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A57151 Preaching of Christ opened in a sermon preached at St. Peters Church in the city of Norwich at an ordination Septemb. 22, 1661 / by Edward Reynolds ... Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676. 1662 (1662) Wing R1272; ESTC R15378 18,113 56

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and plenitude of the holy Scriptures Deut. 4. 2. Prov. 30. 6. when we speak of the means of salvation of the rules principles and grounds of faith and worship of the adequate subject of Evangelical preaching we must keep to the law and testimonies if we speak not according unto them it is because there is no light in us Isa. 8. 20. no doctrine is necessary or sufficient to carry us unto Heaven but that which first came down from heaven Thus we preach Christ Jesus the Lord as the Author both of our Mission and of our Message II. We preach Christ Jesus the Lord as the Matter and substance of our preaching there is not any matter of preaching which doth not either explicite or reductive comprise Christ in it We preach Christ crucified 1 Cor. 1. 23. I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. All materials of Religion are contained under four heads Agenda Credenda Petenda Participanda duties to be done mysteries to be believed mercies to be implored seals to be imparted 1. Of the Agenda the Law is the Rule and this is a Schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ Gal. 3. 24. Consider it as Covenant of Life and so it sends us unto Christ by whose onely obedience the Righteousnesse thereof hath been fulfilled for us I am not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it Mat. 5. 17. by whose onely sufferings and satisfaction the curse thereof hath been removed from us Gal 3. 13. Christ is the end of the Law Rom. 10. 4. Consider it as a Rule of living and so also it sends us unto Christ. 1. His spiritual Doctrine openeth the sense and wideness thereof unto us for his commandment is exceeding broad this was one great end of his Sermon in the Mount to vindicate the Law from the narrow glosses which had been cast upon it 2. His most holy example leads us in the way of it that we may walk as he walked 1 Pet. 2. 21. 1 John 2. 6. 3. His holy Spirit and Grace and his love shed abroad in our hearts enable and constrain us to the obedience of it I am able saith the Apostle to do all things through Christ who strengthened me Phil. 4. 13. We must never preach the Law without Christ. As it was delivered so it must be preached In the hand of a Mediator Gal. 3. 19. when we discover the disease we must shew the Physician So God to Adam 1. Conviction where art thou then consolation the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpents head Gen. 3. 9 15. So John Baptist to the multitude first generation of Vipers then bring forth fruits worthy of Repentance Luke 3. 7 8. So Christ to Laodicea first thou art poore and blinde and naked then I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried Rev. 3. 17 18. Thus Omnia Agenda lead to Christ. 2. Omnia Credenda contained in the Gospel are comprized in Christ. 1. All the Doctrines of the Gospel as is evident by every Article of the Creed I believe in the Father as the Father of Christ By whom he made the world Col. 1. 16. and in whom he is our Father John 20. 17. I believe in the Holy Ghost who is the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 9. Gal. 4. 6. Vicarius Christi who brings him and his comforts to the soul. I believe the holy Catholick Church the Spouse of Christ the Body of Christ the fulness of him that filleth all in all Eph. 1. 23. caput corpus unus est Christus I believe the communion of Saints our communion is with the Father the son as K. of Saints 1 Joh. 1. 3. and with holy Angels and men as subjects to that King The Remission of sins and this is from him It must be preached in his Name Luke 24. 47. The resurrection of the body and this also is from him The Son quickeneth whom he will John 5. 21 25. John 11. 25. The life everlasting and this from him Christ in us the hope of glory Col. 1. 27. 2. All the Promises of the Gospel have their foundation and stability in Christ they are in him yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. He the purchaser of them by his propitiation He the procurer of them by his Impetration He the fulfiller of them by his Princely Administration 3. All the Comminations of the Gospel lead us to consider Christ as the Sanctuary and Refuge through whom they are by believers to be avoided as the Prince and Judge by whom they are upon unbelievers to be inflicted Acts 10. 42 43. 13. 39. 4. The whole Covenant of Grace leads us unto him For as the Covenant of Works was made with the first Adam in behalf of his posterity so the Covenant of Grace is made with the second Adam in behalf of his posterity He being both God and man is equally concerned in the Interests of both and accordingly he preserves Gods interest by his satisfaction and righteousnesse and mans interest by reconciliation and blessedness He is the Surety of the Covenant for the satisfaction of God Heb. 7. 22. and he is the Mediator of the Covenant for the reconciliation of man Heb. 8. 6. Thus omnia credenda lead unto him 3. Omnia Petenda All things to be prayed for do necessarily carry us unto Christ. His Father the answerer of our prayers I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Eph. 3. 14. His Spirit the Author of our prayers The Spirit of the son in our heart crieth Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. His Name the argument of our prayers Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my Name he will give it you John 16. 23 24. His Intercession the efficacy of our prayers this the Incense offered with the prayers of all Saints on the golden Altar Rev. 8. 3. 4. Omnia Participanda lead unto him Baptisme simulacrum mortis Resurrectionis Christi the image of the death and resurrection of Christ wherein we are planted and regenerated to his life and likenesse The Lords Supper the Memorial of the death of Christ wherein we feed and feast upon him as our Passover which was sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5. 7 8. In one word we preach him 1. In his Office as the Christ anointed of his Father 2. In the great Ends of those Offices which are to be our Jesus to save us and our Lord to Rule us to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance and Remission of sinnes Acts 5. 31. III. We preach Christ Jesus the Lord as the great End of all our preaching that thereby we may advance his interest and promote his designs that he may see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied That his people may be gathered his body edified his Saints perfected his enemies subdued his Gospel propagated his name glorified and he finally admired in all them that believe 2 Thes. 1. 10. These are in se
historionis It is rather pageantry than serious piety for men to preach Angelical Sermons and to live diabolical conversations ut dicta factis deficientibus erubescant as Tertullian speaks We cannot expect that other men should follow our doctrine when we our selves forsake it the greatest part of men being like sheep which go non qua eundum sed qua itur rather as they are led then as they are taught And so much of the duty here supposed the excellency necessity and manner of preaching We proceed to the object or matter of preaching expressed 1. Negatively not our selves Men may be said to preach themselves these four ways 1. When they make themselves Lords over the flock and exercise dominion over the consciences of those that hear them as if a Ministry were a Soveraignty or as if the sheep were their own to be ordered and disposed as they please this is the character which the Apostle giveth of the man of sinne that he sitteth as God in the Temple of God usurping a divine authority over the souls of men 2 Thes. 2. 4. and exercising a bloody tyranny over their bodies And therefore both our Saviour and his Apostles to prevent the danger of so tempting an ambition have left strict and severe provision against it Be not you called Rabbi for one is your Master even Christ Matth. 23. 8. 12. We have not dominion over your faith but are helpers of your joy 2 Cor. 1. 24. Not as being Lords over Gods heritage but ensamples to the flock 1 Pet. 5. 3. 2. When they make themseves the Authors of their own Ministry undertaking so weighty an employment of their own heads and running before they are sent as many did in the Prophet Jeremies time Jer. 23. 21. And many more in in the late licentious days amongst us of whom we may say as the Historian said of an obscure person that he was Homo ex se Natus they were Concionatores ex semetipsis Nati self created preachers as Agathocles a Prince of a Potter a Preacher of a Trooper men who made it the principal business of their usurped preaching to disgrace and pull down legitimate preachers and beget an undervaluing of those serious principles which they knew sober and fixed Divines would never desert and contrary unto which they were resolved to act 3. When they make themselves the Matter of their preaching prophesying lies and the deceits of their own hearts Jer. 23. 16 26. teaching for doctrines the traditions or commandments of men Mat. 15. 9. making sad the righteous and strengthning the hands of the wicked by their lies following their own spirits Ezek. 13. 3 22. venting in the place and name of Christ their own passions and animosities their own interests and jealousies their own private opinions and paradoxes somenting distempers ingenerating discontents and divisions in the hearts of the people corrupting the minds perverting the judgements ensnaring and intangling the consciences of those that hear them turning aside to vain jangling departing from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits speaking lies in hypocrisie teaching things which they ought not leading captive and deceiving the hearts of the simple sowing tares in the Lords field being the snare of a fowler in all their wayes walking in the Spirit and in falshood prophesying of wine and strong drink causing the people to erre through their lies and their lightnesse That you may keep your selves from this crimson and bloody sin often recount that dreadful intermination Deut. 18. 20 The Prophet which shall presume to speak a word in my name which I have not commanded him to speak or that shall speak in the Name of other Gods even that Prophet shall die See also Jer. 14. 14 15. Jer. 23. 11 12 15 30 31 32 39 40. Eze. 13. Eze. 34. Hos. 4. 6 9. 5. 1. 9. 7. Mic. 3. 5 6 7. Mal. 2. 1 2 3. 8. 9. Mat. 23. 13. 29. 2 Cor. 11. 13 14 15. Gal. 1. 8 9. 2 Pet. 2. 1 2 3. 4. When they make themselves the End of their preaching making so holy an Ordinance subservient to their vain glory or ambitious pursuits or filthy lucre or plausible compliance or private interests as the Pharisees who for a pretence made long prayers that they might devoure widows Houses supposing gain to be godlinesse as the Apostle speaks 1 Tim. 6. 5. when they pursue crooked and indirect aimes of their own oftentation of learning inticing words of mens wisdom commending themselves pleasing others 1 Co● 2. 4. 2 Cor. 10. 12. Gal. 1. 10. quite contrary to the practise of the holy Apostle who in his Function and Ministry walked not in craftiness handled not the Word of God deceitfully 2 Cor. 4. 2. did not exhort out of uncleanness or in guile used not flattering words nor a cloak of Covetousnesse pleased not men nor sought glory of any 1 Thes. 2. ● 6. but made it his onely end to please God and by all means to save souls to manage his Masters interest and not his own that Christ alone might be glorified in the hearts of men for how much so ever we attribute to our selves so much we detract from Christ. Whom the Apostle makes the sole matter of his preaching Which leads to the positive part of our preaching Christ Jesus the Lord whereby is intimated that the Lord Jesus is both the Author the Object and the End of all our preaching 1. The Lord Jesus is the Authour and Instituter of this service in his Church how high a presumption it is for men to intrude into a Ministry without a call and warrant from God the sad examples of Corah Dathan Abiram Vzziah the vagabond Exorcists Acts 19. 13 16. and others do abundantly testifie And therefore as Aaron was solemnly separated to minister to the Lord 1 Chron. 23. 13. and in like manner Christ was called of God an high Priest after the Order of Melchizedec Heb. 5. 5 6 7 10. Even so were his Apostles sent by him Mat. 28. 19. and by authority from him did they ordain others unto the same service Act. 14. 23. and direct the same course to be observed afterwards 2 Tim. 2. 2. Tit. 1. 5. from him then and those whom he hath appointed must we receive both our mission and our message our whole Ministry we must receive in the Lord as it is said of Archippus Col. 4. 17. It must be given and committed to us before we presume to take unto our selves the stiles of Ambassadors for Christ 2 Cor. 5. 18 19 20. Joh. 3. 27. 1. From him we must have our Mission for how shall they preach except they be sent saith the Apostle Rom. 10. 14. an Honor must not be undertaken without a Call No man taketh this honour unto himself but he that is called of God Heb. 5. 4. the Ministerial Function is an honour as the Apostle sheweth 1 Tim. 5. 17. A Trust must not be undertaken without a Call the Ministry is a Trust and