belongeth to the office of a good Shepherd to his sheep either young and tender or strong and well grown This is also a sure argument of the Ministers love to Christ when he doth Conscionably labour to Edifie those whom Christ loveth and for whom he dyed When we labour to approve our selves abundantly to the Church of God and to the Consciences of men But not unto their humours To answer the end of our Education the Cost and expence of God Parents and School-masters the expectation of Friends and any who have shewed us kindness And now what infinite pity is it that any one way of sin should ever stand up to hinder us from serving of God in the Gospel of his Son or rob us of our Excellency and Beauty and Strength and Glory So much sin and lusts so much loss of excellency Gen. 49.4 When there is either lewdness or negligence of them that are able to do well in their Ministry and yet do contrary although your words be never so loud yet if your works be lewd though you were sons of Thunder yet a crack in the Instrument will spoil the sound Sin even in Ignorance is a talent of Lead but sin in Knowledge is a Milstone to sink a man to the lowest Bona noscere mala facere to know good and do ill makes a mans own mittimus to Hell The pleasures of sin are dear bought in any but especially in a Minister Heb. 6.6 This doth a world of mischief and hurt both in heaven and earth The Minister that spends himself like a Taper to give light unto others must not himself go out with an ill savour When such a one as David sinned he gave great occasion to the enemies of God to blaspheme others may swear and swagger and they matter not nor wonder not 2 Sam. 12.4 This was the reason why the Indians refused the Gospel brought by the Spaniards because their lives were more savage then those Savages It is said of Hophni and Phinehas that although they were the Lords Priests yet they were sons of Belial they knew not the Lord and by their sinful and corrupt Sacrificing they made the People abhor the Sacrifice 1 Sam. 2.12 So many by their raw indigested slubbering of the Word for want of study and meditation do make men think that there is no more Wisdom Purity Perfection Majesty and Glory then they shew out of it And therefore they stay at home and say They know as much as the Minister could tell them When in a whole Sermon the hearer could not pick out one Note more then he could gather himself Good Matter slubbered up in rude and careless words is made lothsome to the hearer as a body mis-shapen with unhandsome Clothes B. Hall A good Minister as he maketh Conscience of Preparing his heart to serve the Lord so he will not serve God with that which cost him nothing He converses much with God that he may be holy as the Object of his Preaching is Christ and the Gospel and the Kingdom of Heaven so he labours to be heavenly also O how graciously should we deliver Gods Errand to the People and they hear it with fear and trembling Holy Duties call for holy Preparation David washed his hands in innocency before he compassed Gods Altar Psal 26.6 And Job intending to sacrifice to God in the behalf of himself and his Children sends to them solemnly to Prepare themselves And if this be not done if they sin not against more light yet certainly against greater obligations Nay the very Heathens themselves would not admit any to come to their Religious Services unless they were prepared as that of Aeneas to his Father Anchises upon his return from the Wars Tu genitor cape sacra manu Patriosque penates Me bello è tanto digressum caede recenti Virg. lib. 2. Aenead p. 176. Therefore they had one that cried out to the people Procul hinc este prophani All you that are unclean and prophane depart hence and come not near us And shall Christians who have learnt better things touch holy things with unholy hands or unholy hearts no they must not they ought not Holy Duties call for holy Preparation and in a most special manner of a Minister that cometh so near unto the Lord. Men must be sanctified within and without before they come to the performances of any holy duty It is true that the Duty sanctifies but men must be sanctified for the duty Again a Minister must be active and vigorous in the reproof of sin Preach the Word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine 2 Tim. 4.2 Young Timothy must Reprove and Rebuke Preaching the same Truths with aged Paul It is Gods Charge unto Isaiah to Cry aloud to spare not to lift up his Voice like a Trumpet shewing the People their Transgressions and sins Isa 58.1 A Minister must sometimes change his note differ from himself sharpening his speech dipping his words in gall as our Saviour himself did Ye Serpents ye generation of Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of Hell Whom yet we may find in another place Matt. 5. as it were Piping and Dancing and all melodious sweetness When Elymas the Sorcerer would have obstructed Saint Paul's Preaching and have turned the Deputy from the Faith Paul set his eyes on him and cryes out O full of all subtilty and all mischief thou child of the Devil thou enemy of all righteousness It 's true the Gospel hath not one hard and unkind word against a Child of God but always Grace and Peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ This is the Voice of the Ministers of the Gospel Peace be to you and Fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy Luke 2.10 Saith the holy Apostle Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear But ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Rom. 8.15 It is never a Spirit of Bondage again in that sense and meaning as it was before But now on the contrary there is nothing but woe unto sinful and prophane ungodly wretches There is a time to reprove sinners and workers of iniquity most sharply as well as to comfort Saints God is content sometimes that we should derive from his Throne Thunderings and Lightnings and louder sounds Rev. 4.5 When Israel in Moses his absence corrupted themselves in making a molten Calf Moses did not dance after their pipe and laugh at their Idolatrous Image and superstitious merriment but with great zeal reproved their folly and with indignation confounded their Idol So if the whole Nation be grown Sermon-proof sitteth still and is at rest settled on the lees prophane Athiestical should we not be false Prophets to cry nothing but Peace Certainly we must now Cry with Isaia Wo to a sinful Nation When mens lives proclaim Wars against God must we not
denounce Gods Judgments against them We would be glad at every Sermon to say nothing but Peace to this Audience but our God saith There is no Peace to the wicked We would sing with the Angels Peace on Earth and good will towards men but how shall we sing the Lords Song in a strange Land Ps 137.4 We have Preached Glory Honour and Peace and Salvation and an incorruptible Crown and the choycest delights that heart could wish and were not regarded What remains then but to Preach Indignation and Wrath tribulation and angnish upon every Soul of man that doth evil Rom. 2.8,9 Fire from Heaven Plague Sword and Famine Captivity Emptied from vessel to vessel hurried from place to place Mists and Clouds and Darkness and Torments for days and nights and eternal generations of Years We have Piped unto you and ye have not Danced Matt. 11.7 we have sung With thee O Lord is mercy that thou mayest be feared Psal 130.4 But now we must change our note With thee is Vengeance that thou mayest be feared If the Spirit of Gentleness can do no good a Rod must come if the Songs of Sion cannot Mollifie the Thunders of mount Sinai must Terrifie Eli though a good man yet his Reproof wanted life and indignation against sin Nay my Sons for it is no good report that I hear 1 Sam. 2.24 In the matter of Preaching O what weighty things doth the Word contain Truths that should make the very bowels of the Minister to yern and pour out his affections in the Pulpit to rouze up the Peoples thoughts and awaken them from the sleep of sin and security wherein they have lain so long a time Otherwise when they hear of matters of Life and Death Salvation and Damnation they sit like blocks in their Seats as though it were no great matter Thus the golden Bells of Aaron must be rung in several tunes A Minister must labour to be like John Baptist to be a burning and a shining Light more then a Voice there must be life and heat in his Ministry Job 5.35 A Minister had need of many rare and excellent gifts to open the Scriptures to deduce from them to convince of sin to lay a good foundation to move the affections which the holy Scripture is so full of And most certain it is that they which are of the most prodigious wonderful and incomparable parts are most sensible of their own inabilities When God told Moses he would send him to deliver Israel saith Moses to God Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh Exod. 3.10 When none in all Israel or Midian was comparably fit for this Embassage Which of the Israelites had been brought up a Courtier 1 Schollar an Israelite by Blood by Education an Egyptian Learned in all the Wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and is deeds Acts 7.22 So that he was Learned Wise Valiant Experienced Yet he saith Who am I 'T is to be feared there is few amongst us look Moses his way first upon himself his own insufficiencies How few amongst us that are named to any place begins at Moses What am I where have I Studied and Practiced sufficiently before that I should fill such or such a place of Judicature where have I served and laboured and Preached in inferiour places of the Church that I should fill such or such a place of Dignity or Prelacy there How few like Abram left to say in all humility I am but Dust and Ashes or Jacob Non sum dignus I am not worthy of the least of these Preferments But every man is vapour'd up into Air and as the Air can he thinks he can fill any place Many run into the Magistracy many into the Ministry but who is sufficient for any one Who is sufficient for these things saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Master of Speech 2 Cor. 2.16 This is spoken in the high Commendation of Apollos that he was an Eloquent man and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 powerful and mighty in the Scriptures Acts 18.24 fervent in the Spirit teaching diligently the things of the Lord. Therefore a Minister must have his senses exercised in the holy Scripture even beyond the common sort of believers so that he may be said with Apollos Mighty in the Scriptures And though he may and ought to make use of Councils Schoolmen and Fathers with reverence yet Apostolical Writings are onely to be appealed to as the last Rule of Faith Thus having spoken something of the Ministers Duty though in this Grave Worthy and Learned Audience not to be Your Instructor but so as to bring things to your remembrance Now it remains that I should speak something of the Ministers Dignity and for that you see it falls in my Text. There is no Duty but the Lord crowneth it with some Priviledge Blessing and Dignity and that duty and service of the Ministry is not excluded but expressed more eminently and emphatically Now then We are Ambassadours for Christ This is the great Honour and Dignity of the Ministers of the Gospel to be the Ambassadours of Jesus Christ Therefore we magnifie our Office and this heightens our Calling from the preciousness of the Truth which is to be manifested by us The greatest Mystery in Heaven and Earth that upon which depends the great weight of Salvation a glorious and great dispensation is committed unto us First Ministers are called Watchmen Son of man I have made thee a Watchman unto the house of Israel Ezek. 3.17 a Minister hath relation and is debter unto the whole Church of God This shews the Churches danger and the Ministers duty carefully to watch and to warn to foresee and foretell danger this is the Watchmans duty as not to be blind watchmen given to sleep and slumber Isa 16.10 And upon this very ground the Apostle exhorts the Hebrews that they should give Honour and Obedience unto the Guides Leaders Governours and publick Officers of the Church because they watch for your souls as they that must give account Heb. 13.17 therefore Honour Reverence Obedience and high Estimation is due unto them as the Servants of the most High God which shew unto men the way of Salvation Acts 16.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nomen quaesivit ab omni ambitione prorsus remotum tamen authoritat is maximae si quis suo munere sanctè fungatur Beza in loc Non dubito quin de Pastoribus loquatur reliquis Ecclesiae gubernatoribus Nam neque tunc Christiani Magistratus erant quod vigilare cos dicit pro animabus ad spirituale regimen propriè pertinet Primo obedientiam deinde honorem illis deferre jubet Haec duo necessario requiruntur ut plebs fidem ao simul reverentiam Pastoribus habeat Nam quo quisque plus laboris suscipit nostra causa quo majori difficultate vel periculo se nobis impendit eo sumus illi magis obstricti Cal. in Loc. Secondly Because this obedience
house too bad for him 2 Kings 4.9,10 How much did the Galatians make of St. Paul that he saith They would have plucked out their own eyes if it had been possible to have done him good Gal. 4.15 How beautiful are the feet of them that Preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Rom. 10.15 So it is evident and manifest that once a Minister was esteemed like a Minister And hath God bidden you despise them now which bad you honour them before 1 Tim. 5.17 Let the Elders that Rule well be accounted worthy of double honour especially they who Labour in Word and Doctrine Such as apply their spirits most to the glory of God and the Publick good especially such as are Timothies in their houses Chrysostoms in their Pulpits S. Chrysostom was such a golden mouth'd Preacher Mellitissimus Christi Concionator he was so admired for his sweet winning Eloquence as that all the people cryed out when he was like to be silenced Satius est ut sol non luceat quam ut non doceat Chrysostomus We had better want the Sun then the Preaching of St. Chrysostom And S. Austin studied to make his language sweet and harmonious and acceptable to Gods people Some degree of Eloquence seems to be meet for a Minister for Moses saith to God I am not Eloquent Exod. 2.10 3. Vse Thirdly Hence we may see who are the best Ministers not they that can plot most for Preferment or can Preach most for Applause ambitious of a little popular breath but he that setteth himself with all his might to do good He that winneth souls is wise Prov. 11.30 because of the great difficulty of this work he is wise to himself he lays up a good foundation against the time to come They are the best Ministers that carry people to heaven though I know a Converting work is not for us but for the Holy Ghost rostra habet in Coelis qui corda docet Yet sometimes the Lord is wonderful powerful and efficacious by that word which we preach piercing through the very hearts and souls of men and leaving impressions of an immortal nature upon their spirits How fain would Christ have saved the people of Jerusalem the name is doubled to express the truth and certainty of his great affection How often would I have gathered c. Matt. 23.37 God offered them mercy while they had the dispensation of the means of grace And good Ministers like a Hen which clocketh her Chickens together from the Kite so they clock you together from the Serpent They would fain do so Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5.11 the wrath of God is an unsupportable burthen Who is able to dwell with devouring fires and everlasting burnings therefore would we perswade men all men When Agrippa was almost perswaded to be a Christian saith Paul I would to God that not onely thou but also all that hear me were both almost and altogether Acts 26.28.29 A good Minister would carry all his people to heaven with him How deeply is Moses affected that the sin of Israel might be forgiven Exod. 32.32 what extraordinary zeal and love for the salvation of men and as if his joy would have been utterly drowned in the destruction of the Church or had no part in the Election of Grace Tertullian understandeth it typically and figuratively of Christ the good Shepherd who was to be exhibited and to Dye for the Sheep Certe quidem bonus Pastor animam pro pecoribus ponit ut Moses non homini adhuc Christo revelato etiam in se figurato ait si perdis hunc populum inquit me pariter cum eo disperde Tertull. de fuga in Persecutione Cap. 11. And it is true that Moses was a typical Mediator and did atone for them Exod. 32.30 With what a bleeding heart doth St. Paul speak for the salvation of the Jews Rom. 9.1,2,3 servent appearing in the degree of it with this unexpressable adjunct great heaviness Secondly Continuance of it Continual sorrow in my heart for I could wish that I my self were accursed from Christ And truely we that are the Ministers of the Church of England might speak this even with tears of blood if we were able when we consider how many people in England seem to loose the hope of a good beginning who have suck'd their first sincere milk of the word that they might grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 in waiting upon God in his publick ordinances and blessed God that they might wait seemed to be in a good forwardness in the of way of Life and Salvation confessed that they have received comfort and will still to this day acknowledge it yet by reason of some who never we have cause to fear were converted unto Christ but unto an opinion Fantastical spirits which in Corners pour out their Poison and come not at the Congregations as Luther speaks and so they fall off and turn either unto Athiesm or Quakerism c. And there is no doubt but that this hath been no little grief and trouble unto our godly and dissenting brethren themselves when they see such sad effects of that doctrine which they have preached It is one good argnment of piety to love the place where God speaks the house of his presence Psal 26.8 Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth As the Sun shines gloriously though no eye behold it and pure waters flow from the fountain though none drink of them so Ministers are the light of the world though few be enlightned by them and the salt of the earth though few be seasoned by them 4. Vse Let me then Exhort you all unto this happy Reconciliation with God Reconciliation presupposeth a breach and indeed this was the greatest that ever was made by reason of the sins of man There was a heavy war denounced in the inimicitias ponam when God raised a war between the Devil and us Gen. 3.15 Gods wrath provoked man thrown out of Paradise Cursed in his name nature body soul senses friends and whatsoever he takes in hand Adams Posterity as well as himself became bondmen to Hell the Earth made barren for his sake and all the days of his life he was to eat his bread in the sweat of his face Man an enemy to God God and man at a very great distance I mean a distance of state and condition and so unhappy man desireth to continue never to have to do with God for ever And how sad and dreadful is it to consider how averse men are unto all means that can be used to reduce them and bring them back again to God They think not of him they speak not of him desire not the knowledge of him nor any of his ways Job 21.14 And some they can never be far enough from God and therefore the Prodigal went into a far Countrey Men having lost their Communion
although the Sower had a dirty Hand Gold Crowns and Scepters are excellent things although they may be sometimes in the hands of thieves There is nothing more frequent then for the Laity to Patronize their sins upon the example of others and to fortifie their prophaneness from the infirmities of their Teachers Wicked men love that in the Saints which the Saints never loved themselves And is this wisdom for a man to make their Foyl his Jewel their Shame his Glory A Ministers life is bad therefore his Doctrine is false O this is an harsh Non sequitur Personal offences suspend not the Power of the Holy Ghost but the blessing of Heaven goes along with the Office and Function I speak not this for any one to take liberty to sin but for the satisfaction of some and for the verifying of the truth The Ordinances of God become effectual means of Salvation not by any virtue meerly in themselves or in him that doth Administer them but onely by the blessing of Christ and the working of his Spirit Now the Lord is not necessarily tyed to afford his Presence and to manifest his Power always in them for God is a free Agent and instrumenta in divinis operantur acsi non operantur And if God withdraw himself there is no more Power nor Majesty in them but a bare empty outside and no more Preaching is the Power of God unto Salvation if the Lord discover himself without which it is no more Powerful then the breath of a man yet God hath tyed us to the word and Ordinances Because it is the food of the soul therefore as if you take away food from the body it will pine so without Preaching the People will famish for where no vision is the people perish And O what a miserable thing it is when a Land is darkened and and the glory is departed O the dreadful effects that will follow the Contempt of Gods Ordinances and his Ministers When the Prophets went from Jerusalem then Sword and Famine and Pestilence and all the Plagues of God rained upon them even as Fire came down upon Sodom so soon as Lot was gone out And yet our Tribe is a hated Tribe Of all Offices the Office of a Reprover is most unwelcome for that men love their sin and their lusts as their lives Gods faithful Ministers as they are set up by God in a special manner to oppose and beat down the Kingdom of sin and Satan so usually they are singled out by the Devil and his Instruments as the principal Butts against which the invenomed Arrows of Malicious hearts are most directed And therefore not onely Serpentine Wisdom and Dove-like Innocency is necessary for them above others also Courage and Magnanimity not to fear the faces of Men Sanctity and Holiness but also Diligence and indefatigableness in that great Work which God imployes them about St. Paul who was the most famous Preacher and instrument of Gods glory next to Christ that ever was in the world yet counted an Enemy unto the Galatians for that he told them the Truth Gal. 4.16 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Babler with the Philosophers of Athens The deadliest that Demosthenes bestowed upon Aesehines and the best the Athenians could afford St. Paul Micaiah was hated because he dealt truely with Ahab The bravest Deacon that ever the world bred was half a Martyr in the Pulpit Acts 7.54 But although every base fellow stop his ear and harden his heart against the God of Heaven and will not obey our Message which we have from God yet in a faithful discharge of our duty we shall be glorious in the eyes of God and if we cannot get them to the Banquet yet we shall be welcome without them We are unto God saith the Apostle a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish 2 Cor. 2.15 The faithful Ministers labour whether it hit or miss is accepted of God for as he who perswadeth to evil be it Heresie or Treason is punished although he do not prevail because he intended it for that he did labour it So he that doth his best to win men to heaven though he effecteth not what he desired though he hath laboured in vain and spent his strength in vain amongst men yet he shall be accepted and his reward shall be with God Thus though our Calling is despised of men yet it is honourable with God Even as the Ambassadour of a King glorieth in this that he cometh not as a private person but as the Kings Ambassadour and because of this Dignity that he is the Kings Ambassadour he is honoured and set in the highest place which honour should not be given him if he came as a private person So a Minister of the Gospel like the Kidgs Ambassadour must magnifie his Office and Calling for that he glorieth not in himself but in the King which hath sent him whose Authority he desireth to be honoured and magnified Now let us all stand and admire at the infinite grace and favour of God the Father of all Mercies in bestowing upon us the People of England such great and manifold Blessings as our Ancient Government publick Peace much Plenty Prosperity within our Palaces Psal 122.7 But amonst all our joys none should more fill our hearts and cause them to run over with thankfulness then the blessed continuance of the Preaching of Gods sacred Word amongst us The Dew lies not onely upon Gideons Fleece upon some particular persons but it is dispersed generally all the Kingdom over Every man may take S. Austins counsel Tolle lege Tolle lege every man amongst us may be a Rabbi Learned in the Laws Conversant in the holy Scriptures and speaking the Language of Canaan seeing that through the infinite goodness of God out Princes are Christians there is not that Persecution Religion is not disturbed we are not compelled to manifest the proof of our Faith by harder trials to resist even unto blood striving against sin Heb. 12.4 Sealing to the truth with our blood as that holy Martyr Ignatius and many others did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And when he came to the wild Beasts to be devoured of them and his bones crushed between their Teeth saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now I begin to be a Chrisâ—ian Ignat. Epist ad Rom. In the History of the Waldenses they petitioning That seeing it was permitted to the Saracens and Turks and Jews who are mortal Enemies to Christ and the basest People in the World to dwell peaceably in the fairest Cities of Christendom that Pity and Compassion might be shewed unto them who have their whole Religion founded upon the Gospel and worshipping the Lord Jesus and that they might be suffered to live quietly in desolate Mountains and Deserts and Valleys professing that they would live in all fear and reverence of God with all due subjection to their Lord and Prince and to his Lieutenants and Officers and yet
this Petition could not be granted The Church of God was so obscured as it was not to be sought for in any external pomp in Publick places but in Prisons and Dens Non in tactis exteriori Pompa sed potius in Speluncis Carceribus Why then are a generation so angry and displeased like Jonah that did even Chide with God By now much the less we are in our Passive obedience by so much the more let us be in our Active Let that strength be laid out for Gods glory which might have been spent in suffering the Wrath of God or the rage and sury of wicked men And let us all be earnest with God for his Church That the Gates of Hell may not prevail against it That the Lord would make his People ten thousand times more then they are and increase their Graces as well as add to their number That all the Nations of the World may see the Salvation of God that the Lord Jesus may abundantly see of the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied That the Word of God may be as glorious and as much prized by us the people of England as ever it was by any Nation since the world stood That the Ordinances of God may be in so much Power and Purity Beauty Splendor and Glory that Godliness and the powerful Profession of it may be more Honourable then ever it hath been Contemptible That through the Power of the Gospel and our careful Government the Mouth of Wickedness and Prophaneness may be stopped and subdued and whatsoever is contrary unto sound Doctrine and unto holy Practice That the Lord would be pleased to bless our most dread Sovereign Lord the King with many and happy Dayes Enrich his Royal heart with many singular and extraordinary Graces make him as an Angel of God a man after his own heart and an Excellent Spirit of Government that he may still know how to go in and out before so great a People and may be the Wonder of the World in this Latter Age for Happiness and true felicity to the honour of the great God and the good of his Church That our Nobility may be Loyal and Faithful men of holiness and Religion sparkling with ten thousand Glories Vertues and Graces while they oblige their Servants Tenants and the Countrey round about them by their holy Example to the practice of Piety and the fear of God That our Judges may be as at the first and our Counsellours as at the beginning Isa 1.26 like Moses Joshua c. Impartially Execute Gods Judgments upon the Enemies of the Church and faithfully administer Justice among the People no unrighteousness in Judgment but run down as Waters and Righteousness as a mighty Stream Amos 5.24 That there may be no complaining in our streets That our inferiour Magistrates may be Able men such as fear God Men of Truth hating Covetousness Exod. 18.21 Our Gentry Sober Vigilant Temperate in all things That they may Run in that heavenly Race set before them in the Holy Scriptures and so obtain an Incorruptible Crown 1 Cor. 9.24,25 Our Ministers all as so many burning Lights Pastors after Gods own heart Our Right Reverend Bishops and Governours of the Church imitating Christ the Bishop of their Souls All the People receiving Gods Truth in the Love thereof and in the power thereof men of Integrity Innocency and Sincerity The gloss of Profession without Sincerity will off in a Storm when a man hath not the Root and principle of grace in him Mat 13.21 But where this is it obligeth a man close to his Duty both to God and Man If I am Regenerate and truely sanctified I do good Works how and whensoever occasion is offered As If I be a Minister of the Word I obey the inward Calling of the Spirit I accept the outward Calling of the Church I Preach Absolution of sins to every Penitent Soul I offer the Seals of Reconciliation to every Contrite spirit I Comfort the Broken-hearted If I be a Housholder I govern my Family I bring up my Children in the knowledge and fear of God If I be a Magistrate the Charge that is given me from above I diligently execute If I be a Servant I do my Masters business faithfully If I be a Subject I live in obedience unto my Prince For the same Commandement that binds and obliges unto the Fear of God bindeth also to Honour the King 1 Pet. 2.17 to give honour and obedience in a special manner unto the highest Magistrate so that he which hath not performed the latter of these Duties is not to be thought to have performed the other sincerely Duty binds us to give obedience to Evil Princes in Conscience of Gods Ordinance And as an Evil Subject serves God for his Princes sake so a good Subject serves his Prince for Gods sake Thus Obedience is given if not Principi yet Principatui if not to the Person yet to the Office Therefore in the fear of God let us give all due obedience unto Authority be men of meek and quiet spirits in imitation of Christ and according to his Command Mat. 11.29 who hath also intailed such a blessing upon such persons as imports all good things Mat. 5.5 Is it not infinitely better to be a peace Maker then a peace Breaker They that live in obedience unto Government have the Blessing Benefit and Protection of Government Whereas it is the property of wicked men to be unquiet restless such as are without true Peace in themselves and seek to disturb or molest others as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first Psalm signifies And therefore the Laws of the Kingdom do oftentimes most deservedly take hold of them O how may such persons be ashamed to live and afraid to dye when the whole Creation may grone and travaile in pain by reason of their sins Set your hearts now unto these things for what is our Hope or Joy or Crown of Rejoycing are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his Coming Ye are our Glory and Joy 1 Thes 2.19,20 Weep in secret for all Abominations you see committed Let our Reverend Visitors now set their faces against all iniquity that no sin may be Countenanced to Eclipse the glory of this Solemnity so that with the glorious Company of the Apostles The goodly Fellowship of the Prophets The noble Army of Martyrs And the Holy Church throughout all the world We may arrive to that General Honourable and Glorious Assembly Heb. 12.23 to Celebrate the Praises of God and give him due thanks world without end Amen FINIS