humane Learning but layes down Rules for choice without this expedient 1 Tim. 3. Object 2. But possibly some may say Is it not there said Let not him that is chosen be a Novice and is not that as much as to say unlearned or unskilful in learning To which I Answre 〈◊〉 but our learned Tribe Novices God forbid they should think so or the Lord's Peoples Portion be no better for then none besides the Learned should have been capable of choice but Paul acknowledgeth that the Corinths were wise not only their Ministers but they 1 Cor. 1.4 5. with Epist 2.11.19 But to Answer this more fully Paul intends onely a young unskilful unexperienced Christian and not a young Grammarian or Logician for he may be as proud as any that hath most skill in Arts as many Instances shew and this is the reason laid down by the Apostle why he must not be a Novice lest he be pussed up with pride and surely if the learning here meant be Oxford Cambridge I mean of the Schools Paul it seems knew men were very quick to know what learning he meant since Scripture and himself knew another Learning better which the Scriptures shew as I have offered or else he foresaw men would as at this day idolize and dote upon these painted Feathers wherefore he saith if any thing but very little for this University-breeding cryed up as so absolutely necessary for Preaching although the Scriptures know nothing of it Object 3. But some may say Are not the Schools of the Prophets mentioned in Scripture as in the place 2 Kings 22.14 Is it not said that Huldah the Prophetess dwelt in a Colledge and had not the Prophets peculiar places of residence and habitation wherein as in Vniversities or Nurseries of Learning they studied and improved themselves in order to Preaching or Prophesying as we real 2 Kings 2.3 5. 〈…〉 Acts 19.9 If there were any more of these 〈◊〉 I should have considered them also but so many have onely come to my knowledge To all those Scriptures I Answer they do not in the least oppose the Truth I have asserted that not Humane but Spiritual Wisdom fits for Preaching the Gospel of Christ For grant that these places intended Colledges and Universities and such like places yet it follows not that these were places imployed or improved for Trayning or preparing Persons for Gospel-preaching for it doth not appear that any Gospel-preachers issued forth from thence And secondly The Prophets and Prophetesses we read of were extraordinary Prophets and not such Preachers or Prophets as the Doctrine intends and speaks of but if Schools and Universities will fit us to be such Prophets as can declare things to come from the Lord then let us all that fear the Lord go to these Schools that we may learn thus to Prophesie But this is not a mediate but an immediate Gift either by Dreams Visions or Oracles And thirdly For Tyrannus his School mentioned in the forecited Acts 19. nothing is there declared concerning what he taught nor whom he taught but most probable it was not Gospel-knowledge and infallible it is it was not how men might be qualified for Preaching for this was not permitted or allowed any open Schools in that place at that day as appears by the contradiction Paul there met withal and how needless had it been to a learned Hebrew or Greek since that was their Mother-Tongue many of them being Jews and Greeks as vers 10. declares but Tyrannus was allowed to teach in his School wherefore it is probable he taught nothing of this sort of Knowledge Object 4. Some do Object and say How can a Preacher know that the Scripture is rightly translated that knows not the Original I Answer By the same way and means that the unlearned People of the Lord come to know it and it concerns them and is necessary for them to know though I say not of the same necessity For if they be not assured that the Scriptures as translated are rightly translated what shall they build their Faith on except on their learned Leaders and Translators honesty and ability and this is to pin their Faith in a business of most weight and concernment on the Priests sleeve and this is but to believe as the Church believes and so the blind leading the blind they may both fall into the Ditch Secondly I Answer It is not by knowing Arts and Sciences or Languages Preachers or People can come to be assured that the Scriptures are the Word of God and rightly translated but by the humble sanctified and diligent searching into and studying of the Scriptures 't is by comparing things spiritually together as the Apostle tells us saying Which things also we speak not in the words which Man's wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual 1 Cor. 2.13 I say by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus must we nay may we know the Power and Spirit Truth and Purity of the Scriptures and it is the Godly judicious Spiritual Christian best knows how aptly or corruptly they are translated And thirdly I Answer Grant this were so which I do not grant yet this Learning and Excellency is more requisite and essential to a Translator Examiner or Corrector of translated Copies than to a Gospel-preacher But lastly Since so many thousand Learned as well as Godly have sealed the Truth of the Scriptures Purity and Divine Authority notwithstanding all its humane Imperfections in Translation therefore we need not now or continually University-Learning to do that Work which is already sufficiently done to our hands Object 5. Some do Object and say How can the Scripture be interpreted in dark passages without this help I Answer As a Lanthorn without a Candle will no way help to shew a man his way though a Candle without a Lanthorn may no more can this dark Lanthorn of humane Learning and Languages without the Candle of the Lord as too abundant experience hath witnessed but that Candle singly can and doth Miserable Experience sheweth what Interpreters the School-men and Fathers have been and yet are even the Fathers of well-nigh all the Individual Errors in Judgment and Practice in the European World The Devil and the Learned may be admired for them if for any thing but take some Scriptures for proof of so weighty a Point when our Lord comes to shew how Ministers and Interpreters of Scripture shall be furnished for this Work he saith When the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he shall shew you things to come John 16.13 The like Testimony gives Paul But we speak the wisdom of God in a Mystery even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the World unto our Glory which none of the Princes of this World knew for had they known it they would not have Crucified the Lord of
Glory 1 Cor. 2.7 8. But some may say How came the Preachers of the Gospel in that day to this Wisdom Not from Universities or humane Learning but from the Grace and Spirit of God as you have it But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things mark it yea the deep things of God vers 10. And this Paul proves vers 11. For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God this is further witnessed unto vers 12 13 14 15 16. Object 6. May some say How shall a Preacher be able to withstand or confute gain-sayers without learning For every one that is a Scholar and subtil will sophisticate and use fallacies and wrest the Scriptures and his Arguments from him if he be not a Scholar Now Beloved I pray you do but consider what is said in this Objection and you have here discovered the learned Man's Excellency it is to sophisticate and deal fallaciously with the Simple and the Truth Beloved take heed of them as such who have learned the skill to deceive the simple But yet a little further to Answer this seemingly so weighty an Objection Know God's way or the right way for a Preacher to answer Gain-sayers is to have the Word of God dwell richly in him in all wisdom that out of that Library or good Treasure he may be able to convince them of the contrary part Thus Paul taught injoyning Preachers to hold fast the faithful Word as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and convince the Gain-sayers Tit. 1.9 10. the like you have in 2 Tim. 3.13 14 15 16 17. Object 7. Some may say This is to subject Preachers and Preaching to contempt and scorn For if Preachers need not be learned who will not be a Preacher Who more bold than the ignorant or men of ignorance And who will reverence Preaching or Preachers if it be so easie and common a work for any man that is unlearned Will it not be very simple and mean Preaching if Preachers want Breeding Arts Languages and Sciences to garnish and dress out their Preaching with Lively and Apt Similes Rhetorical and Elegant Words To all which I thus Answer in the fear of the Lord. First It is never the more easie but much more the harder for any to Preach whilst we affirm no humane Acquirements but supernatural Attainments that fits or qualifies Persons for Preaching Secondly If all or any seek or undertake to Preach it follows not that all shall or can Preach No there are many Learned yea and unlearned Intruders upon Preaching which do not nor can Preach for all they rush or run upon the work for it is written A man can receive nothing that is no such Gift except it be given him from Above John 3.27 And saith Paul How can one Preach except he be sent And thirdly Though this unnecessary Tool be laid aside yet are there many other helps which every Preacher must have both Natural and Divine which every man hath not no not every Godly Man nor can attain to therefore to be an Accomplished-Preacher is not so easie though it matters not how easie But fourthly If it be said Who then will reverence Preaching or Preachers I Answer Though an undue reverence is not to be sought or desired and every able Preacher is truly and most eminently worthy of reverence yet when the Love of God and the Work of God lies warm upon the Preachers heart then the main business of a Gospel-Preacher will be to get Christ not himself reverenced For we Preach not our selves but the Lord Jesus and our selves your Servants for Christ's sake 2 Cor. 4.5 And let me tell you as David said to Michael 2 Sam. 6. Even of the Hand-maids shall such be had into honour whilst the proud Locusts of the bottomless Pit despise them I say Every such Soul that is Preached to will reverence that lip which hath spoken Christ to his heart as hereafter may more appear but if the blind cannot yet the seeing eye will reverence such Preaching and that the more because it is plain and simple But lastly Whereas they tell us that Preaching will be very mean and simple if the Preachers be unlearned and want Arts Sciences Rhetorick and Logick to help them to apt Expressions Similies to set forth Heavenly things by I Answer No if men be wise that Preach it will not be simple Preaching If Preachers be dayes-men or men of experience in Christ's Gospel and Satan's Wiles for if the Spirit of God can help the unlearned to words sufficient to speak to God in Prayer surely he is much more able to help the unlearned Preacher to sufficiency of words to speak to the Satisfaction and Advantage of unlearned simple sinful earthly ignorant Men and Women yea Babes and Sucklings therefore no need to serve an Apprentiship for Words at the Schools Thus I have Answered this Objection Object 8. Some may say If Preachers be not Scholars and Artists there are many things in the Scripture which they cannot resolve or explain at the weights of the Sanctuary of old and Places and Countries as where they lie and in what Continent Scituation Latitude and Distance one from another c. To which I Answer This is but superfluous or unnecessary Knowledge which every Gospel-Preacher may honourably be without And if a Preacher cannot attain it without humane Learning he may Preach as truly and as profitably Christ's Mysterie and Man's Duty from such Scriptures as if he could resolve such Riddles or unnecessary Questions For could not Ezckiel Amos and the Prophets prophesie against Egypt Tyrus Moab Babylon and the rest of the Heathen-Countries as well as if they knew their Longitude or Latitude Yes doubtless as clearly as other-ways for that did not concern them but only to denounce the Judgments of God against them other knowledge of Places is onely or mostly necessary for such as are Travellers or Historiographers who else may miss their way or mar their Work but 't is not so with a Preacher 't is enough for such to Preach that Babylon shall fall because she hath sinned and that Nineveh repented and therefore was spared wheresoever the one or the other Country is and that whatsoever Countrey or People soever they be that sin against the most High and do not repent shall also perish first or last yea even England though we know where it lies without repentance must doubtless perish Object 9. May not some say to me Doth not Solomon the Wise even the Preacher in my Text say Prov. 1.22 It is fools only that hate or slight Knowledge so it is only unlearned ignorant mechanicks that speak thus slightly and contemptibly of Learning and Knowledge Is not every thing beautiful in its season I Answer It is not to
The WISE Gospel-Preacher HIS Praise and Practice Duty and Dignity Opened in a SERMON On ECCLES 12.9 By S. M. Minister of the Gospel Isa 52.7 How beautiful upon the Mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tydings that publisheth peace c. Printed for the Author To that Congregation over whom the Lord hath made me an Overseer Increase of Grace here and Glory hereafter BRethren and Beloved in our Lord Jesus these Sermons as they were preached amongst you even so was their Publication earnestly sollicited by some of you at whose request I have yeelded to that I designed not in their Preaching nor intended to have done long since that task was finished But remembring I am not only a Debtor to Jew and Gentile but more especially to you also not onely by one means but by every means to endeavour your furtherance in the Faith I judged my self obliged to help you with that Printed which the Lord gave you in Preaching And I may safely say so near as I could your Eys now have only what once your Ears heard As to you my Beloved whose importunity prevailed upon me to undertake this Work know two Arguments prevailed upon me to Answer your Request The one My Love towards you the other My desire of your Spiritual and Eternal Welfare and if my Labour of Love for your sakes may providentially extend or reach to the advantage of any others that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity I therein shall and will rejoyce I need not here give you any account of the Nature of this Treatise you well know it is to open both the Wise-Preachers and the Wise-Hearers Work and Business you know I need the one and I also judge you want not need sufficient to learn the other As to the Method it is and ought to be plain as best becoming Gospel-Mysteries 't was Truth not Humane Wisdom or Eloquence that I designed to manifest and surely should I thus have acted I should have pull'd down with one hand what I was setting up with the other and so should have been found a transgressor As to my often hinting of any thing minded in this Discourse know the nearness of the Phrases in the Text one to another constrained it except I should have broke the bounds and dealt partially with the Text and my thoughts are that Plenty may even conduce to Profit And as for those Phrases Titles and Denominations of Persons which in this Discourse may seem unto any tender ear to be plain harsh or reproachful to any know this I have warily considered to fasten them only on persons really deserving such names and although I have herein followed the footsteps of the Saints Penmen of the Scripture yet have I abated rather than exceeded their practice as is most evident if you consider of some expressions wherein how great or learned or seemingly pious soever some sinners were yet both Christ himself and the Prophets and Apostles have spoken very home and hard against such Persons stiling them Hypocrites Devils Children Wolves Dogs Lyons Foxes Vipers painted-Sepulchres whited Walls Princes of Sodom Rulers of Gomorrah Adulterers Adulteresses and such like as the Scripture witnesseth wherefore marvel not at my freedom of expression to sinners of the same dye And lastly My resolution was to avoid the reproof due to such as give flattering Titles unto men and as Elihu saith Let me not I pray you accept any man's person neither let me give flattering titles unto men for I know not to give flattering titles forin so doing my Maker would soon take me away Job 32.21 22. And further If any suppose I have in this Discourse affected and discovered a Spirit of singularity and diversity of Opinion from the most of even pious judicious and sober men of this Age. I Answer in uprightness 't was not affectedly but constrainedly done and I suppose even such Objectors will not deny 't is better differing from men how wise soever than from Christ and since all men know but in part and Prophesie but in part that may be Christ's Truth which is not acknowledged or understood by many is it not written Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment Exod. 23.2 and as Paul saith I believed therefore have I spoken 2 Cor. 4.13 I shall willingly receive better information and then speedily change my present apprehension Lastly If any Object against the largeness of this Tract my Answer is 'T was my desire to have prevented it could I with fidelity and prudence have effected it and the truth is I have denyed my self and slipt over some Particulars which might more largel have been insisted on that this Exception might have been spared And now my dearly Beloved whose importunity begat me this labour Let me now crave leave before I conclude this Epistle to request a few things of you First My Brethren if you meet with any Advantage Content or Comfort by perusing these Lines pray give all the praise and glory to God whose hand alone hath wrought it and whose Spirit hath revealed it and think often upon 1 Chron. 29.10 to 16. Secondly Pray be not only knowers of these Truths but doers of the same Oh be not only so principled but so practising also let the height of Holiness in this Discourse discovered be your main business to attain so shall I not want a good reward for this my labour Thirdly Labour to train up and educate your Families in this good knowledge of the Lord and shew them the good old way wherein they should walk with God as Moses adviseth Deut. 4.9.10 saying Only take heed to thy self and keep thy Soul diligently lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thy heart all the dayes of thy life but teach them thy Sons and thy Sons Sons Especially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb when the Lord said unto me Gather me the people together and I will make them hear my words that they may learn to fear me all the dayes that they shall live upon the earth and that they may teach their Children with 11 19. Fourthly Wonder not neither be stumbled if you find these Truths evil spoken of scorned traduced but remember this was to be expected in such a day as this And lastly Forget not him that you have prevailed upon but in all your supplications remember me and pray for me both night and day that I may be faithful to the Death that I may be filled with the Spirit that I may be abundant in the Work of the Lord and that my Labours may be acceptable and succesful among the Saints that so I may finish my course with joy and not with grief according to the Will of God And thus with my Prayers for you also I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is
Point I proceed now from the Preacher's Work to the Preacher's Commendation And that which was written was upright even words of Truth The eleventh Doctrine Whence I might observe That as wise Preachers are wary and painful Preachers and search and seek out acceptable and seasonable words for their People so a pious and deserving People will not be wanting to give or afford them and their preaching due and deserved incouragement and commendation as might easily be made to appear But remembring what Solomon the Preacher hath writ in this case Prov. 27.2 Let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth a stranger and not thine own lips I shall forbear to proceed any further and shall now consider the words without relation to the Preacher as they hint forth the commendation of uprightness and truth not only in the Preacher's Spirit and Work but in every Man's Spirit and Conversation The twelfth Doctrine And the Observation may be this That a Spirit of Truth and uprightness is an excellent frame of Spirit in all that profess the Name of Christ I shall not need to spend time about the opening or discovering what Truth and Uprightness is because among such who enjoy wise Preachers this is much discoursed of amongst wise and gracious Persons this is well known if not better known than practised Therefore I shall briefly give you the proofs of the Point and then come to improve it That this frame of Spirit and walking is lovely and excellent take the witness of a stranger in Israel concerning David when he told him Surely as the Lord liveth thou hast been upright and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the Host is good in my sight for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me to this day 1 Sam. 29.6 Take also David's own testimony when he sings forth the excellency of his Spirit saying I was also upright before him and have kept my self from mine iniquity 2 Sam. 22.24 But setting aside Man's testimony to this Truth take the Lord 's own testimony concerning Job And the Lord said unto Satan Hast thou considered my Servant Job there is none like him in the earth a perfect and upright man Chap. 1.8 The like honourable acknowledgement doth our Lord give of Nathaniel saying Behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile John 1.47 And Solomon tells us Such as are upright in their way are the Lord's delight or his delightful ones Prov. 11.20 But this may suffice for the proof of the Point though manifold Texts might have been produced for the further demonstrating this had it been necessary Let me now give you some Arguments to clear this Observation That truth and uprightness in the Spirit renders such Spirits excellent Argument 1. First Because this is the frame of God's Spirit or Beeing therefore to be like God in beeing must needs render us excellent in beeing That God is thus in his Beeing take that saying for it Good and upright is the Lord Psal 25.8 Also that of Isaiah Oh thou most upright dost weigh the path of the Just Isa 26.7 Now to have our Spirits according to the frame of God's Spirit is the most excellent frame that can be imagined But again Argument 2. Secondly This must needs be a most excellent frame because the contrary frame of Spirit is the most dishonourable and unlovely frame that can be 'T is said of Satan That he is transformed into an Angel of Light This is the emphasis or height of his iniquity he is not upright he is not as he seems to be he is really an Angel of darkness and pretends to be an Angel of Light 2 Cor. 11.14 Therefore when our Lord would set forth the vileness and unworthiness of the Spirit of the Jews he tells them They are of their Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father you will do John 8.44 And no Spirit is so disowned and detested of God as the Spirit of Hypocrisie Wo unto Hypocrites Math. 23.27 read that place at your leasure Therefore to be of the contrary Spirit to Hypocrisie must needs be excellent that is to be upright in Spirit But again Argument 3. Thirdly 'T is that frame begun in us here which will be our frame perfectly in the state of Glory Now to be in such a frame here as we shall be in glory must needs be a glorious and excellent frame When the Disciples saw Christ transfigured That his Face did shine as the Sun and his Rayment was white as the Light Mat. 17.2 Even so how glorious are such Souls as are transfigured into the Image of Christ even this image of Truth and uprightness of Spirit Such are the most excellent in their Generation But again Argument 4. Lastly This can be no other than a Truth which both Heaven and Earth bear witness to but that this is excellent even truth and uprightness in whom-soever it be found we have heard the testimony of Heaven and of the Scripture and if we enquire of all sorts of men under the Heavens they will all seal to this Truth that Men and Women of honest Spirits are most desirable and excellent Persons both to dwell with and converse with Therefore seeing this Doctrine knows no Adversaries as to the acknowledgment thereof I shall cease any further demonstration and come to Application wherein I shall speak some-thing by way of Information some-thing of Exhortation and then give some Motives Use of Information The first Use I shall make of this Point is to present you with a word of Information and that is Whence it comes to pass that the Preachers and People of the Lord are no more valued and esteemed than they are this day 'T is because they have no more of this excellent Spirit in them this Spirit of Truth and of Uprightness I do not say this is the only reason or that there is no other reason but I say it again amongst other Reasons this is one grand one They say Professors want Truth and Uprightness talk of Heaven and of Love and of Bounty and Patience yet love the World and pursue the World and keep the World as much as any love few but themselves and Men of their own Principles judging all that believe not as they believe and practise as they practise They are as miserable and impatient or forward upon every slight occasion as any other men Therefore men are apt to think that all is not true they say and that they speak not as they think but are deceitful meer words and shews Oh my dear Friends I wish that this were altogether groundless and that there were not too much truth or ground for this complaint But Sirs take notice how the want of visibility and activity in this frame of Spirit causeth our good commodity to be evil spoken of therefore let it be our wisdom and business to take away occasion from them that seek occasion and take
heed that we open not the mouths of the uncircumcised Philistines to rejoyce or blaspheme Let Professors know what they can and talk what they will 't wil signifie little unless they walk also in this Spirit of Truth and Uprightness Vse of Exhortation But secondly and especially Let this be matter of Exhortation to us all even as many as fear the Lord both Preachers and Hearers to labour for and walk in a Spirit of Truth and Uprightness This we have seen is a most excellent choice frame of Spirit in the esteem both of God and Man Oh therefore labour to attain such a frame of Spirit For naturally our Spirits are otherwise in the frames of them for what the Prophet once said is still truth Every one is an hypocrite and an evil doer and every mouth speaketh folly or falshood Isa 9.17 'T is Mortification of earthly Members and Sanctification of the Spirit must make us Men or Women of this frame of Spirit for naturally we are born of another temper and you who know what Mortification is know it is not easie work to mortifie the deeds of the flesh but be it what it may be yet be prevealed upon in the fear of the Lord to set upon this duty even to get our Spirits into this frame even into this good frame and if it will cost us the plucking out of our right eyes or cutting off our right hands yet subscribe to it And first Let me freely tender this word of Exhortation to us that are Preachers and should be wise Preachers seeking out acceptable words and that which by us is at any time preached and written upon the heart of the People should be upright even words of truth Let us be a living Word as well as a speaking Word let our lips and our lives joyn together and speak one thing even Holiness to Jehovah Oh let not us reprove sin in others and allow or indulge it in our selves What is that but down-right dissimulation Oh let us not commend Patience and be impatient and Humility and be Sons of Pride our selves This is not to walk with the foot of uprightness according to the Gospel This is not to be a wise but an unwise Preacher if not a proud Pharisee and a very Hypocrite Wherefore if a Preacher be under such temptations as to pretend Christ and preach Self and to seek Christ and seek mostly Self as to cry down all sin and yet live in cry'd down sins to commend Grace and Vertue and yet live short in Grace and empty of Virtue placing thy excellency and piety in seeming so and saying so and in washing the out-side neglecting the inside make broad the Phylacteries and enlarging the borders of your Garments that is in using singular or peculiar restraints and modes of Gesture and Vesture from other sober and pious Persons Oh know 't is not marring of our Beards or Locks and having our Cloaks long and our Girdles strait that can or will prove us wise Preachers or men of this excellent Spirit of Uprightness and Truth Oh no! we may be Fools and Hypocrites for all this and therefore it nearly stands us upon to do as that great Preacher and Apostle of the Gentiles did Even to keep under or beat black and blew our body and bring it into subjection lest O mark it that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast-away 1 Cor. 9.27 And answer all temptations to contrary-mindedness or contrary-spiritedness to this Doctrine and frame of Spirit as good Nehemiah did saying Shall such a man as I flee Who being as I am would desist Chap. 6.11 So let us Who that is as I am a Man Ah more than a Man a Christian yea more than a Christian a Preacher to Christians that would seek great things for himself under pretence of seeking great things for Christ Oh who that were a Preacher as I and preached down Covetousness Idleness Earthly-mindedness in others would live in these things himself Oh no my Soul I will not I dare not lest I be not found a wise but an unwise Preacher and that which by me is written or preached be not words of Truth and Uprightness And in the Close what-ever I may be to others I be to my self a cast-away O therefore let Preachers especially receive and improve this Exhortation and see that our conversation be only as becometh the Gospel Phil. 1.27 And to close up this Head of Exhortation Let as many as are and would be found wise Preachers be perswaded to think often and deeply of that Scripture 2 Cor. 4. Therefore seeing we have this Ministry as we have received Mercy we faint not but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every man's Conscience in the sight of God Having thus tendred my Mite to Preachers let me now be your Exhorter that are Hearers Men and Women fearing the Lord Oh let this be your frame of Spirit be like your Father Jacob of a plain Spirit who hath his commendation in his youth that he was a plain man Gen. 25.27 Oh such let us that fear the Lord be let our inside be manifest by our out-side let our Words and our Works agree our professions both to God and Man and our performances agree and correspond together let our Light and our Life agree our publick and private walking agree so shewing forth that we are Israelites indeed in whom there is no guile Even the Epistle of Christ written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables of Stone but in fleshly Tables of the heart as we have it 2 Cor. 3.3 Oh 't is living forth this Doctrine will speak us forth clearly to be Christians or the Epistles of Christ when we have such frames of Spirit as are throughly seasoned with Uprightness and Truth Christians look to your frame of Spirit Hypocrites can look to their Words and Speeches Look you to your Hearts good Words and good Works Hypocrites have for God 't is Saints onely have good Hearts for God Oh look well to your Spirits how the frame stands bent whether for Truth and Uprightness or for Falshood and Hypocrisie and forget not that word Mal. 2.15 Take heed to your Spirits Oh dress your Spirits with Truth and Uprightness for the dress of the Soul goes further with God than all the dresses of the Body with men can do as Peter informs us where he advises Women Not to let their adorning be outward adorning but let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which in the fight of God is of great price 1 Pet. 3.3 4. Oh my Brethren look mostly after the dress and adorning of your Spirits for God is not only a Spirit but converseth most with
the Spirits and most delights in the well ordering and composure of the Spirit Wherefore seeing the delight and sacrifice of God is a broken and a contrite Spirit give unto God a plain Spirit of Truth and Uprightness knowing that our God loves Uprightness And to quicken us to the acceptance of this Exhortation let me give you and my self a few Motives and Encouragements to induce us to be of this blessed frame of Spirit Motive 1. First This is the ready way to have God manifest his love abundantly to us when he finds such a frame of Spirit in us as we have it Psal 11.7 For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness his Countenance doth behold the upright that is favorably or as one that God loves and respects Oh with what favorable respect did God behold upright Abraham and upright Job not only to approve them but also to reward them or priviledge them as we find in that story of Abraham's offering up of Isaac whereby was manifested his uprightness and God acknowledges it Gen. 22.12 And when God saw that Abraham had such a frame of Spirit God doth not only give him his Isaac from the dead but tells him also By my self have I sworn saith the Lord for because thou hast done this thing and hast not with-held thy Son thine only Son thine Isaac that in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy Seed as the Stars of Heaven and as the Sand that is upon the Sea-shore and thy Seed shall possess the gate of his enemies vers 16 17. And lest this should not be enough hear further what God promises him in the next Verse saying In thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed and all because he was upright and in uprightness obeyed the Voyce of God Oh see what favour God bears to upright Men and Women as in Job and David and Paul and others might be largely manifested Secondly Consider this is an encouragement or an heart-strengthening frame of Spirit Oh how wonderfully will uprightness strengthen unto Truth according to that of Solomon The Lord is strength to the upright Prov. 10.29 How did Daniel's uprightness give him humble and holy boldness in the day of his trouble as appears by his expression to the King Then said Daniel unto the King Live for ever my God hath sent his Angels and hath shut the Lyons mouths that they have not hurt me forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me and also before thee have I done no hurt Dan. 6.21 22. But on the contrary How does the want of uprightness cause heart-trembling and weakness as you may see in that story of Haman Hest 7.6 7 8. Oh therefore get and maintain such a frame of Spirit as will cause and maintain in our Souls a truly well-grounded confidence and boldness to look God and Man in the face withal without blushing in any season But again Thirdly To move us to make it our business to get and maintain our Spirits in such a frame consider 'T is a frame so desirable and lovely that not only God and all good men love this frame of heart but all men even the vilest of men approve of this in others though they may be wanting in it themselves and this is the Apostles Argument Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue if there be any praise think on these things Phil. 4.8 But again Fourthly Take this for encouragement towards pressing after such a frame of Spirit A deceitful Spirit is a vain Spirit that goes about to deceive or go beyond God or Man by fraudes by guiles and deceits nay deceives himself 't is like cloathing our selves with Fig-leaves or hiding our heads under the Spider's Web 't is vain work as the Lord tells us Isa 29.15 16 17. There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed and hid that shall not be known Mat. 10.26 For the folly of fools is deceit Prov. 14.8 For their folly shall be made manifest to all men 2 Tim. 3.9 Fifthly and lastly To hasten consider but the danger of a contrary frame of Spirit to this Doctrine and if former Motives cannot induce and move us to this frame yet peradventure this lower Motive of self-conveniency and concernment may Though God is a resolved enemy against all sorts of sin and sinners yet especially is he resolved to shew himself most quick and severe against persons of this frame God hath said it and will make it good Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their dayes Psal 53.23 Hypocrites of all men must have their woes and no portion of woe is sufficient for their punishment short of the Devils weeping and gnashing of teeth which must be the portion of Devils and of Hypocrites Mat. 24.51 compared with Chap. 25.41 Take but an instance or two of this of two great men in their day the one a King and a choice one but found playing the Hypocrite the other a Bishop or an Apostle but a bad one and an Hypocrite And behold how severe and quick God is in punishing both the one and the other The one is David who playing not only the Murderer and Adulterer but the unworthy Hypocrite with Vriah pretending kindness but contriving and effecting his death How home doth God deal with this good man now therefore the Sword shall never depart from thy House And if this were too light a punishment for secret but detestible iniquity and hypocrisie God adds Behold I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house I will take thy Wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy Neighbour and he shall lie with thy Wives in the sight of the Sun The story you have at large in 2 Sam. 11 12 Chapters The other is Judas one of the Twelve that plaid the Hypocrite and Traytor with his Master as you all know And what became of him No sooner is his hypocritical Act performed but he departed and went and hang'd himself Being a Preacher could not preserve himself from bursting asunder and all his Bowels gushing forth Preachers of all Persons are in most danger if found playing the Hypocrites as God tells us Psal 50.21 These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest I were altogethor such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set thy sins in order before thine eyes Now consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you vers 22. Therefore to close up this Use and this Point Let it be the care and labour of the Souls of all wise Preachers to share in the Commendation given to Christ by the Herodians who said Master we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth neither carest thou for any mar for thou
able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all them which are Sanctified Your Servant for Christ STEPHEN MORE TO THE READER Christian Reader ALthough there is nothing new or strange now to be presented to thy view for as Solomon saith The thing that hath been it is that which shall be and that which is done is that which shall be done and there is no new thing under the Sun Is there any thing whereof it may be said See this is new It hath been already of old time which was before us Eccles 1.9 10. Wherefore let me intreat thee peruse this Book for Truth and not for Novelty lest so doing thou lose thy labour and reap no profit by thy pains And if any shall meet thee with their Out-cry crying Take heed for here are strange things presented to your eyes say No for there is nothing new or strange under the Sun And if any thing here written be to any strange I must take leave to tell them 'T is because they know not the Scripture and are strangers in Jerusalem and have not known the things that are come to pass there in these dayes Luke 24.18 And if any should yet retort upon me as a troubler of Israel or a bringer forth of strange Things or new Doctrines to their ears I will not think it strange to be thus dealt with for thus dealt their Fathers with the Prophets and Apostles in that first Book of Kings we find that thus Ahab said to Elijah Art thou he that troubleth Israel But he answered I have not troubled Israel but thou and thy Father's House in that ye have forsaken the Commandments of the Lord and hast followed Baalim vers 17 18. And thus was holy Paul served Acts 17. where you read That certain Philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoicks encountered him and some said What will this Babler say other some He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange Godds because he preached unto them Jesus and the Resurrection And they took him and brought him unto Areopagus saying May we know what this new Doctrine whereof thou speakest is for thou bringest certain strange things to our ears we would know therefore what these things mean vers 18 19 20. Therefore if such things befal me I shall not be moved for if thus they dealt with the green Trees marvel not they thus deal with the dry Wherefore Christian Reader notwithstanding such Out-cries as these which probably thou mayest meet with yet be pleased to read on and consider what is said and the Lord give thee understanding in all things that thou mayest search the Scriptures and try whether the things asserted for truth be so or no for no more is imposed upon your Faith than what evidence of Scripture doth demonstrate to be the Faith of Jesus and of his Elect and if any Fathers in our Israel shall say To what purpose is this waste Preachers doubtless know their Duty well enough it were well if others knew theirs better I shall only Answer these over-wise ones in the language of Job No doubt but ye are the People and wisdom shall die with you Chap. 12.2 Yet bear with me to shew my Love to Christ and offer my Mite to you remembring what Paul saith And if any man think that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 And if you know these things already O how happy shall both you and I be when we shall be found doing the things we say we know and are here revealed And as for others or our Hearers know so far as the Work called for it they are not forgotten but remember that the more fully the Preacher lives up to his Duty the more the People will be furthered in their Duty Preachers being not only nominally called Stars and Shepherds or Bishops and Fathers but also they ought virtully to be Lights in their Candlesticks Shepherds feeding of their Flocks and Fathers laying up and laying out for their Children as the Lord teacheth saying Ye are the Salt of the Earth but if the Salt have lost his savour wherewith shall it be salted Ye are the Lights of the World a City set upon a Hill which cannot be hid Neither do men light a Candle and put it under a Bushel but on a Candlestick and it giveth light unto all that are in the House Let your Light so shine before men that they may see your good Works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Mat. 5.13 14 15 16. But if notwithstanding what hath been said by me my Mothers Children and Elder Brethren will yet be angry with me I will resolve not to pass for Man's Day or to be angry with them or to return evil for evil or railing for revising but pray for them with holy Stephen and cry Lord lay not this sin to their charge Acts 7.50 My end and ground both in Preaching and Printing these Sermons was an inward motion to follow the movings and workings of the Spirit upon my Soul in conformity to those I read of in 2 Pet. 1.21 where it is said Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 'T is truth as hath been already owned When these Sermons were Preached I thought not of Printing but since being called upon so to do I judged it my duty as one of Christ's living Creatures to walk streight forward whither the Spirit was to go and not to turn when going Ezek. 1.12 As for my great unfitness yea exceeding great unfitness for such a work I profess I am not unsensible of it neither shall be ashamed to own it to any that shall object it yet notwithstanding since God despiseth not the day of small things and will accept of what a man hath and not of what a man hath not wherefore I am resolved to be found faithful as becomes him that is a Steward not forgetting what the Lord said to Ezekiel Son of Man I have made thee a Watchman unto the House of Israel therefore hear the Word at my Mouth and give them warning from me Chap. 3.17 The Style is low and the Method plain and the Argument somewhat bold and impartial wonder not at it it being most like him that did it even one who was resolved to be one of Paul's Scholars in this Work to wit Not to come â—o you with excellency of Speech or of Wisdom declaring unto you the testimony of God for I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.1 2. Surely plainness will hurt or hinder none though elegancy and obscurity might although it could have profited none who-ever it might have pleased If any think due respect hath not sufficiently been shown to Superiors let me say to such my aim and utmost endeavour hath been not to offend or over-look such but to give unto Cesar thâ— things which are Cesar's though
notice of you both at Hearing and when you omit and needlesly neglect to hear for he will not let his Name or Ordinances be taken in vain Exod. 20.7 Remember that Text Eccles 5.1 Take heed to thy foot when thou goest to the House of God and be more ready to hear than to offer the Sacrifice of Fools for they consider not that they do evil Men and Women must not think 't is hearing of men but hearing of God by men or through men it is not Man's Word or Ordinance but God's therefore take heed slight it not dally not with it the God of this most sacred Ordinance will not bear it at your hands Hearken what God saith 2 Chron. 24.19 Yet he sent unto them Prophets to bring them again unto the Lord and they testified against them but they would not give ear and the Spirit of the Lord came upon Zachariah the Son of Jehoiada the Priest which stood above the People and said unto them Thus saith God Why transgress ye the Commandment of the Lord that ye cannot prosper because ye have forsaken the Lord he hath also forsaken you Compare with this what you have Mat. 23.34 3â— 39. and then consider if there be not need to receive this Exhortation to take heed how you hear Oh! be not sleepy proud unbelieving forgetful unthankful or unfruitful hearers of the Worâ— of God for if the Lord Jesus when he broughâ— forth but barley Bread and small Fishes said Gather up the Fragments and let nothing be lost do you think then he will let such precious Breaâ— of Life which none but the Son of Man can givâ— you be lost John 6.12 Therefore to conclude Take heed that you despise not him that speaketh from Heaven in thâ— Ministry of the VVord Consider it and seâ— that you refuse not him that speaketh For if the escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn awâ— from him that speaketh from Heaven Heb. 12.25 Oh therefore be swift to hear though slow to speak against what you hear and let every one that hath ears to hear hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches Jam. 5.19 with Rev. 2.7 Thuâ— much for this first Observation Doct. 2. That which I noted from the opening of the words was That Prophetical Preaching or Prophesying by Saints or Brethren by vertue of Gifts and Membership without Office or Ministry conferred upon them is God's very Ordinance and a lawful way of Preaching Else Solomon how wise soever had sinfully Preached For the clearing of this Truth consider first what the Scripture speaks to this point First Moses that well understood the Mind of God was thus minded when he spake these words Enviest thou for my sake Would God that all the Lord's people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them Numb 11.29 Two things among others we may note here First That Moses did noâ— envy or disallow the Prophesying or Preaching of any that the Lord had made able and therefore puts by the envy and ignorance of those that did with this reply Enviest thou for my sake as if he had said you do evilly and sinfully in so doing Secondly Observe Moses how faithful soever in the House of God and against Usurpations and Innovations in the Church yet allows and approves that any one and every such one that the Lord should put his Spirit upon and make able might this do even Prophesie or Preach I would all the Lord's People were Prophets could and would Preach for I shall not forbid them Object 1. But if any shall Object and say This is not to the thing in hand For first these were eminent Elders and Officers or Rulers among the people and not private persons or ordinary Members of the Church I Answer Though it be granted that these were such even part of the seventy yet note they were not preaching Elders Secondly Neither preached they because such or such but because they had the Spirit and that moved and also filled them with matter and gave them utterance Thirdly Neither was this separation or pouring out of the Spirit mentioned vers 17. the Spirit of Preaching Gifts or Qualifications but the Spirit of Rule and Government as is most clear by considering what is offered 't was a portion of Moses Spirit to assist Moses not in Preaching but in Râ—ling and Governing Object 2. But if any shall object to this testimony That it proves not the thing for which it brought because this was extraordinary prophesying and these were immediate Prophets and not â—â—dinary or such as the Doctrine intends I answer True it is these were extraordinarâ— Persons but whether their Prophesying in thâ— place spoken of were extraordinary Preaching oâ— Prophesying doth not appear in this or any otheâ— place that I know of although I acknowledâ— there is such a kind of Prophesying But howeveâ— this is clear from this place That as many as tâ—â— Lord will spirit or qualifie for one or other sortâ— Preaching may and ought to Preach Else Mosâ— had wished too much and not answered the caâ—â— propounded but this may serve for this Object on But take a second VVitness which you haâ—â— 2 Chron. 17.7 8 9 10. where you find Jehâ—shaphat sent out his Princes as well as his Priest and Levites to Teach in the Cities of Judah anâ— the success was very glorious But take a third VVitness 1 Pet. 4.10 11 where we have the Apostle not only allowing but also provoking and enjoyning every man thâ— feareth the Lord to be a good Steward of the manifold Grace of God and he that hath receive that Gift of speaking a word in season is to minister and to speak according to that ability Goâ— giveth Take but one more 1 Cor. 14.29 31. wheâ— the Apostle allows and directs all the Prophets or prophesying Brethren in the Church to Prophefie Yea he asserts the truth of this Doctrine and justifies this for a lawful and laudable practice for so many in the Churches of the Saints as have preaching Gifts to Preach saying You may all prophesie one by one and let the Prophets prophesie and let no man forbid or envy it And thus the Preacher in my Text preached as a Prophet or Member of the Church not officially or as a Minister ordained unto this Work of Preaching is clear For by Office he was a King not a Preacher such were the high Priests and Levites only but our Preacher was a Membral Preacher or one exercising his Gifts according to his Liberty and Duty Yea our Lord Jesus who preached in the Jewish Synagogue and was allowed so to do thus he preached in the account of the Congregation not by virtue of that anointing by which he was Christ and Lord For though he were so yet they knew it not nor allowed it they only gave him the liberty and priviledge of other Members of the Church Such a priviledge was given
these things as you have it seeing yâ—â— know these things but they he describes and call unlearned are those he mentions in the second Chapter of this Epistle whom he calls false Prophets and false Teachers Note It is not the unlearned Hearers but the learned Preachers that are the perverters and deceivers of the People through mistaking Paul's Writings and other Scriptures These are the Men the Church and the World are only beholden to for privily bringing in damnable Heresies and causing the Truth of God to be evil spoken of Vers 1 2. These are the Brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed speaking evil of the things they understand not even the Saints and the Scripture and the waies of God Vers 12. These learned Prophets are the Welâ— without water and the Clouds carried with a Tempest vers 17. These are the men that Speak great swelling words of vanity and allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonness those that were clean escaped from them who live in Error So that we may boldly conclude That Humane Learning and Wisdome is neither Prophets nor Preachers wisdome or fit furniture for such work But because I foresee that Demetrius and his learned Crafts-men will make no small stir about this Doctrine concerning Humane Learning I shall lay down some Arguments to back and confirm what hath been said Arg. 1. If Humane Wisdome or Learning be essential to qualifie a Preacher for preaching then the Scripture Rule concerning a Preachers-qualification is imperfect and obscure which is sinful to imagine because it neither requireth or provideth for such low earthly-membring Qualifications as Tongues and Sciences which teaches Preachers not to preach without it What the Scripture requires as a Preachers Qualification you may read 1 Acts 4.5 It is the promise of the Father expounded vers 5. to be the Baptism of the Holy Ghost So 1 Timoth. 2.2 to the 7.2 Tim. 2.2 and 15. with Chap. 3.14 15 16 17. Arg. 2. If Humane Learning or Wisdome be the Preachers Wisdome then the best of Preachers have slighted and neglected the main or grand Qualification 1 Corin. 2.1 And I Brethren when I came unto you I came not unto you with excellency of Speech or of Wisdome declaring unto you the testimonies of God And Paul gives the reason of his so doing For I determine not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ Vers 2. and again saith he My Speech and my Preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdome but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power vers 4. yet Paul would have the Rabbies and Sticklers for enticing words and mans wisdome know That his illiterate Preaching was perfectly accomplisht Preaching Howbeit we speak wisdome among those that be perfect yet not the wisdome of this world nor of the Princes of this world that come 〈◊〉 nought vers 6. Take but one place more Act. 4.13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men they marvelled mark these marvelous Preachers had preached most publickly and resolved still to preach as publickly yet neither had this Wisdome or Learning but were ignorant and unlearned and resolved so to remain Therefore clear it is this wisdome is not Preachers wisdome else these great Preachers could not have wanted it or which is all one if they had it 〈◊〉 improving it about this great work which some say doth so fit men for it Therefore this Wisdome in Controversie cannot be Preachers wisdome Thirdly Take this Argument to prove that Humane Learning is not the Preachers Wisdome because then many both allowed and enjoined to Preach would be found unable to preach through want of this furniture or wisdome as many oâ— the Prophets or prophesying Members of thâ— Church who though they have the gifts of the Spirit and have passed through the New-birthâ— yet have never attained this Wisdome or sat at Gamaliel's Feet But such may be allowed of as competent Preachers as I have largely proved in the Second Doctrine Arg. 4. The consideration of who is the Spring of Gospel-preaching will make it necessarily appear that humane Wisdom is not the Preachers Wisdom but the Lord Jesus and not man's how learned soever Ephes 4.7 to 15. Vnto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ and so forward compared with Rev. 19.10 which saith The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophesie Arg. 5. Take this Argument why I affirm that the Wisdom that the Gospel-Preacher ought to have is not humane Learning or Wisdom because the Gospel is that which is to be Preached not humane Wisdom or Excellency nor the Gospel in a way of humane Wisdom or Excellency Nay the Gospel is in the very nature thereof contrary to humane Excellency being plain and simple though most holy and pure in the Nature and Administrations thereof therefore needs not Arts or Sciences to comprehend or reveal it Nay the Apostle seems to imply that Learning mixed with or used in the Preaching of the Gospel doth but corrupt or sophisticate and adulterate it as the Fly doth the Apothecaries Box of Oyntment Eccl. 10.1 2 Cor. 2.17 But to proceed Arg. 6. Take this Argument The Subjects or Persons to whom the Gospel is to be preached or predicated are not the Orators Wise and Excellent of Wit but the Simple the Vulgar the Mean and Contemptible according to that word Mat. 11.5 The poor have the Gospel preached 〈◊〉 them 1 Cor. 1.26 27 28. And Christ said That he was anointed to Preach the Gospel to 〈◊〉 poor Therefore they need not learned that 〈◊〉 humanely learned Preachers but spiritual wâ—â— Physitians What need French-men to speak them that only understand English Or need Man Geometry or Mathematick Logick or Râ—torick to Preach to Men and Women of no hâ—â— mane Understanding Only God hath promisâ— to teach them so much spirituality as conceâ—â— their Souls But as to this glorious literature 〈◊〉 but as the gilded Trappings upon an Ass to maâ— him to be respected Arg. 7. To require or injoyn humane Learâ—ing or Wisdom as necessary or essential to eveâ— Gospel-Preacher is to require that for a requiâ—â— which is directly contrary to the main end of Gâ—spel-Preaching which is to Preach Christ and Knowledge unto the People and not to Preach 〈◊〉 Preacher or his Knowledge into the People 〈◊〉 great end of Gospel-Preaching is not to Preaâ— forth or declare man's breeding or learning in the People or to shew the Preachers excellency 〈◊〉 humane things or excellencies or breeding up mâ— in worldly or humane Knowledge but to tâ— men from Darkness to Light and from the Pâ—â— of Satan into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of Gâ— and to edifie and build up such as are converted the Knowledge and Grace of our Lord Jeâ—â— Christ Arg. 8. If the Church even every unlearneâ— Church in humane Learning must judge and 〈◊〉 the
sâ—berly say of these great Rabies of our Day whâ— the Apostle saith Rom. 1.22 Professing to be wisâ—â— they became fools Surely even so hath God 〈◊〉 fooled this wise Generation and discovered thâ—â— our World hath many grave and gay Fools Eveâ— many more then wear motly-Coats even most 〈◊〉 the Professors of Divinity as they please to stiâ—â— themselves our Grave and Orthodox Roman Clergy I say This Generation how lofty soever theiâ— eyes are are not washed from their filthiness 〈◊〉 not of being sordidly ignorant what scripturally will qualifie sufficiently and essentially unâ—â— Preaching-Imployment Prov. 30.12 13. Nay so ignorant are they of a Preacher's Qualification that some and they no small men amongst that Tribe have openly declared That without a Miracle it is impossible to be a sufficient Preacher to Preach the Gospel of Christ without having sat at the feet of Gamaliel or be brought up in an University as if it were not possible with God even without any Miracle to kill Goliah by the hand of little David when the Sons of Mars stand by and can do nothing Even so this Clergy would perswade us God's little David's Spiritual and Experienced Christians cannot Preach except armed with an University-burthen upon their backs Though God hath most abundantly by innumerable Instances disproved this Fallacy yet once more let me rebuke the madness and make manifest the folly of these Prophets even those learned but ignorant false-Prophets who assert That Humane Learning only can qualifie unto this end Yea that it alone without saving-Grace and the Fellowship of the Spirit of God can make sufficient Ministers to go forth and Preach the Gospel to Children of Men especially if a Bishop do but Ordain them and say Receive the Holy Ghost as plentiful experience witnesseth and their Canons and Book of Ordination of Priests and Deacons declareth where the Scripture-Qualifications are left out and others set up Well to conclude this Use let these Prophets that fill the World with Priests and Preachers of Jeroboam the Son of Nebat's Order of whom we read 1 Kings 12.31 And he made Priests of the lowest and basest of the People which were not of the Sons of Levi. But let these hear what the Lord saith to them that have apostatised from the right way These mad Prophets these Wells without water these Clouds carried with a tempest 2 Pet. 2.15 16 17. Even thus saith the Lord God Wo unto the foolish prophets that follow their own spirit and have seen nothing Ezek. 13.3 The second Vse is for Reproof Secondly This might reprove the darkness and delusion that is crept into and seized on too many godly sober well-meaning Christians and Professors that have dwelt so long in Egypt they can swear by the Life of Pharaoh that is haâ—â— traded too long with Antichrist's Clergy men that now they dare even swear to the truth of it thaâ— no man but a Scholar of that sort they intend either can or ought to meddle with Preaching saying Let every one keep in his own Calling and 〈◊〉 go beyond his last forgetting that the Lord hath said Ye may all Prophesie one by one 1 Cor. 14.31 And that by the alone study of the Scriptures The Man of God may be throughly furnished uâ—â—â— every good Word and Work 2 Tim. 3.17 Oh let me beseech you Have not mens Persons and Part so in admiration as to plead for Baal and call Good Evil and Evil Good speaking evil of things you know not but search the Scripture diligently and humbly and you will find other qualifications appointed as necessary and sufficient for Preaching without that I have so opposed unless the smoke of the Bottomless-Pit hath put out your eyes Rev. 9. Oh my Brethren all you that fear the Lord be more Scripturally-wise and Learned your selves and then you will easily and plainly see the vanity ignorance and emptiness of your supposed Orthodox Teachers but I shall sparâ— you as being rather led than Leaders of your selves seeing in this Point with other mens eyes All I shall further do for you is to pray for you as sometime Elisha prayed for his Servants saying Lord I pray thee open his eyes that he may see and the Lord opened his eyes and he saw the Mountains full of Horses and Chariots of fire round about Elisha 2 Kings 6.17 Even so say I for all the Saints who are contrary minded to this Gospel-Truth Lord open the eyes of thy dear Children my dissenting Brethren to see by thy Light even the Light of Scripture that Grace-saving Sanctifying-Grace and the Gifts and fellowship of the Spirit without Humane or Vniversity Preparations are truly fully most abundantly sufficient to make Christ's Gospel-Preachers wise enough for Soul-conversion and the edification of the Body in love And thus much for the second Use I now come to a Third The third Vse is of Information Thirdly Thus may I inform whence the Romish and Learned Clergy-men of our day do so blaspheme and oppose the Spirits-Teaching 't is surely because of their ignorance and sinful interest This was the reason why Zedechiah Son of Chenaanah went near and smote Micaiah on the cheek 1 Kings 22.24 This also was the cause why Sanbalat and Tobiah and their Companions did so reproach good Nehemiah and obstruct the Work of the Temple Nehem. 2.19 with chap. 6.1 2. And the same reason there was why the Priests and Captains of the Temple and the Sadducees came and opposed and persecuted the Apostles Acts 4.1 2. And even at this very day the same reason is why the Priests and Prelates of our day do so exclaim and reproach the Spirits teaching and the Spiritual-Ministers teaching It is their own interest of profit and ignorance of Truth and right way of fitting men for Preaching though they are ignorant of God's Will in this thing yet are they well acquainted that iâ— this kind of Truth and these sort of Preachers go up their Trade Honour and Profits will soon go down according to that saying The Fruits which thy Soul lusteth after are departed from thee and all things which are dainty and goodly are departed from thee and thou shalt find them no more at all Rev. 18.14 And this is the reason why these covetous Clergy-men do so cry out against this way of Preaching by men spiritually wise but otherwise illiterate and unlearned because such Preachers if allowed will soon cloud their Glory and eclips their Credit and humble their Pride and hinder their Markets and who then can wonder that these so reproach the true Gospel-Preachers they must blaspheme and gnaw their tongues for pain therefore it is not to be wondred at as long as this Antichristian-Priesthood endureth as we have it Rev. 11.10 There can be no joy to them that dwell thus in or upon earthly Things Orders Riches Credit and Authority You may as well look for Peace from Hell as from the Learned Romish-Priesthood Rev. 12.17 Therefore cease marvelling
have scattered my Flock and driven them away and have not visited them behold I will visit upon you the evil of your doings saith the Lord vers 1 2. Thus much for this first Use of Reproof The second Vse is of Exhortation Secondly This may be for Exhortation to all such as are wise Preachers and are called to the Work of Preaching Be exhorted still teach the people knowledge go on to your and their perfection and do not begin a good Work in the World and in the hearts of the Children of God and then leave it unwatched over or unwatered but still be teaching the people knowledge I remember this is made a note of folly in the Ostrich That she leaveth her Eggs in the Earth and warmeth them in the dust and forgetteth that the foot may crush them or that the wild Beasts may break them She is hardned against her young ones as though they were not hers Her labour is in vain without fear because God hath deprived her of wisdom neither hath he imparted to her understanding Job 39.13 14 15 16 17 18. Oh! you that Preach the Gospel-Wisdom and either are or would be counted wise Preachers be exhorted not to be like the Ostrich leave not your Eggs in the Dust nor to a foot that will crush them but look well to your Seed sown and secure your Conceptions and lose not or endanger your labours but watch and pray that you fall not into temptations but still teach the people knowledge If you decline to teach the people knowledge the Devil and his Brokers will still teach your people error and folly as you have it Mat. 13.25 But while men slept his enemy came and sowed Tares among the Wheat and went his way Now will not this grieve a wife Preacher that sincerely Preaches for the good of the people that through his negligence ease and idleness that not still teaching the people knowledge the people should be all over-grown with Tares and Errors Therefore my dear Brethren who labour in the Word and Doctrine still teach your people knowledge The good Husband-man went to Plow last season and will not forbear and lose this season and the good Merchant-man ventures to Sea his Goods in one Ship and another to one part of the World and another in another season so should a wise Preacher plow up the fallow-Ground this year the next send out his Commodity to this and the other good Port in one and another good Ship take Fraight send thy Winter and thy Summer-Adventures remembring Eccles 11.4 5 6. Oh! he that observeth the Wind shall not sow and he that observeth the Wind shall not reap As thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit nor how the Bones do grow in the Womb of her that is with Child even so thou knowest not the Works of God who maketh all In the morning sow thy Seed and in the evening with-hold not thy hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they both shall be of like good Oh therefore be exhorted who are wise Preachers still to teach the people knowledge And to this Work let me give you a few Motives still to teach the people knowledge For Motive 1. First It will much argue and evidence your love and affection to the Lord Jesus that you love his Flock and feed his Lambs John 21.14 'T is the greatest evidence of love to Christ and to the Lambs of Christ to be diligently and constantly teaching and feeding the Flock of God with the Word of Knowledge And if there be any Preacher that would have or carry a black and visible badge of neither loving Christ nor Saints then and not else forbear to teach the people knowledge Motive 2. Secondly Let this move Preachers even every wise Preacher still to teach the people knowledge Because the more you teach others the more Jesus Christ will teach you If you would have much of the Teachings of the Lord Jesus be much in the teaching of them that are Christ's For he that watereth shall be watered and he that disperseth abroad and giveth to the poor his Righteousness remaineth for ever Prov. 11.25 with 2 Cor. 9.9 Now consider not only the people need to be Preached unto by you but you and I have great even abundant need to have Jesus Christ Preach unto us therefore still teach the people knowledge Motive 3. Thirdly Still teach the people knowledge because 't is most honourable to be most diligent in this Work and honour is much taking in these dayes when every one seeks the Rulers favour Now this is the Preacher's way to honour by diligent Preaching as skill comes by diligence so honour and deserved reputation comes by frequent and painful Preaching Look how Solomon commends the diligent Woman Prov. last vers last Even so shall the diligent Preacher be commended also Prov. 11.30 He that winneth Souls is wise with chap. 22.22 Seest thou a man that is diligent in his business he shall stand before Kings he shall not stand before mean men Therefore though we may not seek the honour that cometh of men yet we may seek that which cometh of God John 5.44 Oh! How beautiful are the feet of them that Preach the Gospel of Peace and bring glad-tydings of good things Rom. 10.15 Motive 4. Fourthly My dear Brethren it will be very comfortable in a dying hour to have Preached diligently in the dayes of Life And when have we so much need of comfort as in dying hours When will sin guilt shame and scorn lie so heavy upon us as in a dying hour Therefore still teach the people knowledge that God may still continue your comforts and cause your comforts to abound in dying hours Thus should a wise Preacher strive to Preach that with Samuel he may look a dying hour with joy in the face 1 Sam. 12.2 3 5. So Paul comforted himself in the day of his departing because he had finished his course and made full proof of his Ministry 2 Tim. 4.5 6 7 8. therefore still teach the people knowledge Yea our Lord Jesus useth this as a means to support him under the sting of Death by this Consideration That he had finished the Work his Father committed him to do in John 17.4 5. where our Lord saith I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the Work thou gavest me to do And now O Father glorifie thou me with thy own self O! here is the way for a Preacher to find assured comfort in a day of Death that he hath finished his Work in a day of Life and still taught the people knowledge O! therefore ye that are appointed to be Lights to men in a dark World let not I beseech you your Light be put under a Bushel or at best but shine in a dark Lanthorn but receive this Exhortation and let me leave it as universal advice for every Preacher that hath ears to hear what the
Spirit saith to hear and receive even still to teach the people knowledge Rev. 6.7 So much for this fifth Doctrine I should come now to a second particular offered from this first Act of the wise Preacher That he still taught the people knowledge that is He went forward and made progression in Preaching He did not stick or remain upon first Principles but rose higher and higher in his Preaching he still taught the people knowledge that is higher measures and degrees of knowledge As he was wisely diligent so was he wisely proceeding and going forward from step to step in the degrees and measures of his Knowledge and Preaching The Point of Doctrine hence is Doct. That wise Preachers are prospering or thriving Preachers They are not only diligent and constant Preachers but also they are growing Preachers he still taught the people knowledge that is more and higher knowledge This was shadowed out in the Waters of the Sanctuary which rose first to the Ancles then to the Knees then to the Loyns afterward to a River that could not be passed over Even so do Preaching Qualifications in a wise and painful Preacher who as Paul saith when in their Childhood or first entrance may speak like Children and act like Children yet when they grow up to be men they will Speak Preach and Act like men 1 Cor. 13.11 This is that which is promised Psal 1. where David tells us The blessedness of the man that walketh not in the way of the ungodly but his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in that Law doth he meditate day and night he shall be like a Tree planted by the Rivers of Water that bringeth forth his Fruit in season His leaf shall not wither but whatsoever he doth shall prosper This is the blessing of not onely the Godly Christian but especially of the truly wise and Godly Preacher he shall grow and flourish The like promise we have in Psalm 92.12 13 14 15. where the Psalmist tells us how it will fare with Righteous and Wise Preachers They shall flourish like the Palm-Tree and grow like the Cedar in Lebanon Those that be plauted in the House of the Lord shall flourish in the Court of our God they shall bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing to shew that the Lord is upright This also Paul implies in that saying of his to Timothy 1 Epist 4.15 That thy profiting may appear to all men Thus we see the Point a little confirmed but because this Truth has in part already been spoken to and will necessarily fall under consideration in another place I shall say no more to the proof of this but only make one Use from it and that is for encouragement to all wise and painful Preachers The fourth Vse is of Encouragement Know assuredly the Lord will bless your Seed and the fruit of your increase You may reckon your selves Children that cannot speak in the Name of the Lord but the Lord hath told you He will be with you and make you as a defenced City and an Iron Pillar and a Brazen Wall Jer. 1.6 7. compared with vers 18. Oh! be encouraged to be sound faithful and diligent for though you may go out to Preach as Jacob went forth from his Fathers House when he said With my staff I passed over this Jordan but now I am become two Bands Gen. 32.10 Even so you faithful Preachers shall have a time to say to the Glory of Free-Grace I am become two Bands The Lord hath promised That his Spirit shall lead you not only unto Truth but from Truth to Truth till you are guided into all Truth John 16.13 Therefore be encouraged to persist and go on in Preaching the Word in season and out of season for the Lord is with you and he will uphold your goings in his Paths Oh Beloved be neither discouraged at your own weakness nor your many discouragements for the Righteous shall flourish like the Palm therefore still teach the people knowledge guide them by the skilfulness of the Lord's hand upon you from Truth to Truth from first Principles to higher and more ennobling Conclusions Be not Children in your knowledge but go on towards perfection as good Ministers of Jesus Christ Preachers that receive freely or largely of the Spirit should give forth as freely and still teach the people knowledge As Preachers grow in knowledge they should seek that the people might grow in knowledge also as waters of knowledge flow into them so should they flow forth unto the people for as your day is so shall your strength be Jesus Christ hath promised to be with you alwayes in such work Matth. 28. And to conclude take the Counsel of Solomon Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with all thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave whither thou goest You labouring Ones in this Work of the Lord feed on that Promise Mat. 13.12 For whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance And to close take that good word 1 Cor. 15.58 Therefore my beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the Work of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. I now come to the next particular in the Text which is the Matter which the Preacher preached that is Knowledge He still taught the people Knowledge it was knowledge the Preacher taught He Preached not to make himself known or his knowledge known but to make the people know for he still taught the people knowledge One Question may from hence be asked and that is What Knowledge is Or secondly What knowledge this is the wise Preacher taught the people To speak a little to the first Query What knowledge is It is the opposite to ignorance and consists in the enlightning or informing the Understanding either concerning the Author or the Nature of things or the End and Use of things I say knowledge is an enriching excellency enabling men to make true judgment concerning things He that is destitute of knowledge knows not how to discern things or to difference one thing from an other But I shall not inlarge here though I might add there is a double sort of knowledge Natural and Supernatural or the knowledge of things or objects Divine and Heavenly or the knowledge of things or objects Natural This Supernatural knowledge consists either in the knowledge of God or his Will or the knowledge of our selves or others But secondly It may be inquired What this knowledge in particular is which the Preacher taught the people spoken of in the Text I Answer Not humane knowledge or understanding and skill in worldly things but it is knowledge of Divine things or Heavenly things More particularly it may be distinguished into the knowledge of God as in Himself Attributes and Word Considered secondly It consists in the knowledge of our
also therefore ought to be found likewise faithful Servants thus doing Mat. 24.45 I say Every wise Preacher is able to teach the people the good knowledge of God I do not say Every Preacher or every one that is called a Preacher or so calls himself but I say every one that God owns for a Preacher and is truly a wise or spiritual Preacher is able to teach the people and ought so to do as John saith That which we have seen and heard and our hands have handled of the Word of Life declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us 1 John 1.3 Mark What every wise Preacher can and doth do even declare the things of God or the knowledge of Jesus Christ to the people and he can and doth endeavour that the people may be brought into the fellowship and enjoyment of their knowledge Those are foolish Preachers Lords over God's Heritage evil Servants and Self-seekers that ingross knowledge for themselves and design not the peoples knowledge as one main end of all that knowledge they enjoy or design to be made partakers of And thus much for the clearing of this Doctrine That it is the duty of every wise Gospel-Preacher to make the people wise and knowing in the Mystery of Christ Now to come to the Application The first Vse is of Information If this be Preachers Business and Duty to teach the people knowledge then this informs us how unwise and foolish Romish Preachers are even the Pope and his Prelates and Clergy who are so unwise and ignorant of Gospel-Truths and Principles that they not onely neglect and oppose this practice but teach and maintain that Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion and that knowledge is enough for the Priests and the people must hang their Knowledge and Faith upon their Priests Sleeves and that t is sufficient for the people to do that the Priest commands and believe as the Church believes But this is to endanger the people to Hell with great Company rather than to be saved by the Faith of the Church I shall not say much to this Generation of Vipers these idle Shepherds these blind Guides leaders of the blind World only let such know we shall not need to say they are foolish Shepherds and Peter's unlearned ones and none of Solomon's wise Preachers their own Works and Words are sufficient to make their madness manifest to all wise men or spiritual Believers seeing what every wise Preacher doth and ought to do is even to teach the people knowledge which they neither do nor judge they ought to do This shall suffice for this first Use The second Use is of Exhortation Let this serve for matter of Exhortation to all Gospel-Preachers to make this their main business to shew themselves truly wise and able Preachers even Workmen that need not be ashamed by teaching the people Knowledge God hath given you Talents for this very purpose and the peoples wants and expectations call loudly for this namely that you should be their Lights and Teachers of them as your Scholars and Children therefore intend and attend this as your great Work and Business in or by Preaching to make the people wise and more knowing in the saving and sanctified Knowledge of the Lord Jesus Beloved Brethren this is your and my Business let us give all diligence to add and contribute more and more to the peoples knowledge doing as Paul Not seeking our own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved 1 Cor. 10.33 Though wise Preachers must acquire knowledge first for themselves that they may wisely Preach or be wise for Preaching Yet having obtained knowledge in themselves they must disperse knowledge to their people and lay out all their endeavours that the people may know what they know This Paul did make his business to make the Ephesians to understand his knowledge in the Mystery of Christ Ephes 3.4 When you read you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ Mark Paul is not content that he understand but he Writes and Preaches to make others understand his knowledge in Christ's Mysteries not that his aim was to make them understand or know that he had knowledge or understanding to admire or depend upon him but that they might know in and for themselves what he knew in himself and for them he laboured that the people should know and understand what of Christ he understood and this seems to be his meaning by what we find in vers 8 9. where Paul saith That unto him less than the least of all Saints is this Grace given That I should Preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ But mark the end for which Paul and every Gospel-Preacher should Preach the unsearchable riches of Christ namely to let all men see this is the end of Preaching the peoples Seeing Oh Preach Seeing or Divine eye-sight into the people infuse or distil your knowledge or Christ's knowledge into the people that you may be rightly called as the Prophets were of old time even Seers from seeing and shewing the mind of God to the people 1 Sam. 9.9 Beloved cause the Scales of Ignorance to fall from the eyes of the blind and ignorant people Pity the people and shew your burning love to Christ by enlightning dark minds in the true knowledge of the Lord Jesus in striving to promote and enlarge the peoples knowledge help the people to come to this necessary knowledge the knowledge of themselves The want of this knowledge is the cause of the great prophaneness security and presumption that abounds in the World men's gross ignorance of themselves men want true and sufficient acquaintance of themselves of their sinful miserable lost estate by Nature Oh! cause all men in their first Principle and unconverted Estate to know they are in a damnable and miserable condition there is but one step between them and Hell For God is angry with the wicked all the day long or every day Psal 7.11 Make them know there is none good in his natural condition there is none good no not one that doeth good no not one among all the multitude of unconverted Men and Women for all are under sin both Jews and Gentiles Rom. 3.9 12. Awaken mens Consciences that are asleep to know and consider the danger of a sinful Christless condition yea make not only Publicans and Sinners know this to be their miserable estate but make Pharisees and morally righteous Ones to know this to be also their misery and that except they be born again of Water and of the Spirit they can never enter into the Kingdom of God Joh. 3.5 'T is not onely Drunkards Swearers Whoremongers and Scoffers cannot enter into the Kingdom of God but also the lostiest pieces of Nature that are but in a state of Nature as it is written Except your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat.
at this work very little advantage can be expected But if they be faithful and painful they may yea shall do much through him that strengtheneth them and hath promised to be with them in their way They are in God's way and in God's way God will be found as he hath said Exod. 4.12 with Mat. 28.20 Lastly Wise Preachers should still teach the people knowledge for though they know they without God cannot teach the people knowledge yet God can by them teach his people knowledge even then when they think they can do least for the people Therefore to conclude the Answer of this Objection Let us that Preach the Gospel consider that of Solomon Eccles 11.6 In the morning sow thy Seed and in the evening with-hold not thy hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they both shall be alike good Therefore you who are Spiritually-wise Preachers of the Gospel be prevailed upon to make the peoples knowing your main business and work in Preaching like Paul that great Preacher of the Gentiles whose work was to teach all men in or unto all wisdom that he might present all men perfect in Christ Jesus Whereunto saith he I also labour striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily Col. 1.28 29. And to conclude this Use Let as many as be perfect be thus minded Phil. 3.15 The third Use is for Direction The next Use or Improvement I shall make of this Point is for Direction to such Preachers as faithfully endeavour thus to do First Would you teach your people Knowledge or make your Hearers knowing in the Knowledge of Christ Then let me beseech you to Preach humbly for a proud Preacher is not likely to become a profitable Preacher This was the frame of Spirit Paul went forth Preaching the Gospel with Acts 20.19 Serving the Lord in all humility in that Work A proud Preacher will more strive to Preach out himself unto the people than the saving Knowledge of Jesus Christ into the people A proud Preacher will be too high to stoop or condescend to the weakness of the capacities of the People as the proud in heart will not receive Commandments even so the proud in heart will not teach Commandments 'T is too hard for such to teach Knowledge or for the people by such to be taught Knowledge Such Preachers as desire to be profitable Preachers unto others must learn of that wonderful Preacher the Lord Jesus to be meek and lowly of heart Mat. 11.29 and do as Paul adviseth Rom. 12.16 Not to mind high things but to condescend to men of low estate To which I may add what he writes to the Bishops and Deacons of Philippi saying Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves Look not every one on his own things but every man also on the things of others Phil. 2.3 4. Secondly Would you Preach profitably and cause the people to get Knowledge then labour to Preach plainly 'T is plain Preaching will only prove profitable-Preaching This Paul seems to mind in 1 Cor. 14. as the very scope of that Chapter to provoke Preachers to Preach plainly within not above the understanding of the People Asserting that if a Preacher preach never so rarely yet if he preach above the understanding of the people he shall be but as a Barbarian to the people and not beneficial to them at all Plainness and Pureness are the two great excellencies of Preaching and as ever a Gospel-Preaches would be found a profitable Preacher let him become a plain Preacher Though high Strains hard Notions and obscure or hidden Expressions may most commend amongst men yet plainness and profitableness will most commend to God and be most acceptable and advantagious to those that are perfect and prudent Oh therefore Brethren all you that Preach the Gospel so Preach as Paul did as you have it 1 Cor. 2.1 2 3 4 5. compared with 2 Cor. 3.12 as ever you intend to teach your people Knowledge Thirdly If you would distil or infuse your Knowledge into the people do not only Preach to the people but live out that you Preach before the people be not only an Audible but a Visible word to the people How shall the people learn that from our lips which they cannot learn from out lives This made the Scribes and Pharisees the great Preachers of that day they could do no good to the people but as blind Leaders led the people blindly into the Ditch was it not from hence because they say and do not Mat. 23.3 with that of Jer. 23.18 22. Oh as ever you would be profitable Preachers to others be not unprofitable Preachers to your selves practise what you Preach if ever you mean to profit others by that you Preach Nothing more dulls and blunts the edge of Preaching than not living out the life of Preaching therefore let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Mat. 5.16 Fourthly And especially Water all your Preaching with Praying if ever you would reap the fruit of your Preaching Oh! my beloved Brethren Would you profit your people much by Preaching then water your people much by Praying let the best Seed that can be sowen be sowen into the best ground that can be yet if showers be with-held a fruitful crop will never be obtained Even so here the best Sermons will be but lost Sermons unless they are watered Sermons Oh therefore water your Sermons by Prayers do not only pray for a Sermon but for a blessing upon that Sermon pray not only publickly but privately for a blessing upon your Labours lose not your Sermons through shortness or wantingness in praying performances This was Paul's way to get Knowledge to be the blessing of the Ephesians Philippians and Colossians as you may see at large in the first Chapters of those Epistles Therefore to conclude these Directions Watch and pray that the Enemy steal not your Seed or Christ's Seed rather away out of the minds and understandings of the people If any shall say This is no more then we knew before yet let me as once Peter did tell you I think it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance of those things though you know them and be established in the present truth 2 Pet. 1.12 The fourth Vse is a word of Exhortation to the People The fourth Use shall be a word to the people enjoying wise Preachers that thus labour among you Let it be a word of Exhortation to all such to take the Apostle's counsel 1 Thess 5.12 13. We beseech you Brethren to know them that labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and esteem them very highly for their work sake Such are truly wise Preachers yea such are painful Preachers and therefore
if we follow on to know the Lord and in John 7.17 If any man will do his Will he shall know that the Doctrine is of God Thirdly Be diligent about this business of Knowledge if ever thou wouldest know as James saith Let not a wavering-minded man think he shall receive any thing even so say I Let not the slothful or the idle Christian think he shall receive or ever attain Knowledge with such a frame of Spirit With what sloth and idleness neglectfulness and forgetfulness do too many Professors pursue Knowledge Therefore be not slothful in business of this nature but be fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 Fourthly Hold much and close communion with knowing wise and holy Persons This made Apollos become more wise and knowing even his communion with Aquila Acts 18. And this Solomon teacheth us Prov. 13.20 telling us That he that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a companion of fools shall be destroyed But lastly If you would become a knowing people in the Knowledge of God be a praying people Prayer must relieve both Preacher and the preached to in this thing Oh therefore be much in Prayer This was David's practice Psal 119.18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law And to close remember what James saith chap. 1.4 If any of you lack wisdom let him ask it of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth none and it shall be given Thus much for this Point Now to proceed in the Text it is added Yea he gave good heed This is the next piece of the description of a wise Preacher he gave good heed From hence observe Doct. 7. That he Preached not rashly but heedfully 'T is folly to be slight or rash in any business but especially in God's Matters or in the Matters of Preaching Yea he gave good heed it is good to Preach heedfully As Preaching is honourable Work so it is to be honourably performed as it is weighty and difficult Work even so ought Preachers warily and heedfully to perform and pursue it This we find imposed upon Elders or Preachers Acts 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves so in 1 Tim. 4.16 Take heed unto thy self and to thy Doctrine Preaching-Work ought to be heedfully yea most heedfully performed Question But it may be demanded What is that which a Preacher ought thus heedfully to mind In general I Answer It is his Preaching This is clear in the Text by that which is added and sought out and set in order many Proverbs It was the setting in order of Parables the Preacher gave good heed unto But more particularly to Answer this Query First He ought to give good heed to the observing what the present state and need of the people calls for for he is by Preaching to feed the people with food seasonable and convenient for them I do not say That he is to eye or answer the wanton expectations of the Hearer but the present necessity and need of the Hearer This is laid down Mat. 24.45 Who then is a wise and faithful Servant to give them meat in due season A wise Preacher must oversee the state of the Flock in this regard to know what they are and what they want at the present that he may by Doctrine give every one not some but every one his meat in due season Sinners and unconverted Souls in a Congregation must be heedfully provided for and the Saints and Children of God in the Assembly must much less be neglected the minds of the ignorant must be enlightned and the mouth of the Adversary must be stopped The Faith of the doubting must be strengthened and the Faith of the established secured The troubled Conscience must be comforted and the Conscience of the sleepy and secure awakned This is now to give good heed how we Preach thus wisely to mind and consider them we Preach to Secondly For a Preacher to give good heed how he Preachers is needfully to observe or consider the present Vision of the Lord or what the Spirit of the Lord at present layes warm and fresh in upon his heart to deliver as his present Message and seasonable to the people That Message which is very lawful and seasonable to deliver to the people at one time is neither seasonable nor lawful to deliver at another time There is a time and but a time that is seasonable for any thing so there is a time and but a time when some Truths are seasonable Therefore this is that Preachers should heedfully mind the teaching moving and turning of their Spirits this or that way by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus and give up themselves to the manuduction of that Spirit Thus did the living Creatures Ezek. 1.12 And they went every one straight forward whither the Spirit was to go they went and they turned not when they went This is Preacher's motion and thus to move is heedfully to Preach Thus did Isaiah that good Watchman Chap. 21.7 8. He hearkened diligently with much heed and he cryed a Lyon My Lord I stand continually upon the Watch-tower in the day time and I am set in my Ward whole nights But again Thirdly Heedfully to Preach is heedfully to observe our scope and end in Preaching As in some respects the end may be said to crown all even so may I say of Preaching If ends be not right and honourable it will spoil all as the dead Fly doth the Apothecaries precious Oyntment A Preacher cannot think to do much good by Preaching that hath low or poor aims or ends in Preaching The goodness of the Work doth not argue the goodness of a Man's Aims or Ends in Preaching But if ever Preachers would do good at Preaching let them heedfully mind their Ends. When Ends are right God usually blesseth but when Ends are naught and low God usually blasts as you have it Haggi 1.6 to 11. compared with Zech. 7.5 6. where the Lord renders the reason of all the blasts or disappointments they met with was Because of the corruptness of their ends Had not sinful self lay at the bottom of the sacrificing and fasting and calling upon his Name they should have had a Blessing but this with-held it from them Self-endedness at Preaching is heedless and fruitless Preaching God will not bless with any great success such Preaching therefore Preach heedfully or well-minding that your ends be holy and pure even the glorifying God and the profiting the Souls of the people In discharge of Duty these are right Ends and not to Preach for Applause Credit or much less Merchandize But again Fourthly Preachers should heedfully yea give good heed as in the Text to the Matter of their Preaching and not rashly say the Lord saith They must Search the Scripture as well as Preach the Scripture remembring David Psalm 39. I said I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue and what Solomon saith Suffer not thy
Apollos Acts 18.24 25 26. To name no more Instances of this kind When words may truly be seasonable and acceptable or both I say when we see the Peoples sin openly and dangerous to the insnaring and indangering of others then 't is most seasonable to step in with reproving words Thus Paul dealt with Peter Gal. 2.12 13 14. And with the same spirit we find him acting against Elimas the Sorcerer when he sought to turn away the Deputy from the Faith Acts 13.9 10 11. Thus much may suffice for the proving and opening the Point let me now give you two or three Reasons or Arguments why this must needs be a Truth Reason 1. First Because 't is then only Preachers can be said in preaching to preach or in doing the work of preaching to preach when we preach acceptably or speak seasonable words All other preaching is foolish preaching or for the present but lost preaching But again Reason 2. Secondly Such Preachers and Preaching are only acceptable to God as such only should be to wise Hearers as the Lord seems to imply in that expression of the Prophet He that hath a Dream let him tell a Dream and he that hath my Word let him speak my Word faithfully What is the Chaff to the Wheat saith the Lord Jer. 23.28 Reason 3. Lastly Preachers ought to seek out acceptable words because such preaching will only answer our engagements and pretentions both to God and Man Our engagement who preach is like our Lord Christ who said I came from Heaven not to do my own Will but the Will of him that sent me John 6.38 And no Preacher is so foolish or unwise a Preacher as to pretend less than thus to do wherefore let as many as preach be so wise and honest to do what they pretend to do and as Paul saith Not to preach themselves but Christ Jesus the Lord and themselves Servants for Jesus sake 2 Cor. 4.5 I proceed now to the Application because I promised to be short Use of Reproof The first Use may be for a word of Reproof to as many Preachers that are not so wise as to make this their work to seek out acceptable seasonable words even sound words or words of truth and uprightness Oh how many foolish careless and unconscionable Preachers there are that neither study the Scriptures to find out sounds words nor consult with God or with the People to know what may be an acceptable word or a word spoken in due season either in reference to what God is a doing or the People are wanting in These may more aptly be stiled foolish than wise Preachers who more study humane than divine Writ and consult the mind of men especially great men rather than the mind of God and their own gain and interest more than the Peoples profit All I shall further say to these is As their sin is great against God and the Souls of the People even so without repentance and more wisdom their judgment will be heavy and their damnation slumbers not Let such think seriously of that saying of Peter But these as natural bruit beasts made to be taken and destroyed speak evil of the things they understand not and shall utterly perish in their own corruption 2 Pet. 2.12 But to be brief Secondly For Exhortation Secondly This shall serve for a word of Exhortation and that to two sorts of Persons First To such as Preach Secondly To such as Hear First Let me exhort and provoke all you that are wise Gospel Preachers to remember this word Seek out acceptable words even words of Truth and let that which is written be upright Oh suffer me to beseech you to seek out seasonable words both upon God's and his Peoples account Oh consider what Generation-work God hath in hand in your day in the present day and give it your word as Nehemiah did in his day Chap. 2. vers 3. In times of abounding of iniquity Lift up thy Voice like a Trumpet cry aloud spare not shew the people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sin Isa 58.1 And take that encouraging word and charge you have given to the Prophet Jeremiah Thou therefore gird up thy loyns and arise and speak unto them all that I command thee and be not dismayed at their faces Jer. 1.17 Oh my Brethren be prevailed upon to make it your main business next to the looking after your own Vines to look after acceptable words for the People Oh search out the cause you know not and see what your and Christ's Sheep want and Preach words seasonable or in due season Oh Beloved be not knowers but doers of the Word not deceiving your own Souls This will bring much honour to Christ and you will then so do your work as to have joy and not grief in the great day of Jesus Christ Secondly Let me exhort you that are Hearers to suffer a word of Exhortation not onely from me but from your Preachers also which enjoy wise and painful Preachers that make it their business to seek out acceptable words for you Oh esteem such highly for their work sake and their work for Christ's sake Oh slight not such words as cost them so dear or so much to find out for your use Oh sin not against such words as are seasonable and should be to you acceptable Suffer your Preachers to deal home and plainly with you 't is their duty and their love to Christ and you make their work easie take their labour of love kindly despise not pervert not prophesyings of such as seek out acceptable words and what-ever they speak is words of Truth and of uprightness If necessity be laid upon them to seek out acceptable words do not think you are at liberty whether you will receive or refuse them Nay think of that dreadful word Lo when this cometh to pass then shall they know that a Prophet hath been among you Ezek. 33.33 The great God that made nothing in vain hath not made wise Preachers in vain or that you should turn a deaf ear or a rebellious heart towards them They must sift hunt and search out acceptable words for you and you ought to receive them with all readiness of mind and take heed that they lose not through you the things which they have wrought Oh believe it your spiritual wise Preachers do bring you acceptable words meat in due season and therefore let him that hath ears hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches And lastly If Preachers must seek out acceptable words for the People then let their acceptable words be acceptably entertained of you As Daniel said to the King so let me say to all you to whom this Truth shall come Let my Counsel be acceptable to you and break off your sins by Righteousness and your iniquities by shewing of mercy Dan. 4.27 I mean your sins against wise Preachers and their acceptable words from Jesus Christ Thus much for this Word and this
faithful able painful Gospel-Ministers bless God through Jesus Christ for this singular Gift of Grace c. But again Are Ministers of the Gospel such as have been described Christ's Gift and Ordinance both they and their Ministrations then let none intrude or impose upon you the Churches of Christ a Ministry or Ministrations which are none of Christs nor to be found contained in Scripture but being free be not the Servants of Men but remember Paul's Counsel Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men and after the rudiments of the World and not after Christ Let no man at his pleasure bear rule over you by humbleness of mind and worshipping of Angels intruding into these things which he hath not seen vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind Col. 2.8 18. Further let me in the fear of the God Exhort you that injoy Christ's Ministry and their Ministrations Remember to obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give an account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you Heb. 13.17 Their Work is hard enough from the men of this World O let it be good from you for whom they endure all things or at least very many things 2 Tim. 2.10 They do not only do much for you but also endure much for you O! therefore let them not indure any thing from you but rather according to Paul's advice Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially such as labour in the Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 remembring what is said concerning them without the least shadow of pride or vanity How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad-tydings of peace Rom. 10.15 Now if you would eminently honour and rejoyce your Ministers pray then labour greatly to improve and profit by their Administrations for such as are Christ's faithful Ministers seek not yours but you 2 Cor. 13.14 and have no greater joy than to hear that their Children walk in or according to truth 3 John 4. This makes great rejoycing and thanksgiving by Christ's Ministers when they either hear or see that those they labour among do prosper and their graces grow as we have it Ephes 1.15 16. Wherefore I also when I heard of your Faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all the Saints cease not to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers whereas to find the Saints and Churches of Christ in a poor low beggarly state of Soul not improving nor profiting under means of Grace this will cause Christ and his Ministers to weep and complain and even sit down and bemoan themselves in the sense of it according to that prophesie Isa 33.7 Behold their valiant ones shall cry without the Ambassadors of Peace shall weep bitterly fulfilled by this Prophet the Type of Christ Then I said I have laboured in vain I have spent my strength for nought and in vain Chap. 49.4 And how fully was this Prophesie made good by Christ who when he was come near he beheld the City and wept over it Luke 19.41 Wherefore Sirs if you have any love to Christ or compassion towards your Ministers improve them and strive to prosper under their Ministration so will you prevent their grief and give them a good reward for their labour But again to hasten to a conclusion and closing up of the Use of Exhortation pray you if your Ministers be Christ's Ministers and Christs Ministers flow from him depend upon him and minister for him pray you joyn with and assist them in what-ever they for Christ have need of you as Paul directed the Church of the Romans To do for Phebe that ye receive her in the Lord as becometh Saints and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you Rom. 16.2 So say I pray assist your Ministers with your watchfulness with your observation of those they labour among and for Help them with your Informations concerning what you observe wanting either in them or others Help them with your Zeal and readiness to joyn issue with them in any business of Christ like those Holy Ones we read of Exod. 36.1 Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab and every wise-hearted man in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the Sanctuary according to all that the Lord commanded The like frame of Spirit we read of in those mentioned Ezra 1.5 6. with Nehem. 2.18 where the People of the Lord are found thus doing And they said Let us rise up and build So they strengthened their hands for this good Work But lastly Pray you let me Exhort you to assist Ministers with your Prayers for their good and the prosperity of Christ's work in their hand remembring That whilst Moses 's hands were uplitld by Aaron and Hur Israel prevailed Exod. 17.11 12. Even so my Brethren your incessant Prayers in your Ministers behalf will utterly overthrow Amalek and help Joshua and Israel to prevail And thus I have done with this Exhortation and with what I shall offer to your consideration upon this Scripture wherein I have with what clearness and brevity conveniently I could set before you what Preaching is and whose Ordinance it is who is a truly wise Preacher and what his Work is and the Blessing and Duty of all that enjoy such Preachers Now consider and examine what hath been said and the Lord give you wisdom in all things Amen Amen FINIS
ought to be and do whence we may collect thus much Doct. 1. That the Lord is not sparing or scant in means of Grace to his Church and People but hath provided and doth afford them one and another means of help and advantage for Soul-Concernments God as God hath in Mercy and Wisdom dealt with the Second Creation and state of Grace as with the first Creation In Nature he hath not made single Fruits Flowers Plants Grain or Beasts Birds or Fishes but innumerable in number and manifold in kind even so great variety and plenty that even the wisest of Moralists or Naturalists scarce knew what need or end there is even of that variety or plenty unless to commend the Creator Men are often times at a loss how to improve and not despise that plenty Even so is it in spiritual and supernatural things Men are so fully provided of them that they even surfeit and are wanton under God's Divine Ordinances and Provisions of Grace as once Israel did of Manna yet it seems good to God to have moreovers and to minister himself in manifold wisdom to his People To instance thus God dealt with Israel he gave them not onely Moses but Aaron also not onely Sacrifice but Circumcision also nor Circumcision only but the Passeover also nor the Tabernacle but the Temple also not onely Priests and Levites but Prophets and Nazarites likewise That so God might say as Isaiah 5. What could I have done more for my Vineyard which I have not done And this Job tells you Chap. 33.14 15. So Solomon in the 9th of his Proverbs Even so hath he done under the Gospel not tying us to any one Way or Means but affords us various Means and Seasons We have the Heaven and the Earth declaring his Glory and Handywork Psal 19. Also we have the Law and Statutes of God in his Scripture which is able to make the Man of God wise unto Salvation We have also the Law written in our hearts We have Instruments without and Instincts within We have the Word and Men without and the Spirit within We have Mercy and Judgment all whispering to us Fear ye the Lord. So that we may truly say God as well as Man hath his Moreovers And we serve not a hard Master nor is our reproof and destruction less than sufficiently of our selves Now the Grounds and Reasons why God walks thus towards his People are briefly these Reas 1. That the Glory of the Wisdom Power and Bounty of God might the more gloriously appear by the riches of his Liberality and plenty of Provisions afforded to his People Prov. 16.4 Rom. 2.4 Ephes 1.18 19. Col. 1.27 Reas 2. God makes his Provisions to be very large and plentiful affording us moreovers to the end that we might with the more ease and facility do his Will and attain the knowledge and enjoyment of Salvation so Isa 28.9 10 11 12. and this the Apostle seems to eye Acts 17.30 31. And the Prophet Micah Chap. 6.6 7 8. Christ saith His Yoke is easie and his Burthen light because he affords light sufficient to see it with and strength enough to do what is required and helps many to assist us and rewards full and rich enough to quicken and incourage us But again Reas 3. The Lord doth it to comply with our nature and frailty which is not so well satisfied nor so effectually furthered or helped by one Way or Means as by diversity and variety and therefore vouchsafeth us his Moreovers or Line upon Line and Precept upon Precept Reas 4. And lastly It is to stop the Mouth and leave silent and inexcusable all neglecters and despisers of Gospel-Grace and Provisions since God can say to all such What need I have done more than what I have done This God pleads for himself 2 Chron. 36.15 16. and Luke 13.7 8 9. The first Vse is of Information By way of Improvement or Application briefly let this first admonish us to believe how inexcusable wicked and ungodly Men and Women are who have God's overpluses and moreovers I mean that living under the light of the Gospel among the Saints enjoy such means to better them and change them and yet remain ignorant profane and ungodly Will not all this present favour and goodness of God to them one day rise up in judgment against them and be an aggravation against them as Paul saith Rom. 2.3 4 5 6. Oh! let such think seriously and timely upon two Scriptures and I shall say no more to this Use Luk. 19.41 42. And when he was come near he beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes compared with Heb. 6.4 5 6 7 8. For it is impossible for those who were once inlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance seeing they crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame For the Earth which drinketh in the Rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth Herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God But that which beareth Thorns and Briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Secondly Caution Secondly Let it be a word of Caution to all of us not to be wanton and despise and slight God 's moreovers or his overplus kindnesses as I am afraid too many do among Professors at this day like wanton Israel that despised God's Manna Numb 11.4 5 6. calling it light Bread Chap. 21.5 Even saying as Christ's Disciples What need this waste Matth. 26.8 Like unto many now-adayes that say What need so much Preaching Yea What need of such long Preaching Is not shorter Preaching better Preaching I beseech you take heed of such thoughts lest God takes away our plenty and give us scarcity enough Oh let me perswade such wanton Christians to take the Counsel Peter gives to Simon Magus Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee Acts 8.22 23. Oh Friends take heed of such thoughts of such vain yea vile thoughts for surely we are not grown such quick Learners or good Scholars or so soon taught what the good and perfect Will of the Lord is as to conclude we need few Preachers or little Preaching Neither is the Preaching of the Gospel such a mean Excellency as worth little more than to be despised or hath the Lord Christ given Gifts to men in vain Oh no he that hath given Gifts to many not to one he well knew many Preachers were necessary that by here a little and there a little by Line upon Line and Precept upon Precept because the
People are so hard to learn Isa 28.9 Therefore the Lord hath conferred upon the Church diversity of Gifts though they proceed from one Spirit He hath set in his Church not only Teachers but Prophets also and dare we despise Prophets or Prophesyings and say What need have we of these Ministrations Hath the Lord given diversly as to Degrees or Measures to one three to another five Tallents and shall he that hath received the least be thought unmeet to have the freedom to improve his Measure for his Lords Honour or his Brethrens Advantage or where the Lord bestows a larger Measure and his Servants are faithful in the Stewardship thereof dare any say the time is waste and the Message too long Not remembring that although he that can speak but five words understandingly must be accepted yet he which can speak ten must not be muzled or restrained Christ and his Spirit ought to be free Wherefore remember that saying of Paul Let no man blame us in this abundance which is administred by us 2 Cor. 8.20 And to cure this evil take this short direction Be more sensible of your want of the means of Grace and more humble spirited truly hungring and thirsting after Gospel-Ordinances Lastly Let it be a word of Exhortation If our Means and Provisions be abundant and redundant let not our fruitfulness be short lest what the Lord Jesus said to Jerusalem he say to us also The Kingdom shall he taken from you and given to a People bringing forth the Fruit thereof and he let out his Vineyard to other Husbandmen Matth. 21.34 41 43. with Heb. 6.8 How dreadful then will thy state and mine be to enjoy much means of Grace and to bring forth none or little Fruit by it Oh! consider this all you that forget God So much for the first Particular or word in the Text Moreover Now let us consider the next Particular which contains the Reason of what the Preacher said or did that is in these words Because the Preacher was Wise Before I go further Three things need some clearing or Exposition First How this suits with some other of Scripture-Expressions for Solomon to commend himself or to say the Preacher was Wife or Painful yea Useful also Secondly What a Preacher is or what this Preacher was Thirdly What this Wisdom is that is here spoken of For the clearing of the first thing Though this Book is Solomons and bears his Name and was by him Composed yet is it not clear that this Copy or these Words were his own But as David and other Kings had their Scribes and Pen-men which did write for them and wrote after them even so might Solomon and doubtless had as his Story in 1 Kings 4.3 compared with 2 Chron. 9.29 doth declare And so though he did not yet they well might set him forth But secondly Although in moral respects and at some time it is not fit for a man to commend himself yet in two respects a man may especially a Preacher so do and be innocent in so doing First in case of scandal he may vindicate himself from unjust aspersion and reproach So Samuel did the people had clouded and eclipsed his worthy and innocent Government 1 Sam. 8.4 5. therefore Chap. 12. he vindicates himself So also did Jeremiah Chap. 15.10 So Paul in 2 Cor. 10.3 7. so in Chap. 12. with that of Job 29. Secondly In furtherance of man's Work or Imployment a man may commend himself So Paul did 2 Cor. 2. and it Gal. 1.12 to 19. with chap. 2.6 7 8 9. Anâ— thus Nehemiah acted in chap. 5. from vers 14 to the close of the Chapter And thus I conceive if Solomon did commit this to the Churches Treasury from his own Hand or Pen in this latter sense he might humbly and innocently do it Bâ—â— possibly the stick or obscurity may be from thâ— Translators so rendring the Words for if thâ— words be thus read this difficulty is easily avoided and the sense preserved intire Moreover A Wisâ— Preacher will still give good heed and so it speak Duty and not Commendation Secondly Let me a little open this Particular What a Preacher is or this Preacher was that here is spoken of A Preacher is not onely such as are under Ministerial Unction or calling in Office oâ— Ministry But a Preacher is any or every such Person or Disciple of Christ that hath received Gifts of the Spirit to profit withal and is able to speak a word in due season to him that is weary for Edification Exhortation and Comfort and theâ—â— in Scripture are called Prophets or Prophesying Preachers as in that of Gen. 20.7 1 Cor. 12.28 And such a Prophetical or Prophesying Preacher was Solomon the Preacher in my Text and not an Official Ordained or Ministerial Preacher for such were only at that time the Tribe of Levi the High Priest Priests and Prophets Extraordinary But the Book tells us this Preacher was by Office a King not a Priest he was onely a Prophet or Membral Preacher even such a Preacher as that Church had many of and any Brother or Member of that Church who was able though not so able might as freely and as lawfully preach as Solomon as that passage Acts 13.15 compared with Luke 4.16 17. Ye men and brethren if you have any word of exhortation for the People say on And such Preachers Moses and Paul allowed Numb 11.29 And Moses said Enviest thou for my sake Would God that all the Lord's people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them compared with 1 Cor. 14.29 31. Let the Prophets speak and let the other judge for ye may all prophesie one by one that all may learn and all may be comforted Many other Testimonies may be added but because I shall speak to this more hereafter let this at present suffice The third thing to be cleared is What this Wisdom is or what is this Wisdom that Solomon saith the Preacher had and what that Wisdom is that every Preacher ought to have that will thus wisely or profitably Preach Wisdom as Solomon phraseth it doth not onely excel Folly Eccles 2.13 but Wisdom also excels Wit Wit is a quickness or acuteness of the Understanding to catch or apprehend things by But Wisdom is that depth of Reason and Judgment whereby Apprehensions Thoughts Sciences Purposes and Businesses are begun and compleated or are honourably profitably and regularly performed A Fool may have Wit only a Wise Man can have Wisdom or carry on his Design or Business wisely But still the Question is What Wisdom that is that is here treated of or is Preaching Wisdom even that Wisdom without which a man cannot be competent or profitable Preacher To which Question I Answer first Negativeâ— It is neither Moral Natural or acquired Wisdoâ— as Languages Tongues Arts or Sciences Thâ— I not only affirm but shall also confirm thouâ— when all is done no doubt but so saying mâ— make some
pretend to a liberty to Preach neither pretend or affirm that every Preacher is an Official or Ordainâ— Minister of the Lord Jesus neither do they aspiâ— to equality or superiority with or above others 〈◊〉 Christ's Ministring Ones but acknowledge they aâ— neither the one nor the other of Christ's Gospel Ministry but Members in particular But thirdly Note There is no agreement be tween the design of those men and the work of theâ—â— men I plead for their design was sacrificing or offering Incense the work onely of Aaron and hiâ— Sons 't was Censering not Preaching as is cleâ—â— vers 15 16 17 18. But the highest of those meâ— or this Doctrines design is Preaching not offering or performing Ministerial Function but privaâ— Mens and Brethrens liberty as hath been prove from that passage Ye may all prophesie or Pread one by one To as little purpose will that Text answer our Clergy-mens design and errant for which they improve as this Numb 16. I mean thâ—â— 1 Cor. 7.20 Let every Man abide in the samâ— Calling wherein he was called This might if it had been written at that time have been applyed aptly by Moses in the businesâ— he had in hand but what is all this against the lawfulness of private Christians Preaching Preaching though an excellent Work is no peculiar Calling but may be performed by Persons of another Calling neither do such as assert our practice iâ— this way of Preaching depart from their Callings or not abide therein though this is no satisfaction to their Adversaries therefore these feeble Objections will not suffice to rational Christians enlightned in this Doctrine as sufficient to oppose this way of Preaching Therefore know and consider this day what I shall affirm till you can more substantially oppose it to wit That it is lawful and laudable a Liberty yea a Duty incumbent upon every Man that feareth the Lord and hath received the Gift to speak a word in due season for Edification Exhortation and Comfort to use and exercise the Gifts he hath received of the Lord in Prophesying or Preaching in the Congregation That all may learn and all may be edified 1 Cor. 14.31 Therefore not onely may Pastors or Teachers but any Brother of the Church that is qualified whether Young or Old Servant or Master Son or Father Rich or Poor Learned or Unlearned of what Imployment or Calling soever whether Miller or Merchant Inn-keeper or Shoop-keeper Brick-layer or Taylor Cobler or Shoo-maker one or other lawful Imployment For ye are all one in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.8 Thus much for this Use The second Vse is for Exhortation But a second Use and the all that I shall make of this Doctrine is That if Prophesying or Preaching of Brethren or such as have not received any Office or Ministry from Christ be an Ordinance of Christ and the duty of such as have received Gifts for Preaching to Preach Then two things from hence I may add First A word of Exhortation to all the Churches of the Saints to allow admit and incourage the Gifted-Brethren in this Work and Business of Preaching Oh! be not so like to Antichrist and his Synagogue as to forbid this liberty of the Saints which Christ hath so dearly purchased with his most precious Blood Consider what the Lorâ— saith to those Disciples of his who told him That they saw one casting out Devils in his Name which followed him not and they forbad him but Marâ— the Answer of Christ Forbid him not Mark 9.38 39. Will not Christ have such forbad that follow not him or his Disciples and will you my Brethren forbid such as follow the Lamb yea and follow you too because not Ministers as you are or competent or equal in Gifts with you My Brethren I beseech you do not this wickedness it smells of Rome of an Antichristian spirit but think what the Lord saith He that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad Mat. 12.30 You that will not joyn issue with Christ in furthering and permitting such to Preach whom Christ allows to Preach you even all you who ever you be how Wise and Learned and Pious soever yet are you against Christ and for Antichrist Enemies to Preaching though never so great Preachers and it were well you would please to suffer me to commend two Scriptures to your serious consideration The first is that of the Apostle Be of the same mind one towards another mind not high things but condescend to men of low degree or estate Be not wise in your own conceits Rom. 12.16 The second Scripture is that of Peter Feed the Flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready mind neither as being Lords over God's Heritage but being Ensamples to the Flock 1 Pet. 5.2 3. But secondly Let this be a second Branch of this Use to exhort all such even such or so many as have received but one Talent or the least dogree of real competency or fitness though neither Prophets or Prophets Sons but of the meanest or most contemptible condition or Calling amongst men to Preach and that in season and out of season O remember it is your duty your Priviledge you may preach all one by one you are not only made Kings but Priests and this Priestly Act you yea any Gifted Believer may perform Rev. 1.6 Beloved Preaching is God's Ordinance his Peoples Blessing and your Duty O therefore Preach as well as Pray continually forget not that exhortation As every Man hath received the Gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold Grace of God 1 Pet. 4.10 Brethren let not your fellow Spies discourage you by telling you of the Sacredness Excellency and difficulty of Preaching But as every man hath received so minister the same as of the ability God giveth that in all things God may be glorified 1 Pet. 4.11 Remembring for your encouragement two Scriptures 2 Cor. 8.12 For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that a man hath not Secondly Think on these words of Christ For unto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath Mat. 25.29 Therefore quench not the Spirit 1 Thess 5.19 But what the Disciple said I may say to you The Lord hath need of it Luke 19.34 The Souls of Sinners call for your Labours yea the wants of your dear Brethren call for your words of Exhortation Edification and Comfort therefore be not wanting in the practice of this Ordinance even this great Ordinance of Preaching the Gospel Therefore my Brethren be stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the Work of the Lord for aâ— much as you know your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. Thirdly Let this Doctrine
exhort and quicken you that have ears to hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches Take heed that you despise not prophesying 1 Thess 5.20 Christians despise not Christ's day of small things Since out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings he will ordain strength because of the enemy and avenger Psalm 8.2 compared with Matth. 21. Say not in your hearts as once Nathaniel did Can any good thing come out of Nazareth John 1.46 But take heed you despise not him that speaketh on Earth lest that sad word be your word For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this People Read that Chapter at your leasure and you shall see how dreadful God speaks to despisers of this Ordinance of Preaching though by mean and outwardly contemptible Instruments My Beloved know God oft-times hangs great Blessings at the end of small Wyers How great a victory did God give Israel by that Barley Cake as Gideon is called Judg. 7.13 14 15 16. As also how great a Blessing did Naaman the Syrian receive by hearing the Voice of his Servants 2 Kings 5. Yea how great advantage did this very Ordinance bring to the Jews and Greeks when the scattered Saints and Brethren went up and down Preaching and Prophesying Acts 11.19 20 21. Therefore despise not Prophesying I mean Preaching by Brethren that are gifted thereunto although not Ministers or Officers in the Churches So much for this second Doctrine I should now come to speak to the third Point or Doctrine which is Doct. 3. That if Preaching be God's Ordinance and Prophesying and Preaching by Men of Grace and Gifts though no Ministers or Ordained Persons may lawfully Preach then such as are Prophets though no Ministers or Officers of the Church not only may but ought to Preach But because I have spoke something to this in the close of the second Doctrine I shall say no more to this but proceed to the fourth and last Doctrine upon this Head which is drawn from the Description of the qualification of this Prophetical Preacher Solomon to wit That he was Wise as you have it in the Text Moreover because the Preacher was Wise Whence take this Observation to wit Doct. 4. That every Gospel preacher ought to be truly wise or that Grace and Spiritual Wisdom are the true and onely and sufficient Requisites or sufficiency for Gospel-preaching Let me in the carrying on this Work first clear this Point and shew what this Wisdom which every Preacher ought to have is 2ly Give the Reasons why what is affirmed to be the Wisdom required is that which is affirmed And 3ly Resolve some Objections And lastly Make Application of the Point First Take some Witnesses that Gospel-Preachers ought to be Wise This the Lord tells us 〈◊〉 that qualification that all such ought to have a◠draw near him in any peculiar or especial way o◠service or ministration as you have it laid dow◠by Moses in that saying Take you wise men ye understanding and known men among your Tribes an◠I will make them Rulers over you And ma◠what is further said And ye answered me an◠said The thing which thou hast spoken is good fo◠us to do So I took wise men and known eve◠the chief of your Tribes and made them Heads ov◠you this is God's and Moses way for the serving of Israel Deut. 1.13 14 15. Again tak◠that place Prov. 15.2 where you have this expression The Tongue of the Wise useth knowledge a right but the mouth of Fools poureth out foolishness Oh mark it is the wise tongue that wil◠Preach or use Knowledge aright compare thi◠with what we have Vers 7. The lips of the Wis◠disperse Knowledge but the heart of the Foolish doth not so It is wise lips either can or ought to Preach or dispense Divine Knowledge Again take that Passage of our Lord Jesus where he tell us what every Scribe or Teacher in Israel should be one instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven like unto a man that is a Housholder that bringeth ou◠of his Treasury things both new and old Oh! this is the good Scribe or Preacher Mat. 13.52 the like you have Matth. 10.16 with Prov. 1.5 6. further you have this confirmed That a Preacher or Director of others should be wise Eccl. 1.10 for he that sendeth a Message by the hand of a Fool cutteth off the feet and drinketh dammage The legs of the Iame are not equal even so is a Parable in the mouth of fools Prov. 26.6 7. By all which with many Testimonies more that might have been offered you have this Truth confirmed That every Gospel-Preacher ought to be wise Now I come to open the Point and shew you what it is to be Wise or what that Wisdom is that every Gospel-Preacher ought to have I told you in the opening of the words by way of Negation that the Wisdom spoken of in the Text was neither natural moral or acquired Wisdom as Languages Tongues Arts or Sciences but a more sublime and transcendent Wisdom I told you God had not set this Ax or Hammer apart to do his or this Work with these Tools are strangers to any Divine designment for such an end being neither appointed or required in Scripture I told you secondly This Wisdom is but a carnal or natural Weapon and is only meet for carnal natural weak and worldly work and for such purposes this Learning or Wisdom is very fit and useful but no more apt or necessary essentially for Preachers or Preaching than a Sword is to cut ones Beard with or a Plough to ride a Journey on But the Wisdom absolutely necessary for Preaching or a Preacher is Divine Wisdom as I told you which descends from Above more immediately and comes from the Father of Lights and this is that true Wisdom which is put in opposition to the Wisdom before mentioned 1 Cor. 1.17 where the Apostle saith Christ sent him not to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel not with wisdom of words lest the Cross of Christ should be of none effect Mark it 's worldly Wisdom or the wisdom of words maketh Christ's Cross to be made ineffectual this is the likelyest good worldly Wisdom wil◠do in Preaching The same thoughts was th◠Apostle Peter of censuring humane Wisdom tha◠it might and did furnish men to pervert but no◠Preach the Gospel where he saith As also in a his Epistles speaking in them of these things i◠which are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as the◠do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction Ye therefore Beloved seeing you know thes◠things before beware lest you also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your ow◠stedfastness 2 Pet. 3.16 17. Now if you would know who these unlearned and unstable wreste◠and perverters of Paul and of all Scriptures are Peter tells us not men wanting Arts and Languages such knew