beset us Isa 6.6 and 7.8 when the Lord saith Whom shall I send the Prophet saith send me non tardat uncta rota but see the contrary in Moses and Ionah and this makes men in all the duties God cals them unto no longer then corruption is bribed to drive heavily Fourthly This makes all our services the more sweet unto God the more clean the heart is in them Mal. 3.4 Then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord c. Psal 66.18 But if I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear me the duty would be more valuable in Gods account Luke 21.3 The poor widdow cast in more then they all because her mite came from a purer spirit then their great gifts therefore such services of the Saints Christ cals them the honey and the honey-combe wine and milk to shew how acceptable they are Cant. 5.1 Lastly consider the glorious motives and encouragements we have therein as First the promises Ezek 47.8 and Zach. 13.2 Secondly the Spirit of Christ to be a spirit of burning Isa 4.4 and when the Church is in the purest condition yet alwaies this spirit is leading her on to perfection still the spirit and the Bride saith come Rev. 22.17 and Christ and the Father love the purity as well as the prosperity of his people and if we would set faith on work he hath promised to manifest it Iohn 14.20,21 In that day ye all know that I am in my Father in his counsel in his â—osom one with him in Majestie and in power and we have the same purposes and intentions towards sinners and you in me your nature and your infirmities you are in my bosom and in my heart cloathed with me and living with me and while I live you shall live I dyed your death and you rose my resurrection I bear your in firmities and you are filled with my fulness I pray your prayers and you weare my righteousness and I in you not only by my righteousness to justifie you but by my Spirit to purifie you by my wisdom to guide you and by my power to keep you and by my glory to Crown you You unto whom I will say Enter into the joy of your Lord these are the better promises of the Gospel and it is the lowness of mens spirits want of Christian greatness of mind grounded upon the consideration of this that is the true cause why Christians lie fettered with their old failings and out-grow their infirmities no more then they do A Set Time FOR Iudgement JER 8.7 The Stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming but my people know not the Iudgement of the Lord. EVery faithful Minister of God hath a double reference First unto the particular Flock over which God hath made him an Over-seer Acts 20.28 Secondly unto the Land in general where he lives unto whom God hath made him a watch-man to foresee danger Ezek. 3.17 and a Trumpeter to discover it Numb 10.8 For first every private Officer in the Church is to have a publike spirit and so to perform his particular duty as to have respect unto the general good a Minister is so limited to a particular Flock as he must also remember that he is the servant of the whole Church and as every particular Church hath an interest in the gifts of all 1 Cor. 3.21 so every particular Minister is to have a care of the good of all though in a more peculiar manner of the Flock committed unto his own charge Secondly there are not only Congregational and Personal sins and mercies but there are National also and there are times when God cals a people to be humbled for the one and to be thankful for the other and in both these the Ministers of the Gospel must be employed as Trumpeters to sound forth the praise of God and as watch-men to give warning of Gods displeasure and of the time and approach of Judgement Being thus debters unto both we must pay both debts in their season and be so far careful of our particular charge that also we forget not to be faithful to the Nation and Church wherein we are for this is the common Ship in which we are all embarked and if this in Judgement be cast away whether dashed against the Rock of any forraign power or swallowed up in the quick-sands of domestick divisions it must needs hazard all the passengers Or if you were sure that for your parts you might be safe would it not be a bitter thing to you to stand upon the shore and to see so glorious a Vessel as this Nation is to be cast away to see this glorions Land defaced the blessed Gospel polluted the golden Candlestick removed it cannot but affect men that have any bowels Or if this move you not yet to see a stranger to Lord it in thy habitation and thy dwelling to cast thee out for your delightsom dwellings your pleasant and well-tilled fields to be made a prey and for you to sow and another to reap Impius has segetes c. for the delicate woman upon whom the wind must not blow and that scarce dares venter to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for tenderness Deut. 28.26 to be exposed to the lusts and cruelty of an enemy and to be glad to flie away naked to prolong a miserable life which they would be glad to part with for death were it not for fear of the exchange for the tender mother to look upon the child of her womb and consider Must this child in whom I have placed the hope of my age for omnis in Ascanioâ—stat chari cura parentis he that hath been so tenderly bred up must he fall into the rough hands of a bloody souldier skilful to destroy it had been well for me if God had given me a miscarrying womb and dry breasts rather then to bring forth children unto murderers if you might be safe how could you endure thus to see the evil that should come upon your people and the destruction of your kindred as it was her expression Hest 8 6. I do not Rhetorize and fawn to draw your affections your Brethren are a sad Comment upon what I have spoken and Ireland the stage upon which you may see this Tragedy acted before your eyes And is this nothing unto all you that pass by are you nothing concerned in the misery of your Brethren is not the Lord come neer un to you and may not you be consumed by the same fire tunc tua res agitur c. is not Iudah neerly concerned in the desolation of Israel can we see the dealing of the Lord with our Brethren say I shall sit down as a Ladyfor ever I shall see no forrow shal we say when the over-flowing scourge shall pass over it shall not come at us Isa 28.15 shall we
give us is this Doctrine Holiness is the only way to happiness there is no seeing of God in glory without it none shall see God but the holy man And here for the right understanding of it we are to consider holiness three waies First quoad principium according unto the principle of it and that is Regeneration when the seeds of holyness that is holy principles are sown a new image is begun Secondly quoad incrementum according to the increase of it which is sanctification by which he that is new born to God grows up to the perfection of those habits received in the fear of God Thirdly quoad exercitium for the putting forth of those inward improved principles in a way of holy walking and this is in Scripture called obedience without holiness in all these suitable to the time and means that God doth vouchsafe man in a measure of truth and sincerity there is no hope to see the Lord. First Holiness quoad principium which is commonly called regeneration and without this there is no salvation John 3.3 Jesus said verily verily c. except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God we have first the manner of the assertion first nota dignitatis there is no truth but is a beam from the father of light but there are some truths more precious and of greater worth then others Secondly not a certitudinis all his words are true yet he doth set a special impress of truth for to be observed upon some words more then upon others Secondly the thing asserted except a man be born from above non unius partis correctionem sed totius naturae renovationem designat Calvin Calv. T is not the understanding is blind Labour to get it illightned the morals are ill Labour to reform them it is not the change of a mans way or his leaving some sins and taking up the practise of some duties but it must be A new nature as if he were new born into the world 2 Cor. 5.17 thou must have a divine nature a new creature there is nothing of the old building will serve all things must become new t is called therefore the new creation of God Thirdly the universality of the assertion aequivalet universali what age or calling or condition soever though this man were one that lived in the Church a Pharisee civil in his Conversation a Saint in his generation he was a man that had attained a more then ordinary pitch of knowledge a teacher and of a good disposition a man not bitter against Christ as the rest of his sect were and yet Christ saith to him he must be born again a man may be a member of a Church of a loving and ingenuous disposition a fair and unblamable conversation and a man of that eminency in knowledge that he may be a teacher of others and yet this man must be born again or he cannot see the Kingdom of God Fourthly the necessity he puts upon it also the Kingdom of God is both the Kingdom of grace here and hereafter of glory and to see it is frui to enjoy it participem fieri as ver 5. he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God so that to see it is to enter into or to have a mans own part and portion in it with the rest of the Saints so that let a man be never so great in the world never so eminent for profession let his outward carriage be never so upright nay Angelical yet if he hath no birth but his first birth he is not in Gods account a member of this Kingdom of grace nor hath any right to the priviledges of it here or of the Kingdom of glory hereafter he hath no part or portion therein There are two parables by which Christ doth hold this forth to us clearly first that of the marriage of the Kings son Matth. 22. there is a guest that comes without a wedding garment it is not a sleight thing to come to the ordinances in the Gospel in an unregenerate state if there be but one the King will come in to see the guests this wedding garment is Christ put on by faith in a work of vocation and the image of Christ begins in a man in the work of regeneration and he shall be cast out from the wedding that is so in the day when the Lord shall come and visit the guests so that parable of the foolish Virgins Math. 25. First Virgins they were and kept their garments from gross pollutions Secondly they were Professors and they joyned in society wih the wise Thirdly in high esteem they were for they had oyl in their Lamps they did shine as Lights in the world Fourthly they held out with great expectation unto the coming of the Lord for they went out to meet the Bride and yet they were shut out when the Bridegroom came because they had oyl in their Lamps but none in their Vessels the gifts of the Spirit of God are of two sorts some qualifying as the Spirit is forma assistens and works upon them in acts and this is oyl enough to cause them to make a profession and to shine as Lights in the world but some are renewing as the Spirit is forma informans A spirit dwelling in the Saints as a fountain of living Waters springing up to Everlasting life Now they that had the one without the other were shut out with I know you not c. And we have one famous instance in the Scripture and that is of Timothy he was born in the Church of godly Parents there was faith unfeigned in his grandmother Lois c. he was one Religiously educated for he knew the Scripture from a child and he was a child of a great deal of forwardness in so much that the People of God had great hopes of him there were many Prophesies that forespake him that he would be an eminent and a blessed instrument in the Church of God Paul saith according to the Prophesie forespoken that went of thee and yet for all this there had been no Salvation for Timothy but that he was begotten by Paul through the Gospel He is my own son in the faith 1 Tim. 1.2 And the reasons of it are two First it is in Regeneration that a man receives a new and another spirit 1 Cor. 2.12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God My servant Caleb hath another spirit saith God Numb 14.24 There is a double spirit that acts all Mankind all unregenerate men are under the power of the devil who is the spirit of the world the world lies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Ioh. 5.19 In aliquo posicum esse est sub ejus esse potestate Camer And this spirit acts and effects works in all the children of disobedience yea even in the elect before their conversion before their regeneration the strong man armed keeps the house till a
sense of the Gospel I will give you six rules briefly I beseech you carry theâ— home with you and the Lord carry them to your hearts First a man that i truly holy according to the sense of the Gospel is truly affected with the honor and dishonor of God for holiness exalts God I say holiness exalts God in Joshua 7.9 Israel had fallen before the men of At their enemies what is it now that troubles Joshuah most Israel flyes before their enemies Lord what wilt thou do for thy great name truly though we should perish and our names be rooted out from under heaven our names rot in the earth it were no great matter but thy name Lord saith he I am not able to bear the thought of it what wilt thou do to thy great name so likewise David The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me he could have born any thing better then that God should have been dishonored my cyes gush out with Rivers of water because men keep not thy Law malo in nos murmur hominum quam in Deum Bernard I remember it is Bernards expression rather saith he let men vent their displeasure against us then against God bonum est mihi si dignetur Deus me uti pro clypeo if the Lord would please to make use of me to keep off reproaches and injuries from himself it would be satisfaction enough to me let my name be blotted never so much if Gods name be not spotted if his name be not profaned it is enough Now if I should put you to examine your hearts by this Is Gods glory dear to you and do you say profaned be my name so as Gods name be honored is there nothing better to you in this world like to this my conscience answers in the presence of God to such a question as this Truly my Brethren I am afraid few of you can say in truth that the Lord is thus exalted in your souls how is it that the dishonors done to God either we make matter of scoff or otherwise it doth but draw out our envies and invectives but it is not matter of drooping continually upon our Spirits there are few Ages that you shall read of wherein the name of God hath been higher in a more impudent way dishonored then in this Age I may say it with boldness with more open face a Whores forehead that cannot blush and yet notwithstanding where be the morners in Sion where be those that do say My estate doth me no good and my honor doth me no good nor never will while I enjoy it without God while I see God dishonored Well certainly suitable to the measure of holiness that is in any man so will his affections be to the honor of God and where this affection is not in truth there is no holiness in truth This is the first thing The second sign that I shall give you to examine your selves by is this Where holiness is in truth there the heart is mightily affected unto the truth of God which is the foundation of boliness sanctifie them by thy truth it is the expression in Joh. 17. then Truth is the foundation of sanctification whensoever holiness is in truth then the man is mightily affected to truth I do reuâ—ember it was an excellent rule that Virenencius gave long ago Virenenc quo quis sanctior co promptior novellis contraire the more holy any man is saith he the more his heart goes against all humane inventions contrary to the truths of God Why now should I put you upon the tryal by this have not you all Truths corrupt even to the very foundation those in this City that dispute whether there be a God or no to the very foundation that deny the God-head of Christ and of the Spirit deny the truth of the Scriptures why now how I pray you doâ—h this sit upon your spirits how are you affected with truth for truth is the mother of holiness and I say unto you it will bear a child-like affection thereunto my Brethren will you give me leave a little to speak plainly to you the great design that Satan hath I conceive in this present age the great design for he hath many but I say the Great design I look upon to be this So to dispute all things as that in matters of Religion men might look upon nothing as certain dispute all things that so you may be certain of nothing for this hath been the great business and truly I must though some of them go under the name of Saints I must say they are highly the instruments of the Devil in it I fay the great business of these latter years hath been this it hath been to dispute principles and overthrow foundations Augustine Augustine saith there are two waies by which the Devil draws men from Christ one in a time of peace and another in a time of persecution in a time of persecution coget homines negare Christum he compels men to deny Christ in the time of persecution But in the time of prosperity docet he teacheth men then to deny Christ he finds out such Doctrines as shall teach men handsomly to deny Christ and to defend it when he hath done O my Brethren how doth this sit upon your Spirits It was Luthers saying Luther Spiritus sanctus Scepticus non est the holy Spirit is not a Sceptical Spirit there is little of that Spirit in this Land Christianism is turned to Sceptism question every thing and dispute every thing and men look upon it as a great piece of Religion to maintain that there is no certainty in Religion and truly this is the way of the wise men of our times Why now consider two things are added hereunto One is to prosecute this design the Ministry must first be undervalued that by that means there may be way made that they may be suppressed for while these men live they do say in their own bosoms so much as Saul did of David to Ionathan while the son of Iesse liveth saith he thy Kingdom will never be established they do say so that these new waies of Religion will never be established so long as some of these men continue they do say that this is the Heir let us kill him and the inheritance will be ours we shall never be the great Preachers till then nor our lights and opinions will never be entertained for Gospel till then for so what was the advice of Consenus the Jesuite a great while ago and truly this is the very truth for as it is justly to be feared you have a great many among you so those that are acted among you are acted very much by a Jesuitical principle and what was his advice he wisheth them by all means to take away the Ministry but saith do it not all at once but take away some first and disgrace the rest and so by that means a way will
let the things that are present be sufficient to thee whether I have much or little honour or disgrace it is that that is present Now for a man to subscribe to the dealing of God and to lay his hand upon his mouth and to say This is the disposing of a wise Father it is but in viaticum it is not in praemium it is but for my passage it is not for my reward then I say for a man to say truly Whatsoever I have here if it be but enough to land me sase in an other world it is all I care for O my Brethren this is the pitch that the Saints of God now set to themselves where there is holiness I say these difficult duties the soul propounds unto itself But Further yet Where there is holiness it propounds this To look upon suffering as a gift in Phil. 1.29 to you it is given not only to believe but to suffer for the name of the Lord Jesus Men can look upon imployment as a gift sometimes if God will set them in honorable service O but to look upon sufferings as honorable as if a man by that were to fill up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ this is that pitch which the Saints set to themselves the mark they aim at is such difficult duties as these are to look upon suffering as a gift to say as in Jam. 1.9 Let the brother of low degree rejoyce that he is exalied I there is reason for that I but shall the brother of high degree rejoyce that he is made low Yes that God hath called thee to any condition to do good O that is a spiritual heart indeed that is a holy heart indeed Besides there is yet another great truth and that is to have such a spirit willing to go alone in duties and not to be turned out of the way that if I am brought to duty though I am left alone yet notwithstanding the duty is mine the special assistance is Gods Man is a sociable Creature indeed and he is in a great measure like a drop emptyed into the Sea he is mightily apt to swim down with the tide O t is a hard matter for a man to be willing in duty to go alone yet so it was with Paul At my first Answer all men for sook me no man stood by me for a man to say One God is sufficient as Mr Calvin I remember hath it upon Zach. 9.12 Go to the strong holds ye prisoners of hope Strong holds they had no strong hold the City was burnt and the Temple destroyed and they had no strong hold to betake themselves to turn to your strong holds Satis praesidii in uno Deo but yet notwithstanding saith he there was succour enough in one God So saith the soul There is society and communion enough in one God if no man stand by me in duty yet notwithstanding the Lord will for a man to go alone and not to balk nor to be turned out of the way because he is deserted by men either by a principle of falshood or Cowardice truly this is one of the difficultest duties of Religion There is one thing more I see I must break off I will but name this one thing and that is To have a mans spirit raised by opposition that the more he doth meet with opposition in a way of duty the more resolute he is for it so far is he from being afraid of the threatnings of men of the frowns of men he shall lose this mans favour incur such a mans displeasure and lose such an advantage and opportunity no his spirit riseth far more for it it is with such a man as it is with the fire in winter the fire burns the hotter because of the coldness of the air so it is with such a soul that is truly inflamed Come to David and tell him O there is a Goliah and he is come out with a spear like a Weavers beam and there is one that bears his target goes before him where is he saith David I will fight with him saith he his spirit doth not fall by difficulties but riseth I am not afraid of any uncircumcised Philistim my Brethren this is a true noble spirit holy greatness of mind lies in this when a mans spirit is born up upon the greatness of his God and the goodness of his Cause it is a base spirit that is born up by the strength of his party I have so many men on my side alass my Brethren that is a base spirit but I say here is a true noble spirit the greatness of his God and the goodness of his Cause and if that will not bear me out saith the soul let me sink in it I am content to perish I remember a godly man the Lord saith he will make Jeremiahs face like an Adamant saith he like an Adamant the hardest of stones truly then let the storm come and the Adamant that shrinks not it fears not it changeth not its hue no not a jot the Adamant is the same Certainly my Beloved this is the Motio of every truly noble spirit Nec spe nec timore it is neither hope nor fear that acts me I can neither hope for any thing ne ther truly am I afraid of any thing that man can do unto me and he doth neither fear nor faint nor flie but the more difficulties rise the more doth his spirit rise I say grounded upon the greatness of his God and the goodness of his cause Now it ye be holy men you do not pick and chuse duties but the more difficult duties are the more you strive to rise to bring up your spirits to them I that is holiness not to bring down the duty to you but to keep up the Law as Paul saith the Law is holy and just and good only labour you to bring up your spirits to the rule of it If you are holy men now it will be thus with you Thirdly a holy man hates every false way and fears it and recovers out of it Psal 119.128 Rom. 12.9 the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it s to hate it as Hell it self Secondly he fears it Eccl. 9.2 he that fears an oath c. I fear nothing but sin saies the holy man Thridly he recovers himself he doth not lie in his sin Peter sinned but Peter sorrowed for his sin a good man is a living fountain will never be drawn dry grace is a living principle it doth work out the mudd in the heart by degrees as the Sun doth labour for some time with the mist but dispels it at the last the longer any man lies in sin after a fall the more unholy his heart is to sin presently after duty is a sign there hath been little communion with God in the duty and to rise presently after sin is a sign that God hath hold on the man and that the root of the matter is in him Fourthly try
success Some more and some less according as the Lord is pleased to use them or bless them and as suitable to the Churches necessities so he doth give gifts so heâ— doth give Officers also for no men are to minister in the things of God without a call from God therefore such Ordinances and Officers as the Church doth stand in need of he hath appointed and with these they ought to rest satisfied and to fancy or create no more to themselves which was the error of the first Churches when they began to degenerate and corrupt themselves when they brought in new Ordinances then did they begin to set up new officers immediately and they that will lay aside the Ordinances of God will bring in multitudes of their own as we see it in Israel they multiplyed their Idols and also they that wil lay aside the Officers of Christ wilmultiply Officers of their own Ambrose saith of the Church of God at first Ambâ—ose It did nothing without the approbation of certain Elders thereunto appointed but that being neglected doctorum desidia vel potius superbia dum soli voluerunt aliquid videri now they brought in all manner of new Officers to the great burden of the Church that under Popery they are as much burthened with officers as they are with Ordinances therefore it must be our care to have an eye to the pattern in the one as well as the other for what ever is not of the Lords appointment that he will neither own nor bless it is of such that Christ speaks of in Ioh Every plant that my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up it is those that did place themselves in Offices in the Church never planted by the Father Here are in the words two things First the Officers duty and that is first to rule and then to watch Secondly the object or subject of this authority it is not over the bodies and estates of men but their souls only Thirdly the great engagement and obligation that lies upon them so to do because they must give an account Fourthly here are the different accounts that Church Officers will give to God and that is some with joy and some with grief Secondly here is the duty of the people that are under their power First they are to obey Secondly to submit themselves Thirdly upon this ground because they are such as watch for their souls and must give an account Fourthly as knowing if it be with grief it will be unprofitable unto them And hence there are several propositions very useful to our present occasion which I will set down in their order First that the Lord Christ as head of the Church hath appointed that there shall be Officers in all the Churches there is as well an Institution of Officers and offices as there is of Ordinances and it is in a mans power to constitute the one no more then he may the other and the neglect of one is a neglect of the Institution and so of the authority of Christ as well as the other it will appear that there hath gone some great hands unto this and to manifest this appointment First Christ Eph. 4.11 it is counted there as one of his gifts which Christ gave upon his Ascension for he doth not only say that he gave the gifts that qualified men for that work and that is a mercy when the Church is enriched with gifts and the Lord doth pour out his spirit upon many of them that they be fitted for office if they be called to it 1 Cor. 1.7 2. in a Common-wealth though there be but a few Magistrates yet there be many that are fitted to be Magistrates as in an Army when the souldiers are valiant yet it s not expedient that every one is able to command a party or be an Officer c. But it is not the gifts only but the Officers also that Christ hath given his Church and they are to be looked upon as a special gift of Christ as a special fruit of his taking possession of the Kingdom when he sat down at his Fathers right hand and though they were all given for the gathering and the perfecting of the Saints yet some were but temporary others were to abide to the end of the world till all the Saints were gathered and perfected and therefore it is said that he hath set them in his Church 1 Cor. 12.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word notes a constitution a firm stablishment that cannot be changed Act. 17. the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a firm appointment and decree c. 1 Thes 5.9 God hath not appointed us to wrath but to attain salvation it s the same word So that the word signifies to appoint by a firm and a sure decree which cannot be changed he hath set them there and therefore none shall or can remove them Secondly the Holy-Ghost he also hath a hand in this Constitution Acts 20.28 Over whom the Holy-Ghost hath made you over-seers it is spoken unto Officers when they meet with the Apostles c. and for the understanding of it we must consider That the Spirit is the Mediatory Kingdom hath undertaken to be as it were a Prorex to rule for Christ therefore before the Throne there are seven Lamps of fire that is the seven spirits of God Rev. 4.5 for in the gifts and graces the Spirit is given the Gospel it s Preached by the Holy-Ghost sent down from heaven c. Now there are two things mainly that the Holy-Ghost doth in this constitution First the Spirit doth gift the men and qualifie them for the work for though there be diversity of gifts yet it is the same spirit that works in every man even as he will to one man the gifts of wisdom to another the word of knowledge but by the same spirit 1 Cor. 12.7,8,9,11 that as before Bezaleel and Aholiab did set upon the work of the Tabernacle he was filled with all wisdom by the spirit of God understanding and knowledge in all manner of work-man-ship and when Saul was called unto the Kingdom the spirit of the Lord came upon him and he was turned into another man 1 Sam. 10. Whether we do look unto the providential or spiritual Kingdom it is now in the hands of the Spirit and he knowing what works he hath to accomplish in both he doth gift men for the work in which he will employ them for though the gifts be common yet they proceed from the spirit as well as graces Secondly when a man is gifted and by the furniture of the man there is a ground to conceive God hath done it that he may employ him yet it is not enough by and by for any man to say I am gifted and therefore I will employ my self but there is another work of the spirit and that is he doth stir up the hearts of men to chuse
that hath known the terror of the Lord in himself it is a terrible thing unto him to give an account of other mens souls also Fifthly there is a different account that Officers will give at the last day some will give an account with joy and some with grief there is a double connexion First they watch for your souls obey that they may do their work with comfort watch for your souls with comfort Secondly that they may give up their account with joy for the obedience of a people is a ground of both the greatest joy of a faithful Minister of God is in this which was the great satisfaction of Christ Isa 53.10 To see the Travel of his soul the joy of harvest is the greatest joy one sows and another reaps to receive the fruit of a mans labour is as it were reaping it brings great joy 1 Thes 3.8 Now we live if you stand fast the great comfort of our lives comes in by it for it is a comfortable living to see the souls of men committed to our charge prosper 1 Thes 2.19 Ye are our glory and joy our Crown of rejoycing in the presence of the Lord Iesus Christ at his coming ye are our glory and joy next unto a mans interest in Christ and the joy that he hath at his appearance are the souls that he hath brought unto him on the contrary what they do if the people profit not they do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suspirantes its true that there shall be no sorrow of the Saints at the last day for there shall be no more sighing ou◠tears shall be all wiped away but yet there will be something that will be even matter of sorrow to them First that they have lost their labour Isa 49.45 I have laboured in vain and the labour of the officers is great it is the greatest labour 1 Thes 5.12 it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wearisom cutting labour and to look upon all this as lost in reference to the main end of it is a grievous thing Secondly that the souls of the people are lost which was the greatest care that they should dye in their sins though their blood be not required a◠their hands Oh it is sad for there is a great love in the Officers that are faithful unto the souls of the people and they ought to walk in a high degree of love towards them now to see those souls lost for whom I put up so many prayers and about whom I took so much pains it is grieving the Spirit of God to see men turn his grace into wantonness Eph. 4.30 And it will also exceedingly grieve them that are acted by the same Spirit Thirdly that I should be instrumental in their Condemnation and be a means to heighten it for it will be casier for Sodom in that day and the greater means men have had the greater will their condemnation be the greater pains any Minister hath taken with a people the greater will their Judgement be they that have been exalted up to heaven shall be brought down to Hell and in the day of Revelation when the secrets of God as well as the hearts of men shall be made manifest it shall appear how Ordinances did ripen sins and how God did make use of them to pour out spiritual Judgements by them the greatest curses come out of Sion as well as the greatest blessings Fourthly that I should be brought in as a witness against them at the last day Satan shall be the accuser but there will be three very dreadful witnesses against them First Christ then shall the King say c. Secondly Conscience a mans own thoughts will accuse him in the day that God shall judge the secrets of men Thirdly the Ministers when they that have been labouring for their good all their life time shall witness against them There is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom you trust when a man shall bring in his accusation against a disobedient and a rebellious people Mark 6.11 Shake off the dust of your feet for a testimony against them it will be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah then for them c. Sixthly From all that hath been opened we may plainly by way of use gather what manner of men Church-Officers ought to be First they must be gifted and it is this must be the ground of the Churches choice for as grace fits a man for communion with God so do gifts fit a man for the edification of the Church and who ever is chosen that is not gifted was never appointed by Christ for the Holy-Ghost doth gift men before he doth set them over any people therefore you are not to look only at the grace but at the gists of Officers every godly man is not fit for an office Secondly they must be humble men for they have a power put into their hands and an honour put upon them now it will be a snare to a proud man to be in honour and he will never use power well that is not humble the great care of officers should be that they might so walk as not to Lord it over Gods heritage they must not exercise a Lord-like authority but carry themselves in all manner of meekness and humility or else it is dangerous to put such a snare upon them it is a temptation for them to be in place Thirdly they must also be holy men such as have a care of their own souls and rightly judge of the price of a soul for they that have no care of their own souls will never have a care of yours Fourthly they must be faithful men that is faithful in labour Laying out themselves to the utmost without any respect to themselves or to their own ease for the business which they are to do concerns souls and they must be faithful in their account those that shall do all things that their office requires of them upon this consideration that we must give an account for the souls that are committed to us it is not an account unto the Church that will serve but our account must be unto him that shall Iudge quick and dead Fifthly he must be a man eminent in holiness for he must be a Leader Now there are many Saints that are not fit to lead their Officers are to walk holily before them that they may follow their example and he must also be couragious or else he will never dare venture in dangers to go before them and if he be not so he will be a man apt to mis-lead and pervert there is nothing more dangerous then to have a man of great parts and eminent place in the Church if he be a leader in an evil way men will be ready to follow him and therefore above all take heed of this that he be a man eminent in holiness and of an exemplary conversation Sixthly that he be well known and acquainted with you c. if he have not all these
grace of God to another end then that for which the Lord appointed it when men do father their lusts upon the Word of God and bear them up by it and this has always been the custom of a I falâ—e Teachers 2 Pet. 3.16 the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they doe put the Scripture upon the Rack and bending them unto their own bow they shall serve their turn which way soever their lusts work there shall be found something in Scripture that they can lay hold of for it And when men doe make use of the Doctrines of the Gospel to serve their own lust and do grow more loose and licentious under them this is to pervert the Gospel of Grace unto an end for which it was never appointed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin M. Hence there are two things to be observed First that there is a Wantonness that goes with corrupt Teachers wheresoever they are corrupt doctrines and wicked practises go together There are no men that sin with so much wantonness that is with so much licentiousness liberty and impudency as corrupt Teachers do Secondly they wil wrest the Word of God and of his grace unto this end they wil strengthen their lusts by the word and so pervert it to an end unto which it was never appointed Doct. There is a wantonness in corrupt Teachers there is both wicked doctrines and wicked practises for they both go together in the same men First this will appear by the descriptions every where given of them in the Scripture they are described and placed in the highest rank of wicked men Phil. 3.2.19 Degs they are that is unclean creatures that return unto their vomit and they are joyned with evil workers their God is their belly they meerly serve their own lusts in all that they do and they do it with a great deal of impudencie which is the highest pitch of sinning they glory in that which should be looked upon as their shame The Apostle had sayd 2 Peter 2.14.18,19 That there should bee false Teachers amongst them that should privily bring in damnable or destructive Heresies and hee describes the men having eyes full of Adultery and cannot cease to sin having their hearts exercised with covetous practises cursed children and they allure through the lusts of the flesh and much wantonness It is this that is the bait for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They do allure as with a bait 2 Tim. 3.13 Evil men and deceivers grow worse and worse There is no stay when men once are deceived themselves and do become deceivers and seducers of others the Lord doth commonly give them up in judgement unto all excesse of Riot and they sall to all manner of lasciviousness c. Secondly it must needs be so if wee consider from whence doth Heresie come We have the rise of it Revel 9.1,2 And I saw a Starre fall from Heaven unto the Earth and to him was given the Key of the bottomlesse pit and hee opâ—…ed the bottomless pit and there arose a smoak out of the pit c. It 's spoken of the Judgement of GOD poured out upon Râ—me Anti-christian in the Easterne part of the Empire And the bottomlesse pit is opened and that by a Starre that fell from Heaven For Mahomet was at first a Christian and did prosesse the Christian Religion till at last meeting with Sergius a wicked and corrupt Monk they made up between them this fardle of Heresies and Follies by which they have deceived the world Now this Star falling opened the bottomlesse pit That is it was the Instrument to let out the smoak thereof And so the Armies of Mahomet are called Reâ—el 12.15 The Serpent cast out of his mouth a flood after the woman that 's meant of the Arrian Heresie Now consider what can come out of Hell And what can come out as smoak out of the bottomlesse pit but it must needs be full of filthiness and uncleanness but hence it is that all false Doctrines come out of the mouth of the old Serpent who is uncleanness it self Thirdly they are in Scripture reâ—embled unto the wickedest men that ever were 2 Pet. 2.15 as Balaam it 's said they followed the way of Balaam who was himself a Witch and one that would be easily hired to curse the people of God for a reward and they are Jannes and Jambres 2 Tim. 3.8 who were two famous Egyptians of Aegypt There are not a more wicked generation of men in the world nor men given up to wantonness and loosness more then they Fourthly no men are so industriously wicked as they are and they will compasse Sea and Land to make a proselite and make him tenfold the child of hell when they have done more then he was before Revel 9.10,18,19 They had tayles like to Scorpions of these were the third part of men killed that is of the fire and smoak and brimstone that came out of their mouths For their power is in their mouths and in their tayls It 's spoken of the Mahumetans who as they did conquer used their utmost power to promote their Religion and the corrupt principles thereof by which they have wholly defiled even all the Easterne Chuches they had the Heads of Lyons but they had a stâ—ng in their tayle wheresoever they came they left a sting behind them and they did kill not onely by their hands but by the smoak that came out of their mouthes Their power was not onely in their mouthes but in their tayles also they did a greater mischief by their corrupt Doctrines then they did by all their power and force of arms and the men were in better condition that were killed by their hands then they that surviving were destroyed hy their tayles Fiftly the people of God have abhorr'd them as the wickedest men that ever were in the world and therefore there is no sort of sinners that the Spirit of God hath so set himself and the Spirit of his Saints so much against as these Tit. 3.10 A heretick reject c. And we are exhorted to beware of false Teachers for they come in Sheeps clothing but they were ravening Wolves By their fruits ye shall know them They be thistles and ye shal never gather grapes off them they are thorns and therfore you shal never gather figs off them 3 Joh. 10. We are charged not to receive them into our houses not communicate a word with them not to bid them God speed It was the title that John gave to Cerinthus I know thee to be primogenitus Satanae the first born of the devil Hereticks are they that have received a double portion of this spirit Sixthly they are such sort of sinners as most immediately acted by the Devil of any men in the world they have the most immediate influences from Hell and therefore Revel 16.13,14 The unclean spirit came out of the mouth of the Dâ—agon They are sent forth by his command and they doe receive a
these did labour to their utmost to retard the settlement of this people newly returned into their own Land again laboured to keep the City and Temple in their ruines and to that end by their interest and power in forraign Nations they had engaged against them even the whole authority of the Persian Monarchie Now when the hopes of the enemy grew high and when the hearts of the Saints fell low what is the way God takes to remove them now why now a Prophet must go to them he sendeth Zachariah the Prophet and bids them Return to your strong holds ye prisoners of hope your strong holds why their City was laid wast their Temple burnt with fire strong holds they had none satis praesidii in un Deo Calvin Calvin There is enough strength in one God even then when walls and fortifications fall Why now that the Lord might bear up their Spirits in this condition he reveals his mind as the manner of the Lord was in those times unto his Prophet by several Visions in an especial manner in this Chap. and the latter end of the former Chap. he doth it in a double vision In one the Lord tels him that be the powers of the enemy what they would be though they saw no help none to oppose them yet the Lord would raise up an adverse power that should break them though they knew not whence it should come And he tels them in the 21. ver of the former Chap. there were four horns that did push Ierusalem and the Lord saith I will raise up four Carpenters and they shall beat them in pieces equal to the horns so shall the Carpenters be In the next place in this Chapter the Lord shews him another vision a man with a line in his hand taking me asure of the City Ierusalem and of the Temple as the manner of Builders and Artificers is to do Jesus Christ doth usually appear to his people according to those great things that he is about to effect for them when the people were to be carried into Captivity Jesus Christ then appears cloathed in linnon with a writers Inkhorn by his side Ezek. 9.1,2 and when the instruments of vengeance come Iesus Christ comes in the midst of them the man with a writers Inkhorn was in the midst of them what to do to mark those that were written to life in Ierusalem First before the instruments of vengeance can stretch out their hands against any the man with a writers Inkhorn will set his mark upon those that are written for life But when the people returned out of captivity now Jesus Christ appears with a line in his hand for he it is that must build the Church so you have it in the 6. Chap. 12. ver Behold the man whose name is the Branch he shall build thee he shall build the Temple of the Lord no wonder then that when the Temple and City is to be built Jesus Christ appears with a line in his hand This is the Vision Now observe in this Chapter three things that I may bring you home to the words read to you First you have the Vision it self the man with a line in his hand Secondly you have the interpretation of the Vision Ierusalem shall be built and the City shall be inhabited Thirdly you have a threefold Apostrophe that the Lord infers from this First directed unto the Jews that yet continued in Babylon the Lord calls them deliver thy self Oh Sion that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon It is barrenness and lowness of spirit not to accept deliverance it is pitty but those men that say they love their Task-masters they should have their ears bored as a token of perpetual service The Lord calls upon them Oh Sion that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon deliver thy self Secondly the next is to the enemies that were their neighbours the truth is my Brethren it was a good observation that of Tertullian unto the Church Tertul. there are tot hostes quot extranei all that be strangers be enemies now the Lord speaks unto these and tells them I will shake my hand against you and they that spoyl you they shall be a spoyl to their servants their own servants shall spoil them The third and last branch of this Apostrophe is in the words that I have read unto you the words of the Text and it referrs partly to the enemies and partly to the people of God that were returned out of captivity be silent Oh all flesh for the Lord is raised up out of his holy habitation Let the enemies silence their murmurings silence their slanders Be silent Oh all people Let the Saints silence their frettings silence their doubtings for the Lord is raised up out of his boly habitation You have then in the words two things First a Proposition The Lord is raised up out of his holy habitation Secondly an inference by way of Exhortation or Command thereupon Be silent before the Lord Oh all flesh The Proposition is first in nature though it be last in place and therefore I must first speak of that and then afterwards of the Application First then the Proposition is this the Lord is raised up out of the habitation of his holiness Here are two things to be explained before I can come unto those points that I purposed to commend to you First I must shew you what is meant by the habitation of his holiness And Secondly I must shew you how the Lord is said to be raised up The habitation of his holiness is used two waies in the Scripture It is sometimes put for heaven in 2 Chron. 30. ult it is said their prayer came up to his holy habitation even unto heaven So in Isa 63 15. look down from the habitation of thy holiness and thy glory why then the habitation of the holiness of God is Heaven Secondly it is many times put for the Temple the place of Gods presence amongst his people manifested in Ordinances so the Tabernacle is called Gods habitation in 1 Sam. 2.29 And the Lord is said to be at Ierusalem Brusius Brusius interpreteth it of the former Calvin Mr. Calvin of the latter we may very well by way of subordination take in both for I conceive the sense will be made up with both all the Churches deliverances as well as all the enemies destructions they come out of heaven the sword is bathed in heaven before it comes down upon the people of Gods curse in Iudgement in Isa 34.3 and yet all these whether deliverances or destructions are obtained by the prayers of the Saints in the Temple so that you may well ascribe it to both Observe I beseech you and it is a mighty truth the Saints have as glorious a hand in the Government of the world as they shall have an eminent hand in the Judgement of the world There is a threefold Authority that was erected by Christ when the government was taken into
God ariseth he hath abundance rise with him I say if the Lord old rise alone he is able to do it but whensoever he ariseth he hath aboundance rise with him When the Lyon roars all the Beasts of the forrest tremblâ— Observe I pray you when the Lord comes to Judgement against a people if he doth but say cause the instruments of vengeance to draw neer they come every man with a slaughter weapon in his hand immediately Ezek. 9.1 so when the Lord riseth up to execute vengeance upon an enemy I will give you but one place but it is a very glorious Scripture observe it I pray you Dan. 10.20 there is an Angel come to comfort Daniel and instruct him and he tells you now saith he I go forth against the King of Persia and when I am gone forth the Prince of Grecia shall come mark God riseth up as the Text tells you for it referrs to the same when God riseth up once then truly there is an Angel up and together with him all the power of the Grecian Monarchie When I am gone forth saith he then the Prince of Grecia shall come mighty wars there were between the Grecian and the Persian until the Persian were subdued before him Now how came it to pass the Angel went out first to fight against the King of Persia when God riseth up then I say there be abundance rise with him These are the grounds of the consolation that the people of God did take from the rising of God in his providential actings for them There is a word more that I would speak to A question will rise now in every one of your mouths Oh But how should a people know when by his spiritual eyes can he discern that God is raised up we see men rise an arm of flesh but how shall we be able to say God is raised up out of his holy habitation that were comfort indeed if we could conclude that but what if men rise without God Why now in answer to that I intreate you give me leave a little When God is raised up for a people he useth to cause magnam conjunctionem a great combination as it were and a joyning together of these five things observe them I beseech you and truly I think we may speak it with thankfulness to the glorious praise of our God they have very far concurred in the Lords rising among his people in England In the first place When the Lord is awakened by prayer that is the first thing prayer is Gods way by which he is raised up Iob 8.5,6 If thou make thy supplication to him he will surely awake for thee If thou make thy supplication to him what is the reason that God was raised up for his people here he was raised up by prayer look into Zach. 11.12,13 the Lord Christ he comes and prayeth how long will it be ere thou have compassion upon Ierusalem against whom thou hast had indignation these three-score and ten years why now what is the return The Lord answereth the Angel with good words with comfortable words I am jealous for Sion as soon as ever Christ prayeth my Brethren he prayes your prayers if ever prayer arise God ariseth I am jealous for my people That is the first You shall know when God ariseth if he be awakened by prayer and truly we had cause to hope in the beginning of our troubles that the Lord did pour a large measure a plentiful measure of the Spirit of prayer upon his people Secondly when the Lord defeateth the counsels of the enemy turns their plots upon their heads I beseech you observe the Lord is known by the judgements that he executeth when the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands when the Lord takes men and burns them like Bees in their own Hive truly that is an argument God is up men could not do that God brings mens waies eminently upon their own heads you have a Scripture very remarkable Micah 4. for I dare speak nothing to you but what I have a word for I the enemy say that they would come together and they would thresh Sion why now saith God they know not the thoughts of the Lord these are their thoughts I buâ— they do not know mine why what were 〈◊〉 thoughts Gods thoughts were to make their 〈◊〉 against the people of God to be the means of their own ruine their own counsels should destoy them for so he saith they shall be gaâ—hered togeâ—er as sheaves in a flore arise and thresh O daughter of Sonâ— they thought to come together to thresh the Church I but saith God they themselves shall be threshed they shall be gathered together as sheaves to be threshed it would be horrible ingratitude for any of us to overlook the manifold appearances of God in this kind in these latter daies and not confess the Truth That is a second ground how we may know whether God arise for his people In the third place when the Lord takes away the hearts of his enemies truly my Brethren the discipline of Spirits is not in men but in the Father of Spirits when it shall be truly said the men of might have not found their hands when that shall befall them that the Lord threatneth in Nahum 3.17 their Captains shall be like the great Grass hoppers in a Sunny day the Sun ariseth and they are gone when their strong holds shall be like ripe figgs falling into the mouthes of the Eaters when God shall make the very names of men terrible to the enemies certainly God hath the Discipline of Spirits when it shall be said the sword of the Lord and the sword of Gideon and that as it is said a Barley Cake shall overthrow the Tent this is the Lords doings Certainly God doth arise In the fourth place when the Lord acteth the Spirits of his people unto high and noble and invincible resolutions draws them out to resolutions more then men when he guides their strength when he girds up their spirits to the busineâ—s in Zach. 4 6. Not by power nor by might but by my Spirit how did the Spirit of God do it truly it is the Spirit of God working in the hearts of men raising up their hearts to encounter with the greatest difficulties to look a thousand deaths in the face with boldness and elevating the spirits of men beyond what or linarily is in men this is the Lord the Lord riseth when it is so And then in the last place when the Lord goes on in waies of mercy and draws out his loving kindness sometimes the Lord may step forth for his people and he may withdraw himself again and then the misgivings of their hearts will be ready to say it is the Lord is upon us but when the Lord holds on a continual tenor of mercies when it shall be said as it was to Ioshua there is no man shall stand before thee all the daies of thy life I am with