is the wheat Jer. 23. 28. Ours but Hay and Stubble His Gold and silver and precious stones 1 Cor. 3. 12. More Particularly the Matter of our Preaching is Christ crucified and the glad tydings of Remission and Salvation through him Acts 8. 5. 1 Cor. 2. 2. The Credenda all Recapitulated in the doctrine of Christ the Agenda all supplied by the Grace of Christ the Petenda all granted in the Name of Christ the Communicanda all seals of the Love of Christ. He is Lux Cibus Medicina as Bernard speaks If I be Ignorant Christ is my Light if I be Hungry Christ is my food if I be sick Christ is my Physick Si scribas non sapit mihi nisi legero ibi Jesum Si disputes out conferas non sapit mihi nisi sonuerit ibi Jesus Our Ministery now is altogether Evangelical for though we Preach the Law yet it is ever in a subserviency unto the Gospel that by the Convictions thereof we may betake our selves unto Christ for shelter from the Curse which the Law threatneth and for Grace unto the duties which the Law prescribeth Our Saviour seemeth unto me to dictate the right Method of preaching the Gospel in that three-fold Conviction of Sin Righteousnesse and Judgement John 16. 8 9 10. 1. The Spirit accompanying the preaching of the Gospel doth convince men of their sinne and the wrath due unto them for the same untill they shall believe in Christ for the wrath of God abideth on unbelievers John 3. 36. 8. 24. Till Faith transferr the sinne upon the Sacrifice it remains upon the sinner Hereby the Soul is awakened and the Heart shaken and made restlessly Inquisitive after some way of escape from the wrath to come Acts 2. â—7 2. The Spirit by the Gospel convinceth of Righteousness in Christ who albeit he was reckoned amongst Malefactors John 19. 7. Isay 53. 12. yet there was in him Righteousness abundantly enough to justifie and save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him in as much as having finished the work of Redemption on earth he is gone to his Father and is not sent back again but is sat down at his right hand pleading the propitiation which here he wrought In his death believers suffered 2 Cor. 5. 14. Rom. 6. 6. In his Resurrection they were justified Rom. 4. 25. and In his Ascension they have a virtual possession of Heaven Eph. 2. 6. 3. The Spirit by the Gospel convinceth of Judgement whereby I understand Debitum Subjectionis unto Christ as a Judge or Prince to whom all Judgment Authority and power is committed John 5. 22. 27. Matth. 28. 18 that we having been delivered from the wrath to come and having received so great a Gift as the Righteousnesse of Christ ought to be subject unto him who died and rose again that he might be Lord both of the dead and living Rom 14. 9. having demolished the kingdom of Satan and Judicially cast out or dethroned the Prince of this world John 12 31. and destroyed him Heb. 2. 15. so that being translated from the power of darknesse into the kingdom of Christ Acts 26. 18. Col. 1. 13. we ought to be reduced unto the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. and to observe and doe whatsoever he commandeth Mat. 28. 20 for the doctrine of Grace and Salvation is a doctrine of Holiness Tit. 2. 11. 14. In this Method ought the Gospel of Salvation to be preached that neither the discovery of sinne may drive men unto despair but cause them to flye for Sanctuary unto the Righteousness of Christ and free Grace of God in him and that the magnifying of Free Grace and the Gift of Christs Righteousnesse may not induce a neglect of Holiness Rom. 6. 1 2 14 15 but that the Love of Christ may constrain them not henceforth to live unto themselves but unto him that died for them and rose again 2 Cor. 5. 14. Now for the Manner how this part of the Ministery of Reconciliation is to be be dispensed we are to preach the word 1. Demonstratively 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as to commend our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God and they may confesse that God is in us of a truth 2 Sincerely not handling the word of God deceitfully nor complying with the Lusts of men to gratifie them in their wayes as the Priests of Ahab did rather displeasing men with that doctrine which profits then pleasing them with that which betrayes their Souls as a Physician doth not so much consider what will please his Patients palate as what will cure his disease The Apostle professeth in one place That if he pleased men he should not be the servant of Christ Gal. 1. 10. and yet in another place he saith that he pleased All men in All things 1 Cor. 10. 33. But this was not mentiendi desideriô but cômpatientis affectu not out of Collusion but Condescension to gain save edifie profit them 3 Wisely so as to fit the word to the state of those that hear us to give every one his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 24. 45. the Apostle preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cor. 3. 10 3. 10. we must not preach comforts so as that profane persons may mistake them as theirs nor threatnings so as to make sad the hearts of those whom the Lord hath not made sad 4 Boldly not fearing the faces of men in the work of God Jer. 1. 8. not concealing any part of Gods Counsel because haply it may be unwelcom to those that hear it but freely and confidently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to deliver the whole Counsel of God as Micaiah to Ahab as Amos to Jeroboam Most wicked men are of Vitellius his mind they love to hear nothing nisi jucunda laesura But if they have the boldnesse to commit sin should not we have the Courage to reprove it There is a Majesty in the word which can humble an Ahab a Felix a Belshazzer which can strike an awe and rrverence into the heart of a Joash towards Elisha and of Herod towards John the Baptist 2 Reg. 13. 14. Mark 6. 20 God hath threatned to confound us if we be dismayed in his work Jer. 1. 17. He hath promised to be with us Matth. 28. 20. to stand by us 2 Tim. 4. 16. in the discharge of so great a trust and will give testimony to the word of his grace Acts 14. 3. His word rightly administred is as nails goods arrows a two edged sword dividing asunder soul and spirit joynts and marrow a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart 5 Meekly affectionately with all Love and tenderness to the souls of our Hearers in meeknesse instructing those that oppose themselves 2 Tim. 2. 25 with the spirit of Meeknesse Restoring those that are overtaken in a fault Gal. 6. 1. A Preacher as a Chirurgian should have an Eagles eye to discover the state of the Soul a Lions
is pleased to second with his powerfull and most efficacious Cooperation Necessity is Twofold Absolute as it is absolutely necessary for the first Being to Be. Relative or Hypothetical when one thing is necessary in order unto or upon supposition of another Obedience unto God is a Necessary duty to be done Blessedness a necessary End to be pursued unto the performance of this Duty there is a necessity to know the Rule wherein it is prescribed unto the obtaining of this End there is a Necessity to know the Means whereby it may be promoted for understanding whereof we shall premise two or three Propositions 1. Though there remain some ingrafted notions of the Law of Nature touching God and a service due to him in the heart of Man yet that Law is much darkned and defaced by that sinfull Corruption which doth as well indispose the minde as any other faculties unto its due operations Of this blindness and vanity we have frequent mention 1 Cor. 2 14. Ephes. 4. 17 18. and therefore albeit rare things are recorded of the moral Vertues of many Heathen men and though diverse of their Philosophers Plato Aristotle Hierocles Plutarch Cicero Seneca Epictetus and others have written excellently on those Arguments yet unto a full knowledge of Moral Duties to be in a due manner performed unto God and Men there is necessary a further patefaction of the Divine will then those remaining Principles of the Law of Nature can dictate unto us And this was done by the Ministery of Moses by whom to the Church and unto whom by the Ministery of Angels the most holy and perfect Law of God was fully discovered 2. Though the Law delivered by Moses be pure and perfect though it be Holy Just and Good and though the Commands thereof be Exceeding Broad yet thereby Salvation cannot be had since by the Law is the knowledge of Sinne Rom 3. 20. and therefore it can Curse onely and not Blesse or Save us as the Apostle argues Gal. 3. 10 11. All that the Law can do is to shew us duty to discover the sinne whereby we come short of duty the punishment due unto that sin and our Impotency to prevent remove endure or avoid that Curse And Consequently there must be a further patefaction of life and grace by another Prophet 3 The doctrine of the Gospel as it stands formally distinguished from the doctrine of the Law is wholly Mysterious and supernatural there are no seminal notions in the minde of man from whence it may by rational disquisition be deduced And therefore it is usually in Scripture called a Mysterie the Mysterie of Christ Eph. 3. 4. Col. 4. 3. the Mystery of the Gospel Eph. 6. 19. of the Faith of Godliness 1 Tim. 3. 9. 16. Hidden from ages and generations Rom. 16. 25. which eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive 1 Cor. 2. 9. as a Mysterie Above Natural Reason as a Mysterie of Godlinesse against Carnal Reason Except therefore it had been by some Pastor Revealed to the Church wee could never have had the knowledge of it 4 Unto the perfecting of Salvation by the Gospel Two things Concurre A Valid Impetration of Grace by the Merit of Christ. And an Effectual Application thereof by his Spirit which he doth by begetting Faith in us called the faith of the Operation of God Col. 2. 12. This knowledge of Christ is Simply necessary to Salvation Isay 53. 11. Joh. 8 24 And it is not of our selves but the Gift of God Eph. 2. 8. and God works it by Hearing Rom. 10. 17. So there is a Necessity of a Divine Pastor by whose teaching this knowledge so necessary to Salvation may be effectually wrought in us 5. The doctrine of Redemption layeth an Obligation on the Redeemed to live unto him that bought them Christ therefore died and rose that he might be the Lord of dead and living the Grace which bringeth Salvation Teacheth to Deny ungodliness c. Tit. 2. 11 12. Sanctification is necessary to Salvation as being the Inchoation thereof Nothing can be perfected till it be begun Heb. 12. 14. Since therefore Holinesse is Necessary and it belongs to him to whom this Service is due to prescribe the manner of it and since we have naturally in us Ignorance Impotency and Enmity wholly disabling from the doing of it there is upon these Accompts an Absolute Necessity of such a Pastor who may Reveal the Right way of Holinesse unto us and may efficaciously incline our wills thereunto Upon these Grounds we may see the Necessity of the Great Pastor for Revealing the supernatural Mysteries of Life and Salvation by Free grace for working Faith whereby Life and Salvation may be applied unto us for Enabling us unto the duties of Holinesse and removing those Impediments of Ignorance Impotency and Enmity which indispose us thereunto And now because the Office of Inferior Pastors under this great Shepherd hath in these late unhappy and licentious dayes by the subtilty or rather bungling of Satan been greatly oppos'd It will not be unseasonable to speak a little of the Necessity of these also to feed the flock That which God hath appointed as an Office in his Church is to be acknowledged Necessary God hath by his special Institution appointed Pastors and Teachers in his Church whose function the Scripture owneth as an Office called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim 3. 1. Col. 4 17. therefore they are to be acknowledged Necessary The Lord is said to have set or constituted them in his Church 1 Cor. 12. 28. to have given them to her as part of her Dowry Eph 4. 11. they are sent forth by the Lord of the harvest Matth. 9 38. They are called Ministers of Christ Col. 1. 7. They receive their Ministery from the Lord Col. 4. 17. He hath made them Overseers Acts 20. 28. Therefore none can without Sacriledge against Christ and his Church reject them 2. Necessary Ordinances presuppose necessary Officers to administer them Christ hath appointed necessary Ordinances to be to the End of the world administred therefore the Officers who are to administer them are Necessary likewise He did not appoint a work to be done and leave it to the wide world who should do it but committed the Ministry of Reconciliation to Stewards and Ambassadors by him selected for that Service 1 Cor. 4. 1. 2 Cor. 5. 19. 3. That which was Instituted for Necessary Ends so long as those Ends continue must be Necessary likewise The Office of the Ministry was Instituted for Necessary Ends which do and will still continue therefore the Ministery by which they are to be promoted is still to continue Those Ends are The proclaiming Repentance and Remission of Sins the bringing Glad tydings of Good things the turning men from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God the saving of souls the perfecting of Saints the Edifying the body of
word Feed is an usual Metaphore to expresse the tender Care and Gentle Government which men are to exercise over those who are Committed to their Custody It is used frequently not only in Scripture Psal. 77. 20. 78 71. Ezek. 34. 23. Isa 40. 11. John 10. 11. 21. 15 17. 1 Pet 5. 2 but in profane authors as Xenophon makes the Comparison in the beginning of his Cyropaedia and Homer calls Agamemnon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Pastor of the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that takes care of the flock There is likewise a Synecdoche of the part for the whole one particular of the Office being put for all the rest Here then we might enter into a large field 1. In opening the Pastoral Office of Christ as he came to Seek and to save his Lost sheep to Rule them by his royal authority to Lead them by his most holy example to feed them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his Body Blood Spirit and Word to Heal and bind them to fold and defend them to rescue and deliver them out of the mouth of the Wolf and Lion 2 In setting forth the whole duty of the Vnder-shepherds which they owe to the flock of Christ as they have entrusted unto them the Ministery of Reconciliation which Ministery standeth in 4 things 1 In offering up the spiritual Sacrifices of prayers and praises in the name and behalf of the Church unto God and to blesse in his name 2 In administration of the Seals or Sacraments 3 In Exercising the power of Binding and loosing of retaining and remitting of sinnes towards particular contumacious sinners in the one Case or penitent sinners in the other 4 In Preaching the glad tydings of Salvation to the Church But because it is not possible to handle so many weighty particulars in this little Scantling of time I shall keep to the most narrow and formal sense of the word Feed as it relateth to the spiritual food of the soul the pastures of life the word of God for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Basil Seleuc. speaketh The food of the soul is the feast of the word whereunto possibly the Apostle may allude when he requireth Timothy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2. 15. as the Ministery of the Word and Spirit is compared by the Prophet to a royal and magnificent Feast Isa. 25. 6. Prov. 9. 1 2. Rev. 3 20. This Great work of Preaching is appointed by God as a means and Instrument of begetting Faith in the people and turning them from the power of Satan unto God By Evidencing divine truth unto the Conscience 2 Corinth 4. 2. that a mans sinne may find him out to make him penitent and he may finde Christ out to make him blessed By stopping the mouthes of Gainsayers By Reproving those that sinne out of Infirmity with meeknesse Gal. 6. 1. out of Contumacy with sharpnesse Tit. 1. 13. all with Authority Tit. 2. 15. By Exhorting with strong Arguments and with winning perswasions unto the obedience of the truth 2 Cor. 5. 20. By comforting and powring Balm into wounded Spirits removing fears resolving doubts speaking peace shewing a man his righteousnesse and delivering him from going down into the pit I say 40. 1. Job 33. 23. By differencing the Sheep from the Goats the chaff from the wheat the precious from the vile him that feareth God from him that feareth him not The word of Grace thus Managed is the Ordinary Instrument which God useth to sanctifie us John 17. 17. to form Christ in us to derive the spirit upon us and to turn us to the Lord. And the Minister of Christ who duly preacheth it is his Herald and Ambassador 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to proclaim warr against the Rebellious and to publish Remission of sinnes unto those that repent and believe And sâ—â—â—uch hath Christ honoured his Stewards in the faithfull discharge of this their Ministery that though they be but weak men yet such effects are ascribed unto them as are proper unto God alone They are said to forgive sinnes John 20. 23. to convert and to save souls Jam. 5. 20. 1 Tim. 4. 16. to deliver men from going down into the pit Job 23. 24. to revenge all disobedience 2 Cor. 10. 6. and to Judge wicked men Ezek. 20. 4. None of which can be effected but by God alone The Excellency of the power belongs uâ—â— to him 2 Cor. 4. 7. Nulla est Remissio culpae nisi per Gratiani Sed Gratiam dare est potentiae Infinitae saith Alex. Hales and therefore Peter Lumbard and after him Altissiodorensis Bonaventure Occham Biel and divers other Schoolmen do affirm per hanc potestatem non posse Remitti culpas sed solum declarari Remissas and that the Priest doth it per modum Impetrantis but not per modum Impertientis And yet because unto us is committed the Ministery of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 19. and together with that Office an Authority to work together with God as his Instruments who maketh us Able Ministers of the New Testament 2 Cor. 3. 6. so that by the cooperation of God our Gospel cometh not in word only but in power 1 Thess. 1. 5. 2 Cor. 10. 8. Tit. 2. 15. therefore we are said to do those things which are proper for God alone to doe because God is pleased to do them by that word of Grace the Ministery whereof he hath committed unto us Humana opera Dei munera as Optatus speaks the Ministery is mans the Gift Gods The Priest saith St. Chrysostom lendeth his tongue and his hand but neither Angels nor Archangels can do the thing but God alone Humanum obsequiunt munifientia supernae potestatis saith S. Ambrose De Spiritu Sancto l. 3. c. 19. the Service is mans but the Munificence is Gods We loose by our Pastroal Authority whom God raiseth by his quickning Grace saith Gregory Homil. 26. in Evang. The Matter of this our Preaching is in General The whole Counsel of God Acts 20. 27. All the words of life Acts 5. 20. That which we have heard of the Lord of Hosts Is. 21. 10. All which God commands without diminishing a word Jer. 26. 2. Thou shalt speak My words unto them saith the Lord Ezek. 2. 7 We are Angels we must keep to our Message we are Ambassadors we must keep to our Commission we are Depositaries we must discharge our trust Quid est depositum saith Vincentius Lirinensis speaking of that Command to Timothy 1 Tim. 6. 20. Id quod tibi Creditum est non quod à te Inventum quod accepisti non quod excogitasti rem non ingenii sed doctrinae non usurpationis privatae sed publicae Traditionis in qua non Autor debes esse sed Custos and so Origen The Apostle saith he hath given example to the Doctors of the Church to speak to the people non propriis praesumpta sententiis sed divinis munita Testimoniis Our own devices are all but chaff Gods word
heart to search spiritual wounds and a Ladies hand to dresse them with all tendernesse and sympathy The Servant of the Lord must be Gentle towards all men 6 Plainly without unnecessary affectation or ostentation of the Enticing words of mans wisdom or of meer humane and exotick wit or learning The Apostle though a great Scholar would not ground the faith of his hearers upon the wisdom of men but upon the power of God 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. and warneth them to take heed of those who would spoyl them through Philosophy and vain deceit Col. 2. 8. And here a needfull Question may be proposed How farr forth a Minister may make use of Humane wit or learning in the service of the Church Learning is a noble Gift of God It was the Honour of Moses that he was learned in all the learning of the Egyptians Acts 7. 22. And every good Gift of God may be sanctified for the use of the Church as the Crown of the King of Rabbah was set upon the Head of David 2 Sam. 12. 30. and the spoiles of the Heathen were dedicated to the Lord 2 Sam. 8. 11 12. Clemens Alexand calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as men lay a ground of some meaner colour when they intend to overlay with Gold Singular use did the Antient Fathers Tertullian Justin Martyr Origen Clem. Alexand. Cyprian Theophilus Arnobius Augustine Eusebius Minutius Felix Theodoret and others make of this kind of the learning of the Heathen in defence of Christian Religion as David slew Goliah with his own sword as the Apostle disputed with the Philosophers of Athens from the Inscription of their own Altar Acts 17. 23. 24. Of which Inscription we read in Philostratus Pausanias and others very many passages and expressions of Holy Scripture cannot be so clearly understood without the knowledge of those usages mentioned in Heathen Writers whereunto they referre of which we meet with diverse instances in the Agonistica of Petrus Faber and multitudes of other Learned Writers To say nothing of the eminent service done in this kinde to the Church of Christ by Beza Grotius Heinsius Scultetus Gataker and divers others Thus a Moabitish woman became an Israelite if her head were shaven and her nails pared Thus Theodosius reserved the Golden vessels of the Heathen Temples unto the use of the Christian Church Christianus Domini sui esse intelligit ubicunque invenerit veritatem We find the Apostle himself making sometimes use of the Heathen Poets and as I may so speak bringing those Greeks into the Temple And for Wit though it be naturally a proud and unruly thing yet it may be so sanctifyed by Grace and fixed by humility as to be of great use to the Church of God The Holy Scripture is full of curious Elegancies and Paranomasies of this kind and some have written just volumes de Rhetorica sacra of these Scripture Elegancies What higher strain of wit could be used then that Acts 5. 41. they went away rejoycing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they were Honoured with dishonour for the name of Christ Which of the noblest Orators or Poets amongst the Heathen can parallel that expression of the Apostle touching the Glory to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 4. 17. It were end lesse to instance in these kind of particulars And how Wit may be sanctified to the use of the Church we have delicate examples in the Apologetick of Tertullian in the Epistle of Cyprian to Donatus in Minutius Felix his Octavius in the Orations of Gregory Nazienzen and Basil in the Sermons of Chrysostom Bernard Chrysologus and multitudes of others amongst the Antients To say nothing of the Worthies in our own Church and of our own time amongst whom I cannot but mention my most Religious and most Excellent Predecessor in this Diocesse whose writings are like the Land of Canaan flowing with milke and honey Now in this particular I should advise those who have vigorous and predominant witts of whom we may say as Quintilian said of Seneca It is pity they should not do as they ought who can do as they will that they would not too much indulge nor loosen the reynes unto luxuriancy of fancy in so solemn and serious a work as preaching the Gospel but proportion their ballast to their sayl and temper their fancy with Humility pietie and prudence so as they may render severe and solid truths the more amiable and reconcile the minds of their hearers the better unto sound and saving doctrine as Physitians convey their physick in some pleasant vchiculum to gratifie the palat prevent the fastidium of their tender Patients After this manner must we preach the Gospel discharging faithfully towards God and men the trust which is reposed in us for it is required in Stewards that a man be found faithfull 1 Cor. 4. 2. Now there being three wayes of Pastoral Feeding as Bernard hath observed Ore Mente Opere by Preaching Praying and Living it is necessary to adde these two latter unto that which we have already handled 1. To be the Lords Remembrancers and to give our selves continually to prayer Acts 6. 4. If we Consider the Great Importance of our Ministery in dispensing the unfearchable Riches of Christ the great difficulty of the work for which without divine assistance none can be sufficient the Divine efficacy and Cooperation required unto the successe of it the Infinite preciousnesse of the soules of men and great Concernments of the Church of God over which we have an inspection we cannot but grow unto holy Cyprians Resolution who thus saith of himself in his Book De bono pudicitiae Non solum proferimus verba quae de scripturarum sacris fontibus veniunt sed cum ipsis verbis preces ad Dominum vota sociamus 2. We must give testimony unto our doctrine by a Godly Example as Paul requireth Timotby and Titus 1 Tim. 4. 12. Tit. 2. 7. and Peter all Elders 1 Pet. 5. 3. as John was both a shining and a Burning Lamp John 5. 35. The Star which led the wise men unto Christ the Pillar of fire which led the Children unto Canaan did not onely shine but go before them Matth. 2. 9. Exod. 13. 21. the voice of Jacob will do little good if the hands be the hands of Esau. In the Law no person who had any blemish was to offer the Oblations of the Lord Levit. 21 17. 20. the Lord thereby teaching us what Graces ought to be in his Ministers The Priest was to have in his robes Bells and Pomgranates the one a figure of sound doctrine and the other of a fruitfull life Exod. 28. 33 34. the Lord will be sanctifyed in all those that draw near unto him Isa. 52. 11. for the sins of the Priests make the people abhorr the offering of the Lord 1 Sam. 2. 17. their wicked lives do shame their doctrine Passionem Christi annunciant profitendo male agendo exhonorant as S. Austine speaks