and in likelyhood with envy See the Cronicle of Paulus Meriam Doctour Fulck in his answere to the Rhemish Testament doth say that the Church of Leodium before this was under great persecution under Pope Pascus for affirming him Antichrist The Iesuite saith that one Cesarius writes that ihe doctrine of these Waldenses was spread in more then a thousand cities and that they had an army of 70000. that were destroyed by Simon of Momford with a small armie but there is no mention of an armie which they had in the Chronicles 1. Tim. 6.13 I give thee charge in the sight of God who quickneth all things and before Christ Iesus who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession c. HItherto the Apostle hath set downe unto vs a perfect patterne to teach all the servants of Christ how to walke in the house of God which is the Church of the living God in all the parts and portions of their spirituall function for the advancement of Gods glorie and for the edification of his saints and for the avoiding of all those things which might offend God in his worship either in Doctrine or Discipline he hath set vs downe and hath let vs see what sorts of men must have charge in Gods house and he hath warned vs of the errour that they must avoid in Doctrine and of the vanitie they must avoyd in their forme of speach and he hath likewise let vs see what forme of Discipline is to be used in Gods Church In this Chapter he comes to the conclusion of it all and first before he concludes it he first deales against servants who did abuse their Christian libertie as a pretext to the flesh refusing to obey their Masters some because their Masters were heathens and therefore they thought that a Christian made free by Iesus Christ should not be bound to serve them others because their Masters were Christians therefore they thought it equall that one Christian should not be bound to be a servant to another the Apostle answeres both these in the beginning of this Chapter and after returnes back againe and gives warning to Timothy and in his person to all Pastors what should be done that they should teach and exhort the Church this should be the substance of their Doctrine which in this epistle is conteined and to moove him to this he sets downe an argument from the miserable estate of those which keep not this commandement of the Apostle for if any man teach otherwise and consenteth not to this wholsome Doctrine which is according unto godlinesse he is proud not knowing aright and he lets vs see the vaine ground of this their vanity as first they are men of corrupt minds the second is they are destitute of the trueth the 3. is this they suppose gaine is godlinesse and the Apostle doth manifest that this shewes it to be the plaine contrary and that godlinesse is great gaine and this he shewes by a strong argument in the verses following and he labours to draw all Pastors from this vice of coveteousnesse and he teacheth them how they should exercise themselves continually he setting downe a perfect patterne for all Pastors and Teachers to practice they must follow after godlinesse faith love meeknesse and this is the first Secondly they must fight the good fight of faith and the last is the end and intent that they may lay hold on eternall life and he subjoynes 2. reasons why Timothie should do so as first because he was called thereunto of God secondly because he had professed a good profession before many witnesses therefore it should be a shame for him to faint and not to goe forward and continue Now the Apostle concludeth with a most weightie Charge to Timothy and in his person unto all Pastors and Teachers unto the end of the world and this Charge is continued in 4 verses from the 13 verse unto the 17. and the substance of the charge stands in two things the first is in keeping of this commandement without spot unrebukeably and the second is the constant keeping of it The first part concernes the matter he is to looke unto The 2 is concerning the time how long they must keepe this and both parts have their grounds and reasons in them First wee will speake of them as they are generally set downe unto vs in the first 2 verses wherein we have first to marke the matter of the charge the word charg is the sāe word which the Apostle useth before in this epistle the first chapter wherin he saith that the end of the cōmandement is love out of a pure heart where the word here called a cōmandement is the same here used for charge so that this is not an exhortation or request but it is a straight and severe commandement secondly this commandement is strengthened by a double authoritie the authority of God and of Christ first I charge thee before God and secondly before the Lord Iesus Christ thirdly this authority is yet more strengthened and greater weyght is added to it not simply by laying God or Christ before them but by laying God before him and Christ before him ech of them in the particular consideration of them which is this that hee doth quicken all things the particular consideration of Christ in this that hee witnessed and confessed a good confession before Pontius Pilate of these I will briefly speake before I come to the commandement it selfe which is set downe in the next words to keepe this commandement without spot or blamelesse till Christs appearing againe First cōcerning the charge but before we come to enter into the particulars of it It may be demaunded what should move the Apostle to ad this heavy charge to his former precept especially to Timothie whom hee so much commended that be found no man like minded unto him what is the reason hee knowing him to be such a man yet he gives a severe charge unto Timothie and in his person to all Pastores and Teachers the reason I take to be twofold First that men might not dally with this doctrine as though it might be alterable by his Church or changed at the appointment of Princes therefore hee will have them to know this is not so but it is of divine authority which none dare to change as hee will answere unto God and to Christ in whose name he chargeth him that so neither Timothy nor any other potentate should thinke these precepts to be the precepts of men or such as his Church might alter at their discretion but this charge is given us to this end to force us all and most chiefly Pastours to observe it as we will answere it before God at his most dreadfull judgment therefore no command of Princes nor the feare of the losse of our lives might cause us to violate this trueth The second reason why the Apostle gives this weightie charge unto Timothy who was so rare a man of whose stedfastnes
keepe this Commandement without spot Secondly hee will let us understand by this charge what difficultie Pastours shall have to continue faithfull in Gods house for they have allwais need perpetually to have this Charge laid before them and sounding in their eares that the terrours of it may keepe them in their Compasse that they may practice this duetie which the Apostle hath charged them withall because whatsoever Sathan or this wicked world can do to make Pastours to pervert the waies of God and to walke in Gods howse otherwise then God hath Commanded hee knowes that if the shepheard be smittem the flock will be stattered that the corrupting of the Pastour will corrupt the flocke therefore mainly doth hee set himselfe against them that are Pastours if hee cannot quench the gospell yet that he may pervert the gospell that it may not yeald wholsome food of salvation to Gods people First in the charge we are to marke the manner of propounding of it it is commanded that a denunciation given with authority it is not a request or an exhortation but it is a straite injunction binding the soule and conscience to necessarie obedience Secondly wee declared unto you by what authority hee commands this law he doth it not by his owne but hee chargeth him before God that quickneth all things and in the sight of Christ the Lord hee laies the authority of God of Christ before him wherefore he did this we have allready shewed you and why that Christ is ioyned with God in this Charge because wee are to set before our eyes our Iudge and our advocate in this Charge God is the judge of the world and hee will judge the world by Christ Iesus the man so that although wee be guiltie of sinne in the sight of God and that God for the same may justly damne us yet there is hope of mercy in the mediation of Christ who hath given himselfe to death for us but in the transgression of this precept the Spirit will have Pastours to know that they are not to looke unto Christ as a mediatour but to God as a judge both God and Christ shall be against him that neglecteth this precept Yea all faithlesse Pastours shall find so farre as they neglect Gods service so farre Gods wrath shall be kindled against them We began to speake of the properties which are by the Apostle added to God and Christ to make this attestation of greater force and you heard that hee sets downe God by this that hee quickneth all things and the reason why above all the properties of God he chooseth this one fact of God in the secōd place as being of greatest weight to inforce this exhortation for the greatest weight or force or feare that wee can be in is of our lives this is the greatest feare that man can put in our hearts namely to take away our liues from us now that which armes us against this is the knowledge of God that hee hath all mens lives at his disposing and that hee both gives life and takes it away at his pleasure and can restore us to life when our lives are taken away from us so that wee need not to be afraid of any creature since we know this authority of taking away our lives is onely in his hands so as none can take them away without his permission and when they take it away God can restore it againe there is no feare of the losse of life that should make a faithfull Pastour to pervert the waies of God Now wee are to speake of the particulers that are here ascribed to Christ which in order followeth next to be handled and concerning him the Apostle ads this who witnessed a good confession before Pontius Pilate There are many things that may be said of God to make the conscience to tremble before him besides this that is here set downe that hee quickneth all things so there may be many things said of Christ besides this that hee witnessed a good confession under Pontius Pilate onely the Apostle chooseth this above all the rest to set forth our obedience to this charge the reason hee gives because the cheife thing that causeth teacheth us or Pastours to walke uprighly is the example of the Prince of Pastours Christ Iesus who is the Lord and head of all Pastours and hee that makes us Pastours as the Apostle shewes us that hee is ascended up on high and gave some to be Apostles some Prophets some Pastours and Teachers hee is the Prince of our calling and the Pastour of all Pastours to teach them how to discharge the duty of their calling therefore the Apostle sets Christ for the patterne which he did in the time of the greatest danger that ever he was in the very day that he was condemned to die even before a heathen judge to teach us by his patience what wee should do that are Pastours though wee be in danger of our lives Nay though wee know that our adversaries have power given them of God to take away our lives from us yet we should do like him that is our Prince which hath laid downe this foundation before us he having witnessed a good confession in the presence of Pontius Pilate and no terrour of the judge nor cruelty of the adversary nor feare of death made him afraid to confesse Gods trueth this example should wee set before our eyes all waies And this being the generall it should teach us this lesson that Pastours that would know how to walke faithfully in Gods howse must not be ignorant of the conversation of Christ the Lord but they must looke upon his boldnes perseverance faithfullnesse to the end make him to be the onely patterne of their owne carriage in Gods howse it is not enough for a Pastour to looke how this or that man behaves himselfe but hee shall answere in the day of account according as hee hath followed Christ who is the onely rule of our behaviour according unto which his damnation shal rest be just the Apostles them selves never durst presume to teach men to follow them absolutely but they bad the saints to follow them as they followed Christ for Christ is the pattern of all righteousnesse true Christianity according to whose footsteps wee must walke if ever we thinke to raigne with Christ in glory this is the patterne which the Apostle Peter tells us that Christ also suffered the just for the vniust leaving us an example that we should follow his footsteps what hee did in the worke of his ministrie in his life conversatiō was dō to teach us how we shold walke either as Christians in generall or as dispencers of the misteries of God and this is the reason why Christ is set in the scriptures before the Church of God that they might perpetually have their eye upon him who is the author and finisher of their faith so as that hee did endure
the crosse despite the shame for the glorie that was set before him so must we endure all the afflictions that the world can lay upon us and we must stand stedfast to Gods trueth or else we may justly doubt whether ever God will save us or no so that Pastours must looke upon Christ learne of him meekenes and lowlinesse of heart piety and the true service of God This being the generall wee will come more particularly to this that the Apostle here sets downe especially in confession he sets downe Christes confession there are two things upon which depends our salvation the first is the inward action of the heart the second is the outward action of the mouth with the heart man beleeveth to righteousnes with the mouth he confesseth to salvation Now the Apostle having to do with Pastours not so much in regard of the inward disposition of their hearts as of their outward patterne therefore he speakes not a word of the inward disposition of the heart but of outward faithfullnesse and this is that which principally we are to looke into namely how Christ professed confessed witnessed this his confession for these two are to be distinguished there is confession which is the matter there is witnessing that is the fact so that we are to cōsider his confession the witnessing of it the place where that it was even under Pont. Pilate or before him so much the rather are wee to take this to heart because wee have a sad saying which Christ sets downe not onely to Pastours but to all Christians where he saieth that he◠which is ashamed of mee before men denies mee before men of him will I be ashamed before my father deny him but hee that confesseth mee before men him will I confesse before my father in heaven it is therefore a dangerous thing to erre in this seeing so heavy a sentence is given of them which confesse him not this is the point which wee are to looke unto it is not enough for Christians to glory as many foolishly do to wit of their faith that they do beleeve and yet in the meane time although they professe God in word yet they deny him in deeds as Paule saith to Titus Now God will not have this but he will have as man beleeves with the heart so he should confesse the truth with his mouth if ever he thinke to be saved the Apostles were not ashamed no not in the very sight of the scribes Pharises when they were accused and forbidden to preach in Christs name they said plainely to them judge yee whether it be better to obey God or man the whole world could not silence them when God Commanded thē to speake he wil never hold his peace frō that which Christ had made him a witnesse unto Now all Pastours are Christs witnesses as Christ saieth hee hath chosen them to be witnesses to the gentiles of that which they had heard seene Pastours are the witnesses of Christ and are appointed to beare record of his trueth if they be silent in this the feare of death or life make thē to shutt their lipps from speaking of Gods truth this sentēce shall meet them in the day of judgment the prince of Pastours shall be their conviction that they have not walked as became them because they did not do as hee did so this confession is the thing that the Apostle laies before us because feare many times makes men dissemble with the trueth of God the feare of death many times makes men to pervert the trueth of God to keepe it close when God requires it should be spoken the sonne of God is an example to us who never did pervert the truth nor concealed it for if every Christian be bound to the Apostles commandement to give a reason of his faith to every one that shall aske it how much more is hee bound to this that hee that teacheth others should owne and maintaine this trueth as occasion is offerred this is therefore the trueth the dutie that especially wee must looke unto we must confesse the truth acknowledge the trueth com what can come wee must not be ashamed of it Secondly the Apostle saieth that Christ witnessed a good confession hee did not onely confesse the trueth but hee did likewise beare witnesse unto the trueth ratifying it by his testimony which is more he ratifyed it at his death and that is that the Apostle cheifly aimes at for that which Christ confessed before Pontius Pilate hee ratifyed it confirmed it by his death hee confessed himselfe to be the sonne of God and he ratifyed it by his death this is the maine cause why in Matthew Luke that they said unto him wee have found him perverting the Nation saying he is a King and this is the Question that Pontius Pilate mooved unto him when hee said art thou the King of the Iewes and Christ said unto him thou hast said it this is that confessiō which the Apost aimes at it is set downe fully in the 18. of Iohn where fore to the intent that wee may the better know the meaning of the place let us consider the words there sett downe at the 33 verse then Pilate entred into the judgmēt hall againe called Jesus and said unto him art thou the King of the jewes Iesus answered him saiest thou this thing of thy selfe or did others tell it thee of mee Pilate answered am I a jewe thine owne Nation the cheife preists have delivered thee unto mee what hast thou done Iesus answered him my Kingdome is not of this world if my Kingdome were of this world then would my servāts sight that I should not be delivered to the jewes but now is not my Kingdome from hence Pilate therefore said unto him art thou a King then Iesus answered thou saiest that I am a King to this end was I borne for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse unto the trueth every one that is of the trueth heareth my words and this is the confession which Iesus witnessed before Pontius Pilate First wee will consider the substance and matter of it secondly wee will consider the circumstances of it to wit the time and condition which Christ was in when hee made this confession the confession which hee witnessed hath these parts first that hee was a King secondly that his Kingdome was not of this world thirdly that hee was borne and came into the world to this end to beare witnesse vnto the truth and fourthly every one of the trueth did heare his voice these are the fower parts of his confession it is not therefore without great cause that the spirit of God chargeth Pastours in the name of Christ before him that witnessed this good confession before Pontius Pilate for it serves not onely for example but likewise for great instruction
the spirit upon all flesh it shewes the great aboundance of grace that Christ should give his elect hee being glorified being made the head of the Church and was possessed with all power to give grace so this worke of his Kingdome is that which wee must take to heart as being the ground of our comfort to wit that the King of Saints as hee is called in the Revelation hee is with us hee it is that fighteth our battells against the dragon and the whore his might and power onely prevailes and the scripture telleth us that if wee will fight valiantly Christ shall tread Sathan vnder our feet all our strength stands in his strength as the Apostle saieth hee was able to abound and to want and to do all things through Christ that strengthened him elsewhere hee saieth with what power hee laboureth to convert men vnto God by power from him which worketh mightily in him where he did acknowledge that all the power he had to doe any good in Gods howse was even in Christ the sonne of God alone therefore saith he it is not I but the grace of God that is in mee seing then that all the vertue of a Preacher and strenght of a Christian and all the vertue of Christs mediation suffering depends upon Christs Kingdome and power how much the more should we consider this with ioy as the Cheife ground of our consolation in all dangers to vvit that Christ the Lord hath all povver given him in heaven and in earth to give eternall life to those that the Father hath given vnto him as hee saieth of himselfe the end of Gods giving such great povver vnto Christ is that hee may bring his Children vnto glorie therefore is hee called the Prince of our salvation and he saieth Christ being to bring many to glory to consecrate the Prince of their salvation vvell then this point being of such high moment it is not vvithout cause that the Apostle in this case calleth this confession of Christ a good confession which is nothing but his professing himselfe to be King And the reason of it may likewise be this because Christs propheticall and Priestly office are in two respects more easily imbraced then his kingly office first in what respect they are more manifested and more sensible and more easie to be seene of the world then his Kingly power for hee was seene to teach on earth and hee taught with authoritie and not as the scribes and Pharises did and hee performed his Priestly office in the sight of all the world the world heard him preach and the world saw him die these are not things of much secrecie as this is to wit this man so base on earth that now they should see him Crowned with honour and glory there is great difference betweene the glory of his messengers here and the glory of the servants or messengers of earthly kings for the one is wholly earthly the other is wholly spirituall and heavenly so that so farre as heaven differs from earth so farre differs Christs Kingdome from the Kingdoms of the earth his Kingdome stands not in fleshly pompe but it stands wholly in the spirit and power of it So this brings us to the second point of his confession to wit that his Kingdome was not of this world the Iewes would have made Christ a King but hee refused as hee was a King so hee was constant to avouch the matter of his kingdome to be spirituall and not carnall why should we that are his ministers make his glorie and his kingdome a worldly kingdome Doe we not thereby falsify Gods trueth seeing our master refused all carnall and wordly authoritie but onely the power of the spirit why should we seeke after a carnall glory and pompe when the glory of the sonne of God and his kingdome is not of this world Certainly the lesse we are in the world and the lesse we are like to men in worldly honour the more like we are to the sonne of God if we be cloathed with grace with Sanctification and the trueth of God dwell in us plentifully this should be our honour and thus we see how we are bound to place the kingdome of Christ in this wherein it stands certainely all earthly power is so farre from appertaining to the kingdome of Christ as that those that seeke it walke not with an even foote in the ministrie neither doth he the part of a faithfull Minister the Apostle hath a strange saying and yet a true one if our gospell be hid it is hid in them that perish vvhom the God of this world hath blinded for we preach not our selves but Christ Iesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Christs sake and that the excellencie of the power may be of God and of Christ that all the world may see that the power of our Ministrie is not from our selves that we should force your consciences to submit vnto the sonne of God for our Ministrie is wholly spirituall as the Apostle tels us that all the weapons of our warfare are from God in heaven they are not carnall but mightie through God it is God that makes the gospell powerfull and that makes the labours of mortall men powerfull to subdue men to obedience Thus to be briefe the second point of Christs confession is to disclame his kingdome from being a worldly kingdome therefore vve should Disclame all worldly pompe and not compare Christ to any worldly pettie king for it is wholy spirituall as the Lord saith to his peoples to comfort them against the Egyptians hee saith the Egyptians are flesh and not spirit as if hee would say they are but flesh and therefore they can doe nothing against the spirit The 3. point of his confession was this that hee came into the world and was borne to this end to beare witnesse of the trueth wherefore this is to teach Pastoures to follow his footesteps and to know what is our calling wherefore the Lord hath sent us into this world which was to beare witnesse of the trueth God hath not sent us into this world to beare witnesse vnto a lye nor to justifie any falshood but to maintaine the trueth vntill death as Christ avouched this to be his office and hee did accordingly so should we that are Pastours acknowledge this to be our office not to justify mens lies but to beare witnesse and record to Gods trueth so we see this affords great instruction for us to shew us wherein our felicitie stands especially in witnessing him to be our King and his Kingdome not to be of this world thus the penitent theefe did beleeve that hee was a King and that his Kingdome was not of this world therefore he besought him to remember him when hee came in his Kingdome and that we are sent of God to beare witnesse vnto his truth and for this we are to lay downe our lives it is a wofull thing to
find falshood in him that witnesseth the trueth the Apostle Iohn hath a comfortable saying of himselfe in the end of his gospell these things are written that ye may beleeve these things we witnesse and these things we know are true O would to God Pastours would speake of nothing to Gods people but that they know to be Gods will and not to teach mens foolish fancies but Gods truth onely for that will make us free as Christ saieth in the 17. of Iohn if you abide in my word the trueth shall make you free so that our freedome in Gods sight proceeds from his trueth and he which teacheth falshood cannot keepe himselfe from bondage doe what he can The last point of this confession is this who so ever is of the trueth heares my voice this might have bin thought a very proud word of Christ at that time for hee tells Pilate to his face that he had no part in the trueth what meanes hee by the trueth certainly the word of God which is the immortall seed to beget men to be the sonnes of God this is that Christ calls the children of wisdome saying wisdome is justified of her children this then is the 4. part of Christs confession which he doth boldly witnesse even before the judge who had power to take his life from him even to tell him to his face that he had no part in the trueth because he harkened not to his voice thus you see the substance of Christs confession Let us now see if it concernes not us in every point that as being ministers to follow his example there are many things that we are to confesse but the substance of it is this which Christ confessed which we must keepe and observe to the losse of our lives where in stands the faithfullnesse of a Pastour according to the example of Christ when no feare to loose our lives will make us to conceale or to deny any part of Gods trueth but we will witnesse it freely faithfully And if this were amonge us at this day there would not be found such eorrupting of his truth in the howse of God as there now is there would not be such vaine Inventions of men in the howse of God as there is Pastours durst not deny his trueth as they do if they made conscience of this charge To be short I will ad one word more so end that is from the circumstance of the place where he did make this confession and that was under Pontius Pilate even when hee was arraigned and accused and the sentence of death was ready to be pronounced against him so as there was no escaping for him yet the feare of the Iudge never terrified him nor kept him from witnessing that hee was the sonne of God this is that the Apostle will have us to consider it is an easy matter for a Pastour that hath libertie as I have now to speake freely unto a people which have no power over my life but when a Pastour must answere for it before Kings is in danger of his life then to stād to it there is the triall of a faithfull Pastour a faithfull Pastour must do this although it were befor Pont. Pil. a faithfull Pastour must do this he must not shrink for the terrours of the flesh but we must openly beare witnesse to the trueth of God so the circumstance of the danger of the place where Christ did this is that wee are to lay before us how many are there of us that all though wee have preached the trueth of Christ Yet if it come to this that either we must change our minds or loose our livings how many are there that basely falsifie the trueth of God because they will not loose the favour of the King or of some great men yea they will rather falsifie the trueth of God for ever how many such are there to be found in this age that contrary to their knowledge conscience do beare witnesse to falshoode and lyes only to uphould them in their livings and in the favour of men Let these men thinke of that sentence the Apostle doeth speake of where he saith you have not resisted unto blood where the Apostle accounts it a base thing in a Christian that will deny the trueth when or before it come unto blood I say it were a happie thing if professours nay if Pastours would stand unto the trueth till it come unto blood that other allurements did not draw them from the trueth the contrary hereof doth declare how few faithfull Pastours God hath in his church and thus much for the circumstance of the place and of the danger that Christ was in when he made this good confession under Pontius Pilate Let us make use of all here we see that of all whatsoever is written or spoken in the gospell concerinng Christ the Pastour that above all we should lay this confession of Christ before our eyes for the carriage of Christ before Pontius Pilate is a lively patterne for all ministers to follow and it is set downe not onely to let us see the manner of our redemption but it is likewise to teach Pastours to know their duetie and to teach them how to walke in Gods house to maintaine his trueth when God shall call them to suffer the not consideration of this makes many Pastours and Christians carelesse of their duety because they looke not upon Christ for their patterne the Lord of his mercie give Pastours grace that they may follow him as in all things so in this constancie of maintaining his truth Amen vers 14. That thou keepe this commandemt without spot unrebukable untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ IN this comandement charge givē by the Apostle to Timothy we have heard already in what a waightie manner he imposeth this duety upon all that are Pastours teachers unto the worlds end It is a charge from the mouth of the Apostle and a charge in the sight of God of God considered in his omnipotency in that hee quickneth all things and it is before Iesus Christ to be considered of us as a patterne for us to follow in his witnessing a good confession before Pontius Pilate Now it followeth that wee should speak of those things wherewithall Pastours stand charged what the matter is which is of this high moment which the Apostle doth lay with such authoritye upon all Pastours teachers this is layd downe in this verse in these words that thou keepe this commandemēt without spott unrebukeable ūtill the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ this is the matter the keeping of this commandement and the keeping of it without spott unrekukeable and continuing this till Christ appeare againe Now to encourage all pastors and teachers in the performance of this duetye which must last til Christes appearing againe he setts us downe the assurance of his comming againe in the next verse to keepe us that
of God and wee have shewed the truth and if ye will not suffer yourselvs to obey this truth wee have taught you your bloud be upon your own heads for unto alterations wee will never consent and if God assist us while we breath I will yeald to doe no otherwise then is here commanded the ministers they must keep this and preserve this and not suffer it to be altered or changed for anie mans pleasure in the world the keeping of this is the maine part of the Pastours office as he will avoyd the wrath of God and of Christ at his appearing Now let us consider the manner how they must be kept and here wee may take notice of another misery in our time which is preaching is kept the Sacraments are kept the ministery is kept but whether these be kept without spot or rebuke judge ye first consider the meaning of the words there be manie which doe putt no difference between these two words but onely this that the first word spot signifies a lesser slip in the duty of the ministery and the second word unrebukable signifies greater offences in the duty of the ministery some reason there is for this distinction for there are some things as spotts which are not worthy to be reproved but that which is worthy reproofe is a palpable sinne but the true distinction of these words is this according to the new Testament there is a two fold thing to be observed by Pastours in the worke of the ministery the first is without spott which argues his inward sincerity in his judgment minde and understanding and unrebukeable is in respect of his outward practise before the world and these two words we may either referr to the person that is commanded these dutyes or to the commandement itself which they stand bound to keepe either to the commandement that hee keep it without spot or that he keep himself without reproofe both these stand with the truth of the Scriptures elsewhere we must keep the practise of this comandement without spott or rebuke and we must keep our selvs without rebuke that the word of God be not evill spokē of by our iniquityes and that we suffer nothing to be added or taken away from the blessed ordinaunces of God for every addition of man to Gods ordinaunce is a blott every device of man is a fleshly spott it pollutes and defiles the things that are holy and the teaching of them by profane pastours doth pollute the holy commandement of God yea to suffer them to be dispenced profanely in a profane manner or in an unlawfull forme contrary to the patrern which the Apostles have sett before us is miserable profanesse Besides as men should keep the word and ordinaunces of God pure and unpolluted in the sight of God so he must keep this charge himself in his own person in an unspotted manner and certainly this is principally to be referred to the persons for a man cannot spot himself but he must defile the worke hee hath in hand if hee deserve rebuke himself then hee brings rebuke therby upon his office It is a ministers going out of the waye and yealding to mens traditions which brings pollutions upon Gods ordinaunces If ministers would stand fast and not dispence otherwise then they are commaunded it is moste certaine Gods worship should never be so polluted there never came pollution into Gods house but it came in by those that had the charge of Gods house all the blotting of Gods ordinaunces came in by those that had the power to dispence them But marke in them two things are to be looked unto first they must be without spot secondly they must be without rebuke to be without spot I take it as before to be meant of an undefiled conscience judgment affections by yealding unto anie devices of men so that if he suffer his judgment to be defiled or his affections to be polluted or suffer anie evill thing to take place besides or contrary to this commandement hee is a polluted persō before God therefore he must keep himself unpolluted then his practise will be unpolluted for it is true as Christ tells us in the Gospell that out of the abundaunce of the heart the mouth speaketh so the hād practiseth out of an evill heart coms evill practises so that if a Pastour his heart be kept pure spotlesse he will embrace nothing but the trueth of God hee will suffer nothing to defile Gods ordinaunces but he will be sure to keep them pure unpolluted wheras on the contraty if the hearts of scismaticks heretiques were seen the hearts of all that corrupt Gods trueth if wee had spirituall eies we might discern the corrupters of the trueth of God there is no sound cleanesse in them who mainteine idle toyes and sett them down in place of solid substanciall truths of Gods worship in such mens hearts is nothing but a stinking idoll of corruption Secondly as a Pastour must not onely keepe himself pure within so must he not suffer his affections to he taynted without but that hee keepe them pure in his own integrity so that he keepe himself unrebukable and this will follow on the former for so long as he remains without spott so long the world cannot finde fault with his practise they may bark at his practise they may backbite him and say of him as they did of Christ that hee had a divell but in truth to lay ought to his charge they cannot for it is most certayne that a pure practise flowes from a pure hearte that there can be no just cause of reproach against him which keeps himself within the compasse of Gods truth we know how against Christ they hired witnesses to get matter to charge him with when in truth they could finde nothing against him yea the same Scribes and Pharises when they sent for the Apostles and caused them to be scourged yet they could finde nothing to lay to their charg to punish them because they did keep themselvs pure and kept this commaundement without spott so they were punished not for anie vice nay they themselvs were constrayned to confesse that they had nothing to taxe them with and that they had nothing to accuse Christ yet they said if we suffer this man to live the whole world will follow after him So at this day there be manie that punish Gods servāts not for anie fault they can finde in their ministrye but because their owne authority policy would be taken from them if they suffer Gods truth to be spoken plainly To goe forward we see ministers must doe nothing which may give just occasion to the world to blame them because he is charged before God that hee keep this commaundement without spott But why doth the Apostle this since as I have said hee must walke more holy then Christ if it were possible that they should not be evill spoken of and Christ tells his
Apostles that all shall speake evill of them for his sake and this Pastours must expect to finde of men not for that hee handles the Word of God deceitfully but because hee teacheth the truth in sincerity in the evidence of the spirit to the consciences of all men in the sight of God as the Apostle avoucheth concerning himself that hee had preached the truth in the evidence of the truth and in the spirit of God to their consciences so that if their consciences were examined before God they durst not but saye hee is faithfull therefore the Apostle saith if the Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost and shall perish so that the wicked themselvs as Peter tells us shal be compelled to justify them in the daie of their visitation they that rayle upon them now shal be forced to justify them these then bee the two things which the Spirit of God will have Pastours to looke unto that they keep this commaundement without spott or rebuke Out of this wee may see and discern what the estate of Gods church is this day there is no church under the sunne but is guilty of one of these two miseries the one is this that Pastours cannot be suffered to perform this or else that Pastours have suffered themselvs to be corrupted to doe the contrarie either their hands are shortened that they have no liberty that though they would never so faine practise Gods commaundements yet they cannot get liberty to doe it or if they have liberty to doe something yet not all things he may doe a part yet not the vhole truth of God this is one of the miseries which lyes upon the Church of God this daye I will not enter into judgment whether the faulte be in the Pastours or in the people but this I am sure if there were more courage in Pastours for Gods truth then there is it were well wee will leave them to answere for themselvs which are guiltye of it The second impiety is this that Pastours for the pleasure of men have corrupted the ordinaunces of God manie waies even in the reformed churches which they have taken frō the church of Rome see what corruptiō now there is in Gods house in manie places see if such be chosen for Bishops as the Apostle hath here described in this epistle come to the administration of the Sacraments and then unto the preachers of the word is anie thing more corrupted than they are is anie thing left of publique prayers and preaching or of administration of the Sacraments according to Gods appointment is that order of government practised among them as the Apostle hath here layd down for the churches practise Let them looke to this epistle and judge themselves according to the rules here sett down and doe not say because it is like the best church therfore it is the best church No if it be not according to this commaundement it is accursed I need not speake of this for it is too palpable and abhominable In manie churches there is all corrupted they will have mens inventions they are not content with Gods ordinaunces but they will have them to be mingled with human inventions or with the devises of that cursed church of Rome this is no small cause of Gods anger and of his fierce wrath to see this charge thus to be troden under foot by Pastours who have so little studied this portion of scripture they learn all things which others should practise and learn nothing which themselvs should practise and learne We all know this that a phisitian that studies naturall phisick for the good of mens bodies that it is a dangerous thing if he shall proffer anie phisick to the patient except those things that are of use and with such mixtures which are profitable for the sick because a little thing amisse may kill the patient and doe we thinke that there is such danger in naturall helps for the preserving of our naturall life and is there not much more daunger in corrupting of the spirituall medicine which should keep us in the life of God that it be-not extinguished what a wofull change is it to corrupt the word and Sacraments so that there is nothing but the very poysoning of the word and Sacraments it is nothing else but poysening the ordinaunces of God The Apostle letts us see this plainly that the force of saving grace is taken from Gods ordinaunces whē they are done otherwise thē he cōmanded In the 1 Cor 1. The Apostle sheweth the reason why he will not preach the Gospell in the intiseinge words of mans wisdom lest saith he I should make the crosse of Christ of none effect is it not a strange thing that the preaching of the word in the intiseing words of mans wisdom or eloquence should take away the force of Christ cruifyed from saving of our soules and yet the Apostle saith it doth so In the 1. Corinths 11.20 When ye come together therefore into one place this is not to eat the Lords body or Lords supper the abuse in eating the Lords supper made that it could not serve as Gods ordinance to comfort the conscience thus we may see the saving force of Gods ordinaunces are taken away when they are polluted by human authority and vain inventions To goe further you see how purely and without spot God will have his ordinaunces to be kept he will not have men to deale with them but that they must be kept intire and pure but how longe must they be so kept vntill the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ what an important charge may this seeme to bee unto Timothy This letts us see two things in the duty that God hath charged on all Pastours first that in this charge all Ministers are charged with it and that this is not a commaundement to Timothy onely in his time but for all that shall follow in the ministery unto the end of the world till Christe appeare again Secondly let us see another thing namely how this must be done every Minister must keepe it pure and pure he must deliver it into the hands of them which shall succeed him that is he must keep it sincere as the Apostle tells Timothy in his second Epistle deliver that thou hast received unto faithfull men that they may deliver it to others there must be a delivering of it from hand to hand as the Apostle taught Timothy so should he teach other Ministers that they should so preach and administer the sacraments as they might be examples unto them that should come after them to doe the like and this Timothy is said to doe this till Christs appearing when he doth it all his owne time Oh what a fearfull thing is it when Pastours are not carefull to leave the ordinaunces of God and of Christ and the purity of them to those that follow after them they know not what they must answere for who are examples of the contrary oh
from above First of all this letts us see that it is a vain thing to be astonished at the fury of Princes it is but miserable weaknes of men that know what God is certain it is if we serve God aright we would not be moved with the fear of anie man in the world Ye see when as Ieroboam would have apprehended the Prophet that God sent to threaten his judgments upō him for his idolatry when he stretched out his hand to apprehend him God so decred that his hand withered that when he had stretched it out he could not pull it in again This God that could make the hand of a King to wither when he did oppose the counsell of God what need anie man to feare whenas our Saviour and God is on our side We know what Saule did unto David he did use all his skill to destroy him but it was unpossible for him to do it because God who is the King of Kings was with David and God did shew his power against Saule in this when he put Sauls life into Davids hands but hee never put Davids life into Saules hands We knowe what enmity Ahab had against Elias the Prophet yet the Lord cōmaūds him to goe to him the Prophet answered the Lord that he sought his life but the Lord answered him saying goe be not afraid and the Prophet goes to him tells him that it was he that troubled Israell and the Lord restrained him that he could doe the Prophet no harme Infinite examples in the Scriptures wee have of this to let us see that he can hold Kings that they shall doe no more harm then God will suffer them to prove this truth of God that he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords To come yet to make more use of this why doth the Apostle lay this before us the use is partly for Kings and partly for us the first lesson for Kings is this that I touched before concerning Nabuchadnezar how God forced him to learn how to know God to be the King of Kings therfore let all Potentates learn to know that God hath rule over them and their Kingdoms and it is he that makes them Kings and serts them in their thrones and if they doe not this it is just with God to make them will they nill they to acknowledge this to their destruction for the saying of Isaie shal be accomplished which the Lord there speaks all knees shall bow to him and every mouth shall confesse him to bee the Lord for the Lord will not suffer himself long to be despised but in his own time hee will challenge his right in despite of the world it were a blessed thing if Kings would consider this that it is by God that they doe reigne observe what it is Christ shall doe in the last day the proper effect of this Kingdom shall be to put down all principallityes and powers and to give up his Kingdom to God that God may be all in all 1. Corin 15 then shall they see the trueth of this that he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords if Kings would consider this that the time shall come that the world shall not have a Kingdom nor King but God alone me thinks they would then reverence this God in greater measure then they doe but this sort of doctrine is harsh to Princes eares to think that there is a God above them or that there should be anie of whom they hould their scepter and yet they must know this or feele the truth of it by experience in Gods judgment The second use for Kings and Lords is this that the Apostle doth teach them to doe that which is right to all men that they oppresse no man because they have a King over them in heaven unto whom they must give an accompt of their doings This Argument the Apostle useth to Maisters in sundry places that they should doe that that is right to their servants knowing they have a maister in Heaven If superiours would but acknowledge this that they have a Lord over them that shall take a reckoning of them aswell as they take a reckoning with their inferiours surely it would make them to doe nothing but that which is right these are the uses that doe concern Kings and rulers Now there is great use of this likewise for ourselvs besides the incouragement it gives us not to be afraid of anie power in the world but it teacheth us this lesson not to resist power nor authority because there is no power nor authority but it is from God as the Apostle shewes Now since all authority is of God he that resists authority hee resisteth God but some object what if they be tyrants and merciles men and such as make no conscience to doe wrong I answere even as the Apostle doth to servants whom hee commands to be subject not onely to their good masters and such as are gentle but also to them which are froward so I say if thou wilt doe thy duty thou oughtest rather to suffer wrong and to suffer thyself to be oppressed rather then to lift up thyself against authority which thou art under for if this bond of subjection to Princes were loosed Kingdoms could not stand if every servant should stand against their master and every subject against his Prince when he is wronged no common wealth could stand it is true wee may use all lawfull means to eschew wrong and Magistrates may plead in Parliament with their Princes for they have also their authority from God wee ought to use all lawfull meanes to escape wrong but if there be no possibility of escaping wee must rather suffer them to wrong us for power and authority is to be reverenced as being of God and indeed God doth sometimes in justice give bad rulers to avenge himself for the sins of his people hee gave to Israel a King in his wrath and hee stirred up a wicked King in Israel to avenge himself upō the people for their idolatrie doe you not think but that the divell is Gods instrumēt against the wicked so is every wiked king th◠Lords scourge the rod of his justice to inflict upō his enimies when as good rulers are the blessings of God upon a people that are carefull to please him the Lord will make them nursing Fathers and Mothers unto his church and so God in his infinit wisedom makes Kings and Rulers to subjects as hee sees cause either to plague them or to preserve them this is the secret of Gods providence thus to order the World according as he sees they carry themselvs towards him we see that so long as Israel did not know God so long God gave them into their enimies hands and they had tyrants to rule over them but when they sought the Lord as they should and ought the Lord gave them gracious judges to deliver them out of the hands of their enimies and assoone as they fell from
God again God tooke those rulers from them again and made their enimies their Lords to let us see the truth of this that it is our sin against God which causeth him to send wicked tyrants over a people to repay them home according as they have dealt with him and it is his mercy to his owne that hee gives them good and gracious rulers Alwais it teacheth us this that reverence must be given to him which God hath sett in authority over us since they are set over us by God To come yet nearer to the point doth not God give power to the divell to be the prince of the ayre How could he prevaile as hee doth over the soules and bodies of men if God did not give him liberty looke to the history of Iob what could he doe against Iob nothing but by the permission of God so in the Gospell when there were two men possessed of the divell which met Christ in the way and hee dispossessed the divells when they were cast out they had not so much power as to possesse the swine till Christ gave them leave so doth God give power to the divell as we read in the Revelation where it is said that he setts up his viccar in the Church who shall exercise the power of the divell in the Church and yet all this is of God to punish the wickednes of the world and to avenge himself upon his enimies which have not the knowledge of God as they should and if God give such power to wicked men it is to make them his firebrands to plague the contemners of God and despisers of his word But to goe farther this is not onely a lesson to teach us not to be afraid of mens terrour and to reverence the whom God hath sett in authority over us but likewise it servs us for another lesson and that is this that Kings and Superiours we are to obey in the Lord no farther for they have a Lord over them who hath made them our Lords therefore I must obey them but in the Lord we must not obey the king against that king that made him a king for God is the king of kings and Lord of all Lords and therefore above all he is to bee obeyed though it should cost us our lives yet we must not obey princes to the prejudice of God it would be thought treason if a subject should harken to an inferiour Magistrate against his own king although the king had made him a Magistrate yet if I should hearken unto him in anie thing against my prince I were a traytor to any prince and is it so amongst men and shall not God have the like authority kings are but Gods subjects and inferiour Magistrates under him and is it not high treason to obey them against God So all obedience that is given unto princes under pretence of subjection to thē being cōtrary to Gods will is rebellion against God and thus much concerning the power of God that he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Now onely blessed we have heard already how that he is the onely potentate Now we shall see that none is so blessed as hee and blessednes can be expected from none but from him alone for who can make a man blessed that is not blessed in himself but God alone therefore it is vain to think to have an happy blessed estate from anie Princes under heaven except from God alone for onely he which hath blessednes without measure can bestow it but let us consider how the Apostle proves it by two things first because he onely hath immortality and secondly because he onely dwells in that light that no man can approach unto and from these two he concludes that he is blessed and he onely can give it He that hath life and an eternall life that is so glorious and a life which is light and is such as makes the glory of him that hath it incomprehensible certainly that must be unspeakable felicity and this is the first point of true felicity and this is the reason why all creatures are said to be subject to vanity because they are subject to death so that all things although they should have their hearts desire in the world yet they cannot be happy for when they dye their happines ceasseth therefore to be truely happy is first to be immortall which is not onely to be exempted from death but to be in such an estate where death cannot come and to have corruption swallowed up of life whē God shall be made glorious in them that beleeve this makes men truely happy therefore the saincts of God have both in the old and New Testament lamented the misery of man in this that his life is but threeskore and ten and it is quickly gone as a race that is runne so vain a thinge is man and if we had nothing els to humble us but this namely our corruption and mortality it were argument enough to know our base estate and farre from being happy in this world in that we are not exempted from death therefore it is that God makes the vanity of man who heaps up riches and cannot tell who shall injoy them as the rich glutton in the Gospell who said soule take thine ease thou hast goods layd up for manie yeares when Christ told him he had not a day to live then thou foole whose shall those goods be the scriptures mock at these vain desires so that be a man what he cā be in this world yet his mortallity makes him wretched and unhappy therfore in regard God is immortall therefore he is onely blessed But it may be objected are not the Angells immortall why then doe ye say God is onely said to have immortality I answer that none have immortality properly but God alone for true immortality requireth true eternity that is to say it is without begining as well as without ending and none is so but God alone therefore none truly is immortall but God alone though notwithstanding God hath made the Angells immortall and the soules of men immortall that is for durance onely and yet indurance simply doth not make immortallity for though the divells indure for ever yet it is not to live for ever A thing may be said to be immortall that is to live for ever and yet not free from Gods wrath as experience shall prove in wicked men and evill Angells and reprobate men but to speake of the blessed Angells and the soules of the elect to speake truely as the matter is the immortality of Angells and of men it is not in the soules themselvs nor in the Angells themselvs what then even from God alone as it is said Acts 17. That in him we live move and have our being and if God should but withdraw his up-holding hand and power neither should the soules of men nor Angells be immortall so that it is not from themselvs but from
they please whereas the Lord of Lords hath commanded to keepe his ordinaunces pure and therefore it is a great arrogancy against God and his ordinaunces for men to lay any law upon Gods ministers how they should order Gods house nay happy were the church of God if Pastours were not thus led away that those which are appoynted over the church of God to direct it that they themselvs are led away by others by which means religion is come to ruine let them which usurpe this authority take example by Ahaz Vzziah the King who for usurping the Priests office and presuming to offer incense was strucken with Leprosy so remained all his dayes the other for presuming to make a more costly altar By this we may see how dangerous it is to meddle with the holy things of God without a calling which is set apart for those God hath ordained for that end we are said in the scriptures to be those that are set over you to rule you and admonish and instruct you and you are commanded to obey us why is this but to shew you that we are the men which God hath given the authority and power unto to order the affayres of his house in his worship To come more particularly to speake of this keeping of it Keeping is our duty wherefore then doth the Apostle use these words that thou keepe this commandement he knew Satan would steale it away if he could pervert the Pastours by the glittering shews of honours and earthly preferment and so Satan by men of corrupt mindes hath usurped this holy order against this all Gods Servants must stand couragiously and Pastours must keepe it and hould it fast A Pastour cannot be more unfaithfull in any thing then in this to suffer the power that God hath put into his hands to be taken from him in this he is as unfaithfull to God as he can be in any thing the Preists of ould were not ashamed to oppose themselves to Kings telling them plainely to their faces that it belonged not to them but unto the Priests to doe this and that so it becometh Ministers well to say to any Magistrate under heaven that the ordering of Gods house the affaires belonging to his true worship is not in them to prescribe any other manner then the Lord Iesus Christ hath by his Apostles prescribed It is the Magistrates duty to order the common wealth and the affayres of policy but for Magistrates to take this authority from Ministers which Christ hath given them and so to betray the Church of God and deprive them of their lawfull power which Christ hath committed into their hands is an high dishonour to God and a vyolating of this grand charge which the Apostle hath so straitly commanded That this superstitious Church of Rome and the Idolatrous tricks in these points of their Religion there is more duty observed then among Christians for among them none of their Magistrates meddle with the Ministers Authority but in humility they submit to the order of their lawes to them which are their teathers whereas none are so undutifull unto God as Christians are in the reformed Church for there the Magistrate usurpes the place of Pastours and this is the cause why that amongst the Magistrats that are at this day that God treads them and their authority under foote and gives them over unto so many Iudgments all because neither God nor his servants can have that respect or honour among Christians as the servants of Satan have amongst Infidels Let us marke it then we are commanded to keepe this precept and not to suffer it to be taken from his Church This keeping hath many parts Many ment hinke it well kept if they keepe it where it is written and this they both should and ought to doe that is they must see that the Word of God perish not but that it may remaine as a perpetuall lawe to binde the conscience of the saincts unto the worlds end but this is not enough honely to keep it in print in a booke but we must have it in possessiō as Iohn is commaunded in the Revelation having a little booke given him he is commaunded to eate it they must lay it up within them in their hearts so that the teachers of Gods Word should be well instructed in those doctrines which God hath charged him withall to keepe till the end of the world This is that which Christ requires himself of every Christian that they keep his word it is not enough to lay the Bible besides thee in the house that wil serve the turn but he will have thee to read in it and to meditate in it day and night and to keep it in thy minde as the Apostles of Chist are said to lay up Christs words in their hearts and God opened the heart of Lydia that she gave heed to the things that Paul spake This is the keeping of his commaundements whenas they doe not onely keep them in writings but in their hearts and have knowledge to doe them and he commands us by keeping them to practise them so all Pastours are bound to practise them contynually and to performe whatsoever precepts concerne their duty which the Apostle hath set down in this epistle if they look that God shall approve of them in the day of their great accompt And not this onely is to be meant by the Apostle but more also that we must not suffer this commaundement to be changed or altered or to perish or decay but we must bould it in perpetual use in the house of God and if it be fallen Pastours must rayse it up if it be corrupted Pastours must reform it if it be chaunged Pastours must bring it to the auncient institution as Paul did in Corinth where hee found the celebration of the Lords supper corrupted amongst them hee reduced it to the first institution by Christ to reform them to the right practise of that duty which they had corrupted so likewise in manie other churches where the truth of doctrine concerninge justification was corrupted the Apostle in his epistle to the Romans to the Ephesians Colossians Philippians Gallatians reforming the miserable abuses wherwith Gods worship was profaned in which he reformed the errors as doth appear in these epistles to inforce their wicked harts to bow to Gods ordinaunces for the preists lips shal preserve knowledge and they shal ask the law at his mouth But alas now adayes ministers must take the lawe from other mens mouths and they must doe nothing but as other men direct them wheras it is his part to instruct all by the law of God as wee have shewed what a strait charge God hath layd on his messengers which they must not be ignorant of hee must keep this commandement that it be not altered nor corrupted I tell you that these alterations will bringe the fierce wrath of God on us we protest before God we desire to walk in the trueth