vnderstanding doe enter into the heart by the eie and the eare â—o not men declare their mind by word and by writing doeth not loue and anger lodge in the heart and doth not the countenaunce bevvâ—ay the liking and disliking that is in the heart and who is so simple that knovvetâ— not these things Therefore when the simplest shall heare the scriptures call God a spirite and tell vs withall that a spirit hath no flesh nor bones as men haue and yet shal heare the same Scriptures to attribute vnto God a head a heart together with eies and eares and a mouth and a face and a soule and feete and such like as if he were not a spirit but a man must they not needes conceiue that there is something else meant by such kinde of speeches which they could not so vvell vnderstand nay not at all conceiue if God should vtter himselfe as hee is in himselfe and not by such things as are familiar with mans vnderstanding and not to imagine so grosly as the grose headed idolatrous Papists do that God is a man indeede and hath the parts of mans body indeede Therfore vvhen vve heare of the Lords hand or arme vvhat can we vnderstand thereby but his omnipotent power might and strength vvhereby he is able to do all things which he vvill doe Other arme and other hand the Lorde hath not for he is a spirit When we heare of the Lords eies and eares vvhat can we conceiue thereby but his knowledge vnderstanding which is such that nothing can be hidden from his maiestie but that he seeth and knoweth all things at one instant other eares and other eies the Lord hath not for hee is a spirit When we heare of the mouth of the Lord what else can we vnderstand thereby but the reuelation of his will other mouth the Lord hath not for hee is a spirit When we heare the Lords head is as white as wooll what can we gather thereby but the eternal wisdom of God 〈◊〉 1.14 because wisdome is coÌ„monly attributed to the grey headed other head and haire the Lord hath not for he is a spirit When we hear of the soul or heart of God what can we concerue thereby but the Lords liking or disliking of a thing otherwise the Lord hath neither heart nor soule for hee is a spirit When we heare of the light of Gods countenance 〈◊〉 46. what else can we vnderstand thereby but the tokens of his loue and fauor otherwise the Lord hath no countenance smiling or frowning as men haue for he is a spirit And when we heare that God is a spirit wee must not concerue thereby that God is circumscribed within any certaine place as some heretikes haue thought â—â—stici because a spirit is so but we are to learne thereby that he is of a spirituall substance and inuisible nature but altogether vnspeakeable infinite and incomprehensible And thus we see what is meant by Pastours according to Gods heart that is such as his maiestie shall approoue and like of Nowe let vs see what wee may learne from hence The Lord promising and purposing to do his people good yea the greatest good that can be if they turne to him he saith he wil gaue them pastors according to his liking such as he shall approue and delight in to teach vs that there can come no good vnto Gods people but by such meanes as God doth like of To build vp Gods church in faith and repentance and to keepe the same in the holy obedience of Gods lawes there is more required then to haue pastors and dctours they must be such as God doth like of These are tokens of Gods loue to his people and shal do good in their places and turne many vnto righteousnesse where others are tokens of Gods wrath and are giuen in his wrath as Saul was to the Israelites to be a plague vnto the people These that are approued of God haue their gifts from God and are sent forth with his blessing that they may prosper beget many soules to God The other are made barren and accursed that they can doe nothing but onely supply the place of pastours but the sheepe cannot feede in their pastures it is so sower or if they feede they cannot thriue because it is not blessed for as the body liueth not by bread onely so the soule liueth not by doctrine onely but by the blessing of God vpon both Daniels diet was but water pulse yet with that did hee like better then they which had their porcion from the kings table because it was Gods allowance and went with a blessing So they that haue pastours according to the Lords own heart are many times fed but with plaine yet pure doctrine and their soules are better fed with knowledge their faith is more strong their repentance is more sincere and their life more reformed then theirs that are fed after a more stately and princely manner which ostentation of humane learning and eloquence because it it is gods allowance and goeth with a blessing whereas the other commeth and goeth like the winde which onely puffeth and bloweth at men and so leaueth them as it found them In the twenty three of Ieremy the Lorde doth most notably describe such prophets as are not according to his heart In the 23 hee calleth them liars and dreamers to shewe that there is no credit to be giuen vnto them more then vnto hars neither is there in their doctrine any more certainetie then is in a dreame In the sixe and twentieth verse hee saith they delight in lies which he calleth the deceit of their owne heartes to shewe from what fountaine they draw all their licor euen out of the filthy puddles of their owne braine In the twenty seuen verse hee sheweth what is the fruit of these dreames namely the name of God is forgottten by their meanes amongest the people a most horrible sinne to forget GOD as if the deuill himselfe should teach In the thirtie verse he calleth them theeues because they steale the word of GOD away from the people like those that are still dissembling and discouraging men from the reading of the scripitures after the manner of the popish synagogue for feare that their wickednesse shoulde be descried by the light of the worde They that robbe by the high waie take awaie but mens money or their worldly goodes but these robbe mens soules of the most precious worde of GOD therefore they are the greatest theeues And the better to effect their purpose the Lorde sayth in the one and thirtieth verse that they haue verie sweete tongues and can make the people beleeue that the Lord saith this and the Lord saith that when it is onely the deceit of their owne heart In the two and thirtieth verse he saith they are flatterers and through their flatterie they cause the people to erre in a word he saith that the Lord neuer sent them neither
in trueth returne they shall not loose their labour but the Lord will blesse them and the rest for their sakes Thus the Lord sheweth himself carefull to remooue all causes of doubting from his people and to put in all the prouisoes that may be on their behalfe al to make the conueiaunce of his blessinges as sure as may be vnto them that they may haue nothing to allege for themselues if they shuld vnkindly reiect or neglect this gracious couenant of the Lord so mercifully and vndeseruedly offered vnto them The first thing that from hence wee may learne is this that the sinnes of many shall not hinder the course of Gods mercies vnto the penitent though they be but few The Sodomites were many and their sinnes were as a mightie pile of woode for the wrath of the Lord to burne vpon the crie of them ascended vp vnto the eares of the Lord and the filthinesse of their abhominations had infected the very aire yet all this could not moue the Lord to keep backe his mercy and louing kindenesse from righteous Lot whose soule was vexed within him for their wickednes Gen. 19.29 neither did the Lorde forget his seruant Abraham when the fire of his fierce wrath was flaming vpon those wicked cities In the like gracious manner did hee remember Rahab who gaue entertainement to the spies of Ioshua when Iericho was vtterly destroyed And this is a point of singular comfort to the godly to remember that God in visiting the sinnes of the whole world yet will not forget to shew mercie vnto thousands of them that loue him and keepe his commaundements Yea if there bee but one of a Citie and twoo of a Tribe that doe truely returne to the Lord the Lord wil surely embrace them whatsoeuer others do Againe we are further to obserue heere that the Lorde that is the most righteous Iudge of the world iudging all men in equitie and trueth will not condemne all for the wickednesse of some but will take them as he findeth them if there be but one of a cittie or two of a tribe that feare God they shall be iustified in their vprightnesse and not be condemned with the rest And surely this is a good rule for vs to follow that in censuring and iudging of men we may take heede of rash and hastie iudgement for it is the maner of the peruerse world to cōdemn all for some without any difference or exception If in the ministery they heare of som one or a few that be of lewd and vngodly behauiour straitwayes their bolt is shot ouer the heads of all that are in the ministerie crying out that all be naught they are al such In like sort if any other man that is a professor of the gospel chance to be founde in any fault straitwayes profane Atheists crie out with open mouth that there are none worse then professours but they will take heede I hope how they do make such wry mouthed conclusions against al estates for feare that their necke shoulde pay the price of their tongue For if they should look into the state of Kings and Princes they should finde that some haue beene vsurpers some idolaters some tyrants and some verie vicious and licentious persons will they therefore conclude and say of Kinges and Princes as they doe of the poore ministers and other inferior professors of the Gospel there are none worse then Kings and Princes for such and such were idolaters c. they are all naught No I trow not for feare of a worse matter But doe they thinke in this sort to depraue and condemne the profession of the gospel and the knowledge of the sacred scriptures as the cause of al disorder and the professours of the same as the worst persons that liue as the maner of many is and to escape the Lords hands for this their horible pride and presumptuous rashnes wil not the Lord thinke we be reuenged of such wicked ones that shall so maliciously beare false witnes against Gods church and slander the Lord Iesus in his poore members Is not the Lord as ielous of his owne glorie and of the credit of his people and gospel as Kings and princes are of theirs and their lawes but as Christ said of his disciples so wee may truely say of such swift iudges they knowe not what spirite they are of For the spirit of God taketh an other course hauing to deale with the seauē churches of Asia in the Reuelation he saith thus Apo◠◠I know thy faith and thy patience and thy loue and thy zeale c. that is I commend thee for these good things and I approue thy workes but yet I haue somwhat to say against thee for such a thing and such a thing that is I neither condemne thy good bicause of thy euill nor commend the euill that is in thee because of thy good things this course he taketh with euerie one of them to shew what we should do in such cases if we haue the spirit of god for we so many in the world fallen into two foule extremities at this day first our protestants at large say that because wee haue the gospell plentifully taught in many places of the land and the sacraments many good things the Lord make vs indeede thankfull for them that therefore all is well and nothing is amisse there are no faults nor corruptions in the church ministers or people The Brownists on the other side crie out that because that there are some defects and wantes in the church and euerie thing is not ineuerie respect so purely reformed as it ought to be by the word therefore say they wee haue no church no sacraments no ministers nor any thing that is good but that al our ministers are dum dogges Baals priests and I know not what playing the franticke mans part who because some thing lieth in his way or there is something in the house that is not to his minde therefore laieth about him at euery one that commeth in his way the poore innocent children are beaten the seruaunts driuen out of doores the meate on the table is cast downe to the dogges the fire flung about the house the windowes are broken in peeces and not content with this runneth out and gathereth vppe al the filth and dirt in the streete to cast in his mothers face that bare him and wipeth his handes vppon his fathers face who begate him and all to make them odious to all that shall beholde them And hauing set the house on a fire runneth away by the light thereof crying out to all that they haue infected with the like rage Come out from among them Come out from among them there is no dwelling there is no house there is no meate there is no body to dresse anie thing they are al polluted and defiled all is naught amongst them And hauing made their Proclamation away they fling into another countrey till they haue done as great an
good for them but yet they must take heed that they make not those things the ende of their worke but that at the first and at the last we may be approued in the sight of god The apostle had matter of reioycing in his countrey for he was an Israelite and of his bringing vp for hee was brought vp at the feete of Gamaliel a learned man hee could haue stoode vpon his learning for he spake with tongues more then any other if others were doctors he was a doctour of the Gentiles and many great priuiledges he had that others had not But what doth hee stand so much to the maintenance of those thinges No Philip. 3.8 he counteth them all but dung to winne Christ he forgetteth them as things left behind him so that hee may attaine vnto the marke that is set before him euen the price of his high calling the Lord Iesus Christ he careth not a point for them so that he may approoue himselfe a faithfull workeman in the sight of God And so shoulde wee doe if we be ministers approoued of God wee must not be as many are which make merchandise of the word of God but as of sinceritie but as of God in the sight of God we must speake in Christ 〈◊〉 2-17 If we be pastors according to Gods heart we must not praise our selues nor stand in neede of letters of commendation vnto our charge or of recommendation from them vnto others as the Apostle saith but our flocke must bee our epistle written in our hearts to be read and vnderstoode of all men â—or 3.1 not with incke but with the spirit of the liuing God If we be ministers approoued of God wee must giue no occasion of offense in any thing â—or 6.3 that our ministerie may be free from reproofe But in al things saith the Apostle we must approoue our selues as the ministers of god in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in prisons in tumultes in labours by watchings by fastings by puritie by knowledge by long suffering by kindenesse by the holi-ghost by loue vnfained by the worde of trueth by the power of God by the armour of righteousnesse on the right hand and on the left that is both in prosperitie and aduersitie amongst friends and foes by honour and dishonour by euill report and good report as deceiuers and yet true as vnknowen and yet knovven as dying and yet liuing as chastened and yet not killed as sorrowing and yet alvvayes reioycing as poore and yet making many rich as hauing nothing and yet possessing all things What a notable approbation is this How many fellovves hath the holy Apostle saint Paule in this This is for saint Paule alone and such Puritanes as he was Heere is no mention all this while of Dispensations nor of Qualifications nor of Pluralities nor of Vnions nor of Totquots nor of any such implements belike they were not allowed of in Saint Paules time for if they had surely the Apostle would not haue left them out or it may be that they were not then in vse and the world is grovven wiser now then it was in saint Paules time Oh quantum mutatus ab illo The worlde is greatly altered since saint Paules dayes it can no skill of saint Paules course Well yet wee must learne to haue skill of it if wee will be approoued in the sight of God And if all the world do commend vs and yet God condemne vs what shall it aduantage vs Most miserable and wretched caitifes shall we prooue our selues to be and better it had beene that wee had neuer beene borne if the Lord shall say hee knoweth vs not This was Micaiah well perswaded of and therefore hee stoode to the truth when foure hundred false prophets flatterers stood against him yea when the king and all was against him but yet he was a Prophet according to the Lords heart and that was sufficient for him Many at the first and a great while haue made a good shew of great sinceritie that no man would haue taken them but to be men of God indeede as good Prophets were called in old time vntill they haue fallen by the world as Demas did or till they haue fallen into fauour with the court or the state or till they haue taken som high degree of schooles or til they haue climed vp the ladder of promotion and then the date of their zeale and painfulnes and sinceritie hath bin expired and they haue turned ouer their coppy to others hauing made shiprack of faith a good conscience they haue gone forth like Thamar out of hir brother Ammons chamber when Ammon had defloured hir she weÌ„t out with her garment of diuers colors rent torn so they haue goâ— away with their garment of gods graces rent and torne â—am 13.19 onely this difference is betweene Thamar and them she wept mourned for it and so doe not they but rather reioyce at their alteration holding these things nowe as most vile which before the time of their sinceritie they counted most precious this is yet a most feareful iudgement of God vpoÌ„ them for their apostacie for when they begin thus with tongue to persecute the trueth which before they haue professed what doe they else but turne into that hie way which leadeth vnto the sinne against the spirit of truth And being thus reuolted from their first loue they fell to be iust of Sauls humor who perceiuing himselfe to bee forsaken of the Lord for his hypocrisie and dissembling in Gods busines desired yet of Samuel that he might bee honoured before the elders of the people and then he was safe that was all that hee looked after So say they let vs bee honoured before the elders of the people and that is sufficient for that is all that they looke after as hauing their reward of men and not of God The third Sermon of God wooing his Church IEREMIE Chap. 3. Verse 15 And I will giue you Pastors according to mine heart which shall feede you with knowledge and vnderstanding NOw the question groweth how we shal knowe who be pastors and ministers according to Gods liking and who be not The Lord Iesus doth best resolue that doubt in the 7 of Iohn ver the 18 â—â—b 7.18 thus He that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glory but he that seeketh his glory that sent him the same is true and no vnrighteousnesse is in him that is hee is a true messenger of God and no counterfeit A man is saide to speake of himself two waies either when he speaketh before he be required to speake or being required to speake speaketh not the truth truely but mixeth some deuice of his owne braine therewith so did the false prophets for both they ranne before they were sent and also spake the errours of their own hart in stead of the word of the Lord So did Vzzah that which he did of
vs two things are required First concealement of humane skilâ— secondly demonstration of the spirit both which are euident in the example of the Apostles preaching who may bee a patterne of true preaching to all the doctours in the worlde 1. Cor. 2. â— VVhen I came vnto you bretheren saith hee I came not with excellencie of wordes or of wisedome shewing vnto you the testimonie of God for I esteemed not to knowe anie thing among you sauing Iesus Christ and him crucified And I was among you in weakenesse and in feare and in much trembling Neither stoode my worde and my preaching in the intising speech of mans wisedome but in plaine euidence of the spirit and of power Pauls drift is to reproue certaine teachers at Corinth but for what not for heresie but for the manner of their teaching and in that for two things for humane eloquence and wisedome neither are they simplie reprooued for these for they are good in their place but because they made a shew of them in declaring of Gods message And in the fourth verse humane wisedome is opposed to the euidence of the spirit to shew that they which studie only for humane learning and eloquence cannot preach in the euidence and power of the spirit And this he prooueth by many arguments First the doctrine that I taught was Gods will and testament ergo I must not vtter it in matter and forme after men but it must bee shewed as hee set it forth Secondly in the second verse I haue purposed to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified that is to professe nothing else for hee could not but know many things more therefore the profession of all humane wisedome was to bee laid aside Thirdly in the third verse hee saith it was in much weakenesse feare and trembling because hee was to deale with the deuill and with men of beastly condition who could not be subdued with gallant shewes of humane strength nor with flanting and flourishing in humane eloquence wisedome Fourthly in the 5. verse he sheweth a notable reason why it was thus and why it must be thus lest your faith shoulde stand vppon mans wisedome rather then in the power of God and so man shoulde haue the glorie of conuerting mens soules to the faith which is proper to God only therfore in the ministerie the power of God must only be shewed in demonstration of the spirite and of power Fiftly 2. Cor. 4. we haue this treasure in earthen vesselles that the excellency of that power might bee of God and not of vs. The minister is compared to a vessell and a homely one hee sheweth a treasure in it Whatsoeuer therefore is in man must be hidden that when the treasure worketh the vertue which is of God may be ascribed vnto God and not to man But then it will be demaunded of some what vse there is of arts of doctors and fathers and the tougues if they may not be shewed alleaged in the publique ministerie of the word To whom we may answere that as those things are the good blessings of god on his church so there is a priuate vse of them in study to helpe the man of God to find out doctrine and to set it forth but in publike they are not to be shewed by the testimony of the apostle except it be in disputations and controuersies against those that rely vpon them as the papists do As there must bee a concealement of humane eloquence and wisedome so there must bee a demonstration of the spirite â—â—stration â—pirit as the Apostle sheweth in the fourth verse of the second chapter and the first epistle to the Corinthians and that is when the minister so deliuereth the word that the people may perceiue it is not hee that speaketh but the spirite of God in him The whole foureteenth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians 〈…〉 14. is a commentarie of this point and in the foure and twentieth verse he sheweth that if there be propheciing that is expounding and applying to the coÌ„science 〈…〉 4. the scripturs in a knowen tongue if an idiot or an vnbeleeuer come in the meane time he is rebuked and iudged of al that is he shall take himselfe so to be for the secrets of his hart shal be made manifest and so he will fall downe and worship God and say plainely that God is in you indeede And thus must men prophecie to worke this effect 〈…〉 3.8 they must bee as Michaiah was full of power by the spirit of the Lorde and of iudgement and of strength to declare vnto Iacob his transgression and to Israel his sinne The Apostles were not permitted to witnesse of Christ till they hadde receiued the spirite that must execute it And iâ— the second of the Actes it is sayde that it lighted on them like fiery tongues to shew that the spirit of GOD maketh the speech to burne Then wheresoeuer the speech toucheth it burneth by the outward signe the inward worke is signified by all which we may see that there must be no demonstration of the person but of the power of the spirit And further because explanation is the verie soule of the spirit therefore that especially must bee laboured for for in man is soule and bodie and spirit 1. Thes 5.2 The soule giueth life The spirite liuelinesse and is the moouing and stirring of the affections The doctrine must also haue application or else it is dead now when it is applied by the spirit it is most liuely and effectuall The liuelinesse and power of the worde thus preached appeareth in this demonstration Take a thing that is redde hote and lay it to another thing that is colde and it shall kindle a heate in that too So the ministers tongue is a fierie tongue Simile novve when it is brought to mans sences and vnderstanding it worketh the like heate in them so that the power of the spirite is conueyed vnto them And thus an impression is made in the heartes of the people And when the man seeth this he falleth downe hee glorifieth GOD and reuerenceth the minister God in him And for the better procuring and preseruing of this reuerence it is verie requisite also that his message bee deliuered with authoritie and maiestie as Paul aduiseth Titus 〈…〉 6.4 the reason is in the 2. Cor. 3.20 The minister is an embassador for Christ now the embassador beareth his person that sent him hee is his vicegerent to speake and do that that he himselfe doth therefore the whole function must bee with authority 〈…〉 7.28 29. It is said that the people were astonied at Christs doctrin because he taught them as one hauing authority and not as the Scribes to shew that the minister shall neuer moue by his doctrine except it be with authority He that wil approue himselfe in the sight of God to be a minister after the Lords liking and win glory to him that