ought to be honoured Preachers such are profitable Preachers therefore worthy to be honoured Preachers Therefore esteem highly them that are such I do not mean to provoke you only so to honour or esteem as to approve commend or encourage such in their Labours but especially honour these by submitting and subjecting your selves yea your Souls to their Doctrine by living and acting according to their teaching who teach according to the form of found Doctrine contained in the Scriptures Oh my dear Friends this is the greatest honour esteem and encouragement you can possibly bestow upon painful Preachers thus saith the Apostle John in 3 Epist 3 4. I rejoyced greatly when the Brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee even as thou walkedst in the truth I have no greater joy then to hear that my Children walk in truth or according to truth The like saith Paul in that forecited 1 Thess 2.19 20. For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoycing Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming For ye are our Glory and Joy But what was the reason of this exceeding Joy you have it declared in the first Chapter We give thanks to God alwayes for you all making mention of you in our prayers remembring without ceasing your work of faith and labour of love and patience of hope c. For our Gospel came not unto you in Word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake and ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the Word in much affliction with joy in the Holy Ghost So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia For from you sounded out the Word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place your Faith to Godward is spread abroad so that we need not to speak any thing This Beloved is the honour esteem encouragement and rejoycing wise and Spiritual Preachers most desire that you that hear them should be wise truly wise holy diligent fruitful Hearers There is nothing so much discourages grieves and dishonours wise Preachers as to find their Hearers unwise idle unthankful unfruitful and unholy this grieves them to the heart when they run in vain and labour in vain as you have his expression Phil. 2.16 Oh grieve not the Spirit of God nor the Spirit of your Preachers by quenching the Spirit and despising Prophesie as too many do If it be a sin to neglect Preaching and not to teach the people Knowledge as I have largely proved yea if it be not only a neglect but a most unconscionable neglect not to teach the people Knowledge Let me then tell proud carnal unbelieving negligent forgetful disobedient unfruitful Hearers 't is not only a sin but a complicated sin yea it is not infirmity but most unconscionable dealing with the Lord Jesus your painful Preachers and your own Souls Therefore look well to it for God will not bear it nor hold such sinners guiltless that thus take his Name in vain and turn his Grace into wantonness I beseech you think seriously of a Text or two 2 Chron. 36.15 16 17. And the Lord God of their Fathers sent to them by his Messengers rising up betimes and sending because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling-place But they mocked the Messengers of God and despised his Words and misused his Prophets until the Wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy Therefore he brought upon them the King of the Caldees who slew their young men with the Sword in the House of their Sanctuary and had no compassion upon young Man or Maiden old Man or him that stooped for Age he gave them all into his hand Oh mark how dreadful a sin it is to be a despiser or an opposer of Preachers you may read the hainousness of the sin in the dreadfulness of the judgment Take one place more 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. With all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved Oh mark it you that do or might if the fault be not your own enjoy good Preachers and pure Preaching and will not may and care not for it God will send you Preachers sad or bad enough that shall only deceive and delude you and for this very cause Even because saith the Apostle God will send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned that believed not through the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Oh think seriously of this you sinful proud unthankful forgetful or unfruitful Hearers God will not alwayes strive with you or wait upon you or continue the Preaching of the Gospel among you Therefore provoke not the Lord to jealousie by neglecting and perverting of his Ordinances But to close this Use let me give you two or three Directions how to answer this Use First Is this yet true acquaintance with the greatness and grossness of ignorance and especially of your own ignorance in particular Pride makes men think they see and despise the ignorance and simplicity of others but 't is ignorance and blindness that makes poor and proud Souls like their own ignorance Therefore if you would be found the Friends and Preservers of Knowledge learn to know your own ignorance in the things of Jesus Christ Yea consider how dishonourable and truly reproachful it is for a Professor or a Christian to be an ignorant person 't is as reproachful as for a Guide to be blind or a Ruler to be clad in Rags than which what is more dishonourable A Fool in Civil or Natural things is counted a dishonour to a Family and a burthensome Relation even such are foolish Christians or persons ignorant in the Mysteries and Knowledge of Jesus Christ Now that the most yea the best of Professors are too ignorant take two Texts 1 Cor. 13.9 For we know but in part and prophesie but in part therefore let none how wise soever think themselves wise enough but it is these thoughts keeps many Hearers from being wise Jer. 8.8 How do you say we are wise and the Law of the Lord is with us and we will come no more unto the Chap. 2.31 Therefore as the cure of this Disease in the first place remember what Paul writes for this purpose 1 Cor. 8.2 If any man thinks that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know Again Secondly Take this Direction if you would be a knowing people be found a doing people faithfully and humbly doing what you know of Jesus Christ This is the way to know more and much of Jesus Christ to be practical Christians Hos 6.3 Then shall we know that is we shall then know what we knew not before when or how
no! mark the close of these Neglecters work When the King heard hereof he was wroth and he sent forth his Armies and destroyed those Murderers and burnt up their City Mat. 22.7 And therefore remember If the Gospel be hid it is only hid this day to such as perish 2 Cor. 4.3 Fifth Use of Reproof But lastly and mostly This Doctrine reproves all such how great Hearers soever as are at highest but Hearers not Doers of that they hear Though it is good to hear yet 't is not good to hear and not to practise it is bad not to hear but is worse not to practise That Servant must be beaten with many stripes that knows his Master's Will and doth it not Luk. 12.47 Not the knowers but the doers of the Word shall be blessed John 13.17 Oh! let such perverters of this so great and blessed an Ordinance as is the Preaching of the Gospel Consider God will one day come and call for an account of all the Sermons you have heard and see what Fruit you bring forth whether Fruit to Him or to your selves And then will he deal with unfruitful Vines barren Fig-trees and unpractical Hearers as with those we read of Isa 5.5 6. Hos 10.1 2 3. with Heb. 6.7 8. Oh! it is no small sin and shall have no small punishment to be an unpractical Hearer of the Word and perverter of this so great an Ordinance But this may suffice for that first Use to wit a Use of Reproof The second Vse is of Vindication The next Use of this Point shall be for Vindication or Justification of all such as are faithful painful diligent Preachers of the Gospel who because Preaching of the Word is God's Ordinance do Preach in season and out of season whoever forbids or sayes to the contrary saying as once Peter and John did Whether it be right is the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Acts 4.19 20. Where men have not sufficient power to command it can be no sin there not to be obedient So here these knew neither this Council nor any were from God intrusted with any such power as to forbid or hinder the Preaching of the Word therefore such Commands neither ought or need to be obeyed Even so at this day should the able Spiritual Preachers of the Word hold their peace because men even any sort of men forbid them or command them so to do the very Stones in the Street and the very Ashes of these Apostles might cry out against them and say in the words of the Text Whether it is right to obey God or Man judge ye Oh! it will one day be dreadful preferring Man's Commands before God's Commands when God shall visit for this holding the Truth in unrighteousness according to that expression Son of Man I have set thee a Watchman unto the House of Israel therefore hear the Word at my Mouth and give them warning from me When I say unto the wicked Thou shalt surely die and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to the wicked Oh! mark it Nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thy hand Ezek. 3.17 Oh! is not this a terrible word to all silenced Preachers this day that have learned to be silent at the word of a man and let the wicked go without warning from them forgetting what God saith Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a Man and the Son of Man that shall be made grass and forgettest the Lord thy Maker Isa 5.12 13. Therefore let such be this day cleared and acquitted as innocent and approved with the Lord as have not in such a day as this made the Commands of God of none effect through mens traditions but like Levi have said to their Father and Mother I have not seen him neither did he acknowledge his Brethren nor knew his own Children for they have observed thy Word and kept thy Covenant Deut. 33.8 Oh! when-ever you hear those Standard-bearers taxed who have not fainted nor feared in such a day as this but have humbly said Shall such a man as I flee Shall such a man as I whom Jesus Christ hath anointed and called to Preach the Gospel shall I be dumb and silent I will not I may not I dare not be silent Oh! vindicate these and when railed upon for faction folly and disobedience to Authority pride passion and the like Oh! then say as of old David in a like case said Is there not a cause 1 Sam. 17.29 And you Worthies of Israel be incouraged from the Word of the Lord Thou therefore gird up thy loyns and arise and speak unto them all that I command thee be not dismayed at their faces lest I confouâ— thee before them Jer. 1.17 So much for this Use The third Use is of Exhortation A third and last Use is for Exhortation First To Preachers who are intrusted with this great Ordinance and have this Word of Life in these earthen Vessels Be faithful in the improvement of this great Ordinance Secondly Let it speak before we part a parting word or two to you that are Hearers If thâ—preaching of the Word be God's holy and preciouâ— Ordinance then be exhorted both to hear and noâ— to despise him that speaketh on Earth nor neglect so great Salvation and also be exhorted to takâ— heed how you hear First Let the Preachers of the Gospel I mean Christ's Spiritual Preachers not Man's empty ordained Preachers who are crept into Ministry for a morsel of bread I say to you that are Christ's Witnesses and Preachers preach the Word be instant in season and out of season reprove exhorâ— with all long-suffering and gentleness because Preaching is God's Ordinance and such bright Lights were not intended to be lighted in vain it is our Lord 's own expression Mat. 5. Men do not light their Candles to put under a Bushel Then let not glorious Lights be lighted in vain but be diligent and laborious in this sin-condemning and Soul-saving Ordinance remembring what Paul faith 1 Cor. 4.2 Moreover it is required in aâ— Steward that he be found faithful it will one day be required Therefore in this day be faithful lest he that has given us Talents which we have not hearts and wisdom to improve do to our shame and loss recal them and take them from us and give them to him that hath improved Matth. 25.28 29 30. But because I shall have occasion to speak more to this hereafter in another Particular I shall say no more to this part or branch of this Use at this time but speak a few words to the second branch which is If Hearing be God's and not Man's Ordinance then be exhorted you that are or should be Hearers to take heed how you hear for God takes
all things endure affliction do the work of an Evangelist make full proof of thy Ministry 2 Tim. 4.5 Wherefore what a sin and a shame is it for a Preacher to say to the people Be not idle or slothful in business and yet he himself be idle in Preaching Such had need to read and consider that place Rom. 2. from 17 to 24. And therefore I conclude Every wise Preacher ought diligently and continually to Preach as did the Preacher mentioned in the Text He still taught the People knowledge Application Now by way of Application This serves for a full word of Reproof to all idle lazy negligent Preachers of the Word of God by whatever Name or Title dignified or distinguished who-ever they are or where-ever they be let this Doctrine reprove them for if every wise Preacher ought still to teach the people knowledge and to persevere and persist in the Work of Preaching this looks wishly and reproves loudly all such Preachers or Idlers that stand in the place or room of Preachers and Preach not diligently frequently and continually The Lord complainâ— of these or such like in Ezek. 13.4 5 O Israel thy Prophets are like the Foxes in the Desarts Yea have not gone up into the Gaps neither made up the Hedge for the House of Israel to stand it the battel in the day of the Lord. How many such Foxes or Prophets are there in England at this day which have not gone up as they ought to do in the Gaps to stop God's Wrath from breaking forth upon poor sinners or to help sinful Souls to know how to stand guiltless and secure in the day of the Lord 's fierce anger Have we not too many Preachers that account Preaching a by-work and accordingly Preach seldom even when they please as well as how they please If so they be but Preachers and Preach at all though never or not at all but when constraint or covetousness constrains or induces them they will it may be Preach as much as Law not Gospel requireth or as much as their profit provokes or calls them to but no more These are none of the wise Preachers in my Text spoken of that still teach the people knowledge no these are such of the foolish preachers or prophets mentioned in the fore-cited Ezek. 13.3 Let these idle lazy sleepy Drones not wise Preachers though pretenders thereunto hear the reproof which the Lord gives them Isa 56. His Watchmen are blind they are all ignorant they are all dumb dogs and cannot bark sleeping lying down loving to slumber Yea they are greedy dogs which can never have enough they are Shepherds that cannot understand they all look to their own way every one for his gain from his quarter Come ye say they we will fetch Wine and we will fill our selves with strong drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant vers 10 11 12. How like to these Watchmen of Israel are too many Watchmen or Preachers in England Lordly Preachers and Learned Preachers Cathedral Preachers and Popish Preachers is but too well known to as many as know any thing of the state of England We may say of England this day as was said of Israel Hos 7.6 Their Baker sleepeth all night and the height of this sin lies in this That England's Preachers not onely do not and cannot Preach but also teach and maintain That they ought not or need not Preach often or frequently Lording and Reading of Forms of Prayers is more their business than Preaching or most to be minded Nay have they not gone higher than most scandalously and unconscionably to omit and neglect this blessed Work of Preaching but also to make their sin out of measure sinful they forbid and command such as both can Preach and would Preach that they should not Preach or so much and so often Preach as they ought to do such enemies to the Gospel-preaching and prosperity may read their doom and name in Mat. 23.13 But wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hyppocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men for ye neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in Oh think of this ye Preaching-men that forget God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you Psal 50. last Let me tell you non-Preaching Preachers as your sin is out of measure sinful so will one day your condition be out of measure woful as Paul saith Necessity is laid upon me and wo unto me if I Preach not the Gospel Not to Preach when engaged called and enabled to Preach will make wo enough for such Preachers as feed not the Flock but themselves as you have it Ezek. 34.28 Son of man prophesie against the Shepherds of Israel prophesie and say unto them Thus saith the Lord unto the Shepherds Wo be unto the Shepherds of Israel that do feed them should not the Shepherd feed the Flock But now idle non-Preaching Preachers or Shepherds hear your doom at large Thus saith the Lord God Behold I am against the Shepherds and I will require my Flock at their hand and cause them to cease from feeding the Flock neither shall the Shepherds feed themselves any more for I will deliver my Flock from their mouth that they may not be meat for them And therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I even I will judge between the fat Cattel and the lean Cattel because ye have thrust with the side and pushed with the shoulder and pushed all the diseased with your horns till you have scattered them abroad Therefore will I save my Flock and they shall be no more for a prey and I will judge between Cattel and Cattel Not to Preach when enabled to Preach is to quench the Spirit and that 's no small sin 'T is to be unfaithful and hide God's Talents in the Earth It is to starve Souls yea as much as in you lies to damn Souls by withholding the means of Salvation from them 'T is to multiply transgressors and transgressions both and under a Cloak of Sanctity and all this committed knowingly not ignorantly Therefore woful will be the state of all tyred idle dumb Preachers that with-hold the Truth in unrighteousness Solomon's Proverb will be your Portion He that with-holdeth Corn the people shall curse him Prov. 11.26 If such as with-hold bodily Bread or Corn are worthy of the peoples curse What Curse or bitter Anathema Maranatha must these with-holders of God's Corn and his Peoples Souls-bread from being given forth in due season be thought worthy of But to close Know and consider though men should keep their Curses from you yet God will not hold such high-handed sinners as you are guiltless whom I have been reproving of as appears Jer. 23. Wo be unto the Pastors that destroy and scatter the Sheep of my pasture saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the Pastors that feed my people Ye
Apollos Acts 18.24 25 26. To name no more Instances of this kind When words may truly be seasonable and acceptable or both I say when we see the Peoples sin openly and dangerous to the insnaring and indangering of others then 't is most seasonable to step in with reproving words Thus Paul dealt with Peter Gal. 2.12 13 14. And with the same spirit we find him acting against Elimas the Sorcerer when he sought to turn away the Deputy from the Faith Acts 13.9 10 11. Thus much may suffice for the proving and opening the Point let me now give you two or three Reasons or Arguments why this must needs be a Truth Reason 1. First Because 't is then only Preachers can be said in preaching to preach or in doing the work of preaching to preach when we preach acceptably or speak seasonable words All other preaching is foolish preaching or for the present but lost preaching But again Reason 2. Secondly Such Preachers and Preaching are only acceptable to God as such only should be to wise Hearers as the Lord seems to imply in that expression of the Prophet He that hath a Dream let him tell a Dream and he that hath my Word let him speak my Word faithfully What is the Chaff to the Wheat saith the Lord Jer. 23.28 Reason 3. Lastly Preachers ought to seek out acceptable words because such preaching will only answer our engagements and pretentions both to God and Man Our engagement who preach is like our Lord Christ who said I came from Heaven not to do my own Will but the Will of him that sent me John 6.38 And no Preacher is so foolish or unwise a Preacher as to pretend less than thus to do wherefore let as many as preach be so wise and honest to do what they pretend to do and as Paul saith Not to preach themselves but Christ Jesus the Lord and themselves Servants for Jesus sake 2 Cor. 4.5 I proceed now to the Application because I promised to be short Use of Reproof The first Use may be for a word of Reproof to as many Preachers that are not so wise as to make this their work to seek out acceptable seasonable words even sound words or words of truth and uprightness Oh how many foolish careless and unconscionable Preachers there are that neither study the Scriptures to find out sounds words nor consult with God or with the People to know what may be an acceptable word or a word spoken in due season either in reference to what God is a doing or the People are wanting in These may more aptly be stiled foolish than wise Preachers who more study humane than divine Writ and consult the mind of men especially great men rather than the mind of God and their own gain and interest more than the Peoples profit All I shall further say to these is As their sin is great against God and the Souls of the People even so without repentance and more wisdom their judgment will be heavy and their damnation slumbers not Let such think seriously of that saying of Peter But these as natural bruit beasts made to be taken and destroyed speak evil of the things they understand not and shall utterly perish in their own corruption 2 Pet. 2.12 But to be brief Secondly For Exhortation Secondly This shall serve for a word of Exhortation and that to two sorts of Persons First To such as Preach Secondly To such as Hear First Let me exhort and provoke all you that are wise Gospel Preachers to remember this word Seek out acceptable words even words of Truth and let that which is written be upright Oh suffer me to beseech you to seek out seasonable words both upon God's and his Peoples account Oh consider what Generation-work God hath in hand in your day in the present day and give it your word as Nehemiah did in his day Chap. 2. vers 3. In times of abounding of iniquity Lift up thy Voice like a Trumpet cry aloud spare not shew the people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sin Isa 58.1 And take that encouraging word and charge you have given to the Prophet Jeremiah Thou therefore gird up thy loyns and arise and speak unto them all that I command thee and be not dismayed at their faces Jer. 1.17 Oh my Brethren be prevailed upon to make it your main business next to the looking after your own Vines to look after acceptable words for the People Oh search out the cause you know not and see what your and Christ's Sheep want and Preach words seasonable or in due season Oh Beloved be not knowers but doers of the Word not deceiving your own Souls This will bring much honour to Christ and you will then so do your work as to have joy and not grief in the great day of Jesus Christ Secondly Let me exhort you that are Hearers to suffer a word of Exhortation not onely from me but from your Preachers also which enjoy wise and painful Preachers that make it their business to seek out acceptable words for you Oh esteem such highly for their work sake and their work for Christ's sake Oh slight not such words as cost them so dear or so much to find out for your use Oh sin not against such words as are seasonable and should be to you acceptable Suffer your Preachers to deal home and plainly with you 't is their duty and their love to Christ and you make their work easie take their labour of love kindly despise not pervert not prophesyings of such as seek out acceptable words and what-ever they speak is words of Truth and of uprightness If necessity be laid upon them to seek out acceptable words do not think you are at liberty whether you will receive or refuse them Nay think of that dreadful word Lo when this cometh to pass then shall they know that a Prophet hath been among you Ezek. 33.33 The great God that made nothing in vain hath not made wise Preachers in vain or that you should turn a deaf ear or a rebellious heart towards them They must sift hunt and search out acceptable words for you and you ought to receive them with all readiness of mind and take heed that they lose not through you the things which they have wrought Oh believe it your spiritual wise Preachers do bring you acceptable words meat in due season and therefore let him that hath ears hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches And lastly If Preachers must seek out acceptable words for the People then let their acceptable words be acceptably entertained of you As Daniel said to the King so let me say to all you to whom this Truth shall come Let my Counsel be acceptable to you and break off your sins by Righteousness and your iniquities by shewing of mercy Dan. 4.27 I mean your sins against wise Preachers and their acceptable words from Jesus Christ Thus much for this Word and this