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A45378 A burning and a shining light a sermon preached at the funeral of the late reverend Mr. James Wrexham, minister at Haversham in the county of Bucks / by John Hammat. Hammat, John, b. 1657 or 8. 1685 (1685) Wing H490; ESTC R9273 13,378 41

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We have says the Apostle this Treasure in earthen Vessels that the excellency of the Power might be of God and not of Man 2. Cor. 4.7 On therefore you that have good Ministers walk in their Light while they shine amongst you for you cannot enjoy them long they will be extinguished Zach. 1.5 Your Fathers where are they and the Prophets do they live for ever No they dye as other Men. Fourthly As they are called Candles because they will burn out so because they waste in giving Light their Spirits and Strength are exhausted in studying and preaching c. It was a great Comfort to our Bishop Jewel of blessed Memory when he was on his Death-Bed that his Body was wasted away in the Labours of his holy Calling the same we may say of our Brother He spent himself in the Work of the Ministry and as St. Austin desired that Death might arrest him aut precantem aut praedicantem either praying or preaching the Sickness that was the Death of our Brother seised him Praedicantem while he was preaching Jer. 6.29 30. The Bellows are burnt that is the Lungs of the Prophets The Lead is consumed of the Fire the Exhortations Affections c. of the Prophets by which they endeavoured to draw the People from their Sins as the Founder by Lead melteth the Silver in order to the purifying it from Dross Wo to those for whom they have been spent in vain Reprobate Silver shall Men call them for the Lord hath rejected them Fifthly and lastly Because there will be no need of Ministers in the Morning of the Resurrection as there is not of Candles when we have the Light of the Sun We expect a brighter time than this before the Resurrection when the Earth shall be filled with the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea which will be at the re-ingraffing of the Jews but it will not be day untill the Sun of Righteousness comes in the Clouds and therefore even then there will be need of Ministers otherwise God had not appointed as he hath that there should be Pastours and Teachers untill all the Elect are called and the Body of Christ perfected which will not be e're the end of the World Ephes 4.11 12 13. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come to the Vnity of the Faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ To boast that we are above Ordinances as some do e're the Body of Christ is perfected shews Ignorance and Pride and imputes imprudence to the All-wise God in ordering that there should be a Ministry till that time but then when the Body of Christ is edified the Ministry will cease all darkness will be dispelled we shall see Face to Face and know as we are known The second thing to be enquired into is why they are called burning Candles Ans It is because of the Zeal the fervour of their Affections by which they warm the cold benummed Affections of their People and kindle in them good Desires and Resolutions or rather the Spirit of God by them O that there are no more such Ministers How lifeless are the Souls of our People under our Ministry because we do not burn How can we expect that they should be affected with our Sermons when the Word of Life seems to dye in our cold and heartless preaching it Oh that God would fire our Affections that we might be instrumental to kindle good Affections in others I have read of a Man that gave this reason for his forsaking Paris that he perceived their Sermons were every day colder than other so that he feared if he tarried there longer he should be spiritually frozen to death I relate not this to justifie Separatists but to give a hint of the Mischief of careless preaching We want burning Ministers in this frozen Age. Plain Sermons preached with Affection will do more good than the most learned coldly delivered Eusebius tells us of a Heathen that came to an assembly of Bishops to discourse the Articles of Faith and when the learned'st of them looked one upon another fearing to encounter with him because of his acute Parts one esteemed the meanest for Learning with great Ardour of Affection told him that unless he believed in Father Son and Holy Ghost he should be damned and therefore it was in vain to cavil he must subject his carnal Reason to Faith which so wrought upon him that he embraced the Christian Religion and was baptized saying he could answer Reason with Reason but he could not resist the Authority with which that Bishop spake Lucerna ut luceat ardere debet we must burn that we might shine They who have not good Affections do not cannot give light to others into the most spiritual Mysteries of Christianity their Sermons are dry and jejune more like the Discourses of the Heathens than Gospel Sermons It is seldom that they touch upon the Vitals of Religion and when they do it 's superficial and insipid to a sanctified Sence neither do they shine in their Conversations for it is Zeal that makes a Person active for God The third thing to be enquired into is why they are called shining Lamps or Candles Ans It is because they give light by their Doctrine and Example The Learning of some is lost for want of Zeal and the good Affections of others for want of Knowledge and there are some Hypocrites that shine and seem to burn to have a concern for the Glory of God and Happiness of Souls in the Pulpit but darken the light of their Doctrine by their wicked scandalous Conversations Zeal without Knowledge is fitly compared to the Fire of Hell which hath Heat but no Light and they that have Learning and not Grace to the Toad who as Naturalists say hath a Jewel in his Head but Poyson in his Belly Theresore we must both burn and shine have Knowledge Zeal and a holy Conversation Appl. But alas alas are there not some that want a Head and more that want a Heart for God and O that I had not cause to say it too many that want both and are scandalous in their Conversations I know this Age hath afforded as many holy and learned Ministers as any but yet there are too few and therefore they have cause to lament from whom God hath taken a faithful Minister Oh what a Mercy is it to benighted Souls whose way is covered with Snares and who have a seducing Devil whom they are prone to follow to have a faithful Minister to call them when out of the way and shew them the Way of Life and light them along in it What a mercy is it to have a zealous Minister to warm our