear it said unto them by God which so moved Origen What hast thou to do Psal 50 16. to take my name into thy mouth seeing thou batest reproof and bast cast my law behind thy back So that it will not be enough for them at the last day to say Lord Matth. 7.12 Lord we have prophesied in thy name And Christ hath good reason to take it ill if he receiveth wounds in the house of his friends and be thus dishonoured and affronted by his own Menial Servants that wear his Badge and Livery and if those that live by the altar and eat with him at his Table Mal. 2.8 lift up their heel against him if they I say depart out of the way and cause others to stumble If the light that is in you be darkness as our Saviour saith how great is that Matth. 6.22 darkness What! shall I say as one that hell shall be paved with the skulls of profane Scholars Questionless it will be more tolerable in the day of Judgment for others than for such who instead of being men of God show themselves men of Belial insteed of being Priests of the high God are Priests of Bacchus or Venus and obscure the light of their Doctrine by works of darkness These though they have the voyce of Jacob have the hands of Esau and do by their bad example but aedificare ad gehennam Cavendum est itaq nobis fratres ne vel superbia addam luxuria quae dicente S. Cypriano valde suaviter dormiunt in sacerdotum sinu denuo florentis Ecclesiae nostrae ruinam moliantur aut paritatem inter Ecclesiasticos quâ nihil imparius esse dixit Veterum non-nemo aut quod deterius est Acephalorum Anarchiam introducant ne in Chaos antiquum confundamur novas demum in Ecclesiâ quod absit tragoedias experiamur dum conformes altà s Ecclesiae filii divino tamen canoni difformes se praestent immorigeros dum ab exterminatis concionatoribus aut concionandi assiduitate aut vitae quadam severitate superentur adeoque fanaticae plebis furore ne dicam justo dei judicio instar salis insipidi sint rejectanei dum histrionum more verbis tantum Philosophentur malè vivendo quod inquit ille alterâ manu abripiant quod bene docendo alterâ manu porrigant Caveamus praesertim ne quis coronam nostram abripias coelestem Minutius Felix dum magna potius loquamur quam vivamus ne indocti coelum rapiant quod exclamat ille nos cum doctrinis nostris in infernum detrudamur ubi Scelera taxantur modo Majore nostra Seneca Wherefore suffer Brethren the word of exhortation Let me intreat and conjure you by whatsoever is great or good by whatsoever is dear and near unto you by that holy Jesus whom you worship by that holy Religion you profess by the love you bear to your own and others Souls by a judgment which is to come of condemnation to the evil and recompense to the good in a Crown of glory that your Light shine before men Phil. 4.8 Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue or if there be any praise think of these things Be stars for light motion and influence And God will make you as stars in his right hand fixed and unmoved by any of the sons of violence and be careful to put in practice that promise you made solemnly at your Ordination to frame and fashion both your selves and families according to the doctrine of Christ 1 Pet. 5.3 and so make your selves and them as much as in you lies examples to the flock Set this your seal to your Ministry and let your whole life be a constant exemplifying of a Christians duty and so a continual Sermon before their eyes that so they may by this silent Rhetorick be induced to approve of that pure and undefiled Religion which they see us practise our selves as well as profess and Preach to others Remember your title of Light and so labour to resemble the Sun-beams herein that through whatsoever place you pass you may retain your purity What if you be for a while Ecclipsed by the interposition of a variable fickle world the irrational humours of the inconstant vulgar shew your selves as the Church in the Revelations is represented having the Moon under your feet Revel 12.1 and by an unoffensive walking stop their mouthes and so take an holy revenge of them who so far malign your office as to charge the aberrations of particular Persons upon the Office it self And then though you may be darkned for a while by the clouds of mens passions and prejudices yet will it be only to this inferior World not to the upper starry region and when you have finished your course and accomplished your periodick motion and so long shined before others till like a lamp or candle you have consumed your selves God hath promised to exalt you to an higher Orb by an happy Apotheosis nigh unto himself even there where when as others shall shine only as the brightness of the firmament they that turn many unto righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever Dan. 12.3 Now that which in my Text is said unto Ministers our Saviour saith in a sense to all Christians Every one that is of the Light Ephes 5 8. must walk as a Child of the Light Tit. 2. â—0 Adorn the Doctrine of our Lord and Saviour in all things bring credit and honor to Religion by an Holy Life Coâ—oss 1.10 walk worthy of God to all well-pleasing The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a man as well as light to denote as some Criticks that men ought to live as lights unto others Christians must let the world see that there is as much difference between them and others as between light and darkness and so they must make the beauty of holiness which they heard of only by the hearing of the ear visible to their very eyes that men may become admirers and practisers of our Religion and so have reason to glorifie God on your behalf which leads me to the third and last general viz. 3d Our end and design in our light shining We must not shine so as to glaze and glister for ostentation like the heathen who knew not what belonged to humility but were as Tertullian calls them Gloriae animalia negotiatores famae vain-glorious hunters after popular air and applause We must not shine as the Pharisees by making broad our Phylacteries praying in a corner of the street Matth. 23.5 disfiguring our faces and all to be seen of men Matth. 6.16 we must not suffer pride to interpose and rob God of his just Glory but all our shining must be with a design to glorifie him who is the Father of Lights Our good actions must be without hypocrisie not tempered with interest but directed to that which should be the chief end of all our actions as it was of our beings viz. Gods honour that men may see our good works and glorifie not us but our Father which is in heaven This as it is a duty incumbent upon all men so especially upon those who are near unto him in the Ministry and so as his Ambassadours are to be tender of the credit of their Lord and Master But now when we are said here to glorifie God it cannot be understood of any real glory added unto him who is infinitely and Essentially glorious and so neither better for our praises or the worse for our dispraises but then we honour him when in our thoughts words and actions we set forth his Excellent glory or as the Schoolmen will have it Gods glory may be considered two ways either as it is in him and so it is incapable of having any thing added to it or taken from it as being a confluence and union of those many transcendent excellencies that are in him or else it may be considered in relation to it 's manifestation to the creature and so we may glorifie and honour him when we praise him either with our tongue which therefore is called our glory or by our holy lives giving occasion unto others to speak good of his name That this is our duty might be more largly shewed by the express Command of God who requireth this homage and tribure as due unto him from all his Creatures particularly rational who are the fittest agents for this work as being endued with reason and speech for this very end but especially his own people and among them his Ministers which makes the Psalmist to call upon Israel and the house of Aaron to praise the Lord. Psal 118.2 3. It is indeed but reasonable that we should acknowledge a dependance that we have on him the relation that we have to him and the interest he hath in us It is but the honour that is due unto his name who hath in this work complicated our interest with our duty seeing in glorifying him we do honour our selves as doing the work of Angels here below and begin those Hallelujahs to the Lord our God which will be our happiness to carry on in Heaven to all Eternity Which God of His Mercy grant through Jesus Christ FINIS
when he styles him a burning and shining light I shall therefore give you a brief character of him being one as a Father descants on the place Ardens per coeleste desiderium lucens per verbum As severe in his life as he was in his Doctrine He was none of those who wore a rough garment to deceive he was no Hermite as to loving his ease and indulging himself like an Abbey-lubber that could satisfie himself with the taking the Milk and the Wool of the flock without feeding them and when he had taken on him cure of Souls by his gross neglect to make it a sine Curâ but it may be said of him as of that Romane Emperour that never said to his Souldiers go thither but come hither Now you may observe these things in his preaching 1. He preach'd with Authority He did not think it enough that he was a gifted brother or could talk fluently mysterious non-sense in Scripture Language wrested He was none of those in our days who ran before they were sent being as one saith priûs indoctorum doctores quà m doctorum discipuli which take on them to be teachers of others and need that one should teach them what are the first principles of the Oracles of God that have never sate at Gamaliels feet or stay'd at Jericho at least till their beards be grown But before he ventured on that tremendous work of the Ministry he lived a retired Contemplative Life in the Wilderness till he was of those years which the Law required of the Priests for the exercise of their Function 2. He used a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a boldness and freedom of speech in his preaching for he reproved the Epidemical diseases of the age and place wherein he lived He shewed himself to be none of those parasites that love to sprinkle Court-holy Water on the Grandees of the World Jude 16. as having mens persons in admiration for advantage sake He did not preach soft and pleasing things but was as Aristotle describes his Hero or Vertuous man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was a true Nathaniel an Israelite indeed in whom there was no guile He was not wont to daub with untempered Mortar but used open and plain dealing being free and impartial in his Censures and painted out fin and sinners in their own colours He spared none that came in his way neither open profaness of the Publicanes and Souldiers on the one side nor the hypocrisie sly and refined wickedness of the Pharisees and Sadducees on the other side Nay not that Herod himself though his life lay at stake for it 3. He preached severely His doctrine was alike severe as his life as well knowing that pure Religion and undefiled consisteth not in empty names and words in being of such a way party or separated Church and therefore he bids beware of flattering themselves with the outward badge and cognifance of God's people Matth. 3.9 in being Abraham's Children Christianity consists not in petty observances modules of worship but in reality and sincerity Else we are only Nominal and Equivocal Christians and therefore he tells us Matth. 3.8 we must bring forth fruits meet for repentance And this strict doctrine he might preach with the more confidence as our Saviour Christ because he spake not only sense and reason but experience his life not confuting his doctrine but confirming it and fear'd not the censure of Antinomians for a Legal Preacher or a man of an Old-testament Spirit especially seeing 4. He Preached Evangelically withal He not only shewed them their desease out of the Law but their remedy out of the Gospel He not only cast them down by laying the ax at the root of the tree but restored them by the laver of Regeneration and pointing out unto them their Saviour and so was truly gracious both in Name and Nature both in Life and Doctrine And so I come to the second head 2. As the light of our Doctrine must shine so that of our Life and Conversation and this must be before men not only before our brethren that they may be built up in their holy faith but before those also who are without That so Religion and the instructors of it may have a good report of all men as well as of the truth it self 2 Cor. 11.12 that the mouthes of unruly and vain talkers may be stopt and occasion may be taken away from them who seek occasion that our observers who watch for our halting may be disappointed their hearts may be mollified their hostilities abated their prejudices removed and they may be brought to entertain honourable thoughts of our profession Their Pastours and Teachers being more publike persons than others ought to know above others 1 Tim. 3.15 how to behave themselves in the house of God and shew themselves examples to the flock and therefore should learn to adorn their Ministry as becomes those of so Divine an Order and by no means to reflect dishonor on so Sacred an Office by a sordid sensual and earthly conversation And therefore as the late Lord Bishop of Down and Conner well sheweth in his advice unto His Clergy we are to judge of our duty by more strict and severe measures than those of our people and must not allow that in our selves which we do in them This was both the Apostles rule and practice 1 Cor. 6.3 to give no offence to any man that the Ministry be not blamed And if we will do the work of an Evangelist 2 Tim. 4.5 make full proof of our Ministry we must keep our selves as pure and unspotted from the world as humane frailty will permit abstaining even from the appearance of evil least otherwise we defile the priesthood Ezek. 3.1 and cause the offerings of the Lord to be abhorred Ezekiel was bid to eat the roll and we must labor to masticate and concoct the truths we preach unto others in first trying experiment of them upon our selves and exemplifying them in our Conversations whence Saint Paul exhorts Timothy to be an example unto believers in word 1 Tim. 4 12. in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity Now to excite us hereunto Consider 1. How absurd and unfitting a thing it is that our practice should be dissonant unto our profession that we should undo that on the Week-days which we Preach upon the Lords-day Rom. 14.22 and so condemn our selves in those things which we allow Gal. 2.18 and make Our selves transgressors by building those things which we destroyed that it should be said of any of us which that Spartan said of the Athenians that they knew how to do well but loved to do ill 2 Tim. 2.15 and so we shall make our selves to be Workmen that need to be ashamed seeing as he saith Dict a factis deficientibus erubescunt that it should be said of any man that he is the best man in the Pulpit and the
worst out that he speaks as well as never man spake and lives as ill as never man liv'd and therefore as a Right Reverend Father of our Church expresseth it It is so far from being serious piety Lord Bishop of Norwich that it is the worse sort of pageantry for men to preach Angelical Sermons and live Diabolical lives that it should be cast justly in any ones teeth Rom. 2.21 Thou that teachest another teachest thou not thy self that their mouthes should speak great swelling words and yet still walk after their own lusts and be like the Stoical Philosophers who could talk big of vertue till they came to practise it whom therefore Lucian derides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their works contradicting their words and their practice giving a lie to their profession How foolish ridiculous and disparaging must it needs be to make a long formal starch'd harangue about Religion and Vertue and declame Rhetorically against vice which they yet renounter in the whole course of their lives Which made the Comick say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He loathed such Sophisters and pretended Philosophers that were unwise for themselves Turpe est doctori c. 2. Consider the bad influence our example hath upon other men How can we expect that others should follow our doctrine when as we our selves forsake it as unpracticable or at least uneligible We see men rather apt to be lead by precedents than precepts and go like sheep Quo itur non quo cundum and especially to imitate their guides and Leaders Such persons therefore who are great talkers and little doers take the ready way to make more Atheists in the world than hath been hitherto made by the late licentious times which have corrupted Religion in the very foundations Will not men of loose principles be ready to look on Religion as a non-entity a cunning devised Fable of interested Priests which go about to perswade that to others which they believe not themselves These persons shine but in a wrong sense as if they understood the words of the Text so as a Romish Priest profanely applyed them who being to do Penance for some scandalous offence by going in Procession to the Church with a burning Taper in his hand scoffingly said sic luceat Lux vestra coram hominibus c. They shine but it is with the Devils light to Light men down to the Chambers of Death and make more Proselytes for his Kingdom He useth them indeed as some ill barbarous people do lights by the Sea-side which they hang up in dark stormy nights near rocks and quick-sands to make passengers cast away themselves upon their Coast that so they may make a prey of them What readier course could they take to open mens mouthes against Christianity and to say as that Indian did to one perswading him to turn Christian observing the Spaniards wicked lives What are Christians They are Gamesters Dicers wicked blasphemers backbiters quarrellers and concluded Christians could not be good and so we shall find it proportionably if we walk Antipodes to our doctrine and shew our selves such as Tertullian sharply inveighs against Quibus venter Deus est popina templum aqualiculus altare sacerdos Coquus Spiritus Sanctus nidor condimenta charismata especially there being more holyness expected of us then others and a spot in our Coat making more shew than in others We had need be clean who bear the vessels of the Lord especially in an hypocritical age Isaiah 52.11 wherein people are apt to espy motes in our eyes and look on all our faults through a magnifying and multiplying glass Which may serve for a 3d Consideration that we have so many enemies in the world to encounter what through the contradiction of sinners and scoffing Atheists on one hand and the weakness and peevishness of some at least pretended Saints on the other neither are we ignorant of Satans old devise of casting Ignominy and Contempt on Religion by disgracing and disparaging the publishers and professors of it Great reason have we therefore to walk circumspectly Ephes 5. not as fools but as wise and to take heed that we defile not our garments For we shall meet with but few Constantines in our days so tender of the Clergies honour as if he espyed them in a fault to cover them with his Imperial Robes but they will rather publish to the world all the evil they know by us and more than they know their own Inventions and misconstructions There are too many in the world that contemne our Calling envy our Dignities gape after our Revenues censure our most Innocent Actions and hate our very Persons Others separate from our Church as Impure and Anti-Christian abhor our Garments as Babylonish our Ceremonies as Popish and Superstitious our very Worship as Idolatrous look upon us as no better than Priests of Baal and Limbs of Anti-Christ Among these I cannot forget a leading high-flown separatist too well known in this place who not long since bespake the State in this Language Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed O ye Judges of the earth Take away Parishes by Act of State away with all consecrated places for worship away with Patrones or Lay-founders away I say with all the appurtenances of a Parish Priest and again I profess quoth he were I a man in absolute Authority in a Nation I would make Scavengers of all the Parish Priests in England to clean the ways and to rake the Dunghills And this he confidently calls a voice from heaven when alass it is only such a noise as that of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proceeding out of it 's own belly and not knowing what Spirit he is of mistakes the strange fire in his own brain for a fire from heaven and minds me of the proud Gnosticks of old that arrogated to themselves so great a measure of knowledge and sanctity as to dictate to the world and obtrude their private sentiments on others as if they were Articles of faith and themselves guided by an infallible Spirit It is opinionativeness and spiritual pride of mens gifts and graces that puts men on separation and confining sanctity as the Donatists of old to their own party in one Corner of Africa and thus none must be Saints but those of their Calendar This makes them like sheep stealers take members out of other mens flocks and boast of things in other mens line made ready to their hand 2 Cor. 10.16 mistaking for conversion to God a bringing men over to their own forms and some petty inconsiderable matters in which the kingdom of God consisteth not These mind me of those in Prov. 30.12 a generation pure in their own eyes and yet not cleansed from their filthiness or of those in Esay 65.5 that say stand off come not nigh me for I am holier than thou These are a smoak in my nose a fire that burneth all the day and these