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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	church_n	pastor_n	teacher_n	2,892	5	9.1963	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96329	The danger of greatnesse: or Uzziah his exaltation and destruction: set forth in a sermon preached before the Right Honourable the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, and the reverend Assembly of Divines, in the church of Martins in the Fields, the 14th day of January, 1645. being a speciall day of humiliation set apart to seek God, for his direction in the setling of the great worke of church-government. / By Jeremiah Whitaker, a member of the Assembly of Divines.	Whittaker, Jeremiah, 1599-1654.	1646 (1646)	Wing W1711; Thomason E316_1; ESTC R200519	42,588	49

restored to his dying day the text sayes expresly he was a leper till the day of his death Some inquire why did not the Prophets pray for his recovery for in his time lived Isay Hosea Amos c. why did not they lift up their supplication unto the Lord for the healing of so sad a breach Abulens in H. L. And it is answered though the Prophets were desirous to pray yet it is possible they were forbid that there was a prohibition unto them like unto that which was not long after unto Ieremiah Pray not thou for this people Ier. 7.16 neither lift up thy cry for them or They might pray and yet God would not grant for though the Lord be a God ever hearing the prayers of his servants yet his hearing of requests is not alwaies by granting the things requested God may deny in mercy and grant in fury God can give meats to sinners for their lusts but when the meat is in their mouths the wrath of God comes upon them and flayes the fattest of them and God may deny in mercy Moses prayes to enter into Canaan and is denied yet enters into the rest whereof Canaan was but a type Paul prayes thrice that the messenger of Satan the thorn in the flesh might be removed God answers my strength is sufficient for thee and my power is made perfect in weaknesse Sixthly Some thinke that this very blow broke his heart and that he never lifted up his head after this casting down Iosephus sayes Ioseph he died 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that could not enjoy the good of comfort without swelling was not notable to endure the evil of discomfort without fainting What is all this to us Quest. 3 What if Vzziah transgressed very much against the Lord and what if the Lord was sore displeased with him Do you not thinke in your conscience that there is a great difference bewixt the state of the Church then under Moses and the state of the Church now in times of the Gospel Were there not 1. many ordinances then and 2. transgressions of those ordinances 3. punishments of God upon those transgressions which are all now done away in Christ Those divers worships and carnall ordinances being imposed on the Jew till the time of Refirmation and that bringing in of a better hope What is this to us For answer hereunto Sol. 1. May not this example cry to you as the Church doth in the day of her calamity Lament 1.12 Is it nothing to you all ye that passe by behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow Why is this precedent left upon record All these things happened to them for ensamples 1 Cor. 10.11 and they are writ for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come 2. Consider he was a man a professour an eminent Governour honoured of the Lord admired of the people yet he transgressed very much Chrysostome admites that a man so pious a Prince so prudent should so sadly miscarry that he who had attained so many victories caused all his enemies to flee or fall before him now himself in the height of his eminency should fall and not be able to recover 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quia potiur nihil hic esse debet dignum haefitatione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homo res ad peccandum lubrica Chrysostome 1 Cor. 10.13 I wonder and stand amazed at it But he answers himself and that answer may be something to us Surely saith he upon second thoughts there is no such cause or wonder Vzziah was wise and godly yet he was a man And what is man but a poor creature dark and slippery a thing prone to transgresse and every moment ready to run upon his own ruin If he because clothed with humane nature was subject to infirmities consider your selves that ye also are in the same body not freed from this or any temptation that is common to men and what man ever left to himself was able to keep himself from any transgression Wherefore saith the Spirit let him that thinketh he standeth take heed left he fall We easily confesse we may transgresse Quest for what man is he that sins not But yet if all these ordinances which then obliged the conscience be not done away and long since ceased and if there be no such rule under the Gospel then we can never sin this sin of Vzziah nor consequently need we be afraid of his judgement for surely where there is no law there can be no transgression Is there any rule now in times of the Gospel hath Christ left any rule in the word touching Government Is there any platform yure divino if there be we would gladly see it and if there be not then is it not left unto Christian prudence They that say that every particular herein is so cleerly and so punctually determined Answ that nothing is left to Christian prudence following the generall rules which Christ hath left his Church They that hold this assertion had need to have cleerer grounds and more cogent arguments then yet have appeared to the best observation of many who have earnestly desired to see light herein and they that hold that nothing at all is determined in times of the Gospel how things should be ordered in the house of God but that all things are left to humane prudence seem to run upon an ●●●our equally as groundlesse and more dangerous then the former In this great question some things seem more clear others more disputable the things that are cleer I mean to sober spirits for to men that are schepticks and resolv'd to employ the eminency of their gifts not in being humble beleevers but rather to be among the high disputers of this world as the Apostle saith to the impure there is nothing pure but mindes and consciences are defiled so experience findes it true that nothing is so cleer but a wanton wit and an unhumble heart will count it darke or call it into question It times of the Gospel Position 1. Jesus Christ hath appointed some and not all to be Ministers dispensers of his ordinances stewards of the mysteries of Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 12.28 For besides that common rule grounded on experience that which is every mans worke usually proves no mans Ephes 4.8 11. the word of God is expresse God hath set some not all in the Church to be teachers Christ when he ascended up on high gave peculiar gifts unto men and he gave some not all to be Pastours and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the ministry for the edifying of that body of Christ and though these gifts and this calling be peculiar to some and not all yet the benefit is to redound to all v. 13. till we all come in that unity of faith and of that knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man Doth not that Scripture

expresly distinguish between those persons that are ●ought in the ward Gal. 6.6 and those who are teachers betwixt the shepherds and the sheep betwixt the Elders that feed the flock 1 Pet. 5.1 2. and those that are to be fed by them Was it the invention of man or the institution of Jesus that at Ephesus and Miletus Acts 10.17 there should be Elders of that Church who are commanded to take heed not only to themselves as other Christians but to all that flock whereof not only man but the holy Ghost hath made them overseers 1 Thes 5.12 ver 13. and to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood And if it be the command of the Gospel to all Saints as the Apostle saith to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them highly for their worke sake then it must needs be a sin against the Gospel to revile and scorn those who labour in the word and doctrine Heb. 13.7 whom God would have all beleevers to remember 1 Tim. 5.17 and to count worthy of double honour Those peculiar persons who ever they be that are dispensers of these misteries must be call'd unto Position 2. before they enter upon this worke For no man takes this honour to himself Heb. 5.4 but he that is call'd of God as Aaron was and those whom God calls must be persons qualified to this function 1. They must be gifted of God how can any conclude themselves to be sent of God when they are not gifted of God Are they fit to be Seers by office and take oversight of the flock who are altogether blinde in themselves If the blinde lead the blinde both fall into the ditch and therefore the Apostle observes that Christ after his ascension gave gifts to men and then he gave some to be Pastours and teachers Ephes 4.8 11. Secondly These called ones must be willing to be set apart and to lay out the gifts received in this great imployment to seed the flock of Christ taking the over sight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready minde 1 Pet. 5.2 Thirdly There gifts must be approved by men of judgement and such as are fitted with ability and authority to judge for if every man may be sole judge of his own gifts or they that are not gifted themselves be judges of the gifts of others then in a little time clerus Angliae will be found to be stupor mundi not in that sense wherein it was first meered but in the worst sense that can be imagined therefore we read that when the Apostles had preached the Gospel at Derbe and Lystra at Iconium and at Artioch confirming the souls of the Disciples and lest that worke should die when they departed before their departure they appoint Ministers to lead them on to perfection and they ordained them Elders in every City and prayed with fasting Act 14.23 and commended them to the Lord in whom they beleeved Those that are thus called sent have some peculiar charge and speciall trust committed to them Position 3. to teach exhort c. not only by way of fraternall charity which is common to Christians as Christians to be teaching and admonishing one another Col 3.18 1 Pet 5.3 2 Cor. 1.24 but in way of ministeriall authority ministeriall not as Lords over Gods heritage or as such as have dominion over your faith but as such as are helpers of your joy Yet is this Ministery accompanied with a speciall peculiar authority otherwise what is the meaning of those Scriptures 1. Why are they called not heirs of salvation which is the common yet high priviledge of all Saints but peculiarly the Ministers of Christ 1 Cor. 4.1 1 Tim. 3.5 2 Pet. 5.2 Acts 20.28 stewards of the misteries of God 2. Why are they said peculiarly to take eare of the Church of God to take over-sight of the flock that the holy Ghost hath made them overseers 3. Why are those speciall commands given to them to feed the flock of God among them to preach the word of God 2 Tim. 4.2 1 Tim. 5.20 to be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke with all long-suffering and doctrine and yet with all authority too and when men sin publikely and scandallously to rebuke them before all that others also may fear 4. Why are such threats denounced if they neglect this charge and in stead of feeding the flock feed themselves If this belong equally to all Christians why should any one say more then another Necessity is laid upon me and wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel If I do this willingly I have a reward 1 Cor. 9.16 17. but if against my will A dispensation is committed unto me how can any one say a dispensation is committed to me if no such peculiar dispensation be committed to any 1 Thes 5.12 Heb. 13.7 5. Why are there s● many rules given to Saints how to carry themselves towards them why are beleevers enjoyn'd to know to take speciall notice of them that labour amongst them ver 17. 1 Tim. 5.17 Gal. 6.6 to remember them that have the rule over them to obey them and submit themselves unto them to court them worthy of double honour to communicate to them in all good things 6. If no peculiar charge be committed to them more then to all professours why are they enjoyned to watch over the souls of others as those that must give an account which has made the hearts of consciencious Ministers in all times to quake and tremble for if he that offend one be in so sad a condition that it is better a millstone were hang'd about his head and himself cast into the midsts of the sea if so hard to watch over one to give an account for one Heb. 13 7. on how hard is it to give an account for others Surely if no peculiar care or charge be laid upon the Ministers of the Gospel then is the worke of the Ministry far easier then the best of men in all ages have imagined why was Basil so unwilling to undertake that function All those fears sorrows that invaded the heart of Chrysostome Vid. Chrysom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Chrysom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 6. whereby his body was weakned and his minde overwhelmed that he stood for a long time as a man astonished that could neither hear nor set nor speak and when he recovered himself he wept abundantly powred out his soul in tears Suppose we beleeve all this for herein God hath made this vision plain and these are not the particulars that seem doubtfull wherein we are met this day to seek direction of the Lord We easily grant that a speciall dispensation is committed to the Ministres But the question is What those great