the watch of the house for all the seruice thereof and for all that shal be done therein Now if any man will obiect against this that hath been spoken that Paul was a persecuter of the gospell and yet afterward was caled to be a preacher of the gospel he may but it will not serue his turne for first Paul was not a preacher before he was a persecuter for then had hee beene a right apostata or backe-slider from the faith as those men were of whom I spake before as namely such as were preachers and professors of the gospel in king Edwards dayes and persecuters of the gospel in Queene Maries dayes then to become preachers of the gospeâ—l againe in Qu. Elizabeths dayes such Apostataes Imeane was Paul neuer neither are they to be admitted into the ministerie nowe Secondly Paul was extraordinarily called and conuerted it doth not therefore follow that any now-adays should looke for an extrâ—â—rdinary calling when the same Apostle hath laied down an ordinarie rule for an ordinarie ministerie and amongst other rules hath laide downe this for one that a minister must be vnrepâ—ooueable but it is verie euident that such apostates and runningates from the fâ—â—rh which haue made also others to fall away with them are very instly to be reprooued Thirdly it is required of a minister of God that he be watchfull because the church of God is subiect to the temptations of heretikes and Sathan therefore he must of necessity be resident vpoÌ„ his charge that he may be acquainted with the natures and conditions opinions of his flock continually so meet with euery inconuenieÌ„ce as it ariseth before it grow to a head Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently Ierem. 48.10 If negligence in the Lordes worke be accursed Non-residencie then what blessing can a Non-resident look for vpon his non-residencie for there can be no greater negligence in doing of the Lords work then for a minister to leaue his place standing wherein god hath set him and to commit the care ouer vnto a hireling which was coÌ„mitted to him like the vnkind nurse which turneth ouer the childe to another whom the parents of the childe neuer trusted withall If any wil say they can be but taught as good by one as by another they do but deceiue themselues For if theÌ„selues should commit their owne child to a nurse whom they haue made choice of before another they would not like it well nor take it well if that nurse should take her wages and post it ouer to another and say it can be but kept or it can be but fed and as good by one as by another Besides that the Lord in his word expresly condemneth such kind of dealing in the priests of Israel Ezech. 44. charging theÌ„ to haue broken his couenant and How because they had brought in strangers to pollute the house of God being vocircumcised in flesh and in heart who offered with the bread fat and bloud which the Lord calleth abominations shewing the reason of it for ye haue not kept the ordinaunces of mine holie things but you your selues haue set others to take the charge of my sanctuarie which maketh as directly against Non-residents and their Curates or substitutes as can be for if such care was required of the Leuites and priestes vnder the ceremonies of the lawe which were but shadowes of Christ and the gospel How much more ought the ministers of the gospel to haue this care to looke vnto the worke of God themselues vnto whome is committed not the shadowes but the substance it selfe euen the Son of God who was the ende of those ceremoniall figures and shadowes and the dispensation of the gospel of Christ wherein is exhibited more cleerely vnto the church of God euen Christ Iesus himselfe alredy come and crucified and in heauen glorified which faire exceedeth al those things which were committed to the priests and Leuites which did also exhibite Christ vnto the church but more obscurely and a farre off Now â—f God would not dispense with them for committing the charge of his house then to others much lesse wil he dispense with vs for committing the charge of his house nowe to others And admit that their substitutes be honest men godly learned and painefull too which yet is but seldome though somtime seene if they be not troubled nor called into question as others be yet wee must know that God hath not promised any blessing but to the labours of such as he hath ordained and set ouer his people and not ouer euerie hireling for God will blesse no ordinance but his owne what care and intent soeuer men haue Fourthly it is required of a minister that he be sober that is there must bee a moderation of all his affections and of al his appetites as in eating and drinking in apparrell in recreation in companie keeping and such like vnto which must be ioyned modestie that in good and seemely order his outwarde behauiour must not be offensiue he must be free from all light speeches or shewes hee must learne to beare his person orderly in dignitie and grauitie as becommeth the minister of God It is also required that hee bee harborous and full of hospitalitie according to his abilitie and an entertainer of the faithfull hee must be also apt to teach able to deliuer the word and to apply it aptly and fitly according to time place persons and al occasions as Esay saith he had a tongue to speake words in due season Esa 50.4 which as Salomon saith are like aples of golde with pictures of siluer Pro. 25 1â— most precious and comely whereof one is worth a thousand of others hath more grace then ten thousand There be three foule vices which must be remoued from his person First hee must not be giuen to wine that is alwaies to sit by it as they that take plesure in it like theÌ„ that cannot eate but stil must haue wine Timothy might dâ—nke wine not for pleasure but for his helth for plesure too so it be not ordinarily Secondly he must be no striker if he caÌ„not ouercom his people by exhortation instruction in his publike function hee may not strike them In his family he may strike his seruants and his children when they deserue correction yet with discretion for ther he is both minister and master And in wars also he may strike the enemie when by the magistrate hee shall be thereunto lawfully called for hee is both a minister and a subiect Thirdly he must not bee giuen to filthy lucre as they that liue of the gain of vsury or of cards and dice and other gaming or by any gains that come by hooke or by crook as the prouerbe goeth against the law of God man The reasons are taken from the contrarie causes for strokes come from anger he must bee a man that can bridle his anger and
God wooing his Church Set foorth in three godly Sermons By William Burton preacher at Reading LONDON Printed by V.S. for Iohn Hardie dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Tygers head 1596 God wooing his Church The first Sermon IEREMIE Chap. 3. Verse 14 O ye disobedient children turne againe saith the Lord for I am your Lord and I will take you one of a citie and two of a tribe and will bring you to Zion Verse 15 And I will giue you Pastors according to mine heart which shall feede you with knowledge and vnderstanding THese wordes be part of an Exhortation begunne in the 12. verse of this chap. and made to the captiue Israelits in Assiria in the 9. yere of Hoshea king of the ten tribes as appeareth in 2. King 17.6 And it groweth vppon a complaint against Iuda because that Iuda did not profit by the iugements of God vpon Israel which complaint being ended the Lord here commandeth the prophet to labor with the ten tribes that were in captiuitie that they might profite better by those afflictions which were vpon them and by timely and hearty repentance to turn vnto God which if they would yeeld vnto the Lord doth also promise for his part to forget all their sinnes past and to place them in their former estate of libertie againe This Scripture hath two partes an Exhortation and a Promise In the Exhortation there are two circumstances to be considered of the first is of the persons the second is of the matter subiect The persons be two-folde exhorted and exhorting the persons exhorted are the captiue Iewes described in the twoo first wordes disobedient children The persons exhorting are also double the Lord by Ieremy and Ieremy in the name of the Lord and that appeares in these wordes saith the Lord. The matter subiect is two-folde first what it is that they are exhorted vnto in these wordes Turne againe secondly a reason why in these wordes For I am your Lord. In the manner of speaking to the persons exhorted doth notably appeare the singular wisedome and vnspeakeable mercy of God Gods wisedome appeareth in ripping vppe of their sinnes before he exhorteth them to repentance Yea that he may bring them to repentance for their sinnes he saith not simply O my children turne againe lest they should take an action against Ieremy for impeaching their credit but he saith O ye disobedient children that so hee might conuince their consciences stop their mouthes and take away all occasion of boasting From this wise course of wisedome it selfe in calling men to God both the minister of God and euery christian brother may learne this profitable lesson that the readiest way to bring men from their profanenesse to true repentance is first to conuince them of sinne and then to exhort them to repentance Many cry repent and amend thundering out the iudgements of God against the people this ought to be done but if we do not first shew them what is amis they wil say as the proud Iewes said to Malachie What haue wee done Mal. 3.13 14 But let Malachie tell them what their words are and then they wil blush for shame Then will Felix tremble Act. 24.26 when Paul preacheth of righteousnes temperance and iudgement to come all which do concerne him Then will Dauid confes his sin 2. Sam. 12.7 when Nathan shall lay the parable close to his conscience Then is Nabal striken as a stone 1. Sam. 25 3◠when Abigaile shal wisely watch hir time and tell him of his churlishnes Ioh. 4.19 Then will the Samaritane woman leaue hir scoffing when Christ shall come home to her conscience Then wil the ten tribes returne if euer they will returne when Ieremy shal summon them before gods iudgement seat for disobedience And then may the Preacher look to profit by his publike doctrine and the brother by his priuate counsell when first they shal proue to their consciences that of this and that sin they are guilty Secondly from this wisedome of God we learne that it is lawfull and necessary for the minister of god somtime to vse sharp words if he meane to do any good specially when he hath to deale with men whose faces are of brasse whose necks are of yron whose harts are offlint and whose consciences are seared vp with an hote iron And yet he is not alwayes to lay on loade but sometime with Paule to doubt whether hee should come with a rod or with the spirit of mildnesse as he shall perceiue them either obstinate or tractable so to make the edge of his reprehension blunt or sharp as he seeth his Stil to drop so to quicken or slake his fire and so to straine or let downe the strings as that neither by too much straining or too much loosening they be brought more out of tune then they were before Againe he is not to handle all alike but to remember that as all the strings of an instrument are not alike placed alike natured alike sounded nor all strained alike nor all out of tune alike and that according to their place quantitie and qualitie euery one must more or lesse bee strained so it must be among men The magistrate is to be reproued but with great reuerence and singular modestie The minister is to be reproued 2. Tim. 5.1 but as an Elder The elder sort must be reprooued but as fathers The yoonger sort must be reprooued but as children And euery one according to his place and calling must be dealt withall Againe if two be fallen into one and the same sinne he is wisely to obserue how they came down warily to put a difference betweene the one and the other The one may fall by weakenesse the other of wilfulnes the one of ignorance the other of mallice the one therfore with lenity the other with seueritie must be proceeded against alwaies tempering his speeches according to the nature and dispositions of persons with whom he hath to deale and according to the qualitie and quantitie of the sinne against which he dealeth examples hereof we haue not a few in the scripture Mat. 12.20 Psa 2 9. Christ will not breake the brused reede nor quench the smoking flaxe but the rebellious hee will batter in peeces like a potters vessell Num. 12.3 Moses was the meekest man on earth yet none more angry with Aaron Deut. 32.6 nor more seuere against Idolators then he 〈◊〉 26.28 Paul will perswade Felix to become a christian 〈◊〉 4 19. 〈◊〉 2.11.14 and will conuey himselfe into the bowels of the Gallatians to winne them to Christ but hee meaneth to take vp Peter for halting 〈◊〉 113.10 and to pronounce Elimas the verie child of the deuill As this doctrine was alwayes profitable so neuer more needefull then now when there be quot homines tot sententiae how many men so many minds Some would haue the preacher speake alwaies alike and that of nothing
like a swallow mourne like a doue und grone in their spirites for oportet Episcopum mori concionantem orantem saith a godly father A good Bishop must die preaching and praying must pray and preach till he die What should I say more he is the minister of God therefore of God hee must learne his duty and vnto God he must performe his dutie Hee is to speake in the name of god therefore he must speake both what when to whom in that maner that God will If therefore we speake mens inuentions in painted eloquence to set forth our selues to some not to all faintly and coldly to Tharsis for Niniuy if we condemne the good and commend the bad encourage the wicked and discourage the godly if we speake but ance a yeare once a quarter or when we list or not at all and at all times as occasion serueth both instantly and earnestly we doe not the dutie of good messengers But if wee speake Gods glorious will without adding or diminishing in the euidence of the spirit to the conscience as wel as to the eare to the courtier and countrieman with courage and boldnesse with wisedome and discretion with a zeale of Gods glorie a loue of Gods people and a desire of their good and that continually constantly and faithfully then wee doe the dutie of Gods ministers If therefore any man shal send for Gods minister to schoole him before hande and to teach him either what to speake as generall doctrine without application or howe to speake as in fine tearmes and filed phrases to please all and to displease none as the manner of some is and who is not cunning in the ministers office and in euerie mans office sauing his owne wee are to signifie thus much vnto him that wee are not ministers of mens vnbrideled affections but of the Lordes most holie will and therefore wee must not speake either what they will or how they list but all must bee both for matter and maner as God wil so said Michaiah the tru prophet to the kings eunuch â—â—m 23.3 so said Balaam the false prophet to the King himselfe and so say we to euery one And good reason for if the Lawyer wil scorne to learne of the Diuine to pleade at the barre why should the Lawyer take vppon him to teach the Diuine how to speake in the pulpit And if our seruants are not to doe our busines by other mens directions if the steward must not dispose of his masters goodes at another mans appointment if the captain must not fight when the meane souldier wil appoint him and if the souldier must not fight with such weapons as his ennemie will appoint him why then should Gods minister who is to pleade Gods matters to doe Gods busines to dispose of Gods treasures and to fight the Lords battels become a slaue and a seruant to mens affections If he should which God forbid hurt he may do much but God he shal do none And yet I deny not â—â—em 23.32 â—â—â— 4.17 but that the minister is to receiue good counsel of any man And the Colossians may say to Archippus looke to thy ministery And so much for the authoritie dignitie and duetie of Gods ministers And thus much both for the persons exhorted and exhorting In the second part we are to consider first of that whereunto they are exhorted and then of the reason why For the first it is repentance and is here called a turning again alluding to one that is out of his way and cannot come into the right way except hee turne againe or else to one that had left some thing behinde him without which his iourney could not prosper but most likely to a wife diuorsed from her husband Ierem. 3.1 8. for adulterie but he calling to mind the old and sweet loue that was wont to be between them calleth her againe and offers stil to be her spouse vpon condition that shee wil become a new woman At all these staies were we all of our selues for by nature we are all gone out of the way we are corrupt and become abhominable the waies of peace we haue not knowen But then did the Lord cal vnto vs and said Adam where art thou Gen. 3.9 come into the right way Christ Iesus the seed of the woman is the way the truth and the life walke thou in this way and he shall conduct thee directly vnto Chanaan the kingdome of heauen Againe when we had found Christ the way wee made no more reckoning but thought that we had all when wee had the way but we were denied for we left behind vs the works of faith and repentance We were going to Christ Matt. 8.11 not like the wisemen with our presents but like the foolish virgins without oyle in our lamps 〈◊〉 25. but behold the Lord calleth vnto vs and saith Turne againe and take your prouision with you we also went a whoring after our owne inuentions 〈◊〉 106. we were trudging to hell with bagge and baggage we had plighted our troth to the world sinne and Sathan Yet lo God of his infinite mercie and goodnesse sendeth embassadours after vs his Prophets Apostles and ministers to call vs backe againe and to offer vs condicions of peace Nay hee sent his owne sonne to call vs backe againe and he crieth 〈◊〉 11. Come vnto me come vnto me c. â—â—c 18.31 Nay God himselfe calleth vnto vs and he crieth vnto vs why wil you die O house of Iacob why wil you die when this would not serue he falleth to entreating of vs that we would be reconciled vnto him â—â—or 5.20 Oh loue without comparison Thus hath our good God and most gracious father forbidde the banes of matrimonie betweene the deuil and vs 〈◊〉 8.32 â—â—r 1.2 and offereth vs a better match euen his owne sonne the heire of all things and king of heauen and earth and all vpon this condition that we will turne againe and forsake the deuill with all his works and embrace Christ Iesus with all his merites and serue him in righteousnes and true holyne all the daies of our life 〈◊〉 1 7â— blessed be his name for euer Well then by this time wee see what true repentance is namely a continuall turning againe vnto God Pro. 24.16 by forsaking our old waies of iniquitie and transgression and walking in the new waies of holy life Rom. 13.12 by casting off the worke of darkenes and putting on the armour of light This turning againe Psal 119.11 is a hatred of all sinne past with a hearty sorow for the same with a care to preuent sin to come and a stedfast resolution not to entertaine it when it is offered againe Act. 10.33 It is a conquest of our owne wills and affections Psal 95.7 and a subiecting them vnto the will of God The time of this turning againe must be alwaies euen
gaue them any authority and therefore they bring no profite vnto the people they preach and studie and take paines to no purpose like the good wife that churmeth and churmeth and can make no butter come As for the people that lâ—ue vnder their ministerie hee sheweth in the 2. verse that they be adulterers and swearers full of wickednes and vngodlines to shew that nothing but wildernesse can grow vppon the ground that is tilled by such as are not according to the Lords liking As for their owne behauiour hee sheweth in the thirteenth and fourteenth verses that it is sutable to their teaching deceitfull and filthie broken out with all manner of botches and blaines of foolishnesse and filthynes and adulterie and vncleanenes and walking in the by-pathes of lies and falshood strengthning the hands of the wicked that none can returne for his wickednesse and in one word more they are all both prophets and people vnto mee but as Sodom a sinke of sinne and as the inhabitants of Gomorrha such an other sinke this they are to me saith the Lord thus they are in my eie whatsoeuer they seeme to be in their owne opinion or in the iudgement of others whome they haue blinded and bewitched Thus we see what vgly creatures they are which runne before the Lord send them which are ministers after mens hearts but not after Gods heart as a number of blind guides amongst vs bee the Lorde taketh no pleasure in them nor in those foolish people that are contented with them and therefore sets them alone to do as they list and turneth them as false children ouer whom he hath no care but lets them runne as it were filth and vermine for waÌ„t of trimming washing with the water of his grace and spirit whereas those that are of his sending forth and such as hee taketh pleasure in he will set them out in the best manner and grace them with good gifts and holie conuersation he will make their words gracious and their ministery to be reuerenced in the eyes and heartes of all that feare God they shall bee mightie and powerfull in deliuerie of their message they shall be fruitfull in the worke of the Lorde and terrible in the consciences of the wicked they shall bee blessed in the strength of the spirit to turne many soules into the wayes of righteousnesse euen so manie as GOD hath appointed yea they and their people shall bee a righteous generation ouer whome the Lorde will haue a watchfull eye continually to renewe and to repaire them with his grace and spirit there shall not so soone any fore seeme to arise in their life or anie corruption in their profession but the Lord with his fauour and grace shall heale it againe they shall be blessed of God to the good of Gods church which are pastours according vnto Gods heart and none else I doe not meane such as are free from all corruption and staine of sinne for such are not to bee looked for in this vale of corruption but such as the Lorde hath sent foorth and furnished with gifts and sanctified for the worke of his church And the like may bee saide of ciuil magistrates and church gouernors that if euer the church of God reape any good by any it is by them that are not after Antichrists heart and lyking or according to the worldes approbation but according to Gods wordes liking for God blesseth no ordinance but his owne This doctrine may haue a good vse in respect of those that bee Pastours or that haue anie publique place of teaching in the church of GOD it maie seeme to admonish them that they approue themselues both for life and doctrine in the sight of GOD to bee such as God liketh of if they will doe any good in the worke of the ministerie and thereupon reape any comfort to their conscience in the day of the Lord. There be two markes that euery minister approued of God must principally aime at not lucre nor gain nor worldly promotion nor the vaine praise of the world as the maner of many is which shoote as rouers doe at many markes and neuer a one certaine But the markes that Gods ministers must shoote at are the glorie of God and the good of Gods church that they may say as Paul said Rom. 10.1 without checke of conscience Our hearts desire and prayer to God is that Israel may be saued And so deere should the glory of God be vnto vs and so great should be our loue vnto the church of God that if it may bee aduaunced in the saluation of our brethren yea of our enemies more then in their destruction we shoulde earnestly craue the same of the Lord yea so earnestly that rather then the Lord should loose any part of his glory therein we ought to craue it with the hazard of our owne saluation as the apostle Paul that singular paterne of zeale and loue did Rom. 9.3 when hee desired to bee accursed for his brethren sake the Iewes which were his brethren according to the flesh Some bende al their endeuor that they may be wel thought of with the Prince or with the court or with some noble man or with the chiefe of their congregation for wealth and authoritie and some desire only to be popular approued of the multitude to bring this to passe they take great paines they studie hard they reade much they currie fauour with one and flatter with another they serue the time and turne with the time watching the tide that they may rovve with the same and if they meet with any of their brethren labouring against their streame him they belabour with their Inuectiues though therein they doe striue against the streame of Gods eternall trueth but what â—â—re they so they may haue the approbation of the world whose glorie they doe hunt after like lusty Nimrods and if they chance to misse of their purpose as sometimes they are crossed as wel as others are they not ready to fall sicke of Hamans disease who was ready to die for sorrowe because Mordecai did not bow the knee vnto him It is a good blessing of God to be gracious in the eies of christian Princes and great states as it was a thing greatly to be reioyced at when Theodosius the Emperor of Rome embraced christian bishops which resorted vnto him And the fauour of Gods people in the Lorde is a good fauour of God which oftentimes hee giueth vnto his seruants when they seek not after the same But yet this is not the thing that Gods seruants must affect but all their care must be both at their first entrance into the ministerie and in the whole course of the same vnto the ende that they may bee found Pastours according to Gods owne heart Both credite and maintenance in the world are the good blessings of the Lorde and it shall be lawfull for Gods ministers to enioy the same so farre foorth as God seeth
gift And to those that turne vnto me I will giue pastours according to my heart for house and riches are the inheritance of the fathers saith Salomon but a prudent wife commeth of the Lord Pr. 19 14. So a good pastor comes not as house and land by inheritance but as a good wife comes and that is of the Lord. Such pastours and teachers are sent as speciall loue tokens to the godly whereby they may knowe how the Lorde doth loue them But ignorant ministers and Non-residents and time-seruers idoll shepherds and such like are sent of God to the wicked as Saul was giuen to Israell in his wrath to plague them withal and to strengthen them in their sinnes and so to seale vp their condemnation as Salomon saith of a harlot Prouerb 22 The lippes of a strange woman are as a deep pit and he with whom the Lord is angrie shall fall into the same so may it be saide of wicked pastors and blinde guides they and their people goe together into the ditch and they whome the Lord is angrie with shal be plagued with such The Apostle Paul saith that Christ ascending vp on high gaue gifts vnto men some to be apostles some to be pastours and doctors c. and those he gaue to his church for the gathering together his saints to teach vs that they are not sent of God like marchandise for our money as Simen Magus thought of the gifts of the holie-ghost but they are sent as gifts 〈…〉 20. and are to be receiued as the gifts of the Lord. The only way to obtaine such gifts 〈◊〉 9.37 38. is by prayer The haruest is great saith Christ and the labourers are few pray ye therefore to the Lorde of the haruest and he shall send foorth labourers to shew that God will haue his giftes drawen from him by prayer that is he vell be knowen and acknowledged to be the giuer of them as men will say if hee had asked it of me I would haue giuen it him so doth the Lord say if they had asked such pastors of me I would haue giuen them such This therefore is the cause why there are so fewe true labourers in the Lordes haruest and so many wicked loiterers because the church in generall and congregations and christians in particular are not earnest enough in prayer vnto God for them for as Esay saith We should not giue the Lorde any rest 〈◊〉 2.7 but as it were wearie him with our prayers vntill he repaire the decayed places of Zion and build vp Ierusalem in her perfect beautie which is the praise of the worlde Neither are good pastors gotten nor bad ones displaced by railing and libelling against Bishops and the gouernours of the church as some haue thought nor by factious and seditious drawing of multitudes to practise against the sworde of authoritie nor by robbing the church of her children nor by scismaticall seperating of our selues from the church as hereticall schismatikes doe thinke nor by withdrawing of their liuings as couetous worldlings imagin but by humble suing to God with prayer and supplications for so are his gifts obtained so that if men woulde leaue their scurrilous libelling and their vnseemely railing and their vaine talking and their scismaticall seperating and their seditious banding and their cruell dealing and now another while trie the Lord by turning vnto him as here he requireth vs and plie him with our humble prayers as Christ hath commaunded vs there is no doubt but it would goe better with the poore church of Christ then it doth for if we do that which is required of vs most certainely the Lorde will performe that which hee hath promised Nowe where the Lord hath bestowed such pastors and planted the meanes of saluation there is much no doubt required againe What is requiâ—â— of them that haue good pastours Two things doth the Lord expect and looke for at their hands which haue receiued such gifts of the Lorde namely loue and obedience for loue requires loue againâ— and seeing these gifts are sent froÌ„ the Lord as special tokens of his loue fauor toward vs his maiestie lookes for great loue again of vs towards the gift for his sake that gaue it towards the giuer for his own goodnes sake which only moued him to giue the gift And sith he giueth them to feede vs with knowledge vnderstanding he laboreth that we should grow and thriue therby that is to be the better reformed both in iudgements also in our maners But that it may appeare the better what loue we owe to the Lord in this respect we ought to consider the greatnes goodnes value of the gift wherby we shal al see the great loue and goodnes of him that is the giuer Euery man is friend vnto him that giueth gifts â—orerb 19.6 then euery man should loue the Lord for none giueth so many gifts as he doth yea for the gifts which men giue the Lord is to be loued bicause they had neither what to giue nor wil to giue vntill the Lord giue both Al the gifts of the Lord are either bodily or spiritual teÌ„poral or eternal general or special some are common to man beast some are common to good and bad to the reprobate the elect as meate drinke apparel appetite and digestion houses and lands cattel and corne gold siluer health and welth wife children beuty honor peace and plenty learning and wit wisdom and policy frends and promotion and many such like the least wherof deserueth and requireth that wee shoulde loue and feare the Lord with al our harts with al our strength but besides these the daily giftes which the Lord giueth to man and to the earth the sea and the heauens yea the whole world for mans vse they are infinit that to go about to nuÌ„ber them were to measure the sea with a spoon for which we return nothing but our sins which are mo then his benefits yet such is his goodnes that giueth al forgiueth al. But amongst al the Lords gifts there is none comparable to pastors that feed mens soules with knoledge vnderstanding When Dauid would set out the greatnes of this gift he reherseth many works of god shewed in his church for which he is to be praised Psal 147.13 1 Praise the Lord O IerusaleÌ„ praise thy God O Zion for he hath made the bars of thy gates stroÌ„g hath blessed thy children within thee he setteth peace in thy borders satisfieth thee with the flour of wheat When he considereth the benefit of Gods word he saith He sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and iudgements vnto Israel he hath not dealt so with euery nation to shew that the word of God is a speciall blessing and not to be reckoned amongst such things as are common to all nations of the world When the Apostle saint Paul would set out the greatnesse
of this gift 〈◊〉 1 1â— he saith that the grace of God which bringeth saluation hath appeared meaning the gospel to shew that men cannot be saued without it so great so good so excellent and so necessarie it is All other blessings are of the grace of God there is an enriching grace a healthy grace and a wealthy grace and a healing grace c. But this is called the sauing grace of GOD. Dauid preferreth it before his kingdome because it did comfort him in his affliction if thy word saith he had not beene my comfort in my affliction 〈◊〉 119.92 I had perished to shew that the word of God is better then a kingdome This may make the children of God the more to loue such messengers as bring such tidings of peace and to feare such a God as giueth such gifts vnto men but as for the wicked whose eies the god of this worlde that is Sathan hath blinded to them it is but as a tale of a foolish thing for they are like the swine which finde more sauour in the mire then in sweet perfumes or like the dunghil cocke that had rather find a graine of corne then a precious stone If sweete floures be giuen to him that hath his sences they will smell sweete but a dead man feeles no sweetnesse in them though they be put to his nose so the spirituall and regenerate man shall feele the sweetnes and goodnes of this gift but the carnall man in whome is not the life of the spirite shall neuer make any account of it Againe the faithfull doe not onely loue the giuer for his gift but also maketh much of the gift for the giuers sake as men will say of their friends giftes or tokens I will not part withall I wil keep it full daintily though they haue no vse for it for his sake that bestowed it on me much more doe the faithfull reuerence the ministers of Christ and their pastours which labour amongest them in word and doctrine and are ouer them in the Lord they make much of them yea they haue them in singular account for their workes sake and keepe them very carefully both because the Lord gaue them and they haue a maruelous comfortable and heauenly vse of them to eternall saluation Whereas the wicked who neuer knew the worth or want of good Pastours nor the necessitie of knowledge and vnderstanding doe they take them to bee sent of God as tokens of his loue or as the onely meanes of saluation or doe they feare the Lord euer the more for such gifts or do they loue and reuerence the gifts for the giuers sake or doe they account of them for their sake No no such matter they knowe not what these things mean they take them rather for their enimies â—ng 21.20 as Achab did Eliah who said hast thou found me O my enimy they take them as men sent of the Lorde or rather come out from the deuill to plague them 〈…〉 and to â—â—ouble them as Herod and Ierusalem thought of Christ and after that rate doe they vse them with all reproches and mockes that can be deuised with al disdaine with all manner of iniuries and slanders and thus doe the wicked rewarde their pastours which feede them which they woulde not doe if they did take them as the gifts of God but al this ought not to discourage pastours and preachers of the worde because base persons doe basely account of them but rather confirme them in the saithfull execution of their office taking the hatred of the worlde as a sure token of their ministers effectuall working and let them learne to play the parte of a nurse with their people who hath manie a foule hande with the childe before shee can bring it to anie perfection And let them bee content to become like torches which burne out themselues while they giue light vnto others not feareing the faces of men because the Lorde is a brasen wall betweene them and their aduersaries and though they bee ill rewarded of the worlde yet let them bee glad for as much as they looke for their reward from the lord who hath set theÌ„ a worke I wil giue The last thing we haue to obserue here is that the Lord doth not onely say you shall haue pastors but I will giue you pastours according to my heart if his people will repent hee will performe that which is promised none other for him this is greatly for the confirmatioÌ„ of the churches faith when the lord himself doth promise a thing vndertake the performance of it himselfe If a maÌ„ had made such a promise the performance remaineth doubtful because he wantoth power or skil or constancie his minde may alter or meanes may faile or hee may bee crossed with some higher power but with the Lorde is no such thing for he hath both power and skil and is alwaies the same and changeth not neither is there any power aboue him to crosse his maiestie If an angell from heauen had made such a promise yet the performance is doutful because he is but a creature is subiect to the checke controlement of the Lord but if god say he wil it shal be as the Centurion said Luke 7.7 Lorde doe but speak the word my seruant shal be whole wheÌ„ the power wil of god do meete then there wants nothing to let the matter but our sins Lord if thou wilt saith the leaper thou canst make me eleane I will saith Christ be thou cleane and immediatly the leprosie was cleansed But this people were in captiuitie 〈◊〉 8.3 their enemies had dominion ouer them how wil the Lord restore them very wel for the lord is able to do it either by force of angels as he deliuered Peter out of prison or by men or by other creatures as he delt with Pharao or by turning their enimies hearts as he turned Saules heart when he followed Dauid to kil him â—â—ns 24.18 according to the saying of Salomon When a mans waies please the Lorde hee will cause his foes to become his friends 〈◊〉 16.7 or without meanes onely by that worde whereby hee made heauen and earth and all the worlde 〈…〉 1. when matter was wanting Hereof we haue many examples God said he woulde make Israel a mightie people 〈◊〉 2.10 could Pharao preuent it no though hee said Come and let vs worke wisely with them lest they multiply c. God said Dauid should be king could Saule preuent it no though he said I wil giue him my eldest daughter vppon condition that he bring mee a hundred foreskins of the Philistines â—am 18.17 25. thinking by this pollicy to make a riddance of him God said Elizabeth shal raigne could any defeat her no though first they sifted her for treason as conspiring with Wiat and then Gardiner the wolfe cried stil stub vppe the roote stub vp the roote then how many waies