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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80847	The peoples need of a living pastor: asserted and explained in a sermon, preached Novemb. 4. 1656. At the sad and solemn funerals of that late, learned, pious and eminently hopeful minister of the gospel, Mr. John Frost, batchelor in divinity, late fellow of St. Johns Colledge in Cambridge, and pastor of St. Olaves Hart-steeet [sic], London. Together with a narrative of his life and death. By Z. C. minister of the Word at Botolph-Aldgate, London.	Crofton, Zachary, 1625 or 6-1672.	1657 (1657)	Wing C6997; Thomason E909_1; ESTC R207455	39,189	68

THE PEOPLES NEED OF A LIVING PASTOR Asserted and explained in a SERMON Preached Novemb. 4. 1656. At the sad and solemn Funerals of that late learned pious and eminently hopeful Minister of the Gospel Mr. John Frost Batchelor in Divinity late Fellow of St. Johns Colledge in Cambridge and Pastor of St. Olaves Hart-steeet LONDON TOGETHER WITH A Narrative of his Life and Death By Z. C. Minister of the Word at Botolph-Aldgate London ACT. 20.38 Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake that they should see his face no more LONDON Printed by E. Cotes for Thomas Parkhurst at the Three Crowns over against the great Conduit at the lower end of Cheapside 1657. To the Inhabitants in the Parish of Olaves Hart-street London Gentlemen and Christian Friends I Know not to whom the inscription of this ensuing Discourse can more properly belong then to your selves the occasion of it being the sad Funerals of your deceased Pastor it being spoken specially in your ears and designed to affect your hearts and direct you to a serious Christian endevour under and improvement of so sad a providence To you therefore I do present it not doubting your readinesse to patronize and defend it of which had I no testimony of respects to my self yet that high respect you did bear to your late hopefull and learned Pastor witnessed by your importunate desires of him eminent delights in and unexpected union under his Ministry with your sorrowfull celebration of his Funerals and the importunate desires of many among you to read these Observations when you had heard them doth give me good assurance The scope of the following discourse was and yet is to inform your judgements of the necessity of Ministers life and so to affect your hearts with Ministers death directing your mournings to be from a right Principle that so they may regularly stream into their due measure and proportion and proper end you must know every Minister falls under a double notion as in his life so in his death as a man and as a Minister in the one a member of humane society in the other a main Pillar of Christianity in both he is desireable whilst living and deplorable when dead But you must know Nature entertains him under the one and Grace under the other Men are apt to admire acute parts profound judgement amiable carriage and learned language where they find it but never regard the Office in which a Minister stands and Authority by which he acts in his place no this is the work of Grace for it is religion must teach men to receive a Prophet in the name of a Prophet and to account of Ministers as the Ambassadors of Christ and to esteem them living and dying for their work sake Whilest I would not deny you the liberty of your lamenting your losse in your late Minister by reason of his naturall parts and endowments which I have noted to have been great I would desire in speciall to find your sorrow Christianized seizing on your spirit from the consideration of him as a Minister spirituall Guide and Father and so witnessing that you lived under his Instructions as under the word of God not of man and indeed under this notion you have much cause to lament him for that he was unto his Ministry excellently qualified in it very industrious and of the duties imposed on him by vertue of his Ministry very consciencious for your good And his death under this consideration is the sad Symptome of Gods displeasure and of smarting influence on your Congregation I have for some years observed your carriage in this case in reference to a Minister your selves know and I hope yet remember your sad divisions and smarting distractions into which you fell on a Ministers relinquishing his work among you God was pleased to cement all and settle you in peace and unity and good tendency to order by your now deceased Pastor by whose death you are again liable to the like danger I pray that you may be warned and preserved from it and that you may lay to heart this hand of providence in the losse not only of a man excellently qualified but a Minister of the Gospel very hopefull in and to the Church of God to which end I intreat your serious reading of this following Sermon and if it prove in any thing effectuall give God the praise and that shal be the honour of him who unfainedly condoles your losse and praying that the Lord may make up this breach among you remains Yours in all neighbourly Offices in the work of the Gospel Zach. Crofton To the READER Courteous Reader THere is not a truer Maxim in Nature then that Man passeth away like a shadow and vanisheth like smoke as the flower of the field it to day flourisheth and to morrow withereth Nor a truer Principle in Divinity then that the Prophets do not live for ever These are both of them witnessed daily not only by audible voice of Mourners for the dead but also visible objects spectacles of Mortality Death is a condition so common and inevitably certain to the Sons of men that neither age nor excellent endowments can stave it off but young and old fools and wise men are followeed to the Grave An evident and undeniable testimony hereof is eminently hopefull Mr. John Frost Being 30 years old who in his youth strength of dayes and sparklings of glory is fallen to the dust and thereby calls for the discharge of duty due to dead men viz. mourning for him and memoriall of him both which as they are commended by us by the counsels and constant practise of the wisest Heathen not affected with a Stoicall stupidity and senselesse apathy so also by Scripture if Moses or Samuel die all Israel must mourn and the Holy Ghost will dictate the memoriall of them Jer. 16.5 Ezek. 24.23 Jer. 22. It is a judgement threatned against the wicked they shall not be mourned for and their memoriall shall perish from the earth but the remembrance of the righteous shall be blessed it is their priviledge to die lamented God takes notice of it as lasie that the righteous perish and no man layeth it to heart Yet it is the common guilt of our age to let the Prophets die without lamentation nay amongst too many with high insultations for their death God hath of late taken from us many a Samuel and Paul and hopefull Timothy and yet our Israel are not affected with it nor in themselves afflicted for them they mourn not over them nor mind the memoriall of them Certainly the great cause of this evil is insensibility of their worth and serviceablenesse and our own want of their Ministrations As a cure therefore to this cause this Discourse is put into thy hands let me intreat thy serious reading of it and second thoughts about the necessity of Ministers lives for the Churches good And certainly if there be in thee any measure of Grace

being and affectionate sorrow for their loss are the duties by which we witness with the Apostle that they abide in the flesh is more needful for the Church my next exhortation is to my brethren in the Ministry Exhort 2. to Ministers and to my self Let us so carry as to witness our sense that our death might be our gain but life our peoples advantage our affection towards the Church for whose good we are appointed must not only bring us into a straight what to chuse but must cast the scales of our thoughts and constrain us to say and confess that it is more needful for them that we abide in the flesh To this end we must 1. Carefully preserve our lives for the Churches good not casting our lives away it is indeed true if the cause of Christ and the Gospel call for them Act. 20.24 we must not count our lives dear but readily lay them down but yet our care must be to preserve our lives in the due use of all lawful means and prevent where we can do it without sin our sufferings and death and that we must do with the more care for the Churches good 2 Conscionably lay out your lives for the Churches good not sparing our pains in our Ministerial duties for fear of hastning our end the Ministery is the end of our life and our life is the only time of our work let us therefore work and that with diligence the night is coming when we cannot work it is good to check our fainting in Gods work through fear of approaching death with the answer of famous Dr. Rainolds nec propter vitam vivendi perdere finem and say with the Apostle 2 Cor. 12.15 we are willing to spend and be spent for you we are lamps lighted up that we may be wasted in giving light to others now that God hath taken off another painful labourer the work lieth the more heavy on our hands let us not loyter but improve lively the time and the strength we do enjoy lest our studies affections and endevou●s be anticipated by our death sed verbum sat sapienti Lastly I shall speak a word Exhort 3. to the Parish and but a word to you of this Parish and Congregation on whom in special God hath made the breach by the death of this reverend and learned Minister Mr. Fenten and Mr. John Frest within these two years God hath removed two very eminently hopeful instruments of his glory and his Churches good you cannot but see the footsteps of a furious God in these sad providences I pray God sanct●fie them to you and let me intreat you as convinced of the truth of the Doctrine and in special that it had been more needful for you that this your reverend and hopeful Pastor had abiden in the flesh carefully to discharge these duties Direct 1 1. Lament your lesse it is great to the Church it is greater to you your particular edification under his Ministry made him a blessing to the body you were objects of his especial care study and qualifications and constant subjects of his able and holy administrations of the Mysteries of God and salvation if he be layed to heart abroad and not lamented at home it will be the scandal of his name but the sin and shame of your souls But some may be ready to object and say Sir Why should we so much lament the losse of this Minister he was but a man as we are and must die and though he be gone we can soon get another Answ This objection is too full of stupidity and profaneness to deserve an answer yet let me say to it thus much 1. Though the temptation be common he was a man and mortal yet the breach is present you are a people without a Pastor your shepherd is smitten and you must needs be scattered were it not a stupidity would make nature blush to see a wife senslesly nay and sensually interre a deceased husband rendring this reason that he was mortall she may have another so God loseth the end and effect of the present smart and breach 2. Pitiful distractions and divisions may overtake you before you enjoy another Mr. Carter since dead when you were to fix one on the late resignation of a Minister you know what distractions and divisions you run into before you did agree in this your late Minister you did agree I pray God his death do not subject you to new divisions 3. You may obtain another but not easily such another Mr Frost was not ordinary as you shall hear anon you lie open to seducers Wolves in sheeps cloathing among us abound and may if not wisely prevented become your leaders unto ruine nay you may enjoy a lawful and pious Minister but he may want Mr. Frosts parts and prudence learning and piety 4. It is not with souls as with calves that change of pasture should make them fat Botolph Aldgate Sept. 15 1656. but of boyes change of School-masters make them backward in their learning it was his own note at my Church in the late morning exercise the word preached doth not profit because the hearer keeps not fixed to the preacher another must study your temper and disposition lay foundation work for Catechising and principling in Religion before he proceed to edifying dispensations this he had done intending to leave principles and carry you forward if God would but it is evident God will have you yet back again If then you are any way sensible of Gods hand and serious in reference to your own good you see cause to lament your loss Direct 2 Let your lives and conversations now he is dead witness that it had been more needful for you that he had continued in the flesh your union in him your resorting to him your acceptance of him and attendance on his Ministry did witness the necessity of his life among you there now wants the piety of your lives as an evidence of your proficiency in grace under his Ministry to witness it let me tell you Christians he did travel in birth to have Christ formed in you he studied the keeping of your affections for the good of your souls he delighted in your free and forward attentions to his Ministry it was his comfort on his death-bed So much he did declare that he had preached to you the Doctrine of the Scriptures and your duty to search them from Joh. 5.39 for he believed it seized on your hearts as he preached take heed you do not frustrate his hope and witness to the world you loved to hear him but would not do what he said when he shall meet you in the judgement of Jesus Christ how heavy will it be to you that he shall see you deceived his hopes and he laboured in vain among you your practice on what he preached will make all to say What pity was it Mr. Frost lived not longer at the Crouched Fryers 3.

Gospel Ministers with which our Age and City abounds the many opportunities that might be taken to destroy them I can not but admire that a Gospel Minister should die in his bed but we see very fully that God esteems the lives of his Ministers at an high rate and it is no marvel for they are his servants his Embassadors and instruments of his Churches good as we shall note anon and therefore the prayers of the people is the Preachers guard I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you Philemon 22. Argum. 2 2. As Gods esteem of so also Satans envy at Ministers lives is an evident argument of their absolute necessity in the Church of God for Satan is the adversary envying the Churches good and alwaies endevouring to deprive them of things needful that thereby he may destroy them and constrain them to renounce the profession of Christ and his truth to their utter ruine 1 Pet. 5.8 the Devil is that roaring lion who daily goeth about seeking whom he may devour he is the malicious red Dragon who pursueth the woman into the Wilderness Revel 11. and he and his Angels maketh war against Michael and his Angels he erects his Synagogue where ever God builds his Church and knowing that these two cannot stand together studieth how to hinder Gods Temple from going forward and being built to perfection and finding Ministers to be labourers both stout and skilful in the work of the Lord against them he levels all his malice and improves his power policy to put a period to their lives and so their abilities and endevours saying in all Ages Nehem. 4. as Tobiah and Sanballat the Arabians Ammonites and Ashdodites Let us conspire and hinder the work even by cruelty we will go up against them they shall not know nor see till we come in the midst among them and slay them and cause the work to cease constraining the builders in Gods Temple to be working warriours to labour in their armour with their swords gird to their sides and spears in the one hand and trowels in the other craft in the Church of God without cruelty against faithful Ministers could never effect the Devils design hence he is a subtle seducer of souls from the truth until he gain power into his hand and then by bloudy persecution he ever proclaims open war and pursueth with fire and sword specially bending his force at the Ministers of the Church thus he did in all the apostasies of Israel unto idolatry giving cause of Elijah his complaint The children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thine Altars and slain thy Prophets and I even I only am escaped 1 King 19.10 in all the Ages of the Churches of the Jewes the false prophets ever studied to cut off the lives of the true Prophets and contracted that grievous guilt on the whole nation of the Jewes and City of Jerusalem with which our Saviour upbraids them Mat. 23.27 O Jerusalem that killest the Prophets and slayest them that are sent unto thee and as this was his course under the Law we shall finde he forsook it not under the Gospel with what envy may we observe him acted towards the life of our Lord Jesus Christ the great Prophet of Gods Church when his temptation would not succeed to draw him into sin and so to destroy the design of our redemption how doth he maliciously engage against him to put an end to his daies Mat. 2. exciting Herod to the cruel murther of all the Infants from two years old and under in Bethlehem Melius est Herodis esse porcum quam filium Macrob. and the coasts thereabout not sparing his own son giving Augustus Caesar cause to say It were better to be Herods swine then son and that to the end so eminent an author of future good might have been cut off before he could work nipped in the bud and crushed in the shell And all the time of his appearance in the earth what counsel and conspiracies against his life what rage and malice was continually exprest how many times may we observe they would have layed hands on him and durst not for the multitude would have stoned and violently put him to death if he had not miraculously conveyed himself from them and yet they never rested until they crucified the Lord of glory and as they dealt with the Master so also they persecuted his servants with those very death-threatning dangers foretold by our Saviour to attend his Disciples daily and bloudily persecuting the lives of the Apostles on this very ground they taught the people and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead Act. 4.2 Which of the Apostles of our Saviour did the Devil suffer to die a natural death nay he did not so much as exempt James the Just though a man beloved by the people but brought him to a violent death to the very detestation of all men and as it was thus in the first Age of the Church may we not trace all the Ages of the Church and finde the Devils design to destroy the Church of God by cutting down faithful Ministers what shall we mention to you the many pious and grave Bishops of the Church that suffered under Pagans and the constant curious search that was made for Ministers to bring them to their death As was Athanasius for the death of Arsenius hidden by the Arrians of purpose to destroy the good Bishop nay and if any do but read the persecution of the Arrians and Donatists what an enmity is observable against Ministers lives the orthodox Bishops and Ministers are the men especially hated maliciously accused as guilty of murthers and villanies deserving death cruelly banished and put to death Alphonsus Diazius not being able to reduce his brother John Diazius from advancing the truth never rested until he murthered him nay if we come nearer what shall we say of the Popish persecutions principally directed against Luther Calvin Latimer Ridley Cranmer and famous reforming Ministers The time would fail to tell you the stories which might clearly manifest the Devils envie at the lives of godly Ministers and witness to the Church that Ministers are no less needful to them and useful among them then Alexanders demand of the Orators out of Athens did witness them to be Athenian guards as Mastiffs are the defence of the flock against the fury of the Wolves and so engage every Christian to esteem the life of Ministers Argum. 3 3 As Gods esteem of and the Devils envy at the lives of godly Ministers do witness their lives to be needful to the Churches good so also doth the expressed experiences of Gods Saints and people in all Ages who upon their own experimental observation are constrained to say with the Apostle nevertheless it is more needful for us that you live they see the sundry dangers to which the Church of God is obnoxious and the several

services wherein the faithful Ministers are useful for their good they want counsel and correction and find Ministers qualified for and appointed unto such an end and hence whilest others envy they esteem them whilest others destroy they endevour to defend them and whilest others do rejoyce in their death they lay it to heart and sadly lament it by three eminent expressions the people of God have ever witnessed their experience of Ministers lives to be needful to the Church of God 1. Providing for their safety 2. Praying to God in the time of their danger 3. Praising God for their deliverance First they express their experience of the need of a living Minister and that by providing for their safety in a time of danger as the instruments of Satan hath in all Ages sought the ruine so the people of God have ever studied the preservation of the life of a godly Minister The good Kings of Judah were no less solicitous for the safety and comfort of the Priests and Levites then the idolatrous Kings were severe in seeking their destruction and with the Princes of Israel will study to hide Jeremiah the Prophet and Baruch the Scribe from the wrath of Jehoiakim the King that would destroy them Jer. 36.19 and to deliver them from the violence of such as would put them to death pleading in their behalf and powerfully withstanding vulgar violence which would destroy them Prov. 26.16 17 18. And by this very course we shall finde that Nicodemus gave testimony of the necessity of our Saviours life pleading for him among the Pharisees Joh. 7.50 51. And the Saints at Damascus gave this experience of the sense of this want of St. Paul's life when discerning his danger they let him down by the wall in a basket Act. 9.25 Many are the eminent and remarkable instances recorded in the Ecclesiastical story of Christians care to provide for the safety of Ministers in times of dangers Heathen Emperors did not more destroy them then Christian Emperors defend them Constantine herein became a reall nursing father to the Church cherishing and comforting the poor persecuted Bishops he waged war against Licinius his co-partner in the Empire Socrates Scholast hist lib. 1. cap. 4. Greek 3. translat because he decreed that the Bishops should not discourse of Christianity to the Gentiles and thereupon raised persecution against them The Princes of Bohemia were the Patrons of John Hus and Jerome of Prague and the Duke of Saxony of Luther when their lives were pursued by Papal power and not only shall we finde men in place but also common people according to their capacity providing for the safety of their Ministers three daies was Polycarpus hidden by the people when sought for by the bloudy persecutors and when Chrysostome was to be sent to Jerusalem the Prefect of Antioch was constrained by a sleight to convey him away for fear of the people and when to be banished from Constantinople the people plead for him with a Satius est ut Sol no● luceat quam Chrysostomus non doceat better we want the sun to shine then Chrysostome to teach and they watch his house night and day the holy Pastor is fain to steal into banishment lest the peoples affection betraies the City into commotion What shall we say of the people of Alexandria confessing for their Bishop Athanasius against the Arrians but among many others eminent is the example the people in Merindol and Cabriers who when by the Parliament of Provence they with their whole town and families were decreed to be destroyed sent away their Ministers that they might escape in safety and admirable was the counsel of the Waldenses to the Bohemians in the heat of persecution to have an especial care of their Ministers that they might maintain a succession Time would fail me to multiply the many remarkable examples of peoples care towards their Ministers pleading their cause hiding their persons defending their lives to the utmost of their power and when they can do no more expediting their flight and hasting to give them warning of imminent and impending dangers crying vigorously as the Senator of Hale to Brentius Fuge fuge Brenti cito citius citissime be gone be gone with all speed lest danger overtake thee and certainly this exceeding provision for their safety is an evident expression of their experience that it is to them needful that they abide in the flesh Secondly When the Saints cannot provide they pray for the safety of their Ministers and ce●●●●nly the prayers of the people of God are expressions of their sense they wrestle not with God for things of no moment and value prayer it is a most serious and solemn duty and also signifies the sensible and restless desires of the souls suing for such blessings with greatest fervor that are found of greatest need the sting of the Church her sorrow which gives strength to her heaven-piercing prayers is our Prophets are all gone Psal 74.9 the want of a faithful Minister is many time the woe of heart to a wicked man Job 33.19 20 21 22 23. when he is chastened with pain upon his bed and the multitude of his bones with strong pain then a messenger one of a thousand is very desireable how many that in health would have been the death of a Minister on their sick beds seek to them and when they come to die pray for them pinching perplexity will convince Saul so far of the want of a Prophet of God that it will provoke when he hath no hope to speed with God to complain to the very Devil I am sore distressed and God is departed from me and answereth me no more no not by Prophets 1 Sam. 28.15 How much more do the people of God who are sensible of and subjected to ministerial priviledges pray to God to preserve their lives you shall finde that when Herod the King stretched forth his hand to kill James and imprison Peter the poor Christians that had no other weapons betake themselves to God by prayers and tears and importuned till they obtained the life of Peter Act. 12. and St. Paul having escaped some eminent death-threatning danger in Asia directs the glory of it unto the prayers of the Christians as his only guard by civine grace 2 Cor. 1.10 11. Who delivered 〈◊〉 from so great death you helping with your prayers and to the prayers of the Saints he flies as his fence in time of danger as in Phil. 1.19 and Phil. 22. I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you Tertullian Apologizing for the Christians noteth that in all their dangers prayer was their refuge Preces fundimus coelum tundimus misericordiam extorquemus we besiege heaven for mercy and wrestle till we prevail Te supastitem faciat mihi Deus hoc peto v●lo fiat voluntas mea amen When Luther came to visit M●conius being very sick and considering how useful he had been in the

engaged ever on his Embassie and enjoying fellowship with the Father and the Son we may well think their Ministry must needs succeed unto that end mentioned 1 Joh. 1.3 That your fellowship may be with us and our fellowship is with the Father and Son and never can any lose by communion with Gods Ministers they are observant of all kindnesses studious of requital speaking the language of the man of God to the Shunamite Thou hast been careful for us with all this care what is now to be done unto thee 2 King 4.13 They have an affectionate spirit of prayer by which they obtain blessings of God for men they have authority and commission to blesse in the name of the Lord and that which is above all they have a tender Master that blesseth every family where Joseph dwels and every house of Obed Edom where the Arke abides that resents kindly every courtesie that is conferred on his Ministers promising a ministerial reward to a cup of cold water to them given and assuring that such as receive them receive him Mat. 10.40 You have seen that singularly good is the society of Gods Ministers now it is life only that gives liberty of this society there is no communion of persons nor communication of graces in the grave the dead know nothing saith Eccles 9.5 and when David was shut out of communion he counts himself as one among the dead death destroyeth all communicative power the living communicate not to the dead nor the dead to the living dearest relations when dead are not hence the qualifications with which friends are endowed and communion whilest living lie on surviving friends as a sad aggravation of their sorrow over their death Seeing then that death doth deprive of society so desirable and delightful so honourable and profitable when it takes from the Church a faithful Minister is it not much more needful that they abide in the flesh Reas 2 Secondly as the life of a faithful Minister is necessary for society sake so also in that it giveth liberty of service in and for the Church life is the principle of promotion and power enabling to every action and when death depriveth of it it puts a period to all proceedings in duty to God or service to his people It is the living the living that praise God and preach to his people but the dead make no mention of his name The Ministers of God are eminently serviceable and their service exceeding necessary to the Church of God whilest they do live they are qualified with parts and power for the good of the Church abilities and authority unto the administrations of Gospel ordinances for the edification of the Church of God and in generall they are of as much necessity to the Church of God as Labourers in harvest time Fishermen in a town or city Stars and glorious lights in their orbes Watchmen in a garrison of war Guides to pilgrims in a strange countrey Rulers in a Common-wealth Nurses nay Fathers in a family that if life giving liberty to these to be serviceable in their stations be needful to them then is it needful to the Church of God that Ministers abide in the flesh for the faithful Minister is qualified to all these offices given of Christ to these several ends and authorised to those intents and purposes and to many more which I cannot stand to mention but more particularly the faithful Minister is qualified for and authorised to these four especial acts of service which whilest he lives he performes to the good of the Church Curb the domineering of sin Contradict and convince of damning errors Counsel the dark and dubious soul to duty Comfort the desponding spirit in misery The first service of a living Minister is to curb the domineering af sin 1. Service of a living Minister sin is subtle and not easily detected and impudent and not easily restrained but the Minister is appointed to study the fallacies and detect the deceits thereof and is to rebuke with all authority that disorder and profaneness may be ashamed and blush nay and as they are hereunto appointed so they are qualified with wisdom gravity zeal meekness and power to this end sin is ordinarily ashamed and the sinner afraid of a faithful godly Ministers presence not only are the godly whose spirits are acted by supernatural grace awed by the observance and rebukes of their sin by a living Minister but many times those that are wicked disorderly and unruly void of the fear of God are restrained by his presence and ashamed that their sin should come to his cognizance It 's very observable to this purpose what is spoken of Joash the King 2 Chron. 24.2 He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the daies of Jehoiadah the Priest but in vers 17 18. when Jehoiadah was dead he left the house of the Lord God of his fathers and served Idols nay the losse of this good Priest was the losing of a bridle to a brutish profane spirit which now rushed into sin without any restraint untill he slew Zachariah his son The grand divisions and gross disorders and profanenesses which did arise in the Church of Corinth did generally spring from that pride and profane tumor which grew in Diotrephes and others on a sense of the Apostles absence and perswasion he would return to them no more as is evident in 1 Cor. 4.18 19. Some are puffed up as if I would not come unto you and 3 Joh. 9 10. We finde men have much need of that exhortation in Phil. 2.12 As ye have obeyed in my presence do it much more in my absence Ministerial presence doth by plain discovery piercing rebukes and powerful censures of and for sin much curb and restrain it filling the sinner with shame and many times constraining them to cry out as did the wicked conspirators against Athanasius they could not work their wickedness because of the good Bishop Ministers presence laying no less check on mens spirits and lusts then the fathers eye layeth on a wanton childe but when they are once dead then doth iniquity break out as a land floud and run with force and violence if Moses be but apprehended by the people as so gone that they look for him no more they will make Idol calves and cast off the worship of the true God Secondly As a living Minister doth curb sin so also he is serviceable to contradict and convince of damning errors in doctrine which destroy the very foundations of Christanity The constitution of Gospel Ministry gave a check to heathen oracles constraining the Devil to complain Christianity hinders his Oracles from speaking such is the skill of a faithful Minister in the discovery of the truth and dexterity to defend it to the stopping of the mouthes of the gainsayer and authority in warning the people against false doctrines and seducers that false teachers many times lie lurking in the bosome of the Church and dare

not appear to advance their damned errors nor to assemble their followers of this St. Paul had clear experience and expressed his knowledge of it to the Elders of the Church at Ephesus Act. 20.29 30. For I know that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock and of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things and drawing away disciples after them the zeal of a faithful Minister in defending the truth and condemning all falsities doth anticipate the Devils design that errors cannot spread and enrage his instruments to study the ruine and death of them Elijah his zeal will not suffer Israel to follow and worship Baal the false Prophets cannot prevail if Micaiah and Jeremiah be at liberty the Arrians cannot spread their blasphemies unless Athanasius and the Divines teaching the Doctrine of one substance be exiled many are the remarkable instances of the contradictions and convictions of horrid Heresies by the Fathers of the Church with which Ecclesiastical story abounds hence it comes to pass that all Heresies end in and are advanced by persecution for the enmity of truth and falshood is irreconcilable and herein some of Gods Ministers are more instrumental to the Church of God then others as they are more eminently qualified by God and nature for such knotty and controversial work thus Athanasius was of all the contestors for the truth of one substance accounted the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bulwark of truth and of all the first reformers of Christian Religion none obtained the title of Conqueror of the world save only Luther and lastly we may observe the insultations and triumphs of seducers from the truth at and for the death of faithful Ministers with their free and forward publication of their damned Doctrines when they conceive there is none that will or can oppose them and their opinions saying as Flaccius Osiander when Luther was dead in the bold oppugning of the doctrine of Justification by faith alone Leonem mortuum esse c. the Lion was dead and he cared not for the Foxes meaning Melancthon and and others as an evident testimony that their false doctrines cannot spring under Ministerial air and this engaged the Apostles to write the Doctrines they had preached with many a charge that the Christians should hold it fast that they might have it in remembrance when they were dead 2 Pet. 1.15 and that they might earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints Jude 2. For that when the faithful Minister is once dead he can neither warn the people instruct the seduced flock convince the gainsayer nor reject the Heretick or use any other means to stay the spreading of error and for the safety of the Church Thirdly As the living Minister doth curb sin and contradict error so also he is serviceable to counsel unto duty every dark and dubious soul in this respect the covenant of God is with them and the Priests lips must preserve knowledge 1 Pet. 4.11 and the people must seek the Law at his mouth Mal. 2.7 the Ministery of the Gospel is as the Oracles of God under the Law unto which men must have recourse in all straights and doubts and by which they must be resolved When the strife is great at Antioch about the Jewish ceremonies an appeal must be made to the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem Act. 15. and there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 determined decrees must be the guidance of every Christian and all the Churches of God and what ever doubt is in the Church of Corinth St. Paul must be sought unto and determine it hence Ministers are called lights in darkness and guides in deserts to the people of God The Levites were scattered in all the tribes of Israel and had their houses near the Synagogues that the people might on all occasions resort to them for counsel and advice in matters of doubt and difficulty the people resorting to Calvin for counsel by colloquy in private was one means that was observed to waste his spirits and weaken his nature and hasten his end and in in respect of this special service the people of God have cause to lament the death of a faithful Minister as did the Jewes in their captivity Our Prophets are all gone there is none to tell us how long or as Saul over Samuel The Lord is departed and answereth me not by a Prophet Fourthly As a living Minister doth curb sin contradict error and counsel unto duty so also he is serviceable to comfort the desponding soul in a day of danger and distress he is the messenger one of a thousand Job 33.23 sent by God to shew unto man his uprightness when he is pained on his bed and perplexed in his thoughts and to this end the covenant of peace between God and man is in his mouth and the supporting sealing Sacraments are in his hand and authority given to him in the name of the Lord to chear the soul and pronounce pardon of sin and it is charged on them to comfort the mourners in Zion and they are qualified with skill to binde up the broken hearted and to heal the wounded spirit by speaking a word in season to a wearied soul so that the death of a faithful Minister may make the Church to complain as Lam. 1.16 The comforter which should relieve my soul is far from me Whosoever then seeth a necessity of sin to be checked error contradicted doubtful souls counselled and desponding spirits to be comforted and that this service is imposed on the Ministers of God and life to be the twelve hours in which this work must be done death to be the night in which no man worketh must needs conclude that the Minister abide in the flesh is absolutely needful We have done with the Doctrinal part of this observation and have given you by arguments and Reasons to see that the lives of faithful Ministers are of absolute necessity to the Church of God give me now leave to winde up all in one word of application and to pass by all other uses that might be inferred I shall only improve it by way of exhortation Let it then exhort every one of us in our proper places to carry toward the Ministers of the Word as convinced that their life and abode in the flesh is more needful for us It is our shame and sin that we carry towards living I and dead Ministers as if at the best they were indifferencies and matters of conveniencies in the enjoyment of which we seem to be little better and in the want of them nothing worse they are certain spangling ornaments but not essential to any society whatsoever in the enjoyment of them our being is something more honourable but in the want of them we retain our being with as much compleatness and certainty as needs so that the Ministers are to most that carry it fairly in the Church glorious superfluities that may well