swell against their reprehender innocent souls will be cheered and cleered by it Numb 5.21 22. Resolved offenders being reproved in stead of penitence break into choller fury sparkles in those eyes which should gush out with water and in stead of embracing the counsel will rage at the Counsellour Crossed wickednesse proves desperate and in stead of yeelding seeks for revenge of its own sins upon others uprightnesse whereas if anothers simple fidelity shews it self in reproving the honest-hearted he loves his Monitor so much the more by how much the more he smarteth allowing of truth as well when it hurts him as when it helps him But unsound flesh loves to be stroked the least roughnesse puts it into a rage a festered conscience will not endure a drawing plaster a putrid and scabbed limb delights to be scratcht and rubbed foule faces would have false glasses Diomedes must have a crooked shooe for his wry foot Caligula must be adored as a God forsooth though he live like a Devil poysoning his unckle and deflowring all his sisters Thorns must be touched with a gentle hand not grasped these ulcers must be no further searched into than the dead flesh reaches for if you but touch them to the quick you shall quickly hear of it and be sure to smart for it Sect. 3. But to bring this home to you of this place with whom my businesse lyes for hitherto I have but spoken in the air as the Apostle speaks or onely paved a way to my intended matter or at uttermost but given you a Preparative before hand as Physicians do to their Patients that their physick may work the more kindly your Pastour hath for many years preached in the Metropolitane City where they are more civilized and better bred without any clamour yea with much approbation for they enterteined him as Lot did those Angels that came to fetch him out of Sodom but you enterteine him as coursely as the Ammonites did Davids messengers Nor did the Devil ever so rage in this rude place as he hath done since his preaching hath awakened your consciences and by the looking-glasse of the Law and light of the Gospel shewen you the deformity filthiness of your souls A notable argument that Satan fears he shall be routed and his Kingdome more shaken in your quarters than hath fallen out in former times or by the preaching of any that have gone before him for he daily rages more and more amongst you As for instance at first he was opposed by a few simple Sectaries and that was no small honour to him as Hiram told Austin in the like case But now his preaching against drunkennes deceitfulnes swearing Sabbath-breaking ignorance formality and such other common sins hath brought all the parish about his ears not alone the wit-foundered Drunkard but the civil Justiciary the formal Hypocrite the ignorant Animal and all sorts of impenitent sinners And why But because the virtue and efficacie of Gods word which is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword to divide between the soul and spirit joynts and marrow as it is Heb. 4.12 hath discovered and made manifest to your selves and others the very secrets and most inward intents of your hearts Insomuch that your consciences are forced to bear witness against your selves that you are the parties to whom he speaks as if he named you or each of you in particular as you have an instance 1 Cor. 14.24 25. Heb. 4.12 whence your guilty consciences suggest that he aims at you in particular though he names none when indeed it is onely the prerogative and spirituallity of the Word above all other writings to discover the hearts and speak home to the consciences of all that hear it delivered with power and authority As for the Messenger the truth of his heart gives him boldness to profess before him who onely knows it that he strives against no man but his strife malignes no man but his malice envies no man but his envie as Hierome speaks Yea he could be more glad to see any mans even his greatest enemies amendment than his punishment This I say is the genuine reason why hundreds of you fret and chase and fume and swell and storm and rage and are ready to burst again when you hear him Your sins and deformities are so discovered and detected your presumptuous confidence of being Christians good enough and of your going to Heaven so questioned that your peace is disturbed and you will be revenged of some body It is observable that when our Saviour sent forth his Apostles to preach abroad in the world having first taught them the way his words to them were Behold I send you forth as sheep amongst wolves Matth. 10.16 Are not you these wolves not onely wolvish but meer wolves yes you are and will be until the Gospel shall have wrought a change in your hearts and natures Hebr. 10.16 Acts 15.9 and 20.29 Again Matth. 7.6 he sayes Cast not your pearls before swine lest they tread them under their feet and turning again all to reut you Are not you those unreasonable beasts and swine If not who are Yea you are more bruitish than a swine or any other unreasonable creature For whereas Christ by his Ministers would reconcile you to God as Joab did Absalom to David by the woman of Tekoah you cry they come to torment you before the time Matth. 8.29 Your case is just like his in the Gospel that called himself Legion who having been possest with Devils a long time was at length very loth to part with his guests yea he thought himself tormented when Christ came to cast out them and save him Mark 1.24 Luke 8.28 Sect. 4. Now what course do you take to be revenged of him For this makes you hate him above measure mis-construe his actions and intentions rail on him slander him curse him withstand and contrary his doctrine watch for his halting combine together and lay plots how you may do him the most mischief which is all you are able to do for else you would bring him before the Magistrate imprison smite wound and put him to death as the Jews served Christ as I could shew you from a world of testimonies and examples out of the Word See onely John 16.2 33. Matth. 24.9 Matth. 10.34 35 36. Luke 12.51 52 53. and 21.16 17 But our comfort is you have not so much authority as malice resembling the Serpent Porphyrus which abounds with poison but can hurt none for want of teeth Though your punishment shall be never the lesse for good and evil thoughts and desires in Gods account are good and evil works and shall so be judged in that Court of Justice where is no partiality But since you cannot do as you would you will do what you can as it fared with Zoilus that common slanderer or as it does with the Devil Revel 12.15 For if the Law binds your hands yet you will be smiting with your
THE PROOFE OF A Good Preacher The right Art of Hearing That good Counsel is seldom well taken That wilful Offenders are as witlesse as wicked With An Apologie for wholesome Truth how distasteful soever By J.F. LONDON Printed by William Leybourn 1661. Good Counsel seldome well taken WITH An Apologie for wholesome Truth be it never so untoothsome c. SECT I. PHilosophy teaches that admonitions and corrections are the chiefest offices of love That it is the onely true love which to profit and do good feareth not to hurt and offend That to connive at our friends faults is to make them our own That sharp reprehension is the healing of the soul and that love to the soul is the very soul of love Whence Euripides exhorts men to get such friends as would not spare to displease them Whence Scipio the Elder when his friends for so doing turned his enemies was able to say I have given my enemies as great cause to love me as my friends And indeed he that loves not such a friend hates himself And commonly he that will not tell us of our faults will be very ready to tell others of them whereas one that is faithful will speak of our faults to our face of our virtues behind our backs But see farther the sweet fruit of sharp reprehension Suppose one should be stung by a Bee when asleep whereby he is delivered from a Serpent which otherwise had stung him to death Hath he cause to complain And not to chide a friend lest we offend him is to let him drown rather than catch him by the hair Wherefore give me such a friend as Photion who when a friend of his would have cast himself away suffered him not saying I was made thy friend to this purpose All which is found Divinity neither wants it Scripture-seal to confirm it Not to admonish our brother is to hate him as the Holy Ghost witnesseth Levit. 19.17 But to scorn our brother should admonish us is more to hate our selves in that open rebuke is better than secret love And for that the very wounds of a lover are faithful and better than the kisses of an enemy Prov. 27.5 6. Yea experience teaches that no friend is so commodious in this case as an enemy because he tels us of that which otherwise we should never be so happy as to hear of Nevertheles resolved sinners scorn reproof Admonition to them is like goads to such as are mad already or like powring oyl down the chimney which may set the house on fire but never abate the heat which is not for want of ignorance for by refusing to hear in this case they become like Amaziah wilful murtherers of their own souls as wise Solomon affirms his words are He that refuseth admonition is bruitish and destroyeth his own soul Prov. 12.1 and 15.32 yea he goes further and sayes A man that hardeneth his neck when he is reproved shall suddenly be destroyed and cannot be cured Prov. 29.1 and 1.24 25 26. of which you have most remarkable and dreadful examples 1 Sam. 2.25 2 Chron. 25.16 20. Sect. 2. Neverthelesse how few are there so wise as to take admonition well For Reprove a scorner that is a fool and he will hate thee reprove a wise man and he will love thee Prov 9.8 To which we may add Prov. 22.3 A wise man foreseeth the evil that is the evil of Hell sayes Bernard and preventeth it but fools go on and are punished Now that these Bruits and Soul-destroyers may the better be known to themselves and others and the greatnesse of their folly and madnesse together with what a world of them there are amongst us for to be wise according to wise Solomons description is the portion but of a few as daily experience witnesseth I will paint them out in a small table or map and so expose them to view In the first place you shall know them by this mark A man no sooner tels them of a fault but it works in their brains as yeest in a barrel until they have requited their Admonisher with a mischief being like gunpowder to which you no sooner give fire but they fly in your face Admonition may move them to choller never to amendment Who when they have heard an untoothsom truth like waters after a tempest are full of working and swelling against their Admonisher We read that in the Law of jealousies if the suspected wife were guilty that drank of the bitter waters of trial she would presently swell if otherwise she was well enough And it is a sure signe the Horse is gauled that stirs too much when he is touched so when they swell against their Reprehender and hisse like Serpents if we trouble their nests never so little you may justly conclude them guilty persons For no greater signe of innocencie when we are accused than mildnesse as we see in Joseph Gen. 39.17.18 And Susannah Susan ver 42 43. And Hannah 1 Sam. 1.15 16. Neither is there a greater symptome of guiltinesse than our breaking into choller when we have any thing laid to our charge witnesse Cain Gen. 4.9 that Hebrew which strook his fellow Exod. 2.13 4. Saul 1 Sam. 20.32 33. Abner 2 Sam. 3.8 Jeroboam 1 Kin. 13.4 Ahab 1 Kin. 22.27 Amaziah 2 Chron. 25.16 Uzziah 2 Chron. 26.19 Herod the Tetrach Luke 3.19 20. The men of Nazareth Luke 4.28 29. The Pharisees John 8.47 48. The High Priests and Scribes Luke 20.19 20. And the like touching a mans wisdome and humility Plato being demanded how he knew a wise man answered When being rebuked he would not be angry and being praised he would not be proud And to this accords that of the wise man Prov 11.2 and 19 â—1 But for one that is so wise there is a thousand of those fools I am to decipher who with Balaam will grutch to be hindered in their way to Hell and fly upon those that oppose their perdition even such as think it better to fry everlastingly in a furnace of fire and brimstone in Hell-flames than to inherit a celestial and eternal Kingdome and weight of superabundant Glory in Heaven to enjoy a Paradise of pleasure where are such joyes as eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can ever enter into the heart of man to conceive 1 Cor. 2.9 This is most mens depth of brain and thus it fares with all wilful and impenitent sinners But how hath the Devil bewitcht them Is it possible that the reasonable soul of man not professedly barbarous should be capable of such a monster Certainly if I did not know the truth and probate of it by occular and experimental demonstration from day to day I could hardly bring my understanding to beleeve it But to make this further appear though I have small hope to prevail with the parties themselves for they that have no reason will hear none and he that learns of none but himself hath a fool for his Teacher Guilty sinners will
tongues and if the Law so keeps you in awe that you dare not smite him on the mouth as the High Priest did Paul Acts 23.2 Yet you will do what you dare you will smite him with the mouth as Ziba did honest Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 16.3 And the like touching his maintenance because you cannot out him of his living you will defraud and rob him of his means and livelihood and neither pay him a peny your selves nor suffer others so far as you can help it which is a plot to pluck up all religion by the roots For how should our Pastours feed our souls if we feed not their bodies How should the lamp burn if we take away the holy oyl that should maintein it and in case it burn not there will be but a dark house So that to expect that Ministers should preach without maintenance is as if you should shut a bird into a cage give her no meat and yet bid her sing Never the lesse it pleases you that you can as you think displease him and withall pleasure your selves in saving your silver little dreaming what you do for look but narrowly into it and you shall see that this is not onely persecution theft sacriledge murther of bodies and souls of provoking God to send a famine of his Word and the like but you become by it guilty of high treason against God in thus using his Ambassadour and against Christ and all his members as I have elswhere made manifest Though it is wicked enough for you to impeach his credit asperse his spotlesse name and take away his reputation that so none else may hear him or regard what he delivers which is a wickeder plot than your blind souls are able to discern Besides A good name sayes Salomon is better than a good ointment and to be chosen above great riches Prov. 22.1 Indeed his life is so well known that all the harm you do him is but as a candle to a white wall that may much black it among such Sensualists as your selves but cannot burn it though that be too much for a mans good name is like a milk white ball that exceedingly gathers soil even with tossing Nor can he expect to fare better so long as he tarries with you where Satan hath his throne in a place that mostly consists of Swearers Drunkards and Drink-sellers He hath by his powerful preaching raised the Devil in many of you but it will be hard laying him again yea once to expect it when God hath given men over to their own lusts were an effect of frenzie not of hope For can he with Crabronius be ever pudling in a wasps nest and think to escape their stings Or be still blowing in the dust and not endanger his eyes It is no way possible For he that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith He that reproveth a scorner purchaseth to himself shame and he that rebuketh the wicked getteth himself a blot Prov. 9.7 8. See Jer. 18. Though I speak not this to dis-hearten him whom God hath placed over you for Gods glory we are bound to redeem with our own lives And a conscionable Minister is like David who would venture upon a Bear rather than lose a Lamb. Or Jacob who would endure heat by day and frost by night rather than neglect his flocks Or Moses who would fight with odds rather than the Cattle should perish with thirst Onely a Balaam wants this mercie Nor can I wish him to spare you ever the more by delivering himself in a gentler tone as you like the men of Bengala would have onely words of down and honey have him speak nothing but pure roâ—es preach unto you Peace peace and prophesie of wine and strong drink then should he be a welcome Prophet to you But this were to fulfill the proverb Like Pastour like people Hos 4.9 Yea this were for the blind to lead the blind that both might fall iâ—to the ditch together Luke 6.39 Alas the fault lies nat in the Word nor in his delivering it but in the wickednesse of your hearts that are the hearers who like the Spider will suck poison from the self same flower that the Bee does honey Nor will any truth be it never so untoothsome offend any but ill minds Michah 2.7 Yea even the same words that are lansets to a bad mans conscience will be as balm to penitent sinners The Word being like some mighty wind that bears over tall Elms or Cedars with the same blast that it raiseth a stooping Reed Exod. 20.21 Sect. 5. Every good line of Gods Word adds sinew to the vertuous mind and withall heals that vice which would be springing in it The very judgements of God to a good man are sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb Psal 19.10 But alas the same report wherewith the spirit of Rahab melts hardens the King of Jericho Josh 2. Sergius Paulus was converted Elymas obdurated at the same Sermon Acts 13. Yea even the same face of the Judge without any inward alteration is seen with terrour to the guilty with joy and confidence by the oppressed innocent The same rod that brought plagues to the Egyptians brings deliverance to Israel But I dare refer the case to thine own conscience to determine if the custome of sin and the god of this world hath not totally blinded thee where the fault lies and who is to be blamed in this particular Is the Physician to be blamed for the pain of his Patient or the disease The Chirurgeon or the wound which he endeavors by all means to cure Yea what is the genuine reason why the worst men and members of a Parish evermore regard a good Minister least complain of his bitterness and seek by all means to remove him Is it not because they are feet and legs and thighs and arms out of joynt and so cannot endure the touch of the Chirurgeons hand the acrimony of his medicines Alas every good Physician hâ—d rather cure a disease by sleep and diet than by Scammony and Castorium but an intemperate sick man maketh a cruel Physician And in case the disease be desperate he must use the extremity of physick Nothing will ease the Pluresie but letting of bloud and to such as are sick of a dead Apoplexie they are forced to give a double quantity of physick or their faculties will not be awakened Which is the very case of these desperate sinners who if they wanted not brains would in stead of complaining be thankful The Physician and Chirurgion heals us not without pain and yet we reward them Yea had any of you but a leg or an arm putrefied and corrupt you would even give money and think your selves beholding too to have them cut off because it is the onely way and means to preserve the whole body And if so what love and thanks can be too much that is exprest to them who would would you give them leave pluck you out of Satans clutches
raise them out of their security saying Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead all are instantly about his ears Then the wit-foundered Drunkard cries out saying He subverts the state of the world and troubles our City then the covetous Oppressour is ready to tell the Prophet as the Sodomites Lot Away hence he is come alone as a stranger and shall he judge and rule then the whole Rabble furiously raging together against the Lord and against his Anointed conclude peremptorily that a peece of a pulpit half a Benefice is too much for such an unquiet spirit such a Fire slinger As let Paul but touch Demetrius his Copy-hold preach down his profit he and all of like occupation will rore out of measure Acts 19.28 Wherein they shew as great policie as did the Sodomites who made haste to turn out Lot and his family that fire and brimstone might make haste to destroy them A guilty conscience loves application as dearly as a dog loves a cudgel Sore eyes cannot endure the light of the Sun nor Bankrupts the sight of their counting-books nor deformed faces of the true glass A man were as good take an Elephant by the tooth or seek to rob a Bear of her whelps as go about to make them better For let a Minister charge them from God like rusty or ill-wroughâ— peeces they will recoyl in his face and like Serpents not onely be deaf to his charming but turn their tails to sting him Wherein they resemble the mad man that wounded his Physician while he was administring physick to him for his recovery They more seek for a rag to cover their sins than for a plaster to heal them as it fared with David while he slept in that foul sin of adultery 2 Sam. 11.5 6 c. Now if they are so startled and terrified at the Ministers telling them of one or a few sins what will they do when Satan and the Searcher of hearts shall lay open all the sins that ever they have committed spread them before them If it be so dreadful to hear of what they shall suffer if they repent not how terrible will it be to feel it The Law wasp-like stings shrewdly but Satan that Hornet will sting worse a great deal But if men will be warned by the former they may prevent the latter only these want that we commonly call reason therefore like children and cowards they rather shut their eyes and chuse to feel the blow than to see and endeavour to avoid it Owoful wretches that had rather be everlastingly damned for their sins hereafter than endure to hear of them now to their eternal comfort But I hope better things of some amongst so great a number Gods truth if you mark it would cry down mens sins as preaching would have done Demetrius his trade and therefore â—o marvel if the Trades-men of iniquity are up in arms against the Gospel as Demetrius was against Paul And did not the Gospel crosse their sins they would not crosse the Gospel but the waves do not beat or rore any where so much as at the bank that restrains them The Pharisees could not endure Jesus because he came to break their customes Luke 6.2 The Masters of the Pythonesse Acts 16.21 objected this against Paul and Silas that they did teach contrary to their customes For this cause was that uprore at Ephesus Acts 19.26 to 31. Paul had never become their enemy but for telling them the truth dealing so plainly and roundly with them And why did more than forty of the Jews bind themselves with a curse neither to eat nor drink till they had killed him Acts 23. not for the evils they found in him but for the vices he reproved in them By all which it appears that obstinate sinners are as witlesse as wicked and that they would if they durst deal with their faithful Pastours as the Jews did by Stephen who in their blind zeal were so furious and merciless that they put him to death for shewing them the way to eternal life and stoned him for a Blasphemer against God and his Law who was a man full of faith and power and of the Holy Ghost Acts 7.55 c. It hath ever been the manner of wickedness to be head-strong in the pursuit of its own courses impatient of opposition cruel in revenge of the opposers The great spite and spleen therefore that men bear to the Word must be wreaked upon the Minister he must be hated outed and persecuted yea if they durst they would stone him to death as the Jews did Stephen for as their hearts brast for anger as they gnashed at him with their teeth when they heard him Acts 7.54 so fares it with these touching their Minister But in the meantime what horrible what hellish ingratitude is this if it be looked upon with an impartial eye Are not these the very worst of monsters O you sottish Sensualists what can you alledge for yourselves or against your Minister Is he any other to you than those three Messengers were to Lot that came to fetch him out of Sodome that he might not feel the fire and brimstone which followed Gen. 19. Or than the Angel was to Peter that opened the iron-gates loosed his bands brought him out of prison and delivered him from the thraldome of his enemies You shew just as much reason in it as if those blind deaf diseased distracted possessed or dead persons spoken of in the Gospel should have railed upon our Saviour for offering to cure restore dispossesse recover and raise them again And are like those wicked witless and ingrateful Jews Judg. 15. who when God in great love sent Samson to deliver them from the slavish thraldome of their enemies they in requital bind him in whom all their hope of deliverance lay and deliver him up to those enemies that kept them under to the end they might slay him and still make slaves of them Here is your case right Are you not ashamed to be such Sots Were there ever such fools or frenzie men did commit a greater folly For shame think of it before it prove too late before you have sinned away all hope of mercie In the mean time as our Saviour said of his murtherers Father forgive give them for they know not what they do so may your Minister say adding thereto that prayer of Stephen when they stoned him Lord lay not this sin to their charge Acts 7.60 Sect. 7. But that I may if it be possible fetch tears from your eyes and bloud from your adamantine hearts I will yet acquaint you with that which is worse and more considerable than all I pray mind it All the indignities and wrongs that are done to Christs Ministers and Ambassadours redound to him and he that traduceth or any way wrongs a Minister for the discharge of his place his envie strikes at the image of God in him and he so takes it as a world of places
shew He that despiseth you despiseth me 1 Sam. 17.45 Isa â—7 23 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9.4 Revel 16.9 11. Psal 89.23 To spurn at the Messenger is to strike at the image of God whose message it is What saith Paul 1 Cor. 7.10 I have not spoken but the Lord and therefore as the Lord said unto Saul Acts 9.4 that he persecuted him though in Heaven so they who resist any truth delivered out of the Word do resist God himself and not his Messenger But see further what you do by what your fellow-persecutours have done before you With such impatience does a gauled heart receive admonition that when God himself came to reprove Cain for killing his brother Abel he had no sooner spake these words Where is Abel thy brother but he returns to God himself this churlish answer Am I my brothers keeper Gen. 4.9 Again the Scribes Pharisees and Elders were filled full of madness against our Saviour and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus and how they might destroy him the which you would also do if he were your Minister now upon earth for being so bitter Luke 6.11 For if you cannot away with the light of a candle you would much lesse endure to look upon the glorious Sun Now if God himself was so served if Christs own doctrine could not escape persecution no marvel if his Messengers cannot Here then is some comfort for your Minister Honey out of a Lion Nor is it his shame to suffer what Christ suffered nor your honour to do as Cain Judas and the rest did as Cyprian speaks But secondly take notice what our Saviours counsel is to his Ministers when his holy precepts and prohibitions do either harden men as the Sun hardens clay and cold water hot iron or else inrage them as a furious mastiffe-dog is the madder for his chain What his counsel method is may be seen both by testimonies and examples not a few As Cast not your pearls before swine Mat. 7.6 Into whatsoever citie you shall enter if they will not receive you go your wayes out into the sreets of the same and say Even the very dust which cleaveth on us of your citie we wipe off against you for a witnesse unto you Notwithstanding know this that it shall be easier for Sodome and Gomorrah at the day of judgement than for you Luke 10.10 11 12. Those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me Luke 19.27 And that this is an evident signe of one that shall eternally perish is plain Pro 29.1 read the words and tremble A man that hardeneth his neck being often reproved shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy See more Prov. 1.24 25 26 to 33. Whence it is the Prophet tels Amaziah I know that God hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not obeyed my counsel 2 Chron. 25.16 20. And that the Holy Ghost speaking of Eli's sons saith that They would not hearken unto nor obey the voice of their Father because the Lord was determined to destroy them 1 Sam. 2.25 Yea it is an observation of Livie that when the destruction of a person or a Nation is destined then the wholesome warnings both of God and man are set at nought And in reason that sin is past cure that strives against â—he cure Herbs that are worse for watering Trees that are lesse fruitful for dunging and pruning are to be rooted out or hewen down Even salvation it self will not save those that spill the potion and sling away the plaster When men are the worse for Gods endeavour to better them the best and onely way is to leave them to their Judge Those Beasts we cannot master we must give up If Babylon will not be cured she must be left to her self given up to destruction without further warning My people would not hear my voice saith God and Israel would none of me Psal 81. and what follows So I gave them up to the hardnesse of their hearts and they walkt in their own counsels vers 11 12. All further patience would prove fruitlesse so he layeth by his rod to take up his sword as God hath Messengers of wrath for them that despise the Messengers of his love Sect. 8. Now to end with a word of exhortation to as many of you as have heard what hath hitherto been delivered from one that is no party and so lesse subject to be partial and that are not yet given over In the first place be not any longer offended with your Pastour for he is appointed a Watch-man over your souls and doth but discharge his office that God hath placed him in Ezek. 3 17. and he should be guilty of high treason against Christ and the souls committed to his care if he should do lesse As the Centinel or Captain that doth not what he can to maintain the wals doth what he can to betray the City The word is no other than Christs though delivered by a weak Instrument Who ever be the Crier the proclamation is the King of Heavens While it goes for mans it is no marvel if it lye open to despite So that in hating your Minister and complaining of his bitterness you do as wisely and justly as if the people should impute the cause of the war to the Herald or accuse the Trumpet for all that their rebellion hath brought upon them Yea consider who is the Authour of the Word what the cause and ends of the Ministers delivering it and that there is nothing can cure your grief but the same Word that caused it and then thou wilt receive him as an Angel of God yea even as Christ Jesus as the primitive Christians did the Apostles Gal. 4.14 who acknowledged to owe even themselves to their spiritual Pastours Philem. 19. And would if it had been possible have pluckt out their own eyes and have given the same unto them Gal. 4.14 15. and 6.6 You have heard sufficiently that this is the true method of preaching though it be little used because discretion with many eats up well nigh all true devotion Their discretion and moderate stayedness much abates of their zeal honesty and goodness Nor can there be a better argument to prove that a Minister studies more to profit than to please men with his wholesome counsel than when he will not let them sleep and snort in their sins but cry aloud against their abominations I grant Corrasives are not to be used in all cases Lenatives and Cordials are of no lesse use to weak constitutions Whence the care of every wise and able Minister that hath skill to divide the word of God aright must be and is to give to each man his due portion comfort to whom comfort belongs terrour to whom terrour is due observing the same rule that St. Paul did who meeting with an Elymas one that resisted the truth and
laboured to keep others from it entreats him not with fair and sweet words as he did Agrippa who was hopefully coming on to embrace the truth Wherefore the same Apostle sayes to the one O full of all subtilty and all mischief thou child of the Devil and enemy of all righteousnesse Acts 13.10 But when he speaks to the other it is in a more mild gentle and winning tone Or as our Saviour himself used that Lamb of God who would not break the bruized reed nor quench the smoking flax As how doth he multiply wo upon wo and threaten double damnation when he was to deal with hard-hearted Hypocrites Opposers of the Gospel those Scribes and Pharisees Matth. 23. And indeed the best musick is made by a judicial correspondence of sharp and flat Let all merciful meal-mouthed Preachers such as flatter sin and flout holiness such whose scope of their preaching is but to feed the people with hopes though they give them no grounds for it that Heaven shall meet them at their last hour be their condition never so wretched which is the reason that most men walk in the broad way and yet every man thinks to enter in at the straight gate Let these I say take notice of this As also scorners of their teachers Instructors and more of their godly instruction then will they love where and what they now hate and hate where and what they now love But you have no cause to complain of either extream for in the Sermons against which you except there is matter of instruction of reprehension of consolation of exhortation for the ignorant for the sinfull for the faithfull for the despairing soul and drooping spirit not Gospel without Law nor Law without Gospel but a sweet composition of severity and mercie wherein Law and Gospel meet as Moses and Christ met upon the Mount the one to direct your obedience the other to answer for your disobedience if you will but repent and turn unto God with such Christian moderation as may argue zeal without malice and desire to win souls no will to gaul them For as Sauls servants did not onely tell him that he had an evil spirit but withall told him a remedy and helpt him to the party that gave him ease 1 Sam. 16.16 18. So your Pastour with a discovery of your sins shews you a means of cure and recovery for your souls Yea do but submit and the very same Word like the sword of Achilles will heal again whom it hath wounded Whereas if you forthwith flye from your Admonisher it is as if one that is launsed should flye from his Chirurgian before his wound can be bound up Sect. 9. Again slight not him whom God hath placed over you lest hereafter when you lye gasping on your death-beds and come to a sight and sence of your sad condition you wish Oh that I had now but the opportunity to converse with such a Minister as Saul slighted Samuel while he lived but would fain have heard and conversed with him when he was dead A case which often fals out for when godless persons are in any distress they still pray the people of God to pray for them and commonly those too whom they have most slighted hated and abused For the Oppressour is in no mans mercie but his whom he hath trampled upon and injuries done us on earth give us power in Heaven Whereupon Jeroboams hand being dried up for stretching it out against the Prophet he sueth to the man of God saying I beseech thee pray unto the Lord thy God and make intercession for me that my hand may be restored unto me and the man of God besought the Lord and the Kings hand was restored 1 Kings 13.4 6. And thus it fared between the Israelites and Samuel 1 Sam. 12.19 between Miriam and Moses Numb 12 13. Thus when the Lords wroth was kindled against Eliphaz and his two friends nothing would appease the same but the prayer of Job whom they had so contemned Job 42.7 8. Thus Simon the Sorcerer prayes Peter to pray for him Acts 8.24 Yea of whom did Dives being tormented in Hell flames expect and seek for ease but from Lazarus whom lately before he had despised Luke 16.24 For though the wicked scorn and despise the godly in their prosperity yet in their distress they onely are set by for advice and to pray unto God for them who are more ready to sollicite God for their mortallest enemies and persecutours than they to desire it be it at the time when they wrong them most witness Stephen when they stoned him Act. 7.60 And our Saviour Christ when they crucified him Luke 23.34 Yea they account it a sin to cease praying for their worst enemies 1 Sam. 12.23 To all which I might add how such as have wronged and persecuted the servants of God are not seldome forced to confess their own folly wickedness and unthankfulness the Godlies superlative goodness c. As Laban did to Jacob Genes 30.27 and Pharaoh to Moses Exod. 9.27 28. and again chap. 10.16 17. and Saul to David saying I have sinned I have done foolishly and have erred exceedingly thou art more rightous than I for thou hast rendered me good and I have rendered thee evil c. 1 Sam. 24.18 26.21 Rare acknowledgements from Heathen and Christian Kings to their own Subjects Yet God will have it so and conscience will compell them to do so though perhaps afterwards when the rod is off their backs they are apt to harden again and return to their old byass as did the same Pharaoh and Saul For no longer than they smart no longer can they see and unless affliction opens their eyes there is no perswading them but the righteous man is worse than his neighbour yea none so vile as Haman thought and reported of Mordecai and the Jews and Ahab of Elijah and Saul of David And this I can assure you beyond all exceptions that if ever your eyes be opened before you drop into Hell when the mask of prejudice is taken from before your eyes you will be cleer of another mind to what you are you will love that down right preaching which now you hate and hate those clawing and Rhetorical discourses that now you so much adore and admire Sect. 10. Wherefore receive with meekness the ingrossed Word which is able to save your souls Jam. 1.21 Entertain it with an honest and good heart and in so doing you shall entertain both God and Christ with it as our Savior himself plainly tels you Joh. 13.20 See also Chron. 34.27 28. Yea hear the Word indifferently and impartially and the rather from such as thou hast hated for their bitterness perhaps God will converâ— and save thee by no other means or Minister than such as he hath placed thee under Saul if you observe it when he was possest with an evil spirit as all are that persecute their faithful Pastours all his spite was at David