action of Divine Worship before the Lord. And fasted Addit Jejunium fasting is fixed to this duty Ut sciamus eorum mentes omni impedimento fuisse solutas ne quid obstaret Calvin To hold forth their firm resolution that nothing should obstruct the business they were about The Holy Ghost said That is by some prophetick spirit of Revelation to one or more of them with the consent of the rest Diodate The Holy Ghost that is spiritus sanctus God by his Spirit or God the third Person in the Trinity God said separate mee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sever them set them apart from other men and from all other imployments A Ministers Calling is not of men yet by men The Author of all holy Calling to the Ministery is only the Holy Ghost exclusively to all men but not to the other two persons in the Sacred Trinity They all equally concur in this external work It belongs to the Lord of the Harvest to call in Labourers into his Harvest but now by his Servants Nothing should be done in spiritual undertakings of such high concernment as this in my Text and as this day we are come about without this separation In the first plantation of the Church of God Moses and Aaron had a speciall charge given them to separate the Levits from among the Children of Israel and their cloathes must be washed and then presented as an offering to the Lord Numb 8.14 21. And their separation was twofold First Their initiation to their office at a month old and afterward the second time at the age of 25 years Numb 8.24 And this laudable and approved custome of severing separating of men from the rest of the multitude for the work of Christ hath been the practice of the primitive times of the Gospel and is still continued as the practice of the Church of Christ in these Gospel days and kept up as most suitable to the mind of Jesus Christ For this was the practice of the Apostles Acts 6.6 The Apostles set them before them and prayed and laid their hands on them and these prospered in their Ministery The Holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul that is to be held in equall degree and to go forth with equal authority with us to the work of Christ Barnabas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filius Consolationis See Act. 4.36 the Son of consolation Jerom gives the interpretation of this name filius prophetae the Son of a Prophet comâ—ositum est of the Hebrew word Bar et nabi Prophetae munus so Pafor And Saul an Hebrew word Schaul hoc est petitus and Paul that is pusillus and so called in vers 9. of this Chapter Paul signifies little to hold forth ut deus voluit ostendere per pusillum hunc et per vas hoc infirmum splendidam hujus mundi potentiam infracturam et per contraria agere That God would by this little and infirm weak instrument break the seeming power and greatness of this world and work by contraries Paul little to set forth the humility and lowliness of him whom the Holy Ghost had here called forth to the work of the ministery He was little in his own eyes God raiseth Work-men to his work out of the dust He plows and sows in low grounds these are they that oftentimes prove most fertile and fruitful Paul signifies also to cease thereby intimating hee had now ceased to persecute Hee was now called to work for Christ that formerly had been a persecutor of Christ Hee was now ceast and stopt from raging against Christ and now was to work for him Austine observes upon this Text that these two in my Text had bina nomina two names given them to hold forth the successe that should accompany their Ministery in the Church of Christ Their natures were changed with their names For the work whereunto I have called them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad opus seu officium ad quod eos vocavi To the work or office to which I have called them Work labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies such work as wears and wastes out all 1 Thes 5.12 wee beseech you brethren know them which work among you who waste and wear themselves away with work among you Gods Ministers are separated and sent to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 workers together with Christ 2 Cor. 6.1 whereunto I have called them This call in my Text was different from the call of others to this work it was not ordinary but extraordinary it was an immediate call which is not required in the call of others of Gods special servants It is not to bee expected ut nobis è coelo inclamet Deus That God should call from heaven to tell us who are to be separated for this work Hee who calls them doth inable them to the work they are called forth to work God Ministers now must have a mediate call The Holy Ghost sends and calls and the call of the Holy Ghost is twofold 1 Immediate 2 Mediate 1 Immediate as these in my Text. 2 Mediate by his servants But some there are who have no call either from God and his Spirit or by men his servants but runne on their own heads and on their own errands The Spirit of God complains against these Jer. 23.21 non mitebam prophetas et ipsi currebant non loquebar illis et ipsi prophetabant I have not sent them yet they ranne I have not spoken to them yet they prophesied but hee that set them on work must pay them their wages And our Saviour saith that he that comes not in by the door the same is a thief and a robber John 10.1 2 Some are called and sent of men but not of God as when Jeroboam made Priests of the lowest of the people 1 King 12.31 So Jason and Menelaus was ambitiously affected after the Priesthood and sought by all unlawfull means to procure it of Antiochus And so by favour and some indirect means or other heretofore many of bad learning and baser living have been thrust into the Ministery to the dishonour of God grief to the godly and ruine of many souls But blessed be God there is now care taken and God hath put it into the hearts of the supream Authority of this Church and Common-wealth not only to prevent this evill but to purge this evil not only to cast out but to keep out such buyers and sellers out of the Temple 3 But some are sent and called of God and by men as these in my text and so Timothy and Titus and others by the Apostles for how shall they preach till they be sent Rom. 10.15 And when they had fasted and prayed This was the form and order of the Church of Christ in such high undertakings in matters of such moment to address themselves to God in these duties Calvin Erasmus and others observe it was not so much for imploring God to give them prudence and
Prophet Jeremy 9.1 That wee all had our heads wells of water and our eyes fountains of tears to bewail the great reproach cast by some men upon the Church of Christ in this English Nation by their bold and boundlesse adventures in daring to stand before God as dispensers of his word and Sacraments that not long ago some of them were Mechanicks Trading in their Shops with the men of the world and others of them Husbanding the earth and plowing up the furrows of it for bread and sustenance And now are cryed up as the only men sent of God to preach his word unto the people as if there were some near Relation betwixt the plowstaff and the pulpit betwixt a pedler and a preacher But I could desire that such as these would look home to what they are called to and every one abide in his own calling which is the rule of the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.20 It is the advice of a godly man that he gives to such let not the Cobler outgo his Last nor the Tinker his Budget Sed Tracient fabrilia fabri Let them look to their Trading For Non ex quolibet ligno fit Mercurius Every one is not fit to make a Minister The rather 4. Because those called of God must also have a call from man for the usual livery of Gods special Servants are twofold 1. Missio 2. Vocatio Christ by his Spirit sends and calls and those he imploys in his service he calls and whom he calls he cloathes gives as well ability of doing as authority to do And where both these meet they are sweetly fitted and graciously furnished for this Separate me for this work whereunto they are called I shall stand no longer upon the confirmation of the Doctrinal part of my Thesis I have four terms in it that I must first explicate before I shall come to the Applicatory part of it which is the chief business I have from my Text to every soul here this day I must of necessity but touch upon each of the terms of my Thesis For I must not leave my Errand undone I have a message from Christ a threefold Errand The first to my Reverend Brethren and my self The Second to these our Brethren who are this day to be separated for this weighty work The Third Errand I have is to all of you who are our Auditors and Spectators of the work we are met about And to each a seasonable and suitable word when I come unto them The first term in my Doctrinal Thesis is what the work is whereunto these are called I answer It is 1. A difficult work 2. It is a desperate work 3. It is a Dead work 4. It is a destroying work 5. It is a different work 6. It is a daily work 7. It is a despised work 8. It is a dying work 9. It is a divine work First it is a difficult work and that in four regards for 1. It is a seeking work 2. It is a searching work 3. It is a spiritual work 4. It is a spacious work First it is a difficult work for it is a seeking work to seek out lost sinners lost sons lost sheep lost souls lost in hell and this is that which makes the work hard 2. It is difficult for it is a searching work to search out hidden things and hidden mysteries the mysteries of a hidden kingdom of a hidden life Col. 3.3 and this makes the work difficult 3. It is a difficult work for it is a spiritual work a supernatural work a work above nature it is soul-work it is work about the soul work about the inward man soul-saving work and this is difficult I confess Gods Ministers are but the Instruments in the hand of Christ for all internal work is Gods work this in-work is Gods work Job 23.16 It is God that maketh the heart soft but yet the Ministery is an instituted means and therefore should accomplish this so difficult a work because instituted by Christ 4. It is a difficult work for it is a spacious work it calls the whole man to the work soul and body head heart and hand soul and sense eyes and ears all parts and powers are called forth to this work and that to weariness Much study is a weariness to the flesh and therefore a difficult work Secondly this work is a desperate work we are called to work not only works of pain but peril We fight and often faint in fighting for it is against enemies that are not onely wily and witty enemies but are wilful and wicked enemies that are head-strong enemies and heart-strong enemies and hand-strong enemies that except Christ come by his Spirit to help us in this desperate work all our labor is lost and longings lost and layings out lost and all our strength spent in vain to most of our people our work is to fight against Principalities and powers the Rulers of the darkness of this world Ephes 6.12 and therefore a desperate work Thirdly This our work is a dead work we are to preach to dead souls to dead hearts that are dead in sin and trespasses Eph. 2.2 Our work is to fetch dead souls to life To raise Lazers out of their graves our work is about the life and death of the soul Fourthly This our work is a destroying work for it will either destroy sin or the sinner it is the destroying pain of our work that all we do is as if it were almost destroyed It is a destroying work for it turns hearts into stones and makes many worse than they were Oh what a destructive condition are those souls in that our work shall prove their destruction by their wilful neglect and contempt of it Fifthly This our work is a different work from the work of all other men in the world no one is called forth to such a work as a Minister of Jesus Christ for the effects of our work is far different from all other works of other men for our work makes a difference 1. Of men 2. In the manners of men 3. In the hearts of men 4. In the heads of men 5. In the hands of men It works in different places and in different persons and in them differently making some better and some worse It works in places as far different as heaven and hell and in hearts that are as far different as light and darkness Sixthly This our work is a daily work it s our every days work the Lords day-day-work and the labourers day-day-work May conceit that the work of a Minister is but a little on the Lords day and then he may rest but alas these men are mightily mistaken for our work hardly admits of any intermission Our work must smell of the candle wee must have our night studies When you are at your rest we are at our work when you sleep we are awake our work is a vigilant work wee wax white with work and watching We are commanded to be 〈◊〉
CLAVIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE KEY of ORDINATION OR MISSIO POTEST ATIVA 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 MINISTERIAL POWER OR Authoritative Separation of men to the work of Christ a Ministerial privilege A SERMON PREACHED At the Ordination of Mr. Thomas Porter Master of Arts Mr. John Wilson Mr. David Jenks Mr. George Burraston and Mr. Tho Soley at Whitchurch in the County of Salop. By Aylmor Houghton Minister of the Word at Prees in the said County Rom. 10.15 How can they preach till they be sent John 10.1 He that comes not in by the door the same is a thief and a robber Mat. 9.38 Pray the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into his harvest Festus Hominus Disp 30. Thes 6. Potestas Ecclesiastica circa bonum spiritual eversatur cujus officium est verbum Dei predicate Sacramenta administrate disciplinam ecclesiasticam exercere ministros Ecclesiae ordinare c. London printed by R.I. for Tho Parkhurst over against the Great Conduit in Cheapside 1656. To my Reverend brethren Thomas Porter Andrew Parsons William Gower Tho Wright John Malden Rob. Bemy all of you Masters of Arts my Brethren of the Classis of Bradford-North in the County of Salop. Aylmar Houghton prays that grace peace and spiritual prosperity may be multiplyed unto you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father by the Holy Ghost That ye may be abundantly abounding in the work of the Lord that it may prosper and be successful to your own spiritual advantage and the advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Reverend Brethren THese meditations acknowledge themselves yours as drawn from your command and call They were commanded to your ears and now are commended to your eyes I beseech you receive them as your own again although not such as you deserve or as I could desire yet such as I am able to bestow I am conscious of my own insufficiencies but withal of your candid ingenuities especially to them who love the truth of Christ insincerity I throw this childe of old age into the arms of your pious Patronage I beseech you let it finde a room in your hearts and a word from your lips either to defend it or at least to excuse it from the murmurings of any Momus or the cavils of any Critick that may check or chide it or with black-mouthes blame it in your hearing And this I beseech for his sake that doth promise what I am or may be Christ strengthning me shal be Gods yours his people There are very many daily sending in their presents to the Church of Christ of their profitable labors I thought it not amiss to send in my mite into this Treasury as a testimony of my equal desire which in Gods account goes for current coyn and is accepted And I hope shall finde favor with some although it may be contemned by others But if it may at all or in the least measure bring any glory unto God or good to the Church of Christ I have my end and aim it is all I look for and it is abundantly enough For which purpose I send it unto you my reverend Brethren with prayers for to accompany it and follow it humbly requesting that I may have a portion in your assidual prayers for him who will retaliate them with heart-panting petitions to the throne of Grace that yours and mine and all the labors and layings out of the Ministers of Jesus Christ may prosper in the hearts of our people which is and shall be the constant prayer of Your weak unworthy Brother Prees from my study March 26. 1656. Aylmor Houghton CLAVIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE KEY of ORDINATION Acts 13.2 3. As they ministred to the Lord and fasted the Holy Ghost said Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away Acts 20.1 MEn Brethren and Fathers the words of my Text spare me the labor to acquaint you with the business we are this day come about They speak for me and tell you it is to separate these our brethren for the work whereunto the holy Ghost hath called them And therefore according to the Rule of the Holy Ghost held forth in my Text when we have spent some time in prayer and fasting to seek God for a blessing on them we shall lay our hands on them and send them forth to the work whereunto they are called The words agree in themselves I desire that no busie-body may be here this day to make a breach about them for as face answers face so doth my Text like a loving Master commanding and faithful Servants obeying so runs my Text this day before you First The Holy Ghost commanding a duty The Holy Ghost said Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them Secondly Here is obedience returned by those commanded And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away I shall speak the most I have to say to the first of these which is to the Command The Holy Ghost said Separate me Barnabas and Saul to the work whereunto I have called them I shall refer the most of the second branch of my Text which is the obedience returned to this Command to the eyes and ears of all this day here present to be fulfilled before you by us who are at this time appointed to this Office to separate these our Brethren for the work whereunto they are called by prayer and fasting and laying on of our hands and so shall send them forth to the work whereunto they are called 1. In the Command we have the person commanding The Holy Ghost said Separate me Barnabas and Saul 2. The persons commanded those that were then ministring to the Lord Prophets and Teachers a Colledge of Preaching-Pastors 3. The duty commanded Separate 4. The persons to be separated Barnabas and Saul 5. The business they were to be separated for and that was to work 6. The work what it was for which they were to be separated and that is the work whereunto the Holy Ghost had called them 7. The time when this Command was given and that was when as they were ministring to the Lord. These are the parts my Text falls into Here is both the tree and the branches that issue and grow from it I shall not take up much time in explicating the sense of the words but sum them up in a breif Paraphrase according to the several readings both of Ancient and Modern Writers such onely as I have traced on this Text and as they and my self understand the meaning of the Holy Ghost in them As they ministred to the Lord. Calvin Erasmus and others understand here nihil aliud quam fuisse in actione publica that they were in some publike
wisdome to rule their judgements in this business as to seek God in behalf of those called and to bee set apart that the Lord would give them spirits suitable to their work and blesse their labours and make them effectuall for his own glory and the spiritual advantage of his Church and people They laid their hands on them that is for a sign of consecration and of a blessing Diodvte This was an ancient Ceremony in the Church of Christ when any were separated to this work And it contains the species of their consecration and so ye have it Act. 6.6 This Ceremony hath been continued from the manner of their consecration in the time of the law and retained by the Apostles and still of use in the Church of Christ as a decent Ceremony holding forth the offering of such to God for the work whereunto the Holy Ghost hath called them It is observed by Calvin and Erasmus and some others that prayers were fix'd to this Ceremony Quia per se inanis esset Ceremonia because the Ceremony in it self was ineffectuall and it referred to the Apostles and nor to the people But when they had prayed and laid their hands on them Tunc alii sua vota addiderunt Then did others that were present help by their prayers and devotions In a word it is agreed by the best soundest both of the Fathers and modern writers yea by Calvin and Grosius who though they may seem to dissent in other circumstances yet in this agree with us that it is a decent rite which although it hath no efficacy in it self Sed vim et effectum a solo Dei spiritu pendere that the power and efficacy do wholly depend upon God by his spirit in blessing it yet is approved of God and is commendable in the Church of Christ Erasmus and some others with him glosse thus upon this text That they were earnest with God by prayer and fasting to turn the office of these men which they took upon them to his own glory and the Churches good And that those who were present and the most eminent among them laid their hands on them and so sent them away And hee exacts this Ceremony of laying on of hands as taken from the practise of Christ himself who was wont to lay his hands on them he blessed So Gods Ministers following the example of their Lord and Master Jesus Christ in this duty have their warrants from him And Erasmus seeks to remove an objection then made and still made by some against this Ceremony Some object and say what needs such Rites to the sending forth of Ministers to the work of Christ Hee answers it is very requisite for it is a putting them into Authority And this Authority is meet for them that all others might the rather obey the Ministery as fellow labourers with other of Gods ministers in the work of Christ whereunto they are called And thus you have a brief summary of the sense and meaning of the words The Holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them This is the main errand of the Holy Ghost this day to my Reverend Brethren and my self And of my self at this present to this reverend and religious assembly Which I shall make out in as compendious tearms as the fulness of the matter will give me leave I presume I shall this day finde in this throng and multitude piety seasoned with prudence pitty attended with patience and parts without partiality I am worthlesse weak and wanting I therefore pray your patient attentions your prudent intentions and your practical improvements of the errand I shall bring from Christ unto you This is all I beg of you but your heart-prayer with mee and for me unto God that I may both begin and conclude this work in the strength of Jesus Christ and so I come unto it I shall gather up all I have to hold forth from the words of my Text to this one doctrinal Thesis That whom God calls to the weighty work of the Ministery must be separated by an outward call from other persons and imployments by prayer and fasting and laying on of hands and so sent forth to the work they are called unto Or Thus. That it is the ordinary way of God in sending forth workmen to his work to give them an outward call unto it by a ministerial power of those who are authorised unto it Or Thus. That the call of God and of his servants are not to bee separated in sending forth of Ministers to the work of Christ they are called unto Act. 6.6 And they set them before them and when they had prayed they laid their hands on them 2 Tim. 2.2 Haec commenda fidelibus hominibus qui idonei sunt et alios docere These things commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others Who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt to teach others Heb. 5.1 Every high Priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God And the rather First Because those who shall go without this separate mee without a call goes without his errand and without his Commission and climbes in at the window And such as creep in by such a way come not with an errand from Christ Et qui ingreditur per fenestras ejicietur è foribus such as climb in at the window shal bee thrown out at the door And this day it is in fulfilling God only crowns the approbation of the Churches call with success 1 Cor. 9.2 Secondly The rather because those who runne before they bee sent in matters of this ministerial concernment they are usurpers of that calling which is no less desperate than dangerous as in civil affaires and matters of state if any one should usurp and take upon him the office of an Ambassador without a call or Commission it were death for any so to do much more in this for such intruders upon divine ordinances orders and offices without this separate me without a call may justly meet with his Quomodo huc introisti friend how camest thou in hither without a call The rather Thirdly Because such as rashly and rudely venture upon ministerial imployments and improvements without this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without this separation and a call from God and his servants without this divine ordination and institution do but rifle the ark or at best too busily pry into it and may justly meet with Vzzah his sad doom who did but touch the Ark to keep it from falling to a good intent yet because hee had no call from God to that service was smitten with sudden death 2 Sam. 6.6 To meddle with these Arcana religionis these secrets of Religion is not a work for every one to deal with Alas the best and most able may cry out with the Apostle who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2.16 Ah dear Christians I could desire with the
The Juridical power is in the Presbytery to judge of and examine those who are to preach the Word of God that so false Teachers and Unworthy men might be kept from creeping into the Church of Christ For wicked men such as are meerly natural and prophane or hypocrites in heart would never consent to the call of a holy Minister of Jesus Christ And besides these are not capable in their choice to judge of such but may either out of prejudice or ignorance or out of a prophane heart deny consent to his Ministery whom God hath called and said Separate me such a one to the work whereunto I have called him For my part I cannot be perswaded or satisfied in this one thing that ever any one not called by the Church and that is out of office and orders and intrudes upon this holy calling should ever convert souls or bring any to heaven Dissenting judgements there are of some of our Brethren about this Separate me even concerning the form of this Separation and Ordination But I intend not to wade into this business or meddle with this Controversie Our practise is approved and sufficiently cleared to the satisfaction I hope of all here or of the most that desire unity and order in the Church of Christ and therefore I shall leave it with this one additional requisite belonging to it which is Probation 1 Tim. 3.10 Hiprobentur let them first be proved And this hath been our form of proceeding in setting apart and separating those whom hitherto we have laid our hands on and sent forth to the work whereunto they have been called and that both of their abilities and deportments And the rather For as a wise Master of a Family will not commit matters of moment to any one Servant till he hath first made proof of his ability to do it and also of his faithfulness in doing it Multo magis necessarium est eos probari quibus comittenda est cura sanctae Congregationis Hiperius Much more fit is it that those be tryed and proved to whom is committed the care of souls in the Church of Christ A word of the fourth Term which is the form of this outward call by Separation And when they had prayed Prayer is a duty for all undertakings of Christians especially in an undertaking of that nature and high concernment as this in my Text and as we are this day come about 2. By fasting This was a duty for extraordinary undertakings and more than ordinary occasions such as this is we are now about 3. By Imposition of hands which contains the species of their Consecration In conferring of holy Orders a double posture hath anciently been observed First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Imposition of hands in token of Consecration Acts 8.17 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holding up of hands in sign of confirmation Acts 14.23 And in this Ceremony is held forth the offering of them up to God for the work whereunto the Holy Ghost hath called them And this outward call though it be not of men yet it is by men and necessary to so holy a function And all such as come not in by this door are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 new illuminates lately dropt out of heaven that yesterday were but Dolts and Dunces but to day are Doctors and Divines Yesterday with Saul were seeking their fathers Asses and to day are gotten among the Prophets 1 Sam. 10.16 like the Nightingale Vox preterea nihil a voyce and nothing else or like the Camelion all lungs and no heart All their learning is by Revelation they pray and preach and all by the Spirit whereas all are but the visions of their own hearts the fancies of distempered spirits and meer chymera's of sin-sick brains which they rather feign than know and foolish unstable souls rather follow than believe or trust But those called of God and by men are such as know God and themselves who have a feeling of that spirit who teacheth them to know God and God to know them and them to know themselves Of these the holy Ghost hath said to us Separate me these men for the work whereunto I have called them I have now done with the Doctrinal part of my Thesis and shall fall upon the Applicatory part and be brief in it I hava a threefold Errand from Christ to all here this day suitable to your threefold Stations Relations Places and Persons My first Errand is to you my Reverend Brethren and my self who have this Command in my Text enjoyned us To separate these our Brethren for the work whereunto they are called My second Errand is my Brethren to you who are this day to be Separated from other persons and imployments to this weighty work And my third Errand is to all of you Christian Auditors and Spectators to this Religious crowd and throng who are this day Spectators to behold and Auditors to hear how this work is performed both by them and us In all of which I hope you will be both Approbationers to approve it and Petitioners with us to the Throne of grace and help us by your prayers for a blessing on them And pray all your Amens unto it Reverend Brethren My first Errand and Word I have from Christ is to you and to my self All the excuse I shall now plead is I must be faithful to my Lord and Master Jesus Christ 1 Cor 4 2. You have called me forth to this work therefore give me leave to be plain and impartial in delivering the minde of Christ to us in this weighty business My first word to you and to my self is onely that which this Apostle gave to his beloved Timothy 1 Tim. 5.22 A charge that he gave him to keep himself pure and to lay hands suddenly on no man lest he be partaker of other mens sins To prevent this evil two things are required of us before admission of any to this weighty work 1. Circumspection 2. Sincere Affections First Circumspection That such onely be admitted as are in some measure fraught and furnisht with the sufficiencies of both men the inward and the outward man clad and cloathed with the indowments and perfections both of nature and grace Secondly Sincere affections That we be not transported with by-respects either of profit or of partiality If we neglect either of these we may make our selves partakers of other mens sins of the sins of others And that 1. By consenting to such 2. Or By concealing of such 3. Or By contriving for such 4. Or By commending of such to the work of the Lord who are not called of God to this work by his Spirit to this Ministerial Function I Remember a passage of Erasmas who stories of the Bishop of Utretcht who was son to the good Duke of Burgundie who had at one time three hundred who came to him for holy Orders He was resolved he would examine them himself and made tryal of their
to send you And to make up this composition of diligence that it may be such as to shew your selves workmen that need not to be ashamed These four ingredients are to be put into it 1 Studiousness 2 Sincerenesse 3 Seriousnesse 4 Speedinesse First You must be studious In this diligence study is attended for no good work can be well done without study You cannot pray well without study nor can you preach well without study study is the labour of the mind and we must bee intent upon it Idlenesse is not allowed to any no not to the greatest personages Quo major sum magis laboro was the saying once of a great man The greater the person the greater his study care and pains for the publike good He that will not work in the vineyard must not look for his peny And it must be our own work our own study our own labor we are called to labor not to loiter We must not live upon the sweat of other mens diligence and labor not upon their work but our own It is not diligence to have a great study of books but to have a great book full of study Our best Library is in heaven and if we trust onely to a full study of Books and rest upon the labors of others done to our hands this is not diligence nor study nor labor nor the work we are called forth unto But we shall prove like the Drone in the Hive or like the Bird that made her self fair with the feathers stolen from other Birds that were none of her own Gods Ministers may go into their study as to a Garden and here and there gather a flower to sweeten and beautifie their work and for spiritual advantage to their people But for any to spend precious time idlely or in impertinent worldly occasions till the latter end of the week and then huddle up some notes out of other mens works and get these into his hand but neither into head or heart into his book but not into his bosom this is not diligence or study or to shew our selves workmen that need not be ashamed A second Ingredient is sincereness In this diligence there must be sincerity It must fetch life from love and our diligence in this work must be drawn from warm affections to our peoples spiritual advantage All the negligence that ever accompanies this calling is through want of love and sincere affections to the salvation of the souls of our people Lacrimae auditorum Laudes tuae sint Their tears should be our greatest praise We should endeavor with Peter to prick our people at the heart and make them glad to cry out What shall we do Acts 2.37 A third Ingredient to this diligence is Seriousness Diligence in this work is seriousness in it And that in three things 1. In looking up 2. In looking in 3. In looking out First In looking up and that to God Psal 121.1 2. I will lift up my eyes unto the hills from whence comes my help my help cometh from the Lord. Gods Ministers must be serious in this work in making out unto Christ and in looking up unto him for help beginning and ending all their work with Christ Christ must be the Alpha to begin it and the Omega to end it They must begin and end with a Deus adsit Christ still present Secondly They must seriously look in that is into their own hearts This is diligence indeed and with a sweet witness when the Ministers of Christ are serious in bringing their own hearts into conformity to those saving truths they hold forth to others Vocem Virtutis dabis si quod suades prius tibi cognosceris persuasisse Bernard Thou shalt make the Word become effectual if what thou perswadest and exhortest others unto thou knowest thou hast first perswaded thy own heart to it Si me vis flere dolendum est prius If thou wouldst have others mourn for sin thou must first begin thy self that cup unto them If thou wouldst be a curb to others thou must first bridle thy own corruptions Validior est vox operis quam oris The voyce of works is of more force than that of words It is a foul incongruity when words and works do not agree especially in a Minister of the Gospel Gregory Nazianzen saith to a Minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Either teach me not at all or let thy holy life teach me I shall therefore send you therefore Brethren to a pattern for your and my imitation I shall spare to speak of any here present although it may be I might But I shall give you a relation as I had it from a Religious Gentlewoman one in my own Parish Concerning Mr. Samuel Hildersham of Welch-felton in this County of Salop who is said first to do and then to say first â—eaâ—s the Roll brings his Precepts to others into his own practice learns others by his own religious life and conversation This relation since I heard it hath been often working upon my spirits and I hope not in vain to my self nor to others It cannot be supposed or once suspected that this should be a speech of flattery for I know not the flattering stile nor dare I or will I flatter any But that I may give you my self and others of my Brethren incouragements to take up such Presidents for our imitation Thirdly There must be a serious looking out to the state and condition of our people to know how it is and what it is we are to watch their souls Heb. 13.17 1 Pet. 5.21 Acts 20.28 And accordingly apply and suit our labors for their good 1 The fourth Ingredient to this diligence is speediness The diligent are full of Celerity and Alacrity 1 Pet. 5.2 with willing mindes And the rather 1. Propter Temporis brevitatom for and from the shortness of the time we have to work 2. Propter operis bonitatem the work is a good work we are about 3. Propter muneris quantitatem the reward will be great for our work Dan. 12.3 Gal. 6.10 This is all I have to say unto you my Brethren who are to be separated for this work whereunto ye are called I leave the rest to a Reverend Brother who hath a word of Exhortation for you by and by My third and last word and errand is to you Christian friends who are this day our Auditors and Spectators of the work and business we are come about I have a few petitions to put up unto you in the behalf of these our Brethren and of our selves that are workers together with Christ in the great business of your souls salvation 1. I beseech you pray for them and us 2. Praise them and us 3. Praise God for them and us 4. Prize them and us 5. Pitty them and us 6. Practise them and us 7. Pay them and us First I beseech you pray for them and us and for the increase of faithful Ministers that their number may bee increased and