O be quickned the Lord will not endure a dead people get life if yee be wise it is but a folly to have a name to live except yee be alive indeed Now the way for us to quicken our people is First If we be good our selves When Jehosaphat would encourage the Levites to quicken up the people Sayes he The Lord shall be with the good 2 Chron. 19. 11. Hee will blesse your labours hee will strengthen your Sermons to doe good though not to all for the greatest part are not of God yet unto his people Nay if we were good indeed wee might have hope do too much good as it is said of Barnabas he was a good man and much people were added to the Lord. Act. 11. 24. Againe Secondly wee should bee earnest with God to quicken all our hearts that so we may the better quicken our Brethren as Christ sayes to Peter when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren so we should desire God to quicken us that we may quicken our Brethren that wee may wash our hands of our people What an excellent comfort was that unto Paul When hee could take his people to record that hee was pure from the bloud of all men Act. 20. 26. Thirdly We should marke which of our people are dead Ezek. 8. 6. And then thinke what are not we guiltie of his deadnesse Fourthly Let us lay about us soundly that we not may be guilty of their sinnes in any kinde Fifthly Another Use is to let us see What a great danger Ministers are in they may be guilty of all the evill in their Parish if they doe not their duty which is a great thing to doe they have all the sinnes of their Parish lying at their doore This should keepe us from security and from pride many grow proud that are Ministers but alas they know not what an Office they have that doe so Our very Calling should make our hearts tremble and quake to think what a charge is imposed upon us This made Moses and Aaron and many a good man more so fearfull to enter upon this function No man takes this honour unto himself saith the Apostle meaning no godly man no man in his right wits no man that is well-advised what hee does but hee that is called Heb. 5. 4. as our Saviour Christ saith Pray yee the Lord of the Harvest that hee would send forth labourers into his Harvest Matth. 9. 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is in the Originall that hee would thrust forth labourers into his Harvest q. d. God will have no good labourers otherwise those that are good are not over-forward to enter into the Ministery as a Father sayes it is a burden that the very Angels shoulders would tremble under as the Apostle said Who is sufficient for these things If there were no other Argument but this in the Text it might sway all Ministers hearts in the world lest wee bee guilty of our own deadnesse and of others too Another Use should bee to the people that they would bee forward and willing to hear and greedy to drink in the word of life The want of this is the deading of many a Ministers heart I was in much bitternesse saith Ezekiel but the hand of the Lord was strong upon mee Ezek. 3. 14. that is I had had no heart at all to preach but that the hand of the Lord was exceedingly assistant unto mee whereas the forwardnesse of people is a great meanes to quicken up their Ministers When the whole City flocked in to heare Paul though the wicked were mad at it The Text saith Hee grew bold Act. 13. 44 45. When the people crowded in upon our Saviour that hee had not so much as time to eat bread Mark 3. 20. the Text shews that he so be-stirred himselfe there that his own Kinssolk thought hee had been mad Vers 21. Revel 3. 1. And unto the Angell of the Church in Sardis write these things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God c. WEE have done with the Inscription And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write Wee come now to the Subscription and that is in these words These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres Which words contain a description of the Lord Jesus Christ from whom this Epistle is sent unto the Church and hee is described very gloriously to the intent that what hee saies may bee the more reverently and seriously regarded The Description sets forth two admirable properties and royalties of our Lord Jesus Christ First That hee hath the seven Spirits of God that is hee hath the Holy Ghost to give to whomsoever hee please Secondly That he hath the seven Starres that is the Pastours and Ministers of the Church Christ hath them all in his hand to send them to gift them to assist them to preserve them to vouchsafe them to a people or to take them away as hee lists and the Ministers are called Stars because they are to shine in the firmament of the Church First then the first royalty of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is that hee hath the seven Spirits of God by the seven Spirits of God hee meanes the Holy Ghost you will say the Holy Ghost is but one Spirit By one Spirit wee are all baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 13. There is one Body and one Spirit Ephes 4. 4. Through him wee both have an accesse by one Spirit unto the Father Ephes 2. 18. The Spirit of God is but one Yee know there is but one God in three persons one Father one Sonne one holy Spirit There bee three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one 1 Joh. 5. 7. there is but one Father and one Sonne whom the Apostle there calls the Word for so hee is often called in the Scripture The Word was made flesh that is the Son of God was made flesh so there is but one Holy Ghost one Holy Spirit Why then does the Text here say of Christ that hee hath the seven Spirits of God I Answer yee may know that the Revelation uses peculiar phrases august and mysticall Now the reason why John speaks thus in the plurall number is First because hee alludes to the manner of his Visions now in his Visions the holy Ghost was thus represented unto him as yee may see Rev. 4. 5. where he saw seven Lamps of fire burning before the Throne which are the seven Spirits of God So again Rev. 5. 6. where hee saw a Lamb as it had been slain having seven hornes and seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth So that this is one reason why hee calls the Holy Ghost the seven Spirits of God because hee speaks after this manner of the Vision that hee saw Secondly another reason is because hee was to write to the seven Churches of
For the place of his exile was like Pauls third Heaven unto him he was ravisht in the Spirit on the Lords day and had abundance of revelations vouchsafed unto him of the things that should occurre in the Church and out from thence unto the end of the world Before which he hath a charge given him to write to the seven Churches of Asia chap. 1. the Church of Ephesus the Church of Smyrna and of Pergamus and of Thyatira these foure are written unto in the second Chapter the other three are written unto in this the Church of Sardis and the Church of Philadelphia and the Church of Laodicea Now that which I have chosen to handle and if God afford liberty I desire to goe through it is the Epistle unto the Church of Sardis wherein we may consider foure things First The Inscription containing a specification whom the Epistle is specially directed unto And to the Angel of the Church in Sardis write Secondly the Subscription containing a description of the Lord Jesus Christ the King of the Church These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres I call it a subscription because in our letters we use to subscribe our names or to write our names beneath at the latter end But it may be called rather a suprascription as Kings write their names above for honours sake so does Christ the King of Sion write his Name above Thirdly the substance or matter of the Epistle I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Be watchfull strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God c. vers 1 2 3 4. Fourthly the conclusion He that overcommeth the same shall be clothed in white raiment c. v. 5 6. First I say the Inscription And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write In which words Saint John is directed whom to inscribe this Epistle unto and that is unto the Church which is in Sardis but especially unto the Angel of it that is the Minister or Ministers of it for that 's the meaning of Angel in this place Secondly for the Subscription or rather suprascription that contains the description of the Lord Jesus Christ from whom the Epistle is sent and he is described by two Royalties the first is in having of the seven Spirits of God These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God that is that hath power to send the holy Ghost unto all the Elect for so the holy Ghost is called the seven Spirits that are before the Throne Rev. 1. 4. He meanes there the holy Ghost not as though there were seven holy Ghosts but he is expressed in the plurall number in regard of the abundance of graces that he infuses into his Churches and the number seven is rather taken then any other number partly because this number is put for a perfect number as implying the perfection of his influence partly because of the present businesse in hand for here he writes to the seven Churches of Asia Now the Lord Jesus Christ hath Spirit enough to send forth into them all This is his first Royalty that he hath the seven spirits of God Another Royalty of his is that he hath the seven Starres that is the seven Pastors of these Churches Christ hath them all in his hand it is he that preserves those Ministers that are faithfull he hath power to raise them up to gift them to protect them to defend them and they are called Stars because they are to shine in the firmament of the Church Thirdly for the substance and matter of the Epistle it containeth three parts First a Reproofe and the reproofe is in these words I know thy works that is I know them all and they are stark naught for the most part what ever they seem they may seem to be very good but I tell you plainly I know them all what they be q. d. generally they are stark naught and then he instances in particular as for example thy deadnesse of heart in Religion Thou hast a name to live but thou art dead that is thou goest for an excellent Minister and and excellent Church ye doe professe Religion very fairly and in a goodly manner that to see to thou art alive and thou art taken so too of all thy Neighbour-churches they all think and hope thou art alive but the truth is thou art dead the grace of life is hardly in thee at all This is the first the Reproof Then secondly here 's a remedy annexed for he does not reprove them out of any ill will but for their good and so he prescribes them a remedy and the remedy is twofold The first is To strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die q. d. as many of you as are not quite and clean dead stirre up your selves quicken up your hearts and this is amplified by shewing how they should doe thus O be watchfull sayes he q. d. that is the reason why ye languish in this fashion and yee will languish more and more because yee are not watchfull therefore Be watchfull and also by rendring a motive to presse this remedy For I have not found thy works perfect before God that is thou art hardly sincere a jot thou art full of hypocrisie and rottennesse and formality and thou wilt lose all thy labour if thou dost not look well about thee therefore shake up thy selfe and strengthen the things that remain This is the first remedy The second remedy is to repent and this is amplified by shewing how and that is two wayes First Remember how thou hast received and heard that is consider how thou hast been taught and bewaile thy declinings for thou art horribly departed from what thou hast learned in the Ministery of the word Secondly Hold fast that is so bewail thy warpings wanings and degeneratings that thou mayst get up againe hold thee fast there when thou art up Now lest they should neglect the using of this remedy the Lord Jesus sharpens his speech with a threatning telling them the danger if they will not be awakened If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thiefe and thou shalt not know what houre I will come upon thee This is the second part of the matter of this Epistle the Remedy Thirdly another part of the matter of this Epistle is a commendation of some particular persons in the Church that were not carried away in the deadnesse of the times and these he does praise very much and he gives them an excellent promise the praise is in these words Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments that is there be some among you though they be but a few that have not been sutted and soyled with others bad examples though others be dead yet they are not dead too for company
Churches in Asia to Ephesus to Smyrna to Pergamus to Thyatira to Sardis to Philadelphia and Laodicea The third is the conclusion of every Epistle Where it is said thus Hee that hath an eare let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Rev. 3. 6. and so it is at the closure of every Letter to all the rest of the Churches and therefore the Holy Ghost there accuses the Church of Sardis of deadnesse I know thy works that thou art dead and yet hee directs it to the Minister of the Church as a thing that concernes him and that may bee laid to his charge and that hee is faulty in To the Angel of the Church in Sardis write I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead That is thou hast a dead-hearted people and thou art the cause of it Thou dost not doe thy duty thou dost not doe what lies in thee for to quicken them But thou art too remisse in thy Ministery and therefore their deadnesse may bee imputed unto thee Thus you see the Doctrine is very plain from the words The good or bad estate of a people dependeth much upon the Minister Commonly wee see it so fall out as the Prophet Hosea said Like people like Priest Hos 4. 9. Like sheepherd like sheep Such as the builder is such is the building as is the Husbandman so is the husbandry This wee may finde throughout all these Epistles where the Minister is commended the people are commended Where the Minister is taxed the people are taxed And therefore they stand and fall together they swim and sink together a wicked Minister a wicked people an ignorant Minister an ignorant people and so a good Minister the people either are a good people or else they are Monsters nay if the Minister bee good though the world in his Parish bee never so wretched yet hee hath a good people the Church of God in his Parish is very good commonly Well then wee have gotten our point out The Minister may bee in fault that the people are dead I doe not say it is alwaies thus For first the Minister may bee lively and yet the people dead The Lord tells us that Ezekiel had a stiffe-hearted people Ezek. 2. 4. and yet hee was not to bee blamed themselves were in all the fault So Isaiah had a dull-hearted people All the day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gain-saying people Rom. 10. 21. and therefore I doe not say it was alwaies thus Nay Secondly sometimes the people are the cause of the Ministers deadnesse The Jewes hardnesse of heart under the Ministery of Jonas was the cause why Jonas had no heart to goe unto Niniveh O thought hee if Israel will not heare mee much lesse will Niniveh heare mee Thus the people deaded Jeremiah at one time that hee had little or no heart to preach for a fit Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name Jer. 20. 9. Thus Ezekiel was deaded a while by his people too I came to them of the Captivity at Telabib and I sate where they sate and remained there astonisht among them seven daies Ezek. 3. 15. The Lord was fain to rowze his heart up and to tell him hee would require their blood of him before hee could pluck up a good heart to Preach livelily among them The people deaded him Nay more Thirdly sometimes the Lord locks up his good Ministers and suffers them to bee straitned in their utterance and other gifts May bee the people are ready to lay all the blame upon their Ministers O how tongue-tyed are they and it is their negligence and torpor Whereas it is for the peoples sinnes thus the Lord lockt up Ezekiel for the peoples sinnes I will make thy tongue cleave to the roofe of thy mouth and thou shalt bee dumb and shalt not bee to them areprover for they are a rebellious house Ezek. 3. 26. Nay Fourthly Sometimes peoples sinnes are the cause why their Ministers are quite dead and have no life at all in them the Lord sends foolish Ministers among them meerely because of their sinnes So it was in Hosea's time The Prophet is a foole the spirituall man is mad for the multitudes of thy iniquity Hos 9. 7. Mark they had fooles for their Ministers fooles besotted Ministers giddy Ministers Ministers that were wilde and like mad men you will say these were the causes of much sin to the people No saith the Text the peoples sinnes were the cause of such Ministers The Prephet is a foole the spirituall man mad for the multitude of thine iniquity These foure exceptions then there been of the point Otherwise the point is too too true that the Minister may bee in fault that the people are dead You see here the Church of Sardis was grown dead and the Lord faults the Angel of the Church for it I know thy works that thou art dead The like is said of Laodicea Loadicea was grown horrible lukewarme no zeale of God they were neither hot nor cold and the Lord imputes it to the Angel of Laodicea I know thy works that thou art neither hot nor cold and therefore I will spue thee out of my mouth Revel 3. 14 15 16. The same is said of the Church of Ephesus that they had left their first love and yet the Lord hits the Angell in the teeth with it I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love Rev. 2. 4. Beloved the last day I spake of the Ministers concord and unity to the Angel of the Church all the Ministers should bee as one man as if they made up one and the same Angel And therefore our Saviour Christ made choyce of Brethren and Kinksfolkes Simon and Andrew his Brother James and John his Brother St. Peters bark is a fisher-boat not a man of Warre it is not furnisht with mortall Engines but onely with nets to catch fish If Peter were reproved for drawing upon Malchus what reproofe had hee been worthy of if hee had drawn upon any of his fellows this was the Theme that wee spake of the last day Now then let us speak of the influence that a Minister hath in his people hee may bee the cause of his peoples deadnesse if hee doe not take heed And this hee may bee three waies first by his not preaching secondly by his dead manner of preaching thirdly by his dead manner of Life and Conversation First I say by his not preaching yee know the Word of God is the word of life Phil. 2. 16. The Word is that which quickeneth the heart as David saith Thy Word hath quickned mee Psal 119. 50. Now when Ministers doe not preach it this deads peoples hearts Wee see this in those places where the due preaching of the Word is wanting people are dead to all goodnesse nay they that had some quicknesse in them before doe lose them
Asia Now hee speaks of the Holy Ghost in the same number because that one and the same Holy Ghost is severally and intirely powred upon them all The Spirit of God was in Ephesus and the Spirit of God was in Smyrna and the Spirit of God was in Pergamos and so in Thyatira and so in Sardis and Philadelphia and Laodicea and therefore hee calls him the seven Spirits of God though hee bee but one and the same Spirit Thirdly hee calls him the seven Spirits of God by a common Metalepsis of putting the effects for the cause because there bee many and sundry gifts and graces of the holy Spirit of God the number seven being put to signifie the perfection of them and the universallnesse of them Now that the seven spirits of God are nothing else but that one and the same holy Spirit of God is plain out of Rev. 1. 4 5. John to the seven Churches in Asia Grace bee unto you and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come and from the seven Spirits which are before his Throne and from Jesus Christ which is the faithfull witnesse Which words are Saint Johns saluting of the seven Churches in Asia wherin hee wishes them all grace from the blessed Trinity q. d. Grace bee to you and peace from God the Father and from the holy Spirit of God and from the Lord Jesus Christ the faithfull and true witnesse Calling the Father which was which is which is to come and the Lord Jesus Christ the faithfull and true witnesse and the Holy Ghost the seven Spirits of God It is the very self same salutation that Paul uses in all his Epistles in effect saving that this is more full and more lofty and august Now then by the seven Spirits of God hee cannot mean any creature or creatures as Angels or so but hee must needs mean the Holy Ghost because hee prayes for grace from the seven Spirits of God which no creature is able to give Yee know God onely can give grace God onely is the Authour of all grace Hee onely can justifie and sanctifie and quicken and give a man eternall life as James Every good and perfect gift commeth from above Jam. 1. 17. It were Idolatry in John to wish to the Churches grace from the seven Spirits of God if hee meant by them any Angels or any other creatures Wee might worship the Angels if they were able to give us grace wee might pray to them and serve them and feare them and adore them if they could bee the Authours of grace to us Now this is Idolatry Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Matth. 4. 10. Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom bee glory for ever Amen Rom. 11. 36. Yee know it is the glory of God to bee the Cause of all grace Now what saies God I am the Lord that is my Name and my glory will I not give to another Isa 42. 8. Well then you see what is here meant by the seven Spirits of God even the holy Ghost himself that one the same holy Spirit of God These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God that is these things saith Christ that hath the holy Spirit of God to give him to whomsoever hee pleases Not as though that were all that Christ hath the holy Spirit of God for so Paul had the holy Spirit of God I suppose also that I have the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 7. 40. so Peter and David and all the Saints all the people of God have the holy Spirit of God nay a man is dead in trespasses and sins and is a meer carcasse like a dead body without a soule that hath not the holy Spirit of God therefore that is not all the meaning of it that Christ hath the holy Spirit of God for so all the children of God have him and are quickned by him up to all goodnesse But Christ hath the holy Spirit of God that is hee hath him to give to whomsoever hee pleases But it may be objected is it not God the Father that gives the holy spirit to all his poore children I Answer Yes it is very true Hee hath him to give to whomsoever hee is pleased to give him for the Holy Ghost is his Spirit as well as Christ hee flowes from them both And therefore saith our Saviour How much more shall your Heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Luk. 11. 13. so that the Father gives the holy spirit to whom hee will but it is in Christs name Christ is the store-house of this gift When the Father gives his holy spirit unto any man it is onely in Christs name as himself speaks The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name Hee shall teach you all things Joh. 14. 26. Mark it is onely in Christs name Well now wee see the point That Christ onely hath the Holy Spirit of God to give to whom hee pleases If any poore creature would fain have the holy spirit of God to be in him hee must come to Christ for him Though the barrell bee never so full of good Wine yet when it is hoopt round about if one would have any hee must draw it at the tap so Beloved the Lord hath hoopt himself up from men hee hath closed himself up from all men by reason of mens sins hee hath shut himself up no man can have any of his holy spirit but hee must come and draw it at the tap hee must come to Jesus Christ the Lord vents himself onely in him as Christ saith hee that beleeveth on mee as the Scripture hath said Out of his belly shall slow rivers of living water What is that this spake hee of the spirit which they that beleeve on him should receive Joh. 7. 38 39. Mark Christ is the tap yee must come to him by true beleeving or yee cannot receive any of Gods holy Spirit Hee only hath him to give to them that doe imbrace him From him proceed all the graces of the Spirit that any men doe injoy This is his Roialty as being the only King and Head of the Church and the opened fountain that all that would bee saved must repaire unto Hee is the beginning of the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost proceedeth from him as hee is the Son of God and as hee is man hee is anointed with him The Spirit of the Lord is upon mee saith he Luk. 4. 18. Ho every one that would have him come unto mee for him Away with your sins and take mee abhorre all your own waies see what damnable creatures yee are in your selves whether your lusts and corruptions carrie you what will become of you if yee goe on in your own paths if yee would have grace and mercy and life and salvation come to mee The Spirit of the Lord is upon mee to powre him upon
you that yee may bee saved I say Christ is anointed with him the Lord hath given him his Spirit in abundance hee hath enough spirit to infuse into all that lay hold upon him as John saith God hath not given the Spirit by measure unto him Joh. 3. 34. No hee hath the holy Spirit without measure hee hath all store of spirituall graces to afford to them that lack a Treasurie of all heavenly blessings to inrich all his poore distressed Members The Reasons of this Point why Christ onely hath the holy Spirit of God to give where hee will are three First Because there is none but hee that God is well-pleased in God is out with all the sonnes of men by reason of sin and wickednesse they are all hatefull unto him they are odious in his sight and the whole world cannot make him and them friends again that ever hee should give them grace and favour much lesse his holy Spirit There is none in whom God is well-pleased but in his Son This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased Father and Holy Ghost Both came and rested upon him saying This is the onely Hee in whom I am well-pleased Mat. 3. 16 17. q. d. If yee get him to bee your Advocate take him and come unto mee with him then I will bee friends with you hee may help you with reconciliation with mee hee may get mee to give you my holy Spirit I am well-pleased in him and in none but him This is one Reason so that Christ onely can put his holy Spirit into thy heart and so send thee to his Father As Paul put a loving mediating letter in Onesimus his pocket and so sent him to his Master then hee will bee well-pleased with thee when thou haste Christs Letter of commendation about thee then thou mayest goe to God from day to day and bee accepted with him None can doe this for thee but onely Christ hee onely can put a mediating Letter in thy hand hee onely can give thee the intercessions of his holy Spirit Thousands goe to God in mans duties from day to day and because they are without this Christ hath not given them his holy Spirit therefore they are not accepted God is not pleased with them they pray without his spirit they cry God mercy without his spirit they seek to enter in without his spirit and so they are not admitted Now when a soule comes to Christ God is well-pleased with Christ and therefore Christ can give him this love-token Christ can give him the holy Spirit and so hee shall bee admitted into favour with God God is well-pleased in him As Pharaoh was in Joseph and therefore Joseph could present his Brethren unto Pharaoh Gen. 47. 2. If any bodie else had presented them they should never have found favour but Joseph could put acceptance upon them Pharaoh was well pleased in him So God is well pleased in his Son and therefore he can doe it and none but He. Secondly Another Reason is Because the Holy Spirit of God will never enter into man more except Gods Justice be satisfied God is resolved he will not put up those indignities that men offer unto him except they bring with them one in whom his wrath is appeased As Saint John sayes The Lambe slaine hath seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God Rev. 5. 6. That is hee hath satisfied Gods Justice and therefore he hath the Holy Spirit of God so given the Holy Spirit of God will goe to those men that he hath satisfied Gods justice for I say the Holy Spirit of God will not goe to any man without satisfaction if any one will shew him satisfaction then the Spirit of God will say I will goe where you will have mee onely let mee have satisfaction Now Beloved Christ onely can say to the Holy Spirit come a-long with me to this man here 's a satisfaction unto Justice Therefore he only hath the Spirit at his dispencing And therefore if any man would have Gods Holy Spirit he must bring the Lambe Divine slaine with him to God Lord here I have the Lamb slaine and now let me see thy face now let mee have thy Spirit as David said to Abner bring me Michol or never thinke to see my face 2 Sam. 3. 13. q. d. never come to me except thou bring mee my Michol with thee The bringing of Michol with him this might helpe him to see the Kings face So Beloved when a man getteth the Lord Jesus Christ and brings him with him to God this may helpe him to Gods Holy Spirit Bring him along with thee and thou shalt see my face thou shalt have my holy Spirit Neither will God send thee his Holy Spirit neither will the Holy Spirit come to thee otherwise Christ onely hath him to give Have Christ and have him Thirdly another Reason is why Christ hath the Holy Spirit to give Because he is flesh of our flesh and Bone of our Bone and wee may goe to him hee is the fittest to have him to give because he being man aswell as wee wee may make bold to goe to him My Brethren wee are not able to goe to God for any thing much lesse for his Spirit wee are not able to looke upon him immediately as a man is not able to looke upon the Sun-Beames in their strength specially if hee have sore eyes But let him get a Scarfe or a Cypresse and now hee may Now the Sun-beames will shine upon him through the Cypresse and not hurt him The Scarfe is able to convey unto him the Sunne-beames without dazling of him So beloved Christ is able to convey the Holy Spirit of God into any man our sore Consciences may look up to God through him he moderates Gods looke hee can make us looke God in the face in a comfortable manner Now we may aske any thing of him even his Holy Spirit and he will give him as the Apostle sayes By him we have boldnesse Eph. 3. 12. O beloved they are great things that we need We have need of such great matters that when the Conscience is awakened it can have no hope to obtaine that God should pardon such vile wrecthes as we that he should accept of such poore services as ours that he should love such filthy ones as wee are that he should give us a Kingdome and his owne Holy Spirit to enliven us to establish our hearts to be an earnest of Heaven to us how can we hope he will give us such infinite mercies Now the Lord hath put all these Blessings into the hands of his Sonne Jesus Christ that is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones Now we may boldly goe to him for them As Moses when his face shone Aaron was afraid to come neare him Exod. 34. 30. Therefore hee put a vaile over his face Now Aaron and others were able to come nigh him so before none were able to come to God for any thing
but now the Lord hath put a vaile of flesh upon himselfe by incarnating his owne Son now we may make bold The use of this is First Is it so that Christ hath the seven Spirits of God Then what hath he not He is an all sufficient Saviour He is Gods Steward God hath put all his goods into his hands No man can be assured of any thing that is good but by comming unto him All things are delivered to me of my Father Mat. 11. 27. That is I have all my fathers goods in my hand Favour Pardon Mercy Grace Comfort Heaven it selfe yea and his holy Spirit and all I have the distributing of them all He is the store-house whither all needy soules are to goe He is full of all manner of good things as John saies Of his fulnesse have we al received Joh. 1. 1â— Looke what grace any of the Saints have they have it all of him he is Gods Conduit-pipe the Lord opens himselfe only in him he is the tap he lets out Gods Blessings and Graces and Spirit like a sluce Hee is the Lord Treasurer of Heaven and Earth As Joseph in Egypt if any one would have Corne they must goe to Joseph for it if they came to Pharaoh but for a pecke or a gallon presently he sent them to Joseph so the Lord sends all that will have any drop of mercy to his Sonne if yee will not goe to my Sonne yee shall not have one drop yee shall dye in your sinnes This is my welbeloved Sonne sayes hee looke yee heare him hearken to him obey him be ruled by him bow down unto him doe as he bids you if ye anger him and will not stoop unto him if your hearts will not burst if your minds will not off from the world and other things and be wholly intent unto him if yee slight him and suffer vain things to draw away your affections and thoughts and meditations from him there is no redemption for you No Salvation but onely by beleeving in his name he hath all the seven Spirits of God no Spirit of Grace at all can be had but onely of him he was the Rocke that Moses must stand on that the glory of Gods goodnesse might passe before him Secondly Another use is hath Christ the seven Spirits of God then wee are without excuse if wee be without the Holy Spirit of God Christ hath him to give and yet how few will seeke him of Jesus Christ as Christ sayes Yee will not come unto me that yee might have life Joh. 5. 40. That is if yee would come unto me I would make your dead hearts to live I would quicken you to all goodnesse I would powre my Holy Spirit upon you But you will not come unto me for it This makes us without excuse That Christ hath the Spirit in him for all that have a minde to him and wee have no minde How few among you to this very day have gotten yet Gods Holy Spirit Yee pray but yee have not the spirit of supplieation to pray by to lift up your hearts to enliven your desires to be able to wrestle with God to any purpose no Spirit of grace stirring in you When ye come to the house of God ye heare Sermons but the Holy Ghost does not fall upon you to make them effectuall and mightie in operation to convert you to God to knocke off your base lusts yee are dead in all holy duties voide of all Heavenly graces dull to every good thing even as the Body without the spirit is dead Nay the Spirit of the world dwelleth in most men tying and glving them to the things here below and will not let them savor and rellish the things of Heaven Whereby they cannot cease from sinne nor work the works of God Rare is that man now-a-dayes that hath the Holy Spirit of God remaining in him in any measure nay if people were asked whether they have the Spirit of God yea or no their owne Conscience could answer No they have not they never felt any such Divine ghuest their earthlinesse and lumpishnesse of heart in all the ordinances of God their unaquaintednesse with God their unsettlednesse and nakednesse and blindnesse in all the wayes of peace plainely does declare it and yet they will not come unto Christ that they might have life he hath the seven Spirits of God and yet they cannot finde in their hearts to be instant and earnest with him when Pharaoh appointed Joseph to distribute corne to all comers Goe to Joseph sayes he Gen. 41. 55. the Text sayes all Countries came to Joseph for Corne because the famine was sore in all lands But God hath appointed his own Sonne to be a dispencer of the Spirit and there is a sore want of the spirit every where in all Townes and Parishes and yet hardly any will come in Certainely this is the condemnation that men intend their pleasure and their profits and every outward thing and never seeke to Jesus to have the Holy Spirit of God For First many of us have hard hearts that cannot melt at our owne sinnes nor the publike provocations whereby God is provoked nor the generall calamities of the Church our hearts are like a stone and wee are not affected nor can be affected no relenting at the Word no bleeding in any other good dutie nothing moves us the spirit could soften yea and take the stone away and Christ saies hee would give him unto us if we did desire him I will put a new Spirit within you and take the stony heart out of the flesh Ezek. 11. 19. Hee hath spirit enough in him to doe it and yet we will not sue to him but in a feigned manner and so a hard heart possesseth us still which marres all our familie-duties and all that wee doe in the publike assemblies nothing comes of all that wee doe If our foolish hearts would come downe to be fervent after Christ this might be be remedied He hath the seven Spirits of God for the nonce But a spirit of slumber bewitches us and and nothing can awaken us to this very day Never was there a more hard-hearted time never more hard-hearted Christians nummed and past feeling wishing indeed the things mought be mended but never putting forth our hand to have them mended Secondly scarce any of us can pray but in a blunt-hearted-wise our prayers never stirre Heaven never give so much as a lift to any of our lusts neither are they any whit answerable to the miseries that are on us whether Personall or Nationall the spirit could helpe us and enlarge us as Paul saies of the good Romans Yee have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby yee cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15. and Christ hath this Spirit in his hand to give But we would rather sit woulding and yawning then be downe on our knees before God Every one almost hath heavy things that he is consciencious of terrible guiltines horrible
mis-givings self-condēnings uncertainties about his later end doubtfulnesse whether any thing be sound yea or no and yet no heart of prayer no strainings after Christ to have the Holy Spirit of him Nay tittle tattle is preferred before comming about Christ and every idle busines more takes up our thoughts then how we may injoy Jesus Christ Thirdly where is the man well-neer that is holy some indeed are civill and not very many no not of them that would bee held for Professers For what Civility Honesty is there when people are palpably proud and palpably covetous and palpably malicious and spightfull and envious but put case many be Civill yet holinesse is hardly any where to be seene Where are any that are mortified unto sin Crucified to the world Pilgrims on earth Heavenly-minded taken up with God The Spirit indeed is a Spirit of Holinesse Rom. 1. 4. And Christ hath him to give but hee cannot have our custome We are not thirstie after such matters Fourthly Where is the Communion of Saints a Theme I spake of the last Sabbath day We are all like unto Ephraim Ephraim hath mixed himself among the people Hos 7. 8. that is they had no Communion of Saints there among them They were a mish-mash people there was a Chaos and a confusion and a medly among them If there be any that beare the name of Saints They are like Lambs feeding all alone in a large place Like Israel when they are scatterd Hos 4. 16. Lambes withour flockes Birds without mates As if they were all frighted asunder No Communion of Saints no Communion of graces nor duties nor hearts nor affections I confesse if we had the Holy Spirit of God we would make a communion among us As Paul sayes The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen 2 Cor. 13. 14. He would make a Commuinon among us and Christ hath him too and there we might have him but we care not for him which is a most fearefull thing a signe of horrible deadnesse and livelesnesse in good as it is with the boughes of a tree when they are dead they fall off but they hang together as long as they are alive Though communion of Saints be an Article of our faith yet we let it dye We see in nature if we sling any meat to a Hen presently shee cluckes for all her Chickens to have part So looke what graces we get we should impart what we can the Lord hath appointed mutualgiving good example unto one another edifying one another exhorting one another admonishing one another comforting one another conferring one with another supplicating one with and for another As it is said Luke 5. 10. That Simon and James and Iohn were partners in their fishing looke what fishes they caught they divided among one another so Christians should be partners What they get at a Sermon they are to impart What they get in prayer or at Sacraments or in affliction there be others that should be partners with them as the Apostle sayes Looke not every man on his owne things but every man also on the things of others Phil. 2. 4. O sayes he if there be any fellow-ship of the Spirit thus it must be that is the Spirit would breed this fellowship and communion among you Now Beloved where is this holy Spirit to be had but in Christ I say wee are without excuse if we doe not get the Holy Spirit of God Because Christ hath him for us if we would resort to him and therefore wee can have no plea. First Wee cannot plead wee have no need of the holy Spirit of God what need wee have him as long as wee beleeve there is such a one Is it needfull wee should have him I that it is why else did God make his Son to bee the dispenser and the distributer and communicater of him O Beloved the Lord hath done this because wee cannot bee saved without the holy Spirit of God would wee bee regenerated and born again wee cannot without the Spirit That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Joh. 3. 6. Wee can never bee spirituall without the Spirit of God none but spirituall men and women shall enter into the Kingdome of God Drunkards and adulterers and lyers and muck-worms and better men than they are carnall men Now to bee carnally minded is death but to bee spiritually minded this onely is life and peace so that wee cannot plead that Again Wee cannot bee justified without the Spirit of God Yee may say O wee hope to bee justified onely by Faith in Christ True but if yee have not the Spirit of God yee have no Faith none have true faith in Christ till first they have the holy Spirit of God and therefore it is called the spirit of Faith that is a spirit inclining a man unto Christ bowing of the minde and heart and soule to all heavenly things in Christ no man can bee justified without this as Paul tells the Corinthians But yee are sanctified yee are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 6. 11. Again Yee cannot have free-will to doe the will of God without the holy Spirit of God I confesse by nature no man hath free-will I but if yee bee not more then nature yee cannot bee saved Yee must have free-will to all the waies of God or yee cannot bee saved Now yee never can have this without the Spirit of God Can yee mortifie every wicked lust can yee resist the devill every day can yee keep out the world and ward off the temptations of the flesh yee can never doe it while the world stands in a holy course without the holy Spirit of God Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. Mark there is free-will to all these things that man hath liberty to doe supernaturall things that hath the Spirit of the Lord and no man else Again Yee are none of Christs if yee have not the holy Spirit of Christ that is the Mark hee brands all his sheep with as a man saies when hee heares tydings of any of his sheep saith hee if they bee mine they have such a mark they have an A. and a B. on the left side or so so saies Christ if they bee mine they have my Spirit if any man have not the Spirit of Christ hee is none of his Rom. 8. 9. Hereby wee know that hee abideth in us saith John by his Spirit which hee hath given us 1 Joh. 3. 24. so that wee have need of the spirit and therefore this cannot bee our plea that wee have no need wee have such need of Gods holy Spirit that wee cannot bee saved without the having of him Secondly wee cannot plead wee know not where to have him For Christ saith hee hath him to give to all that will receive him The Spirit of the Lord
is upon mee saith hee Esa 61. 1. that is hee is powred upon mee that hee may run down upon all them that come to be my members If Christ indeed had not come if God had not made him Vehiculum Spiritus if God had not put his spirit upon Christ like water in a Fountain to run out upon all that will hold their hearts under him then wee might have some excuse Lord â— wee know not where to have the Spirit But the Lord hath told us where wee may have him Wee may have him in his Son Jesus Christ Thirdly Wee cannot plead wee cannot tell how to have him For as yee know where to have him so yee may know how to have him too and yee all doe know if wee had a heart wee may have him foure waies First By the hearing of the Word you will say yee have heard the Word many times yet yee never received the holy Spirit yet I answer that 's certain but it is because yee doe not come to it with a greedy yerning heart with an open eare and a willing minde to bee guided by it For if ye came thus with this minde yee would quickly have the spirit Lord tell mee any thing I doe unfeignedly desire for to doe it reprove any thing in mee I doe sincerely desire to leave it Come thus to the Word I dare say thou shalt not bee one quarter of an houre without the spirit as Christ saith Turn yee at my reproof behold I will powre out my spirit un to you Prov. 1. 23. You will say this is strange and have I heard so many Sermons and never got the spirit yet I you never heard Sermons with an honest heart You shall see Cornelius and his company got the spirit at the first Sermon that they heard when Peter Preached the Holy Ghost fell on all those that heard the Word Act. 10. 44. How so yee may read there in the Context O saies Cornelius Wee are all here present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God Ver. 33. Now if wee have the Word daily preached and wee get not the holy spirit of God wee are without excuse Secondly By Prayer if wee did pray faithfully unto God wee should have the holy spirit as Christ saies If ye that are evill can give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Luk. 11. 13. You will say yee have prayed many a time and often and yet yee finde no such thing and no marvaile when a mans heart prayes onely by the by but if yee made it your businesse from day to day if yee would seek for him as for life and look upon it as more necessary then life it self then yee should quickly speed But when yee will give God the blinde and the lame and your hearts run a whoring after other things Heaven is not the main of all your care and study the Lord knows a hollow heart and can tell how to deny it none shall have his spirit that doe not desire him above all things and labour after him above all things and use all manner of meanes for him The Spirit of God is a great gift and wee must know its an infinite mercy to obtain him and therefore wee must seek him accordingly They that get him doe not goe dreamingly to work Thirdly By repentance this is another means to obtain the Holy Ghost as the Lord saith Rent your hearts and not your garments and turn to the Lord your God c. Joel 2. 13. what followes And after that I will powre my Spirit upon you saith hee ver 28. Never think to have Gods holy Spirit and live after the flesh or goe on in a forme or a carelesse way not onely drunkennesse and whoredome and capitall sins keep him out but any other lusts and corruptions that the heart clings unto Rent your hearts then let your drowzie doings pain you at the heart let all your security and unbeleef and luke warmnesse whereby yee part stakes with God let all these bee a burden unto you and you heavy laden with them this is the way-making for the Spirit of Gods comming in Fourthly Take no deniall let not ill-successe beat you off this is that which thrusteth back thousands They find little successe at the first and so they give over But Beloved this is it howsoever wee finde cold successe in our holy labours at the first yet wee must goe on though wee doe not finde our lusts die though wee doe not finde that speeding in Prayer that wee could wish that prevailing in our endevours that wee doe desire yet still wee are to goe on and still wait upon God in abounding in our care untill the Lord grant us better successe The hard successe that we have must not hinder us as the Apostle saith Let us not bee weary in well-doing for in due time wee shall reap if wee faint not Gal. 6. 9. That is let us not bee discouraged with hard successes or any other such like thing certainly if wee goe on wee shall speed When the Wisemen came seeking for Christ at Jerusalem they had no good successe there they did not finde him there yet they would not return back without him But they went down to Bethlehem and sought for him there When the Church had sought Christ in her bed shee had no successe for that time I sought him sayes shee but I found him not Cant. 3. 1. What would shee give over because of her bad successe at the first No shee trudged out into the Lanes and the streets she enquired of the watchmen and still shee had little or no successe But the Text saith shee would never give over till she litt upon him Beloved wee must take heed of this It is the impatience of mens hearts if they cannot finde a blessing at first dash they will seek no further then they strike into a former or a worse condition In the first of Haggai yee may read that when the Jews had been hindered by Cambyses from building of the Temple for a fit they gave over Because they had no successe they would build no more but fell a building their own houses ver 4. yee know it was their sin and the Lord plagued them for it Therefore Brethren it must bee our care although wee doe not speed at the first not to slacken or give in As Isaac would still bee building Wells hee built one and that had no successe hee built another and that had as bad still there fell out strife what then did he give over so No hee never would have done till the Lord gave him a Rehoboth a Well that there was no striving about Gen. 26. 22. so wee should never bee quiet untill the Lord give us his holy Spirit though wee doe not feele his workings in us at the first no bad successes though never so many should make
unto the Angell of the Church in Sardis write these things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres THese words contain the Description of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom this Epistle is sent unto the Church in Sardis and in particular to the Minister there who is here called the Angell of the Church in that place And the description does instance in two royalties of our Saviour Jesus Christ First That hee hath the seven Spirits of God that is he hath the Holy Ghost and all his spirituall graces in his hands to give to whomsoever hee pleases for the quickning of them and the sanctifying of them that if any of his members want spirit or any spirituall good hee hath it for them These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God This wee handled the last day Now wee proceed to the second Royalty of our Lord Jesus Christ That hee hath the seven Starres hee speaks of the seven Churches of Asia Christ hath all their Ministers in his hands and hee calls them starres First because the starres doe direct It s a great help when Mariners can see a starre in a dark night When Paul and they that sailed with him could see neither Sun nor Starre the company were without all hope of comming safe to Land Act. 27. 20. they knew not what to doe when there was not a starre to bee seen The starres serve for direction in the night So good Ministers are for direction unto people they serve to direct people to Christ Like the starre in the East When the Wisemen saw the starre they rejoyced with exceeding great joy Matth. 2. 10. that starre directed them to Christ it went before them all the way and shewed them where to finde Christ so a poore soule rejoyces to finde a godly Minister O thinks hee he is a starre to direct mee to Christ Secondly Because the starres doe shine so good Ministers doe shine forth and hold out a light to give light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death Yee are the light of the world sayes Christ Matth. 5. 14. when a man sits in a dark house hee cannot see to doe any thing but if one come and open a window or a casement and letteth in light now hee may see to goe about his businesse so Beloved people that dwell in dark Parishes where no sound Ministery of the Word is they know not what to doe to bee saved they erre they wander they grope they stumble and fall they see not how to bee godly and happy for evermore But when a faithfull Minister comes now light is let in and those that have a minde to goe to Heaven now they may see the way thither so that in this sense too Ministers are starres Thirdly Because starres have influence upon these inferiours bodies as God sayes of the Pleiades and Orion which are a company of starres in the heavenly Orbe Canst thou binde the sweet influences of the Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion Job 38. 31. the starres have influences into things here below The Pleiades open the earth they make herbes and flowres grow the spring is when they arise once Trees begin to sprout and the plants do waxe green Orion it produces cold the Winter comes when that shews it self the starres have a great influence into sublunary bodies so it is with Ministers Bad Ministers are like the starres of Orion they serve to coole peoples hearts and dead them to all goodnesse But good Ministers are as the starres of Pleiades no soule can have any minde in him to that which is good but they doe exceedingly help and further they quicken the heart they warme and fructisie the soules of Gods Elect. Againe the Starres doe hang high so the Ministers of Christ are set high they hang high that all the people may have the benefit of their glistering Zachany calls them the Prophets of the most High And thou childe shalt bee called the Prophet of the most High Luk. 1. 76. But I have handled this Point in effect when I spake of Ministers being Angels and therefore I will omit it now Thus yee see the Ministers are starres Now hee calls them seven because hee speaks of seven Congregations Ephesus Smyrna Pergamos Thyatira Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicea Seven Churches seven Congregations and every one had their severall stars Whence wee see that every Parish should have a particular faithfull Minister Paul appointed Titus to ordain Elders in every City Tit. 1. 5. The Apostles ordained Pastours and Elders in every Church Act. 14. 23. So it was in the time of the Law as the Text sayes Moses of old time hath in every City them that Preach being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day Act. 15. 21. The Reason is first because those Towns that have not a faithfull Ministery in it generally doe all perish I doe not deny but some soules in such blinde places may come otherwise to bee converted and saved but generally they perish for ever that live in such places as the Evangelist sayes of Galile True they had sorry Priests but they had not a faithfull Ministery sayes hee The people sate there in the region and shadow of death Matth. 4. 16. that is till they had a better Ministery they were in a damnable estate So that it is a pitifull thing when any Town or Parish are without a faithfull Ministery no starre of Heaven shining among them Secondly because when people have no faithfull Minister of their own generally they care not for removing of their dwelling neither will they goe a mile or two for the meanes they content themselves with what fare they have at home though it starve them to death Like the people under the false Prophets they liked them well enough My people love to have it so Jer. 5. 31. Nay they love such prophets better than them that would deale plainly with them Nay there bee many that when they have a faithfull Minister at home will bee sneaking out to a drunken Minister abroad they would rather live under such a one Thirdly Another Reason why every Church should have its particular Starre every congregation had need of a faithfull Ministery of their own Because if there be any godly Soule or any one that desires the salvation of his Soule and lives under a blinde guide hee cannot goe out without giving very great offence it will bee thought a giddinesse and a flighting of their own Minister at home now if every Parish had a sound Ministery in it this would not bee When people came out of every Parish round about unto John they had no Pastour of their own but they came flocking unto John no question but this bred heart-burning against John I and ill-will against those
of Sardis containing a description of Christ from whom the Letter is sent Now Christ is here described according to the matter in hand from two royalties of his first That he hath the seven Spirits of God that is he hath the giving of the Holy Ghost and all his gifts and graces to whomsoever he pleaseth Secondly that He hath the seven Starres that is hee hath the disposing of the Ministers of the Church And this I told you is to bee meant divers wayes Christ is said to have the Ministers of the Church five wayes First hee hath the sending of them they have their Mission from him Secondly hee hath the delegating of them they have their Commission from him Thirdly bee hath the gifting of them they have their abilities from him Fourthly hee hath the prospering of them they have the successe of their labours from him Fifthly he hath the keeping of them they are put into a place continued or removed they have their liberty from him and when they are put downe or silenced it is he that does doe it The two first I have handled already first that he hath the sending of them Secondly that he hath the delegating of them I come now to the third Hee hath the gifting of them look what good gifts and abilities they have they have them all of him As Paul sayes Hee hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 6. and this was one of the ends of his Ascension as the Apostle sayes Hee ascended up on high and led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men Ephes 4. 8. that is this was one end of his ascending up to Heaven that hee might send down gifts unto his Church Now what gifts does hee mean True hee sends gifts to all his true Members but he meanes the gifting of his Ministers as it follows And hee gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastours and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery and so forth ver 11 12. And the truth is it is not without cause for of all men wee that are the Ministers of Jesus Christ have need of singular and rare gifts and abilities First To open the Scriptures the Scriptures are a great deep and they have under the Letter much admirable spirituall matter encouched and many things are hard in them as Peter sayes And a Minister is to open them and to give out the sense as it is said of the Priests They read the Law distinctly and gave out the sense and made the people to understand the Reading Nehem. 8. 8. Now if a Minister have not gifts from Jesus Christ what madde work will hee make the Scripture will bee a clasped book unto him and a Fountain sealed up Like the Philistines that in three daies could not expound Sampsons Riddle It is said of Christ that he opened the Scriptures Luk. 24. 32. The Scriptures are shut and contain Mysteries folded and lapped up now the Minister had need of abilities to open them Secondly To Teach as a Minister is to open the Scriptures which requireth great gifts so he is to teach the people out of them to draw Doctrines out of the same and this requireth great gifts too to informe the judgement to let out the light of the Word to scatter the beames of the Sun of righteousnesse abroad to dispel the darknesse of mens minds to shine round about them in spirituall knowledge This is a work of much ability as the Apostle speaks to Timothy the things which thou hast heard of mee the same commit thou to faithfull men who shall bee able to teach others 2 Tim. 2. 2. and therefore it is called Prophecying Despise not Prophecying that is despise not Teaching a man had need of a speciall gift to be able to Prophesie so if a man would be a Teacher when Nicodemus would expresse what an able Teacher Christ was sayes hee Thou art a teacher come from God A man had need to be one that hath been with God that would teach aright There is a gift of fitnesse and aptnesse without which a man cannot doe it The servant of the Lord must bee apt to teach 2 Tim. 2. 24. the Apostle tells us there bee heapes of naughty teachers in the world a good teacher is a rare man it cannot bee without all wisdome as hee sayes Teaching every man in all wisdome Col. 1. 28. we are to teach people the learning of the holy how to know God how to fear him and love him Wee are to teach people how to pray how to walk in all holines and righteousnes of living the great things of Gods Law the deep things of the Spirit the mysteries of eternall life to open the wiles of Satan the mistakes of the hearts of men the many by-wayes of the soule ye know sin is covered over with pleasures and profits and carnall reasons and evasions and we are to lay it out naked as indeed it is Gracious and godly courses seem grievous and irksome and uncouth and vile and needlesse and we are to discover the inward pleasure and commodity and necessity and glory of them and therfore wee have need of abilities Thirdly to Convince yee know how the heart does use to put off the Word and if it meet with a doctrine or a reproof or a precept that it does not like it will deny it it will cavill and carp O it is false as Johanan and others said to Jeremiah it is false you doe not say true wee will never beleeve it When wee paint out a drunkards damned estate he is ready to gainsay it or an adulterers he is ready to except people contradict such passages of the Word as are against their lusts and they give us very little better then the lye many times therefore a Minister should bee able to convince that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gain-sayers Tit. 1. 9. when people are subject to condemn us for harshnesse and hard sayings and that we doe not preach placentia enough we must be able to use some speech that cannot be condemned Tit. 2. 8. when a Minister preaches weakly Sermons like wide nets or rotten threads that the Birds may get through or break this is not able preaching as Zwinglius said of Carolostadius when he heard him disputing weakly against consubstantiation O sayes he I am sorry that so good a cause should have such a weak defendant It is said of Apollos that hee mightily convinced the Jewes Stephen the University-men there that came huddling about him they were not able to withstand the Spirit and the wisdome by which hee spake Act. 6. 10. it is the promise of our Saviour I will give you a mouth and wisdome which all your adversaries shall not bee able to gainsay or resist Luk. 21. 15. Fourthly to move the affections Ministers have need
us weary But still wee should goe on a seeking of the holy Spirit of God Thus as wee know where to have the Spirit of God namely in Christ so wee know how too and therefore wee are without excuse if wee suffer our selves to bee void of Gods holy and blessed Spirit this is the second use Thirdly another Use is to you that doe indeed complain of great want of the Spirit here you see where yee may have supplies even from our Lord Jesus Christ hee hath the seven Spirits of God They labour to know Christ more and more this is the way to have more and more of the Spirit as the Apostle saith That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of him Ephes 1. 17. Get the knowledge of Christ more and more and thus the spirit shall come to thee more and more It is said of the Indian Gymnosophists that they would lye all the day long looking upon the Sun in the firmament so should Christians doe they should lye looking upon Christ the more spirit still they shall have if they doe so First May be ye want spirit to make you know the Lords will you finde your selves backward from day to day little or no heart to Gods Commandements look up to Christ and say Lord there is enough spirit in Christ and hee hath it for all them that doe want and would have the same O give mee some together with him as hee sayes I will put my Spirit into you and cause you to walk in my statutes Ezek. 36. 27. q. d. look up to mee I will doe this for you Secondly May bee yee want strength yee have many temptations and you have no strength to resist them they come in upon you like the breaking in upon you may bee yee are tempted to deny all and to say yee have nothing in you sometimes yee are tempted to give over all saying it is but a folly I shall one day bee damned and I were as good give over now as to doe it afterwards when it will bee worse and yee have no strength to hold out sometimes yee cannot meditate yee cannot pray yee are fain to break off in the midst with base feares with security and vain hopes you are tempted to doe as the world does and yee have no strength to oppose them Look up to Christ yee know the Spirit of Christ is a spirit of power and strength 2 Tim. 1. 7. and hee hath him for you Look up to him then and cry for his strong spirit Who knowes may bee you may bee able to say in the end as Paul does I can doe all things through Christ that strengthens mee Thirdly May bee yee want boldnesse to call God your Father yee are in a quandary whether yee should call him so or no yee are afraid hee is none of your Father and that yee are none of his adopted ones yee shall but blaspheme him to call him your Father or to expect of him a childes portion Look up to Christ hee hath such a spirit in him whereby yee may cry Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. Fourthly May bee yee want life and quickning you finde your selves very dead even as the Church of Sardis in this place I know thy works that thou art dead Look up to Christ as here hee does bid thee hee hath the seven Spirits of God and hath that which will quicken thee Christ himself when hee was naturally dead hee was quickned by his own spirit 1 Pet. 3. 18. That very spirit can quicken thy spirituall deadnesse to every good word and work His spirit is life and that will make thee lively though thy heart bee little better then a Timber-logge in duties yet if that spirit get within thee it will make thee agile and active in every good thing It is a horrible thing to see how little Christians know of Jesus Christ though they have been thought to know Jesus Christ so long a time yet they doe not know him Christ takes this very ill as hee told Philip Have I been so long time with you and hast thou not known mee Philip Joh. 14. 9. Christ could bee even angry with him for learning him no better what little spirit is there in Christians now adaies a signe though they have been a long time a learning Christ yet they hardly know him For if wee knew him Brethren wee could not bee at enmity with the holy Spirit Wee doe not look up to Christ You will say what is it to look up to Christ in all your wayes I Answer It is to follow Christ as where John said Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world The Text sayes That two of his Disciples went away and followed after Jesus Joh. 1. 36 37. O thought they is hee the Lamb of God does hee take away the sins of the world wee will follow him then John bade them look at him and they followed after him that is they lookt at him indeed as a man looks at one whom hee follows when a man so looks up to Christ that hee follows him when a man sees him his onely meanes to bee happy and godly and in the favour of God the onely meanes to doe well and to bee well and desires indeed to follow after him this is to look up to Christ when a man labours sincerely to follow the counsell and direction of Christ in all his wayes Hee bids him to deny himself and that is the thing that hee labours for Hee bids him to repent of all his sins and to ply himself to all Gods holy paths and to rely upon him for strength and acceptance and mercy and pardon and every blessing What-ever thing hee looks for at the hands of God hee sets himself to follow Christs counsell and to expect it in him If hee see his sins hee looks up to Christ and there hee sees his death to defray them when hee sees what power they have over him hee looks up to Christ for his Spirit to subdue them in the use of all those meanes that hee hath appointed Prayer Meditation Watchfulnesse Striving Purposing Endevouring and Fighting against all the lusts of his flesh And wherein soever hee failes hee labours to bee humbled and yet to look still up to Christ for forgivenesse and more help against another time This is to see the Son of God Every one that sees the Son hath everlasting life Joh. 6. 40. This is to look up to Christ to beleeve in Christ to have Christ to bee in Christ to dwell in Christ and Christ in him But you will say I am afraid I never lookt up to Christ then I never yet had him for I have not his holy spirit how shall I know whether I have the holy spirit I Answer first I will tell thee what bee not signes and then secondly what bee signes First What bee
not signes there are foure signes that people take to bee signes and are not First a civill Life when a man is a mercifull man kind to the poore quiet and peaceable among his Neighbours gentle affable courteous well-conditioned These are no signes of having Gods holy Spirit True they are very commendable and they that have the Spirit of God must have them and better than them But a man may bee without the holy Spirit of God and yet have all these Paul shews that the very Barbarians shewed him no little kindnesse they kindled him a fire though they were meer naturall men Act. 28. 2. Our Saviour Christ shews that some are chaste by nature that are born so so many are temperate by nature and loving by nature and meek by nature patient by nature therefore these are no supernaturall graces these are no signes of the holy spirit Secondly the profession of Religion This is no signe of the Holy Spirit neither for many professe they know God and yee are reprobate to every good work Tit. 1. 16. that is many professe Religion they will heare the Word they will have prayers in their families they will be of the better side in their Parish where they are if there be any godly ones they will be of their Company if they can and seeme to to doe as they doe and yet they have a carnall heart they doe very good workes every day but they have a Reprobate and unapproved heart in them They doe not doe them right Thirdly Every kinde of repentance is not a signe neither we read that Pharaoh Confessed his sin and desired the prayers of Gods people Exod. 9. 27. Saul wept for his sinnes 1 Sam. 24. 16. Judas made restitution Esau bought repentance with teares The world think certainly these were times of Gods Spirit no no They were onely Common effects of the spirit The wicked may in a sort repent of their sinnes and beat them downe too but the truths is they doe not mortifie them Like as if a man should come into a garden and see how a mole hath cast up the earth and made a fowle stirre in the Alleyes and in the Garden knots if hee tread it onely downe with his foote and doe not kill the Mole anon after it will be as bad as before so many wicked men may doe they may beat downe their sinnes every day but they rise up still as bad as before now they beat them downe and so their lusts like the Mole cast up againe Thus the Mole is not killed This is no signe of the Spirit But a godly heart he kils the Mole he mortifies his sin indeed new Moles may breed and cast up again but he riddes his soule more and more Fourthly Every kind of faith neither is not a signe of Gods holy Spirit yee know the stony ground Believed Luk. 8. 13. Secondly Now for those signes that be First When a man is soundly convinced of his sinnes This is an act of Gods holy Spirit Joh. 16. 8. When a man hath the unction from the Holy one The Text sayes that abides for ever where it is The anointing which yee have received of him abideth in you 1 Joh. 2. 27. Secondly When a man hath had a sound prick for his sins this lets in the Holy Ghost as Peter told his hearers That were prickt in their hearts Act. 2. 37. he told them they should receive the Holy Ghost Thirdly When a man hath had an unsatisfiable desire of reconciliation with God as it is said of Paul that when hee was rightly toucht by the spirit indeed hee could neither eat nor drink Act. 9. 9. hee could not be quiet till Ananias came and told him hee was reconciled with God Fourthly When a man is another and a new creature Whosoever is in Christ is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. the Spirit of God where ere Hee is Hee is a new spirit and Hee carries with him a new heart Ezek. 36. 26. Hee works a thorow change and hee renews minde will and affections inclinations memory appetite members and all Hee does not onely new-plaster them over but hee pulls a man quite down and builds him up a new habitation of God as Christ told the Centurion if I come I will heale thy servant so if Christ doe once come with his spirit into any mans heart hee heales it hee works a mighty mutation in that man into another man as Paul tels the Corinthians Yee were drunkards but now yee are washed yee were railers yee were adulterers yee were covetous yee were unrighteous But now yee are washed 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. As Paul sayes I was a blasphemer and I was a persecuter but blessed bee God now I have obtained mercy Now I am not the man that I was I was a lyer but now blessed bee God I have the lip of Truth I hated them that were godly but blessed bee God now they are the dearest people to mee in the world Fifthly when a man does supernaturall good things naturall good things a naturall man may doe without the holy spirit of grace when you see a man list up a hundred or two hundred pound weight you will say I this hee may do by nature But if you should see a man lift up five thousand pound weight you will say there is more then nature in him so beloved when you see a man loves sin and comes to bee vaine and cannot abide to bee strict if hee bee strict a little hee is soon weary of it and layes it aside you may know this man hath not the spirit of God in him but if yee see you love holinesse and hate every evill thing that nothing humbles you so much as sin nothing takes you up so much as how to please God now yee may know the spirit of God is in you Why This is above Nature This then is another Use Lastly Hath Christ the seven Spirits of God to give them to all that will come unto him then what may Christ say to them that are contented without him that have no care at all to come at him that like not his government that will not draw water at his Well Hee hath taken paines to procure a stock of grace for them to provide Merits enough for them a salve broad enough for all their sores spirit enough to powre into all their hearts and when hee hath done all this they regard other things more than him Truely he may say as David did when he was told of Nabals churlish answer Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the Wildernesse 1 Sam. 25. 21 Even so may Christ say surely in vain have I suffered for these men in vaine have I come out of my Fathers bosome for them in vain did I die upon the crosse They will have none of my ware they respect not my graces they will not come at mee for my holy Spirit c. Revel 3. 1. And
enough to strike terrough into the hearts of men to put off any Sermon any rebuke any exhortation of Christs Ministers when they know the Lord sends them May bee the Minister is as poore a creature as one of you O but remember who sends him as Christ sayes hee that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth mee and hee that refuseth mee refuseth him that sent me Luk. 10. 16. Revel 3. 1. These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres I Have begun to handle this Epistle wherin I noted foure things First the inscription declaring to whom this Epistle is sent To the Angel of the Church in Sardis write that is to the Minister of the Church and to the Church it self Secondly The Subscription declaring from whom it is sent These things saith he that c. Thirdly The Substance or subject matter of the Epistle I know thy works c. Usque ad ver 4. Fourthly The Conclusion He that over-commeth c. ver 5 6. I have already Analysed all this whole Epistle and Paraphrased upon every part of it and shewed you the meaning of it and the scope of it and have made some entrance upon it namely to reprove their deadnesse and coldnesse in Religion and to quicken them up unto life lest the judgement of God fall upon them I have dispatcht the Inscription And to the Angel of the Church in Sardis write and so I passe on to the second Namely the Subscription These things saith c. These words as ye heard contain a description of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom this Epistle is sent The Description is not a whole and an entire description of him but only accommodated to the businesse in hand And therefore it describes him onely from two admirable Royalties that are in him The first is this That he hath the seven Spirits of God that is he hath the Holy and quickning Spirit to give him to whomsoever he please q. d. if ye would be quickned hearken unto me come unto me I have all the graces of the Spirit to quicken you withall Secondly That he hath the seven Starres that is as I told you he hath all the Ministers of the Church in his hand and at his dispose These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres That is Christ hath all the Starres all the Ministers of the Church they are all in his hand I told you he is said to have them in five respects 1. They have their Mission from him 2. They have their Commission from him 3. They have their Abilities from him 4. They have the successe of their labours from him 5. They have their protection from him he opens their mouths as long as he lists and shuts them when hee seeth fit so to doe I have spoken of the first The Ministers of Christ have their Mission from Christ he hath the sending of them As my Father hath sent me so send I you Joh. 20. 21. it is Christ that sends Ministers to the Church as he told Jerusalem Behold I send unto you Prophets and Wisemen and Scribes Matth. 23. 34. He called the twelve and began to send them forth by two and two Mark 6. 7. So he called the seventy and sent them also Luk. 10. 1. so it is Christ that sends all true Ministers to this day True the Church does Ordain them I but if they be not sent by him too they are intruders Now when he sends them they are his Ministers though the Church put them into Orders As it is with a true Constable though the Parish choose him yet he is the Kings Officer and does things in the Kings name So it is with every true Minister Christ hath the sending of him He is the Minister of Christ as the Apostle sayes Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ 1 Cor. 4. 1. And therefore look what we do in our Office we doe it in his name As Peter said In the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walk So we say unto Gods Elect rise up and walk in the name of Jesus Christ repent of all thy wicked wayes and beleeve and though the world will not stirre at our speech yet they that are elected of God doe stirre they are none but the reprobate that lye still in their sins Sometime or other we get home all the Elect they hear us they obey us they submit to our Doctrine in the name of Jesus Christ The Use of this is first for comfort of the poore Ministers of Christ may be we meet with many wolves in the delivery of his errands We meet with sowre faces and wry lookes suspensions oppositions and such like wolvish dealings for doing of our message what need we care for all these as long as Christ sends us Certainly if he send us he will be with us as God said to Moses I send thee certainly I will be with thee Exod. 3. 12. he will be with us for the good of his chosen in all the course of our Ministery be it short or be it long We shall be usefull unto them though the reprobate world will not obey any of our words Christ will be with us in the Pulpit in the prison in a dog-hole if the wicked put us in it as Christ said Goe and teach all Nations and loe I am with you to the end of the world Matth. 28. 19 20. This is our comfort Christ will be with us and this is the Elects comfort they shall be sure to finde him with us in our Ministery if we be in the Pulpit there they shall hear us teaching of them if in the prison there they shall have us sealing of the truth to them Secondly if Christ hath the sending of us wee must be sure to doe his message that we performe the work he sends us to doe Every messenger should doe thus I seek not mine own will saith Christ but the will of the Father which hath sent mee Joh. 5. 30. if a Merchant should send a servant beyond the Seas to be a Factor for him if that servant should goe and trade for himself to get money for himself and an estate for himselfe and neglect his Masters businesse he may look for a cold welcome home So when Christ sends us to bee Factors for him to see what Soules wee can gain unto him if we should now seek our selves how to be rich how to be some-body in the world how to get preferment and so leave his businesse undone wee may look for a cold welcome home Certainly if Christ sends us we should minde his work we should glorifie Christ labour to reveale Christ to win Soules to Christ This is our businesse to doe Thirdly If Christ hath the sending of us wee must give him account when wee have done When Christ had sent his Disciples to preach they returned again and gave
wretch leave they will have their owne wayes doe the Ministers of God what they can We can get none to be awakened none quickened none stirred none startled to any purpose Setting aside here one and there one that truely obeys the voyce of Gods servants the whole countrey lying in ignorance of God in the privation of his Spirit unreconcilednesse with heaven voydnesse of faith emptinesse of grace and life the nakednesse of an outward profession having no true quickening within nay the most in grosse wickednesse drunkenesse company-keeping unrulinesse disorder uncleanenesse lasciviousnesse covetousnesse mocking at the pure in heart malicious alienation of spirit against the holy wayes of God Nay since we have spoken to them in the name of the Lord yet none will hearken to any effect that their soules may live Fourthly therefore I pray you let me adde one use more doe but consider how the Lord taketh this at our hands that his Ministers are thus vilipended They are in more danger of their liberty for reproving then the wicked for committing of their sins Are his Ministers his Embassadors then he will never endure that his Embassadors shall bee abused When the King of the Ammonites had abused Davids Embassadors that he sent him in love 2 Sam. 10. Ye know what it cost it cost above 40. thousand mens lives The Romans slue the Illyrians and the Tarentines for mis-using of their Embassadors and as Cicero sayes our Ancestors sayes he for this very thing destroyed all Corinth For alas how could Princes deale with one another if Embassadours should not goe safe and be hearkened unto Therefore Embassadors must be regarded When Scipio Africanus tooke a ship full of Carthaginians though he meant to rifle all they had yet when they said they were Embassadors he would not meddle with them True they were not they did but counterfeit that so they might escape But yet you may see how inviolable Embassadors were the least indignity offered to them was punisht as if it had beene offered to the person of that Prince that they did sustaine Well then how doe we thinke will the Lord take it at peoples hands that his Embassadors are abused and disobeyed that people will not diligently come to them and acknowledge their errands and yeeld obedience to him no Nation under heaven hath had more Embassadors from Heaven then we have had and though some have hearkened to them yet for the most part they meete with Ammonitish dealings they are disfigured and mocked and laded with indignities denyed to deliver their message every paltry rascals complaint admitted against them none walke in so much danger as they none more shot at then they scarce any will heare them and submit to their Embassage and those few that doe are counted the only factious people and pestilent fellows in the land O what wrath is there against us for these things For this very cause the Lord plagued all Judah even because they would not listen to Gods Embassadors that he sent to them earely and late as the Prophet speakes Jer. 29. 17 18 19. Thus sayth the Lord of Hoasts Behold I will send upon thee the sword the famine and the Pestilence and will make them like vile Figges that cannot be eaten they are so evill and I will persecute them with the sword with the famine and with the Pestilence and I will deliver them to be removed to all the Kingdomes of the earth to be a curse and an astonishment and an hissing and a reproach among all Nations whither I have driven them Mark now what is the reason why God would doe thus Because they have not hearkened to my Word saith the Lord which I sent unto them by my servants the Prophets rising up early and sending them but yee would not heare sayth the Lord. This was the reason why God would plague them so grievously because they would not listen to his Embassadors that he sent them for their good The like we reade of the ten Tribes the Lord powred his vengeance on them too for this very reason because they would not heare his Embassadors therefore the Lord cast them out of his sight and flung them away from being his people and hee would never be their God more the place is 2 King 17. 13 14 15. The Lord testified against Israel Judah by all the Prophets Seers saying Turne ye from your evill wayes and keepe my Commandments and my Statutes according to all the Law which I commanded your fathers notwithstanding they would not heare but hardned their necks like to the neck of their Fathers and did not beleeve in the Lord their God and they rejected his Statutes and his Covenant that he made with their Fathers Mark this was the cause why the Lord was so angry with them and removed them out of his sight Because they would not doe as his Embassadors did command them in his name Now as God hath let out his fury upon them for not attending to his Embassadors so he hath done and daily doth and will yet more doe upon us For though for temporall Judgements God be patient and forbearing beyond all admiration we feele yet no Sword no Famine no Pestilence we may be astonisht to see how long suffering he his O if we had the grace to consider of it neverthelesse the Lord is effusing out upon us the very dregges of his Cup he fats us up for his eternall ire he hath done converting of our hearers he hath done blessing of our Sermons he hath made us Loammies and Toruhamahs turned us into a generation of his wrath You whose eyes God hath opened whose hearts God hath inclined unto him whose Consciences God hath purged and Sanctified and made you Saints Blesse him and praise his holy name and make more of his infinit grace and goodnesse For it is to be feared God will now adde no more to your mumber he delivers people now to a reprobate sence he resolves to be revenged on our land in fire and Brimstone for the contempt of his glorious Gospell that hath beene preached so long a time He lets men fill up the measure of their sins that those that are filthy may be filthy still those that are drunkards may be drunkards still those that are led with their lusts shall be so still to the intent that he may bring upon the world all the fiercenesse of his spirituall and everlasting wrath and that he may revenge the quarrell of his Covenant and the labors of so many Embassadors whom he hath sent unto you and ye would not heare O that this might move some of your soules that so ye might prevent this dreadfull judgement and be plucked out like Brandes out of the Burning Fifthly Another Use is are Gods Ministers his Embassadors then they must Preach no mercy at all unto such as wilfully stand out against Jesus Christ When Antony was a Rebell O sayes Tully it is not fit to send him
is all our preaching and dressing up of our Sermons like the riging of the sayles that 's nothing except the wind blow The Spirit of Christ is the winde except hee blow upon you we are nothing the tampering on the Organs is nothing but when the breath comes then there is musique So we may keep adoe to turne your hearts but till God breath into you there is nothing done True the preaching of the Gospel is a very powerfull thing I when Christs arme goes along with it it is the sword of the Spirit but if the Spirits arme be not with it we may brandish it here every week and doe little as Scanderbagge said One hearing what mighty feats Scanderbagges sword had done sent for it and when he saw it he made nothing of it Is this the Sword that hath done such great exploits what 's this Sword more than other swords O sayes Scanderbagge I sent thee my sword but not my arme that did handle it So my Brethren the word which wee preach is but Christs sword God sends you his sword many times when he keeps his arme to himself and so nothing is done So then we are nothing and therefore all successe is of Christ First our wills are nothing to doe it we may will to doe you good but Converts cannot bee made by our wills as the Evangelist sayes Joh. 1. 13. Secondly our paines and labours are nothing we may labour and take paines but look Esa 49. 4. Thirdly our gifts are nothing who had better gifts than Christ had as hee was man and yet that would not doe it Joh. 12. 38. Fourthly our Prayers are nothing they may doe something sometimes but except God be pleased to give successe they are nothing Jeremiah prayed Jer. 14. 7 8 9. yet the Lord told him that should not doe it ver 11. Secondly the Conversion of Soules is a supernaturall work we that are Ministers preach to make men new creatures to turn Leopards into Kids as if we should preach to make Blackamores white the dead alive which is a work for God alone to doe and therefore the successe must needs be from him Alas what are we able to doe as the Apostle sayes You are Gods wormanship in Christ Jesus created to good works Ephes 2. 10. we are his instruments that 's true indeed but yee are his workmanship you are the Epistle of Christ administred by us Writen not with Inke but with the Spirit of the living God 2 Cor. 3. 3. The Epistle of Christ but ministred indeed by Christ his is the hand wee are but the pen when we bid you repent and beleeve and be holy and godly and heavenly minded men deny your selves be dead to the world and alive to God come out of Satans power come into Christs Kingdom it is like Ezekiels bidding of the dead bones to gather flesh and stand up living men All the successe must needs be of God And therefore what does this teach us The Use of it is First That we that are the Ministers of God can but make tryall whether we can convert our people or no as the Apostle speaks proving if at any time God will give them repentance 2 Tim. 2. 25. so it is in some of your Bibles so we must make proofe we must try come into the Pulpit every week and try sharpen our nailes as sharp as we can and strike them as farre in as we can and so try often try as the wiseman speaks in another case In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening let not thy hand rest for thou knowest not whether shall prosper this or that or both Eccle. 11. 6. So Jeremiah did hee would try first hee went to the poorer sort to see whether they would hearken unto him when he had no successe there then thought he I will try the great men I will get mee to the great men Jer. 5. 5. we should make assayes we doe not know may be God will give us good successe we must make assayes as it is said of Paul and Silas That they assayed to goe into Bithynia but the Spirit suffered them not Act. 16. 7. O thought they here bee a great many soules in this Countrey we will try whether there be any for Christ yea or no. Indeed they found that they had no successe in their attempt But they made an assay though Secondly This teacheth us to wait though we have not successe presently yet we should wait all successe is from Christ and therefore it is fit we should wait for it and therefore a Minister is commanded to be patient The servant of the Lord must be gentle to all men apt to teach patient 2 Tim. 2. 24. q. d. he hath not the successe in his own hands to have it when he will no though he doe no good yet nor yet hee must be patient He is not apt to teach poore people else except he be patient as he is not fit to teach a dull Schollar that is over-hasty And therefore my Brethren though we have lost all our labour hitherto on the most of you yet now again we speak to you come will ye yet go to heaven come are ye yet in the minde to hearken and obey wee come to you once more will ye yet c. as Jeremiah sayes Woe unto thee O Jerusalem wilt thou not bee made clean when shall it once be Jer. 13. 27. Beloved wee are dull Schollars in Religion and people are hard to take their learning in this kinde and therefore if we would be apt to teach wee must be patient what though we see no good yet this must not make us out of heart or to grudge our paines we must bee patient still wee are to think may be the next time I preach God will give me good successe Isaiah and Paul gave not over though they had cause to complain Thirdly This may serve to condemn all the world whether the Gospel comes and specially us hereabouts that doe not let Ministers have any good successe you will say how doe I make this use of it If all the Ministers successe be from Christ then one would think this were an excuse unto people I answer no the meaning of the Doctrine is this that the people are so contrary to the Word such enemies to the wayes of Jesus Christ that a Minister can look for no successe except the Lord turn their hearts This is the meaning of the point Does this excuse any what does your enmity against Christ and all goodnesse afford you any excuse nay this aggravates your sin Now this is the meaning of it As Saint Paul when he spake how little successe he and all the rest of his fellow-Apostles had hee layes the blame upon the people All the day long I have stretched out my hands against a disobedient and a gainsaying people Rom. 10. 21. So the Prophet Isaiah from whom these words are taken complaines of the unfruitfulnesse
2. 2. Secondly Another Vse is does Christ use to blesse and prosper his true Ministers then let us labour to get this blessing of him Let us seek to him to give us good successe O how eager is Paul every where in prayer to God for good successe Thirdly Another Vse is if we have not the successe that we could wish let us not bee discouraged as the Prophet Isaiah sayes My labour is with the Lord though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious Esa 49. 4 5. The Husbandman looseth by an ill crop I but if wee bee faithfull wee shall not loose though our crop be never so ill if we have plowed well and sown well no matter what the crop bee wee shall have our pay If I preach and you repent not it shall never repent me of my paines I will preach still For though my preaching be not a sweet savour yet it shall bee to God even in thee and thou shalt smart for it and therefore let us not cease working many a draught the poore fisher man makes and takes nothing yet hee leaves not off many a time is the net of Preaching shot forth and yet none converted thereby So it pleaseth God to exercise the patience of his servants Yet still the work must bee followed and the Lords leisure must be waited for Oftentimes the net taketh fish and they slip out again So there bee many that seem to be pulled in by the Gospell neverthelesse they slide away again Again there is oftentimes brought in into the net that which is yet good for nothing when it is got there comes in frogges and weeds and a great deale of trash which in the end are cast away and yet for love of the fish the fisherman is content to hale all in that hee can So Beloved wee draw in many hypocrites many that prove nought and yet for hope of good fish wee must still bee a labouring and may be wee may have a good Harvest yet though yet wee see little likeli-hood Bee not weary of well-doing sayes the Apostle for mee shall reape if wee faint not Gal. 6. 9. Fourthly another Vse is to you that you doe not wilfully stand out to deprive us of good successe The shrewdest turn you can doe your poore Ministers is to deprive them of the joy of their labours the way to rejoyce them is to imbrace the Gospell they preach it will bee heavy for you when wee shall groane to God that we could not perswade any of you If thou wilt not now hear that which may profit thee thou shalt heare one day that which shall make thy heart ake Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire O remember Sodome and do not stand out against the Ministers that come from Jesus Christ to you Revel 3. 1. These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres HAving done with the inscription of this Epistle To the Church that is in Sardis write wee came to the Subscription containing the person from whom the Epistle is sent The Lord Jesus Christ who is here described from two Royalties of his First that he hath The seven Spirits of God that we have handled already Secondly that he hath the seven Starres or the Ministers of the Church This we have almost finished too wee shewed you that Christ is said to have the Ministers of the Church five wayes First hee hath the sending of them they have their Mission from him Secondly hee hath the delegating of them they have their Commission from him Thirdly hee hath the gifting of them they have their gifts and abilities from him Fourthly he hath the prospering or not prospering of them they have their successe from him All these foure I have spoken of already Now remains the fifth and the last hee hath the disposing of them the placing of them in a Town the continuing of them or removing of them the holding of them up or the pulling of them down as the Apostle speaks Hee hath the key of David hee openeth and no man shutteth and he shutteth and no man openeth Rev. 3. 7. that is he hath all power in the Church to place it or displace it To settle it or to transplant it to prescribe or not prescribe to absolve or to condemne to save or to destroy to give Ministers liberty or to take it away As Christ telles the Minister of Philadelphia I have set before thee an open doore and no man can shut it Rev. 3. 8. good Ministers shall have Liberty to preach in their stations as long as he pleases and they never can be hindred till he is pleased so to permit it or appoint it So when Paul was at Ephesus though he had never so many adversaries there that would faine hinder him if they could Yet as long as Christ gave him an open doore to preach and to do good none of them all could withstand him A great doore and effectuall is opened unto me and there are many adversaries 1 Cor. 16. 9. First Christ hath the placing of his Ministers As he saith to Ieremiah I have set thee So Christ sayes to all his true Ministers I have set you God hath set to all men the bounds of their habitations Act. 17. 26. that one man shall dwell here another there one in this Parish another in that Parish How much more does he appoint unto his Ministers their habitations that John the Baptist shall be in the Wildernesse of Judea Titus shall be in Creete Epaphras shall be at Colosse Epaphroditus at Philippi Timothy at Ephesus and the like Nay he is no Minister of Christ that is not of Christs placing As the Apostle speakes Take heed unto your selves and to all the flocke over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers Act. 20. 28. Over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers He is a true Minister to this or that Congregation that can say that the Holy Ghost hath made me an overseer to them The Reason is first Because no man is a Pastor or a Shepheard to any sheepe that did not enter in by the doore into those sheep He that entreth in by the doore is a shepheard of the sheep Joh. 10. 2. Now who is this doore but Jesus Christ I am the doore saith he By me if any man enter in he shall be saved As it followes there in the ninth verse As he is the doore no man can enter into the Ministery rightly but by him He must have his Letters of Orders from him So he is the doore into any flocke and if a man have not institution and induction from him he is no Shepheard of the flocke Nay Christ tells him flatly he is a theefe and robber and a hyreling When the Danites askt the Levite in Mount Ephraim who brought thee hither What makest thou in this place Judg. 18. 3. ye know he put himselfe there he sought for the place himselfe and it was