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
FOVR SERMONS Which doe manifest the true sence of the 1. Epistle to Timothie 6. Chapter 13. 14. 15. 16. verses of that Chapter Preached by the reverend divine Mr. Iohn Forbes late preacher to the Companie of Merchant-Adventurers in Delft Matth. 15. 9. But in vain they worship me teaching for doctrines mens precepts Psalm 31. 6. I hate them that hould of superstitious vanityes Psalm 119. 113. I hate vain inventions but thy law doe I love Mark 8. 35. Whosoever will save his life shall loose it but whosoever shall loose his life for my sake and the Gospells he shall save it Published by S. O. Anno 1635. To the READER CHristian Reader seeing the Holy-ghost hath lefte us an honourable memory of Davids worthies who helped him to attaine his Kingdom who was but a type of our King Iesus Christ I think it necessary to manifest some of those famous doctrines this servant of Christ Mr. John Forbes taught in his life time touching the right of Christ Iesus which God the father gave him to ordaine all things in his Church This truth of God he witnessed more than 30. yeares not onely unto the losse of his living and unto bonds but also unto banishment for defending that it is not lawfull for anie Prince or Potentate to commaund anie human devises for to compell them to be used in the worship of God and for mainteyning this endured these great tryalls And about 4. years after he was chosen preacher to the Compaine of the English Merchant Adventurers and after he had served them 22. years he was displaced by our King and shortly after the Lord tooke him out of this world he having served in the Ministery 42. years he now as or hope is is with the assembly of those which have been killed for the Word of God and testimonie which they mainteined who doe cry How long Lord which art holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our bloud on the persecutours of thy truth But this doctrine is thought strange unto the world for the Papists doe say that the Pope hath authority to institute ceremonies in the Church which he himselfe doth judge fit and our prelates with their doctours doe affirme that Princes and Potentates of the world have authority with the assembly of their Bishops to institute ceremonies rites and orders such as they doe judge fitting to worship God by and they are indued with deep Philosophie and learned arts which I doe confesse are good so as they be allwaies ruled by divine truth but otherwise we are commaunded to avoyd them Col. 2.18 And the Holy-ghost calleth them when they are not according to divine truth the deep learning of Sathan as he hath in this epistle manifested Against them both this servant of IEsus Christ doth clearly manifest that no human devises or ceremonies that Christ hath not appointed for his worship may be used in his worship for God the Father hath placed him farre above all principallities and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named not onely in this world but also in that that is to come as the Holy-ghost doth shew us in manie places and that Christ is King and ruler in his Church Pilate and Caesar were content that Christ should be accounted High priest of his church and that he should be their Prophet but for him to affirme he is a King that cost him his life Caesar could not indure it So in this age princes cannot indure that his church should receive no ordinaunces and decrees but those that the Apostles established for they will have their own superstitions used in the worship of God yet here the Holy-ghost doth sereously condemn it and that Christ must have the whole preheminence in his worship and that his ministers must maintein this as they will answer it at his glorious appearing to judge all the world these sermons doe manifest this strait charge hee received from the Holy-ghost to withstand all Human superstitions which are brought into Gods worship they were taken by pen by one of his ordinary hearers the chief of these I had in writing two years before he departed this life and I shewed them to him and I tould him I would publish them without naming anie authour he answered if I did publish them the adversaryes would know it to be his worke to which I answered that then I would not publish them except I did survive him If all the sermons this reverend divine taught out of this epistle were published it would be proffitable unto this generation and to that to come for he doth manifest that as God by Moses ordayned him to be his penman to order his church under the law So Christ hath made this Apostle his penman to appoint what ordinaunces his church must practise untill his second appearing and that with the straitest charge we doe read of that his servants may not admitt of anie other devices to be brought into his worship as they wil answere it at the great and dreadfull appearing of all the world before Jesus Christ with his holy Angells to recompence all opposers of his truth according to their works This Author doth mention that in all Ages God hath had his faithfull witnesses as in the 48 page appears and Mr. Foxe hath instanced manie and here I think fitt to ad some others in the dark time of Popery which hee hath not Two Preachers in France one named Peter Breves the other is called Hendrick van de Tollhouse they were well known in France and of good estimation for their great learning and they did much bewaile the Apostacy of the church and they spared no man of any degree whatsoever they were affirming that they were fallen from the estate of grace and from Christ and they affirmed the Pope to be the Prince of Sodom and the Citty of Rome to be the Mother of all abhomination that all the Bishops were cruel Wolves they detested the doctrine of Transubstantiation and affirmed the masse prayer for the dead was Idolatrie before God and that Images the Crosse might not be prayed unto nor suffered in the Churches That the Priests manner of singing was mockery before God◠that praying to Saincts and vowing of Chastity and their manner of building Temples and observing of Holydayes were superstitious and wicked and all humane inventions in Gods worship wicked Idolatrie These mē continued in their preaching twenty years and having great resort coming to their preaching of all sorts estates at last they were apprehended by the Popes commaund by a Legate of his and Peter Brise was burned at St. Ioils the other was apprehended committed to prison but what came of him we finde not but there followed great persecution many of their Disciples went to their death joyfully Look the 65. and 66. Letters of Barnod to the Earle of St. Ioylls There wrote against them Peter Abbott af Clugnam which Barnod did record
the Apostle so well approved is this to shew that it is not an easy matter to performe this charge but that all the grace that was in Timothie was litle enough to inable him with constancie and courage to keepe it inviolably the reason of it is this because there is nothing in this world which Sathan more opposeth nor that men set themselves against neither any thing so contrary to flesh and blood as the trueth of Gods worship and the sincerity of Preaching it the Divell laboureth to corrupt the purity of doctrine and the service of God in his Church above all things in the world Now seing it is so much opposed by Sathan and the world who labour to deprive us of salvation that wee might perish with them therefore the Apostle knowing how the world and Sathan would oppose it hee seing by the spirit of revelation the great temptations his servants must undergoe that would keepe Gods worship pure therefore hee gives this strait charge unto his Church that they should lay before their eyes God and Christ continually for otherwise the terrours of men and the world will shake them and cause them to corrupt the waies of God otherwayes men stand allwayes in danger of being overcome either by entisements of riches or by the terrour of persecutiō and of imprisonment therefore the spirit gives us this strayt charge to bind us more strongly to this doctrine and thus we see the reasons which moved the Apostle to set downe this weightie charge unto his Church Now let us come and consider this more particularly first hee chargeth him before God and secondly before Iesus Christ the Lord the generall consideration of the manner of this charge serves for to let us see there is nothing cā stay the miserable heart of man in the wayes of God except the consideration of God and Christ Take these two out of his sight and he is in darknesse for if his heart be not set to see God and Christ hee will soone turne from the trueth to vanitie the very sight of men will make us to stoup and change our mindes if God be out of our sight this made Moses so couragious before Pharaoh The Apostle saith of him selfe to the Corinths that hee was not as other teachers who adulterated the word of God he giveth this to be the reason why he was not such an one because hee spake as in the sight of God and this kept him that he could not adulterate the word of God it is his sight onely that stayes us and keepeth the heart of man and that keepes our hearts upright in the worke of God See the trueth of this spoken of Moses it is said that Moses by faith forsooke Egypt and despised the wrath of the King by seeing him which is Invisible hee had such a sight of God which stayed his heart that no threatnings of Pharaoh could make him to alter his mind and that wee may see this lesson belongeth generally unto us yea every Christian as well as unto every Pastour it doth appeare in the Hebrewes where it is said wee are compassed about with a cloud of witnesses Let us cast off every thing that presseth downe and the sinne which hangeth so fast on fixing our eyes upon Iesus the authour fimisher of our faith who for the glory that was set before him despised the shame or crosse If our eyes be fixed upon Iesus the authour and finisher of our faith we shall goe thtough honour and dishonour so as nothing can hinder us till wee have attained unto the price of our calling God having in Iesus Christ chosen us unto himselfe thus we see how necessary it is to have God continually in our sight And this is that which made David reioyce that God was with him at his right hand to uphold him which made him not to be afraid of death and to the same end the Apostle saieth if God be on our side who can be against us This generall sight of God and of Christ is the onely thing which will stay a miserable conscience and unconstant heart against the feare of man we see Ioseph was stayed by this not to yeeld to his wicked Mistris where hee said how shall I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God We have need to set God and Christ before us and that will keepe us from falling into evills against God or against our Neighbour and it will establish our hearts in goodnesse againe it may be demanded why the Apostle joynes God and Christ is not the sight of God sufficient to stay our hearts Now here may be 2 reasons given for it in giving this charge to joyne God and Christ togeaher first because there is no fruit to us in the sight of God alone except the sight we have of God we have it in and through Christ that except we know God in Christ our Saviour the sight of God will never allure thee unto obedience for there is no sight of God that will establish thy heart in obedience except thou see God as the Father of Christ that gave his sonne unto the death for our transgressions and this sight makes us to love God with all our hearts and to preferre this God before all the world which causeth us wee dare do nothing that shall offend him for to please men Secondly the distinct consideration of these two is of great force to further and provoke mans heart unto obedience First in consideration of God who is the judge of all the world before whose face all the world shall appeare to receive according as they have done in their bodies whether it be good or evill the consideration 2of God as my judge as the Apostle calleth him and Abraham calls him so likewise this is a great stay to restraine men from sinne when I do know that hee who is my judge is before mee and hee sees me and hee doth observe all my waies and this if I do mind is of mightie force to keepe mee from sinning against him Moreover if there be any safety from Gods judgments it is by the mediation of Christ alone Now seeing that God and Christ are perpetually joyned togeather in judgment so that what the one approves the other approves therefore I must see God as my judge and Christ as my mediatour as a meanes to keepe mee from sinne and for both these reasons it is that the Apostle joynes them together God and Christ in this his charge to let us see wee have God and Christ for our enemies to convince us and to condemne us in that great day seeing in both their names we were charged to keepe this commandement without spot and thus we are taught the reasons wherefore hee joyneth God and Christ together in this great Charge Now we are to come to the particular consideration of this Charge first he laieh God before us to be considered in this particular that hee quicke neth
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
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
with trembling remember the history of Ieroboam the King of Israell who was the first that caused the Iewes to separate from the Temple of Salomon and he is branded with this note Ieroboam that made Israell to sinne he was the first occasion of it and he is charged above all for corrupting the Worship of God The like we read before of Gideon Iudges 8. who thinking to adorn an ornament God had commaunded his Preists to weare but it was abhomination unto the Lord and it was the utter destructioÌ„ of him and his house for which the Lord recordeth all Israell went a whoring after it If those men were so noted that have caused the Church to erre from Gods law and not imbrace his order he hath set down but in the place of it to receive idle ceremonies certainly they shall know that God takes this to remembrance and more to his heart then they doe dream of yea they shall see that of all men they are lyable to the greatest judgment in the sight of God their own devices shall aggravate their judgment for corrupting the Church of God therefore faithfull Pastours must have a double care in their own persons and of others committed to their charge that they keep it without spott and that they deliver it to others without spott Again we doe here see that these ordinaunces are not to be changed so long as the worlde endures the Apostle to the Hebrews comparing the law with the Gospell and the dispensation of the Gospell to the dispensation under the law he calls them both Kingdoms because they were in his church where his Kingdom is now saith the Apostle this word once more signifyeth the remooving of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things that cannot be shaken may remain where the Apostle shews that the dispensation under the law was not to continue but saith he we receiving a Kingdom which cannott be moved let us have grace wherby we may serve God acceptablie with reverence and godly feare so that these ordinaunces of his Kingdom under the Gospell they cannot be shaken except thou wilt shake thyself out of Gods Kingdom This Kingdom must remain constant till the end of the world so that it is a fearfull matter when men keep not this in their time since it must not be chaunged till the worlds end yet there is scarce anie degree of men in the ministery that doth not pervert this What a fearfull and daungerous matter is it to us that we cannot keep it for so short a time and if the Kingdom of God had stood and his ordinaunces accordinge to his truth here prescribed there had never been another ministery nor an other government or other doctrine then this here commaunded if Gods will were observed and Pastours had been faithfull they would never have corrupted Gods ordinaunces and worship as they have done This Epistle is the onely form that God allows and by which ministers shal be examined for men neede not to doubt how the Church may be reformed and set in right order if the fear of God did possesse their hearts to looke unto this Epistle but when this is not looked unto nor regarded but what will please men and what is the custom of these times this makes that Gods house is pestered wâ—th vanityes and still remains defiled and if Pastours would bend their studies to learn this Epistle it would shew them their folly and therefore all which labour to avoyd Gods fierce wrath in this age and love the salvation of their souls in obeying God according to his ordinaunces let them read and understand this Epistle for this will teach them the truth of God how his Church should be ordered and governed One lesson more I will ad and withall will make an end This commaundement you see is to be kept till the worlds end let us gather this lesson from it Hath God charged his Church to doe this and will he not have his Church to practise it let the devill and Antichrist rage as they will and rage against his servants yet the Lord will keep them and this commaundement shal be kept till Christs coming again in despight of them though not in the most part of the world yet in some obscure places he will have his own witnesses to stand for him to convince the world of error the reason of it is this God gives no commaundement to his church that he will have kept to the worlds end but it must stand as long as the time that he hath appointed it so that all the power of darknes shall not roote it out of the world although they may banish it in manie countries but out of the world they shall never banish it but there shal be one or other that shall stand for the truth This we may see hath been accomplished as we finde in historyes although manie of their testimonies are suppressed yet in all ages God hath had sundry who have mainteyned the truth so that there shal be a Church of God in which the purity of his worship shal be mainteyned so longe as the world shall remaine It is testifyed that Noe coÌ„demned the world so the testimonie of Christs witnesses shal be condemnatioÌ„ to the world to this end the Apostle saith if our Gospell be hid it is hid in them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded their mindes So God and Christ will and shal be worshipped although obscurely although not at Ierusalem nor among the scribes and pharises yet in the wildernes there shal be a Iohn Baptist or in some corner of the earth or other God will have his faitfull witnesses for this commaundement shall take place as long as God doth reigne although the tyrants of the earth obscure it this is most sure that his Gospell is an everlasting Gospell and God will keep it in some corner of the earth till the end of the world therefore raise up your hearts with joy although it be put downe in this or that place yet it shal be raysed again in an other quarter of the world it came from the East to us and we had it a long time and now it is going from us and God hath appoynted another place to receive it never shall God want a place to keep his ordinaunces let the world doe what they can to hinder it it is vaine for men to seeke to suppresse that which God will have kept 1. Tim. 6.15 Which in his times he shall shewe who is the blessed onely Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords HAving spoken of this description of God in generall now considering the order of the words we will come and speake of them in particular First let us speake of them in particular and first of Gods power then of his blessednes for the proof of this is sett down the contrarye order he named blessed first but he setts downe