and we may not only see his fortitude and courrage in this Undertaking but his Zeal as ye have it set down Psal 132. I will not go up to my bed nor give sleep to mine eyes nor slumber to mine eye lids till I find out a place for the Mightie GOD of Jacob. And when they came to the Ark you see what is their supplication Verse 8. Arise O LORD to thy rest We are come to carrie GOD back again so to speak and the Ark of GOD that has been so long out of the Land and out of the Sanctuary we see also how gladly he would have been at the building of the Temple and what preparations he had made for it But when he saw that the honour was to be conferred upon his Son Solomon how does he press him to forwardness and faithfulness in that matter 1 Chron 22. to the 14 Now my Son The LORD be with thee only the LORD give thee Wisdom and Vnderstanding and give thee Charge concerning Israel that thou mayest keep the Law of the LORD thy GOD then shalt thou prosper if thou takest heed to fulfil the Statutes and Judgements which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel Be strong of good Courage dread not nor be dismayed So that you see what estimate this great and holy man put upon the work of GOD and how concerned he was about it as the principal business he had to do in the World and 1 Samuel 2.30 verse GOD hath said he that honours me I will honour O how dangerous is it to have an opportunity put in our hand to serve GOD and his Interest and not to guide it well and what ever figure any of You may make in the World yet you only signify so far in the sight of GOD as You act for him in your Station and Generation and do you not know that many may stand for a great summ make a great figure in the eyes of men that will stand but for ciphers in Heavens Arithmetick Reason second As it is GODS Work so he visiblie clearly and eminently calls us to it and that by these six Calls First By the call of his word for the Reformation we are called to is that which is suited unto GODS Law contained in his written Word and the LORD hath Honoured Scotland beyond many other Nations of the World in that he hath written unto us the great things of his Law Hosea 8.12 O that we may not count them a light thing And may it not be said of us as Psal 146 19 20 He sheweth his word unto Jacob his statutes and his Judgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with every Nation Have we then GODS Laws His Statutes and his Judgements then certainly we have them either for something or nothing and can they be given us for any thing else but to direct our service and obedience to GOD and is there any of you the honourable members of this Parliament that will make Laws and promulgatt them and would not take it ill if the people did not Obey Would you not Judge such disobedient persons to the Law to be Rebells and punish them accordingly Of how much sorer punishment will they be found worthy that take no heed to the Laws of GOD revealled in His Word that they may give a Constant and Conscientious Obedience thereunto Now the Reformation that we are called to is most suitable unto this Divine Law which has been owned contended for and witnessed to by the Godly party in the Land and that of all Ranks both while they lived when they dyed and that as the purest Reformation of any Protestant Church and this was testifyed many years ago by a great man of this Nation who Blessed GOD that he was born in a Church whose Reformation was purer then that of England of France or Geneva And seeing we have Ordinances Means and Opportunities again put in our hands Persons of all Ranks had need to take Care to manage them so as we may give a good accompt of the Trust committed to us But least I transgress too far and trespass upon your patience I shall Close at this time The Second SERMON HAGGAI 2 4 Yet now be strong O Zerubbabel saith the LORD be strong O Joshua son of Josedech the high Priest and be strong all ye People of the Land saith the LORD and work For I am with you saith the LORD of Hosts THERE is nothing more to be lamented by the Sons of Men then this one thing that we have sinned our selves unto such a benighted and dark Condition as that we can neither take up our danger aright to flee from it nor our Duty and what is the rightest season for the right performance the reof So that in this Case we are more to be pittied then the beasts of the field For the Ox knoweth his Owner and the Ass his Masters Crib But Israel doth not know My People doth not consider Isaiah 1.3 Yea Jer 8.7 Yea then the birds of the Aire for the stork in the Heaven knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Cran and the Swallow observe the time of her coming but My People know not the Judgement of the LORD And is it not a great peice of Condescending Love and Mercy in GOD that when we neither know nor consider our Work nor the season of it he Condesends to send Messengers to put us in mind of both This people when they proved Negligent in the greatest and most Important bunness in which their happiness was folded up He sends the Prophet Haggai to tell them what they had to do and what they had neglected and that if they would mourn for what Sins they had committed and what duties they had neglected be zealous and careful for the future in answering and obeying what GOD called them unto all bygones should be bygones If I may so speak yet now be Strong c. You know the Doctrine I was upon That it is the dutie of all Ranks of People in a Land to joyn Cordially and unanimously together to carrie on a begun work of Reformation when the LORD Eminently calls unto it and promises to be with them in it I am come the length of the 2d reason of the Doctrine to shew this Honourable Auditory that as this work is the work of GOD so he doth Eminently call you to it and that first by the call of his word as I have touched for if the Laws of Heaven given to the Jewish Church did obliedge them to renounce all Idolarrie and false worship and to reform and worship GOD precisely according to the Divine Iustitution do they not equallie oblige us are they not the rule in our day as well as they were in their day he 〈◊〉 not given us these statutes laws and Judgements for that very end that he gave them to the Church of old which if we do we shall live in them and which
why we must take heed to our Ministerial work is because it is a difficult work partly from the various and numerous enemies that oppose it Satan that roaring lion and restless enemie of the Church standing at our right hand Zech. 3.1 Also what principalities and powers and spiritual wickednessess in high places what rulers of the darkness of this world have we to wrestle against Eph 6.12 yea what opposition from men among whom we live some with open violence breaking down as far as they can the carved work others under a vizour and pretence to build with us like the false apostles intending nothing less then to bring us back to abandoned Corruptions in the House of GOD. Partly from our own Ignorance the work is made difficult which disables us to manage this trust to the best advantage how hard is it for Ministers to speake aright to the various Cases and Conditions of their People and to find fitt words to hold forth the Evil of Sin by the Loveliness of Christ The beauty of Holiness the danger of living carelesly and unconcernedly under the means of Grace and repeated offers of the Gospel The third Reason why Ministers had need to take heed to their Ministry is this that there has been Ministers in the Church and we have had sad Instances of it in our days professing pretending highly for CHRIST and the purest work of Reformation that afterwards when the Occasion and Tentation offered have betrayed the cause discovered their rottenness and ruined the Church and Work of GOD as far as they could Some of them bewitched and enticed with the Riches of this World so to do like Judas and Demas Others with the Honours of this World like Diotrephes and O how many Archippus-like even in the best of times would be found Coldriffe and Remisse in this great Work 4ly We must take heed to our Ministry if we consider what a great LORD and Master we have received it from And whose Eye is alwayes upon us to see how we manage this trust as it was upon the Angels of the seven Churches and his writting to them since he Ascended and discovering their failures and short comings with the punishments due thereunto should be a warning to Ministers in all succeeding Ages of the Church to take heed to their Ministrie 5ly We had need to take heed to our Ministry when we consider with what a severe certification our great LORD and Master has committed it unto us Ezek 17 18. ver Son of man I have made thee a Watchman to the house of Israel therefore bear the word at my mouth and give them a warning from me when I say unto the wicked thou shalt surelie die and thou givest him not warning from me nor speakest to warn the Wicked from his wicked way to save his life the same wicked man shall die in his iniquitie but his blood will I require at thine hand 6ly Ministers had need to take heed to mannadge their trust aright seeing a severe account will be required of them for it is a stewardship that must be reckoned for and none of us know how soon that message may be sent unto us Luke 16.2 Give an account of thy Stewardship and whether we have received moe or fewer talents we would alwayes remember to be so laying them out and improving of them as those that must give an account Heb. 13 17. Lastly Such Ministers as have been heedfull and faithfull shall be greatly rewarded Dan 12 3 And they that be Wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the starrs for ever and ever Matt 24.25 26 27. who then is a faithfull and wise servant whom his Lord hath made ruler over his houshold to give them meat in due season Blessed is that servant whom his LORD when he cometh shall find him so doing Verily I say unto you that he shall make him Ruler over all his goods Rev 2.10 Be thou faithful unto the death and I will give thee a Crown of life We would keep constantly and closely to this work and prosecute it with the greatest diligence that believe such a reward as this which will eternaly compense all the labour and toyle in this World We would also frequently consider what severe punishments shall be inflicted on the heedless and sloathful servant Matt 24 Verse 48. Unto the end But and if that evil servant shall say my Lord delayeth his coming and shall begin to smite his fellow servant and to eat and drink with the drunken The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he Looketh not for him and an hour that he is not aware of and shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with hypocrites where shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth I come now to the use of the Doctrine is heedfulness in managing of the Ministerial work so necessary in all the forementioned respects Then let all of us that bear this office take heed to out Ministry for this is the voice and call of my Text to every one of us and especially with respect to those two things that ly in the latter part of the words The first is to take heed how and from whom we received this Ministrie whether from the LORD JESUS CHRIST or not who is the only LORD and head of the Church and whose prerrogative it is to set up and send forth Officers unto his Church Ezek 2 3. And He said unto him Son of man I send thee unto the Children of Israel I Who sit upon the Saphirine throne as you have it in the first Chapter of this Prophesie of Ezek 26 Verse And who has all power in mine hand Christ is invested with all power in Heaven and in Earth Matth 28 and 18 Verse and therefore sends forth Officers unto all Nations And for this End we must see that we be come in at the right door for there are some as Christ tells us who call themselves Sheepherds that come not in at this doar Jo 10 1 Verse But climb up another way if we be right Ministers of Christ we must come in at three doors 1. The door of an Internal call of GOD upon the Soul 2. The door of the External call of the People 3. The door of a legal Mission and Ordination by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytry A second thing that lyes in the latter end of the Text about which we must take special heed is this that when ever we find out selves entered by the right door unto this great and difficult Work we must take heed to fulfil it Every Minister must take heed to fill up a right both the doing part and the suffering part of his Ministry so as the work may not suffer or be blamed on his Accompt The Apostle took care of this and sets it as a Copy before thir Collossians Chapter first 24 Verse Who now rejoyce in
The Most honble William Marquiss of Lothian TWO SERMONS PREACHED Before His MAJESTIES HIGH COMMISSIONER And the ESTATES of PARLIAMENT By the appointment of the Provincial Synod of Lothian and Tweddale Upon Sabbath the 7th of May 1693. Unto which is subjoyned the Sermon Preached at the opening up of the Synod May 2. 1693. By Mr. William Vetch Minister of Peebles From Haggai 2.4 And Col 4.17 Edinburgh Printed by John Reid to be sold by Alexander Henderson Book seller in the Lochen-booths Anno 1693. UNTO HIS GRACE WILLIAM DUKE of HAMILTON THEIR MAJESTIES HIGH COMMISSIONER For the Ancient KINGDOM of SCOTLAND c. MAY it please your Grace If I had an Offering that might be any way Acceptable There is none to whom it is so much due as unto your Grace And that because I drew my first Breath and had my first Education where the Ancient and Noble Family of Dowglas was the Grand Planet Regnant in that Hemisphaere Secondlie Your Grace by the Alwise Providence of GOD and the Choice of our Great and Gracious Protestant King being made his Majesties High Commissioner to this Parliament Stand in the place of Zerubbabel in my Text and are chiefly concerned to notice What GOD calls for at your Hands in Order to the Building up the walls of Our second Temple the foundations whereof have been wonderfullie and mercifullie laid some Years ago And now Your Grace and this Honourable and High Court of Parliament are again called to carrie on this begun Work both by the Providence of GOD that hath put a New Opportunitie in Your hands And the Call of the Preached Word Awakening and stirring You up unto the Work And O that Your Grace and this Honourable Court may give such a speedie Return to both these Calls as this Jewish Government did For we may see from the first chapter of this prophesie of Haggai that within the space of three weeks three daies after this Prophets first sermon they fell zealouslie to the work and that with great courage and unanimitie And also without anie further delay or anie visible dissent among them and whereas the stoutest of them before had no great mind to the work now when alarmed by the Prophet in the Name of the LORD the verie weakest and most timorous are forward and bold to carrie it on Thirdlie And who could be so fit in all the Nation for this Work as Your Grace Being not onlie of so Noble a Descent where Valour and Courage has been remarkablie for so manie Ages Connatural to the Family And let it not be lost in You especiallie when called to lay it out on so Noble an Interprize as the Propagation and Protection of Religion Liberty and Property But also being advanced to Represent the Chief Family of the Kingdom and whom GOD has blessed with a Goodlie Person Excellent parts a Numerous Noble and Hopeful Progenie A Blessing that fitts You to speak with Your Enemies in the gate And that Divine Hand that has now promoted Your Grace to so high a Trust wherein Ye may do great things for the Advancement of CHRISTS Kingdom will look for some proportionable Return If the Great Land-LORD of the World expect a Rent from the meanest Cottage What a large Revenue must he look for from so great Families For to whom much is given of them much will be required Learn to pay this and it will draw down not onlie Blessings on Your self but on your Posterity It was the Honour of Abrahams House that from Father to Son 〈◊〉 many Generations they were Heirs of the same Promise Heb 11.9 O that there were such a Succession to be found in the House of the Nobilitie and Gentrie of our Land But alace Plentie abused disposes to Sin and Vice And it is toe Ordinarie for the Greatest and bravest Spirits to think the Power of Religion a base and mean thing which taketh off from their Grandeure and Esteem among men and that the strictness of it is inglorious But a Conjunction of Goodness and greatness together is the most Lovelie and comfortable thing in the World And greatness without Goodness will be a Tastless Cordial at the Long Run I have presumed to thrust these following Sheets under Your Graees Patrocinie being perswaded that a Favourable Smile from such a Potent Prince will give them sufficient Protection And although the Fabrick be mean yet the Statliness of the Frontispiece may beget a Curiosity in many to look into it hoping that your Grace will Pardon wherein I have presumed and will Favourably accept of the smal token of my Sincere affection to your Grace and those Noble Families for they that have not Gold must offer Goats Hair I make Bold to subscribe myself Your GRACES Most Humble Servant In the LORD WILLIAM VETCH THE EPISTLE TO THE READER THERE is none in my Station I confess so unfit to appear in Print as I am But the restless importunity of so many persons of all ranks occasions me to do violence to my own inclinations in publishing the ensuing sermons which you have here laid before you with little addition or alteration Only let me tell you that although I opened up this text Haggai 2 4. As it referred to the preceeding and subsequent verses of the Chapter by way of Lecture and did intermit according to the Custome yet I have thought fit to put it and the Forenoons Sermon together as one Entire Discourse Another Reason moving me to this undertaking is That several things spoken in that Great Auditory upon this Subject are Misrepresented Mistaken and Mis-improven which this may be a mean to Cure and Remove The Entertainment I acknowledge is so Course and Mean that I cannot promise it an universal Acceptance Seeing too too many in our Day wherein Fancie and Opinion that Witch and Enchantress has got the Ascendant of Religion and Reason are more devoted to what may please their palat then prolong their health and life But if it may as it is be any wise serviceable to the publick good of the Church and the work in hand and any way profitable to any particular well wisher of that Interest I have attained my End I am One of ZIONS Well-wishers And thy Servant W. V. The First SERMON HAGGAI 2 4 Yet now be strong O Zerubbabel saith the LORD be strong O Joshua son of Josedech the high Priest and be strong all ye People of the Land saith the LORD and work For I am with you saith the LORD of Hosts I Shall for Lecture open up these words as they referr unto the preceeding and subsequent part of the Chapter and observe somethings from them and then go on and prosecute that Doctrine which I think most suitable to this Occasion I shall not have time to give a large or Critical Explanation of the Text with Respect to the persons mentioned in it or the Prophet that delivered this Message or annent the time that he was sent to
that People for fear I come short of the main things I purpose to speak to this Honourable Auditorie We do not read that this People of the Jews to whom this Propher Haggai was sent had immediately after their return from the Babylonish Captivity any Prophet among them and yet they had such as were able to direct them in their work But they proving sinfully and shamefully negligent and sloathful for a considerable while after their return in the work of Reformation which GOD had called them unto And for which they had the Civil Authority even Cyrus his grant The LORD at length raised up this prophet Haggai and after him Zechariah to awaken and stirr them up to their dutie in carrying on this Work that was begun several years ago Their neglect and carelesness in this matter was occasioned partly from their own timerousness and weakness being but few when compared with their Ancestours who builded the first Temple and with the multitude of Enemies that at present opposed them no wonder they were timerous having been so long houled and kept at under in Babylon Where their long affliction and Captivitie had dispirited them Partly this neglect was occasioned from the bold and violent opposition of enemies that did what they could to mart the begun work of GOD in the Land Such as Sanballat the Horonite and his Complices Partly from their too too much minding the things of the world and preferring them to the things of GOD as we have them reproved for it chapter 1st ver 4th Is it time for you O Ye to dwell in your Cicled houses and this housely waste and this is a disease that abounds much in our days This second chapter wherein my text lves is full of encouragement for them to proceed in the work notwithstanding of the discouragements on the one hand and the oppositions they met with on the other The first encouragement lys in the latter words of the text from the promise of GOD's Presence with them in this work For I am with You saith the LORD of hosts therefore be strong and work you need not fear all your enemies that oppose you when I am with you The second encouragement for removing their timerousness and spiriting them to their work is taken from the standing Covenant that was between GOD them that of a long old date even since the day that he had brought them out of the land of Egypt where we have to admire GOD's faithfulness to them in keeping this Covenant when they were guilty of many breaches thereof to him Verse 5. According to the Word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Aegypt so my Spirit remaineth with you fear ye not The third Encouragement to go on in their work is taken from the Lords promise to compense the external despicableness and meanness of this fabrick they had begun and about which they were so discouraged because it had not that Extensiveness and Largeness of Building neither had they Solomons riches to give it that internal splendor and Glory that Solomons Temple had all this the LORD promises to make up with his own Glory and the Mediators personal presence verse 7 8 9. The 4. encouragement to proceed in the begun work is that although for their neglect they were falsen under many Judgements and especially that of famine as in the preceeding Chapter Verse 6. Ye have sown much and brung in little and also in this Chapter When they came to an heap of twenty Measures they proved but ten when they came to the Press to draw out fifty Vessels full it filled but twenty Verse 16. By which ye might easily have conjectured that I had a controversy with you And itconcerned you to have enquired unto the causes of my controversie But now sayes the LORD If ye will proceed in the work O Zerubbabel Joshua and the people I will remove these Judgements and bring Blessings in the room of them The last Argument which is very considerable to move and encourage them to go on in their work and should have great weight with us Who are affraid of the Nations about us is the LORDS promising Safety and Security to them in the midst of great Commotions and desolating Judgements upon the Nations round about As if he would say though I make Kings and Nations fall by the Ears and destroy one another though you may hear it or see it yet it shall not come near you and this ye see in the last verses of the Chapter and it is like that sweet Promise to the Church Psal 91.7 8. Verses A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand But it shall not come nigh thee Only with thine eyes shall thou behold and see the reward of the wicked In the Verse we have read to you more particularly we have these things to be considered 1. The Exhortation be strong and work this is the Call which the LORD sends by the Prophet Haggai 2. We have the persons to whom this Call and Message is directed and sent and that is to Zerubbabel to Joshua and to all the People Magistrates Ministers and People they are the Persons to whom this Call comes 3. We have the person calling and that is the LORD of Hosts by his Prophet Haggai Thus saith the LORD of Hosts 4. We have the Arguments which the LORD makes use of in this Verse to press them unto the giving of a Cordial and present Obedience unto this Call and Message and these Arguments are two which ye would do well to take notice of one of them is taken from the Patience of GOD another is taken from the Promise of GOD. That which is taken from the Patience and Forbearance of GOD lyes in the first Words of the Verse yet now after so long a foreslowing and neglect of the Work in you as if the LORD would say and after so long Patience and Forbearance in me it concerns you to fall upon this Work that I call you to I might have come and destroyed you after I brought you out of Babylon for your unanswerableness to My Command yet have I forborne and stretched out My Patience towards you and put a new opportunity in your hands and given you a new Call ought not My former Patience and Forebearance and My present Goodness to lead you to Repentance to mourn over and redress the wrongs that you have been formerly guilty of The second Argument that he backs this Call withall is in the last words of the Text and that is the promise of his being with them in this undertaking For I am with you saith the LORD of Hosts 5ly We have this message delivered with a double note of attention to the leading men in Church and State persons too incident to be heedless importing no less than this that it concerned such as them at this verie Juncture to give ready Obedience to GOD's Call to be
Zealous and so a good example to all the people under them this note of attention calls all to take special notice of GOD's Messenger now unexpectedly sent to them and also of the message that he carries And then in the last place we have this remarkeable Thus saith the LORD thrice repeated the design of which I take to be this to clear confirm them in this call as if the Prophet Haggai had said it is not my message a sick-brain fancie or notion of mine but it is the command of JEHOVAH the Lord of Hosts I might observe from these words several things As 1. That the People of GOD may be called by a wonderful cast of Providenee and an Extraordinary Hand of GOD out of great trouble and affliction to carrie on a work of Reformation and yet when they are most clearly called to it it may meet with great Rubbs and and impediments You see they were called to this and yet it meets with great opposition and they also notwithstanding of GODS Call were careless and superficial in prosecuting this so great so necessarie and so profitable a work 2lie I might observe this That the LORD takes special notice of His people how they manage precious opportunities for His glory his Churches good and the advancement of Religion which are put in their hands and therefore he sends this Prophet Haggai to reprove their by past disobedience and negligence and to awaken them to their dutie for the future But the main Doctrine which I take to comprehend the very scope of the words is this That it is the dutie of all ranks of people in a land to be strong and join cordiallie and unanimouslie together to carrie on a begun work of Reformation when the LORD eminently calls them to it promises to be with them in it And this is the Doctrine that through the LORDS Assistance I purpose to stand on in prosecuting whereof I shall follow this method 1. To shew you what is meant here by be strong and that I shall do first positively shewing what it truely imports 2. Negativelie what it prohibites In the next place I shall give you the Reasons of the doctrine why all ranks of persons in a Land should be strong and join cordially together to carrie on a begun work of Reformation when the LORD eminently calls them to it And lastly I shall give you the use of all This is the work that lyes before me First then by Being strong is positively and plainly meant in Scripture phrase to take courage and resolution that persons of all ranks whom GOD calls to his Service should put on courage and resolution especially such as GOD sets up in publick Offices Ye may see this clear in the case of Joshua in his first chapter verse 9 When the LORD calls furth Joshua to install him in a publick Office which he was to manage for bringing the People of GOD through Jordan out of the wilderness and to bring them to the possession of Canaan and to go before them as their Captain General in the Warrs by which they were to execute GODS threatned judgements in destroying these Nations that were accursed and were to meet with manie a bloodie Rancounter in the doing thereof how does the LORD in order to all this encourage Joshua in this 9 verse Have not I commanded thee Be strong and of a good courage be not afraid neither be thou dismaid for the LORD thy GOD is with thee whithersoever thou goest Magistrates are to be men of courage Exod. 18.21 Thou shalt saith the LORD to Moses provide thee able men out of all the people such as fear GOD men of truth hating covetousness The Original word in the Hebrew is men of courage and strength Yea they that are in publick Office must not only put on courage and resolution but they must evidence it in the right management of the trust put in their hands Nehemiah chap. 6.11 Should such a man as I flee Nay I will neither fear nor flee but stand it out against Sanballat and all his Complices and all their power their scoffs their threats their plots this was the Answer he gave to such as were telling him such frightfull stories That the Enemies would be too strong for him that they would runn him and that work down that he was come from Artaxerxes with a new Commission to propagate and carrie on but he puts on Courage and Resolution as an Antidote against all these Fears I say That persons that are Magistrates and Ministers and such as have a publick Trust committed to them by the LORD should be men of great courage especiallie in a time when Reformation and Temple-work is in hand as in my Text. Samuel was a man of courage 1 Sam. 15.25 to the 30 verse when he told King Saul plainlie his sins And That GOD had rejected him therefore and rent the Kingdom from him Elijah also was a man of great Resolution and Courage as you may see in that conference between Obadiab and him 1 Kings 18. ver 15. c. And when he told a threatning Abab ver 18. That it was he and his fathers house that troubled Israel in that he had forsaken the LORD and followed Baalim And the Priests of the LORD were men of Courage 2 Chron. 26.17 18 when they resisted King Vzziah invading the Churches priviledges 2ly I take this to be meant by be strong and work to be Livelie Active and diligent in the work which they were now called to by the LORD that they not only have a fittedness for their work but that they be faithfull and diligent in the dispatch of it and indeed I find that the Wise man Eccles 9 10. does commend diligence activitie in all a mans lawful bussiness in the world Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with all thy might c. How much more commendable must it be to be active and diligent in the great concernments of GOD and of His House and Glorie that must be a thing much more regarded than the concerns of our own houses And that 1st because the matters of God are preferable to our matters that is the thing that should be upon the heart and Conscience and affections of everie person of publick trust they should set the matters of GOD foremost like those persons Psal 137 ver 5 6. If I forgetthee O Zion If I preferr not thee to my chief Joy let my right hand forget her cunning and let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth Secondly This diligence and Activitie for GOD and his matters with which we are entrusted is the diligence that brings in the greatest Reward though alace it is little believed there are many of you that hears me this day that if you would lay out your selves in places and stations for GOD and his work it would bring you a greater reward than you are aware of and you will be made to
see that your neglect in this thing will be of dreadfull consequence at the long run and that the persuite of the things of the world which divert you from this main business will bring you no comfort and be of no signification except it be to disquiet your conscience and increase your torment Thirdly From this consideration People of all Ranks should be moved to great Faithfulness Activity and Dilligence in the Matters of GOD because the Enemies that oppose this Work are very diligent lively and active Psal 38.19 Verse But mine Enemies are lively and they are strong and they that bate me wrongfully are multiplyed The Godly man complains here of his Enemies you see That they were strong and livey but does this discourage him Nay but on the contrare it awakens him to a more vigorous prosecution of his Work Thirdly This Exhortation being directed to all sorts of Persons States-men Church-men and Commons to be strong and work it calls all those cordially to unite and joyn together to build up the Temple of GOD whose foundations are already laid and then they shall accomplish the Prophesie of the latter dayes Zeph 3.9 For then will I turn to the people a pure Language that they may all call upon the Name of the LORD to serve him with one consent And as the words are rendred in the Originall Language they shall serve the LORD with one Shoulder I suppose that many may have heard of the Father that had a great many Sons and when he was going to make his Latter Will he called for them and commended unto them a keeping of Unity and Harmony together in their Converse and Business which would greatly tend to their Comfort and Advantage and to demonstrate this to them he caused bring a Sheaf of Arrows closely tyed together and gave them to the Eldest to break but he could not breake them and so he gave them to the Younger sucessively and they could not break them but when they were divided they were easily broken so it is with Magistrates Ministers and People in the Land When they unanimously and cordially joyn together in the Work of GOD they cannot easily be broken and destroyed We say vis unita fortior and Unanimity in the work of GOD when all joyn together as it were with one Shoulder without lying by or interfeiring or drawing back or obstructing one another is a good taken of a thriving work when Magistrates make such Laws as authorize only the true worship of GOD and take care to see them duely execute that such as hinder uniformity in Religious Worship may be removed that so the Doctrine Worship Discipline Government of the House of the GOD of Heaven may be according to the Laws of the GOD of heaven through the whole Land For purity of Doctrine does not consist in a Lawless Liberty or Tolleration for men to do and say what they please in matters of Religion But it consists in a joynt uniformity to Worship GOD according to his own precept and this promise they shall all serve the LORD with one Consent which was calculate for the latter days So much then you see is implyed in this Exhortation be strong viz Courage and Resolution Activity and Diligence with Unity and Harmony In the next place I come to shew you negatively what this Exhortation be strong prohibits or what is not meant by it As 1. It forbids timorousness for men to be possessed with a humane or slavish fear that keeps them back from their Duty to GOD and His Work in their Station this is a thing very unbecoming to such as are Zerubbabels Joshuas and Nehemiahs should such persons as they fear Whom had they to be affraid of but cursed Canaanites and such as were no better in after Generations What could Nehemiah and these that were with with him be affraid of when he was come from Babylon cloathed with the Kings Letters and Authority in order to the carrying on of the forslowed work of Reformation surely he had not the King neither the GOD of Heaven nor the honest party of the Land to be affraid of I know none that might be a terrour to him and them that were joyned with him but the Gerizzim party who were sinfully united to oppose violently and cunningly the building of the Temple and the true Worship of GOD that they would so gladly have destroyed Let me say it to this Honourable and High Court of Parliament without offence and in all Humility what have you to be affraid of that you should be Faint hearted in the Work of GOD surely it cannot be of the GOD of Heaven nor of our Gracious King and Queen not of the Protestant Princes abroad nor of such as are true Protestants at home sure all these will be Cordial Friends to our carrying on the Work of Reformation and when ye have all these on your side you may well be strong and put on Courage and Resolution for you have a mighty great backing But of whom are you indeed affraid Is it of the Pope or of the French King and his Allies or is it of the Gerizzim party of these Lands That they get up their head again and that ye and your Posterity and Estates be ruined Surely the Midwives of Aegypt will rise up in Judgement against you who were in worse Circumstances then you are and yet were not affraid of the wrath of the King but even over the Belly of Dangerous Laws befriended the Children of Israel How much more should ye whom GOD in his Providence has raised up to Midwive out the Churches deliverance and are under the terrour of no bad Laws to frighten you from your work Put on Courage and Resolution to help your Travelling Mother the Church to bring forth the Man-Child of a Glorious Reformation and then I may promise ye shall be blessed as these Midwives were Exod. 1.21 Of whom it is said because they feared the LORD be made them houses That is he preserved and Increased Propagated and Enriched them and their Familys Will you read believe that Scripture Isaiah 51.12 13. verses compared with the 7 verse I even I am be that comforteth you who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die and of the son of man that shall be made as grass and forgettest the LORD thy Maker Who hath stretched forth the Heavens and laid the foundations of the Earth And hast feared continualie everie day because of the furie of the oppressour as if he were readie to destroy and where is the furie of the oppressour And verse 7. Fear ye not the reproach of men neither be afraid of their revilings For verse 8. The Moth shall eat them like a Garment and the Worms shall eat them like Wool but my Righteousness shall be for ever and my Salvation from Generation to Generation But if these Enemies were never so formidable and numerous Let me bespeak you as the Leaders of
if we disobey and despise they will not a little contribute to aggravate our Condemnation The second Call To carrie on a begun work of Reformation is that of eminent and remarkable providences when there has been nothing for many years but a mixture of sad things to the Land and the work of GOD in it carried on by the black Horses and speckled Horses if I may say so strange and sad dispensations of Providence whereby Jacob was given to the spoil and Israel to the Robbers whereby we were brought unto the brink of the pit ready to perish all our expectations failing us upon the right and left hand giving all up for lost both our Civil and Sacred concerns that at such a nick of distress as this the LORD should by his wonderful providence raise up a Deliverer to his own Church another Cyrus Yea and greater then Cyrus to give us such Reviving from our bondage as we are Witnesses to this day this is a thing that Remarkably calls us to observe the doing of the LORD and he who sees it not to be the doing of JEHOVAH must be lamentably blind And does not our great and Gracious King be speak you the Honourable Members of Parliament in the words that David bespoke his Princes 1 Chron. 22.17 Verse To the end David also commanded all the Princes of Israel to help Solomon his Son saying is not the LORD your GOD with you and hath He not given you Rest on every side for he hath given the inhabitants of the Land unto mine hand and the Land is subdued before the LORD and before his people Verse 19 Now therefore set your heart and your Soul to seek the LORD your GOD Arise therefore and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD GOD to bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD and the holy Vessels of GOD into the house that is to be built to the Name of the LORD This is a thing that any thinking Person when they seriously consider Cannot but admire and say that this is a remarkable and Eminent call of the providence of GOD to carrie on a begun work of Reformation when such an undeserved and unexpected opportunity is put in our hands and I am sure nothing will make his Majestie more renowned in after Generations of the World than that he has keeped so just a proportion between his first declarations for the saftie and good of the Protestant Religion and his future actings and in this he Acts like the high and Noble Family of whom he is descended who have been the great Protectours and Propogators of the Protestant Religion and is not this a new call of his Providence that though we these years bygone have not so well manage opportunities pur in our hand for advancing the work of GOD he gives us this one opportunity more For if he had not shewed his more then ordinary care these years bygone to preserve the work that he had begun and to keep the Ark in its returning from being overturned by special casts of providence this begun deliverance had been utterly frustrated and spoiled by our ill management but O that we could admire the wisdom and goodness of GOD and I take it as a Token for good that he has preserved his begun work over the Bellie of the cunningest and strongest devices of adversaries and of the undexterous and careless management of friends The third Call To carrie on the work of Reformation is from our Mother the Church of Scotland and that natural dutie and becoming kindness that we owe to her as such who is not yet got out of her Ruines she calls to us who are her professed Children as the Jewish Church did of old to hers by the Prophet Isaiah Chap 51 18. verse Is there none to guide her among all the Sons whom She hath brought forth is there none that taketh her by the hand of all the Sons that She hath brought up They would be counted unnatural Children that would no help their natural Mother that gave them a natural life out of her afflictions and distresses how much more unnatural Children must they be that will not help that Mother out of her miseries and troubles Especially when an Eminent Opportunity is put in their hands from whom they pretend to derive a Spiritual and Eternal Life They that refuse to do this they evidence themselves to be bastards and not true sons of the Church These persons hearts are like to that Mother that said to King Solomon she would have him to divide the Child but the true Mother was of another Sentiment who said I would rather ye should be Mother false as you are than the Child should be divided And by this she discovered her naturall Affection I say then we Evidence our selves to be Bastards and not true Children of the Church that are nor for advancing the work of the House of GOD for setting up all the Pillars and Ordinances thereof The Doctrine Discipline Worship and Government of the House of the GOD of Heaven according to the Laws of the GOD of Heaven the work must not be divided and doing what in us lyes Nehemiah like for that end he was a man concerned in the City of his GOD and sepulchres of his Fathers that were lying wast he was a man that sought the well-fare of Israel And what did he I will tell you what he did he obtained Letters from the King to Reverse Letters and Orders that the Enemys of GOD had received for hindering of the building for you will see in the Book of Ezra Chap 4 from the 4 verse That the people of the Land who were Gerizzim party did exceedingly weaken the hands of the people of Judah and troubled them in the building And verse 5 They hired Counsellours against them to frustrate their purpose the S. verse gives an account who they were Rehum the Chancellour and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their Companions mentioned verse 9. And when they obtained these Letters they soon put them in execution to marr the prosperity of the People and Work of GOD as you see in the 23 verse of that Chapter Now when the Copy of Artaxerxes Letter was read before Reburn and Shimshai the scribe and their Companions they went up in haste to Jerusalem and to the Jews and made them to cease by force and power c. But honest and good Nehemiah was much concerned for this and was at no quiet till he procured Letters from the King that his stop might be taken away that stood in the way of the Reformation he is made the Remarkable Instrument to discover this plot that was for overturning the new begun Work of GOD and removing the impediments and was never at rest till he got the Work set on foot again Now if the LORD in His Wonderful and gracious Providence raise up some such Courtier or Cup bearer in our day Nehemiah-like when the case of our
Church and the Work of GOD in the Land runs so much parallel with this to get the plots and Plotters discovered that opose this begun Work of GOD the Letters ranverse and the Impediments removed and Instructions from the King to carry on the begun Work of GOD Should not this be observed as a new and Eminent call of GOD for Clearing Confirming and Encouraging all Ranks of people in the Land to build up the Walls of the LORDS Temple among us And in this glasse of Providence may we not see clearly that new Plots are like old Plots new Opposition to the Work of GOD like the old Oppositions and new Deliverances like old Deliverances The Fourth Call to carry on this begun work of Reformation is from the Noble Examples and Presidents in Scripture who when ever the Providence of GOD put an opportunity in their hands opened the doors of the House of the LORD set up the Instituted Worship of GOD and removed the corruptions and defilements that Idolaters and others had brought unto the Temple ye see a famous Instance of this Worthie of our Imitation in that good King Hezekiah 2 Chron 29 and 3 verse He in the first Year of his Reign in the first moneth opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them and he brought in the Priests and the Levites and gathered them together unto the East street and said unto them Hear me ye Levites sanctifie your selves and sanctifie the house of the LORD GOD of your fathers and carrie forth the filthiness out of the holie place Verse 6. For our fathers have trespassed and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our GOD and have foresaken him and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD and turned their backs c. See also what good Jehosaphat and tender Josiah did in this matter for Recovering and Advancing the work of Reformation as they were great men so they were greatly concerned in their day and Generation for the Truths of GOD for which they bear an honourable and savourie character in all Ages while others that were opposers of GODS work have a black mark put upon them The Fifth Call To carrie on this work of Reformation is from the eminent Apostasie and abounding wickedness and profanitie that has followed thereupon in our Land great backslidings as they call for great Repentings so also for Remarkable and great Returnings especially when GOD gives unto People repeated calls thereunto and have not we had such Remarkable and Repeated Calls both from the VVord and eminent providences GOD has again and again spoken to us in that language that he spoke to His Church in the days of Jeremiah as you may see in his third chapter the 1 the 14 and 22 verses where we have the call for Returning thrice repeated And O that the Inhabitants of our Land might give in such an answer as is recorded in that 22 verse Return ye backsliding children there is the Call and I will heal your backslidings there is the motive And O that we could give in such an answer as follows Behold we come unto Thee for Thou art the LORD our GOD. O ye who pretend to be concerned in the work of Reformation will ye see if ye can prevent Souls from going down to the pit Let there be such Laws made and revived and carefully put in execution as may suppress crying and abounding abominations inconsistent with a true and through Reformation such as Sabbath-breaking swearing drunkenness and whoredom the predominant sins in our Age that cannot but draw down vengeance on the Land if not prevented As also all Antichristianism errour and ungodliness and seeing the season of doing this is put in the hands of Magistrates and Ministers if they joyn not together and make a right use of it for the end given then it is likely to draw down that threatned judgement Ezek. 24.13 verse Because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have caused my furie to rest upon thee And that judgement which our Saviour pronounced upon that people who had a day and season of Reformation and Salvation given them but they made ill use of it and therefore you see Luke 19.41 how He laments their folly and that with tears before He pronounce their doom if thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are bid from thine eyes And we know not how soon the day may come when our Enemies shall cast a trench against us and lay us and out Temple even with the ground because we know not the time of our visitation VVe never read that Christ wept but twice and one of them was at the prospect of the death burial of His Ancient Spouse the Jewish Church VVe have had a Three years and an half Gospel-day which is thought to have been the time that CHRIST the Sun of Righteousness after He appeared to preach the Gospel shined in the Orb of Gospel Ordinances unto this Church And yet that day proved not the day of their deliverance but only of their Tryal and of ripening of them for a more desolating strock of Judgement under which they ly unto this very day And may we not be affraid that this be our very case for we have had as long a season and are like as badly to improve it And therefore I may put this Question to one and all of you to resolve VVhether this be a time of tryall or a time of deliverance that we are under for several judicious Christians do doubt of it But you who are the Members of this Honorable Parliament have an opportunity to put in your hands which if you manage well may give a decision unto this Question And O that you may have wisdom Courage and Resolution given you so to do The sixth Gall To carrie on this begun work of Reformation is GOD's promise to be with you whom he calls and employs in this publick service and this is plainly and I may say powerfully exprest in the last words of the Text for I am with you this is a clear and Comfortable promise and then he backs it with power and Authority and O that it might be so upon our hearts when he says I am with you saith the LORD of hosts This tittle JEHOVAH is thrice repeated but in the last place it is thus exprest the LORD of hosts which must import some what beyond the former two and has certainly a great Emphasis in it the scope of which I take to be for removing their fears and stirring up their Zeal and Courage As if he would say ye are but a few ct weak Companie to undertake the Reformation who have been in miserie under the Babylonish Captivitie and firy furnace of a prolonged affliction and so have not that Courage that is
necessarie to carry on my work But if you would study and endeavour to have right uptakings of me as the LORD of hosts Stronger by far than all your Enemies then ye will not be affraid to go on in the work when you see I am able to secure you against all oppositions And indeed right uptakings of GOD and his promised presence will be argument enough to put Life Courage in the most timorous Member of this house to act vigorously for GOD and his intrests when inferiour Creatures are backed with superiour they will put on courage and venter far a cowardly Souldier or Servant when he is under a couragious Captain or Master will be quite another thing than alone how much more should Magistrats Ministers and people be valiant for the truth when they have GOD to own them Psalm 118 6. The LORD is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me and how safe and secure will that Land that Church be about whom the LORD will be as a wall of fire whatever carnal reason may say to the contrair and to have God not only to be a wall of fire round about But to be the Glory in the midst of us must be a desireable state for as this will reflect comfort upon us who are lodged within such blessed Boundarie so it will reflect terrour upon the Adversaries which will make them not only not to come neat but to flee away as you have it Psal 48.3.4.5 and 6 Verse GOD is known in her palaces for a Refuge For Lo the Kings were Assembled they passed by together they saw it and so they marvelled they were troubled and hasted away fear took hold on them and pain as a Woman in Travel And O what a Rich promise have we for such a securitie if we will but answer GODS Call and be found in our dutie Zech. 2.5 For I saith the Lord will be unto her a wall of fire round about and will be the glorie in the mdst of her Why should we be affraid for if we under so many eminent Calls of GOD and so many gracious promises of his presence and conduct then we are under a Captain General that never failed his Church can accomplish their compleat deliverance over the greatest enemies that oppose it he can lay Pharaoh and his Army in the deepths of the Sea and divide the mighty waters that his Redeemed might pass through He can make the little hills and great mountains to get out of the Way Psal 114 verse 3. The sea saw it and fled Jordan was driven back The mountarns skipped like Rams the little hills like Lambs why what was the matter could not thou O Sea have kept still thy ordinary motion and currents you little hils and great mountains your ordinary posture and place and have stopped the deliverance of the Church out of Aegypt and their march towards Canaan Was it the terrour of Pharaoh and his host or of Moses and the armies of Israel that made you quite your ground and give way No no it was for none of these if they had not been headed by the Mighty GOD of Jacob it was the presence of JEHOVAH that made the Earth to tremble the depths dry up and the mountains get out of the Churches way verse 5. What ailed thee O thou Sea that thou fleddest Thou Jordan that thou wast driven back Verse 6. Ye mountains that ye skipped like Rams and ye little hills like Lambs ver 7. Tremble thou Earth at the presence of the LORD at the presence of the GOD of Jacob. What need you fear then to throw down the Groves Repair GODS Altar and build His house Gideon and Nehemiah like when the LORD of Hosts is with you may you not clearly see that your help is in the Name of the Lord but your fear is in the name of man Are you Zerubbabels Joshuas and Nehemiahs Persons in publick Trust then ye ought to carry like God because ye are in Gods place And carry by your Offices that Tittle in the World Psal 82.6 I said ye are Gods c. And among other things ye should resemble Him in Courage and Holiness are none of the least What a vile sight is it to see a drunken god or a swearing god if I may so express it And how unbecoming a thing is it also to see a trembling god You that ought to be a terrour to others and would be so if you manage that Office and Trust aright with that Courage Resolution and Boldness yet when you faint in it in order to the work of God it sayes that other persons and inferiours too are a terrour to you Now for removing of this distemper of Humane and slavish fear that Courage and Resolution may take its place Let me recommend this one Remedie unto one and all of you especially such as stand in publick Office and it is a cure with a probatum est tryed and left to Magistrates and Ministers by that great man Moses Heb. 11.27 verse it is said there He feared not the wrath of a King as seeing Him who is invisible And yet any might think he had great reason to be afraid of so potent an Enemie who with his Ancestours had detained the Church in bondage for four hundred years and so it is like questioned neither his power nor his right to detain them But the Text tells you what was the Antidote against this fear Viz. That by Faith be saw Him who is invisible his faith was at work in heaven to get God to counsel assist strengthen him while his hands were at work on Earth to relieve the Church and people of GOD from their Long and sore Bondage I wish that all the great Ones of the Land and especially such as are in publick Office had the Exercise of this Faith by which they might take up the Almighty power of God and his Every where Presence that so their fears and faint-heartedness might be removed if Moses had been possessed with many peoples fears in our day it 's like he would have made an Act of Comprehension and Compounded with Pharoah and so matted the Churches deliverance This was the Remedie that good Hezekiah also made use of to encouradge his Subjects and Souldiers against the fears and threats of a very bold and huffie Adversary as you may read 2 Chron 32. Verse 7. Be strong and Couragious be not afraid nor dismayed for the King of Assyria nor for all the multitude that is with him for there is moe with us then with him Verse 8. With him is an arm of flesh but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battels And while he made use of this excellent Remedy for their Support and Encouragement under such sad Circumstances how succesful was it for the relief of the spirits of that people Therefore it is said in the Latter part of the 8. Verse The
may get Justice Executed speedily and that without partiality 5ly You should also take special Care of Militarie or Armie Reformation that such Officers only get and keep their Commissions as are true to the Established Government You have had sufficient warnings of these things already to make you warry in time coming but I must freely tell you that friendship Interest and Covetousness doth often spoile these things Lastly You are called in your Stations to mind a National Reformation that the LORD may be worshipped according to the present Established Government which is most suitable to the Word of GOD and to which we stand greatly obliedged from the one End unto the other according to the Example of good Jehosophat 2 Chron 16 4 And Jehosophat dwelt at Jerusalem and be went out again through the people from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim and brought them back unto the LORD GOD of their Fathers Your Care and Zeal in this Matter would make you bear that excellent name in future Ages The repairers of the Breach of the Church of Seotland and the restorers of the Paths to dwell in Isa 58 12 This would be a mean to prevail with the LORD to come and dwell among us and fill his House with his Glory Magistrates should command it Ministers should preach it the People should pray for it and Souldiers oversee it where it is needful And if all persons concerned would act Cordially and unanimously with Resolution and Couradge in their several Stations as they are called and Employed I doubt not but our Land might yet be called JEHOVA Shamma the LORD is there But that I may shut up this Discourse I shall only add a few Motives and but name them to press you to this Duty The First Motive is this That if you whom GOD hath put in Publick Trust and Authority take care to build GODS House ye shall be no looser by it for this is the way to engage GOD to build and perpetuate your houses If ye will establish His Throne that he may reign in the Hearts of the Inhabitants of the Land in by his own Ordinances This will be a notable Mean for establishing the Kings Throne Proverbs 29 14 Psal 89 2 3 4 verses c. The Second Motive is this That the Generations to come will bless you who were Instrumental in your places to recover the Ruined Work of GOD in the Land and to get the pure Gospel Light set up every where To let the Wilderness-Travellers see the way to the Kingdom Will not the posterity that came After us get the good of this Reformation say blessed be such a Noble family and such a Gentlemans family and posterity who laid out themselves for the true worship of GOD who when it was ready to be swallowed up and extinguished who recovered it out of the hand of the Enemie and delivered it cleanly and safely down to us their posterity or else we had perished in superstition and darkness Thirdly This should press you to a through and universal Refotmation in the Land because it will be a notable Bulwark to defend us from the invasions of adversaries I lay it before you that are States men and are for State policie as one of Heavens politicks for the securing the Nation under the prospect of most imminent dangers you have a tryed instance of this 2 Chron 17.7 Also in the third year of Jehosophats Reign he sent to his Princes even to Banhael and to Obadiah and to Zechariab to Nathaneel and to Micajah to teach in the citys of Judah and with them he sent Levites verse 8 and 9. They taught in Judah and had the Book of the Law of the LORD with them and went throughout all the Cities of Judah and taught the people and the 10 verse tells us what a great security it brought along with it to the Land For the Fear of the LORD fell upon all the Kingdoms of the Lands that were round about Judah so that they made no war against Jehosophat this you see is the sweet advantage that arises from true through Reformation and should not this move you to make use of it and then you will have GOD's security and GOD's security is the best security Shew your selves therefore Men of Courage and Zeal for GOD and his cause and interests and ye need not question but he will be for you Lastly And I shall add no more your being active and faithful for GOD his work will upon a reflection even under troubles and tryals in this World be verie supporting and refreshing But O What a cordial will it be in a dying houre when all the Compositions of Apothecaties have lost their Relish when neither Riches nor Honours nor pleasures of this World will have any significancie with good Hezekiah Isaiah 38 2 3. verses Turn your faces to the wall pray Remember now O LORD I beseech Thee how I have walked before Thee in Truth and with a perfect Heart and have done that which is good in thy sight I say this will be the Great support and Consolations of your hearts who are persons of publick trust when ye come to the last step between time eternitie Let me therefore with all humility and earnestness Beseech you O Zerubabel his Majesties high Commissioner you who are the Officers of State and you the rest of the Members of this honourable Parliament in the words of my Text Yet Now O Zerubabel be strong saith the LORD and be strong O Joshua Son of Josedech the high Priest and be strong all ye people of the land saith the LORD and work for I am with you saith the LORD of Hosts Even so be it AMEN FINIS Col 4.17 And say to Archippus take heed to the Ministrie which thou hast received in the LORD that thou fulfill it THE Occasion of the Apostle Paul his writing this Epistle from Rome while he was Prisoner there unto this Church of Collosse seems to be from the Information he bad by Epaphras the Minister of the place holding furth the danger that that Church was into of being corrupted both in her principles and worship and that as well from Jews upon the one hand as Gentiles upon the other The Apostles scope in this Epistle is to confirm them in the Doctrine Preached by Epaphras their honest Minister and to press them to the further knowledge practice of Godliness and that both as to the General and special duties of Christianity in the conclusion of this Epistle which is from the 9 Verse to the End We have several salutations wherein some are saluted and Commended as Verses 10.11 Some saluted and exhorted that they may stand perfect and compleat in all the will of GOD as Verse 12 c. Some are saluted and directed as Verse 16 and some are saluted and admonished as in this Text And say to Archippus Take heed to the Ministrie which thou hast received in the
LORD that thou fulfill it As if the Apostle Paul would say to the People Commend me also to Archippus your Minister and tell him from me to take heed that he do not his work careleslie and by halfs But as he has received his Commission from the LORD so let him fulfil it and that by the constant and diligent performing of all the duties belonging to so great and weighty a Charge Whither this Archippus was Collegue to Epaphras or whither he was Pastor of the Laodecean Church as some Interpreters assert and the connexion with the proceeding verse seems to favour it I shall not determine and it is a matter of no great importance for wherever he was Minister it is like he was fallen Remiss in his Office A Fault that I fear too too many of us may be charged with which remissnes flows sometimes I conceive from prevalent corruption within and too much love of the world without As also from these discouragements that Ministers often meet with from their people either upon the account of their unprofitableness under the means and pains bestowed upon them or upon the account of that opposition which their people make to the work of GOD among their hands Thir words at first view fall into two parts viz. an injunction and a message The injunction is to the people in these words and say to Arcbippus the message they are to tell him from the Apostle is to take heed to his Ministrie how he has received it and how he may fulfil it aright But this verse being an Exhortation contains more particularly in it these four things First The person exhorted the Lazie Minister 2. The thing he is exhorted to take heed to thy Ministry c. 3. We have the Arguments pressing this heedfulness 1. It s a trust and persons must take heed to their trust because it is not so much their own matters as others they are to be concerned about 2. It is a great trust that Ministers have committed to them when they have the Precious and Immortal Souls of Men to take care about The fourth thing in the words is the modus or the manner how he is to notice and manage this Ministry he is to heed it and manage it so as to fulfil it And these that would discharge this Office aright must carefully mind not only the Extensiveness but also the Intensiveness of this Work for the meer tale of duties will not be sufficient to fulfil this Ministry except they have their proportionable weight and measure even such as will make them pass when tryed and weighted in the ballance of the Sanctuary Thir words affoords us three Doctrines the first Doctrine is this That People perceiving their Minister fail in the Office of his Ministry may and ought to admonish him but in Love and with all due respect to his Person and Office 1 Timothy 5.1 Rebuke not an Elder but Exhort him as a Father c. There is no power of Jurisdiction in the People from this Text to inflict Church Censures on their Minister For all that is said here inferreth no more then such an admonition as any private Christian may give him The second Doctrine is That great Heedfulness is required of Ministers in order to the right discharge of their Office The third Doctrine is That among other Considerations pressing us to fulfil this Ministry this should be none of the least that we have received it of the LORD Of the first Doctrine I shall say no more and this third Observation will be touched in the Prosecution of the second which is that I shall insist upon as being most proper to this Occasion And that I may doe it as briefly as possible I shall in the first place shew you some of these Qualifications implyed in this Heedfulness that the Text calls for which are necessary to the right fulfilling of a Mans Ministrie Secondly I shall give you the Reasons of the Doctrine and thirdly the use of All. The first Qualification then implyed here as necessary to make a Minister take heed to mannage his Office a right is Wisdom and Knowledge and that not only in the Speculative but in the practical part of Religion I think both these are needful to make a Minister apt to teach 1 Tim. 3.2 or else his Ministry will be rather Art-work then Heart-work Unsanctified witts have been in all Ages greatly prejudicial to the Church and we have not wanted sad Instances thereof in our day I say then that the Ministers of Christ must be men of Knowledge for they are Watchmen and Watchmen must have Eyes in their Head therefore they are called Seers 1 Sam. 9.9 Come let us go to the Seer they are to point out to the People their Way their Danger and their Duty as we may also see from Isaiah 21. and 6. Verse to the 13. Verse And if they be blind what hurt may suddenly befall the Church Isaiah 9. Verse 16. For the leaders of this People cause them to Erre and they that are led of them are destroyed Ignorance causes Error and Error Destruction therefore said the Apostle Paul to the Elders of Ephesus Acts 20.28 Take heed therfore unto your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed them viz With Knowledge and Understanding that they may be soundly principled right in the Faith and he gives the reason of it Verses 29. and 30. For grievous wolves will enter in amongst you speaking perverse things to corrupt your People and to draw Disciples after them Ministers should be like the beasts about Christs Throne Rev 4.6 Full of Eyes within and without before and behind Within looking to the Frame and Constitution of their own Hearts without to the Duties they ought to perform and the Snares and Dangers they must beware of in following of their Duty They must have Eyes looking before them unto God for Counsel and Direction and they must have eyes looking behind them unto the flocks which they lead Every Minister is as it were the Treasurer of the place where he lives Malachy 2.7 For the Priests lips should keep Knowledge and the people should seek the law at his mouth and if the Ministers want this Treasurie of Spiritual knowledge and Wisdom they will not be able to distinguish aright between Truth and Errour Sin and Duty They cannot instruct the Ignoant resolve doubts quiet the troubled Conscience feed the Hungry comfort the discouraged Soul Let Antichrist have blind and ignorant Watchmen but Our LORD JESUS CHRIST should have such Ministers as are throughly furnished for every Good Work 2 Tim 3 17 That the Man of GOD may be perfect throughly furnished unto all Good Works The second Qualification implyed in this Take heed for a Ministers right discharging of his Office is painfulness and diligence for knowledge must issue unto action Ministers are Angels and Angels are not only full of Eyes as
I said before but also full of Hands and Wings Ezek 1 8 And they had the Hands of a Man under their Wings on their four sides c Therefore it is said Rev 4 8 That they rest not day nor night they know much therefore they Act much The Heathen could tell us that unpractical knowledge signifies nothing Scire tuum nihil est nisi te scire hoc sciat alter And the Aegyptians painted a Tongue with a hand under it to shew that knowledge when practiced was good And we see that the blessing is not promised to the bare knowledge but to the practice of Commanded duties John 13.17 If ye know these things happie are ye if you do them and Rev 22. Verse 14. Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life and enter in through the Gates unto the City We are Spiritual harvest men and the Crop is very precious which we are to gather in If it be lost by our sloath we will pay dear for it The third qualification implyed here in this Take heed to your Ministrie is faithfulness O how much need had we to take heed that we do our Ministerial work faithfullie now faithfulness is a proportioning our obedience to the Command to be impartial in all the Administrations of the house of GOD See what a charge the Apostle Paul gives Timothie 1 Tim. 5.21 I Charge thee before GOD and the LORD JESVS CHRIST and the elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another doing nothing by partialitie Where we see that he that is partial cannot be faithful an unfaithful Minister is perfidious both to GOD and man Zeph. 3.4 It is said there their Prophets are light and Treacherous persons Treacherous Persons in the Hebrew as a Learned Interpreter observes is Viri Praevaricationum qui debitam Deo populo fidem pariter violaverint And it is the highest Treacherie that can be to be false to GOD and Robb Him of the Souls of men That is worthy of our Consideration recorded Ezek 3.20 Because thou hast not given him warning He shall die in his sin but his Blood shall I require at thine hand Now if a Minister may Perish for not warning of Sinners much more for Encouraging them to Sin by corrupt Doctrine and a Lewd life for If death be in an Gmission much more must it be in positive Evils Let me add one word more on this head that a faithful minister must be a fearless Minister he must not be affraid of the faces of men when he is to deliver the Truths of GOD. The LORD four times in one Verse Ezek. 2.6 Forbids the Prophet to fear And thou Son of man be not affraid of them neither be affraid of their words though Briers and Thorns be with thee and thou doest dwell among Scorphions Be not affraied of their words nor dismayed at their â—ooks though they be a Rebellious House A Fourth qualification necessarie for managing this office implyed in this exhortation take heed to thy Ministry is prudence which is necessarie to direct us in the dexterous management of all the parts of our work and more especially as to the Methods whereby and the Seasons wherein they may be done to the best advantage and there is no part of our Ministerial work which requires more prudence in the right managing of it then that of Reproof to do that so as it may be accepted as a kindness by the person reproved and as an excellent Oyle that will not break the head as the Psalmist expresses it Psal 141. Verse 5. Let the Righteous Smite me it shall be a kindness and let them reprove me it shall be an excellent Oyl which shall not break my head For as faithfulness and wisdom ponders the necessity of the duty So prudence does consider the fittest time and manner of application with respect to the person with what prudence and dexteritie did Nathan prepare David in that Parable 2 Sam 12. from the first Verse to the 6th before he came to touch him in the quick with Thou art the man Verse 7. Fifthly if we would take heed to fulfil this Ministrie we must be sincere and serious Ecles 9.10 And it is not Liklie that we will press Gospel Truths and holiness seriously home upon others until we know the sweet and good of them our selves and the Apostle tells us 2 Cor 1.12 Verse That sincerity in our work and walk will be no smal ground of our rejoycing when our consciences within and beholders without can testifie that we endeavoured sincerely and carefully to Manage this trust committed to us and Ministers had need to take heed to this because their work lying about spiritual things they are more apt to be deceived by hypocrisies creeping in both to their hearts and duties and many a time the frequencie of them is like to take away the fervencie of them Ministers therefore would often mind that word to keep them diligent at their work 1 Cor 9.27 Least when I preach the Gospel to others I my self be a cast away 6ly This take heed includes constancie and perservance we must not think to do this work by fits and starts Nor be like these foolish Galatians Galatians 3 chap. and 3 ver To begin in the spirit and end in the flesh we must not put our hand to the plough and look back Ye know what CHRIST says of such Luke 9.62 They are not fit for the Kingdom of GOD they are not fit for managing of his Kingdom aright in this world and if they do not that they may be affraid to be shut out of his Kingdom in the next I come next to the Reasons of the doctrine why Ministers must be very heedfull and carefull about their Ministerial work and that 1st Because it is a great trust far above any other trust in this world when immortal Souls are committed to us about which the thoughts of the most high have been concerned from Eternity and for the Redemption of which GOD manifested in the flesh shed his precious blood for espousing of whom he has put us unto the Ministrie I think we should never go this errand but with Abrahams servant Gen. 24 12. We should pray O LORD GOD and Father of My Master JESVS CHRIST Who has promised him a great backing and a numerous seed upon which he may see the satisfaction of the travel of his Soul send me good speed this day and put forth thy power in the preached Gospel that Thy people may be a willing people O but it be a high and a great calling to trade about the saving of Souls one of which is a more precious Jewel than the whole world can purchase or redeem And CHRIST tells us this out of his own Mouth Matth 16.26 Surely of all other persons Ministers should be most diligent who have both their own Souls to save and others The second reason