to you wretch that devise evill the Lord knowes your devilish intentions ye are thinking to be revenged but God will be revenged on you ye are minding to go by-and-by to such a piece of villany but the Lord will find you out This is preaching in season So when a soule cannot be cast downe but when he comes to a Sermon there he meets with his owne case his temptations are treated of wine and oyle is powred into his wounds this is to preach in due season O what gifts had a Minister need to have He had need of daily inflvence from God Daily instincts that God should guide his tongue and his heart Now Beloved it is Christ alone that gifts all his true Ministers I will be with thy mouth saies he to Moses The use of this is First here we see that a Minister had not need be a foole no no he that winneth soules is wise Pro. 11. 30. he must be a wise man that would be a Minister it requires more then humaine wisedome to catch soules when the heart hath so many put-offs so many deceits so many strongholds so loth to obey the word so subtill to invent excuses so crafty to thrust away the truth There is some wisdome required to catch fishes and birdes and vermine how much more to catch men who is sufficient for these things The best of us all may blush to thinke how unfit we are to be Ministers O how should we blesse God if he fit any of us in any suitable measure and when we have done our best we had need to goe home and downe on our knees and cry shame on our selves for not doing better Secondly Then they are none of Christs Ministers that are not gifted for this mighty worke Will he send a foole on such a waighty Message as this is He that sendeth a Message by the hand of a foole cutteth off the feet and drinketh dammage Pro. 26. 6. That is if a man have a businesse of any great importance He had not need to imploy a foole in it lest he suffer great dammage It is all one as if one should chop off ones feet then bid him go on our errand O Beloved preaching of the Gospell is a worke of infinit importance the humbling of mens hearts the convincing of consciences the converting of mens Soules these are great businesses doubtlesse they are no Fooles that Christ sends on such errands True all Christs Ministers are not alike gifted some have meaner gifts then othersome have but he that hath least he is fitted in some measure to dispence divine mysteries to call home Gods elect to build up the called to judge all his hearers to stop the mouthes of gainsayers to hew down the obstinate to shew unto men the things belonging to their peace to give the Saints their due and the wicked their due That a good man cannot come but he shall have heavenly meat to feed on Nor a wretch neither but his Ministery wil single him out give him his bit to chew upon He that cannot doe this in any measure he is none of Christs Ministers Surely he will not send such a Message by a fooles hand but either he makes him a wise able man or else he runs without his sending Thirdly then my Brethren hence we learn whether to go for gifts if we would be enabled to our calling let us goe to Jesus Christ that hath the seven stars in his hands he can make our inflvences strong and our light heate mighty he can give us a gift of boldnesse to feare no mens faces He can unty our stammering tongues that we shall have liberty in speaking He can make our tongues a sharpe sword He can make us sons of consolation unto some of thunder unto others If we want knowledge in the mysterie of Christ let us make our wants knowne unto him he will instill into us If we want words he can make them flow in unto us If we want affections he can purge away our iniquities fire our hearts lips While the Apostles were together at prayer Act. 1. 14. suddenly the Lord Jesus sent them the gift of the holy Ghost in fiery cloven tongues Act. 2. While Paul and Silas were praying in the prison the Lord backt them from Heaven made them instruments of turning the heart of the Goaler Let us pray then not only in our Pulpits before our Sermons but also in secret God giveth the greatest gifts in secret and like man revealeth himself apart as secret meales make a fat body so does secret prayer it makes a well-liking soule Again this should teach us to stirre up the gifts that hee gives us Wee should labour to put them forth a man may lose the benefit of Christs gifts for want of rouzing up himself and putting of them forth as Paul sayes to Timothy I put thee in remembrance that thou stirre up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of hands 2 Tim. 1. 6. wee must stir up the gift in us When Father Isaac would prophecy to his Sons hee stirred up his spirit with savoury meat When Elisha would Prophecy before the three Kings hee called for a Minstrell to stirre up the spirit of Prophecy in him Deborah cryes awake awake Deborah Awake O my soule sayes David When Christ would pray to his Father the Text shews how hee stirred up himself These things spake Jesus and lift up his eyes unto heaven Joh. 17. 1. He lift up his soule and his spirit as Sampson went and shook himself if his spirit had been in him it had been well but like a foole he had driven him away But it should seem when hee had the spirit in him this was his wont hee shooke himself as at other times hee used to stirre up the Spirit in him so wee should stirre up the Spirit in us wee should rouze up our gifts like sparks out of the ashes and bestirre our selves soundly remisse using of them lets them warpe and wane Again wee should labour to relye more upon Christ we trust too much to our notes but O if wee could trust more to Christ that 's warmest matter that comes down from heaven in the speaking not that wee should leave all without study till wee come into our Pulpits No prepare as much as wee can But then if we would trust in Christ for his present assistance and yearn up to him for prompting it would make our Ministery more lively When a Sermon is an effect of Faith that 's it that does most good then Christs Spirit Preaches and not wee as the Prophet David sayes The Spirit of the Lord spake by mee 2 Sam. 23. 2. Again this should teach the people of God if they would have their Ministers inabled indeed to doe their soules good that they should pray for them that Christ would mor furnish them How often does the Apostle tell the people that
manner of sinne when the Lord would quicken his people here in Sardis hee uses this as his first meanes to doe it by I know thy workes wee may see this in David I have kept thy Precepts and thy Testimonies for all my wayes are before Thee Psalme 119 168. when Solomon would convert the whorish man hee uses this for his argument why wilt thou O my Son be ravisht with a strange Woman for the wayes of man are before the Eyes of the Lord and He ponders all his goings Pro. 5. 20 21. The reasons of this point are First because the Lords knowing of our workes is joyned with a marking and a pondering of them too Hee diligently observes what wee doe Hee ponders and considers whence it proceeds whether it tends what light we goe against what checks of conscience wee meete with what mercies wee abuse what prickes wee kick against Hee does not barely see what wee doe but Hee considers what wee doe how hainously wee sinne what a vile thing it is that wee doe Hee considers how cursed wee are what a great One wee offend The Lords Throne is in Heaven his Eyes doe consider and his Eye-lids trie the children of men Psalme 11. 4. Hee ponders mens hearts Prov. 24. 12. if God did only see what wee doe it were another matter but when the soule shall heare that He markes and considers and that he ponders mens sinnes and weighs them how horrible they are how much against his glory what punishments they deserve how inexcusable they be how just it is to damne them it s a signe of a desperate heart when this wil not work Secondly the Lords seeing of our sinnes is with most holy and pure Eyes and such Eyes as cannot abide such an object before Him as the Prophet Habbakuk speakes Thou art of purer Eyes then to behold evill thou canst not looke on iniquity Hab. 1. 13. If God saw our sinnes with such an Eye as men see them with it were no such great thing many men can endure them well enough and like us little the worse nay may be they will like us the better but they are infinitely offensive to God Hee sees them with such an Eye that if the soule did but see how God lookes it would burst the very heart of it as when Peter had denyed Christ Christ look't upon him But it was such a looke that burst his very heart and made him goe out with shame and weepe bitterly Thirdly the Lords seeing of our sinnes is joyned with recording of them Hee notes them in a Booke that hee may never forget them as hee told the Iewes Behold it is written before mee and I will render it them into their bosome Isaiah 65. 6. if God did see our sinnes and there 's an end then indeed this Doctrine of Gods seeing of our sinnes would doe little good may be God will forget them againe yea but when hee sees them hee registers them too and hee will never forget them now when a soule shall come to consider them this will wound it to the quick O hee will never forget them hee sets them on our score and wee shall heare of them another day except we make our peace with him Fourthly when God sees our sinnes it is even all one as if the whole World saw them nay hee will shew them before all the whole World Hee will bring to light things hidden in darknesse 1 Cor. 4. 5. wouldst not thou bee loth that all the World should see all thy thoughts and heare every word that thou speakest and know all the evill thou hast done would it not much bridle thee if thou couldst doe nothing not thinke a thought but all the whole World should see it why man the Lord sees thee and that is all one and more too for hee will open it before all the World before hee hath done Fifthly another argument may be taken from our disposition our disposition is such that wee cannot abide our wickednesse should be seen by any body which among us when wee pray would not be ashamed that any body should see how our thoughts rove which of you that are unsetled and deadhearted would not blush that men had a casement to see how dead hee sits at a Sermon how dead and blockish at a Sacrament how dead at other of Gods Ordinances What base and uncleane and blasphemous thoughts doe sometimes come into our hearts if a man did thinke that any man should see them hee would hardly be able to shew his face among men should an Adulterer be but taken in the act by any Man or Woman or Child O how it would gall him and vex him to be seene as Job speakes If one know them they are in the terrour of the shadow of death Job 24. 27. now beloved if this be our disposition by nature that wee cannot abide that a man should see us doe something that wee doe nay not a child of seven yeares old then O what a terrour is it that the God of Heaven and Earth should see us and know us that hee should see all our lusts all our noysome and uncleane affections all our vile and hideous thoughts O what a powerfull thing is this to worke upon the heart except it be delivered up to a reprobate sense The Woman of Samaria shee was briske and frolique a great while till shee perceived that Christ knew all her villany this made her ashamed and brake her very heart The use of this was First here wee see they are desperate that this point cannot worke on its certaine they are gracelesse that can heare that God sees all their workes and yet it does not purge them from day to day it s an evident argument that a man contemnes God and makes nothing of him Secondly is it so that this is such a powerfull meanes to worke upon our hearts O let us not harden our hearts but let us consider of it that it may cut betweene the bone and the marrow God sees all our workes This point should fall upon our hearts like the Al-mighty hand of God so it did on Jobs I know thou canst doe every thing and that no thought can be hid from thee Job 42. 2. so much shall suffice to have spoken of the reproof in generall Now wee come to the particulars And the first is in these words thou hast a Name that thou livest and the other is and art dead That thou hast a name that thou livest This is the first particular whereby the Lord Jesus proves that which hee had implyed before viz. that the works of Sardis were all starke naught because they had onely a name to live they rested in a meere outward name to bee Religious and good Christians and people of God and believers and a Church of Jesus Christ they had the name and that was all they had a name to live well sayes hee for this very thing I
For the place of his exile was like Pauls third Heaven unto him he was ravisht in the Spirit on the Lords day and had abundance of revelations vouchsafed unto him of the things that should occurre in the Church and out from thence unto the end of the world Before which he hath a charge given him to write to the seven Churches of Asia chap. 1. the Church of Ephesus the Church of Smyrna and of Pergamus and of Thyatira these foure are written unto in the second Chapter the other three are written unto in this the Church of Sardis and the Church of Philadelphia and the Church of Laodicea Now that which I have chosen to handle and if God afford liberty I desire to goe through it is the Epistle unto the Church of Sardis wherein we may consider foure things First The Inscription containing a specification whom the Epistle is specially directed unto And to the Angel of the Church in Sardis write Secondly the Subscription containing a description of the Lord Jesus Christ the King of the Church These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres I call it a subscription because in our letters we use to subscribe our names or to write our names beneath at the latter end But it may be called rather a suprascription as Kings write their names above for honours sake so does Christ the King of Sion write his Name above Thirdly the substance or matter of the Epistle I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Be watchfull strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God c. vers 1 2 3 4. Fourthly the conclusion He that overcommeth the same shall be clothed in white raiment c. v. 5 6. First I say the Inscription And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write In which words Saint John is directed whom to inscribe this Epistle unto and that is unto the Church which is in Sardis but especially unto the Angel of it that is the Minister or Ministers of it for that 's the meaning of Angel in this place Secondly for the Subscription or rather suprascription that contains the description of the Lord Jesus Christ from whom the Epistle is sent and he is described by two Royalties the first is in having of the seven Spirits of God These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God that is that hath power to send the holy Ghost unto all the Elect for so the holy Ghost is called the seven Spirits that are before the Throne Rev. 1. 4. He meanes there the holy Ghost not as though there were seven holy Ghosts but he is expressed in the plurall number in regard of the abundance of graces that he infuses into his Churches and the number seven is rather taken then any other number partly because this number is put for a perfect number as implying the perfection of his influence partly because of the present businesse in hand for here he writes to the seven Churches of Asia Now the Lord Jesus Christ hath Spirit enough to send forth into them all This is his first Royalty that he hath the seven spirits of God Another Royalty of his is that he hath the seven Starres that is the seven Pastors of these Churches Christ hath them all in his hand it is he that preserves those Ministers that are faithfull he hath power to raise them up to gift them to protect them to defend them and they are called Stars because they are to shine in the firmament of the Church Thirdly for the substance and matter of the Epistle it containeth three parts First a Reproofe and the reproofe is in these words I know thy works that is I know them all and they are stark naught for the most part what ever they seem they may seem to be very good but I tell you plainly I know them all what they be q. d. generally they are stark naught and then he instances in particular as for example thy deadnesse of heart in Religion Thou hast a name to live but thou art dead that is thou goest for an excellent Minister and and excellent Church ye doe professe Religion very fairly and in a goodly manner that to see to thou art alive and thou art taken so too of all thy Neighbour-churches they all think and hope thou art alive but the truth is thou art dead the grace of life is hardly in thee at all This is the first the Reproof Then secondly here 's a remedy annexed for he does not reprove them out of any ill will but for their good and so he prescribes them a remedy and the remedy is twofold The first is To strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die q. d. as many of you as are not quite and clean dead stirre up your selves quicken up your hearts and this is amplified by shewing how they should doe thus O be watchfull sayes he q. d. that is the reason why ye languish in this fashion and yee will languish more and more because yee are not watchfull therefore Be watchfull and also by rendring a motive to presse this remedy For I have not found thy works perfect before God that is thou art hardly sincere a jot thou art full of hypocrisie and rottennesse and formality and thou wilt lose all thy labour if thou dost not look well about thee therefore shake up thy selfe and strengthen the things that remain This is the first remedy The second remedy is to repent and this is amplified by shewing how and that is two wayes First Remember how thou hast received and heard that is consider how thou hast been taught and bewaile thy declinings for thou art horribly departed from what thou hast learned in the Ministery of the word Secondly Hold fast that is so bewail thy warpings wanings and degeneratings that thou mayst get up againe hold thee fast there when thou art up Now lest they should neglect the using of this remedy the Lord Jesus sharpens his speech with a threatning telling them the danger if they will not be awakened If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thiefe and thou shalt not know what houre I will come upon thee This is the second part of the matter of this Epistle the Remedy Thirdly another part of the matter of this Epistle is a commendation of some particular persons in the Church that were not carried away in the deadnesse of the times and these he does praise very much and he gives them an excellent promise the praise is in these words Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments that is there be some among you though they be but a few that have not been sutted and soyled with others bad examples though others be dead yet they are not dead too for company
be holy Let thy Urim and thy Thummim be with thy holy one Deut. 33. 8. so that our very calling will testifie against us if we be not holy We of all men should labour to be holy What a Minister and yet a drunkard a Minister and yet a whoremonger a Minister and yet without the feare of God a Minister and yet have a dead heart O consider what God sayes What hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldst take my covenant within thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and hast cast my words behind thee Psal 50. 16 17. With what face can we here stand in a Pulpit and preach against sin and teach our hearers to make conscience of all their wayes and denounce the judgements of God against them that doe evill if we that condemne another do the same things or as bad How inexcusable are we if we can preach the straitnesse of heavens gate and the narrownesse of the way and the strictnesse of the account the people shall be forced to give at the last day and lay heavie burdens on other mens shoulders and we our selves not touch them with one of our fingers Teach precisely and live loosely teach graciously and walke broadly This is grosse hypocrisie act zeal and goodnes in the Pulpit and be heartlesse and luke-warm in our private duties unto God Again we can never look to doe good if we be not holy as Jet will not draw if it be not clean For how can we hope our people will follow our exhortations if they see we doe not follow them our selves When S. Luke had shewed how Barnabas exhorted the Christians to cleave close unto God Acts 11. 23. presently he gives a reason why he might well exhort them to do so For he was a good man full of the holy Ghost and of Faith v. 24. When our hearers are met with for any of their sinnes when wee rub their consciences with our Sermons presently their eye is at us and if they see us to be vain and worldly this heals them again though the word wounded them yet this is an ease to them O think they he is as bad himselfe and we see no such holinesse in him and we are as faire for heaven as he he loves his peny as well as we he is as ready to quarrell as we he is as proud and ambitious and fearfull and idle as we he loves to sleep in a whole skin what wil not hee doe rather then lose his living hee 'l break the Sabbath and teach others to doe so Now my brethren how should we abhorre this O it should prick and spur us up to study holinesse of life that so our Ministery may be powerful Thirdly are Ministers Angels Then they should be apt to teach ready to preach and to labour in Word and Doctrine It is said of the Angels that they have wings One of the Seraphims came flying unto me Isa 6. 6. They are ready prest to doe any thing that the Lord gives them in charge so should we be or else how should we beare the name of Angels We must labour that we may be fruitful in our labour among our people You know the Angels are called Reapers and so are Gods Ministers I sent you to reap John 4. 38. When a man reaps he gathers nay Christ chuseth good Ministers for this end that they should bring forth fruit in their places I have ordained you that yee should goe and bring forth much fruit John 15. 16. Nay our Saviour Christ supposes that all his true Ministers are fruitfull upon some Every sower though he have some high-way ground to sow in and some thorny ground and some stony ground yet he hath some good ground or other For first a good Minister it is the desire of his soul to see the fruits of his labours As a Hen many a Hen will hardly ever off from her egges till she see a young chickens bill peep nay she will sit stil till she die before she will off What made Paul so desirous to come to the Romans Was it onely to see them and to be among them or to take his tythes or his maintenance No it was that he might have some fruit Rom. 1. 13. And certainly this is the study of every true Minister that he may see his preaching fruitfull in the conversion and salvation of some that some are awakened by his means that some are quickned some are made to leave their sinnes and to become new creatures unto God Secondly does not every man count it a misery to be unprofitable The Lord names it as a brand upon wicked men that they are unprofitable Rom. 3. 12. What a wofull brand is this when we can live two three seven ten twenty yeares in a place and our services are unprofitable no man delivered out of ignorance no man purged from his filthinesse by our means when our Ministery is a dead letter we preach without life and no man is translated from death unto life by it I say this is to bee unprofitable like salt that hath lost his savour I confesse the best Ministers may have little takings as the best tradesman may have little vent for his wares when his trading growes dead Nay thirdly this is the end of our gifts that wee may profit with them as the Apostle sayes The manifestation of the Spirit is given unto every man to profit withall 1 Cor. 12. 7. Hath he given us knowledge He hath given it us that we should profit others with it Hath hee given us skill in the opening and applying of the Scriptures He hath given it unto us that we may doe good with the same And therefore O how earnest should we be that our Ministery may profit that our pains may be profitable and successfull that we may say with the Prophet Esay Lord behold I and the Children whom thou hast given me Fourthly this is the best argument that God hath of a certain called us to bee Ministers in his Church If we have called our selves and run without sending then no marvell if we be fruitlesse and doe little or no good But if we find that God blesseth our labours this is the best seal of our ministery as if the arrow hit it 's a good sign it was sent out of the bow it may fall out of the bow of it own accord but then it never hits but when it is sent out of the bow ye know he that sends it will aim and therefore now when it hits that 's a signe it was sent indeed so when a Minister converts peoples soules this is a good signe that God sent him when a Minister can say to his people as Paul to the Corinthians The seale of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord 1 Cor. 9. 2. though I be not an Apostle unto others yet doubtlesse I am unto you For the seale of my Apostleship are ye in the
company dare talk of their roguery before them as Amnon before Jonadab Jonadab ask't him what he ailed he was so sad O sayes he I would fain lie with my sister Tamar 2 Sam. 13. 4. He knew before whom he was if Jonadab had been a godly man he durst as well have eaten his own tongue as have told him his base lust A godly man the very presence of him would have made him ashamed and to have bitten in his lips When a minister is unsent of God no body does respect him out of conscience they care not for his words whereas when a minister is sent this makes him as an Angel of God when others call him all to naught the conscience of many will plead for him as we see there of Jeremy O this man is not worthy to die for hee hath spoken unto us in the Name of the Lord Jer. 26. 16. There 's never a sent minister but if he come in trouble except peoples consciences be seared with a hot Iron they wil speak for him in their bosomes Alas why is he put down Why is he imprisoned Why is he opposed He hath spoken to us in the name of the Lord. So that this is the second wherein all ministers should agree they should be all sent of God not contenting themselves with the calling of man without being also called of God Thirdly they must all agree in the matter that they preach the same word is delivered unto all ministers to preach Preach the word 2 Tim. 4. The same Gospel the same Truths the same Duties the same Commandments the same Promises the same threatnings Ye know there is one God and one Faith and one Baptisme one Lord Jesus Christ there is but one way of life one gate to heaven one salvation one Bible Now every minister must agree in this You know all men are by Nature the children of wrath in a damned estate now all Pulpits should agree in this every minister labouring to bring their people to a sight of their misery by sinne every minister should shew his people what cursed creatures they are untill they be converted and renewed every Minister should presse the evill of sin and open the wiles of Satan the guilt of the conscience the spiritualnesse of the Law the necessity of humiliation and repentance and amendment of life that there is no mercy but in Christ no salvation but by Christ except people take him to live in their hearts by faith All ministers should let their people know the terror of the Lord the strictnesse of Gods judgements the inseparable connexion of mercy and a godly life that no profane person can enter into Gods Kingdome no hypocrite no meer civill man that a form of godlinesse will not serve turn that none but Saints shall stand at Christs right hand at the last day All ministers should preach what a narrow path there is to Paradise how few there bee that find it that saving grace cannot stand with the reign of the least lust that people must be pure and holy what ever the world think of purenesse and precisenesse and strictnesse yet without this no flesh shall be saved If all pulpits sounded with these truths and all ministers cried those aloud would lift up their voyces like a trumpet and not spare what a land should we have The want of unity in this matter is the cause that wickednesse does so much abound a drunkard a whoremaster a muckworm may come to a Sermon and goe away with hope that he shall have peace When ministers make the pulpit a scaffold in which like Masters of Defence they play their prizes blazon their own wits descant upon their text as though the Scripture were a Rattle for children and fools to sport with tossing it to and fro hither and thither as boyes at a Tennis when they go about to amaze their hearers to mount aloft to be in their high phrases and coyned words more like Mimicks and Comedians then Ministers when they search into moath-eaten Friers affect allegories would fain be thought Linguists and interlace a many of allegations of Latin and Greek sentences which a School-boy might doe with a Polyanthea or if they speak plain they skim the truth of the Scriptures and never dive deep to the edifying of the soule May be they will preach good morall matter But a man may goe to hell though he doe as they teach people may heare them a thousand times and no man made to cry out What have I done They preach of repentance but then they open it so slightly that a man may repent as they say and be damned they preach of faith in Christ but they make it so broad that thousands have it and sink into the bottomlesse pit with it they preach that sin must be forsaken and a good life must be led but they handle it in that wise that their hearers may doe as they say and yet have no more grace then a reprobate nor so much neither Now beloved the unity among brethren should be this to agree in the right matter of preaching that the word may be carved to all as their need is that they may see their own cases that they may understand the wiles of the Devil the fallacies of their own evill hearts the counterfets of faith and repentance and new obedience and that they may not be cousened with them This is the third thing Fourthly they should all agree in the true manner of preaching That which our Saviour sayes of hearing Take heed how yee heare Luke 8. 18. he means of preaching too let your Ministers take heed how they preach Beloved we that are the Ministers of God we are to labour to turn Lions into Lambs and to transform the heart of man to breed new creatures unto God and therefore it is not every kind of preaching will serve the turn 1. Then Ministers should agree in preaching with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power as Paul sayes not with the wisdome of words lest the crosse of Christ be made of no effect 1 Cor. 1. 17. q. d. If we should preach wit and learning eloquence then the death of Christ would be of no effect that is no man would be converted Christ would be offered to none therefore we must preach nakedly to flash the naked word into mens consciences that they may see Thus saith the Lord against their sinful courses thus saith the Lord of their estates this reproofe is from the Lord this threat is from the Lord thus saith the Lord you are a wretch this is thy sin and this is thy cursed condition and it is the Lord and not I that does affirm it It is said of Christ that he preacht with authority and not as the Scribes Matth. 7. 29. What is it to come with authority When a man speakes from God to the consciences of men as when a Constable comes in the name of a King I
charge you in the Kings name this is to come with authority Therefore we should not come with the affectation of wit or of reading of fine and filed speaking You wil say What would you have us be foolish in our preaching I answer Never object so for it is the foolishnesse of preaching that saves them which beleeve 1 Cor. 1. 21. as one sayes we must preach Christ crucified in a crucified phrase The world would have gewgawes and garish garnishings and why so because the naked Word is contrary to flesh and bloud like some eyes they must have their silks their cypresses to look upon the Sun by forsooth the Sun beams are too glorious and shining otherwise Pedestris oratio as Jerome speaks a Minister must have a foot-speech and not speak a horseback with trappings and tassels and deckings Though this be foolishnesse unto some yet it is wisdom to them that are of God We speak wisdom to them that are perfect 1 Cor. 2. 6. Mark they that are perfect will accept it to be wisdome it is foolishnesse onely to children and sots and such as are not able to discerne God will have his mercies hidden under homely out-sides that men that will stumble at them may as men hide treasure under straw as the woman of Baharim hid the two Worthies of Israel in a well under a course sack Can gallant preaching make people pluck out their right eyes and deny their own selves and wayes No no when the heart sees it hath to doe with God nothing but this will pull it down away then with our own affections let us labour to come with God into our pulpits that people may see God dealing with them 2. Ministers should agree to preach differencingly to distinguish between the pretious and the vile the clean and the unclean as we must not bruise the broken Reed but deal gently with it so we must not give childrens bread unto dogges Matth. 15. 29. we must not cast our seed into fallow ground but wee must let the fallow ground feele our ploughes tearing we must not fling pearles before swine nor bitter arrowes against Christ his Lambs This were as if we should call for snow in Summer and rain in harvest No no a whip for the Horse and a bridle for the Asse and a rod for the Fools back Prov. 26. 3. If people be like Mules that will not understand we must put in a Bit into their mouthes If people will have their own wayes our word must be fires and hammers and axes and chesils and swords and speares that their bellies may tremble and rottennesse may enter into their bones You will say Why then belike we must have nothing in our mouthes but hell and damnation I answer No nothing but hell and damnation for the naught You will say that will drive them to despaire Why then let it it were well if wee had our people there they must despaire before they come to mercy as Hezekiah sayes O Lord I am oppressed doe thou comfort me or undertake for me Isai 38. 14. People must bee oppressed with our Sermons we must lay load and burdens on their consciences or they will never bee fitted for comforts and Christs undertakings True the servants of the Lord must be gentle unto all men 2 Tim. 2. 24. and suffer the wickednesse of all very patiently praying if at any time the Lord will give them repentance that the Devill may let them goe Nothing but hell and damnation is not good we must not be like James and John that would needs bee calling for fire to come down from heaven to consume the Samaritans no we must be long-suffering but yet we must not let a wicked man live but we must give him his deaths wound by the stab of the Word lest his bloud be required at our hands 3. Ministers should agree in preaching with all their strength constantly and duly not quadragesimall Sermons onely or the like but the Apostle commands Ministers to preach in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4. 2. It is a wicked cavill of some and it is the Devill that doth suggest it It is not good to cloy the people is it not faire to preach once a Sabbath must we have two and a week daye too This is overmuch this is unseasonable that people should trudge and trot to Sermons when they should be at their callings Well bee it so that it is out of season wee must preach out of season too all will be little enough I am sure the Prophet Haggai the word of the Lord came to him twice in one day Hag. 2. 10 20. Austin used constantly to preach twice a day as appears in his 2d Sermon upon the 88. Psalm nay in one place he sayes he preached thrice Doe not wonder my dear brethren si hodie ter sermonem that I have preached three times this one day And he addes this besides that it was not without cause in his 33. Sermon to his brethren in the Wildernesse Nay the ancient Fathers preached every day in the yeare as it is well known to them that are used to read them Chrysostome in his Homilies upon Genesis shewes this almost in the beginning of every Homily And one time perceiving his hearers somwhat few O says he every houre in the day is seasonable for you to heare nay the night is not unseasonable Paul prolonged himselfe unto midnight sayes he Acts 20. I pray did the time hinder him No though he were for a journey the next day yet hee would not think much to break his nights rest Another time preaching by candle-light O sayes he doe you see this same lamp take away the oyle you put out the light even so it is with the gifts of the Spirit the dulnesse of our hearing the littlenesse of our profiting at once our readinesse to decline except we be pricked forward our aptnesse to forget God the commandment of having the word to dwell richly in us the duty of meditating in it day and night do plainly enforce this preaching You will say If Preachers should preach often it would be but prating we cannot preach often soundly I answer it is false for all that I see the ablest Divines have preached the most often as Calvin and Luther and Wickliff and others and Mr. Greenham nay Austin preached extempore that Sermon of his upon the 95. Psalm it seemes that he expected his brother Severus to come and preach for him but his friend failing to come hee preached himself as Dr Don relates the story So Basil also preaching two Sermons upon the works of God that hee made in the six dayes Genes 1. confesses he had no more premeditation then that very morning when he began to preach them Thus many holy men by setting themselves to be instant in Gods harvest time have had such a doore of utterance opened unto them to speak the mystery of Christ that like wise Scribes they could
of Silver It is no curiosity in Ministers to be inquisitive into their peoples courses It is the Objection of ill-minded ones say they What need Ministers busie themselves they must have their tell-tales we can doe nothing but they must heare of it O beloved we can never preach fruitfully if we stop our eares with wax and will not listen what our hearers do 7ly Ministers should agree in ordering their own conversations aright it is but a folly else to be a Minister we doe but make repentance dearer and at a higher price A Bishop must be blameless as the Steward of God not self-willed not soon angry not given to wine nor to silthy lucre Tit. 1. 7. It is a double wickednesse for a Minister to be wicked to be a company-keeper to be a pot-companion as God said to Aaron Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generation that hath any blemish let him not approach to offer the bread of his God Levit. 21. 17. We can never doe good if we blemish our selves with vice True it is the efficacy of the Word and Sacraments doe not depend upon the quality of the Minister the seed sown in good ground may grow though the sower had a dirty hand Gold is gold though it be in the hand of a thiefe yet such is our weaknesse that they are weak to us People are apt to respect the Word and Sacraments the lesse when they see the Minister is not holy as we see in Elies wicked sonnes for men abhor'd the offerings of the Lord 1 Sam. 2. 17. Their eyes must be taught as well as their eares Those things sayes Paul which ye have heard and seen in me do Phil. 4. 9. Except with Thomas in another case they see they will not beleeve Let a Minister be never so godly he shal doe good little enough The Prophet Esay though a holy man yet he complains he laboured in vain Now if a godly man can doe but little good upon the most much lesse can a wicked Minister A true Minister must be able to say as Gideon Look on me and doe likewise as I doe so shall yee doe Judg. 7. 17. Ministers must be examples unto the Flock 1 Pet. 5. 3. First cast the beam out of thine own eye then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the moat out of thy brothers eye As it is said of Ezra Ezra had prepared his own heart to seek the law of the Lord and to doe it and to teach in Israel Ezra 7. 10. Our Saviour Christ did taught as Luke speakes This is the course of a Minister indeed to doe his own Sermons When a Minister does not do what he teaches this makes him a vile person nay this makes him ridiculous Like Lâ—â—ians Apothecary who had medicines in his shop to cure the cough and told others that he had them and yet was troubled with it himself With what a forehead canst thou stand in a Pulpit and publish the lawes of God and to undertake the charge of souls that when thine own naked nesse appeares when thy tongue is of a larger size then thy hands thy ministery is divided against it selfe thy courses gives thy doctrine the lie thou sayest that men must be holy and thy deeds doe declare thy mouthes hypocrisie thou dost more mischiefe then an hundred others as ` Peter sayes of wicked Ministers Many will follow their pernicious wayes 2 Peter 2. 2. one Minister shal have many followers A good Minister shall hardly get two or three to follow him But when a Minister is wicked he shall have many that will follow him From the Prophets of Jerusalem prophanenesse is gone forth into all the Land Jerem. 23. 15. If the springs bee tainted that taint runnes forth into all the streames People think themselves safe on an Ale-bench when they have gotten the Parson with them this hardens their hearts a thousand times more But a true Minister is a godly man Now when Ministers agree in godlinesse this is another branch of this unity Eighthly and lastly Ministers should agree in concord and in amity even as all deare fellow-servants as Paul sayes of Epaphras the Minister of the Colossians As yee also learned of Epaphras our deare fellow-servant who is for you a faithfull Minister of Christ Coloss 1. 7. Being to write to the Colossians yee see what a tender care hee hath of Epaphras he labours to commend him to his people that they may regard him the more It is an horrible sin when one Minister will gird at another that is faithfull and that in the presence of some of his people This helpeth the Devill to harden peoples hearts against him that hee cannot doe the good that otherwise hee might doe when other Ministers will revile him and traduce him and speak filthy words such as their malice doth prompt them with Paul did not thus When he knew Timothy was to goe to Philippi he does most dearly commend him unto them O sayes he I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your estate Philip. 2. 20. So our Saviour Christ how much did hee countenance and back John the Baptists Ministery to the encouraging of all that heard him Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater then John Baptist Matth. 11. 11. O it is an excellent thing when Ministers doe not envie one another when they love one another and will live together in blessed Harmony Thus yee see what this unity should be The Reasons of this point why Ministers should all agree thus and be all as one are First because this makes Ministers amiable in their peoples eyes it commendeth their Ministeries unto the consciences of their hearers as the Prophet Isaiah sayes How beautifull upon the mountaines are the feet of him that bringeth glad tidings the publishers of peace c. Isa 52. 7. You will say How is that How comes his feet to bee beautifull It followes in the eighth verse Thy watchmen shall lift up their voyce with a voyce together shall they sing Mark that was it that made his feet beautifull because all the watchmen were of one note they sung with one voice together look as one preach'd so preach'd another one did not pull down what another built up one did not preach more pleasing doctrine to the flesh then another but they all sung in one Tune they all were of one heart Secondly as it makes the Ministery more beautifull and comely so it makes it the more powerfull when the Ministers are all of one mind in the Lord when they all draw one way all walk by the same Rule all set themselves to doe good and to promote one anothers good I say this makes the Ministery the more powerfull and profitable The Apostle speaking of an ignorant man coming into the Church to heare the Minister preach hee shewes how powerfull the Word may bee unto him 1 Cor. 14. 25. O sayes he
deceive themselves in the particular They think they serve God and they love God or else they were not worthy to live they think they say their Prayers every day and that they are thankfull unto him they never eate their meat but they say Grace they never recover out of siâ—knesse but they blesse God Whereas if we should deale with these men in particular it would appear they are haters of God they are gracelesse and unthankfull wretches they never prayed true Prayer to God in all their lives hence it is that people generally like a generall Minister Why they can goe along with such a man and be heart-whole But now if a particular Minister should come and tell them they are worldly and mockers of God and all goodnesse as they are in very good deed they cannot abide him they would say wherein Such were the Jewes under the overly Ministery of the Priests When Malachy dealt particularly with them saith hee Yee have despised the name of the Lord Wherin say they Mal. 1. 6. Yee have wearied the Lord with your words Wherein say they have wee wearied him Mal. 2. 17. Yee have robbed God Wherein have wee robbed him say they Mal. 3. 8. Your words have been stout against the Lord yet their answer was Wherein have wee spoken so much against the Lord Mal. 3. 13. Alas alas their Priests had taught them onely in generall and therefore when the Prophet was to deale particularly with them and told them what vile courses they took they cryed wherein and whereof and why doe you say so of us hee was forced to come to particulars Otherwise they would have gone away and blessed themselves Fifthly Generall Preaching lets people see their sinnes if they will But beloved this will doe no good if wee let you see your sins if you will wee must make you see your sinnes Son of man cause Jerusalem to know her abominations Ezek. 16. 2. Wee must not onely let you understand if yee will it is said of the good Priests that they caused the people to understand Neh. 8. 8. Naturally people love their own selves and their lusts and they will not see them till they needs must they doe not love to bee precise they will not willingly yeeld that they must bee so strict and so mortified as the Lord Jesus will have them if they mean to bee saved and therefore if they can put it off they will shew them there is a difference between people and people some are the people of God and some are the children of the devill some are the redeemed of Christ and some have nothing to doe with Christ some are clean and some are unclean though wee show them the difference between these two they will shut their eies if they can Generall preaching does no more it shews them these things But may be neither the Minister nor they will see for all that now wee must cause them to discern whether they wil or no if we can They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane cause them to discerne between the uncleane the clean Ezek. 44. 23. that is tell them this is unclean and this is clean such and such persons are prophane and such are holy Hold it before their eyes cause them to discern this is the way to quicken mens hearts Now Generall preaching does not doe thus It onely puts the truth before men that they may see if they will but if they will not it does not urge them this deads our people and does them no good for people will not bee awakened as long as they can shift it Sixthly Generall Preaching is a-loft and a-loofe off particular preaching is the most close and the most plain and the most sensible preaching of all if any Preaching will sink into peoples heads this will it makes the truth even sensible after a sort as King James said of a Reverend Bishop of this Land that is now dead and gone This man saith hee Preaches as if death were at my back So a presse Preacher preaches as if death were at a mans back as if judgement and hell were at a mans back hee brings the point home to the soules door 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Generalls are not plain Ignorant people are most led by sense People may live seven yeers under a generall Teacher and bee never the nearer such a Ministery breeds onely swimming knowledge it does not lay the Truth at every mans doore may bee they get knowledge but their knowledge does them little good it is said of the good Levites that they taught the people the good knowledge of the Lord 2 Chron. 30. 22. That is such a knowledge of the Lord as made the people good they laid the Truth at every mans doore they preacht to the people as if 〈…〉 were at their backs They did livelily teach them 〈…〉 informe them this did them good Generall preaching is like an Arrow shot at rovers that does not hit the mark as if the Minister would lay his Sermon on his Cushion and never dart it into his peoples bosomes Alas Brethren if people doe not feele our points at their backs and like speares in their sides and swords in their bellies they will feele nothing it is naked preaching when wee make mens estates even visible before their eyes when wee preach so of Gods wrath as if they saw it when wee so set out Christ as if hee were palpable to mens senses this quickens and no other as Paul saith O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that yee should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth and crucified among you Gal. 3. 1. Mark how sensibly hee had preached Christ to them even as if hee had held him before their eies and therfore hee saith they were even bewitcht that they could not see them q. d. how is it possible that yee should not see him that yee should not obey the truth where it hath been so sensibly preached unto you and painted to the life even before your very eyes If any Preaching will quicken this will and therefore Generall Preaching that will not doe the deed Seventhly Generall Preaching is against the nature of Preaching for wherefore is preaching but to take the word of God and apply it unto people in particular it is called the dividing of the word of truth aright 2 Tim. 2. 15. When the Minister is a good carver to divide to every man his portion Conviction to the ignorant reproofe to the offender terrour to the obstinate comfort to the broken heart judgement to the wicked mercy to the Saints and true penitent soules Then the Minister applies it unto every man Preachers are Gods Harvest-men as our Saviour Christ saith Pray yee the Lord of the Harvest that hee would send forth labourers 〈◊〉 his Harvest Matth. 9. 38. Now Harvest-men what 〈…〉 Doe they onely bring a sithe or a sickle into the
O be quickned the Lord will not endure a dead people get life if yee be wise it is but a folly to have a name to live except yee be alive indeed Now the way for us to quicken our people is First If we be good our selves When Jehosaphat would encourage the Levites to quicken up the people Sayes he The Lord shall be with the good 2 Chron. 19. 11. Hee will blesse your labours hee will strengthen your Sermons to doe good though not to all for the greatest part are not of God yet unto his people Nay if we were good indeed wee might have hope do too much good as it is said of Barnabas he was a good man and much people were added to the Lord. Act. 11. 24. Againe Secondly wee should bee earnest with God to quicken all our hearts that so we may the better quicken our Brethren as Christ sayes to Peter when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren so we should desire God to quicken us that we may quicken our Brethren that wee may wash our hands of our people What an excellent comfort was that unto Paul When hee could take his people to record that hee was pure from the bloud of all men Act. 20. 26. Thirdly We should marke which of our people are dead Ezek. 8. 6. And then thinke what are not we guiltie of his deadnesse Fourthly Let us lay about us soundly that we not may be guilty of their sinnes in any kinde Fifthly Another Use is to let us see What a great danger Ministers are in they may be guilty of all the evill in their Parish if they doe not their duty which is a great thing to doe they have all the sinnes of their Parish lying at their doore This should keepe us from security and from pride many grow proud that are Ministers but alas they know not what an Office they have that doe so Our very Calling should make our hearts tremble and quake to think what a charge is imposed upon us This made Moses and Aaron and many a good man more so fearfull to enter upon this function No man takes this honour unto himself saith the Apostle meaning no godly man no man in his right wits no man that is well-advised what hee does but hee that is called Heb. 5. 4. as our Saviour Christ saith Pray yee the Lord of the Harvest that hee would send forth labourers into his Harvest Matth. 9. 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is in the Originall that hee would thrust forth labourers into his Harvest q. d. God will have no good labourers otherwise those that are good are not over-forward to enter into the Ministery as a Father sayes it is a burden that the very Angels shoulders would tremble under as the Apostle said Who is sufficient for these things If there were no other Argument but this in the Text it might sway all Ministers hearts in the world lest wee bee guilty of our own deadnesse and of others too Another Use should bee to the people that they would bee forward and willing to hear and greedy to drink in the word of life The want of this is the deading of many a Ministers heart I was in much bitternesse saith Ezekiel but the hand of the Lord was strong upon mee Ezek. 3. 14. that is I had had no heart at all to preach but that the hand of the Lord was exceedingly assistant unto mee whereas the forwardnesse of people is a great meanes to quicken up their Ministers When the whole City flocked in to heare Paul though the wicked were mad at it The Text saith Hee grew bold Act. 13. 44 45. When the people crowded in upon our Saviour that hee had not so much as time to eat bread Mark 3. 20. the Text shews that he so be-stirred himselfe there that his own Kinssolk thought hee had been mad Vers 21. Revel 3. 1. And unto the Angell of the Church in Sardis write these things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God c. WEE have done with the Inscription And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write Wee come now to the Subscription and that is in these words These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres Which words contain a description of the Lord Jesus Christ from whom this Epistle is sent unto the Church and hee is described very gloriously to the intent that what hee saies may bee the more reverently and seriously regarded The Description sets forth two admirable properties and royalties of our Lord Jesus Christ First That hee hath the seven Spirits of God that is hee hath the Holy Ghost to give to whomsoever hee please Secondly That he hath the seven Starres that is the Pastours and Ministers of the Church Christ hath them all in his hand to send them to gift them to assist them to preserve them to vouchsafe them to a people or to take them away as hee lists and the Ministers are called Stars because they are to shine in the firmament of the Church First then the first royalty of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is that hee hath the seven Spirits of God by the seven Spirits of God hee meanes the Holy Ghost you will say the Holy Ghost is but one Spirit By one Spirit wee are all baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 13. There is one Body and one Spirit Ephes 4. 4. Through him wee both have an accesse by one Spirit unto the Father Ephes 2. 18. The Spirit of God is but one Yee know there is but one God in three persons one Father one Sonne one holy Spirit There bee three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one 1 Joh. 5. 7. there is but one Father and one Sonne whom the Apostle there calls the Word for so hee is often called in the Scripture The Word was made flesh that is the Son of God was made flesh so there is but one Holy Ghost one Holy Spirit Why then does the Text here say of Christ that hee hath the seven Spirits of God I Answer yee may know that the Revelation uses peculiar phrases august and mysticall Now the reason why John speaks thus in the plurall number is First because hee alludes to the manner of his Visions now in his Visions the holy Ghost was thus represented unto him as yee may see Rev. 4. 5. where he saw seven Lamps of fire burning before the Throne which are the seven Spirits of God So again Rev. 5. 6. where hee saw a Lamb as it had been slain having seven hornes and seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth So that this is one reason why hee calls the Holy Ghost the seven Spirits of God because hee speaks after this manner of the Vision that hee saw Secondly another reason is because hee was to write to the seven Churches of
Asia Now hee speaks of the Holy Ghost in the same number because that one and the same Holy Ghost is severally and intirely powred upon them all The Spirit of God was in Ephesus and the Spirit of God was in Smyrna and the Spirit of God was in Pergamos and so in Thyatira and so in Sardis and Philadelphia and Laodicea and therefore hee calls him the seven Spirits of God though hee bee but one and the same Spirit Thirdly hee calls him the seven Spirits of God by a common Metalepsis of putting the effects for the cause because there bee many and sundry gifts and graces of the holy Spirit of God the number seven being put to signifie the perfection of them and the universallnesse of them Now that the seven spirits of God are nothing else but that one and the same holy Spirit of God is plain out of Rev. 1. 4 5. John to the seven Churches in Asia Grace bee unto you and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come and from the seven Spirits which are before his Throne and from Jesus Christ which is the faithfull witnesse Which words are Saint Johns saluting of the seven Churches in Asia wherin hee wishes them all grace from the blessed Trinity q. d. Grace bee to you and peace from God the Father and from the holy Spirit of God and from the Lord Jesus Christ the faithfull and true witnesse Calling the Father which was which is which is to come and the Lord Jesus Christ the faithfull and true witnesse and the Holy Ghost the seven Spirits of God It is the very self same salutation that Paul uses in all his Epistles in effect saving that this is more full and more lofty and august Now then by the seven Spirits of God hee cannot mean any creature or creatures as Angels or so but hee must needs mean the Holy Ghost because hee prayes for grace from the seven Spirits of God which no creature is able to give Yee know God onely can give grace God onely is the Authour of all grace Hee onely can justifie and sanctifie and quicken and give a man eternall life as James Every good and perfect gift commeth from above Jam. 1. 17. It were Idolatry in John to wish to the Churches grace from the seven Spirits of God if hee meant by them any Angels or any other creatures Wee might worship the Angels if they were able to give us grace wee might pray to them and serve them and feare them and adore them if they could bee the Authours of grace to us Now this is Idolatry Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Matth. 4. 10. Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom bee glory for ever Amen Rom. 11. 36. Yee know it is the glory of God to bee the Cause of all grace Now what saies God I am the Lord that is my Name and my glory will I not give to another Isa 42. 8. Well then you see what is here meant by the seven Spirits of God even the holy Ghost himself that one the same holy Spirit of God These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God that is these things saith Christ that hath the holy Spirit of God to give him to whomsoever hee pleases Not as though that were all that Christ hath the holy Spirit of God for so Paul had the holy Spirit of God I suppose also that I have the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 7. 40. so Peter and David and all the Saints all the people of God have the holy Spirit of God nay a man is dead in trespasses and sins and is a meer carcasse like a dead body without a soule that hath not the holy Spirit of God therefore that is not all the meaning of it that Christ hath the holy Spirit of God for so all the children of God have him and are quickned by him up to all goodnesse But Christ hath the holy Spirit of God that is hee hath him to give to whomsoever hee pleases But it may be objected is it not God the Father that gives the holy spirit to all his poore children I Answer Yes it is very true Hee hath him to give to whomsoever hee is pleased to give him for the Holy Ghost is his Spirit as well as Christ hee flowes from them both And therefore saith our Saviour How much more shall your Heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Luk. 11. 13. so that the Father gives the holy spirit to whom hee will but it is in Christs name Christ is the store-house of this gift When the Father gives his holy spirit unto any man it is onely in Christs name as himself speaks The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name Hee shall teach you all things Joh. 14. 26. Mark it is onely in Christs name Well now wee see the point That Christ onely hath the Holy Spirit of God to give to whom hee pleases If any poore creature would fain have the holy spirit of God to be in him hee must come to Christ for him Though the barrell bee never so full of good Wine yet when it is hoopt round about if one would have any hee must draw it at the tap so Beloved the Lord hath hoopt himself up from men hee hath closed himself up from all men by reason of mens sins hee hath shut himself up no man can have any of his holy spirit but hee must come and draw it at the tap hee must come to Jesus Christ the Lord vents himself onely in him as Christ saith hee that beleeveth on mee as the Scripture hath said Out of his belly shall slow rivers of living water What is that this spake hee of the spirit which they that beleeve on him should receive Joh. 7. 38 39. Mark Christ is the tap yee must come to him by true beleeving or yee cannot receive any of Gods holy Spirit Hee only hath him to give to them that doe imbrace him From him proceed all the graces of the Spirit that any men doe injoy This is his Roialty as being the only King and Head of the Church and the opened fountain that all that would bee saved must repaire unto Hee is the beginning of the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost proceedeth from him as hee is the Son of God and as hee is man hee is anointed with him The Spirit of the Lord is upon mee saith he Luk. 4. 18. Ho every one that would have him come unto mee for him Away with your sins and take mee abhorre all your own waies see what damnable creatures yee are in your selves whether your lusts and corruptions carrie you what will become of you if yee goe on in your own paths if yee would have grace and mercy and life and salvation come to mee The Spirit of the Lord is upon mee to powre him upon
unto the Angell of the Church in Sardis write these things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres THese words contain the Description of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom this Epistle is sent unto the Church in Sardis and in particular to the Minister there who is here called the Angell of the Church in that place And the description does instance in two royalties of our Saviour Jesus Christ First That hee hath the seven Spirits of God that is he hath the Holy Ghost and all his spirituall graces in his hands to give to whomsoever hee pleases for the quickning of them and the sanctifying of them that if any of his members want spirit or any spirituall good hee hath it for them These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God This wee handled the last day Now wee proceed to the second Royalty of our Lord Jesus Christ That hee hath the seven Starres hee speaks of the seven Churches of Asia Christ hath all their Ministers in his hands and hee calls them starres First because the starres doe direct It s a great help when Mariners can see a starre in a dark night When Paul and they that sailed with him could see neither Sun nor Starre the company were without all hope of comming safe to Land Act. 27. 20. they knew not what to doe when there was not a starre to bee seen The starres serve for direction in the night So good Ministers are for direction unto people they serve to direct people to Christ Like the starre in the East When the Wisemen saw the starre they rejoyced with exceeding great joy Matth. 2. 10. that starre directed them to Christ it went before them all the way and shewed them where to finde Christ so a poore soule rejoyces to finde a godly Minister O thinks hee he is a starre to direct mee to Christ Secondly Because the starres doe shine so good Ministers doe shine forth and hold out a light to give light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death Yee are the light of the world sayes Christ Matth. 5. 14. when a man sits in a dark house hee cannot see to doe any thing but if one come and open a window or a casement and letteth in light now hee may see to goe about his businesse so Beloved people that dwell in dark Parishes where no sound Ministery of the Word is they know not what to doe to bee saved they erre they wander they grope they stumble and fall they see not how to bee godly and happy for evermore But when a faithfull Minister comes now light is let in and those that have a minde to goe to Heaven now they may see the way thither so that in this sense too Ministers are starres Thirdly Because starres have influence upon these inferiours bodies as God sayes of the Pleiades and Orion which are a company of starres in the heavenly Orbe Canst thou binde the sweet influences of the Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion Job 38. 31. the starres have influences into things here below The Pleiades open the earth they make herbes and flowres grow the spring is when they arise once Trees begin to sprout and the plants do waxe green Orion it produces cold the Winter comes when that shews it self the starres have a great influence into sublunary bodies so it is with Ministers Bad Ministers are like the starres of Orion they serve to coole peoples hearts and dead them to all goodnesse But good Ministers are as the starres of Pleiades no soule can have any minde in him to that which is good but they doe exceedingly help and further they quicken the heart they warme and fructisie the soules of Gods Elect. Againe the Starres doe hang high so the Ministers of Christ are set high they hang high that all the people may have the benefit of their glistering Zachany calls them the Prophets of the most High And thou childe shalt bee called the Prophet of the most High Luk. 1. 76. But I have handled this Point in effect when I spake of Ministers being Angels and therefore I will omit it now Thus yee see the Ministers are starres Now hee calls them seven because hee speaks of seven Congregations Ephesus Smyrna Pergamos Thyatira Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicea Seven Churches seven Congregations and every one had their severall stars Whence wee see that every Parish should have a particular faithfull Minister Paul appointed Titus to ordain Elders in every City Tit. 1. 5. The Apostles ordained Pastours and Elders in every Church Act. 14. 23. So it was in the time of the Law as the Text sayes Moses of old time hath in every City them that Preach being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day Act. 15. 21. The Reason is first because those Towns that have not a faithfull Ministery in it generally doe all perish I doe not deny but some soules in such blinde places may come otherwise to bee converted and saved but generally they perish for ever that live in such places as the Evangelist sayes of Galile True they had sorry Priests but they had not a faithfull Ministery sayes hee The people sate there in the region and shadow of death Matth. 4. 16. that is till they had a better Ministery they were in a damnable estate So that it is a pitifull thing when any Town or Parish are without a faithfull Ministery no starre of Heaven shining among them Secondly because when people have no faithfull Minister of their own generally they care not for removing of their dwelling neither will they goe a mile or two for the meanes they content themselves with what fare they have at home though it starve them to death Like the people under the false Prophets they liked them well enough My people love to have it so Jer. 5. 31. Nay they love such prophets better than them that would deale plainly with them Nay there bee many that when they have a faithfull Minister at home will bee sneaking out to a drunken Minister abroad they would rather live under such a one Thirdly Another Reason why every Church should have its particular Starre every congregation had need of a faithfull Ministery of their own Because if there be any godly Soule or any one that desires the salvation of his Soule and lives under a blinde guide hee cannot goe out without giving very great offence it will bee thought a giddinesse and a flighting of their own Minister at home now if every Parish had a sound Ministery in it this would not bee When people came out of every Parish round about unto John they had no Pastour of their own but they came flocking unto John no question but this bred heart-burning against John I and ill-will against those
digest it neither have they any minde to concoct it therefore mark there what follows Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord ver 11. that is you are more afraid of a famine of bread yee would bee more troubled if you had no Bread to eate nor liquour to drink you care not so it bee not that famine But think what you will I will send you a worse famine than that a famine of hearing of Gods Word Yee shall have Preaching little enough Little enough food for your soules seeing yee will bee filthy yee shall be filthy seeing ye will be heartlesse towards heavenly things ye shall bee heartlesse yee shall be hardned yee shall be let alone and the blinde shall lead the blinde and both shall fall into the ditch the wicked shall lead the wicked wicked Ministers the wicked people and both shall perish together and then though yee would never so fain have a Sermon that may come to the Conscience yee shall be long enough before yee shall hear it Yee shall starve for want of spirituall knowledge starved to death for want of life Seared in your sins yee shall have no Sermons to dispossesse you of Satan no teaching to purge your hearts to humble your soules before God or to minister the Spirit unto you yee are weary of the sound Ministery of the Word therefore ye shall not bee troubled with it This then is another sign that God will take away those few Stars that are yet remaining And then woe bee to you Fourthly when there are hardly any sonnes of peace that the Ministers peace may light upon then the Lord bids them pack away Like the Market folkes when they see their Commodities lie upon their hands they take up their Commodities lie upon their hands they take up their Commodities and goe home O say they people will give nothing they will not give our price wee and our children will have them for our own selves rather then wee will part with them for nothing So they goe away so Gods Ministers goe away when the Market is dead no Customer will come to their stalls So Paul and Barnabas went away from the Jews Yee put off the word from you and therefore lo wee turn unto the Gentiles Act. 13. 46. q. d. yee will have none of it wee have offered it to you and we were bid to doe so but ye put it off from you therefore fare yee well Die in your sins So people now put off the word of God our Doctrine sinks no where almost one puts it off from him another puts it off from him Like as the Cities of the Philistims did with the Ark. The men of Ekron they cryed out and doe you bring it to us and so the men of Ashdod said and it shall not abide with us 1 Sam. 5. 7. Every one put it off they would have none of it Fifthly when people oppose they are so farre from repenting at the preaching of the Word that they fall to oppose and to mis-use the bringers of it as the Jews did Saint Paul The Text sayes Hee shook his rayment at them and told them your blood bee upon your own heads and away hee went Act. 18. 6. when people lay their heads together how they may heave out the Minister many times God gives them leave for to doe it that they may bring evill on their own heads the Lord lets them have their cursed wills to their own utter destruction and condemnation Sixthly when God hath sent all his Ministers that ever hee means to send Hee sent one Minister and they would not hear him hee sent another after him and they would not hearken to him neither a man would wonder surely God will send no more well may be God in his great goodnesse sends another good man and he does what he can but the people will doe wickedly still Yea but when God hath sent all that Hee means to send now he will send no more as God did with Judah I have sent unto you all my servants the Prophets rising up early and sending them saying return from your evill wayes but yee have not inclined your eare unto me Jer. 35. 15. when God had sent all then hee would send no more You will say how can this bee a signe when God hath sent all that he means to send who can tell that I Answer Beloved God may shew it plainly that God hath sent even all that he means to send when he blocks up the way that more cannot bee suffered to come to us then those that are come when such courses are laid that ne're a faithfull one more is permitted to enter when Gods faithfull ones are forbidden to Preach as Paul sayes They forbid us to Preach When people will have Pashur's and not Jeremiah's When there be Laws made Look yee speak no more in his name When they say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie it When the good Levites are made to goe away and to leave their own places as it was in Jeroboams time 2 Chron. 11. 14. Again when the shadows wax long it is a signe that the Sun is going down The reason why God will take away all his Starres when matters are come to this passe is First because it is but lost labour and Cost cast away to administer phisick to such patients whose diseases are desperate my Brethren God is a wise phisician and he knows whom hee hath to deale with when hee sees men rend in pieces his Prescripts and pull off his plaisters and vomit up his wholesome potions that he gives them for their good he gives them up for gone hee will bee their Physician no longer This was the reason why God did leave Judah Thy disease is incurable Jer. 30. 12. Secondly because it is not only lost labour but it is worse then lost to let such people have the Ministery of the word it makes them much worse Why should yee bee smitten any more yee will revolt more and more Esa 1. 5. why should yee bee preacht to any more yee will c. Thirdly Because if men will needs goe on in their sins God would rather they should doe so without his word then with it as a husbandman if the ground bee stark barren he would rather never plough it and sow it with seed then to have it barren after the seed sown when people will needs bee wicked God would rather have them doe all their wickednesse out of his sight then in it I will cast you out of my sight Jer. 7. 15. God cannot abide to look upon a people that will have their own wayes they anger him more when they commit all their wickednesse under his Word God looks towards a people when hee sends them his holy Word hee looks upon them to doe them good
hee looks towards them in pity and calls them to repentance that they may finde favour with him and therefore if they doe evill now this provokes him more a thousand times A drunkard where the word is truely preached an adulterer there a muck-worm there a proud person there a profane wretch there I say this angers him more a thousand thousand times The times of ignorance God wincked at Act. 17. 30. If your sins were committed in blinde Parishes God would winck at you in a manner that is your damnation should bee lesse God would excuse you himself in some measure Alas poore creatures they know not what they doe let them have lesse hell they do not deserve so many plagues he wincks at the wicked that live without his Word But you that live under the word he cannot winck at you Hee will punish you to the full O! Beloved above all things the Lord cannot abide that people should bee wretched and vain under his Word But I will passe over this point Thus yee see they are seven Starres every Congregation had its Starre every Church had its Minister Now in the next place we see here that Christ hath these seven Starres These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres Christ hath the seven starres Christ is said to have the seven starres in five respects First in respect that they have their mission from him secondly in respect they have their Commission from him thirdly in respect they have their abilities from him fourthly in respect they have their successe from him fiftly in respect they have their Protection from him of these in their order First they have their Mission from him It is Christ that sends forth all true Ministers As my Father hath sent mee so send I you Joh. 20. 21. it is Christ that sends Ministers to the Church as hee told Jerusalem Behold I send unto you Prophets and Wisemen and Scribes Matth. 23. 34. Hee called the twelve and began to send them forth by two and two c. Mark 6. 5. So hee called the seventy and sent them also Luk. 10. 1. so it is Christ that sends Ministers to this day True the Church does ordain them I but if they be not sent by him too they are intruders Now when hee sends them they are his Ministers though it bee the Church that puts them into Orders As it is with a true Constable though the Parish choose him yet hee is the Kings Officer and does things in the Kings name so it is with every true Minister Christ hath the sending of him he is the Minister of Christ as the Apostle sayes Let a man so account of us as the Ministers of Christ 1 Cor. 4. 1. and therefore look what wee doe in our Office wee doe it in his name As hee said in the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walk So we say unto Gods Elect in the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walke In the name of Jesus Christ Repent of all your wicked wayes and Beleeve and though the world will not stirre at our speech yet they that are elected of God doe stirre they are none but the Reprobate that lie still in their sinnes sometime or other wee get all the Elect for to heare us The Use of this is first for comfort to us that are true Ministers Christ hath the sending of us therefore certainly hee will bee with us in all his errands the world may bee against us we may meet with many wolves Behold I send you as sheep among Wolves people may threaten and speak their words against us a foot and a half long what need wee care for all their great speeches as long as Christ sends us Christ will bee with us for the good of his Elect in all the course of our Ministery be it short or be it long Wee shall bee usefull to them what ever the world doe if there be any that belong to God wee shall finde them out no matter for others Christ will bee with us in the Pulpit in the prison in the dog-hole if yee would put us into it as Christ told his Ministers Goe and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost and lo I am with you to the end of the world Matth. 28. 19 20. this is our comfort that Christ will bee with us and this is the Elects comfort they shall bee sure to finde him with us in our Ministery Secondly if Christ hath the sending of us wee must bee sure wee doe his message that we perform the work he sends us to doe every messenger should doe thus nay Christ himself did thus I seek not mine own will but the will of the Father which hath sent mee Joh. 5. 30. If a Merchant should send a servant beyond Sea to bee a Factor for him if that servant should goe and trade for himself to get monies for himself and an estate for himself and neglect his Masters businesse hee may look for a cold welcome home so when Christ sends us to bee Factors for him to see what Soules wee can gain unto him if wee should now seek our selves how to be rich how to bee some-body in the world how to get preferment and so leave his businesse undone wee may look for a cold welcome home when wee shall bee brought before God Certainly if Christ sends us we should minde his work glorifie Christ labour to reveale Christ to win Soules to Christ this is our businesse to doe When David sent Hushai to Absalom to bee a factor for him wee see how well hee did the message hee turned the counsell of Achitophel into foolishnesse hee marred all that wicked wretches plots he did all for David so we should doe all for Christ wee should labour to turn the devils plots into foolishnesse to undermine Satan and where God hath any to save wee shall prevaile Thirdly If Christ hath the sending of us wee must give him account when wee have done When Christ had sent his Disciples to preach they returned again and gave him account of what they had done Luk. 10. 17. Lord even the Devils are subject unto us Lord I have done thus and thus I have declared all thy whole counsell I have kept nothing back I have done thy message and such and such have heard mee but such and such will not hear me A messenger is bound to give an account unto him that sends him nay the devill himself returned to give an account when the Lord sent him to tempt Job hee came again and told what hee had done Job 2. 1. when the children of Dan sent spies to search the land they came and gave up their account The very devill may teach us this lesson to goe and give Christ account of what wee have done Wee see there how they that had received the Talents how they came and gave in
their accompt Lord thy pound hath gained ten pounds Fourthly another Use is to you what a great mercy is this that Christ should send unto such as you bee If Christ had sent unto you when yee had sought him and turned unto him it had been very much but that hee should dispatch messengers to you when yee had not a thought of him nay when yee sinned against him O what a great mercy is this It was a great kindnesse that Joseph would send unto his Father and his Brethren and bid them leave all and come into the Land of Aegypt and willed them that they should not care for their stuffe for the best of the Land of Egypt shall bee yours yee know his brethren were unkinde unto him Beloved Joseph was never so unkindly dealt with by his Brethren as Christ hath been by us and yet that he should send to such wretches as wee are O leave all and come unto me regard not your stuffe regard not your profits never trouble your selves with this thing and that thing for all the best of heaven shall be yours O what an infinit kindnesse is this when hee will send such treasures of his to us by his Ministers As Joseph filled his brethrens sacks with corne which they carryed to their fathers house in Canaan to preserve them alive till they came over to Egypt So the Lord Jesus Christ hath put his spiritual treasures into a sack and given them his Ministers to dispence them to their brethren to nourish them and preserve them untill they come home to him hee fills his Ministers sacks every week for us they come with sack-fulls of heavenly and divine truths every week to us with sack-fulls of food to feed our soules unto eternall life and when that is spent hee sends us every Sabbath more and therefore how should we esteem a true Minister that comes to us from Jesus Christ He is one of a thousand as Elihu speaks if there be a messenger with him an interpreter one of a thousand to declare unto man his righteousnesse then hee is gracious unto him Job 33. 23 24. that is then is God gracious to us indeed such a one is one of a thousand such a one declares to us our righteousnesse he brings to us the righteousnesse of Jesus This the Lord Jesus Christ sends unto us when hee sends us a true Minister hee sends us an excellent present even his own righteousnesse and merits and the glad tidings of peace how we may live and be saved So that we should be thankfull unto God that Christ sends to us his Ministers with such precious things If the King should send to any one of us but five pound O how would we wonder at it who ever were the messenger we would bid such a one welcome and what does the King take notice of mee such a poore man as I who would have thought that ever hee should send such a token to me what a condescending is this I tell thee if thee if the King should do thus for thee thou wouldest make very much of it I and talk of it too where ever thou commest nay it would make thee glad and a very joyfull man and it would make thee think thy self highly preferred O Beloved and what a horrible shame is this that the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords should send a messenger to us every day almost not with five pounds a-piece to every one of us but with all the riches and treasures of heaven to enrich us for ever to make us happy for ever Blessed that ever wee were born and yet that we should not be affected hardly My Brethren we that are the Ministers of God wee come with heavenly and glorious things every day from our Lord Jesus Christ though wee have them but in earthly vessels yet they are things that the whole world is but drosse and dung in comparison of and therefore think how yee should come to Church think how ye should come to hear Sermons Now I come to hear a message from Christ now shall I hear an Embassadour from heaven that will break open Christs Letter to me a reproofe from Jesus Christ a counsell from Christ Directions from Christ concerning the framing of my life Lessons from Christ how I may come to glory O sayes the Apostle He hath given to us the Ministery of reconciliation with God to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation Now then wee are Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us wee pray you in Christ his stead bee reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 18 19. 20. q. d. Ah yee poore creatures God and you are out yee are enemies of God by your evill works the wrath of God hangeth over you wrath for all your sinnes wrath for your drunkennesse wrath for your covetousnesse wrath for all your carnall courses yee lye under the wrath of God wrath that will damne you and undoe you for ever Now the Lord of Heaven and Earth hath sent us as Heralds of Peace wee come Embassadors from the Lord of all glory we have the word of reconciliation the word that wee preach will make God and you friends if ye will beleeve it O wee pray you in Christ his stead consider of it and bee reconciled unto God heare our message imbrace our Embassage O doe not slight what wee say to you we speak to you from Christ doe not receive it as a word onely from our mouthes but as indeed it is the Word of the great God This is the onely Word that can make God and you friends O how highly does it concern you to submit hereunto How will this judge the world that the Ministery of the Word is no more regarded or heeded When God sends his Ministers unto people and because forsooth their flesh and blood does not like it they look little after it Whereas this containes eternall life and if ye reject this ye reject eternall life I beseech you judge what I say Doe you meet with a reproofe that crosses your corrupt lusts I pray you reason the case thus with your own Soules O let me not put off this reproofe it reproves me of my drunken doings it reproves me of my security it reproves me of my sins if I put it off I put off the word of reconciliation This is one of those truths that comes to reconcile me to God I stand out in rebellion and desiance against God if I doe not take it home So of any other passage of the Word Still when the Prophets would speak unto the people this was their voyce The Lord sent mee so sayes Isaiah the Lord sent mee and Jeremiah too the Lord sent mee When they refused to hear what he said O sayes hee Surely the Lord sent mee to speak thus unto you One would think it were
enough to strike terrough into the hearts of men to put off any Sermon any rebuke any exhortation of Christs Ministers when they know the Lord sends them May bee the Minister is as poore a creature as one of you O but remember who sends him as Christ sayes hee that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth mee and hee that refuseth mee refuseth him that sent me Luk. 10. 16. Revel 3. 1. These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres I Have begun to handle this Epistle wherin I noted foure things First the inscription declaring to whom this Epistle is sent To the Angel of the Church in Sardis write that is to the Minister of the Church and to the Church it self Secondly The Subscription declaring from whom it is sent These things saith he that c. Thirdly The Substance or subject matter of the Epistle I know thy works c. Usque ad ver 4. Fourthly The Conclusion He that over-commeth c. ver 5 6. I have already Analysed all this whole Epistle and Paraphrased upon every part of it and shewed you the meaning of it and the scope of it and have made some entrance upon it namely to reprove their deadnesse and coldnesse in Religion and to quicken them up unto life lest the judgement of God fall upon them I have dispatcht the Inscription And to the Angel of the Church in Sardis write and so I passe on to the second Namely the Subscription These things saith c. These words as ye heard contain a description of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom this Epistle is sent The Description is not a whole and an entire description of him but only accommodated to the businesse in hand And therefore it describes him onely from two admirable Royalties that are in him The first is this That he hath the seven Spirits of God that is he hath the Holy and quickning Spirit to give him to whomsoever he please q. d. if ye would be quickned hearken unto me come unto me I have all the graces of the Spirit to quicken you withall Secondly That he hath the seven Starres that is as I told you he hath all the Ministers of the Church in his hand and at his dispose These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres That is Christ hath all the Starres all the Ministers of the Church they are all in his hand I told you he is said to have them in five respects 1. They have their Mission from him 2. They have their Commission from him 3. They have their Abilities from him 4. They have the successe of their labours from him 5. They have their protection from him he opens their mouths as long as he lists and shuts them when hee seeth fit so to doe I have spoken of the first The Ministers of Christ have their Mission from Christ he hath the sending of them As my Father hath sent me so send I you Joh. 20. 21. it is Christ that sends Ministers to the Church as he told Jerusalem Behold I send unto you Prophets and Wisemen and Scribes Matth. 23. 34. He called the twelve and began to send them forth by two and two Mark 6. 7. So he called the seventy and sent them also Luk. 10. 1. so it is Christ that sends all true Ministers to this day True the Church does Ordain them I but if they be not sent by him too they are intruders Now when he sends them they are his Ministers though the Church put them into Orders As it is with a true Constable though the Parish choose him yet he is the Kings Officer and does things in the Kings name So it is with every true Minister Christ hath the sending of him He is the Minister of Christ as the Apostle sayes Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ 1 Cor. 4. 1. And therefore look what we do in our Office we doe it in his name As Peter said In the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walk So we say unto Gods Elect rise up and walk in the name of Jesus Christ repent of all thy wicked wayes and beleeve and though the world will not stirre at our speech yet they that are elected of God doe stirre they are none but the reprobate that lye still in their sins Sometime or other we get home all the Elect they hear us they obey us they submit to our Doctrine in the name of Jesus Christ The Use of this is first for comfort of the poore Ministers of Christ may be we meet with many wolves in the delivery of his errands We meet with sowre faces and wry lookes suspensions oppositions and such like wolvish dealings for doing of our message what need we care for all these as long as Christ sends us Certainly if he send us he will be with us as God said to Moses I send thee certainly I will be with thee Exod. 3. 12. he will be with us for the good of his chosen in all the course of our Ministery be it short or be it long We shall be usefull unto them though the reprobate world will not obey any of our words Christ will be with us in the Pulpit in the prison in a dog-hole if the wicked put us in it as Christ said Goe and teach all Nations and loe I am with you to the end of the world Matth. 28. 19 20. This is our comfort Christ will be with us and this is the Elects comfort they shall be sure to finde him with us in our Ministery if we be in the Pulpit there they shall hear us teaching of them if in the prison there they shall have us sealing of the truth to them Secondly if Christ hath the sending of us wee must be sure to doe his message that we performe the work he sends us to doe Every messenger should doe thus I seek not mine own will saith Christ but the will of the Father which hath sent mee Joh. 5. 30. if a Merchant should send a servant beyond the Seas to be a Factor for him if that servant should goe and trade for himself to get money for himself and an estate for himselfe and neglect his Masters businesse he may look for a cold welcome home So when Christ sends us to bee Factors for him to see what Soules wee can gain unto him if we should now seek our selves how to be rich how to be some-body in the world how to get preferment and so leave his businesse undone wee may look for a cold welcome home Certainly if Christ sends us we should minde his work we should glorifie Christ labour to reveale Christ to win Soules to Christ This is our businesse to doe Thirdly If Christ hath the sending of us wee must give him account when wee have done When Christ had sent his Disciples to preach they returned again and gave
him account of what they had done Luk. 10. 17. Lord even the Devils are subject unto us Lord I have done thus and thus I have declared all thy whole counsell I have kept nothing back I have done thy message and such and such have heard mee but such and such will not hear me A messenger is bound to give an account unto him that sends him nay the devill himself returned to give an account when the Lord sent him to tempt Job hee came again and told what hee had done Job 2. 1. So wee should come again and tell God what wee have done When the children of Dan sent spies to search the land they came and related what they had done so should we doe Lord behold here am I and here are the people that I have begotten by thy Word and here are the rebells that I could never get to reforme their wicked wayes Wee see how they that had received the Talents how they came and gave in their accompt Lord thy pound hath gained ten pounds O what a case shall wee be in if wee cannot give up a good account at the last day of what wee have done in our places and callings Fourthly If Christ send us unto you O Beloved what a great mercy is this â—â— that Christ should send unto such as you bee If Christ had sent unto you when yee had sought him and turned unto him it had been very much but that hee should dispatch messengers unto you when yee had not so much as a thought of him nay when yee sinned against him This was a mercy indeed It was a great kindnesse that Joseph would send unto his Father and his Brethren and bid them leave all and come into the Land of Aegypt O saith he regard not your stuffe for the best of the Land of Egypt shall bee yours yee know his brethren were unkinde unto him Beloved Joseph was never so unkindly dealt with by his Brethren as Christ hath been by us and yet that he should send to such wretches as wee are O leave all and come unto me regard not your stuffe regard not your profits never trouble your selves with this thing and that thing for all the best of heaven shall be yours O what an infinit kindnesse is this when he will send such treasures of his to us by his Ministers As Joseph filled his brethrens sacks with corne which they carryed to their fathers house in Canaan to preserve them alive till they came into Egypt So the Lord Jesus Christ hath put his spirituall treasures as it were into a sack and given them his Ministers to dispence to their brethren to nourish them and preserve them untill they come home to him hee fills his Ministers sacks every week for us they come with sack-fulls of heavenly and divine truths every week to us with sack-fulls of food to feed our soules unto eternall life and when that is spent he sends us every Sabbath more and therefore how should wee esteem a true Minister that comes to us from Jesus Christ Hee is one of a thousand as Elihu speaks if there bee a messenger with him an interpreter one of a thousand to declare unto man his righteousnesse then hee is gracious unto him Joh 33. 23 24. that is then is God gracious to us indeed When God sends us a messenger from him such a one is one of a thousand such a one declares to us our righteousnesse Yee know wee cannot stand before God without righteousnesse Now such a one declares to us righteousnesse He brings us the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ So that we should be thankfull to Christ that he sends us any of his true Ministers O my Brethren we that are the Ministers of God wee come with heavenly and glorious things every day from our Lord Jesus Christ Though wee have them but in earthen vessels yet they are things that the whole world is but drosse and dung to and therefore think how yee should come to Church think how yee should bee affected with our message think with what affections ye should heare our Sermons Now I come to heare a message from Christ a Letter from Christ a Direction from Christ a reproofe from Christ counsells from Christ for the framing of my life now I shall be told what I may doe to inherit glory O sayes the Apostle He hath given to us the Ministery of reconciliation with God to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespassesunto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation Now then wee are Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ his stead bee reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 18 19. 20. q. d. Ah yee poore creatures God and you are out yee are enemies of God by your evill works the wrath of God hangeth over you wrath for all your sinnes wrath for all your drunkennesse your covetousnesse worldlinesse wrath for all your carnall courses your slighting of heaven and heavenly things the wrath of God abideth on you Now the Lord of Heaven and Earth hath sent us as Heralds of Peace we come as Embassadors from the Lord of all glory we have the word of reconciliation the word which we preach will make God and you friends again if yee will beleeve it and imbrace it We pray you in Christ his stead to consider of it bee reconciled unto God heare our message doe not slight what wee say to you we speak to you from Christ This is the onely Word that can make God and you friends O how will this judge the world that the Ministery of the Word is no more regarded nor heeded When God sends his Ministers unto people and because forsooth their flesh and blood does not like it they look little after it Wheras this containes eternall life and if ye reject this ye reject eternall life I beseech you judge what I say Doe you meet with a reproofe that crosses your corrupt Iusts I pray you reason the case thus with your own Soules I am reproved for my loosenesse and my vain wayes my fashioning of my self according to this world my fawning my flattering my gaming my scandalous courses my sinning against light I have had good education I have lived under good meanes but I am very gracelesse if I put off these reproofes I put off the word of reconciliation This is the word that comes to reconcile me to God if I have faith to apply it but if I put it from me and doe not regard it I refuse all reconciliation with God So when the Word shewes you your duty how to beleeve how to live how to walk in all holinesse and true righteousnesse Consider if yee put it from you yee put away from you the onely word of reconciliation These are the truths that are sent unto me to reconcile me unto God O if I will have none of them I cast
off the Son of God and everlasting life Still when the Prophets would speak unto the people this was their preface The Lord sent mee so sayes Isaiah the Lord sent mee Esa 48. 16. so sayes Jeremiah the Lord sent mee When they refused to hear what he said O sayes hee Truely the Lord sent mee of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words unto you Jer. 26. 15. One would think it wore enough to strike terrour into the hearts of men to put off any Sermon any rebuke any exhortation of Christs Ministers when they know the Lord sends them Of a truth the Lord hath sent mee to speak all these words unto you May bee the Minister is as poore a creature in himself as one of you O but remember who sends him as Christ sayes hee that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth mee and hee that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent me Luk. 10. 16. So much shall suffice to have been spoken of the first way whereby Christ is said to have the seven Starres that is the Ministers of the Church namely he hath the sending of them Secondly Hee hath them that is hee hath the giving of them their Commission as they have their Mission from him so they have their Commission from him too They are not onely messengers but Embassadors This Commission hath two things first the heads of their Embassage that Christ sends them to treat of Secondly the authority of their Embassage that Christ invests them with For the first the heads of their commission Christ hath the appointing of them what they shall treat of and they are five First they shall preach the Word Goe and preach the Gospel to every creature Mark 16. 15. Secondly to remit the sin of all them that doe embrace the Gospel Joh. 20. 23. that is to pronounce all the promises of the Covenant of Grace and in particular forgivenesse of sins to all true penitent and beleeving Soules Thirdly to administer the Sacraments of the New Testament to all the said persons to whom the promises of eternall life doe belong for the assuring of their hearts concerning all the things of the Kingdome of God to them in particular Matth. 28. 19. Fourthly To build up the Church of God for the perfecting of the Saints and the edifying of the body of Christ untill they all come c. Ephes 4. 12. Fifthly to shut the Kingdome of Heaven upon all that have an evill heart of unbelief to goe on in their sins and not to stoop to the Scepter of Jesus Christ Mark 16. 16. and in divers other places These are the heads of their commission that Christ will have them treat of in their Embassage unto men Secondly now for the Authority that hee invests them with it is not any carnall or earthly authority to jet and to vaunt or to domineere as though they were Lords and Gods heritage 1 Pet. 5. 3. no sayes Christ it shall not be so with you But hee that is greatest among you hee shall bee as the least Luk. 22. 26. and therefore I doe not here speak of any earthly authority No the Authority that Christs Ministers have and they have it from him is a spirituall Authority uamely not onely to preach and to declare forgivenesse of sin and to administer the seales of the covenant and to build up the Saints and to denounce wrath and damnation to all that continue in their unregenerate estate through impenitence unbelief but to do all these things with a heavenly Power and Authority to have an Office under Christ for the doing of them so as to be the very mouth of Christ and that which they doe according to their commission from him to stand firme and good for ever and ever I will give power to my two witnesses Rev. 11. 3. The Lord hath given me power and authority sayes the Apostle 2 Cor. 10. 8. You will say this is great power indeed all the Kings Potentates of the earth have not so great power as this this is a power of life and death not naturall nor temporary but Spirituall and eternall this is a power not oven mens Bodies but over their soules not in small matters but either for salvation ordamnation This is a great Commission how come they by such a great one as this is O sayes Christ I am able to invest them with as much as this comes to For all power is given unto me in Heaven and Earth Matth. 28. 18. q. d. I am able to furnish you with all authority and power goe you in my name and preach you in my name in my name bid people repent and beleeve in my name open heaven to all that doe obey and shut it upon all that doe disobey and I will make it good The use of this is First have the Ministers of Christ such a Commission from Christ then they are the greatest Embassadors that ever were or can be Embassadors of earthly Kings have a great Commission they represent the Kings person from whom they come Alas what are they to these they come about petty things about civill peace or warre and yet they are Lord Embassadors they are Lords by their places they are much respected among men O then what great Embassadors are the Ministers of Jesus Christ that represent the King of Kings person that represent the person of the Lord of Lords that came to Treat of peace betweene God and Man or of open Hostility between the Creator and the Creature as Paul sayes now then wee are Embassadours for Christ As though God did beseech you by us wee pray you in Christs stead be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 15. 20. that is we have a very great commission we represent the person of our Lord Jesus Christ we come to treat with you about eternity according as you heare us or heare us not so it will be with you unto all eternity O consider what we have to do you are enemies unto God from the womb as long as your sins doe remain ye are enemies still we come to set you at one again Yee know the condition yee know what the heads of our commission bee if yee will not hearken unto them and submit yee are damned for ever if ye doe blessed and happy are yee for evermore was there ever such a great Embassage as this as the Apostle sayes To make known the mystery of the Gospel for which I am an Embassadour in bonds Ephes 6. 19 20. q. d. though the wicked and blinde world look upon me as a Schismatique and a malefactour and cast me into the prison and here I am in bonds they see no such thing in me as an Embassadour of the great God yet the truth is though I bee in bonds they shall know it one day to their cost who I was and what a commission I had and what it is to slight it and put it off I
am an Embassadour of the mystery of the Gospel though I be in bonds Secondly Have some Ministers such a commission from Christ then let them learn how to behave themselves in their function My Brethren Christ hath committed unto us the custody of his own power and authority and therefore we are to exercise it in his name our commission is to charge the great men of the world Charge them that are rich in this world that they bee not high-minded 1 Tim. 6. 17. True we are your servants for Jesus his sake and wee are to be humbled and to wait upon men of lowest degree and to condefcend unto men of meanest capacity and there is a time when wee should for loves-sake intreat but the truth is too wee have power to charge and command These things command and teach 1 Tim. 4. 11. These things speak and exhort and rebuke withall authority Tit. 2. 15. We must not betray the power and majesticall simplicity of the Gospell of Jesus Christ We have Christs owne power and authority in our ministery and therefore wee are to command you in his stead as ever you will answer Christ before his Tribunall at last day neglect not those things which we preach to you from him Now we command you Brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that yee withdraw your selves from every brother that walkes disorderly and not after the Tradition which hee received of us 2. Thes 3. 6. True we are inferiors to Kings and Princes and Magistrates and the Nobility and Gentry of the land There be thousands and thousands that are our Betters in all civill respects but our Embassage is above all The Lords own Power and Authority goes through the ministery as a Trunk As the King may send a Command to the greatest Nobleman of the Kingdome by the hand of a meane man and he is to hearken to it though the messenger in himselfe be his underling yet his message is above him and he looses his head if he despise it So beloved we are over you in the Lord that is in regard of our message Though we be your inferiors and some of you be our betters and wee are to stand with Cap in hand to you yet ye loose your soules if ye will not heare us and obey our Embassage We must not bow to your humors nor make the Spirit of Christ in the Gospell to bend and comply with human lusts If Princes and Potentates were by we must not spare their sins Nathan deales roundly with King David Thou art the man Jehu with King Jehosaphat wrath is upon thee from the Lord because thou hast helpt the ungodly We must let all the world know that Christ whom wee preach is above them all wee must not prostitute Christs Scepter no not at a Monarchs foot If we be men-pleasers we are not the servants of Christ We must not suffer Christs word to be bound whosoeuer is our hearer whether high or low We defie popish Divinity that exalt their Antichristan Clergy above the civill Magistrate Belarmines Martin is but a foysted story But yet in this sense we are above all the Kingdomes of men as God sayes Behold I have put my words in thy mouth and loe I have set thee this day over Nations and Kingdomes to plant and to root up to build and to throw downe Jer. 1. 9. 10. Let no man thinke we are saucy though we reprove the greatest of you all as long as we doe it in Christ and from Christ we are the mouth of the Judge of quick and dead and he will make our words good The meanest Sergeant in the Kings name dares arrest the greatest Duke So my Brethren we come in the Kings name in Christ his name and therefore we must not be afraid of your faces As Paul told Philemon I have great authority in Christ to command thee that which is convenient Philem. 8. We have great authority to command every one of you to doe your Duties towards God and man We have Christ for our Author and therefore he will be a wall of Brasse to us We are his Embassadors and therefore our Message is with great power Thirdly Have we this Commission from Jesus Christ then this may serve to condemne all such as doe not obey our Ministery Though wee have all this authority the very power of Christ himself in our mouthes that equally binds King and Begger Yet who obeys our commands who stirres who repents who submits himself unto our commission we have called for humiliation but no man will humble himself We have cryed for reformation and amendment of life but no man relents wee have read our commission every week unto people we shew them our Letters Patents from the Lord Jesus Christ and they are counted as idle tales by the most O what an indignity is this unto our Lord Jesus Christ we are his Embassadors and your standing out against us is not against us but against him and he will repay it O sayes the Apostle if any man obey not our word By this Epistle note that man 2 Thess 3. 14. q. d. note him with a brand of infamy note him as a Rebell against Jesus Christ look upon him as a wretched miserable creature take heed of him avoid him withdraw your self from him point at him yonder goes a wretch that will not obey the voyce of his teacher excommunicate him from your company have as little to doe with him as you can Be ye shie of such a man certainly there is great wrath hangeth over him So Beloved if any obey not our word note such persons note such parishes note all such families the wrath of heaven hangeth over them their stubbornnesse and hardnesse of heart is not against us but against the Lord. These are notorious Townes notorious people that have Christs Embassadors among them and yet will not be obedient and yet how is our Embassage made nothing of if Kings onely and Princes and Lords and great men should make nothing of it we should not so much wonder because they are greater men then those that God sends his Embassage by and yet if they were wise and knew what they did they durst not doe as they do but every base fellow stops his eare and hardens his heart against the God of Heaven and earth and will not obey our word nay men can hear their sins ripped up and the Anathema's of Christ spread before their faces and not blush They can heare that those very sinnes they live in doe separate from God do adjudge them to hell and shew them to be under the blacknes of darknesse and the sentence of damnation they can see it showne them out of the word which they cannot deny for their hearts though they would never so faine and yet they will not repent nor returne that they may have mercy Not one drunkard will leave nor one Mocker leave nor one Covetous person nor one gracelesse
wretch leave they will have their owne wayes doe the Ministers of God what they can We can get none to be awakened none quickened none stirred none startled to any purpose Setting aside here one and there one that truely obeys the voyce of Gods servants the whole countrey lying in ignorance of God in the privation of his Spirit unreconcilednesse with heaven voydnesse of faith emptinesse of grace and life the nakednesse of an outward profession having no true quickening within nay the most in grosse wickednesse drunkenesse company-keeping unrulinesse disorder uncleanenesse lasciviousnesse covetousnesse mocking at the pure in heart malicious alienation of spirit against the holy wayes of God Nay since we have spoken to them in the name of the Lord yet none will hearken to any effect that their soules may live Fourthly therefore I pray you let me adde one use more doe but consider how the Lord taketh this at our hands that his Ministers are thus vilipended They are in more danger of their liberty for reproving then the wicked for committing of their sins Are his Ministers his Embassadors then he will never endure that his Embassadors shall bee abused When the King of the Ammonites had abused Davids Embassadors that he sent him in love 2 Sam. 10. Ye know what it cost it cost above 40. thousand mens lives The Romans slue the Illyrians and the Tarentines for mis-using of their Embassadors and as Cicero sayes our Ancestors sayes he for this very thing destroyed all Corinth For alas how could Princes deale with one another if Embassadours should not goe safe and be hearkened unto Therefore Embassadors must be regarded When Scipio Africanus tooke a ship full of Carthaginians though he meant to rifle all they had yet when they said they were Embassadors he would not meddle with them True they were not they did but counterfeit that so they might escape But yet you may see how inviolable Embassadors were the least indignity offered to them was punisht as if it had beene offered to the person of that Prince that they did sustaine Well then how doe we thinke will the Lord take it at peoples hands that his Embassadors are abused and disobeyed that people will not diligently come to them and acknowledge their errands and yeeld obedience to him no Nation under heaven hath had more Embassadors from Heaven then we have had and though some have hearkened to them yet for the most part they meete with Ammonitish dealings they are disfigured and mocked and laded with indignities denyed to deliver their message every paltry rascals complaint admitted against them none walke in so much danger as they none more shot at then they scarce any will heare them and submit to their Embassage and those few that doe are counted the only factious people and pestilent fellows in the land O what wrath is there against us for these things For this very cause the Lord plagued all Judah even because they would not listen to Gods Embassadors that he sent to them earely and late as the Prophet speakes Jer. 29. 17 18 19. Thus sayth the Lord of Hoasts Behold I will send upon thee the sword the famine and the Pestilence and will make them like vile Figges that cannot be eaten they are so evill and I will persecute them with the sword with the famine and with the Pestilence and I will deliver them to be removed to all the Kingdomes of the earth to be a curse and an astonishment and an hissing and a reproach among all Nations whither I have driven them Mark now what is the reason why God would doe thus Because they have not hearkened to my Word saith the Lord which I sent unto them by my servants the Prophets rising up early and sending them but yee would not heare sayth the Lord. This was the reason why God would plague them so grievously because they would not listen to his Embassadors that he sent them for their good The like we reade of the ten Tribes the Lord powred his vengeance on them too for this very reason because they would not heare his Embassadors therefore the Lord cast them out of his sight and flung them away from being his people and hee would never be their God more the place is 2 King 17. 13 14 15. The Lord testified against Israel Judah by all the Prophets Seers saying Turne ye from your evill wayes and keepe my Commandments and my Statutes according to all the Law which I commanded your fathers notwithstanding they would not heare but hardned their necks like to the neck of their Fathers and did not beleeve in the Lord their God and they rejected his Statutes and his Covenant that he made with their Fathers Mark this was the cause why the Lord was so angry with them and removed them out of his sight Because they would not doe as his Embassadors did command them in his name Now as God hath let out his fury upon them for not attending to his Embassadors so he hath done and daily doth and will yet more doe upon us For though for temporall Judgements God be patient and forbearing beyond all admiration we feele yet no Sword no Famine no Pestilence we may be astonisht to see how long suffering he his O if we had the grace to consider of it neverthelesse the Lord is effusing out upon us the very dregges of his Cup he fats us up for his eternall ire he hath done converting of our hearers he hath done blessing of our Sermons he hath made us Loammies and Toruhamahs turned us into a generation of his wrath You whose eyes God hath opened whose hearts God hath inclined unto him whose Consciences God hath purged and Sanctified and made you Saints Blesse him and praise his holy name and make more of his infinit grace and goodnesse For it is to be feared God will now adde no more to your mumber he delivers people now to a reprobate sence he resolves to be revenged on our land in fire and Brimstone for the contempt of his glorious Gospell that hath beene preached so long a time He lets men fill up the measure of their sins that those that are filthy may be filthy still those that are drunkards may be drunkards still those that are led with their lusts shall be so still to the intent that he may bring upon the world all the fiercenesse of his spirituall and everlasting wrath and that he may revenge the quarrell of his Covenant and the labors of so many Embassadors whom he hath sent unto you and ye would not heare O that this might move some of your soules that so ye might prevent this dreadfull judgement and be plucked out like Brandes out of the Burning Fifthly Another Use is are Gods Ministers his Embassadors then they must Preach no mercy at all unto such as wilfully stand out against Jesus Christ When Antony was a Rebell O sayes Tully it is not fit to send him
Embassadors of Peace to treat with him of Peace as Theseus said once Goe sayes hee and tell Creon Theseus offers thee a gracious offer Yet I am pleased to bee friends if thou wilt submit This is my first message But if this offer prevaile not look for me to be up in Armes So Beloved Gods offers of peace have been made already again and again and they have been rejected Now his Embassadors must cry Armes Blood and fire and pillars of smoak At the first God dealt with us as Tullus with his Enemies Quae verbis componere potuit armis non decrevit as long as hee could reconcile them with his word they should not have his blows So the Lord hath dealt with us at the first he perswaded us with the promises of his Word now seeing no more can be gotten in that way hee will have his Ministers lay the axe at the rootes to hew down and to destroy and to slay people with the sword of his lips Doe not wonder when we preach hell and damnation to all rebellious soules You will say here is nothing but judgement Preachers send us all to the devill they preach as if they would drive us to despaire they should put in except wee repent I Answer it is enough now to understand it when the Gospel hath been a long time in a place Gods Embassadors must hold out the black flagge when Tamberlane had hung out his White flagge and that would not doe and his Red flagge and that would not doe neither then he hung out his Black flagge Now look for no mercy So Christs Embassadours should doe When Paul knew that the Gospel was contemned in Corinth the white and red flagge had ceased to doe good You see how hee hung out his black one Know yee not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Bee not deceived No idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor railers nor covetous shall ever inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. He does not put in now except yee repent no no now look for no mercy So the Apostle John The fearfull and unbeleevers and whoremongers and lyers shall be cast into the Lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Rev. 21. 8. hee does not put in except ye repent if we should bee ever putting in except yee repent and concluding with mercy upon condition of repentance what would hard-hearted people say O wee had a terrible Sermon to day but the Preacher gave us comfort in the closure he had a sweet bit at the last and thus they heale all again Nay when people grow once to be stubborn then Prophets have been so farre from putting in except yee repent or any other tearm of mercy that they used to meet with the peoples presumption of repentance So Jeremiah and Ezekiel and others they threaten destruction to the wicked and they adde this above all though they cry for mercy nay though they fast and could get Noah and Samuel and Job and Daniel to pray for them yet they shall have no mercy q. d. ye think to avoid these judgements by repenting another day no no when yee cry for mercy yee shall not have it When a Nation or a Parish or any people grow perverse and have rejected the sweet tenders of mercy Gods Embassadors are to look upon such wretches as rebels no indenting with them more no tearms of peace more as the Law sayes with Pirates and Traytors and Rebels the Law of Armes is not to bee observed as Baldus speaks they have broken the league as Florus speaks when Spartacus the Rebell desired an Embassage of peace hee would faine have Crassus contract a league with him Crassus scorned the motion when Talfarinas that egregious Robber and Traytour sent an Embassador with treaty of Peace to Tiberius the Emperour Tiberius took it with indignation that hee should bee so sawey with him No Embassage of peace is to be made with rebellious wretches wee need not put in except yee repent when we are to deal with such No no when ye grow once to despise reproof see you to that True if yee doe repent who knows what God will doe Though Crassus would not parlee with Spartacus about peace yet when hee did repent indeed hee received him to mercy So will God doe with you But in the mean time know that the God of Heaven is at defiance with you and all the curses in his Book are directed against the face of you Yee have played the deaf Adder against the gracious tenders of mercy from day to day and therefore see your damned condition The Embassadors of Christ have not one tittle of mercy of you if we could see you melt and cry out and down on your knees and your hearts turn and your spirits sink down before God then wee might say something unto you therefore Brethren if the Ministers of the Gospel doe daily preach more and more judgement doe not think much they ought so to doe Sixtly and Lastly one Use to you that feare God and beleeve his Embassadors and are besought by them Let me say to you as the Prophet Isaiah said Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his servants that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Esa 50. 10. that is bee of good comfort though all the world and all the devills in hell bee against you yet bee of good cheare what although yee meet with never so many temptations and feares such a fogge of them that ye can see no light yet it shall assuredly goe well with you Though others have not come in at the preaching of the Word ye have Howbeit others will not reform will not see the Lords hand lifted up they will not acknowledge their sins and sinfull doings and damned case yet ye have Yee have seen it and felt it and run to the throne of Grace and have sought the Lord according as Gods Embassadors have directed you out of his Word yee have feared God and obeyed the voyce of his servants though others make a mock of such as will be ruled by Preaers tush they shall not curb mee sayes one and they shall not controll mee sayes another What does hee think to lead mee in a string Yet yee doe fear God and yee dare not stand out against the preaching of his servants yee desire that yee may ever practise their Word and lead your lives according to it what ever others doe Bee of good chear sayes the Prophet The Lord is your God and doe yee stay your selves on him the Doctrine that God hath sent unto you by the Ministery of his servants is the only Doctrine of Salvation and therein yee shall finde eternall life Revel 3. 1. These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres THese words are the Subscription of the Letter unto the Angell
need of excellent and rare gifts I and you have need that they should bee well-gifted that so they may be able to doe you good First for the interpreting of the Scriptures they are a sealed and a clasped booke they are shut up naturally to a man It is said of Christ that He opened the Scriptures Luc. 24. 32. So a Minister had need of gifts to open the Scriptures to give out the sense as the Priests in Nehemiah did St. John wept when no man could open the sealed book When a Parish hath a Minister that cannot open the sealed Book it is enough to make good people weep and lament Secondly they have need of gifts to teach He that would teach had need to be an able man as the Apostle sayes that are able to teach 2 Tim. 2. 2. The servant of the Lord must bee apt to teach 2 Tim. 2. 24. there is a gift of fitnesse and aptnesse without which a man cannot be a good teacher Thirdly they have need of gifts to be able to convince it requires a great art to speak irrefragably to mens mindes Many truthes the hearts of men doe not like and therefore they labour to put them off And therefore a Minister had need of a gift of convincing That he may be able by sound Doctrine to convince the gainsayers Tit. 1. 9. as it is said of Stephen they were not able to withstand the spirit and the wisdome by which he spake Act. 6. 10. Fourthly to move the affections a Minister is not onely to informe mens judgements but also to work on their affections as Peter sayes I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle to stirre you up 2 Pet. 1. 13. a Minister is to stirre up his people to stirre their hearts and affections as Paul sayes Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5. 11. that is wee labour to stirre your affections Christ sent a Seraphim with a live coale to touch Isaiah his lips Esa 6. 6. we had need of fire coales in our lips to heat your affections Religion consists in the will and affections of men more then in any other faculty of the soule Fifthly To speak Pro re natâ a Minister hath need of extemporary abilities to bee able upon short warning when Severus Augustines Brother failed him one day hee was faine to goe up extempore into the Pulpit himself and Preach A Minister may come into the company of his people now if hee bee not habitually furnisht how unprofitable will hee bee Saint Paul sayes when he came among his people he would impart unto them some spirituall gift Rom. 1. 11. Sixthly A Minister had need of abilities to observe seasons that Aarons bells may be wisely rung sometimes in one tune sometimes in another as occasion serves A word sitly spoken in due time is like apples of gold in pictures of silver Prov. 25. 11. The use of this was First here we see that a Minister had not need be a foole no he must bee a well-gifted man He that winneth soules is wise Pro. 11. 30. hee must bee one that may winne soules and therefore he must be a wise man when the heart hath so many wiles and so many put-offs and so many evasions and distinctions and excuses and strong-holds hee had need bee a wise man that will goe about to catch it There is some wisdome required to catch birdes and beasts and fishes and vermine because they are all subtill in their kinde how much more to catch the heart This is Onus humeris angelorum for midandum as Chrysost speaks Who is sufficient for these things sayes the Apostle 2 Cor. 2. 16. The best of us all may blush to thinke how unfit we are to bee Ministers and therefore how should wee blesse God if he fit any of us in any suitable measure Secondly another Use was Then they are none of Christs Ministers that are not gifted for this mighty worke Will he send a foole on such a weighty Message as this is Hee that sendeth a Message by the hand of a foole cutteth off the feet and drinketh dammage Prov. 26. 6. There is great dammage in the Church because so many fooles have the handling of Gods message But I let this passe Thirdly Hence we learn then whether to goe for gifts if we would be inabled to our callings let us goe to our Lord Jesus Christ that hath the seven Starres in his hands he can make our influences strong our light mighty he can give us a gift of boldnesse to fear no mans face Hee can untye our stammering tongues that they shall have liberty in speaking that words may flow in Hee can make our tongues a sharpe sword Hee can fire our hearts and lips While the Apostles were together in prayer Act. 1. 14. the Lord Jesus Christ sent down the Holy Ghost on them in fiery tongues Act. 2. 1. Fourthly This should teach us to stirre up the gifts that hee gives us we should strive to put them all forth as Paul sayes to Timothy Stirre up the gift that is in thee by the putting on of hands 2 Tim. 1. 6. we must stirre up the gift that is in us when father Isaac would Prophesie to his sons he stirred up his spirit with savoury meat when Elishah would Prophecy before the three Kings he called for a sacred Minstrell to stirre up the Spirit of Prophecy in him so Samp son used to goe and shake himself when he went against the Philistims as Deborah while she was at her work in Gods worship Awake awake Deborah sayes shee shee shook up her self wee should labour to use all our gifts to the full as the Apostle sayes Make full proof of thy Ministery 2 Tim. 4. 5. so wee should make full proof of every one of our gifts put them out to the utmost Ministers should be able to say as Paul does I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ Rom. 15. 19. to preach fully to convince fully to exhort fully fully to terrifie the hearts of the wicked not to use our gifts by halves O how shall wee answer it if we let our gifts rust for want of sound using of them Fifthly Wee should rely more on Christ we may trust too much to our notes but O that we could trust more in Christ that is warmest matter that comes down from Heaven in the speaking not that we should leave all without study till wee come into our Pulpits and then hope to have it given us in that moment No we must prepare as much as we can as Solomon sayes Prepare thy work without and make it fit for thy self in the field and afterwards build thy house Pro. 24. 27. So we must prepare our Sermons and make them fit for our people in our studies and then come and preach them Give attendance to reading to exhortation to Doctrine sayes the Apostle 1 Tim. 4. 13. God gives
gifts by meanes but then if we would trust Christ for his present assistance and â—erne up to him for prompting it would make our Ministery more lively When a Sermon is an act of Faith that 's it that does most good then Christs Spirit Preaches and not wee then then God speaks and not our notes as the Prophet David sayes The Spirit of the Lord spake by mee 2 Sam. 23. 2. Sixthly this should teach the people of God if they would have their Ministers inabled indeed to doe their soules good to pray for them that Christ would more furnish them How often does the Apostle tell the people that Ministers might have greater gifts if they had a heart O sayes hee Pray for mee that I may have utterance and that I may speak boldly c. Ephes 6. 19. q. d. if yee have a heart to pray I doe verily think that I shall bee the more assisted a great deale The truth is God uses to punish people thus because they are dead and dull and have no heart and are weary of the Word therefore hee with-holds from his Minister on purpose to plague them as God told Ezekiel Son of man thou shalt bee dumb and when thou wouldst reprove thou shalt be tongue-tyed thy tongue shall cleave to the roof of thy mouth now mark the reason why for they are a rebellious house Ezek. 3. 26. But I will recapitulate no more of what I have delivered Thus ye have heard the third thing how Christ hath the gifting of his Ministers They have their gifts and abilities from him Now I proceed on to the fourth That he hath the prospering of them They have the successe of their labours from Iesus Christ Christ bids us preach Repent repent but it is he that must give the Repentance So Paul preached to Lydia and had good successe for the text shews how she was converted by his Ministery But it was God that opened her heart As Rebeccah cookt the Venison but Isaac gave the blessing So we may cooke the Word for you but the blessing is in Christs hands as the Apostle sayes We are Ministers by whom ye Beleeved even as the Lord gave to every man 1 Cor. 3. 5. that is when wee preached among you we had good successe you beleeved What as we would our selves No Alas we would faine have had you all to Beleeve but even as the Lord gave to every man the successe was as he would soto some he gave only conviction by the word to some onely knowledge to some good reformations to some a true faith It was as he was pleased to give to every man So when he preached unto other Gentiles he confesses looke what good successe he had he had from Jesus Christ I will not dare to speake of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by Word and deed Rom. 15. 18. that is as who should say that the Gentiles did heare me that they were brought to obedience in word and deed that I had so good successe in my labours God forbid I should say or thinke it was my doing I dare not say so for a world No no It was Christ and hee alone that did worke by me as his poore Instrument I have all my good successe from him The successe is meerly as he will If he will be pleased to give so good successe Peter shall convert 3000 at one Sermon But if he be pleased to deny a good successe the Prophet Esay shall preach in the reigne of 4 Kings about fourescore yeares and convert hardly one as he sayes to Israel as the Apostle quotes him All the day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and a gainsaying people Rom. 10. 21. All successes are of God and therefore much more successe here Let it be in any calling As for example fishing that when a man goes a fishing he sindes good successe this is of God Simon and his company toyled all night and tooke nothing But when Christ came and gave them good successe then they inclosed a great multitude of fishes two shipfull of fishes at one draught Luk. 5. 5. So when a man runnes who shall get the Goale the man may runne but whether he shall get the Goale that he cannot tell When a man fights the man may fight and be the better man of the two but whether shall overcome that is uncertain unto them the successe is of God as Solomon sayes The race is not to the swift nor the battaile to the strong nor riches to the wise time and chance happens to them all Eccle. 9. 11. that is not as though the swift doe not sometimes get the race and the strong the Victory and wise men riches yet they doe many times namely when God gives successe otherwise they doe not How many times doe men goe about businesses and in all likelihood they might hit well yet how often doe they not the Lord will have us see that successe is from him Now if it be so in outward things how much more here in other things the work is more in the mans hands and the thing is traceable to him but it is not so here VVee may labour to convert Soules but this work is not in our hands the using of the meanes the Lord Jesus Christ puts that into our hands but the doing of the deed the successe is onely from him First Because we are nothing in this worke We may be something at other workes we may study and in an ordinary providence we may make a Sermon But when we come to preach it is not an ordinary providence that will make us to convert soules no here we are nothing Paul may plant and Apollos may water Now marke what followes he does not onely say it is God that gives the increase Paul may plant and Apollos may water but God gives the increase 1 Cor. 3. 6. that is all their successe and all the fruit of their labour is from God That is not all he sayes But in the seventh verse sayes he Neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth any thing but God that giveth the increase As if he should say as excellent gifts as these men had they did nothing in this worke the whole successe is of God Beloved we can but set before you life and death we can but tell you thus ye will be damned and thus and thus ye may be saved But it is God that must blesse this unto you Otherwise we can doe nothing We may preach our hearts out and yet you 'l to hell doe we what we can except the Lord break your careere Elisha's man could lay his Masters staffe upon the child but the child stirred not till Elisha came himselfe and then the child was raised So we can but lay our Masters staffe upon your dead soules But except our Master come himself ne're a dead soule will stand up what
is all our preaching and dressing up of our Sermons like the riging of the sayles that 's nothing except the wind blow The Spirit of Christ is the winde except hee blow upon you we are nothing the tampering on the Organs is nothing but when the breath comes then there is musique So we may keep adoe to turne your hearts but till God breath into you there is nothing done True the preaching of the Gospel is a very powerfull thing I when Christs arme goes along with it it is the sword of the Spirit but if the Spirits arme be not with it we may brandish it here every week and doe little as Scanderbagge said One hearing what mighty feats Scanderbagges sword had done sent for it and when he saw it he made nothing of it Is this the Sword that hath done such great exploits what 's this Sword more than other swords O sayes Scanderbagge I sent thee my sword but not my arme that did handle it So my Brethren the word which wee preach is but Christs sword God sends you his sword many times when he keeps his arme to himself and so nothing is done So then we are nothing and therefore all successe is of Christ First our wills are nothing to doe it we may will to doe you good but Converts cannot bee made by our wills as the Evangelist sayes Joh. 1. 13. Secondly our paines and labours are nothing we may labour and take paines but look Esa 49. 4. Thirdly our gifts are nothing who had better gifts than Christ had as hee was man and yet that would not doe it Joh. 12. 38. Fourthly our Prayers are nothing they may doe something sometimes but except God be pleased to give successe they are nothing Jeremiah prayed Jer. 14. 7 8 9. yet the Lord told him that should not doe it ver 11. Secondly the Conversion of Soules is a supernaturall work we that are Ministers preach to make men new creatures to turn Leopards into Kids as if we should preach to make Blackamores white the dead alive which is a work for God alone to doe and therefore the successe must needs be from him Alas what are we able to doe as the Apostle sayes You are Gods wormanship in Christ Jesus created to good works Ephes 2. 10. we are his instruments that 's true indeed but yee are his workmanship you are the Epistle of Christ administred by us Writen not with Inke but with the Spirit of the living God 2 Cor. 3. 3. The Epistle of Christ but ministred indeed by Christ his is the hand wee are but the pen when we bid you repent and beleeve and be holy and godly and heavenly minded men deny your selves be dead to the world and alive to God come out of Satans power come into Christs Kingdom it is like Ezekiels bidding of the dead bones to gather flesh and stand up living men All the successe must needs be of God And therefore what does this teach us The Use of it is First That we that are the Ministers of God can but make tryall whether we can convert our people or no as the Apostle speaks proving if at any time God will give them repentance 2 Tim. 2. 25. so it is in some of your Bibles so we must make proofe we must try come into the Pulpit every week and try sharpen our nailes as sharp as we can and strike them as farre in as we can and so try often try as the wiseman speaks in another case In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening let not thy hand rest for thou knowest not whether shall prosper this or that or both Eccle. 11. 6. So Jeremiah did hee would try first hee went to the poorer sort to see whether they would hearken unto him when he had no successe there then thought he I will try the great men I will get mee to the great men Jer. 5. 5. we should make assayes we doe not know may be God will give us good successe we must make assayes as it is said of Paul and Silas That they assayed to goe into Bithynia but the Spirit suffered them not Act. 16. 7. O thought they here bee a great many soules in this Countrey we will try whether there be any for Christ yea or no. Indeed they found that they had no successe in their attempt But they made an assay though Secondly This teacheth us to wait though we have not successe presently yet we should wait all successe is from Christ and therefore it is fit we should wait for it and therefore a Minister is commanded to be patient The servant of the Lord must be gentle to all men apt to teach patient 2 Tim. 2. 24. q. d. he hath not the successe in his own hands to have it when he will no though he doe no good yet nor yet hee must be patient He is not apt to teach poore people else except he be patient as he is not fit to teach a dull Schollar that is over-hasty And therefore my Brethren though we have lost all our labour hitherto on the most of you yet now again we speak to you come will ye yet go to heaven come are ye yet in the minde to hearken and obey wee come to you once more will ye yet c. as Jeremiah sayes Woe unto thee O Jerusalem wilt thou not bee made clean when shall it once be Jer. 13. 27. Beloved wee are dull Schollars in Religion and people are hard to take their learning in this kinde and therefore if we would be apt to teach wee must be patient what though we see no good yet this must not make us out of heart or to grudge our paines we must bee patient still wee are to think may be the next time I preach God will give me good successe Isaiah and Paul gave not over though they had cause to complain Thirdly This may serve to condemn all the world whether the Gospel comes and specially us hereabouts that doe not let Ministers have any good successe you will say how doe I make this use of it If all the Ministers successe be from Christ then one would think this were an excuse unto people I answer no the meaning of the Doctrine is this that the people are so contrary to the Word such enemies to the wayes of Jesus Christ that a Minister can look for no successe except the Lord turn their hearts This is the meaning of the point Does this excuse any what does your enmity against Christ and all goodnesse afford you any excuse nay this aggravates your sin Now this is the meaning of it As Saint Paul when he spake how little successe he and all the rest of his fellow-Apostles had hee layes the blame upon the people All the day long I have stretched out my hands against a disobedient and a gainsaying people Rom. 10. 21. So the Prophet Isaiah from whom these words are taken complaines of the unfruitfulnesse
maintenance that brought him thither His owne conscience told him he was a Hyreling He could not say the Lord brought me hither He came not in by the doore Now every true Minister comes in by the doore into a Parish and therefore he comes in by Jesus Christ Secondly No Minister can be placed in any Parish but by the Bishop of the Diocesse Now Beloved who ever be Christs substitute Christ is the maine Bishop of every Diocesse Christ is the Shepheard and Bishop of our foules 1 Pet. 2. 25. Indeed there be other Bishops under him other Shepheards under him I but he is the great Shepheard of the sheepe Heb. 13. 20. the Arch Shepheard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5. 4. The chiefe Shepheard When the chiefe Shepheard shall appeare Well if he be the chiefe Shepheard it is fit that he should institute and induct into Pastorall charges It s fit that his word should be followed in every ones comming into a living to go no where but where his word doth allow To take no care of Soules but of such as he commits to our custody All true Ministers are his Curats and therefore if they be not of his placing they came not in right Thirdly If it be he that must pay them their wages then reason good that he should set them on worke If a man thrust himself into a Parish it was not Christ that moved him to come there but forsooth he wanted a Living he would faine have maintenance there is so much Per annum this was his motive Christ never moved him this man can look for no wages from Jesus Christ When he hath gathered in his Tithes or his quarteridge Christ will tell him as he told the foolish Pharisees Ye have the record He that set you on work he wil pay your wages I never set you on work and therefore ye can look for nothing at my hands Certainly if Christ must pay a man his wages good Reason that he should have the putting of a man into this or that Vineyard He called in the Labourers and payd them their wages that gave them their taske Matt. 3. 20. 8. Fourthly How can they looke for his assistance and Blessing if they be not placed by him when the Lord had placed Jeremiah a Prophet in Judah the Lord undertooke to assist him I have made thee this day a defenced City and an iron Pillar and Brazen walles I will be with thee Jere. 1. 18 19. A Minister hath need of Christs assistance where e're he is his Preaching else will doe little good his Sermons will be of no effect Christs assistance and Blessing is all in all Moses prayes for Levi Blesse Lord his substance and accept the worke of his hands Deut. 33. 11. No man hath more need of Christs blessing to go along with him then a Minister Now when a Minister is not there where Christ would have him to be How can hee expect that Christs blessing should be with him if he can say Christ would have me here Christ hath placed me here then he may looke for Christs being with him Fifthly what peace of Conscience can they have when they lye on their death-beds except they can comfortably say Lord thou didst place me in this Parish Lord I came in by the doore and by no other way It was not by-ends nor filthy lucre nor gaine as Jeremiah sayes I did not thrust in my selfe to be a Pastor Lord thou madest me a Minister to this Congregation I have faithfully tended those Soules that thou gavest me to feed this is a sweet thing Ye know people are apt to say who sent for you who made you our Minister we will not acknowledge you to be our Minister As Shemaiah said of good Jeremiah Thou hast made thy self a Prophet to this people Jer. 29. 27. Now if Jeremiah had not his own Conscience to prove his Institution from God what a taking had he beene in Sixthly And lastly what comfort else can the people of God have to live under such a mans Ministery unlesse they can say this is my Minister set over me in the Lord This is so needfull that without it he were as good have no Minister at all As the Apostle tells the good people of Colosse Epaphras is for you a faithfull Minister of Christ Col. 1. 7. This is their comfort indeed when they can truely affirme that this man is for us a faithfull Minister of Christ This Minister is our Minister in Christ This is the ground of their Consciences submitting to his Ministery and of their receiving of him as an Embassador from Christ unto them Now when a man is not placed by Christ in a Parish as their Minister what joy can they have to heare him What hope that God will sanctifie his labours among them The use of this is first For us that are Ministers that we looke we be of Christs placing that we may be able to conclude to our people as Paul to the Corinths Though I be not an Apostle unto others yet doubtlesse I am an Apostle unto you So that we may be able to conclude to our people doubtlesse I am Christs Minister unto you As our Saviour Christ sayes Who is the faithfull wise Shepheard Whom his Lord shall make Ruler over his houshold Luk. 12. 42. Hath the Lord made us Rulers over his houshold We are all shepheards in such and such Parishes But did the Lord put us there We are Spirituall Rulers over such and such housholds of God but did the Lord make us Rulers over them otherwise we are not Starres in his hands No We are blazing Comets out of his Orb if we be Starres in his hands wee can prove our placing from him Secondly This serves to condemne them that are theeves and intruders into Gods Heritage that never came in by the doore but by some other way that are hirelings and will leave the sheep for their own advantage Gain makes them take livings gain makes them chop and change that never went to Christ for his approbation it is said of the Apostles that the Rulers and Elders perceived that they had been with Jesus Act. 4. 13. Those are Ministers of Parishes indeed that have been with Jesus But these men no man can perceive that ever they have been with Jesus Christ that ever they had any allowance from him and yet they will bee crowding in into Livings But I let this passe Thirdly Hath Christ the placing of Ministers then this is of use unto you that have Ministers of Christs placing among you Take heed how ye carry your selves under your Ministery If you doe not obey their Doctrine you sin against Christ O reject not their reproofes put not off the Word of God in their mouthes if ye doe ye doe not put off men but God It was an excellent exhortation of that godly King Jehosaphat Heare me O yee inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem beleeve the Lords Prophets
Gospell good usage the Lord would continue it like a Guest that is the willinger to stay when he sees he is among Friends Thirdly Let us bring forth the fruits of it The Husbandman will ever continue ploughing of his ground as long as hee sees it will give him a good crop But when hee perceives it will not quit charges then hee layes it Fallow So Christ would have stayed his word still in Judah and Jerusalem if they would have brought forth competent fruite But when once they grew barren hee said hee would take his Kingdome away The Kingdom of God shall be taken away from you and given to a Nation that will bring forth the fruites thereof Matth. 21. 43. Fourthly Let us bee earnest with God to have his Gospell continue Importunity may doe much Importunity held Christ a night longer with the Disciples Luk. 24. 29. Importunity held the Levite three or foure dayes longer then otherwise hee would Judg. 19. 4 5 6 7. O If wee would bee importunate with Christ to stay his Gospel still as Jacob did the Angell Thou shalt not goe till thou blesse mee Lord thy Gospell shall not goe till it convert me and it shall not goe till it convert mee and it shall convert mee first if every one would hang upon Christ to stay his Gospell still and thou shalt not let it goe till it hath done my soule good till it hath illightned mine eyes and quickned my heart this would obtaine much may bee some doe doe thus as Jeremiah did O thou hope of Israel Why shouldest thou bee as a stranger in the Land and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to stay for a night Jer. 14. 8. Alas that would not doe if there had been many Jeremiah's to doe thus then they might have gotten him to stay longer So may bee some doe cry importunately thus O thou hope of Jerusalem c. And so I fall upon the third thing ye have heard first how Christ hath the placing of his Ministers secondly he hath the continuing of them Thirdly Now it followes hee hath the removing of them too People are prone to look upon second causes But Christ is the supreame hee is the principall cause of this judgement upon men to take away his Ministers as the Prophet Isaiah speaks The Lord of Hoasts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the mighty man and the Judge and the Prophet Esa 3. 1 2. Whether it bee by death or removeall or imprisonment or suspending or any other way It is he that deprives a people of his faithfull Ministers whosoever be the instrument First He can take them away by death out of the world Thus the Lord took away the Prophet Enoch Genesis 5. 24. Secondly He can take them away by removeall thus he took away Jonas from Israel and sent him to Niniveh Jon. 3. 1. Ye know he was a Prophet in Israel and the Lord removed him thence to the Land of Assyria Thirdly He can take them away by letting them bee imprisoned thus he took away John the Baptist by letting Herod put him into prison for telling him of his sins Mark 16. 17. So Ahab imprisoned Michaiah for telling him the truth Fourthly Hee can take them away by letting them be suspended and inhibited from Preaching by letting wicked men have their wills That say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not Speak to us smooth things prophesie deceits Esa 30. 10. Thus King Amaziah silenced the Prophet that reproved him 2 Chron. 25. 16. Fifthly He can take them away by silencing them himselfe this is as bad as taking them away for the time thus himself stopt Ezikels mouth and made him dumb Now the Reason why Christ does doe thus is first because of the wicked they will not receive their Doctrine Thus the Lord Jesus took away Paul out of Jerusalem Make haste get thee quickly out of Jerusalem for they will not receive thy testimony concerning mee Acts 22. 18. Secondly The Lord does it in regard of his own people because they begin to forsake their first love This was the reason why the Lord threatned to take away the Ministery of the Word out of Ephesus I will remove thy Candlestick out of its place except thou repent Revelations 2. 5. Thirdly The Lord does this sometimes in regard of the Ministery it self that it may be more precious afterwards as it is said there in Samuel when the Lord had deprived Israel of his Prophets for a matter of fourescore yeares together O sayes the Text The Word of God was precious in those dayes because there was no open Vision 1 Sam. 3. 1. The Use of this is first Is it so that it is Christ that removes Ministers then this should teach us to mourn before him if ever any of our Ministers bee taken away by any meanes wee should see whose hand is upon us the hand of the Lord is gone out against us it is hee that inflicteth this judgement and therefore wee should mourn unto him as the Church did When all their Prophets were gone and all Religion went to wrack and the enemies had burnt up their Synagogues and broken up all their godly Assemblies O how they mourned unto God for it O God why hast thou cast us off Why does thine anger smoak against the sheepe of thy pasture Remember thy Congregation which thou hast purchased of old Remember mount Zion wherein thou hast dwelt Psal 74. 1 2. this was a heavy judgement indeed they felt the Lords anger smoake against them then Why What was the matter Wee see not our signes there is no more any Prophet Ver. 9. Secondly Another Use is Let us look into the meritorious cause which is nothing but our sins If Gods Ministers be put down at any time it is our sins that put them down For if Christ be the inflicting cause certainly our sins are the deserving cause wee can blame none but our own sins if any thing stop any good Ministers mouth it is they it is peoples drunkennesse and disorder you are the cause your unfruitfulnesse and security and hypocrisie and formality you doe not learn goodnesse and godlinesse under the Word yee remaine vaine and blinde and hardned in your hearts under the same What Parishes more disorderly than those where most preaching is where is more hatred of word and vertue and piety then there where is more railing at a good life and holy walking and such as desire to doe well the more preaching people hear for the most part the worse they grow People come to Church it may bee but they make it a cloake for their villanies they will give us the hearing but no obedience no practise no Reformation no signe of amendment no love no truth no faithfulnesse no communion at all welaneare where most Preaching is if any thing stop our mouthes this will doe it And indeed what may men think of us but that wee are a
company of hypocrites and teachers of vanities what are these Preachers wee see little good they doe what becomes of all their Preaching factions and odde opinions in one Towne and dissolutenesse and all manner of licensiousnesse in another If the whole world should let us alone I verily feare God himselfe would put us down immediately in the end So many scandals so many thousand offences are given every day that its a wonder wee stand as we doe That the Lord of heaven lets any Minister in England come into a Pulpit more nothing but pride and self-conceits and selftrustings and feared consciences dead hearts and profanenesse unlesse it be a very little handfull O Beloved if where preaching is it were honoured as it ought to bee and obeyed as it should if people would doe as we teach I dare be bold to affirme wee might Preach long enough If our Townes would sweetly reforme set up good Government root out all disorders and cursed abuses live like Christians indeed be humble and sober and loving and dutifull to God and Man Giving to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods If we would feare God and honour the King Reverence Gods Courts obey the voyce of his servants love Christ and his word above our appointed food this would lengthen the Ministery of the Land this would bee a meanes for the establishing of Gods Kingdome among us Christ would never repent that ever hee sent his Gospell unto us where wee have some wee should have more where we have more wee should have a hundred times more as the Apostle Peter sayes Who is he that will harme you if yee be followers of that which is good 1 Pet. 3. 13. Thirdly Another Use is is it Christ that takes away Ministers either by death or restraining or by any other way Then let it bee a meanes to exhort us to repent of our sinnes that Christ may still give a doore of utterance to his Ministers that they may still speak in his name This should move us to seek God When Peter was cast into prison O what fasting and crying and praying was there to God for him till hee was restored again Act. 12. 5. they did not goe to Herod to restore him No they knew Christ was hee that tooke him from the Church whoever were the instrument therefore they sought to Heaven for him again if any peoples Ministery bee gone this is the best way to fetch them again Paul knew this to bee true and therefore when hee was in prison at Rome hee writes to Philemon thus I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you Philemon v. 22. Nay hee is so confident that if people would but cry hard for him to God that hee should quickly bee enlarged Nay sayes hee prepare mee a lodging for I trust that through your prayers I should be given unto you q. d. I make no question but I shall out of prison if you will but bee earnest with God So also it seems the Authour to the Hebrews was restrained from Preaching Now mark what an exhortation hee uses Pray for us sayes hee and I beseech you the rather to doe this that I may bee restored unto you the sooner Heb. 13. 18 19. Thus I have finished this part of the Description of Jesus Christ That hath the seven Starres in his hand and the whole Subscription too These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres I come now to the Epistle it self I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead but of this more c. REVEL 3. 1. And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven starres I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead I know thy works c. Revel 3. 1. I know thy workes c. YE have heard two things concerning this Epistle First the Inscription that declareth the person to whom it was sent To the Angel of the Church in Sardis write That is it was sent principally to the Minister of the Church in the Town of Sardis and also to the Christians that were in that Church Secondly the subscription that declareth from whom it was sent These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Stars that is it was sent from Jesus Christ Now we come to the third thing and that is the subject matter of this Epistle which consists of three things First a Reprehension of the sins of the Minister and the body of his congregation Secondly a Direction or the shewing of the remedy for the curing of their sins Thirdly a Commendation of some particular persons in that Congregation that were not carryed away with the sins of the times The reprehension is either in generall I know thy works that is I know them all and I know them to be stark nought for the most part what-ever they seem they may seem to be very good but I tell you plainly I know them all what they be q. d. Generally they are stark nought And then in particular hee instances in two first the sin of hypocrisie or seeming to be good Thou hast a name that thou livest Secondly the sin of deadnesse of heart But thou art dead This is the reprehension or the reproof Then follows the Direction or the shewing of the remedy for he does not reprove them out of any ill will but for their good And therefore he prescribes them a remedy and the remedy is twofold The first is to strengthen the things that remain that are ready to dye v. 2. q. d. as many of you as are not quite and clean dead stir up your selves quicken up your hearts and this is first illustrated by shewing how they should doe thus Be watchfull sayes he q. d. that 's the reason why ye languish on this fashion and ye will languish more and more because yee are not watchfull therefore be watchfull and then it is urged by rendring a motive to use this remedy For I have not found thy workes perfect before God that is thou art hardly sincere a jot thou art full of hypocrisie and formality and thou wilt lose all thy labour if thou dost not look well about thee therefore shake up thy self and strengthen the things c. this is the first remedy The second remedy is to repent v. 3. and this is amplified by shewing how and that is two wayes 1. Remember how c. i.e. consider how thou hast been taught and bewail thy declinings for thou art horribly departed from what thou hast heard out of the Word 2. Hold fast i.e. so bewaile thy warpings and degeneratings that thou mayest get up again and hold thee fast there when thou art up Now lest they should neglect the using of this remedy the Lord Jesus sharpens his speech with
a threatning telling them the danger if they will not be awakened if therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thief and thou shalt not know c. Thus you see the remedy Then the next thing is the commemoration of some slain persons raw Birds that were not carryed away with the sins of the times and in the common deadnesse of the Congregation where they lived and these hee does commend very much And then an incouragement to give them an excellent promise The commendation is in these words Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments vers 4. That is there be some among you though they be but a few and he commends them for two things 1. From the place that they could be in Sardis and yet keepe their quickning Thou hast a few names even in Sardis Even in Sardis q. d. in dead Sardis even there be some lively Christians that are not dead 2. from the quality of their care expressed by a metaphor of keeping their garments cleane which have not defiled their garments that is they have been very carefull indeed that they are not sooted and soyled with so many ill examples though others be dead yet they will not be dead too for company And then their promise followes for their encouragement in these words They shall walke after me in white in the same verse that is I will give them the grace of presence and will keepe them unspotted unto my Heavenly Kingdome and Glory and hee addes a reason why hee makes them such a promise in these words For they are worthy not as though they did merit presence and glory no but they are worthy in Christ and Christ hath made them meet to be made partakers of this mercy Thus you see the matter of the example Well now to come to the reproofe and first in generall I know thy workes that is I know them all and I know them to be starke naught for the most part what ever they seeme they may seeme to be very good and godly but be it knowne unto you I know them all what they be q. d. generally they are starke naught The first point wee hence gather is that the Lord knowes every mans ill courses hee is privy to every mans sinnes though men carry them never so cleverly closely yet he knows them First he sees mens sinfull workes they can do nothing but hee sees it as Elihu speakes his eyes are upon the wayes of men and hee seeth all their goings There is no darknesse nor shadow of death where the workes of iniquity may hide themselves Job 34. 21 22. what ever evill men doe they cannot hide it from him they may go into a house and thinke to shut out all men from seeing of them but they cannot shut him out they cannot get out of his sight be they never so private and who sees them yet the Lord sees them Secondly hee knows every syllable that men speake at any time as David sayes There is not a word in my Tongue but lo O Lord thou knowest it altogether Ps 13. 4. The Prophet Elisha could tell what the King of Aram spake in his privy chamber 2 Kings 6. 12. the Lord can tell what words people speake under the Rose what they say in their beds what they whisper in their close meetings what they belch out on their Alebenches Enoch sayes he wil have them all up at the day of judgment nay if a word be but at the Tongues end hee hears it Thirdly hee knowes every thought in mens hearts as Moses sayes and God saw that the wickednesse of man was great upon the Earth and the very imagination of the thoughts of his heart was onely evill continually Gen. 6. 5. Though mens thoughts be sly things and are out of mens eyes and Divells eyes and Angels eyes yet they are not out of his eye he sees what men think Fourthly he knowes all that ever a man hath done in times past he revealed unto Moses what Adam did in the Garden what Cain in the sield what bragges Lamech used before his Wives what villany Lots Daughters did in the night time many 100 years after they were done He knowes what was done yesterday and tother day and tother day seven hundred hundred yeares agoe Hee hath a Kalender of all the sinnes of men ever since the beginning of the World what people did in their childhood what in their youth what in their manhood though they themselves have forgotten yet he remembers Ther 's no time out of minde unto Him as Solomon sayes God requireth that whch is past Eccl. 3. 15. Fifthly he knowes what sinnes men will commit hereafter Christ told his Apostles before hand what wicked dealings they should meet with the Lord told Moses what Pharaoh would do before he went to him I know he will not let you go Exod. 3. 19. So likewise when the children of Israel were in the Wildernesse the Lord told them even then that he knew all the wickednesse that ever they would doe when they came into Canaan I know their imaginations even now sayes he before I have brought them into the Land which Isware Deut. 31. 21. Sixthly Hee knowes not onely what sinnes they have committed heretofore nor onely what they will commit hereafter but also he knowes what they would commit in such and such cases Hee knew Abimelech would have taken Sarah if hee had not hindred him He knew that the men of Keilah would betray David if hee should stay there 1 Sam. 23. 12. He knowes what a rich man would do if hee were poore what a poore man would do if he were rich He knowes that such a one would play the apostate rather then loose all his living Hee knowes that such a man would do mischiefe if hee had wherewithall hee sees what is in every mans heart what lies particularly in every mans nature It may be her 's one that dyes in his infancy the Lord knowes what hee would have done if hee had lived till hee was a man here 's one that dyes at 40 the Lord knowes what a wretch hee would have been if he had lived to twenty or thirty years longer here 's one that dwells now in a good family it may be now hee conformes to good duties he does not flye out but the Lord knowes how he would be a very rakeshame if hee lived in another place Seventhly the Lord knowes what men are and what they have beene and what they will be as he knowes all their thoughts words and works He knowes all their dispositions their persons their natures their qualities their affections and ends and aymes and motives and estates hee knowes how many are rotten though they professe never so much how many are unfound though they be never so well esteemed in the Church Hee knowes in what estate every man stands in He knowes vaine men he
omit any duty but hee does perceive it nor slubber over any good duty but hee stands by and lookes on may be when yee are among your selves yee can shoot out your Arrowes even bitter and malicious words may bee no body can tell what yee said tush it shall never come to such a ones Eare Who can tell that you did say so Who why God can Thus yee sayd and thus yee said sayes the Lord That have you sayd O house of Israel for I knew the things that came into your minde every one of them Ezek. 11. 5. Hee knowes thy adultery and with whom and in what Bed neither Curtaines nor Doores nor Lock and Key can hide from him Hee knowes how thy heart hath risen up against the Word Hee knowes how many times thou hast smothered thine owne conscience and gone against it and outwrestled it He knowes how thou lettest thy minde rove in Prayer how many times thou hast come to the Lords Table unworthily omitted Family duties or hudled them over without due regard Hee knowes what trickes thou hast to put off conviction what a base esteeme thou hast of the strictnesse that Gods Word doth require when thou hearest it layd open O I say this should make thee to feare God this should make thee to feare everywhere as the Psalmist sayes Thou compassest my paths and my lying downe and art acquainted with all my wayes Psal 139. 3. Thou hast beset mee behind and before within and without thou possessest all my reines O what an awe should this breede in us But I let this Use passe This Use will better come in the next Doctrine Well then the next Doctrine is this The knowing that God knowes all our workes is the powerfull meanes to all Gods elect to do them good and to quicken them and to make them take heede of all manner of sinne when the Lord would quicken his people here in Sardis hee uses this as his first meanes to doe it by I know thy workes wee may see this in David I have kept thy Precepts and thy Testimonies for all my wayes are before thee Psa 119. 168. when Solomon would confute a whorish heart hee uses this for his argument Why wilt thou my Son bee ravisht with a strange Woman and embrace the bosome of a stranger for the wayes of man are before the eyes of the Lord and hee ponders all his goings Prov. 5. 20. 21. why wilt thou doth us q. d. thou art madde thou art desperate if this argument will not prevale with thee The reasons of this point are First because the Lords knowing of our workes is not onely a meere knowing of them but also a marking and a pondering of them too Hee diligently observes what wee doe hee ponders and considers whence it proceeds and whether it tends as the Prophet sayes The Lords Throne is in Heaven his Eyes well consider his Eye-lides try the Children of men Psal 11. 4. And therefore when the Scripture would tell us that God knowes mens hearts it sometimes expresses it thus The Lord pondereth mens hearts Prov. 24. 12. if God did onely see what we doe it were another matter but when the soule shall heare that hee markes and that hee ponders and considers mens sinnes and weighes them how haynous they are what punishment they deserve and how horrible it is that they do how much it is against his glory it s a signe of a desperate heart when this will not work Secondly because when God sees all our sinnes it is with a most holy and pure Eye and such an Eye as cannot abide such an object before him as the Prophet Habakuk speakes Thou art of purer Eyes then to behold evill thou canst not looke on iniquity Hab. 1. 13. if God saw our sinnes with such an Eye as men see them now and then it were no such great thing for wee know that most men can endure to see our sinnes well enough and like us little the worse but they are infinitely offensive unto God he sees them with such an eye that if ever the conscience be a wake but to perceive how he lookes it will burst the very heart of a man Thirdly because when God sees our sinnes he records them he notes them in a booke that he may never forget them as he told the people of the Jewes behold it is written before me I will recompence and render it into your bosome Isay 65. 6. if God did see our sinnes and ther 's an end then indeed this doctrine of Gods seeing would doe little may be God would forget them againe yea but when he sees he registers too nay he layes it up in record to be in store by him against another day nay he seales them up in his treasure is not this laidup in store by me and sealed among my Treasures Deut. 32. 34. now when the Soule shall come to marke this this will wound it to the quicke this must needs doe a man good and strike an awe into him of God Fourthly because when Gods sees our sinnes it is even all one as if all the world should see them too as Origen notes for let our sinnes be never so secret our inward unsoundnesse never so unknowne yet if God know it it is as bad and worse then if all the world knew it for all the world shall know it one day God will lighten all things that are hid in darknesse and will make manifest the secret counsailes of mens hearts then shall every man have praise of God 1 Cor. 4. 5. that is whosoever have been godly God will bring all their godlinesse forth and every one of them shall have praise of God this shall be an honour to them before all the world so if a man have been evill then God will produce all his naughty courses forth then shall he have shame from God God will shame him before all the World There is nothing now covered that shall not then be revealed nothing hid that shall not then be laid open what a shame then will this be for thee that thou which hast gone so many yeares for an honest man and may be hast been some body here in this world when all the Saints shall see thee standing as a wretch as a hell-hound as a limme of the Divell on Christs left hand what a shame will it be if we that are now earnest Preachers if any of us shall then be found among the goats what a shame to any of you that would count it a sore disgrace to be called a wicked man to be led forth with evill doers and sholed among the damned well then if Gods seeing of mens sinnes be such a kind of seeing as this is no marvell it worke so effectually on them that are of God Fifthly an other argument may be taken from our disposition our disposition is such that we cannot abide that our wickednesses should be seen of any body
is thus they jear these things but beloved t is certain for it is not enough to beleive except we do it with life he that liveth and beleeveth in me Joh. 11. 26. faith without life is but equivocally termed faith so it is not enough to hope in God except we doe it with life he hath begetten us againe to a lively hope says Peter So it is not enough to be a member in Gods Church a Stone in Gods building except we be lively Stones Ye also as lively Stones sayes he 1 Pet. 2. 5. The like I may say of all the duties of Religion it is not enough to doe them but we must doe them with life as to pray to pray with a dead heart is nothing no sayes David Lord quicken us and we will call upon thy name Psal 80. 18. In a word not to heape particulars we cannot walk in any of Gods wayes aright as long as we walke in them with a dead heart as the psalmist sayes Lord quicken thou me in thy way Psal 119. 37. it is a poore thing to walk in Gods wayes onely for the matter of them That indeed a dead heart may doe there 's no duty that God bids a man doe unlesse it be them that consignifie life but flesh and blood may doe it for the matter of it if there be matter and forme in it True some duties are simple that flesh and blood cannot doe as to love God to delight in God to have communion with God himself to take God for ones Portion and Lot and inheritance to be all in all to him these are simple acts they are not compounded of matter and forme But when a duty is compounded of matter and forme flesh and blood may doe the matter of it whatsoever it be now then as the essentiall forme is the life of the matter so the matter without it is a dead matter and the doing of it dead Well then now we see what is meant by dead the next is what is the meaning of Thou Thou art dead the word hath a double relation the one to the Minister of the Church in Sardis thou art dead thy Ministry is dead the other to the Church in Sardis it selfe thou art dead thou art a dead people First it hath relation to the Ministry thou art dead thy Ministry is dead there 's no life in it at all hence the Doctrine is this that a dead Ministry is as good as no Ministry at all for this our Saviour meanes in regard of the Angell of the Church in Sardis q. d. thy Ministry is little better then no Ministry it is stark dead well neare it is not lively at all there is little or no warmth to be had by it Like the Ministry of the Scribes that had no authority nor power at all in it Mat. 7. 29. As Luther said when he heard a cold Sermon cold cold cold sayes he this is cold Preaching here is no heat at all to be gotten as God sayes of the Ministry of Laodicia Thou art luke-warme Rom. 3. 16. that is as there was no heat in his people so there was no heat in his Ministry this is little better then no Preaching at all it is even as good as nothing First because true preaching is lively preaching when the Minister is a stirring Minister as Peter speakes I think it meet to stirre you up a Pet. 1. 13. when the Minister is earnest to save the peoples soules as the Lord sayes I earnestly protested to your Fathers Jer. 11. 7. He speakes of the Ministry of Moses and the prophets down along untill the Prophet Jeremies time they did not onely witnesse the word of God unto the people but they did it in a lively and earnest manner as Paul did I have striven to Preach the Gospell Rom. 15. 20. marke he belaboured him in the Pulpit he lay about him soundly that his Ministry might have life in it Saint Luke shewes that he had sweaty Handker-chiefes Act. 19. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Hugo sayes upon the place it seemes he swet much in preaching and so Christ compares Ministers to Harvest men that labour in Gods Harvest ye know Harvest men are hot at their worke so Ministers should be Harvest men they should be hot at their worke Thus ye see dry and dull Preaching is little better then no preaching at all it is contrary to the manner of preaching contrary to the practice of all true and right preachers Secondly a dead Ministry is called no Ministry the Scripture calls it no Ministry in effect The Scripture is the best Judge what is a true Ministry and what is not now the Scripture makes a dead Ministry and no Ministry all one the Scribes and the Pharisees ye know were partly morall men most of them as we may see by Pauls Testimony of himself and they were orthodox Ministers as our Saviour witnesses of them in the maine for our Saviour bids people heare them yet their Ministry was little better then no Ministry as the Text shewes the people that sate under their Ministry are said to be as sheep having no Shepheard Mat. 9. 36. they preacht as if they did not preach people might come to their Sermons and be neere a jot moved nay such as came with a desire to be quickned could get no quickning at all under them Matthew sayes they sate under darknesse yet for all them These are Idoll Sheepheards wo to the Idoll Shepheards Zach. 11. 17. Thirdly a dead Ministry does doe little or no good though it be never so true yet it is very unfruitfull it does not awaken any of the auditory it does not startle any of the hearers it does not rowze up mens hearts it does not grapple with the obstinate it does not pull down the proud neither does it carry life at all with it neither is it sitted to work upon the conscience you may see an example of this in the Angell of the Church of Sardic a dead Minister a dead people as he was dead himselfe so his people were dead too a lively Ministry does a great deale of good it even is the saveur of life unto life unto those that be of God or else the savour of death unto death unto those that be not of God 2 Cor. 2. 16. it ever workes one way either it makes people rage or it fats people up or else it drives people home unto God which way so ever it works it is a sweet savour unto God it glorifies God but a dead Ministry does neither it is a flat weapon and cuts not it is a blunt Sword and wounds not may be it hath the true words of God but they are not in a wise work mans hands to make them as Goads and sharp Nayles partly good points but not pointed to prick any bodies heart it is said when Paul Preacht some went away converted others went away blaspheming Act. 13. 45. 48. Fourthly a
dead Ministry God seldom goes along with it nay that 's the life of a Ministry when the Minister seekes God to goe along with him now a dead Ministry God goes not along with it a lively Ministery Christ goes along with it So I am with you to the end of the world Matth. 28. 20. if there be any of Christs sheep in the parish a lively Ministery does assuredly one time or other finde them out those that are not Christ his sheep a lively Ministry hewes them all downe slayes all their Souls ripens them apace for hell and for the pit But a dead Ministry the Lord does not goe along with that the Lord does not Crowne it Fifthly a dead Ministry prophanes the word of God it makes it seeme nothing worth it does not hold forth the glory of the Lord nay it hides it keeps it from being seen either by dwelling upon Generals and what 's that but hiding for people will confesse the word in generall they see it the generall all their blindnesse is in particulars there they slip away like Fish out of a broad Net or else by delivering it so coldly that people think it no great matter a lively Ministry holds forth it lets out God into the conscience it gives people to understand they come upon life and death it makes people looke about them it makes people consider all that ever they have done it slashes the word of God into their hearts as a light to discover all their wayes it gives them a view of their Christian estate either one way or other as it is said of Pauls Ministry The word of the Lord was glorified by it Act. 13. 48. But a dead Ministry prophanes it it vailes the glory of it it lets people sit quiet under it it diseases no sinner where as if it glorified Gods word it would either trouble them or turne them The use of this is first here we see the reason why a dead Ministry is not houted at but applauded in the world why it is as good as no Ministry at all it does not make the devill roar it lets people sleep in their sins whereas a lively Ministry can hardly come into a pulpit but presently he is halfe a martyr Briers and Thornes were with Ezechiel Ezek. 2. 6. lively Ministers cannot give the world any good content they fought against Jeremy they played the wolves against the Apostles of Jesus Iohn the Baptist was counted too sterne and austere and Luther sayes it is impossible for a man to be a true lively preacher of Gods word and not be persecuted there 's an utter antipathy between the world and such a one the world and such a Minister can no better agree together then light and darknesse such a Ministry stands in the worlds light it makes the world see their works are evill it detects it shames it opposes their sinnes that the world tumbles in as Christ sayes I have given them thy word and the world hates them because they are not of the world Joh. 17. 14 therefore there cannot be a lively Ministry any where but the world hath a sling at it but now let a man have a dead Ministry that 's let alone that may stand long enough that never comes home to men to shew them their ill estates the devils dawbers the devils upholsters that doe not pluck mens pillowes away from under their arme-holes that deale gently with men and they may do what they list for all them these are the worlds minions and applauded at all hands what a thing is this whereas a dead Ministry is the undoing of mens soules it lets men perish and never drawes them back Secondly this may serve to reprove us that are the Ministers of Jesus Christ I desire to speak to my self especially that we are no more lively in our Ministry that our Ministry hath no more edge upon it to enter into this horny thick skin age we complaine of much deadnesse now a dayes alack how if we be found guilty of it that we preach no more quickningly I confesse blessed be God we have so much lively preaching left yet among us that woe be to them that are dead and have to grace of life But O that our Ministry had more lively-hood in it that it were more exciting and provoking Is the Apostles of Christ complained of dull hearers Heb. 5. 11. how many dull hearers have we why then shall we make our soules guilty of their dulnesse the deader people be we had need to be the quicker in our Ministry or else we cannot say we are pure from their blood don't we see how many people are very neer the Children of wrath how they cannot be saved except they be justified and sanctified in Jesus Christ how few are so how hard a thing it is to awaken mens hearts nay the world and the cares of this life carry their minds quite and cleane away how scarce any almost seriously consider their latter end don 't we see how the devill tempts how the flesh and the world reigne in most and how little religion we have up and down the Saints scarce the wicked many times very bad the shortnesse of life the irrecoverable estate after death the immortality of the soule the paines of hell and the joyes of heaven and how that without holinesse no man shall see God how should we bestirre our selves to beat these truths into mens minds that they may be bethinke themselves and flee from the wrath to come The cold preaching of such weighty things cleane cozens the world so that they hardly conceive any great matter in the businesse live and dye perish for ever in their sinnes and we give them such faint warnings that no wonder so few do take any warning we found the trumpet too too low that scarce any almost prepare themselves we come into the pulpit but we doe little or no thing there may be we preach good doctrine but we doe not presse it to the quick that the conscience may feele we doe not bleed for our peoples security and though they do not heare how little does our soul weep in secret or melt in publik Bucolcerus that admirable lively preacher was wont to say that a Minister should preach flebiliter obsecratorie anxie humiliter expectore cum gemitu that is a Minister should preach mournfully over peoples soules beseechingly anxiously humbly heartily groningly as it is said of our Saviour Christ he groned for the peoples unbeliefe now when our Ministry is deadish as though we cared not much whether people doe our doctrine or no whether they be damned or no this is a lamentable thing The poore soules of our hearers may say to us as the disciples of Christ said to Christ and more justly they said it unjustly to him Master carest thou not that we perish Mark 4. 38. he was asleep and they awakened him Master carest thou not that we
life of Eloqution so I may say of preaching affections are the life of preaching now by affections I doe not meane feigned and forced affections they are no affections indeed but when a man preaches so for the matter and manner indeed affectionate matter and with a true affected heart that he may move the hearts of men as one says the world is now full of knowledge as a drunkard is full of wine that his stomack is not able to digest so I say people have more knowledge then they can well digest the stomack wants heat to concoct it for their good as Rodolphus Agricola speakes any man that hath learning may teach but to move the heart and affections it requires more a great deale This is lively preaching when a Minister sets himself to be in mens bosoms what alively preacher was the Apostle Paul you may see by his dealing with Agrippa he made the Kings heart even yearne againe with his speaking the King confest how his speaking worked within his bosom almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian Act. 26. 28. so you may see by the Galatians his preaching did not onely convert many of them but those whom he did not convert he did wonderfully work upon their hearts that they could have be contented to have pluckt out their eyes have given them to him Gal. 4. 15. such a lively preacher was he in the second of Judges that when he preacht he set all the people a melting a weeping like little children that had been beaten Judg. 2. 4. 5. I grant it may be the best and liveliest Ministers under heaven cannot do so now peoples hearts are more hardned But yet though we cannot undertake to move any one mans heart that 's the worke of God yet our Ministry may be lively First by labouring to make the things that we preach as it were lively before peoples eyes as the Apostle preached Christ crucified even as if he were crucified before his peoples eyes Gal. 3. 1. so Moses had a very lively Ministry the Text sayes he set before them life and death he laboured to preach with that evidence as if he had set before their eyes life death heaven and hell good and evill when a Minister preaches in the evidence and the demonstration of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 4. when he labours to bring the Gospell plainly to mens hearts a man may teach the Gospell but it is not preaching except he set it lively forth and labour to make people see it this is the truth and this is your sinne against that truth this is the doctrine and thus you faile in the doctrine this is the threatning of God and thus you lye under the threatning otherwise they heare a Sermon as if it did not concern them Secondly coming to particulars generals are but dead we see they leave people dead people have a hundred tricks to put them off but when a preacher comes to particulars he either quickens or slayes he convinces either to life or to death when a Minister layes the truth at every mans doore he presses it upon every mans heart he meets with many a put off he makes every conscience say I am the man except they be asleep or their minds are a wooll-gathering he darts into his hearers faces a view of their particular estates he toucheth their copy-hold he confutes their false pleas and knocks off the fingers that would be applying of a promise when it does not concern them puts it onely upon the soule to whom it does belong This is lively preaching that gives to every soule his due terror to whom teror comfort to whom comfort belongs milk to the Babe strong meat to the grown oyle to the bruised and a sword into the hard heart a whip for the Horse and a Bridle for the Asse and a rod for the fooles back Prov. 26. 3. application is the life of preaching this serves to condemne such a one this serves to confute such a one this serves to comfort such a one when a Minister does as Paul sayes divide the word aright 2 Tim. 2. 15. Thirdly by worrying of people out of their sinnes when a Minister will not let people be quiet in any of their sinfull courses when he labours daily to vex their guilty consciences and to turne them from day to day as the two witnesses did Rev. 11. 10. that they may say we cannot be quiet for this man he makes me sit upon thornes when a Minister labours to make hell to have every vile wretch and heaven and the promises to have every honest heart c. Fourthly by being pittious and affectionate towards the poore people to let them see how we pity their condition as we should doe what we can to make them feele their damned estate as also with bowels and compassion labour that they may see we doe pity them therefore preaching sometimes is called lamentation in Scripture Ezek. 19. 1. it may be people then may say what a beast am I how does our Minister pity us he mourns over us and bewayles us what a wretch am I that I doe not bewayle mine own case O beloved what a wofull thing is it that any of us should perish to be damned for ever in hell to lye in eternall paines what a pity is this is it not much better ye should embrace the good word of God and beleeve and take Jesus Christ and be willing to doe any thing he would have you to doe then to lye by it for ever in the paines of hell for the pleasures of sinne for a season alas it is for want of bowels that we doe no more good Fifthly by being deeply affected with the word of God laying nothing on peoples backs but what we lift up upon our owne shoulders speaking the truth from the bottom of our hearts uttering the word of God with feeling and with a contrite spirit O if we could drop our Sermons as dew down from heaven on our people this would be lively preaching indeed as the Prophet Ezekiel did he dropt the word of God upon Ierusalem Ezek. 21. 2. so if our Sermons did come droping downe from us as if they dropt downe from heaven O how coldly doe our Sermons come from our mouthes we doe not preach as if the word came downe from heaven as if our hearts were no higher then our pulpits Lastly by getting the Lord to goe along with our Ministry for it is not our preaching it self that hath any life no it is but a dead letter as Micha sayes I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord Mich. 3. 8. REVEL 3. 2. And art Dead THese words as ye heard have a twofold relation one to the Angell of the Church in Sardis thou art dead thy Ministry is dead there 's no life nor heat at all in thy Ministry it is no stirring Ministry thou art dead another to the Church it self thou art
a dead people a dead congregation For the first thence we had this point of Doctrine that a dead Ministry is little better then no Ministry at all By a dead Ministry I meane though the matter preached be never so sound orthodox yet when the preaching of it is dead this is a dead Ministry as a Prayer may be dead though the things prayed for be never so honest and godly now such a Ministry is little better then no Ministry there 's no warmth hardly to be had by it at all like the Ministry of the Scribes that had no power nor authority in it at all Matth. 7. 29. as Luther said when he heard one preach very cold cold cold sayes he this is cold preaching here 's no heat at all to be gotten First this is nothing like a true Ministry indeed a true Ministry indeed is lively it is a Ministry that warmes and heats it is a very earnest Ministery as when the Lord let the Jewes have a true Ministry he sayes they had a lively Ministry I earnestly protested to your Fathers Jer 11. 7. he speakes of the Ministry of Moses and the Prophets it was a very lively Ministry they preacht in good earnest to the people so Paul was earnest in his Ministry I have striven to preach the Gospell Rom. 15. 20. he belaboured him hard in the pulpit he laid about him soundly so that a dead Ministery is nothing like a true Ministery Secondly the Lord counts a dead Ministry even as if it were no Ministry at all The Scribes and the Pharisees were very morall men most of them as ye may see by Paul's Testimony of himself and they were orthodoxe Ministers for the maine as our Saviour sayes of them for he bids people heare them yet he counted their Ministry even as no Ministry at all he cals the people that sate under their Ministry people having no Shepheard Matt. 9. 36. true they had Shepheards but as the Prophet sayes of the Shepheards of Judah they were Jdoll Shepheards Zach. 11. 17. they were very Idols ye know Idols are dead Images Thirdly a dead Ministry does little or no good it is very unfruitfull it does not awaken any of the auditory it does not stir any of the hearers it does not rouze up mens hearts it does not grapple with the obstinate nor pull down the proud neither does it carry life at all with it as Ieremy sayes of many of the Priests and the Prophets of Israel they did not convert any God tels them if they had stood in his counsell they should have turned many Jer. 23. 22. But as the matter went they turned none they converted none a lively Ministry doth a great deale of good but a dead Ministry is a flat thing Fourthly a dead Ministry God seldome goes along with it nay that 's the life of ones Ministry when the Minister seekes God to goe along with him now a dead Ministry God goes not along with it a lively Ministry God gos along with that as Christ sayes Lo I am with you to the end of the world Matth. 28. 20. such a Ministry God blesses it gathers up Gods Jewels it builds up Gods Church it helps to perfect the Saints But a dead Ministry the Lord does not goe with it he does not worke with it Fifthly a dead Ministry prophanes the word it makes it seeme nothing worth it makes people thinke there is no great matter in it a lively Ministry glorisies the word it lets out God into the conscience it givs people to understand they come upon life and death it makes people looke about them it makes people heare over all that ever they have done it flashes the word of God into their hearts as a light to discover all their wayes it gives them a view of their eternall estate either one way or other it is the savour either of life unto life or of death unto death as it is said of Pauls Ministry the word of the Lord was glorified by it Act. 13. 48. But a dead Ministry prophanes hides the glory of it it lets people set quietly under it it diseases no sinner The use of this was first here we saw a reason why a dead Ministry is not houted at but applauded in the world Why it is as good as no Ministry at all it does not make the devill roar it lets people sleep in their sins such Ministers are dawbers they are the divels upholsters they doe not pluck away mens pillowes from under their arme-holes people may doe what they list for all them The world will let such alone they may sleep long enough whereas a livelie Minister can heardly come into the pulpit but presently he is halfe a Martyr as the Lord said to Ezekiel Briers and thornes are with thee Ezek. 2. 6. The world fought against Ieremy they played the wolves against the Apostles of Jesus Christ Lively Ministers cannot give the world any good content there 's an antpathy between the world and such they cannot more agree then light and darknesse such a Minister stands in the worlds light he makes the world see their works are evill he detects shams and opposes the sins that the world wallows in such a Ministry is a dissering Ministry it makes a division among men There cannot be a lively Ministery any where but the world hath a sting at it But a dead Ministry may goe Scot-free it does not torment them that dwell upon the earth Secondly this may serve to reprove our selves that are no more lively in our Ministry That our Ministry hath no more edge upon it to enter into this horny thick-skin age we complaine of much deadnesse now a dayes alas how if we be found guilty of it in that we preach no more quickeningly if the Apostles of Christ complained of dull hearers Heb. 5. 11. O how many dull hearers have we The Lord awaken our hearts The deader people be we had need to be the quicker in our Ministry or else we cannot say we are pure from their blood Don't we see the damned estate that our people are in by nature the carelesnesse of getting to be delivered out the necessity of faith of repetance of holinesse the danger of sinne the multitudes of them that perish and the fewnesse of them that strive to enter in at the straight gate the deceitfulnesse of the heart how the world and the cares of this life carry almost all eleane away the badnesse of the times the shortnesse of this life the irrecoverable estate after death the immortalitie of the soule the paines of hell the joyes of heaven O how should we bestirre our selves to beat these truthes into mens hearts that they may bethink them and flye from the wrath come The cold preaching of such weighty things quite cozens the world we give them such faint warnings that it 's no wonder that so few doe take any warning we sound the Trumpet
and therefore it awakens the soule to be earnest to please him in all things for the time to come the soule was dead and carelesse and drowzie and neglectfull of obedience goodnesse holinesse humility purenesse strictnesse precisenesse of walking it cared not for these things afore but when true repentance comes in it wheeles about the life of the soule towards God now the cares shall be to him now the endeavours make after him paines labours cautious watchfulnesse considerativenesse studious striveings and all 's active that way now so that if a man be still dead his repentance is false Againe to goe over all the duties of religion they all must be done with life to doe them with a dead heart is as good as not to doe them at all First prayer suppose we pray at Church and pray in our families and pray in our closets is this all to pray with a dead heart as if we cared not whether we sped or no no pullings of our heart downe before God no wrastlings with God for what we aske no liftings of our soules up no fastnings of our minds upon his presence no cryes no mournings no importunity but the heart as lumpish and unweldy as a stone is this praying no sayes David quicken us O Lord that we may call upon thy name Psal 80. 18. Secondly for hearing of the word It is not thy hearing of it so many times a weeke though thou must heare it as often as ever thou canst and those that will not no hearing as frequently as they may are high despisers of God his Ordinances but yet if thou hearest the word with a dead heart thy hearing is made as no hearing it is said of those primitive converts that they were pricked in their hearts as they were hearing Act. 2. 37. they onely got good by their hearing they heard the word with life so it is said of many of Christs hearers they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they laye upon him they preased upon him Luk. 5. 1. in another place it is said that they hung upon him they were attentive and eager to him our Saviour Christ says it is a very great judgement to be dull of hearing Matth. 13. 15. when people set as if the word did not concerne them when they heare without any motion or affection the word hardly joggeth their hearts it hardly shaketh their conscience at all the word does neither delight them nor wound them nor pierce them it heales none of their sinnes it cannot get betweene them and their lusts when they have heard a Sermon they goe away just as they came they sinde nothing now to doe it does not dragge them one jot more out of the world nor an inch neerer heaven their carriage is much at one as it was when they come home it cannot be perceived that ever they were at the word as earthly as ever as carnall as ever as backward to all goodnesse as ever this is no hearing at all Thirdly for sanctifying of the Lords day it is said of the Sabboth that we should call it our delight Isa 58. 13. that is we should keep it with life it should even quicken up our hearts to think it is coming we should be revived to consider Gods goodnesse that he would give us such a day seeing we have so much need of it when we have been six dayes about our owne businesse in the world that we should have a seventh given us of God lest we should be over head and ears in the world to take off our hearts now when this is no delight to us our hearts are dead to it we doe not sanctifie it indeed but prophane it as though it were not honorable and the house of the Lord. Fourthly for taking hold of an opportunity to doe good this is a duty too to be done with all life how glad should we be if there be any opportunity for us to shew our love to God or our hatred to sin we should be willing to ride or goe or be at charges nay we should deny our selves and lay downe our gaines and credits and goods and friends and all that we have at Christs Foot and blesse God that gives us such a price in our hands but now we have a dead heart to this what a horrible thing is this though we doe take the opportunity yet to goe about it as though we were sorry that God hath given it unto us this is meere folly as Solomon sayes Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a Foole to get wisedome seeing he hath no heart to it Proverbs 17. 16. Fifthly In one word for all the wayes of God there 's neere a one of them all that can be walkt in aright without a live heart as the Prophet sayes Lord turne away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken me in thy way Psal 119. 37. now when we goe dreamingly on as though we could not doe withall though the way be God's yet our going in it is stark naught and little better then not going in it at all and therefore the Lord accepts not of it when we humble our selves before God to hang downe our â—eads â—ike a bull-rush it 's naught it 's naugh the Lord cannot away with it when we conferre about the word or any gracious and Godly theme to speake as if we had no saveur of it no pleasure in it when our hearts would rather be on another subject and never lin till they have wound all good talke out if we speake one word to edification there shall be twenty to that one that shall serve to no other end but to the hardening of one another when Christ and the two disciples were communing together their hearts burned in them did not our hearts burne within us while he talked with us by the way Luk. 24. 32. that was talking with life But when our hearts are as cold as a flint this we may call talking but holy conference it cannot be termed Thus ye see a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all no grace is without life no duty can be done without life the reasons of this are First because this is all one as to have no grace at all though a man be a member of the congregation of the Lord though he have the seales of the covenant and professe the faith of Jesus and be as morall in his life as ever any of the heathen and as full of good duties as ever any hypocrite was and more too yet if he have not life yet he is but a tinckling cymball he hath no grace at all I meane no saving grace at all saving grace the Apostle cals it the grace of life 1 Pet. 3. 7. It is the grace of life it breeds life in him that hath it it makes him alive towards God it lets out the life of his heart in every good word and worke it makes him pray with life
heare with life use the ordinances in publike and private with life the naturall life that is in the soule it turnes it to God it turnes the man about as a ship is turned on the Sea that sayled before towards North now it sayles towards South So when grace comes into the soule ye know the man had life afore but it sayled towards the world and the things of the world but when grace does come in it makes it row and sayle and steere towards God so that when a Christian is dead he is as no Christian at all Secondly a dead Christian hath not Christ dwelling in his heart by faith he is no Christian indeed that hath not Jesus Christ dwelling in him by a truly and a lively faith It is the indwelling of Christ that makes one a true Christian now when Christ does dwell in any man Christ is a quickening spirit as the Apostle speakes the second Adam was made a quickening spirit 1 Cor. 15. 45. that is Christ he is the second Adam he is a quickening spirit where ever he dwels he quickens all the soule He makes it dead to that which by nature it was alive to and alive to that which by nature it was dead to he inclines the soule unto God he infuses a principle into it to shine with life towards God he does more and more hale the strength of the soule towards him though he doe not doe it at all once yet he does it more and more now when a man is still dead to God and all goodnesse he hath not Christ dwelling in him by a lively faith for if he were in once though the soule may complaine still of deadnesse as commonly those that are alive complain most of deadnesse yet it hath a supernaturall quickening and it shall have more and more Thirdly a dead Christian was never yet soundly wrought upon by the word the word of Christ is a word of life and it quickens where it doe effectually work and therefore though such a one have heard a 1000 thousand Sermons he never fed upon them in all his life as Christ sayes If any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever Joh. 6. 51. it is better then ordinary bread ordinary bread indeed if a man have a naturall life it will feed it and preserve it But if a man be dead it will not revive him But the word of God is such a bread that as it feeds a spirituall life in them that have it so it is able through the eternall spirit to quicken the dead it is able through God to put life into men that never had any and it does so to all that are of God sooner or latter now when a man is dead it 's a plaine signe that the word hath not yet wrought upon that man it may be it hath shaken him many a time yea but if he be yet dead it never wrought upon him soundly the oracles of God are lively oracles as Steven cals them Acts. 7. 38. they make their hearts lively that they come to worke soundly on though they were never so dead to God and good things afore yet now they waxe lively they make their hearts to receive a divine strength that now they waxe able in some measure to live towards God to hunger and thirst after God to delight in the seeking of him be their lusts never so mighty now they can compose themselves to oppose them and to swimme against the streame now they can pray and they cannot abide to have blockish hearts in that nor in any other duty they have a life that resists that same deadnesse that dwelleth in them So then this is another reason that a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all the word hath never wrought soundly on that Man The use of this is first if the dead Christians in Sardis be as good as nothing what are the riff-raffe in the Towne that are not so much as Christians in name if a dead Christian be rejected of God what 's a dead drunkard a dead whormonger a dead prophanling if one that walkes in good courses be refused because he is dead in them then what shall become of them that will not follow good courses at all if such that are Saints to them cannot be saved where shall they appeare it is said that Christ loved the goodly fine carriaged young man Mark 10. 17. Christ is never said to love a drunkard a prophane wretch no he regards one that carries himself in a sayre civill honest way more then all the world besides except onely his own children and therefore if he counts meer civill men stark naught how much more does he thee that art a very beast compared with them thou art so vile that we that are men doe know thou art in a fearefull estate nay the Lord pronounes a woe upon them that dare speake well of thee these sinnes are to be punished by the Iudges if thou hast lived in Israel thou shouldst have been put to death a drunken Son should have been stoned an adulterer a fornicator should be burnt a blasphemer should be brained to death Thy sinnes are so palpable that pillaries and stockes and prisons and gallowes should be thy fare if thou wert well served Thou art not onely dead for the manner of thy life but for the matter too not onely the Saints doe abhorre thee but all that have any civility in them doe loath thy filthy doings and would not doe as thou doest no no for a world as Solomon sayes such as thou art are not onely dead but in the depth of hell Pro. 9. 18. There be many though they be not right yet they are so much reformed that the Saints of God cannot say but that they may be good Christians But thou art so foule that he that hath but one eye may see the devill leads thee there be some that a man may be to blame for judging them wicked but he that judges thee other wise hates his own soule poor creature does thy foolish heart promise thee hopes to finde mercy alas the devill does but lead thee in a string he knowes well enough though he will not let thee see it there is no mercy for them that goe on still in their wickednesse Thou hast not so much as a name that thou livest how dead then art thou Thou art dead and rotten and stinkest not onely in the nostrils of God but of all that have any common grace in them Others may be in a damned condition for all their profession but to be sure thou art in a damned condition there 's nothing between thee and hell but onely the poore thread of thy life How canst thou keep out of hell that canst hardly keep out of the Ale-house O heare this ye that have not so much as any face of Religion See the word of the Lord and thinke upon it for your good if ye have any
is deep in the heart so if thou beest alive towards God God is in the deep of thy heart the word is deepe in thy heart nor like the salt water in the Sea onely on the Top. Ye know what became of the Seed that wanted depth of the earth Matth. 13. 5. so it is with the heart when the word does not get into the depth of it it never quickens in it The heart may be so farre towards goodnesse as to bring a man to good duties a dayes it may bring one to Sermon or to Prayer to others of the Ordinances of God and other good courses but what 's all this as long as it is dead the life lies in the bottome of the heart look what the bottome of the heart stands unto that 's a man alive unto then thou art alive towards God when the bottom of thy heart is unto him when thou labourest to obey him from the bottome of thy heart when thou callest upon him from the bottome of thy heart like Sugar at the bottome of the Cup stirre up the bottome the best is at bottome so thou must stirre up the bottome of thy heart the heart is a deep thing Psal 64. 6. though religion be on the top yet if the world be in the deepe thy heart is dead towards God as it is with a puddle it may be cleare at the top faire water at the top but there 's nothing but mudde at the bottome Secondly there be flitting Acts of the heart be they never so deep in the heart yet if they doe not stay there the heart is dead still Solomon sayes of his Father he said unto me let thy heart retaine my words keep my Commandements and live Prov. 4. 4. though the word does stirre neere so much for the present this is not life except thou retaine it and hold it fast a man may have many flashes of life in him but as long as the heart does not keep them it remaines dead they that seeke the Lord the heart shall live Psal 22. 26. that is when it is not a flash but it is an Act that abides by a man the heart is stedfastly set towards God now his heart lives now when people are moved onely by fits they are humbled by fits and startled by fits their righteousnesse is like a morning dew ye know there the dew is every morning but all the day it is gone may be when morning comes there it is againe but all the day it is gone It is true there may be horrible offs and on s in the Children of God to the confounding of their faces before God But I doe not speake to discourage them But let us take heed we may have admirable flashes of life fits of humblings fits of enlargements fits of selfe-denyall sits of great eagernesse after God the heart may be towards God for a sit a false heart as the Land of Israel their heart was firmely towards him for a sit they remembred that God was their rock and that the high God was their redeemer but their heart was not right with him they were not stedfast in his Covenant Psal 78. 37. mark it was but a fit like Esays crying for a fit This is a poore argument of life then no no the flitting acts of the heart may be no acts of life Thirdly there be wouldings and wishings in the heart and these cozen the world more then any other these they thinke verily are effects of true life First because these are not in the outside of the heart but lye or at least seeme to lye very deepe in the heart it is very certaine that many naturall men would give the whole world if they had it as they doe verily conceive that they had true grace that they were Saints that they could leave their sinnes that they were in a childe of Gods case they deeply wish it it is a profound would in their hearts and therefore now when they see such yearnings in their hearts they doe verily apprehend this is life certainly Hence it is that they will say they would from the bottome of their hearts serve God they have nere a lust but they would full faine have God deliver them from that indeed they confesse in their consciences if they might have a 1000 worlds they cannot give it over I but they would faine they could and thus they deceive themselves because this act seemes to be from the depth of their heart this fancy you may see to be in mens hearts out of Mich. 6. 6. 7. where ye see though they could not finde in their hearts to walke humbly before God to live justly and righteously yet they would give thousands they could O say they what would not we give for the sin of our soules no question but they thought they were alive but God told them they were not Secondly another reason why they thinke this is a token of life is because this is no flitting act neither But they have these wouldings every day nay you can never come to them but still they have these they would doe well nay they would doe as well as the best thus they hope they have a fountaine of living water in them that springeth up daily thus it was with them in the Prophets they seeke me daily sayes God Isa 58. 2. they thought it was their every dayes work to serve God and where they did faile they thought they could say they would doe better they sought the Lord daily Thirdly because they finde that this is attributed to the Saints as the Apostle sayes ye cannot doe the things that ye would Gal. 5. 17. nay the Apostle Paul himselfe speakes it of himselfe the good that I would doe that doe I not and the evill which I would not doe that doe I Rom. 7. 19. So that thus they argue now when they finde this same woulding in their hearts and cannot doe as they would O say they I may say with the Apostle the good which I would doe that doe I not I cannot doe as I would Thus they hoodwinke their owne soules It is very true these be the Saints groanes and a part of their sighing towards God that they cannot doe as they would this makes them a burthen to themselves and so againe when they finde themselves disturbed and limited and straightened by their flesh this is a comfort to their soules and an argument of Gods infinite goodnesse unto them that they can unfeignedly say they would doe better they doe please him in some measure through his grace and they would please him better they doe some good by his heavenly spirit and they would doe more they doe resist every sinne and they would resist it more This is very true But yet how many a thousands lul themselves asleep in security by the fancy of this thing The heart may put forth daily wouldings and be as dead as a carcasse to all the workes of
may urge one to good things and no question but many of you that are yet in your sinnes have found this to be true how often have your consciences urged you to give over your sinnes to looke after the getting of Christ to lead a godly life how many heaves have your consciences given at you to hoyse you up out of the state ye wallow in to make you more earnest for heaven more strict in your walking to provide for your latter end when ye are at Prayer how often does it urge you to dwell longer at it As it is said of Doeg he was detained before the Lord 1 Sam. 21. 7. he was held there he would have gone away afore but he was held now what should that be but his conscience his conscience urged him to stay long so your consciences urge you to be more attentive in hearing more mindfull of preaching more humble in your mindes lesse worldly more heavenly you may thinke this is a lively conscience no no it is not the truth is the more your consciences doe urge you a dayes the greater is your sin if ye yeeld not But this is so farre from life that it argues you to be the more dead if ye doe not obey and urging conscience is a great blessing I if men have eyes to see what the Lord does for them to deliver their soules from the pit This is the taking of men by the shoulders now if thou pull away thy shoulder They refused to hearken and pull'd away their shoulder Zach. 7. 11. that is the Lord set conscience upon them and urged them to obey as if a man should take another by the shoulder so dragge him and hale him and yet they would not So when Paul spake to Agrippa he felt an urging in his conscience O let me be a Christian and he confest as much two Paul almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian it was almost done he had a great heave he was urged But it would not doe so that this is no argument of life neither Fifthly conscience somewhat awakened may be very eager in urging it may be very importunate every day digging in his sides every day whispering in his bosome O thinke of God O consider thy soule O remember death conscience may be earnest and wonderfull eager with a man O doe not live as thou doest O be not so carelesse of God what wilt thou dye and be damned wilt thou to hell wilt thou never have done away with thy sinnefull courses away with thy dreamings O be stirre thy selfe or thou wilt perish such a conscience had Pilat about Christ it was eager with him not to condemne him This conscience is an admirable blessing woe be to those that stand out against it it is like Iacob with the Angell He would not let the Angell goe till he blest him Gen. 32. 26. like the man that was importunate with his friend and knockt and knockt and would have no nay Luk. 11. 8. I am in bed never tell me of your being in bed I pray let me have three loaves my children are in bed I pray trouble me not that is all one still he knocks he will have him up so when conscience is thus awakened and is importunate and will not be answered c. many a wretch hath such an impudent conscience as this But this is so farre from an argument of life as that it is a signe of a greater death Sixthly conscience somewhat awakened may prevaile very farre by its eagernesse it made the King of Iury doe many things it made the Heathens doe the things contained in the Law Rom. 2. 14 15. when the Pharisees came to tempt Christ with the woman taken in adultery conscience made them cease and goe out one by one Joh. 8. 9. it made Paul live so unblameably as he did ye know concerning the righteousnesse that is in the Law he was blamelesse Phil. 3. 6. now if ye looke into the 23. of the Acts and the first you shall see it was his conscience that made him doe so men and Brethren I have lived in all good conscience before God to this day as since his conversion his sanctified conscience made him live godlily in Christ so before his conversion his naturall conscience holpen by good education made him live unblameably so that what with one and with the other he could say he had lived in a good conscience to that day that is either morally good or spiritually good And therefore it was conscience that made him doe all that he did people thinke I indeed if they did good duties for outward by respects then they should thinke they were unsound but conscience sets them a worke and therefore they gather they are sound and alive towards God no beloved conscience may make a carnall man goe against all outward by-respects and doe very good dutie this we see in Balaam he went against all outward selfe respects and followed conscience for a house full of Silver and Gold he would not goe beyond the word of the Lord to doe lesse or more Num. 22. 18. so Iudas went against his credit and his profit and all ye know when his conscience told him the money was unjustly taken he went and threw it downe so did Michah the man was an Idolater and had stollen 1100 Peeces of Silver from his Master yet when he heard his mother curse he restored all againe O thought he what shall I heare my mother curse his conscience rose up against that and made him make restitution why doe carnall men pray in secret no question but it is conscience that makes them may be when they are tempted to a sinne in secret they will not doe it and it is the conscience that with holds them in this sense they doe good duties out of conscience now is this Conscience alive no it does not follow ye see this may be in naturall men and women Seventhly conscience somewhat awakened may make one looke at God so farre as it prevailes you may see this in Laban the man was a wicked man yet he lookt at God in not hurting of Jacob though it were in the choyse of his hand yet he would not hurt Jacob and he lookt at God in the thing O sayes his conscience the God of your Father spake to me yesternight Gen. 31. 29. he abstained from hurting of Iacob and he lookt at God in the abstaining from it Because God had forbidden him therefore he will not hurt him so it was with King Cyrus he was a naturall man too yet when he tooke order for the building of the Temple at Ierusalem his conscience made him look at God in the thing O sayes he the Lord God of Heaven and earth hath charged me to build him a house Ezek. 1. 2. so when Jehu destroyed Ahabs house and Baals Priests he himselfe sayes how he lookt at God in the thing come see how zealous I am for
the Lord of Hoasts so when the Philistines sent home the Arke of the Lord they would send it home honourably with a very rich present and the Text sayes how they lookt at Gods glory in the thing O say they let us give glory to the Lord God of Israel 1 Sam. 6. 5. Thus you see how the world are deceived about the life of the conscience when people have these operations of conscience within them they thinke their conscience is alive and good towards God Now that these cannot be the life of conscience I prove it First because all may be in naturall men as ye have heard in Laban in Pharaoh in Balaam in Micah in Saul in Darius in Iudas which were dead in trespasses and sins what life can be in a dead man it is very true the conscience is least dead of all the powers of the soule the Pelagians say the will is a pure virgin that 's as false aâ— the devill is false if any faculty be a pure virgin it 's the conscience all the religion that is left in a naturall man God hath planted there there 's the effect of the Law there Rom. 2. 15. The whole nature of man is like a Countrey taken by the Enemy except one little Fort may be that 's batter'd too but it is not quite taken so is the conscience after the whole man is quite vanquish't by sinne except onely that and that 's batter'd too in a wofull manner But it is not quite taken the Lord will ever keepe a part in that to have the man at controll when he pleases and as farre as he pleases But yet it is so farre taken too that there is no spirituall life left at all in it man is dead in trespasses and sinnes and so is the conscience too Secondly the conscience notwithstanding all these may be deader then ever it was I confesse these are flashes of life that God sparkles into mens consciences but they use to goe out againe and leave the conscience as dead and deader then ever before they came we see it in Pharaoh that hardened his heart worse afterwards Exod. 9. 34. so did Balaam though his conscience were so quick for a spurt yet within a while he could goe and lay a stumbling block before the Children of Israel to make them sinne Rev. 2. 14. and we see it to this very day many smitten in conscience for a time afterwards their smitings cease and they grow more stiffe then ever they were like water that hath beene heated it freezes afterwards the more Thirdly the conscience notwithstanding all these is soon pleased though it seeme to be eager and earnest and zealous for God yet any little thing will content it if it were alive nothing would content it but meerely indeed the favour of God the Image of God sincere conforming to God But this conscience is soone pleased againe it is but angry a while if but halfe the Lords due be brought in this conscience is satisfied Like the unjust Steward that set downe 50 for a 100 Luk. 16. 6. When the man goes on praying and doing good duties may be the conscience is whist though it be but a forme when he hath reformed a little conscience thinkes it hath enough we may see this in Balaam when he had found that worke of conscience that he could deny Balac's house full of Silver and Gold to stand for God presently he concluded that God was his God if Balac would give me his house full of Silver and Gold I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord my God Num. 22. 18. Like the wretched Jewes they brought God the blinde and the lame and the torne and the sick and then they thought much that they should be called despisers of God Mal. 1. 6 7 8. Saul was commanded to destroy all the Amalekites now though he spared some his conscience was content I have done the will of the Lord sayes he such a conscience as this is soone pleased like little Children it cryes it takes on it sets up its Pipes but a little thing stills it may be a Rattle or an Apple or a Brasse Counter so my brethren though a mans conscience be thus as ye have heard yet it is a very childe it will be soone stilled let him but bestirre himselfe a little towards God and goe on in a pretty handsome way this conscience will quickly say it 's well Fourthly the conscience that hath but these stirrings is so farre from being alive that many times it will be a help unto ones lusts which if it were a live it could not be But thus it is though when these works are reall it will serve to help a mans lusts when a mans lusts would faigne have some thing or other don then steps in thy conscience and will help the lame dogge over the stile as we say Herod had a lust to make away Iohn the Baptist O but he 's a good man sayes his conscience and thou must not cut off his head Mark 6. 20. O but he was urged now to doe it by Herodius her daughter and he had sworne to grant her hearts request now see how his conscience helpt him to doe it Thou hast sworne an Oath and thou must make conscience of that therefore cut off his head So it was with the Iewes when they have a lust to crucifie Christ their conscience found out a trick for it we have a Law say they and by our Law he should dye because he mado himself the Sonne of God Iohn 19. 7. mark they made it a matter of conscience what they murder Christ they put him to death unjustly no God forbid we have a Law and are bound in conscience to keepe it so when a man hath a lust as to weare long haire by and by he makes it a matter of conscience to weare it forsooth his head will ake and he is bound in conscience to have a care of that so if a man have a lust of covetousnesse and not to give where is need forsooth his conscience findes a place in the Apostle to help it He is worse then an Infidell that provides not for his owne and so he will make conscience of that so when a man hath wronged him he hath a lust of revenge anon he findes out a trick O it may tend to the dishonour of the Gospell if he put it up the matter is not so But he is willing to thinke so and he will make conscience of that is he revengefull now no God forbid It was a disgrace to religion and he did it out of conscience of that Thus men will have what lust they please they can finde some Text or other which they wrest to make conscience of that O how common is this Fifthly this conscience is not all it cals out onely some particular sinnes to be violent against and lets alone others may be as bad like Ahabs for the Vineyard and
have you remember it because your warning is past this is a duty ye have been told in times past therefore looke ye remember it So Solomon sayes Remember thy creatour in the dayes of thy youth Psal 12. 1. That is though thy creatour be not past yet thy creation is past and thou art not so yong but thou hast been told of thy duty in this thing in times past O therefore remember that nay thus a man may remember that which is yet to come as for example the day of his death that he must dye and come to Judgement for though the thing be yet to come yet he hath had warnings of it in times past as Ieremy sayes of Ierusalem her filthinesse is in her skirts she remembred not her last end therefore she came downe wonderfully Lam. 1. 2. the Lord finds fault with her that she did not remember her time to come The reason is because she was told of it aforehand in times past Now for the second thing that this is a great blessing beloved it is a great blessing of God that we have such a faculty in us as to remember it was a naughty speech of Charoone that an excellent memory is needfull for three sorts of men First for great Trades-men for they having many businesses to do many reckonings many Irons in the fire had need of a good memory Secondly great talkers for they being full of words had need to have a good Store-house in their heads to feed their tongues Thirdly for Lyars oportet mendaeem esse memorem for they telling many untruths had need of a good memory to be able to remember what untruths they have told lest afterward they be taken in their lying contradicting themselves I say this a prophane speech as though a good memory were of no other use then for engrossers of affaires and talkative fellowes and forging companions whereas memory is a great blessing of God and the more we have of it the more advantage we have unto our owne eternall good if we have a heart First it is a great blessing that what we once knew we may alwayes know now this may be by memory were it not for this we should be Ignorant againe as fast as we learne whence is it that ye still know how to read but because ye remember your letters and spelling whence is it that ye still know your Trades and your callings which ye were taught so long agoe but ye remember how ye were taught Ye once knew the grounds of religion may be ye were taught heretofore if ye know them still it is because ye remember them were it not for memory we should be as much to seek as if we had never learnt ought as Iude sayes I will put them in remembrance though ye once knew this Jude 5. that is as ye once knew it so I desire that ye may know it still that it may stick by you that you may make it your own what a mercy is this we cannot undertake to have alwayes the meanes of knowledge we may want preaching God knowes how soone now if we have memory to lay up some knowledge we may have the benefit of it how ever things goe may be God gave us a warning to take heed of such and such sinnes now if we have a good memory this warning may be still present with us we have had such motions such convictions such sights of sinne such stirrings such manifestations of God to us what a mercy is it that God hath given us such a thing as memory is as we had them once so we may have them still if we remember them Secondly memory is a great blessing to bring our knowledge to act upon all occasions How many thousand truths doe we know that we doe not neither can we actually thinke of now when we have use of those truths it is a great mercy that the Lord hath framed a memory in us where we may have them upon all such occasions e. g. we know we should be patient may be we doe not thinke of this duty for a day together but now when we have use of it then we may remember it So for meeknesse we know it and for forgiving of wrongs to resist temptations to deny our selves to shunne the occasions of evill we know all these things but our knowledge cannot alwayes be in act now when we have use of these truthes what a mercy is it that we have such a thing as memory is to remember them afresh did David actually think of Gods gracious judgements alwayes no but when he had use of them when he was at a dead lift then memory brought him to minde I remembred thy judgements O Lord and comforted myselfe Psal 119. 52. may be Peter had no occasion actually to thinke of those words of Christ that Iohn indeed Baptized with water but ye shall be Baptized with the holy Ghost but having a memory that gave him the use of those words in due time then I remembred the word of the Lord sayes he Act. 11. 16. may be this truth is not thought of a 12. moneth together that ones enemies may be they of our owne houshold now perhaps all on a suddain we have use of this truth then we remember it now is not this a great mercy that God hath given us such a thing that we may put up his truths as a man does his memory in his purse to take it out when occasion is Thirdly it is a great blessing to have God alwayes with one this memory is such a faculty that if a man have a heart he may have God alwayes with him and heaven with him ye know that most men are without God in the world what is the reason of it but because they will not remember him how many doe know God very much as the Heathens did they knew him to be eternall to be Almighty to be every where to be holy and just they knew him but they did not like to retaine him in their knowledge Rom. 1. 28. that is they let him goe away from them they would not keep him in remembrance as Nebuchadezer sayes of his dreame when he had forgotten his dreame it is gone away from me sayes he Dan. 2. 5. so people forget God they let God goe away from them now beloved this makes us without excuse when God hath given us a memory we might have God alwayes with us if we had a heart we need not let him goe away The memory is a deep vault in the soule where it may hide what it hath a mind too that nor men nor devils can take it away from us as the Israelites hid their corne from the Midianites so we may hide what ever our heart hath a likeing unto in our memories that we may have it always with us if we will as it is said of the good Merchant when he had found the rich Treasure he hid it Matth.
him like a man in his wooing he is troubled to remember ought now when a man hath cleared up his Estate it 's strange to see how cleare he is in his Prayers how cleare in his conscience cleare in his apprehensions where as another man knows not where he is so that if we would remember God in all our wayes let us labour to cleare up our estates this will help us to remember him a thousand times better then ever we did before then we shall see his promises distinctly and every thing distinctly Fourthly a delight in good wayes this is a very admirable help of memory what 's the reason we are apt to forget any thing but because we do not regard it the more the mind regards any thing the more it remembers it as the Prophet sayes I will delight my selfe in thy Statutes I will not forget thy word Psal 119. 16. And so for hope too Ps 78. 7. Fifthly meditation is another cause of this remembring of God meditationes salvant memoriam sayes Aristotle the more a man thinkes of a thing it is the deeper in his minde when the good man had said he would remember Gods workes Psal 77. 11. O sayes he I will meditate of them verse 12. Sixthly the rubbing up of our memories The memory is a very lazie faculty if it be not every foot rubbed up it will be forgetfull therefore we should rub up our minds if we see them ready to let his word slip we must call it back againe as the Lord sayes remember this and shew your selves men bring it to mind O ye transgressors I sa 46. 8. our memories are naturally exceeding slippery they are apt to leake out that which is good and therefore we should take paines with our mindes as the Apostle speakes therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that we have heard least at any time we let them slip Heb. 2. 1. Seventhly and lastly which is the maine of all and that is the holy Ghost But the comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you John 14. 26. FINIS Some trāslate it so too Which have received the law by the disposition of Angels and have not kept it Acts 7. 53. And so 1 Cor 11. 10. Because of the Angels Observ 1. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Matth. 13. 3. 8. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Use 4. Use 5. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 5 6. 8 1. 2. 3. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Arist Metaph l. 1. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 4. Use 5. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 2. Use 3. Use 4. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 4. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 4. Use 5. Use 6. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 4. Use 5. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 4. Use 5. Use 6. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 4. Use 5. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Doct. 1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 1. 2 3 4 5 Jeremy hath a very excellent saying let 11. 20. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. 4. Doct. 2. 1. 2 3 4. 5. Vse 1. Vse 2. 1 2 3. 4. 5. 6. 7 1. 2. 3 4 5 Use 1. 2 3 4. Reas 1. 2 3 4 4. Use 1. Vse 2. 1 2 3. 4 Doct. 1. Reas 1. 2 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine 3 4. 5 6. 1 2 7 8. Vse 1. Use 2. 1. 2. Use 3. Dect 2 3. 4. 5. Vse 1. Use 2. Use 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5 6 Vse 4. 1. 2. 3. 4 5 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Vse 1. Use 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. 2. 3. 4 5 6 7. 1. 2. 3. 4 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1 3 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. Vse 1. 1. 2. 1. 2 3. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4 5. 6 7 Vse 1. 2. 1. 2 3. 4 3. 6 7 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 2 3. 4 1. 2. 3. 4 5. 6. 1. 2 3. 4. 5. 6. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. 1. 2 3 4 1. 2 3. 4. 5 1. 2 3. 1. 3 1. 2 1 2 3 4 5. 1. 2 3. 4 5 6. 7 8. 5. 1. 2 3 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5. 6. 7 1. 2. 3 4 5 6. 7 1 2 3. 4 5 1. 2 3 4 1 2. 3. 4 2 3 1. 2 3. 4 1 2 3 4 2. 1 2 3. 4 2 3. 2 3 1. 2 1 2 3 4 5 Use 1. 4 1. 2 2 3. 4. 2 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 1. 2 1 2 3. Vse 1. 2 3 4 2 1. 2 3. 4. 5 6. 7
people that would not bee satisfied with what teaching they had in their own Synagogues Now I say if every Parish had its severall shining Starre this would not bee Fourthly When some Parishes have their Starres and many have not This casts in a bone of discord between Ministers for they that are idle and vain and scandalous will envy them that spend themselves in giving light Again the people of such Parishes have many times occasion of conversing together and falling into one anothers company Now how will this harden one anothers hearts when people shall say Gods blessing on our Ministers heart hee does not meddle or make with us wee may doe what wee will for all him who would dwell in such a Parish as yours is wee hear hee keeps a horrible stirre with you hee will not let you alone you cannot bee merry now and then but you are sure to heare of it hee is so strict forsooth and so precise you must have preaching forenoon and afternoon and there is such adoe to get precise Constables that you cannot bee quiet What a wofull thing is this how does this harden the Countries hearts The Use of this is first this shews what a miserable thing it is when a Land is darkened that hath but a few starres May bee here one and there one but most places are in darknesse and have none Beloved this is a sign of the wrath of God God is wroth with such a Land and powres his wrath upon such a people as the Prophet sayes Through the wrath of the Lord of Hoasts is the Land darkned Esa 9. 19. Again secondly you that have your stars shining among you how are you to blesse God when there are so many places in the world that have none Suppose the Harvest should bee comming and the earth hath great need of rain to plump up the eares the Corn is quite spoyled for want of rain if it doe not rain Alas our Corn will bee burnt up and prove little worth Now if God should rain upon your fields and not upon your Neighbours Your Closes and Leizes have raine but on the other side of the hedge there is none What a speciall mercy is this unto you As God sayes I have caused it to rain upon one City and caused it not to rain upon another one piece was rained upon and the piece whereupon it rained not withered Amos 4. 7. is not this a great mercy to the owner of that ground where the rain falls and does not fall else-where so my Brethren you that have the spirituall rain in your particular parishes what a mercy of God is it unto you when so many Parishes have not one drop of it Again thirdly let us take heed lest those few starres that yet bee set upon us and so wee bee all in darknesse wee have a little rain yet here and there some O let us repent and be more forward to bring forth more fruit if wee continue to provoke God with our unfruitfulnesse as wee doe that little shall be taken away from you When Gods Vineyard in Judah became barren and brought forth no grapes but wild ones What sayes God I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it Esa 5. 6. q. d. I will take away all the rainy clouds yee shall have clouds still but they shall be clouds without rain starres without light and heat Ministers that shall doe you no good this is a fearfull case and yet God will bring it upon us for a certain if wee doe not take heed There be six signs of all the starres vanishing away that God will take away those few starres those few godly Ministers away that are left First when people will not walk in the light while they have the light As our Saviour Christ sayes Yet a little while is the light with you walk while yee have the light lest darknesse come upon you Joh. 12. 35. q. d. yee have the light a little while the Lord lets you have it hee lets it stay with you a little while longer but if ye will not walk in the light the light shall bee gone and yee shall bee in darknesse this is an evident signe that the light will surely away from us what a deale of light is yet held before our faces and scarce any have a heart to walk in it When servants are idle and will not mend their cloathes in the day time at spare houres why should the Master allow them any candle so we have a day among us and people will not bestirre themselves they goe all rent and tottered in their garments they care not for doing of their businesse therefore the Lord will allow them no candle he will put out all the lights Secondly when people grow deader and deader when they forsake their first love they were once more earnest for heaven more tender in Conscience more eager for good things more lively in Prayer more zealous in holy duties but now they abate and slacken they are told of it and yet they doe not amend when it is once come to this passe the Lord will remove the faithfull Ministery of his Word To what end should he let it stay any longer as Christ sayes to Hphesus Remember from whence thou art falne and repent and doe the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candle-stick out of its place except thou repent Rev. 2. 5. this is another signe of the Ministeries departing away from us Candle and candle-stick will away for wee will not amend Wee have been told of our formality we have heard whole Sermons against our luke warmnesse and against our declinings and yet nothing wil fetch us up again Wee will not think soundly from whence wee are falne we will not bee perswaded to doe our first works our hearts are grown senselesse and nothing can pluck them up therefore how can wee hope but our candlestick will bee removed and quickly too Thirdly when people wax weary of Gods Ordinances they are even cloyed with them like the Israelites there in Amos when will the New Moon bee gone that wee may fell corn when will the Sabbath bee over that wee may set forth Wheat Amos 8. 5. q. d. here is such adoe with Lectures and Sermons wee can hardly have time for our Markets such adoe with the Sabbath it is so tedious so irksome wee are not able to hold out Prayers in the Family come so fast about and duties come so thick wee have hardly any space for our other businesses Ministers require so much of us Sermons are so strict Sacrifices are so often we can have no breathing thus people are cloyed they are full fed they care not much if they had lesse nay some will not stick to say it and others that in their hypocrisie will not say it yet they have no stomack no appetite there is so much Word that they are not able to
of his Ministery as being the peoples fault and therefore he complaines of them unto God Lord who hath beleeved our report Esay 53. 1. The conscience of man knows this to bee true for hee knows hee sinnes willingly and hee knows hee would not doe otherwise hee daily feeleth Gods Spirit haling him to good and telling him he ought to live thus and thus and yet he is loath and will not he inclines the other way and rather would do as he does then as he knows God would have him what is this but contempt and indeed this is the great sin of this Land the contempt of the Gospel people count it not a precious but a tedious thing Never merry world sayes some since we had so much Preaching as if the Sun shone too bright like the Israelites who stumbled at the plenty of Manna Nay they are akin to the Devils who asked Christ if hee were come to torment them they account the Gospel a torment because it crosseth their lusts and lets in so much light These can spend dayes and nights in vanity but an houre at a Sermon is tedious if they had any delight in the Word they would not care though their Minister stood somewhat long Though Zachary stayed long in the Temple yet the people waited for him till hee came out Luk. 1. 21. they marvelled indeed he stayed so long but the Spirit of God notes that they waited for him But our people sit upon thornes at a Sermon but they can lye soaking at an ale-bench as though they sate upon soft cushions The Onions of Egipt have a better taste with them than the Quailes of the Wildernesse They had rather live at the Hogs-trough than in their Fathers house With the Gadarens they parfer their Pigges before our Saviour Christ O say they we cannot live by Sermons Sermons are too holy and strait for them Bid them take up Christs yoake they care not for it except it were wider The Ministery hath no successe at all with them unto any purpose What a thing is this Brethren Whence is it that wee regard the Gospel no more The sooth is people know not their damned estate neither will they beleeve it though we tell them nay they care not whether they hear it or no. But if they knew the goodnesse of it they would run from East to West for it if drunkards and worldlings and such rabble knew their fearfull estate the Minister should be as welcome to them as bread to the hungry or a pardon to a Theif So that yee see this condemneth them deeply that the Word hath no successe with Thus yee see the Ministers of Christ have all successe from Christ if any one soule come in at their teaching it is an evident signe it is of Jesus Christ for otherwise people hold off some hold off altogether others yeeld a little way but will not yeeld full out if a man yeeld to us indeed it is meerly by Jesus Christ Now I will shew you that as a Minister hath all his good successe of his labours from Jesus Christ So if he be a true Minister of Christ Christ uses to give him good successe When Christ put Peter into the Ministery He told him from hence forth thou shalt catch men Luk. 5. 10. That is as I have made thee a Minister So thou shalt have good successe They shall have some good successe as we see in the sence though three parts fell into hard ground yet some fell into good ground Mar. 4. 8. Nay though Christs Ministers come into the most Desperate places that can be as we read in the Acts of the Apostles notwithstanding the places they went to were deepely rooted in Idolatry and full of persecuting Jewes and they were ready to be stoned to death the people were so madde against their Doctrine yet they never Preached any where but they had good successe with some When Paul came to Thessalonica the text notes some of them beleeved and joyned in Company with him Act. 17. 4. When he came to Athens though some mocked and some hung in suspence like Neuters that were neither fish nor flesh howbeit certaine men clave unto Paul and beleeved Act. 17. 34. So when he came to Rome Though some stood out yet some were perswaded Act. 28. 24. Yea when Philip came to Samaria though it was a Towne that was bewitcht full of sorcery and witchcraft and they had even given their soules to the Devill A Minister could hardly come into a worse Towne yet the people gave heed to those things that he spake Act. 8. 6. Nay the context shewes he had marveilous good successe the Lord maketh that precious account of the Ministers of the Gospell that he never bestowes it upon any place where he hath not some elect other blessings God bestows more promiscuously Reprobates have as great plenty as others All things come a like to all But this blessing he gives to no place where he hath not some to save Either some in the Towne or some there abouts The use of this is first Here we are to enquire then what may be the reason that Christs Ministers have so little successe now adayes First Some Ministers have the lesse successe by raysing up of others that have greater As Calvin after Luther Luther had admirable successe for a time and then when Calvin came he did increase and Luther did decrease So John observed of himselfe he had admirable successe for a time but when Christ came John had the lesse He must increase but I must decrease Joh. 3. 30. Againe it may be peoples unthankfulnesse for the Ministry of the Word When people have had the Word along time and yet they will not obey it may be God sayes to them as he did to the Fig-tree Never fruit grow on thee more while the world standeth Then God sends Esay to make the heart of the people fat Then Jeremiahs errands most an end to plucke up and to pull downe Then John is to say He that is filthy let him be filthy still Then Hosea cryes Ephraim is joyned unto Idols let him alone Thirdly Some Ministers may be have the lesse successe for their owne fault in not speading of the net when their preaching is little better then reading True it may be a man may be converted by reading as Luther sayes he was And John Husse by reading Wiclefes bookes Austen sayes he was converted by reading the 13. of the Romans and the 14. vers There is a Blessing that may be looked for by reading Blessed is he that readeth Rev. 1. 3. But this is very rare There may a fish or two hang on the net being let downe on a heape but that is a chance No no it is not the net lapped up together that bringeth in the draught but hayled out at length and spread all abroad this closeth in the fish So it is the spreading of the Word the stretching of it out upon