with all thy graces Open our eyes that we may see thy will and incline our hearts to follow it Direct vs in thy waies and keepe vs from declining from thee Teach vs so to frame our liues before thee in this word that we may liue for euer with thee in the world to come Be merciful O Lord we beseech thee to thy Church and to all her faithfull members comfort them with thy comforts and inrich them with thy graces Blesse this kingdome wherein we liue pardon the sins of all estates amongst vs and continue thy Gospell to vs and to our posterity to the end of the world Looke vpon thine annointed Iames our souereigne Lord king adorne his heart with all regall and Christian vertues vphold his scepter prolong his reigne laugh his foes to skorne Blesse our gracious queene Anne Prince Henry and the rest of their princely progeny Be mercifull to all other orders amongst vs aswell Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill and as thou aboundest in thy mercies towards vs so grant that we may striue to abound in all thankfulnesse towards thee Finally O Lord for our selues we beseech thee to take vs to thy fatherly protection pardon the weakenesse of our praiers watch thou ouer vs to our good giue vs such rest sleep that we may be the fitter enabled to serue thee the next day in our general and speciall callings Heare holy Father from the heauens and grant vs all these our requests for Iesus Christ his sake thine onely Sonne and our onely Sauiour to whom with thee and thine holy Spirit one most wise glorious and eternall God be rendred all power praise glory this night for euer Amen Trin-vni Deo gloria FINIS Deut. 32.11 Deut. 32.13 Deut. 32.5 15.21 Ex. 8 3.14 Nouem 5. An. 1605. 1. Cor. 3.16 1 Thes 5.23 a 2. Cor. 11.2 b Chedia 1â— c 2. â—â—g 18. d 2. Paulus e Iesse 1. Salamo a Acts. 8.3 b 1. Tim. 1.12 c Gal. 1.13 d Gal. 1.15.16 e Zach. 2.8 f 1. Tim. 1.13 g Ps 19.13 i 1. Tim. 13 Acts. 9.1 k Rom. 11.33.34 l Is 50 2. a Gal. 1.1 b 1. Cor. 4.7 c Psa 75.6 d 1. Chron 29.12 Iob. 32.8 Iam 1.5 e Prou. 29.23 Mat. 23.12 Iames. 4.6 f Iosh 10.13 g Isay 38.8 h Mat. 7.2 i 1. Cor. 3.7 k 1. Pet. 5.5 l Matth. 2. m 1. Câ—r 16.10.11 n Mat. 25. o Gal. 5.13.26 a 1. Cor. 4.13 b Exod. 20.18.19 c Gen. 22.1 d Gen. 22.12 e Act. 16.14 f Luk. 8.15 g 2. Cor. 4.7 h Rom. 1.16 i 1. Cor. 1.21 k Gal. 1.8 l 1. Cor. 1.21 m Ps 68.70 n Amos. 7.15 o Mat 4 19. p 1. Cor. 4.9.13 q 2. Cor. 5 20. r 2. Cor. 5.18 a 2. Tim. 4.10 a 1. Tim. 3.1 b Eph. 6.17 c 1. Chron. 15.2 d Ezeck 3.20 a Mat. 20. c Heb. 5.4 d Luk. 10.2 e Rom. 10.15 f Ier. 23.21 g Num. 4.19 Ministers must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 2. Tim. 2.15 b 2. Cor. 4.2 c 2. Cor. 1.12 d 2. Cor. 2.17 e 2. Cor. 6.3 f 2. Tim. 1.13 g 2. Tim. 2.22 h 1. Tim. 3.2.3 In Mat. 25. i Exod. 28.30.36 k Gen. 6.14 l Exod. 35.38 m Mat. 7.5 n Ps 50.16.17 o Mal. 2.9 p Reu. 3.1 q Exod. 27.20 r Ps 93.5 Isay 52.11 Å¿ Ps 25.14 u Mar. 10. â— Leuit. 6.13 x Mat. 5.16 y Mat. 5.13.14 z Eccl. 5â— 6.7.10 a Mar. 6.20 b 1. Tim. 4 1â— c Act. 20 28. d 1. Cor. 9 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e Rom. 2 2â— f Lu. 12.47 g Iam. 4.17 h Ier. 23.15 i Ier. 23 28. a Heb. 4 1â— b 1. Tim 3.2 2. Tim. 2.24 c 2. Tim. 2 d Math. 6.22 Mat. 5.14 e Iam. 1.1 f Isay 50.4 g Mal. 2.7 h Lam 4.4 Lam. 2.11 12.19 i Pro. 29 1â— k Mal. 2.7 l Mat. 15.14 a 1. Cor. 4.2 b 2. Tim. 4.2 c Ier. 48.10 d Pro. 27.23 e Iob. 1.7 f 1. Pâ—t 5.8 g Mat. 23.15 h Pro. 27.18 i 2. Thes 3.10 k Act. 20.20.27.31 l Act. 20.28 m Ephes 4 12. 1. Pet. 5.2 n Gen. 31.40 o Ezek. 16.49 p Pastoris est pascere nâ—n deglubere q 2. Cor. 12 14. r 1 Cor. 9.17 Å¿ 2. Cor. 11.23 t Iude. 3. u Reu. 2.2 u Pro. 11. â—6 x Pro. 27.18 y Exod. 8.24 z Act. 20.30 a Isa 65.5 b Iudg. 15 4. Note c 2. Cor. 8.12 d Gal. 6.7 e Ier. 17.10 f Heb. 4.13 g Iob 42.2 h Heb. 10.31 a 2. Cor. 9.7 b 1 Chron. 29.6.9 c 1 Cor. 9.17 d Iob. 20.12 Prou. 4.16 f 1. Pet. 5 2 g Act. 2â— 24 a Neh. 4.17 b Eph. 6.12 c Ier. 1.17 d Ez. 3.9 e Ier. â— 8 f Tit. 2.15 g Isai 58.1 h Mich. 3 8. i Kin. 18.18 k 2. Sam. 2.9 l Isay 50.7 m Isay 50.6 n For sheep maâ— be driuen to the â—acks but Lions must be fed at the staues end lest â—hey feed on them that would â—â—ed them o Isa 58.1 p Gal. 6.1 2 Tim. 2.25 a Gen. 15.11 b 2. Cor 4 1. c Psa 119.105 d 1. Pet. 2.5 e Ouid. f 2. Pet. 1.13 g 1. Tim 4 13.15.16 h Mat. 20.8 i Eccl. 11.6 k Gal. 6.9 l Nehe. 9 12. m Exâ— 27.20 n Psal 15. o Ex. 29.38 p Isa 62.6 7. q Luk. 9 62. a Psal 94.4.5 b Psal 5.9 Psal 10.7 c Is 59.8 d 1. Tim. 3.2 Tit. 1.7 e 1. Cor. 11.16 f Mar. 3. 24 25 g 1. king 3.26 h Nehe. 4. i Iosephus k 2. Tim. 3.24 l 1. Ioh. 4.8 â— Thes 5.22 m Rom. 12 18. n Ouid. o Rom. 12.16 p Rom. 15.1 q 1 kings 21.3 r Mat. 10.16 Tit. 1.8 Å¿ Rom. 15 5. t Eph. 5.23 u Eph. 4.3 Gal. 5 26. Eph 5.27 w Luk. 23.12 Act. 4.27 x Rom. 15.6 y Morbida sâ—la â—ecus totum â—orrumpit ouiâ—e z Mark 9.10 a Psa 133.1 b Ioh. 13.35 c Virg. a Iohn 15.1 b Heb. 3.4 c 1 Cor. 3.6 d Psal 127. â—1 e 1 Cor. 15.10 f 1 Pet. 5.10 g 2 Cor. 5.19 h 2 Cor. 2 15.16 a Isa 55.11 b 2. Cor. 2.15.16 c Isa 50.7 d Ier. 1.8.18.19 e Eze. 2.3 â— Acts 18 9.10 f Iosh 1.5 Heb 13 7. h Heb. 1.12 i â—am 1.17 Isa 46.10.11 k Psa 84.12 a 1. Cor. 3 8 b Dan. 12.3 c 2. Tim. 4.7.8 h Pet. 5.4 e Mat. 10 â—1 f Mat. 20.8 a 2 Cor. 3 9. b 2 Cor. 5.2 18. Act. 20.28 1 Cor. 12.28 c Iob 25.6 d Isa 57.15 e Iob 33.23 f Psal 116.12.17 g Psa 145.2 h Psâ— 4.3.8 i 1. Sam. 2.30 k Leuit. 10.3 a Eph 5.1 b Tit. 2.7 8. a 1 Thes 2.2.3.4 b 2 Tim. 24 c Eph. 6.2 2.2 d 2 Cor. 10 4. e Act. 6.2 f Aug. Note g 1. Tim. 5.8 h Ioh. 21.3 i Mark 6.3 k 2. Tim 4.13 l Act. 20.34 m 1. Tim. 3.4.5 a Conâ—er the 1. Cor 3.6
the people what can bee exspected at their hands besides profanenesse and Atheisme vnlesse God in mercy do restraine and guide them For the wickednesse of Ministers is serpens malum doth creepe like Iuy and spread like a leprosie and is as pestilent and infectious as the Plague Therefore the Lord saith From the Prophets of Ierusalem is wickednes gone forth into all the land Wherefore let euery Minister behaue himselfe in Gods house discreetly He that hâ—th his word let him speake it faithfully let him handle it sincerely and withall let his life be honest For other wise as Nazianzâ—ne teacheth He reacheth that with one hand which he raketh away with the other he both abuseth his place and dishonoreth his Maister If euer he meane to doe good let him be good As the fire must be hot before it can heâ—te the stander by so if thou desirest to make other men religious be religious thy selfe be first hot thy selfe and thou are likely to make thy neighbour that stands by thee and lookes vpon thee feruent and hot also CHAP. 8. Ministers must haue skill as well as will to discharge their office THirdly a Workeman must haue skill to performe his worke So should a Minister For what should hee do with Gods sword thaâ— knowes not how to vse it It is sharpe and piercing it is fit therefore that he which is to handle it should haue skill to vse it that he may know when to shake it and when to sheath it when whom where and how deepe to strike with it Ministers are to weâ—re the keâ—es oâ— Gods kingdom at their girdles Lesâ— therefore they should locke when they ought to loose and open wheâ— they ought indeed to shut they musâ— be men of knowledge and not nouâ—ces voyd of good vnderstanding anâ— dexterity to performe their duty Paul requires that a Minister should be apt to teach If he be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able and apt to teach how shall he b◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a teacher as euery ministeâ— ought to be If he be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnlearned how shall he be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a scribe able to interpret the Oracles of God learnedly The Minister of God must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diuide and cut out the worde of trueth aright vnto the people But how shall he be able to diuide it rightly when he cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diuide at all because he wants the knife of knowledge wherewith he should diuide it What though a man haue a plough if he know not how to plow What if he haue a net know not how to cast it What though he haue a salue if he knowe not how to apply it And what though a man haue an axe if he haue no skill to vse it So what can that man do that hath the word of God which is as a plow a net an angle a salue and an axe if he haue no abilitâ— no actiuenesse and skill to vse and handle it The eye is the light of the body if it be blind how darke is that body Ministers are the light of the world and as the Eyes of the Church Now if they be destitute of light and sight the world must needs be darke and that Church must needs be blind or else God the Father of lights must conferre sight and light and illuminate them extraordinarily Esay saith that the Lord gaue him the tongue of the learned that hee might knowe to minister a word in due season to him that is weary Good shepheards and thriuing merchants had need to haue knowledge and experience Ministers are the Shepheards Merchants of Almighty God therefore they should haue skill as well as will to keepe his sheepe and husband his wares that his gaine may be the greater and his fold the fuller This is the note saith that holy Martyr of God Bishop Hooper to know the Bishops and Ministers of God from the Ministers of the Diuell by the preaching tongue of the Gospell The Priests lippes shall preserue knowledge saith the Lord. It is a precept and not a promise And the people were inioyned to seeke the law at his mouth Therefore in reason he should be skilfull in the law It is labour lost to seeke a thing where it is not In vaine do men gâ— to a VVell that hath no water in it Now if the Priests in the time of the Law were by Gods appointment to be men of knowledge is it fit that the Ministers of the Gospell should be ignorant especially there being so much knowledge in the world as there is at this day Ministers are Gods Nurses but if their breasts bee drie how shall his children thriue that are committed to them Ieremy writeth of a calamity which befell the Israelites wherein the tongue of the sucking childe did cleaue to the roofe of his mouth for thirst and in which the children and sucklings did swoone in the streetes and for hunger died in their mothers bosome A very pitifull and sore distresse Verily as lamentable is their condition which neuer haue the bread of Gods word broken vnto them and the sweete milke of wholsome exhortations and instructions powred out before them to feede vpon Ministers are Gods Messengers therefore they should haue knowledge to deliuer their message discreetly They are seers and ouer-seers therefore they should haue eyes to see and ouer-see They should be able to discerne betweene vice and vertue betweene light and darknesse betweene truth and falshood betweene Sarah and Hagar betweene a Iudas and a Ionathan lest they take the one for the other as Ixion did the cloude for Iuno And if the blinde doe leade the blinde both of them are like to fall into the ditch Those ministers then that cannot teach the people in some competent manner are too defectiue not much vnlike a cypher which fils a place and increaseth the number but signifies nothing and something like to Players which do sometimes represent the persons of Princes but are not so themselues Xanchius saith that they only are called of God vnto the Ministery which besides their godly conuersation are able to deliuer wholsome doctrine vnto the people Quos enim eligit ac vocat for those whom God doth elect and call to any function he doth also endow them with such necessary gifts as are meet for that function CHAP. 9. Ministers must be faithfull and painfull FOurthly a labourer must be diligent faithfull and industrious And such a one must euery Minister shew himself to be It is required in the disposers of Gods secrets as Ministers are that a man be found faithfull Preach the word saith the holy Ghost be in stant in season and out of season Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently If we be diligent in our owne affaires how much more diligent should we be in Gods
Be diligent saith Salomon to know the state of thy flocke and take heed to the heards Must men looke to their cattell with diligence shall not Ministers look diligently to the soules of men Idlenesse for a time may be pleasing but in the end thereof it will bite like a Cockatrice and hurt like a Serpent If men bee carefull to saue their sheepe from dogges wolues anâ— foxes if they be diligent to preserue their corne from being cropt and wasted with birds and beasts and to keepe their houses from being burnt with fire or beate downe with tempests how faithfull and laborious should all the Lords Ministers bee to preserue his corne from being eaten vp or troden downe How carefull should they be to defend his house from the fire of contention and schisme And if fire haue taken hold on it how painfull ought they to be in â—â—aking of it and hindering it from proceeding further If the Diuell compasse the earth to and fro and like a ramping and roaring Lyon seeke whom hee may deuoure If the Pharisees would compasse sea and land to make one Proselyte one of their faith and faction And if Popish priests whose faith and alleagiance is pinned vpon Antichrists backe doe venture life and liberty to subuert the true faith and to increase the number of Romish Catholickes what paines should the Ministers of Christ Iesus take what labour should they refuse to maintaine the faith to saue the soules of men and to increase the number of true Beleeuers true Catholikes orthodoxall Christians They looke for hire therefore they ought to labour no worke no wages Indeed he that keepeth the fig-tree shall eate of the fruite thereof and he that waiteth vpon his office is worthy maintenance but he which will not labour and can labour must not eate though hee would eate Possidonius writeth of Augustine Bishop of Hippo that he taught and preached priuatly and publickly in the house and in the Church resembling the practise of Paul who like a faithfull Teacher kept backe nothing that was profitable and in three yeares space reuealed all the counsell of God behold his diligence teaching openly and throughout euery house and by the space of three yeares ceased not to warne euery one both night and day with teares behold his fidelity industry and compassionate affection Chrysostome saith that the Minister of the word ought to be diligent as an Husbandman and carefull as a shepheard As diligently sayth Latimer as the husbandman plougheth for the sustentation of his body so diligently must Prelates and Ministers labour for the feeding of the soule both the â—loughes must be stâ—â—l going â— most necessary for man And againe The Scripture calleth it the preaching of the word meate and not Strawberries that come but once a yeare and â—â—râ— not long but are soone gone But â—t â—â— meate it is no dainties The people must haue meate that must be familiar conâ—inuall and daily giuen then to feed vpon This was the iudgement of that hoâ—â— Martyr and his practise was not different For as M. Fox saith he preached for the most part euery Sunday twise yea when he was 67. yeares oâ— age and had receiued a bruise by the fall of a tree Like was the practise oâ— Ambrose Bishop of Millain whoâ— Augustine heard as he doth report preach the word of truth soundly Omni Dominico euery Lords day This was the practise of thoâ—e blessed Saints This is the will of God and the duty of al godly Ministers as doth euidently appeare by the consideration of Pauls exhortation to the Elders or Ministers of the Church oâ— Ephesus Take heed saith he to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with that his bloud First let vs consider that wee are the Ministers not of man but of God omnipotent who will kindly reward all that come vnto him and labour for him with an honest heart a good intention 1. Pet. 5.4 Secondly let vs also remember that we did not thrust our selues into his seruice but that he chose and called vs and therefore our labours are not arbitrary but at his disposement and dispensation Thirdly we are not called to liue in idlenesse but to attend to ouersee and feed Fourthly our labours are not spent vpon beasts but vpon men like our selues and not about earthly things but heauenly Fiftly our paines belong properly principally to Gods owne people euen vnto such as his Sonne hath redeemed with his owne bloud his best bloud his hart-bloud If Iacob was consumed in the day with heat with frost in the night if hee endured such hardnesse for Sheepe for beasts yea for his Father in lawes sheepe shall wee take no paines for men Shall we neglect the Sheepe of Christ Iesus Shall we bestow no paines vpon the people of God who is our most gracious father and more tender hearted then our naturall fathers are or can be to vs Sixtly we should consider that these about whome we labour are subiect to many dangers Satan his Angels the world their owne corruptions are all of them mortall and most pernicious enemies vnto their soules And our labours are through the operation of the Spirit very helpfull and commodious both to preserue them from euill and to conserue and strengthen them in that which is good yea and to pull them out of the iawes of the Diuell and out of the briars of wickednesse And therefore we should take the greater paines and thinke no time nor trauell mispent which we shall spend this waâ— Seauenthly we preach against the idlenesse of men in all other callings and that not without good cause for it was one of the sinnes of Sodome is vnprofitable to all states Wherefore we ought in no case addict our selues to so base a sinne For otherwise we shall weaken our owne credits and expose our selues to shame and obloquy A blacke spot is soone espied in white paper Ministers are much marked and few trauellers there are if any at all which would not haue their waies as faire as their Neighbors Moreouer the Scripture calleth vs Pastors But Pastors must feed their sheepe and not forsake nor flea them nor starue them through indiligence and oscitancy The flocke must be more regarded then the fleece Paule sought them and not theirs the men and not the money And Woe vnto me saith he if I preach not the Gospell He was exceeding toylesome in his Ministery in labours abundant Iude saith that he gaue All diligence to write of the commune saluation The Angell of the Church of Ephesus was by Christ commended for his workes and labour The ancient Prophets those worthy men of God which he raised vp for the reuealing of that man of sinne and the restoration of the truth as Luther Zuinglius Oecolampadius Bucer Caluin
leaue and liking of his Lord that called him His owne conceipts must yeelde vnto his calling and his fancies must not make him craze his faith It is better to beate them as Abraham beat the Birds that hindred him then by bending to them to breake lose from his calling or to be beat from his businesse as being vnworthy of it or vnfit for it And in a word no feare must fray him no terror must amaze him nothing must make him flie oft of the hookes Shall the obstinacy of the people Although saith Chrysostome I be not ignorant that I speake in vaine yet will I not giue ouer for so doing I shall be excused before God although no body would heare me in 3. Chap. Ioh. And it may be with continual shewring vpon them their harts will at length relent and waxe soft Shall their rage their choler The frantique saith Augustine will not be bound neither would such as are troubled with a lethargie be roused but charity perseuereth to castigate the frantique to stirre vp the lethargique to loue theÌ„ both Both are offended but both are loued Both of theÌ„ being molested so long as their disease coÌ„tinueth doth take it ill that you shold so trouble theÌ„ but both of them being cured they do reioyce Shall threats disgraces Shall the malice enuy of the wicked was not Christ disgraced maligned calumnized euill inâ—reated Were not all his Apostles hated persecuted Shall pouerty driue thee froÌ„ thy calling or make thee to faint in thy calling Was not Christ poore to Man that he might make thee rich to God And were not his Apostles poore Gloriosa in sacerdotibus Domini paupertas Pouerty saith Ambrosâ— is glorious in the Priestes of God A crosse it may be to them but not a curse Paul was a man of much affliction yet saith he Seeing we haue this ministery as we haue receiued mercy we faint not Non fecisse sed perfecisse virtutis est To worke is not so commendable as to continue constant in working till the work be brought to perfection Ministers must be like the salt waters which hauing once begun to flow continue flowing till they come to their full sloud A candle being once lighted burneth on so long as it lasteth except it be put out with violence Euen so they as candles being once lighted set in the church as in a candle-sticke to giue light vnto the people by holding out the lampe of light that is the word of God they shold burne bright continually Aliis inseruientes semetâ—psos consumentes spending themselues like lamps or torches in seruing shining vnto others Salomon left not building of a temple for the Lord made of lifelesse stones vntill it was built vp So should they continue coÌ„stant in building his teÌ„ple made of liuing stones till it be brought to perfection if in this life it were possible They should do their best indeauour and languish not Vt desint vires tamen est laudanda voluntas Paul laboured constantly in his calling till God cald him away by death Possidonius saith that Augustine preached the word of God coÌ„stantly Vsque ad ipsam suam extremam aegritudinem vnto the extremity of his sicknes Fox saith of Bradford that preaching reading and prayer was his whole life These are good patternes and worthy imitation Peter saith that he ought in equity to put them in mind of their duty whiles he continueth in his earthy tabernacle The Minister and his Ministery should cease together and not one before another Paul commandeth Timothy to exercise himselfe in and to adâ—iâ—â— himselfe vnto reading exhortation and doctrine and to continue in learning If wee would duly consider that by preaching the couenant of grace is reuealed that Gods oracles are explained and his dispersed sheepe brought home and nourished that faith is thereby wrought and confirmed and the children of God begotten and conserued that his house is builded his field is eared his scepter erected his throne established his kingdome augmented and Sathan eiected vndoubtedly it would moue vs to a continuall and constant execution of our office without either fainting in it or forsaking of it The Sun we see neuer ceaseth moueing all the while his course is vnfinished The Laborers in the parable wrought vnto the euening euen till their Lord set and sent his Steward to call them from their worke So we that are the Lords labourers appointed by him to worke in his vineyard and set in the Church as the Sunne in the heauens to giue light vnto his people must labour constantly and moue continually till our course be finished and our taske be ended we must not giue ouer till our houre-glasse be runne out till our Sunne be set and the Euening of our life be shut in or vntill our Lord and Maister shall call vs from our worke or send a Messenger to fetch vs. Salomon saith In the morning I sowe thy seede and in the euening let not thine hand rest All men ought to be constant in their labouâ—s and neuer be weary of well doing much more therefore Ministers whose labours are most excellent commodious who ought to be to al other men as that cloudy and fiery pillar was vnto the Israelites which led theÌ„ and let them see their way to Canaan God commaunded that there should be Light alway shining in the Tabernacle The Church militant is Gods spirituall Tabernacle Ministers are the Light that must shine vnto all the members of the Church yea to those that yet sit in darknesse in the shadow of death and that constantly alwaies and without intermission The Lord required a sacrifice of 2 Lambes to be offered day by day continually And it were not vnfitting if ministers did daily in their prayers present and consecrate their people like those Lambes vnto the Lord. Their duty consisteth not wholy in preaching to them but also in praying for them for the prosperous estate of the whole Church I haue set watchmen vpon thy walles O Ierusalem saith the Lord which all the day and all the night continually shall not ceâ—se Ye thaâ— are mindfull of the Lord keepe not silence giue him no rest till he repaire and set vp Ierusalem the praise of the world No man saith Christ that putteth his hand to the Plough and looketh backe is apt to the kingdome of God He is in truth neither a fit man for the kingdome of grace nor a fit Minister for the Gospell of the kingdome The Lord hath put the sword of his Spirit into our hands He will haue vs to hold it constantly and to shake and brandish it continually neuer ceasing to kill the sins of the people with it and causing them continually to die an euerlasting death to sin in this world that they may liue an euelasting life from sin in the world to come and that being couered with
the Canopy of Gods grace in this life they may be clothed with the robes of his glory in the life to come Finally the Lord hath put his Booke into our handes Wee must vpon all iust occasions open and expound it We must constantly hold it vp and out vnto his People We must not lay it aside nor cast it into corners Our hands in holding it must neuer faint least the enemies of God and his Church should preuaile and conquer And so much for the properties of a good workeman CHAP. 13. Ministers ought to be peaceable and louing to each other but yet the refractarie must be bridled Doct. 6 LAbourers together Seeing that wee worke together with and for the Lord seeing all faithful Ministers are the Lords Labourers appointed by God to husband his field and to repaire and build vp his House we should all agree and loue one another entirely that our worke may go the faster forward and that so we may receiue greater comfort and ioy The Psalmist describing the wicked saith that they smite downe Gods people and trouble his heritage Their throat saith Dauid is an open sepulchre and their mouth is full of cursing Destruction saith Esay is in their pathes and they know not the way of peace But these things do nothing beseeme the Ministers of God who are or ought to be Praecones pietatis the preachers of peace and piety and not fighters and strikers but meeke gentle and studious of concord and amity The Word and not the sword is committed by the Lord vnto them the word of grace the word of reconcilement the sword of the Spirit and not the sword of Reuenge If his workmen fall to wrangling how shal his worke go forward God hath hired vs to worke and not to wrangle praedicare non praeliari If any man lust to be contentious we haue no such custome saith Paul neither the Churches of God It is mery with wolues and foxes when the shepheards are together by the eates one with another Lamentable are those flockes miserable are those sheepe We should rather bend then band and bowe rather then breake Ferentes non ferientes bearing one with another and not biting or beating one another lest we be deuoured one of another If the builders and plowmen quarrell one with another their worke must needs be hindred If a kingdome saith Christ be deuided against it selfe that kingdome cannot stand or if an house be deuided against it selfe that house cannot continue Euen so Gods kingdome vpon earth cannot but be much weakened and the rearing of his house much hindred if Ministers which either are or ought to be his chiefest instruments to build his house and to propagate and vphold his kingdome be deuided one against another in factions and hostile manner Diuide et regna Deuide and reigne is no rule for vs to practise amongst our selues It was not the true but the counterfeit mother of the child that said Let it be neither thine nor mine but diuide it If the builders of old Ierusalem in the daies of Nehemiah had contended one against another it had bene easiy for their enimies to haue destroyed both them and their building So if the Builders of new Ierusalem of spirituall and mysticall Ierulem do fight and biker one with another they do without doubt expose themselues and their building to the danger of the enimie that taketh all oportunity to worke a mischiefe Diuide a ship and how shall it saile Diuide the Church and how shall she hold out vpon the waters and not be drowned There is little got but much lost by contention Nimium altercando veritas amittitur Ouer-hot contention loseth the truth and ouer-great dissention amongst the sheepheards scattereth and disquieteth the sheepe The dissention of the captaines was the destruction of Ierusalem But pace florent omnia true peace like Aprill shewers makes all thinges flourish Vires vnitae sunt fortiores A three-fold cord is hardly crackt asunder A sheafe of arrowes is hardly broken Thorefore as Labourers of one Lord as Builders of one House as plowers of one fielde as shepheards of one fold as keepers of one garden as dressers of one vineyard as workemen in one haruest as watchmen of one city as souldiers of one captaine as seruants of one maister and as sonnes of one father let vs all agree one with another being coupled fast together by one spirit like linkes of one chaine and as if there were but one temperature of all our bodies and but one soule within them all And accordingly let vs vnitis viribus ac toto conatu ioyntly labour with might maine that Gods worke may goe forward that the powers of darknesse may be shaken that the gates of Hell may be flung from their hinges and that sin and sathan beeing dismounted from their thrones the scepter of Christ Iesus may be set vp in the hearts of his people If we must loue all men and if we must be gentle towards all men is it seemely for vs to hate one another Shall we be spitefull and crabbed one vnto another God is loue and the well-spring of true peace and the Diuell is the father of hatred and enmity therefore it behoueth all the Ministers of God to be peaceable and louing that so they may be like the Lord vnlike the Diuell If we should labor to haue peace with all men how earnestly should we striue to haue it amongst our selues Nec minor est virtus quam quaerere parta tueri Are all men bound to be of the like affection one towards another and is it fit for vs that are or ought to be lights and guides vnto others to be of a contrary affection one to another Ought not the strong to beare the infirmities of the weake and not to please themselues Wisedome and lenitie will say so And ought not the weake labour to see their infirmity and to waxe weary of their weaknesse that so there may be a simpathy and no antipathy peace and not passions concord and not hostility It is one thing to be weake and another thing to affect weaknesse It is one thing to shew weaknesse and another thing to shroud and shield it It is good to confesse it but bad to professe it There is a strong weakenesse and there is a weaknesse that is weake indeed All weaknesse is vncommeâ—dable but affected and sturdy weaknesse is vntollerable This is the peace-breaker and he must be bridled Easie salues are for easie soares bâ—t gangrenes must be pared off and fisiulaes must be bitten The Leper musâ— keepe his house And he that hath the plague about him must not come abroad Melius est vt pereat vnus quam vnitas It is better to want one then lose all It is better to cut off a finger then to lose the hand And an honorable warre is better then a seruile peace We
of God to whom he hath committed the word of reconciliation the sword of his spirit to cut downe the sinnes of his children and to slaughter their carnall lusts and corrupt affections through the mighty working of his spirit accompanying their ministery And though Paul take vnto him the name of an Architect or master work man yet he doth not meane that he is so indeed simply without comparison But he was an Architect in regard of inferiour Ministers or because he layed the first stone amongst the Corinths and planted Christian religion amongst them as there hee sheweth CHAP. 15. Godly Ministers may assure themselues of Gods protection Doct. 8 SEcondly seeing Ministers worke for God as Factors vnder a Merchant they may well expect his diuine protection in the faithfull performance of their office A Lord will maintaine the lawfull quarrel of his Labourers specially if it arise of the diligent and honest executioÌ„ of their duty by him enioyned A puissant and magnanimious Prince will defend his Embassadour so long as he carrieth his message discreetly And shall we thinke that the Lord of Lords Prince of all Princes will not defend protect his faithful seruants Embassadours Yea he will both protect their persons as the eye of his wisdome shal see fit prosper their message in the thing that pleaseth him either to the mollifying of mens minds as the fire doth wax or to the hardening of their hearts as the Sun doth clay so as that they are vnto him the sweet sauour of Christ in them that are saued in them that perish vnto these the sauour of death vnto death and vnto the other the sauour of life vnto life And this protection blessing of God his faithful Ministers in all ages haue euer receiued according to his benigne admeasurement who aymeth alwaies at his own glory which is the vtmost marke of all his thoghts Esay being assured of diuine protection saith The Lord will helpe me therefore shall I not be confounded therefore haue I set my face as a flint I know that I shal not be ashamed And the Lord encouraging Ieremy to speake his word boldly saith I am with thee to deliuer thee This day haue I made thee a defenced city and an iron pillar and walles of brasse against the whole Land They shall fight against thee but they shall not preuaile against thee Behold saith the Lord to Ezekiel I haue made thy face strong against their faces thy forehead hard against their foreheads The Lord hath promised that he will not leaue vs nor forsake vs so that we may boldly say The Lord is mine hâ—lper neither will I feare what man can do vnto me If wee did seriously consider the vndaunted courage of Paul and Luther their great dangers and deliuerances and the admirable good successe of their labours we may see sufficiently how the Lord graced and guarded their persons and watered their Labours with a floud of blessings Now the Lord is the same that euer he was as potent and as gratious For with him there is no change His counsel shall stand and whatsoeuer he hath determined it shall be done his purpose cannot but be performed Therefore we must not be fainted-hearted but confident in his mercy He will couer vs with the wings of his grace and cary vs vpoÌ„ the back of his power ouer all our enimies He is our Buckler and Shield of defence why should we feare What need we dread If God be on our side who can or who dare be against vs O Lord of Hostes blessed is the man that trusteth in thee CHAP. 16 Faithful Ministers shall be well rewarded Doct. 9 THirdly we must not onely looke for his assistance and protection but we may also assure our selues of a Reward from him if we discharge our office with care and conscience as in his sight A good king will reward and honour a good Embassadour and a kind Maister will not be vnkind vnto his fairhfull seruant Euen so vndoubtedly the Lord that hath both heauen and earth at command will honour countenance and kindly reward all his seruants all his Embassadours that execute their office and carry their message wisely sincerely and in loue vnto his Maiesty Their reward is with God they shall want no recompence Euery one of them sha ll receiue his wages according to his labour They that turne many vnto righteousnesse shall shine as the stars for euer and euer I haue fought a good fight saith Paul I haue finished my course from henceforth is laid vp in store for me the crowne of righteousnesse not a crowne of gold but of glory of immortall gloâ—y and of glorious immortality purchased by the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ and promised by the righteous God in mercy but performed in iustice hauing past his word to giue it Peter saith that good Ministers shall receiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an incorruptible crowne of glory a Garland that shall neuer wither a Crowne that shall neuer be corrupted He that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receiue a Prophets reward By which it is euident that faithfull Prophets shall not goe vnrewarded And if they that entertaine a Prophet because he is a Prophet shall not misse a reward then there is little reason to thinke that the Prophet himselfe behauing himselfe as a Prophet of God ought to do shal not be rewarded The Labourers in the parable receiued their wages of the Lord of the vineyard wherein they wrought so soone as the euening came and were called from their worke by the steward In like manner so soone as the Lord doth send his Messenger â—eath to fetch vs out of his vineyard and to cal vs away from our worke he will faithfully pay vs our wages I say not which we haue deserued for merita nostra misericordia Domini but which he of his meere benignity hath from all eternity decreed to bestow vpon vs. The consideration hereof teacheth vs to be diligent and chearefull in our calling Our labour is not lost a reward will come we shall haue wages for our worke we shall haue pleasures for our paines All our water shall be turned into wine and our sorrowes into solace Our Lord is louing and wil not forget the labours of our loue and the toyle which we take for him We haue his fauour and wee shall see his face we do now enioy his grace and wee shall one day be pertakers of his glory CHAP. 17. Ministers are greatly obliged vnto God and therfore they should be thankefull vnto him Doct. 10 FOurthly seeing God hath made vs his Ministers of the new Testament hath giueÌ„ vnto vs the Ministery of Reconciliation seeing I say that God hath made vs Instruments for him to labour for him in his House and Vineyard seeing we are become his labourers his
seruants that is the Lord of all creatures both Men and Angels we are euery one taught ingenuously to confesse our selues to be greatly indebted to him It is no small fauour that an earthly king sheweth when out of his whole kingdome he chuseth some few to be his principall Officers or shal take one out of many make him his Embassadour And shall we thinke it a smal honor wheÌ„ God that heauenly Monarch and King of all Kings shall elect vs Wormes in respect of himselfe and make vs his chiefe Officers in his Church and his Embassadours to carry the ioyfull message of redemption by Iesus Christ vnto his people Is it not exceeding great fauour when he that inhabiteth the eternity swayeth the scepter of the whole world shall make one of a thousand his Messenger and Interpreter to declare vnto man his righteousnesse and to the sonnes of men their happinesse to call them out of the kingdome of darknesse to leade them the way into heauenly Canaan a land that floweth with milk and hony with ioyes vnspeakeable with pleasures innumerable yea with all the good things and with greater then any man doth comprehend â—his his kindnesse vnto vs vndeseruing it deserues the gratitude oâ— our hearts demonstrated to him both in word and worke What shâ—â— I render vnto the Lord saith Dauid for all his benefits towards me I will offer a sacrifice of praise and will call vpon the name of the Lord. I will blesse thee dayly and praise thy Name for euer and euer Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God let thy good Spirit leade me into the land of righteousnesse So should we meditate so should wee purpose and so we ought to pray God hath honoured vs let not vs dishonour him but in all things let vs seeke his honour and set forth his praise neither committing nor admitting anything which we know to be derogatory to his glory and disgracefull to our glorious calling Those that honour me saith the Lord I will honour and they that despise me shall be despised If we will not feare to dishonor God we may iustly feare that he will honour himselfe by vs although it be to our great dishonour For as Moses said to Aaron vpon the death of his two sonnes for offending God This is it that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come neare me and before all the people I will be glorified And who come so neare to GOD as Ministers who are his Watchmen his Stewards his Nurses his Obstetrices the wayting-men and dressers of his dearest Spouse vnto whom he hath committed the keyes of his treasure the dispeÌ„sation of his secrets the promulgation of his promise the interpretation of his Oracles the administration of his Sacraments They therefore of all other should be most carefull to honour him and most fearefull to dishonour and offend him CHAP. 18. Ministers should be like the Lord their Maister Doct. 11 FIftly seeing wee are the Lords Labourers working together with him and vnder him in his Field Palace of delight he himselfe being our Maister and director and the onely absolute Architect of that sumptuous building we are all put in minde to striue to resemble him For amongst workmen the meanest if honestly wise will endeauour to be like the chiefest not in skill onely but in sober and good conditions if they see any in him that so they may win his loue and procure the countenance and approbation of all men with whom they do conuerse And indeed it is no credit for a good maister to entertaine or haue bad men vnlike him in his vertues though they be â—â—ke him in skill The child labours to be like his father the hand-mayd striues to be like her Mistresse the seruant will follow his Maister as soone as any man and the Scholler studies to imitate his Teacher yea and the Instruments of the Diuell are very like him wherefore then should not all Gods Ministers labour to be like him He is their Father their Lord their teacher and their Maister It is no shame to resemble him it is no disgrace at all but glory rather to be sayed to be like him He is ouer all and vnder none his perfection is absolute his skill is admirable and the depth of his wisedome cannot be sounded All Christians are bound to follow God therefore much more all Christian Ministers who in all things ought to shew themselues Examples of good workes with vncorrupt doctrine with grauity integrity and with the wholesome word which cannot be condemned that he which withstandeth may be ashamed hauing nothing concerning them to speake euill of Do we not see how the world is followed of the meÌ„ of this world Do we not see many men imitate great persons in their vanities Do we not see how one country followes another in foolish and new-fangled fashions Why then should not we that come neare to God by â—ur office striue to draw neare vnto him by goodnesse and veâ—tuous moralities Why should we flye farre from him this way that come so neare to him that way The Ministers of Sathan are farre differing from the Lord our Maister therefore if wee will not be like them we must striue to be like him And vndoubtedly if Ministers wold carefully labor to resemble their maister in patience pitty charity truth righteousnesse holinesse gentlenesse goodnesse and in such like properties they should not onely please him and feele comfort in their consciences but also win greater estimation to their calling and lessen their contempt in the world CHAP. 19. The chiefest care of a Minister ought to be to study how to please the Lord. Doct. 12 SIxtly seeing that we are Gods Workemen we must beware that wee pâ—each not our selues nor the fantastike adinuentions of men but in all things we must approue our selues vnto God and our onely care must be to please his Maiesty who hath entertained vs into his speciall seruice contending by all possible meanes within the lists and limits of our calling that his affaires committed to our faith may aboue all earthly and outward things whatsoeuer proceed and prosper Pastoris est pascere non piscari a sheepheard should not be fishing when he ought to be feeding his sheepe Hired Laborers must not hinder their maisters businesse to further their owne He that vndertakes to helpe a man must not absent himselfe when hee should be present and when he is present he ought to mind that chiefly for which his presence is required No man saith Paul that warreth entangleth himâ—elfe with the affâ—ires of this life because he would please him that hath chosen him to be a Souldier An honest and discreet Souldier will not cumber himselfe with those things which may make him vnseruiceable to his Captâ—ine vnfit for military labours Ministers are Souldiers God is their grand Captaine his Coates they weare
and vnder his Banner they fight against the blacke Prince that ruleth in the ayre and against all his troupe The weapons of their warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to deturbe the fortressâ—s of the diuell and to ruinate the Castles of iniquity and the Turrets of all sublimious and transcendent imaginations Therefore they ought to liue like Souldiers minding their warfare for their enemy is very puissant and politike full of stratagems and wiles and aboue all things labouring to please their Generall that great Commander of the world intaÌ„gling themselues with nothing which may let their faithfull seruice to him The Apostles thought it not meet to leaue the word of God to serue the tables Maister Tindall saith that to preach Gods word is too much for halfe a man it requireth a whole man Age quod tui muneris est Do that saith Valentinian to Ambrose which belongs to thy office Verbi es Minister hoc age thou art a Minister minde that let thy principall care be fixed vpon thine owne calling If many yrons be in the fire at once some are in danger to be burnt A calling that is so high cannot endure that he which is called to it should like an Earth-worme carry his nose vnto the ground and addict himselfe to the things that are so lowe For Amor rerum terrenarum viscus est spiritualium pennarum the too much minding and the loue of worldly things are as Bird-lime to the wings of the soule that a man cannot mount vp to heauen and execute the workes of this heauenly office as he ought to do Let vs heare what Musculus saith Vis cognoscere verum Christi Ministrum Wilt thou saith he know a true Minister of Christ Then see if he be so vtterly seuered from all other businesse that he doth meditate work or liue in none other thing whatsoeuer but in preaching and making manifest plaine the Gospel of Christ and serue therein by all strength and power whatsoeuer that is in him But yet no man must from hence conclude that all caâ—e and gouerment of secular affaires is vtterly forbidden vnto Ministers Indeed they may not vsurpe authority neither may they be carefull and yet they must not be carelesse They must care but they may not carke Onely it is required that their secular affaires hinder not their constant care of the Church the faithfull alacrious performance of their office For if their be any that prouideth not for his owne and especially for them that are of his owne family he denieth the faith and is worse then an infidell The Disciples vsed their nets sometimes after that Christ had entertained theÌ„ to be his followers And did not Christ himselfe somtimes handle the Axe Paul forgot not his cloake which he left at Troas and as necessity vrged sometimes wrought with his owne hands It is required in a Bishop that he do not onely care for the Church of God but also that he be able To rule his owne house honestly Ministers are men they haue not only soules but bodies Samuel was a faithfull Prophet and yet was able besides his prophecying to do somethings else without impeachment of his credit or disgrace vnto his calling Yet let vs alwaies remember that the edification of the Church by our Ministery whether gubernatiue or operatiue is the principall worke which we ought all to follow the hiest mark at which we ought to leuell CHAP. 20 Sundry reasons are alledged against the peoples factious and irregular conceipts and fancying of their Ministers in diuerse places Doct. 13 SEuenthly considering that all faithful Ministers do labour for the Lord it is a thing both vnequal and vnconuenient that the people should contemne or neglect any of them through their preposterous vngrounded conceipts and so addict themselues to some as that they nothing or little respect others though their doctrine be found and their conuersation blamelesse This was one of the faults for which the Corinthians were reprehended Secondly this sin is a make-bate it causeth contention and stirreth vp strife among brethren The fire is great inough without this brand these bellowes It were better to cast on water then to poure in oyle Thirdly this sin is an enemy to Christ and his Gospell and argueth selfe-loue weaknesse of iudgment Fourthly it giues the Diuell aduantage who is very vigilant and industrious to worke a mischiefe and is glad of the smallest opportunity euer ready to take an Ell when â—n Inch is but giuen him Fiftly it scandalizeth many weake ones and increaseth the number of Mocke-gods Sixtly it is a meanes to make those to faint which are contemned vnlesse their courage be the greater and an ocasion to puffe vp the other if their humility and wisedome be no better then their factious and vnorderly followers And lastly our sin will be the rather increased if we wil be tainted with it seeing we know that it was taxed as a weakenesse in the Corinthians Let vs therefore be wise and wisely beware of all preposterous and vnequal opinions of the Ministers of God They do all of them work vnder him in his haruest there is no reason therfore that any of them should be despised Amongst many builders sowers and reapers none that are discreet and diligent are contemned or basely reckoned of though there be greater dexterity skill and hability in some theÌ„ in others Candles that giue good light are not cast away though they be not so great and cast not so much light as some others do A Lamp is seruiceable though it blaze not so much as a Torch neither is there any mettall contemned though all mettall be not gold CHAP. 21. The people should loue honour and pray for their Ministers Doct. 14 FInally forsomuch as good Ministers are Gods labourers and Adiutors for so the Greek word signifieth as the learned know all men are taught to loue them to pray for them and to honour them We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you haue the ouer sight of you in the Lord and admonish you that ye haue them in high reputation in loue for their worke The Apostle hauing commended his brother Epaphroditus to the Philippians he commanded them by his Apostolical authority to receiue him in the Lord with all gladnesse and to make much of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or honour and highly to prize such as he was The Minister of the Church saith Chrysostome ought to be honoured of thee because he praieth for thee because he ministreth spiritually vnto thee visiteth thee exhorteth and admonisheth thee and commeth to thee if thou call him at midnight Honour thy father saith the commandement Ministers are our spiritual fathers They do beget vs to God in Christ by the preaching of the Gospell They are our Priests For by the word of God as by a sacrifising knife they kill
our sins and offer vs vp to God vpon that their high Altar Iesus as a sacrifice of sweet sauour and acceptable to him They are Gods mouth to vs and our mouth to God They pray for vs wherefore then should not we pray for them Paul requesteth the Romans to striue wiâ—h him by praier to God for him that he might be deliuered from the vnbeleeuing Iewes and that his seruice might be accepted of the Saints And he willeth the Ephesians to be instant in their praiers that he may open his mouth freely to vtter the secrets â—f the Gospell They are our Pastours apointed by God to feed vs with the word of truth our heauenly Manna to refresh our thirsty soules with the sweet and cleare waters of the gospell of life They are our Watchmen and Ouerseers ordained to watch ouer vs to view vs and to care for vs. They are the Lords Trumpeters sounding in our eares continually the two Trumpets of his Law and Gospell and a warlike Defiance vnto all our spiritual enemies They are his Champions they fight his battels for vs against Sathan and Sinne two mighty Princes and too potent for vs. They are his Angels and Embassadors to declare his will vnto vs. Worthy therfore are they in these regards to be respected and highly honored of vs. If the Embassador of an earthly Prince be worthy honour how much more honorable then are they that are the faithfull Embassadors of Iesus Christ that heauenly Prince and King of all Kings of the earth The Elders that rule well saith Paul let them be had in double honour especially they which labour in the word and doctrine The Galathians did so entirely honour and affect Paul as that they receiued him as an Angell of God yea as Christ himselfe and would haue plucked out their eyes if it might haue bene and haue giuen them vnto him Eusebius writeth that Constantine iudged the Ministers which he called to him semper honore praecipuo dignos worthy alwaies of singular honor and that hee did reuerence them Omni officio with all dutifulnesse and omitted no point of kindnesse or courtesie nihil benignitatis aut humanitatis towards those that were deuout godly Syracides would haue vs to honour the Physitian of the body much more therefore should we honour the Physitians and Chirourgians of our soules And we shall leese nothing by our loue For as our Sauiour saith He which receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receiue the reward of a Prophet Now looke what Christ who is truth it selfe doth affirme in word he will also being Might it selfe confirme in deed Heauen and Earth shall rather faile then his word shall fall and not be fulfilled Now this honour which is due to Gods Ministers of what place or stile soeuer may be performed six sundry waies First by reuerencing their persons secondly by obeying their Ministery thirdly by imitating their vertues fourthly by concealing their infirmites fiftly by countenancing and backing them and sixtly by maintaining their estates And of all these we will briefly speake and in order as they lye CHAP. 22. Ministers must be reuerenced of the people FIrst then it is fit that Ministers should haue all seemly reuerence due by desert to so sublimious and reuerend a calling And it must begin in the hart and be testified in the life by reuerent behauiour by comely gestures and by temperate good language both of them to them Men must speake euill of no man but must be moderate and shew all meekenesse towards all men therfore they should in no case speak ill of Gods Ministers but vse them kindly with al courtesie Courtesie shewed to a Minister as he is a Minister is shewed eueÌ„ to Christ himselfe whose Minister he is it is so reputed Ieremy accompteth it one of their plagues that their enemies reuerenced not the face of their Priests The Lord esteemeth a disgrace done vnto his faithfull Ministers as done vnto himselfe Princes we see take to theÌ„selues those words or workes of dishonor which are spoken or done despightfully to their Agents Embassadours for deliuering their message truly as it was giuen them in charge When Dauids Messengers which he sent in courtesie to Hanun King of Ammon were dishonorably intreated and misused of him and his people the story saith that they stanke in the sight of Dauid for abusing them so vilely Euen so do they stinke as loathsome carrions in the nosthrils of the Lord be they what they will be that disgrace and abuse his Ministers whom he kindly sendeth to them to preach his will and to proclaime his Son to be their king God tooke the reprochfull and rayling language of Senacherib against Ierusalem and Hezekiah as spoken against himselfe They which misuse a seruant of a noble man as he is his seruant dishonour the noble man himselfe Christ maketh the killing and contemning of Gods Prophets the highest staire of rebellion And vndoubtedly God will be reuenged on those that disgrace and abuse his Ministers vnlesse they do repent maturely as Dauid was of the Ammonites for disgracing his Messengers We know how by two Beares he did destroy two and forty children for mis-calling the Prophet Elishah and he is as iust and terrible now and as ready to punish sin as euer he was For with him there is no variableneâ—s he wil wound the head of his enemies will wash his feet in the bloud of the wicked CHAP. 23. The people must obey the ministery of their Ministers SEcondly the people honor their Ministers when they submit theÌ„selues vnto their Ministery Reuerence without obedience is a ceremony without substance a body without a soule a stick without strength and not vnlike the commoÌ„ complements of this age Obey them saith the Holy Ghost that haue the ouersight of you and submit your selues Paul looked that the Corinthians should be obedieÌ„t to him in all things And in truth men cannot better commend their Ministers then when by being obedient vnto their Ministery they liue religously and are fruitfull in good works WheÌ„ a child doth thriue well and is strong and lusty the praise redounds to the nurse and it is a reall commendation of a Sheepheard when his sheep are fat and sound Euen so shall wee greatly commend honour our Ministers if we shall submit our selues vnto their voyce and shall by that means grow in grace abound in knowledge true zeale shine by our vertuous liues among men But this our obedience and submission must be in the Lord to wit so long as they keepe themselues to the Law and to the Testimony to the word of God which is the Touch-stone of truth the rule of teligion the squire of faith the line of loue the Met-wand of obedience as a Salomons sword to decide a controuersie For to
bee wise to discerne betwixt true doctrine and errours and we should haue our wits exercised to iudge betwixt good and euill and when we see the difference betweene them being both obiected to vs we should wisely elect the good and reiect the bad CHAP. 24. The people ought to imitate the godly vertues of their Ministers THirdly honour is exhibited to Gods Ministers by imitating their Christian vertues which doe shine within them as the Lampes did in the Tabernacle and do as the candle out of the lant-horne giue light to those that loue the light It is one way whereby we honour those that are departed in the faith when we resemble them in those heauenly graces which like the starres of heauen did shine within them while they were aliue And indeed we do performe an act of honour vnto any man when we striue to imitate his good conditions and to walke exactly in his foot-steps This honour the holy Ghost giueth to all godly Ministers when he exhorteth vs saying Remember thē that haue the ouersight ouer you which haue declared vnto you the word of God whose faith follow And Saint Paul claimeth it of the Corinthians where he saith Be ye followers of me euen as I am of Christ Ministers ought to make themselues Ensamples for vs to follow and when they do so we shall both dishonour them and displease the Lord if we do not labour to be like them Their good examples should be as spurres in our sides to make vs run more liuely in our Christian race and they should be as sauce to make vs affect and digest our meate the better And if we will not study to resemble them we shall both manifest a peruerse and illiberall disposition and make our selues the more vnexcusable when God shall iudge vs. Therefore as the Painter doth draw an image in his head first and then with his hand according to the patterne set before him and conceiued in his mind so should we set the vertues of godly Ministers before our eyes as patternes for to follow and hauing conceiued and entertained them in our heades and hearts wee should expresse them in our liues by the actions of our hands and in the continuall current of our conuersations And so shall we commend our selues without one word of commendation so shall we honour and animate them so shall we dignifie our profession and glorifie him that ordained all things for his glory CHAP 25. Men should wisely conceale the infirmities of their Ministers and not blaze them abroade FOurthly Ministers are honored when their infirmities are not published in Gath to their dishonour but buried by loue in the graue of silence and obliuion In many things saith Iames we sinne all The purest gold hath some drosse within it Nulla facies sine ruga The fairest face is not without a wrinckle a mole or freckle The clearest glasse is subiect vnto soyling There is no soule without some sinne no man without a fault And therefore as we ought to beare with one another and patiently pardon all slips of weaknesse for loue couereth a multitude of trespasses so especially ought we to conceale forgiue the infirmities of Ministers in their words workes and gestures And so we shall shew our selues the children of wisedome the followers of peace and amity true louers of God and his children faithfull and good schollers and vnlike many wretches that are euen heart-merry when they can spy a moate in a Misters eye or an hole in his coate at which they may mocke and iest vngodly Chams that discouer and sport at their fathers nakednesse CHAP. 26. Ministers are to be countenanced and maintained FIftly men do honor the Ministers of Christ when they countenance them and take part with them against their malitious and wicked enemies and when they labour to defend their credits and good name against all their back-biters traducers and maligners and are not ashamed to acknowledge and assist them notwithstanding the greatnesse or the multitude of their vngodly aduersaries which set themselues against God all goodnes And this all men ought to do for their Ministers euer remembring that they passe not the precincts of their calling and be not transported with a preposterous zeale and a vaine conceit of enmity and hostile persecution when there is no such matter that so they may confirme their loue vnto them which they do in shew professe and encourage thē to go on constantly in their ministery that they may be faithfull in Gods house as Moses was and finally that they may manifest their zeale to God house and their loue of his worship and might shew themselues enemies to the Diuell and his wicked Instruments which coniure and band themselues against Christ and his kingdome Sixtly honour and true loue the scaturidge thereof is shewed to godly Ministers when their estates in respect of their places persons and dependants are well maintained They are the Chariots Horse-men of Israel therefore are they worthy to be maintained They are the Lords warriours and standard-bearers They fight for the Church they bestow themselues vpon the Church therefore it is very fit that the Church should keepe them It is a thing honest and acceptable before God for children to recompence their fathers and progenitors Ministers are our spiritual fathers In Christ Iesus saith Paul I haue begotten you to God through the Gospell In which respect we owe euen our selues vnto them as Paul sheweth in a speach to Philemon his spirituall sonne How much more then owe we them our worldly pelfe to maintaine relieue them Haue they by their ministery procured our spirituall life and shall not we prouide for their naturall life Religion right and reason claime it and require it of vs. The Lord hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel should liue of the Gospell They which wait at the altar are partakers with the Altar they which minister about holy things eate of the things of the Temple The Labourer is worthy of his wages The workman is worthy of his meate The Oxes mouth that treadeth out the corne must not be muzled He that planteth a Vine-yard is worthy to eate of the grapes he that keepeth the Vine may drinke of the wine and he that keepeth the stock may drinke of the milke Beware saith God that thou forsake not the Leuite so long as thou shalt liue on the earth Much lesse then are the Ministers of the Gospell to be forsaken For their ministery is farre more excellent Let him saith Paul that is taught in the word make him that hath taught him partaker of all his goods It is a precept and not a bare permission If they haue sowne to vs spirituall things is it a great matter if they reape our carnall things If they bring vs to the pleasures of heauen is it much for vs to bring them of
verifie that ancient prophecâ— recorded by the prophet Esay that kings should be her nursing fathers and that queenes should be her nurces Yea it beseemes vs all to be kinde vnto her and to honour her For she is our mother She is the house in which we are bred and borne and brought vp She is the field in which we are planted and receiue our growth Men loue the house wherein they were borne and trained first vp and the place in which they drew their first breath and led the beginning of their life Let vs therefore loue the Church of God let vs desire and seeke her welfare Pray for the peace of Ierusalem let them prosper that loue thee Peace be within thy walles and prosperity within thy palaces Giue the Lord no rest till he repaire Ierusalem the praise of the world For my brethren neighbours sakes saith Dauid I will wish thee now prosperity Because of the house of the Lord our God I will procure thy wealth Behold saith the Lord I will lift vp mine hand to the Gentiles and set vp my standard to the people and they shall bring thy sons in their armes and thy daughters shall be carried vpon theâ—r shoulders kings and queenes shaâ—l worship thee with their faces towards the earth and licke vp the dust of thy feete But we are of the Gâ—ntiles let vs therefore in our seueral places labour to make good this prophecy We are all carefull to keepe our owne fields and houses in good case and shall we neglect the Church which is the Lords Shall we dwell in our seeled houses and see his house lye wast without griefe of heart We looke to our owne gardens and orchards let vs not therfore cast off al care of Gods but let vs rather labour to the vtmost of our power keeping vs within the precinct of our calling that they may flourish prosper in the world And so doing we shall testify our loue to God and his Church we shall shew our selues to be true natural sons and not bastards seruants and not slaues faithfull friends and not fawning flatterers and false-hearted foes Sixtly seeing the Church is Gods field and house we may be sure that God will husband and repaire her He will till and dresse her he will pluck out her weeds make her fertile he will manure and water her with the first and latter raine of his gracious benediction He will cause the North-wind to blow vpon her which shall purify the aire about her pinch the luxuorious humors within her coole the pride of her hart the excessiue heat of her spirit He will also send out the South-wind to coÌ„fort her with his warme blasts and to water her with his sweet shewers that she may be fresh and fruitfull The Lord saith the Psalmist couereth the heauen with clouds and prepareth raine for the earth and maketh the grasse to grow vpon the mountaines Euen so the Lord couereth the Church with his loue he causeth the clouds to breake he powreth downe the raine of his blessing vpon her he moystens her with the dew of heauen and maketh his graces to sprout vp and flourish within her Yea he maketh her like dry ground to thirst after the waters of life and teacheth her to cry out and say Arise O North and come O South and blow vpon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out And forsomuch as she is his house we may know for certaine that he will in time remoue in-bred ruines and rottennesse and wil repaire and polish her til he haue made her perfect glorious in all respects And albeit he do often suffer her faithfull and true members to bring forth the weedes of sin and to fall into the ruines of wickednesse yet it is not through his negligence obliuion or bcause he hath cast them off but it is to teach them to distast their pride and to confesse that they can easily fall of themselues but are vnable to stand or rise vp without him The husbandman sometimes lets his ground lie as if he had forsaken it and can be for a time content to see it growne with weeds But he hath a purpose to breake it vp with his plough and to bestow more cost vpon it that it may be more fruitfull then before He will not see it ouer-grown with weeds he wil not permit theÌ„ to suck out the heart to make it altogether barreÌ„ good for nothing So likewise we see many men suffer their houses to decay for a while to fall to ruine but their intent is to build them fairer and to make them stronger then they were before And thus God sometimes dealeth with his faithfull seruants as with David Hezekiah Peter and others For he is tied by no law to preserue any man longer then he list And so great is his grace vnto vs as that if he suffer vs to fall yet he will not let vs fall quite a way but will in due season restore and lift vs vp againe For Semel et semper Once and euer are all one with God whom he hath embraced once he will embrace for euer Moreouer considering that the Church is Gods house husbandry we may be sure that he will patronize and protect her against heritiques tyrants and all that by fraud or force do labour to subuert and wast her The Lord thy God saith Zephany in the middest of thee is mighty he will saue he will reioyce ouer thee with ioy he will quiet himselfe in his loue He will feed them that spoile thee with their owne flesh and they shall be drunken with their owne bloud For the Lord is great in counsell and mighty in worke His eyes are open vpon all the waies of the sons of men to giue to euery one according to his waies and according to the fruit of his workes And they that hate Sion shall be all ashamed and turned backward But as the mountains are about Ierusalem so the Lord is about his people from henceforth and for euer Whom shall wee then need to feare What danger neede we dread For God that is greater then all is on our side he is our shield and tower of defence his al-seeing eye doth watch continually for vs. For he that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleepe Are our enemies great and mighty The Lord is high aboue all nations his glory is aboue the heauens Great is our Lord and great is his power and he doth whatsoeuer he will Are they politique and subtle Feare not God taketh the wise in their craftinesse and the counsell of the wicked is made foolish Their mischiefe shall returne vpon their owne heads and their cruelty shall fall vpon their owne pates For the Lord is omnipotent and his wisdome is infinite He hath pleasure in his people and he will make