Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	heart_n	word_n	1,814	5	3.8480	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85510	A modest vindication of the doctrine of conditions in the Covenant of Grace, and the defenders thereof, from the aspersions of arminianism & popery, which Mr. W. E. cast on them. By the late faithful and godly minister Mr. John Graile, minister of the gospel at Tidworth in the county of Wilts. Published with a preface concerning the nature of the Covenant of Grace, wherein is a discovery of the judgment of Dr. Twisse in the point of justification, clearing him from antinomianism therein. By Constant Jessop, minister of the Gospel at Wimborn minister in the county of Dorset. Whereunto is added, a sermon, preached at the funeral of the said Mr. John Grail. By Humphrey Chambers, D.D. and pastor of the church at Pewsie.	Graile, John.; Chambers, Humphrey, 1598 or 9-1662.; Jessop, Constantine, 1601 or 2-1658. Pauls sad farewel to his Ephesians.	1654 (1654)	Wing G1477; Thomason E817_1; Thomason E817_2; ESTC R207370	97,971	125

to g●ve warning of such pernicious Errors and Practices as he seeth breaking in upon such as are committed to his oversight such a one however he speed in his own judgment and the judgment of others shall not fail before the Judgment Seat of God to stand in the rank and passe in the account of the faithful servants and Ministers of Jesus Christ Having thus shewed when a man may be said to bee a faithful Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ I come in the next place to consider who are they who truly believe the Gospel to whom such faithful Ministers are precious who enjoy them in love and part from them in sorrow There is hardly any thing as I conceive in our unsettled times more pernicious then the mistake which many are subject to about the nature of believing Much talk there is of faith and the Gospel whilst few consider what is indeed the faith of the Gospel I shal therefore indeavour in few and plain words to clear unto you from the Scriptures who are the truly faithful the true Believers of the Gospel 1. First They truly believe the Gospel who glorifie the Word of the Lord as it is testifyed of the believing Gentiles to whom Paul preached the Gospel at Antioch When the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the Word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed Every true Believer glorifieth the Word of the Gospel by yeilding a firme assent unto it as a word of Truth setting a high price upon it as the only saving Truth holding it fast as a stable everlasting Truth and still desiring of it and delighting in it as an edifying and perfecting Truth which is able to build men up and give them an inheritance amongst those that are sanctified If men boast never so much of believing because they are confident that Christ is theirs and that all the benefits which flow from the Lord Christ are theirs yet if they do not glorifie the Word of the Lord the Word of the Gospel making an high account of it as a Word of Truth a saving everlasting edifying perfecting Word they shall never make it out before the presence of God that they have the true faith of the Gospel in them 2. Secondly True Believers of the Gospel are such as receive the Word of the Gospel with spiritual gladnesse as we read of that flock of faithful Converts brought in at one Sermon Then they that gladly received the word were baptized The Word of the Gospel cannot by faith enter into the soul but it bringeth in spiritual gladness with it Temporal believing hath a sleight and suddain joy accompanying it as our Saviour testified in the interpretation of the Parable of the Sower as to the stony ground He that received the seed in stony places the same is he that heareth the word and anon with joy receiveth it yet hath he not root in himself but dureth for a while An unrooted faith yeildeth an unsettled joy but when the Word is with a stedfast sound and saving faith received it usually out of the state of strong temptation and spiritual disertion filleth the soul with joy and peace in believing Now this receiving the Word by faith importeth a taking of it into all the faculties of the soul to new mould and transform them according to the holiness of the Gospel The Apostle James calleth it the receiving of the engrafted word because the word of the Gospel thus received as the graft set into the stock causeth all the sap of the inward faculties of the soul to bring forth such fruit as is sutable to the holy Word of the Gospel It is a very unworthy and ungrounded Opinion that a man can believingly receive the word of the Gospel and not be new moulded by it unto holines If any think that the Word of the Gospel shall be mighty to save them when it is not effectual to sanctifie them they deceive themselves and should attend to the Apostle James his Doctrine for right information in this point who sheweth that the Word of the Gospel is received as an ingrafted new moulding word in all those towards whom it is effectual to save their souls 3 Thirdly They that believingly receive the Word of the Gospel are brought off from trusting upon their own works and righteousnesse to trust and rest their souls upon the Lord Jesus Christ as the one which in Scripture dialect imports the only Mediatour between God and man for forgivenesse of sins peace with God righteousnesse and eternal life The Apostle Paul called believing in Christ hoping or trusting in Christ Ephes 1. 12 13 because all that truly believe cast away the thought of acceptance with God unto life in the merit of their own Righteousnesse and as worthlesse sinners build their hope of righteousness to life fully and wholly upon the Lord Jesus as the Mediator of the New Testament through whom they finally bottom their faith and hope on God 1 Pet. 1. 21. 4 Fourthly They truly believe the Gospel who trusting on Christ for Righteousnesse and life have their hearts brought on by believing to the love and high prizing of the Lord Jesus as most precious and desirable 1 Pet. 2. 7. Faith looking and resting upon Christs love inflameth the heart with the love of Christ according to the Apostles words In Christ neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love And this true love of Christ the necessary and inseparable product of Gospel faith in all true Believers is obediential causing the faithful heart to stoop to the yoak and work of the Lord Christ as we learne from our Saviours own mouth If ye love me keep my Commandments And again He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me And yet further If any man love me he wil keep my words By all this it is manifest That they who truly believe the Gospel are such as glorifie the Gospel by embracing it as a saving everlasting edifying and perfecting Word of Truth who with gladnesse receive this word into all the faculties of the soul to mould them into a frame of Gospel holinesse who rest themselves upon the Lord Christ for Righteousnesse and life according to the Gospel and in the strength of that faith have their hearts knit to the Lord Christ in high prizing obediential love of him These two Points being dispatched viz. Who is a faithful Minister and Who are the true Believers of the Gospel I proceed in the next place to shew that such a Minister is enjoyed with much love by such a people This we have fully ascertained by the Apostles testimony which hee bare unto the Galatians when the faith of the Gospel at first prevailed amongst them My temptation saith he which was in my flesh ye despised not nor rejected but received me even as an Angel of God

repaired by Christ Or with Bellarmine That Adam conveyed inherent sin to his posterity whereby they perish and therefore the Righteousnesse of Christ conveyed for our recovery must be inherent We should many wayes clip the truth of God if we should every way make these lines run parallel Hear Peter Martyr to the very point This Analogy holds true only in the general but in respect of the particular and the kinds there is great difference Adam conveyes sin by Propagation to his Posterity But Christ conveyed Righteousness by faith After this you had a passage concerning actual Righteousnesse and actual Reconciliation to this purpose Vnlesse men will grant that Christ purchased a salvability the salvation purchased must be actual for Inter actum potentiam non datur medium Sir I know none of ours that deny that Christ purchased actual salvation for those for whom he dyed i.e. That in time they should be actually saved in that way and method agreed on between the Father and the Son The thing we deny is That the salvation purchased is actually theirs for whom its purchased before they come actually to believe You must give us leave to distinguish between the Purchase and the Possession the Grant or Donation of a Benefit and the actual exhibition and reception of it The child may have an Inheritance purchased for him and bequeathed to him before he is born but he must be born before he can enjoy it Abraham had the grant and Donation of Canaan long before his had the actual possession of it Hear we Dr. Ames in this particular All and each have grace and salvation given though they have not the possession of the thing given before faith Now unto these Arguments let us add one or two more out of your former Sermons about the absoluteness of the Covenant many of which having fallen in with those already discussed and not above one or two remaining The first If any thing were required on our part then beasting could not be excluded This also Dr. Crisp vol. 10. p. 71. If any thing were done on our parts to partake of Christ we might have wherein to boast Rom. 4. 2. But I pray consider seriously how crosse this your Argument is to the very Text For did not Abraham the party spoken of there do something for his part to partake of Christ when he believed yet was he excluded from boasting And doth not the Law of Fath the Gospel require faith on mans part that Righteousnesse may be imputed why else is it called a Law Yet the Apostle saith expresly that by this Law boasting is excluded Rom. 3. 27. If indeed we could do any thing in a meritorious way we might boast not otherwise The begger I hope hath little to boast of and yet doth he both crave and receive his Almes The sinner hath lesse for as that he doth can no way merit no more then the beggers craving and receiving so nor can he do that untill the Lord inable him God must give him both a mouth and a hand before he can speak for Christ to take him Yet both he must have before he can receive the Lord having set down to himself as you your self acknowledg such a method and way of giving The other which seems to be of more strength and I think the strongest you bring is this If the Promise of Salvation were upon condition of believing then men should believe before they be justified contrary to Rom. 4. 5. where it is said God justifies the ungodly Now no where in Scripture Believers are called ungodly The same almost totidem verbis you may read in the Doctor vol. 1. p. 170 171. Now for answer unto ths I desire you to consider what the Papists say concerning this Justification of the wicked That wheresoever in Scripture God is said to justifie the ungodly it must be understood that he also makes the ungodly just and righteous for otherwise the judgment of God would not be according to truth and the Lord should do that himself which he forbids his creature to do and abhors in his creature when ever he doth it Exod. 23. 7. Isaiah 5. 23. Deuter. 25. 1. Prov. 17. 15. And lest you should think light of it because it comes from them though it is right to learn even from an enemy hear what the learned Pemble saith of this very rule cited by him We embrace this rule saith he and the reason of it acknowledging that where ever there is Justification there must be Justice some way or other in the party Justified The God of truth should otherwise call darknesse light and evil good And therefore both that Author as also Paraeus and Chamier tells us that the Righteousnesse of Christ imputed to this ungodly person is the ground of this gracious sentence of God whereby he doth absolve acquit and justifie him So that the person though he be ungodly and unrighteous in himself and so unjustifiable yet is he godly just and righteous in Christ and through the Righteousnesse of Christ imputed to him justifiable Let this then be agreed on i.e. 1. That the ground of this gracious sentence of God whereby he justifies the ungodly must be some kind of Righteousnesse And 2. That it is the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to the sinner The Quaerie then will be Whether this Righteousnesse of Christ be imputed to the sinner before he doth believe or not till he believeth Now I think the Scriptures are very clear for the latter that Righteousnesse is not imputed to the sinner til he doth believe that very Text it self confirmes it To him that believeth on him that justifies the ungodly his faith is counted for Righteousnesse It is to him that believeth that Righteousnesse is imputed and again His faith is counted c. Take faith how you will it must come into the imputation the imputation is not without it So again Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for Righteousnesse ver 3. When was it so accounted Certainly when he believed It was whilest he was in uncircumcision indeed but not whilest he was in unbelief He received Circumcision saith the Apostle the Seal of the Righteousness of faith which yet he had being uncircumcised As he had Righteousnesse then so had he faith too for it was a Righteousnesse of faith And as it was imputed unto him upon believing so shall it be imputed unto us if we believe on him who raised up Jesus vers 24. Hence it is called the Righteousness of faith for that it comes to be ours through faith Faith takes it receives it puts it on The Righteousnesse of God by Faith Phil. 3. 9. We answer then that place in the Romans thus 1. An ungodly person may be taken either for one who is wicked and goes impenitently on in his wickedness never once looking after Christ a sinner continuing in his impenitency and unbelief Now such an ungodly person God

doth not justifie for it is against both his truth and justice 2. It may be taken for one that is ungodly and unjustifiable in himself but yet believing on Christ is through him and his satisfaction Just and so justifiable Such an ungodly person God doth Justifie and thus Ames Paraeus Bishop Downam and those other Divines I have in their descriptions of Justification make not a sinner simply but a believing sinner to be the subject of Justification or the person to be justified Now whereas you say That no where in Scripture a Believer is called ungodly I conceive it false He is called so there For who is the ungodly person spoken of there but Abraham and he was justified as hath been shewed when he did believe Besides God the object of faith Justifying who is described there to be the Justifier of the ungodly is said in ver 26. of the foregoing Chapter to be the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus I beseech you tell me doth not the Apostle speak of one and the same Justification in both places Doth he not in both places describe one and the same person the person that is justified Him then whom he calls a Believer on Christ in one place the same he calls an ungodly person in the other and whom he cals an ungodly person in this in that he stiles the same a believing person Certainly seeing as it is Chap. 3. vers 30 that it is one God that justifies both the Circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith i.e. All that are justified both Jew and Gentile circumcised or uncircumcised by or through one and the same mean of faith It must needs be that the ungodly person spoken of in the next Chapter is such an ungodly person as hath faith and doth believe or else God should justifie some without faith to which the former place doth aver the contrary That place in the Romanes then concerning Gods justifying the ungodly will not bear the Position you ground upon it viz. That sinners are justified before they do believe or that we do not believe that we may be justified as the Doctor expresseth it an assertion as rotten as the foundation on which it is built and expresly contrary to the Apostle who tells us Galat. 2. 16. that hee had believed on Christ that so he might be justified by the Faith of Christ Thus have I given you an account of some and those of the main of your Arguments both wherein they have not satisfied me concerning the Tenent you endeavoured to maintain and wherein also they have offended me whilst they wounded that I hold for truth through the sides of Popery and Arminianism I shall now shew you some grounds of my belief on the contrary first taking leave in a word to state the Question and to set downe how and what I hold concerning it First then I distinguish between both a condition and a meritorious cause as also between it and an impulsive cause By condition I understand neither any thing meriting Justification at Gods hands in the least degree nor yet any thing moving the Lord to Justifie or bestow Salvation on us Secondly By Conditions I understand the restipulation or repromission in a Covenant the termes and Articles of Agreement in a Covenant betweene equals and the thing commanded or required in a Covenant betweene Superiors and Inferiors such as is the Covenant between God and man Thirdly Whereas there are conditions yet I assert them not in any rigid and legal but in an Evangelical way Not so as if they were not strictly and in a rigid exactnesse perfectly kept there were no hope of Salvation but so as if that they be not in some measure sincerely observed there is sure damnation Mr. Ball will tell you that whereas in the Covenant of Nature perfect obedience is exacted so that if there be the least failing in any jot or tittle and that but once a man can never be justied thereby nor can the breach be made up by any repentance In the Covenant of Grace perfect obedience is indeed required yet so as Repentance is admitted and sincerity accepted Conditions in this Evangelical way I plead for and conceive That God in the New Covenant doth not promise life and salvation absolutely unto his chosen whether they believe and repent or no but doth require from and command them to repent and believe if they will be partakers of the benefits purchased by his Son and promised by himself in that his Covenant which that they may do he himself of his own grace and for his own Sons sake bestowes faith and repentance on them Nor have they a right to any actual enjoyment of these benefits untill they do actually repent and believe The Grounds of my perswasion in this particular follow 1. That Covenant wherein is a mutual stipulation is conditional But such is the new Covenant therefore that is conditional As on Gods part life and salvation are promised so on mans repentance and faith and perseverance therein are required and to be promised Mar 1. 15. Chap. 6. 12. Acts 2 38. chap. 3. 19. chap. 20. 21. John 6. 28 29. chap. 3. 15 16. John 8. 24. Rom. 10 6 7 8 9 John 8. 31. Chap. 15 5 6 7 10. Heb. 3. 6. Chap. 10 38. He cannot see wood for trees that doth not take notice of these Evangelical commands wherein performance of Gospel conditions and perseverance in that performance are required they every where so abundantly occur Choose we out one of the places named and a little insist on it that Rom. 10 9. the rather for that in your answer to Mr. S. you make some reply thereto How say you do you prove that Rom. 10 9. is set down the forme and tenure of the New Covenant I deny it The Apostles intent is c. Sir It is clear as Calvin notes that the Apostle here opposeth the Righteousnesse of faith to the Righteousnesse of Works It is also clear that in describing the Righteousnesse of Works he setteth downe the very tenor and form of that Covenant The man that doth them shall live by them ver 5. And in opposition thereunto delivers this to be the speech of the Righteousnesse of Faith If thou confessest with thy mouth and believest with thine heart c. If then it be granted which cannot be denyed that in these words The man that doth them shal live by them the tenor of the Covenant of Works is contained it must needs follow by the rule of opposition that in these words If thou confessest and believest c. the tenor of the Covenant of Grace is also contained Besides when the Apostle saith The Word is nigh thee c. That is the Word of faith which we preach That if thou confesse c. What I pray you doth he mean by the Word of Faith but the Gospel or what else did the Apostle preach but the Gospel The sum of which he

the Gospel The sorrow here recorded of the Elders of Ephesus and other Believers for the final parting of the Apostle from them was not under any other notion but as he was a faithful Minister of Jesus Christ unto them so they loved him whilst they enjoyed him so they mourned over him when he was going from them Ministerial faithfulnesse admitteth of degrees in those in whom it is in truth Amongst the Ministers of the Gospel in our dayes such as attain the measure of the Apostle Pauls faithfulnesse are I say not rarely but as I conceive not at all to be found How beit I doubt not but that through Gods grace there are some Ministers of the Gospel in our dayes the desire of whose soul is that they may be faithful and who do actually attain to some degrees of faithfulnesse in the Ministry which they have received from the Lord Jesus and shall therefore be inabled to give up the account of their Stewardship with comfort and approbation to him their great Lord at his appearing and Kingdom I intend through Gods assistance in order to the opening of the Doctrine now before us in the first place to discover when a man may be a faithful Minister of Jesus Christ A man may be said to be a faithful Minister of Jesus Christ 1 First When being called and set apart to the Gospel of God as the Apostle was Rom. 1. 1. he looks to and minds the discharge of the duty of the Ministry as the great work incumbent on him in relation to Gods glory and the good of his people It is fit they should turne Farmers Merchants State-Counsellors any thing rather then Ministers of the Gospel who make it their chief aim and work to get Manors Moneys or the Advancement of this present world Whosoever they be that mind their corporal dues more or as much as they do their Spiritual Duties who look carefully after the reward and carelesly after the Work of the Ministry shall never be acknowledged by the Lord in the number of the faithful Ministers of the Gospel They who account their Ministerial being to consist in their Ministerial Duties and thē discharge of them and accordingly presse after the same though they trade but with one talent and possibly bring not in visibly much advantage to their Lord may yet expect to be accepted as faithful Ministers of the Gospel and to hear at last from their Lord that sweet voice Well done good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord Matth. 25. 23. 2. Secondly When a man applyeth himself to the dispensing of the whole and of the pure Word of God to those among whom he laboureth in the Lord. He is an unfaithful Steward who with-holdeth any part of that from the Houshold which was committed to him for their good and he cannot have the esteem of a faithful Minister of the Gospel who wittingly keeps back any portion of that good Word and Counsel of God which hee hath received from the Lord to impart to others for the making of them wise unto salvation The Apostle appealed to the knowledge and conscience of the Elders of Ephesus that he had kept back nothing which was profitable to them ver 20. and that he was pure from the blood of all men in that he had not shunned to declare unto them the whole counsel of God ver 26 27. It is certain that all Ministers of the Gospel do not arrive at the same height of knowledge in the Mysteries of the Gospel and counsels of God howbeit every Minister of the Gospel is to look and enquire diligently into the Scriptures after the Mysteries of the Gospel and mind of God and as he hath received so he is to administer the good Word of God to others without imbezeling or concealing any part of it which whilst he makes conscience and is careful to do according to his measure how smal soever his Ministerial Fidelity in this regard is to be acknowledged and he shall be accepted according to what he hath and not according to what he hath not And as a faithful Minister is careful to dispense the whole so likewise the pure Word of God not allaying and attempering the same by carnal mixtures unto the Lusts and likings of corrupt men The Lords charge in this kind is full of divine Majesty Jer. 23 28 29. The Prophet 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 Is not my Word like to a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that beateth the rock in pieces And herein the Apostle with much joy testified his own and the fideity of his fellow Laborers in the Gospel professing that they were not as many which corrupt the Word of God but as of sincerity as of God in the sight of God spake they in Christ 2 Cor. 2. 17. 3. Thirdly A faithful Minister of the Gospel is one that takes care rightly to divide the Word of Truth and give every one in Gods family that portion of the Word which belongeth unto him At this branch of Ministerial fidelity the Apostle pointed in that charge which with so much seriousnesse and solemnity he gave to Timothy I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shal judg the quick and dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the Word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and Doctrine Gods faithful Messengers are careful to dispense instruction to the ignorant comfort to the feeble minded terror to the obstinate On some to have compassion others save with fear plucking them out of the fire This Ministerial fidelity and wisdome is very necessary and highly accounted of by the Lord in his servants as appeareth evidently from our Saviours words Who then is that faithful and wise Steward whom the Lord shall make Ruler over his houshold to give them their portion of meat in due season Blessed is that servant whom the Lord when he cometh shall find so doing This fidelity the Apostle Paul again and again called Timothy unto that commanding counsel cannot be overlooked in this kind Study to shew thy self approved to God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth And doubtless every faithful Minister hath it upon his conscience and in his care and earnest desire according to the degree of wisdom received from God to dispense the Word of God in such wise that every one may have a seasonable and sutable portion of the same as shall be necessary for the bringing him in or building him up to receive an inheritance amongst those that are sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus 4. Fourthly As a faithful Minister of the Gospel is careful to

preach so likewise to pray for the people amongst whom God hath set him A Preacher that speaks not oftner to God for then from God to his people may partingly shake hands but cannot partakingly joyn hands with the faithful Ministers of Jesus Christ as belonging to their number The Prophet Jeremiah witnessed his fidelity towards the people in praying to the Lord for them Remember how I stood before thee to speak good for them and to turne away thy wrath from them This is much of the close and closet-work of the faithful Ministers of Jesus Christ Very many there are now adayes who think sleightly of the Ministers of the Gospel and their work supposing that they have little to do and might well be spared But did such persons know what is done in private by the faithful Ministers of Christ how they ply the Lord with prayers for the people that he would divert his judgments from them continue and blesse his Ordinances unto them subdue their sins increase their graces comfort their hearts and save their souls they could hardly retain such thoughts or utter such words as they do concerning the despised servants of Jesus Christ But how ever they are esteemed or dis-esteemed by men it is knowne to the Lord and that is enough that a faithful Minister is an importunate suter unto him in the behalf of his people as the Apostle Paul assured the Philippians he was in respect of them I thank my God upon every remembrance of you alwayes in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy Philip. 1. 3 4. 5. Fifthly A faithful Minister of the Gospel is to exemplifie what he teacheth others in the course of his owne life A wicked well speaking Minister shall never obtain approbation for fidelity from the Lord Jesus Though a mans words be celestial as of an Angel of Heaven yet if his Conversation be low loathsome and corrupt his prophecying in Christs name will not prevail with the Lord Christ in the day of Judgment ●o own and acknowledg him for one of his faithful servants but he shall then bee found amongst those wretches to whom our Saviour will utter that dreadful voice I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity The Apostle Paul exhorted Timothy and in him all Ministers of the Gospel who desire to be found faithful to look to it that they be an example of Believers in Word in Conversation in Spirit in Faith in Purity He multiplyed words as we see that Timothy and every faithful Minister of the Gospel might see a necessity laid upon him to make it his great aim and endeavour to walk exemplarily and inoffensively before Gods people in all things The Proto-Type of Holiness is our Lord Christ all his faithful Ministers are to be followers of him that they may be examples to the flock 1 Cor. 11. 1. He that faileth in this Duty and is not deeply humbled for his failing is far from Ministerial faithfulnesse and by his evil conversation doth more effectually cry down then by his good Doctrine preach up the power of godliness 6. Sixthly Of a faithful Minister of the Gospel it is required that he watch over the souls of those amongst whom he liveth both for the preventing of hurtful errors and practical evils both which tend to the destruction of souls It appeareth from Heb. 13. 17. that a special part of the work of the Ministers of the Gospel is to have an eye to the souls committed to them that they be not unawares surprised by Errors in Doctrine or evils in practice Errors against the truth or holinesse of the Gospel are of an insinuating nature if they be not timely resisted they will make room for themselves and bring on a shipwrack of faith and a good conscience together Ministers of the Gospel are therefore in faithfulness to hold fast the faithful Word as they have been taught and by sound Doctrine both to exhort and convince the gainsayers They are with all circumspection specially in such Apostatizing times as we are fallen into to look to the flock of God that they be not led away by the errour of the wicked or possibly of some good men misguided in some particulars to fall from their own sted fastnesse but may stand fast and grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ It may seem at first a small matter to let errour against the Truth or Holinesse of the Gospel into the judgment but the judgment tainted with such Errour is apt to grant out dispensations for the practice of sin and so a little Errour many times draweth a great sluce to let in a sea of pollution upon men to the drowning of them in everlasting perdition It therefore belongeth to the faithfulnesse of the Ministers of the Gospel to fortifie and establish their people what in them lyeth in the Truth of the Gospel that they may not be as children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive but may have their ears shut up against the voice of strangers and opened only to the teaching of that good Shepherd who hath the words of eternal life And as faithful Ministers are to watch over the people in respect of Doctrinal Errors so also of practical evils that they do not overspread them they are often to inculcate the Apostle Doctrine that the grace of God which bringeth salvation teacheth us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World and again That our Lord Jesus gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works and therefore that every one that nameth the name of Christ should depart from iniquity And if they see any one taken in a fault through infirmity it belongeth to them not only in the right of charity but special duty to restore such a one with the Spirit of meeknesse and when they discover others hardning themselves obstinately in their evil wayes they are boldly to reprove them and yet with meeknesse to instruct them yea though they oppose themselves if God peradventure would give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth that they may recover themselves out the snare of the Divel who are taken captive at his will The sum of all is When a servant of Jesus Christ separated to the Ministry of the Gospel carefully mindeth his work and bendeth himself to deliver the Word of God wholly purely and seasonably labouring instantly with God by prayer to procure a blessing on his people and his labours amongst them and withal is careful to exemplifie his own Doctrine that the people may see in him what they hear from him and lastly hath his eyes open to observe and his mouth open

even as Christ Jesus It is not possible to make a higher expression of enlarged love then this is whereby the Apostle set forth the affection which the believing Galatians bare towards him as a Minister of the Gospel who loved him and welcomed him upon this account as they would have done an Angel from Heaven or the Lord Jesus Christ himselfe if he had personally appeared and spoken to them The Grounds of this enlarged love of true Believers towards the faithful Ministers of the Gospel are amongst others which it would be too large exactly to treat of these which follow 1. First Believers look upon the faithful Ministers of the Gospel as a special gift of Christ unto his Church What thoughts soever others have of faithful Ministers yet true Believers know that they are in much love given by the Lord Christ for the edifying of his body till all the Members thereof come in the unity of the Faith and Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ And therefore Believers cannot but love such a guift of love proceeding from their beloved Lord and Saviour 2. Secondly True Believers look upon the faithful Ministers of the Gospel as Ambassadors for Christ in whome hee negotiateth with them in much mercy for the accomplishing their reconciliation to God and eternal happinesse 2 Corinth 5. 19 20. And therefore beholding Christ in them they cannot but greatly love them in Christ and very highly esteem them in love for their works sake 3. Thirdly True Believers are experimentally assured that the faithful Ministers of the Gospel are Ministerial Fathers to some and Nurses to all Gods people who hear the Gospel from their mouthes To such as are brought out of a state of ignorance and wickednesse unto the faith and obedience of Jesus Christ by the Gospel which they preach they are ministerial Fathers as we learne from what the Apostle wrote to the Corinthians Though ye have ten thousand Instructors in Christ yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel The Lord of his own will originally begetteth his children by the word of Truth dispensed in the mouthes of the Preachers of the Gospel for How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard How shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent As it is written How beautiful upon the mountaines are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things The faithful Ministers of the Gospel of peace given by our Lord Christ for the work of the Ministry are therefore Ministerial Fathers too and so as spiritual parents acknowledged and beloved by those who through their Ministry are brought to the faith of the Gospel To others who have formerly entertained the truth of the Gospel in a regenerating power the faithful Ministers of the Gospel are as Nurses cherishing and strengthening them by the Word of God which they preach For the same Word of the Gospel which begetteth nourisheth and buildeth up the people of God unto eternal life And in this second cherishing work the Ministers of the Gospel are and are acknowledged by believers for spiritual Nurses according to the Apostles expression to the Thessaloniuns We were gentle amongst you even as a nurse cherisheth her own children Now Nurses we know sometimes get away the love of children from their true parents and in the case before us it is often seen that though true believers cannot forget their ministerial Fathers yet they are apt to fall much in love with their spiritual Nurses who at present feed and refresh them with the word of Truth The sum is that as Fathers or Nurses or both all those that truly believe the Gospel are ready to love the faithful Ministers of the Gospel whilst they enjoy them Now this Truth being acknowledged the last point I am to speak to in the Doctrine becometh evident of it selfe namely That a faithful Minister is finally parted from with much sorrow by those who truly believe the Gospel for love is a strong bond knitting the soul so fast to that which is beloved that it cannot lose it or be loosed and parted from it without much sorrow We read that Jacob loved Joseph more then all his brethren and when he thought that Joseph was finally taken from him He rent his cloathes and put sackcloath upon his loynes and mourned for his son many dayes And all his sons and daughters rose up to comfort him and he refused to be comforted and he said For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning And even thus it is betweene true Believers and faithful Ministers of the Gospel the true and great love which such Believers bear unto such Ministers makes their presence sweet and therefore necessarily their final parting very grievous unto them To this I will briefly add two further grounds of much sorrow in those who truly believe the Gospel for the final removal of faithful Ministers by death from them 1. First When faithful Ministers are taken away by death Believers are at an utter losse as to the enjoyment of any comfort or benefit from the person or personal Ministry of them that are so removed from them If they could have the least hope of re-enjoying a faithful Minister after death there would be yet some string of comfort to hold by at their departing but Believers know that this is a final parting from a faithful Minister they must never seek counsel or comfort or instruction more from his mouth death unavoydably putteth the servants of Christ to silence and taketh them off from being in their persons useful in the work of the Ministry unto the living for ever The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians that his abiding in the flesh would be needful for them for their furtherance and joy of Faith Philip. 1. v. 24 25. and thereby intimated that when he was by death removed from them they neither could expect nor should receive any farther benefit from his person or personal Ministry Herein our blessed Saviour happily differeth from and hath a transcendent preheminence above his servants in the Ministry that whereas their final parting from their people in the flesh maketh them personally unuseful to others for the time to come it was not so with our Lord Jesus Christ His parting from his people in the flesh caused a greater imparting of himself unto them in spiritual benefits as is testified by our Saviour himselfe saying to his Disciples Neverthelesse I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you Our Saviour went away as a Mediatour and Advocate between God and Man and not as a bare Minister of the Gospel and