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
that the Pope's Clergy do so vilifie and reproach Christ's Gospel Spiritually-wise Preachers stiling them proud busie-bodies in other mens business self-will'd presumptuous ignorant factious enemies to Caesar and what not that may render them odious dealing with Christ's Ministers and faithful Preachers as formerly their fore-Fathers dealt with that faithful Witness and Martyr of the Lord Jesus John Huss who when they burned him clad him in strange Garments painting Images of Devils upon him to make him odious to the People as you have it recorded in the Book of Martyrs But to close this Use Let all Christ's faithful Servants and Preachers remember what the Lord Christ saith Mat. 5.11 12. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you And if men of this breeding do scoff and deride you for this Preaching say as David If I be vile I will be yet more vile c. The next Use I shall make of this Point shall be for Caution or Counsel The first Use is of Caution First To all the Churches of Jesus Christ to consider That if every Gospel-Preacher ought to be wise and none may Preach but such who are Spiritual-wise then take heed in your choice and calling of men to Preach that you observe this Rule to Elect Ordain and Appoint to the Work of Preaching such have eye to this Rule And as Moses said to Israel let me now-say to you the Churches of the Saints Look you out wise and Spiritually understanding men and appoint them to the Work of Preaching Intrust no Spiritual Fools with so weighty and honourable a Work remembring God hath no pleasure in Fools Eccles 5.4 Fools or unwise-Preachers will Preach but foolishly and his people can have little Soul-advantage or few sinners be converted or the Lord Jesus little glory from or by such Preachers Preaching is too weighty and difficult a Work for ignorant unwise Carnal ungifted persons to accomplish therefore take the Counsel given Acts 6.3 Wherefore Brethren look out men for this Work full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom and them only appoint unto this business dishonour not Preaching by sending dishonourable Preachers about Preaching Imployment and mistake not the Rule by which you should judge who is wise and fit to make a Preacher Judge not according to appearance or man's judgment but remember what God said to Samuel in the like case Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature because I have refused him for the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart 1 Sam. 16.7 Beloved in this business of judging who is fit to be admitted and allowed to Preach consult not with flesh and blood with the carnal wise and learned Rabies of the day lest like Samuel you be mistaken in your judgment and call him God's Anointed when the Lord saith This is not the man but consult the Record and Charter of the New Testament and see whom that Word calls Wise and a man fit to Preach the Gospel and as hath been demonstrated you shall find the Wisdom which comes from Above from the Father of Lights is the onely Wisdom that can fit persons unto Preaching Grace and Gifts of the Spirit of God are best qualifications for a Preacher as appears Acts 1.4 5. He will make the best Preacher which hath most Grace and Gifts of the Spirit Therefore take heed to this business I beseech you Brethren who are Christ's Porters see that no foolish idle or unholy Shepherds enter in at Christ's Doors or be his Peoples Pastors for if there do the sin and guilt yea and punishment also of such Preaching will lie at your doors John 10.3 Object But me-thinks I hear some Object and say This is preposterous erroneous and dangerous to make Preachers to depend and spring from the Congregations Approbation and Mission This were to make Ministers or Preachers depend upon the People whereas is it not better for Congregations to spring from and depend upon the Ministry or the Preachers and Dispensers of the Word I Answer This Objection smells strong of Rome who-ever be the Objectors and is calculated for the Interest of the Clergy to maintain their Pride Authority and Avarice and therefore may the rather be suspected to be Anti-scriptural or of no great strength to withstand Therefore first Though these suggest this to be preposterous as if we would put the Cart to draw the Horses and not the Horses to draw the Cart My Answer is Natural and Divine Reason would judge the contrary were it not preposterous that Servants should judge and chuse their Masters but Masters that are to have their service and provide them their maintenance should be judged unmeet to question or judge their ability Is not the House-holder more honourable than his Household-Servants and the House before the Household-Servants Even so in the Church of Christ Must Preachers and Ministers be the Churches as well as Christ's Servants and shall not the Church be concluded honourable and wise enough to judge of the ability of her own Servants Only they must judge whether the Church or Congregation is fit for their Profit or Honour God forbid Must the Church maintain them yet not call them to their work and be allowed to judge of them Yea the Church must try their Ministers and yet shall they not be equal or superior to them proved 1 John 4.1 Secondly This is not erroneous but most constaint and agreeable to Scripture and then it matters not what it is contrary to or who calls it Error But that this is agreeable to Scripture take Acts the first into consideration where Peter standing up in the midst of one hundred and twenty Disciples sayes Of these men that have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us must one be chosen or ordained to be a witness with us of his Resurrection and they meaning the hundred and twenty not the eleven appointed two Josephus called Barsabas who was sirnamed Justus and Matthias vers 15 21 22 23. with chap. 18. from 24 to 28. Truth it is this way of trying and sending forth and judging of the Preacher's Gifts and fitness for Gospel-Preaching is an erring from the Canon of the romish-Romish-Church and their Book of Ordination of Priests and Deacons but is no erring from the Canâ—on of the New Testament as hath been cleared And Thirdly Whereas they say this Doctrine is dangerous give me leave to say thereto Truth is not endangered by tryal or good commodity by being searched into The wiser and more Spiritual Preachers are the less danger of their corrupting the Scriptures or ensnaring the people If the Objectors intend the danger lies in this That the ignorant
Paul's work made to cut off occasion from them that sought occasion when he is to preach Justification by Faith only without the Works of the Law How did the Jewish Teachers oppose him Acts 21.27 28 29 30. When he teaches the Doctrine of Free-Grace for the worst of sinners notwithstanding the greatest of sins is he not slandered as if he taught liberty to sin Rom. 3.8 If he teach the cessation of the Law as to life How is his preaching opposed and slandred 1 Tim. 1.6 7. So when he preaches down legal Ceremonies as Circumcision and Mears Drinks Holy-dayes New-Moons and Sabbaths What labour is Paul forced to use to defend this Doctrine against those Philosophers and Deceivers Gal. 6.11 12 13. with Col. 2.8 16 17. downwards to the close of that Chapter Again when the Apostles preach the Kingly Power of the Lord Jesus Christ in his own Kingdom and Church how are they opposed Acts 3. with Chap. 17. Now the silencing answering and preventing the designs of Satan and his Instruments slandering and opposing the Truth makes the Preachers of the Gospel much labour to seek out how to defend and establish the truth of the Gospel But lastly Preachers work is made laborious and hard by the subtilty evasions glosses excuses colours and pretences which poor sinners strive to hide themselves under and to evade the power of the Word brought against them This makes the Preacher's labour very hard so to Preach that every Soul may be brought under the power of it and every mouth may be stopped By the doing of this Work also by preaching among Saints how much opposition do the Preachers of the Gospel procure by it as is clear 1 Cor. 4.14 to the end of the Chapter so in 2 Cor. 12 and 13 Chapters By all which it will appear that the Preacher had need yea great need to seek and search out Arguments to support incourage and uphold himself in the doing of his duty and to deliver the Gospel from being perverted and made of no use by the many designs and devices of Enemies and Friends Thus much for the clearing of the Point to wit That every wise Gospel-preacher's Work is not easie but very hard to seek after the attainment and comprehension of understanding requisite to be found in every Minister of the Lord Jesus Now by way of Application First If it be thus it informs us and instructs us in two Particulars The first Vse is of Instruction First How ignorant and mistaken such mens thoughts and principles are as report and imagine that Preaching is easie work and the Preacher's Life is an idle Life or Calling It appears to me as these never had the honour to be called to this Work so these little know what Gospel-preaching is but like Peter's natural bruit-beasts Speak evil of things and persons they know not 2 Pet. 2.12 Surely these never read or never considered what Paul found Preaching to be that thus speak contemptuously and foolishly of it 2 Cor. 6.3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. Can that be slight easie idle Work which is Night and Day-Work which is Soul and Body-Work that must be done faithfully wisely in season and out of season Sure the ignorance pride and unbelief of such is very great I shall say no more to such deceived Souls but only this Consider what hath been upon this Doctrine offered and read the Rules and Directions Paul gives to Timothy about Preaching and then tell me whether it be an easie much less an idle trifling imployment yea or no The second Vse is of Instruction But secondly If Preaching be such an hard Work or Task and Labour to perform it wisely and spiritually Then this acquaints us what unwise and idle sinful Preachers such are as pretend to Preaching yet take no pains in the performance of this Work but trifle and idle in this weighty honourable Imployment Such may do well to bethink themselves it is required of Stewards that they be faithful and remember what God hath said He will not hold such guiltless as take his Name in vain Let such idle careless Shepherds as pretend to be Gospel-Preachers wise and honourable Preachers view that word Ezek. 34. with Zech. 11.17 Wo to the idol Shepherd that leaves the Flock the Sword shall be upon his Arm and upon his right Eye his Arm shall be clean dryed up and his right Eye shall be utterly darkned Such worthless Preachers are like the evil Spies we read of Numb 13.32 which brought up an evil report upon the good Land of Promise so these bring up an evil report upon the good Word and Ordinance of God the preaching of the Gospel by their light idle careless carnal and unprofitable preaching of the Word because they seek not out nor search after the setting of Parables or Gospel Mysteries aright neither take pains to consider what the Peoples wants are to supply them nor what the Peoples ignorance or error is to avoid it and deliver the preaching of the Gospel from their mistakings pervertings or avoiding by Armour on the right hand and on the left leaving the People under such generalities as that they can deceive and flatter themselves that their condition is good and the Promises belong to them though they are in the Gall of Bitterness and the Bond of Iniquity a form of Godliness without the power of it not making it their business to take away the Cloaks and Shifts Pleas and Excuses Pretences and Fig-leaves under which poor sinners shelter and hide themselves from the force of their Preaching and the wrath of God although they walk on in the stubbornness of their hearts and add drunkenness to thirst and cry God will spare Deut. 29.19 I say no more to these dumb idle Shepherds or Preachers of our day that by thus doing cause their or rather Christ's good Commodity to be evil spoken of But O that they would remember that saying of the Lord to their Brethren the Sons of Eli 1 Sam. 2.22 29 30. I say Remember those that honour God shall be honoured of him but they that despise him shall be lightly esteemed of him And wo to that Preacher that God esteems lightly of I shall say no more to these who-ever they be Prelates or Pesants Doctors or Dunces Batchelors or Novices in Divinity for the pure preaching of the Gospel who like unwise and foolish Shepherds and Preachers lightly or flightly preach onely hear and consider that Scripture Mal. 1.6 Wo unto you O Priests that despise my Name and ye say Wherein have we despised thy Name Yea offer polluted Bread upon my Altar and ye say Wherein have we polluted it In that ye say The Table of the Lord is contemptible And if ye offer the blind for Sacrifice Is it not evil And if ye offer the lame and the sick Is it not evil But cursed be the Deceiver that hath in his Flock a Male and voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt
no! mark the close of these Neglecters work When the King heard hereof he was wroth and he sent forth his Armies and destroyed those Murderers and burnt up their City Mat. 22.7 And therefore remember If the Gospel be hid it is only hid this day to such as perish 2 Cor. 4.3 Fifth Use of Reproof But lastly and mostly This Doctrine reproves all such how great Hearers soever as are at highest but Hearers not Doers of that they hear Though it is good to hear yet 't is not good to hear and not to practise it is bad not to hear but is worse not to practise That Servant must be beaten with many stripes that knows his Master's Will and doth it not Luk. 12.47 Not the knowers but the doers of the Word shall be blessed John 13.17 Oh! let such perverters of this so great and blessed an Ordinance as is the Preaching of the Gospel Consider God will one day come and call for an account of all the Sermons you have heard and see what Fruit you bring forth whether Fruit to Him or to your selves And then will he deal with unfruitful Vines barren Fig-trees and unpractical Hearers as with those we read of Isa 5.5 6. Hos 10.1 2 3. with Heb. 6.7 8. Oh! it is no small sin and shall have no small punishment to be an unpractical Hearer of the Word and perverter of this so great an Ordinance But this may suffice for that first Use to wit a Use of Reproof The second Vse is of Vindication The next Use of this Point shall be for Vindication or Justification of all such as are faithful painful diligent Preachers of the Gospel who because Preaching of the Word is God's Ordinance do Preach in season and out of season whoever forbids or sayes to the contrary saying as once Peter and John did Whether it be right is the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Acts 4.19 20. Where men have not sufficient power to command it can be no sin there not to be obedient So here these knew neither this Council nor any were from God intrusted with any such power as to forbid or hinder the Preaching of the Word therefore such Commands neither ought or need to be obeyed Even so at this day should the able Spiritual Preachers of the Word hold their peace because men even any sort of men forbid them or command them so to do the very Stones in the Street and the very Ashes of these Apostles might cry out against them and say in the words of the Text Whether it is right to obey God or Man judge ye Oh! it will one day be dreadful preferring Man's Commands before God's Commands when God shall visit for this holding the Truth in unrighteousness according to that expression Son of Man I have set thee a Watchman unto the House of Israel therefore hear the Word at my Mouth and give them warning from me When I say unto the wicked Thou shalt surely die and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to the wicked Oh! mark it Nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thy hand Ezek. 3.17 Oh! is not this a terrible word to all silenced Preachers this day that have learned to be silent at the word of a man and let the wicked go without warning from them forgetting what God saith Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a Man and the Son of Man that shall be made grass and forgettest the Lord thy Maker Isa 5.12 13. Therefore let such be this day cleared and acquitted as innocent and approved with the Lord as have not in such a day as this made the Commands of God of none effect through mens traditions but like Levi have said to their Father and Mother I have not seen him neither did he acknowledge his Brethren nor knew his own Children for they have observed thy Word and kept thy Covenant Deut. 33.8 Oh! when-ever you hear those Standard-bearers taxed who have not fainted nor feared in such a day as this but have humbly said Shall such a man as I flee Shall such a man as I whom Jesus Christ hath anointed and called to Preach the Gospel shall I be dumb and silent I will not I may not I dare not be silent Oh! vindicate these and when railed upon for faction folly and disobedience to Authority pride passion and the like Oh! then say as of old David in a like case said Is there not a cause 1 Sam. 17.29 And you Worthies of Israel be incouraged from the Word of the Lord Thou therefore gird up thy loyns and arise and speak unto them all that I command thee be not dismayed at their faces lest I confouâ— thee before them Jer. 1.17 So much for this Use The third Use is of Exhortation A third and last Use is for Exhortation First To Preachers who are intrusted with this great Ordinance and have this Word of Life in these earthen Vessels Be faithful in the improvement of this great Ordinance Secondly Let it speak before we part a parting word or two to you that are Hearers If thâ—preaching of the Word be God's holy and preciouâ— Ordinance then be exhorted both to hear and noâ— to despise him that speaketh on Earth nor neglect so great Salvation and also be exhorted to takâ— heed how you hear First Let the Preachers of the Gospel I mean Christ's Spiritual Preachers not Man's empty ordained Preachers who are crept into Ministry for a morsel of bread I say to you that are Christ's Witnesses and Preachers preach the Word be instant in season and out of season reprove exhorâ— with all long-suffering and gentleness because Preaching is God's Ordinance and such bright Lights were not intended to be lighted in vain it is our Lord 's own expression Mat. 5. Men do not light their Candles to put under a Bushel Then let not glorious Lights be lighted in vain but be diligent and laborious in this sin-condemning and Soul-saving Ordinance remembring what Paul faith 1 Cor. 4.2 Moreover it is required in aâ— Steward that he be found faithful it will one day be required Therefore in this day be faithful lest he that has given us Talents which we have not hearts and wisdom to improve do to our shame and loss recal them and take them from us and give them to him that hath improved Matth. 25.28 29 30. But because I shall have occasion to speak more to this hereafter in another Particular I shall say no more to this part or branch of this Use at this time but speak a few words to the second branch which is If Hearing be God's and not Man's Ordinance then be exhorted you that are or should be Hearers to take heed how you hear for God takes
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
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
ought to be honoured Preachers such are profitable Preachers therefore worthy to be honoured Preachers Therefore esteem highly them that are such I do not mean to provoke you only so to honour or esteem as to approve commend or encourage such in their Labours but especially honour these by submitting and subjecting your selves yea your Souls to their Doctrine by living and acting according to their teaching who teach according to the form of found Doctrine contained in the Scriptures Oh my dear Friends this is the greatest honour esteem and encouragement you can possibly bestow upon painful Preachers thus saith the Apostle John in 3 Epist 3 4. I rejoyced greatly when the Brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee even as thou walkedst in the truth I have no greater joy then to hear that my Children walk in truth or according to truth The like saith Paul in that forecited 1 Thess 2.19 20. For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoycing Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming For ye are our Glory and Joy But what was the reason of this exceeding Joy you have it declared in the first Chapter We give thanks to God alwayes for you all making mention of you in our prayers remembring without ceasing your work of faith and labour of love and patience of hope c. For our Gospel came not unto you in Word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake and ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the Word in much affliction with joy in the Holy Ghost So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia For from you sounded out the Word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place your Faith to Godward is spread abroad so that we need not to speak any thing This Beloved is the honour esteem encouragement and rejoycing wise and Spiritual Preachers most desire that you that hear them should be wise truly wise holy diligent fruitful Hearers There is nothing so much discourages grieves and dishonours wise Preachers as to find their Hearers unwise idle unthankful unfruitful and unholy this grieves them to the heart when they run in vain and labour in vain as you have his expression Phil. 2.16 Oh grieve not the Spirit of God nor the Spirit of your Preachers by quenching the Spirit and despising Prophesie as too many do If it be a sin to neglect Preaching and not to teach the people Knowledge as I have largely proved yea if it be not only a neglect but a most unconscionable neglect not to teach the people Knowledge Let me then tell proud carnal unbelieving negligent forgetful disobedient unfruitful Hearers 't is not only a sin but a complicated sin yea it is not infirmity but most unconscionable dealing with the Lord Jesus your painful Preachers and your own Souls Therefore look well to it for God will not bear it nor hold such sinners guiltless that thus take his Name in vain and turn his Grace into wantonness I beseech you think seriously of a Text or two 2 Chron. 36.15 16 17. And the Lord God of their Fathers sent to them by his Messengers rising up betimes and sending because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling-place But they mocked the Messengers of God and despised his Words and misused his Prophets until the Wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy Therefore he brought upon them the King of the Caldees who slew their young men with the Sword in the House of their Sanctuary and had no compassion upon young Man or Maiden old Man or him that stooped for Age he gave them all into his hand Oh mark how dreadful a sin it is to be a despiser or an opposer of Preachers you may read the hainousness of the sin in the dreadfulness of the judgment Take one place more 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. With all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved Oh mark it you that do or might if the fault be not your own enjoy good Preachers and pure Preaching and will not may and care not for it God will send you Preachers sad or bad enough that shall only deceive and delude you and for this very cause Even because saith the Apostle God will send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned that believed not through the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Oh think seriously of this you sinful proud unthankful forgetful or unfruitful Hearers God will not alwayes strive with you or wait upon you or continue the Preaching of the Gospel among you Therefore provoke not the Lord to jealousie by neglecting and perverting of his Ordinances But to close this Use let me give you two or three Directions how to answer this Use First Is this yet true acquaintance with the greatness and grossness of ignorance and especially of your own ignorance in particular Pride makes men think they see and despise the ignorance and simplicity of others but 't is ignorance and blindness that makes poor and proud Souls like their own ignorance Therefore if you would be found the Friends and Preservers of Knowledge learn to know your own ignorance in the things of Jesus Christ Yea consider how dishonourable and truly reproachful it is for a Professor or a Christian to be an ignorant person 't is as reproachful as for a Guide to be blind or a Ruler to be clad in Rags than which what is more dishonourable A Fool in Civil or Natural things is counted a dishonour to a Family and a burthensome Relation even such are foolish Christians or persons ignorant in the Mysteries and Knowledge of Jesus Christ Now that the most yea the best of Professors are too ignorant take two Texts 1 Cor. 13.9 For we know but in part and prophesie but in part therefore let none how wise soever think themselves wise enough but it is these thoughts keeps many Hearers from being wise Jer. 8.8 How do you say we are wise and the Law of the Lord is with us and we will come no more unto the Chap. 2.31 Therefore as the cure of this Disease in the first place remember what Paul writes for this purpose 1 Cor. 8.2 If any man thinks that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know Again Secondly Take this Direction if you would be a knowing people be found a doing people faithfully and humbly doing what you know of Jesus Christ This is the way to know more and much of Jesus Christ to be practical Christians Hos 6.3 Then shall we know that is we shall then know what we knew not before when or how