common pollutions of his people It may bee therefore good counsell to all godly Ministers in the placing disposing of themselues not to enquire onely how good a liuing such and such a place is how wel seated how healthfull and beneficiall it will bee which are alas the common almost the onely questions now adayes but principally to regard what a people they be and how affected amongst whome they are to liue if godly and wel disposed or at least tractable and gentle willing to be taught theÌ„ lesse to regard other incommodities but if wicked and prophane or which is worse stubborne froward and vntractable then lesse to regard the greatest commodities certainly if this point be well considered of and how bitter it hath beene in the ende to many who haue not regarded it it will appeare that this is the best encouragement or discouragement the greatest commoditie or discommoditie and the best reason either to win a maÌ„ to a place or to drawe him from it how good soeuer it be otherwayes they that neglect this dutie and are led or misled rather with carnall and wordly respects how iust is it vpon theÌ„ when they are made to cry in the sorrowe of their soule Wâ—e is me I dwell in the midst of a people of polluted lippes And here such Ministers as haue poore liuings but good people let them not faint nor bee discouraged they haue more cause to blesse God then to be grieued for doubtlesse they are farre better theÌ„ those who haue great liuings and an euill people But as for those to whom God hath bene so good as to bestowe vpon them competent liuings and a willing and well disposed people let them thinke themselues double blessed of God and treble bound to honour God to doe good in his Church and if such men goe not before their brethren in al Ministerial care and dutie their fault is aboue al mens they make themselues vnworthy of so great mercies Againe if that a polluted people pollutes their Minister here is a good warning for al ministers to be wary choyse of their companie with whom they will most priuately conuerse for as on the one side they may not retire themselues into solitarinesse nor sequester theÌ„selues from all societie with their people which is rather a Cimicall and fantasticall then any way a religious practise so of all men are they to be most carefull that they doe not loosely and lauishly bestow themselues on all companies as too many doe in our Church to the great scandall therof who care not with whom they conuerse but all companies all places all times all sportes recreations al meetings all occasions are one with them but alas what maruel though such men keepe not theÌ„selues vnspotted of the world but proue too offensiue to their calling for seeing the best meÌ„ cannot liue with the best people but they shall receiue some contagion from them how carefully ought ordinary ministers to make difference of men and meetings times and places and not diffusedly carelesly to thrust themselues into all So doing shall they keepe their calling from much reproach preserue themselues from much pollution which otherwise from their polluted people they shal be sure to receiue And here people are to be admonished not too sharpely to censure their ministers though hee bee not so sociable with them all as it may bee many would expect for it concerns no man to be so warie of his company and his sports as it doeth the minister and if they would haue comfort and honour by their minister let them bee carefull into what recreations company they draw or desire him for the more polluted the people are amongst whom he liues the more carefull must he bee to keepe himself cleare from their pollutions Lastly here people are taught not to be too sharpe condemners of those ministers whose conuersations are not so vnblameable as were to be wished for as they liue ill generally the cause is because they liue amongst an il people Why then should they so much condemne them for such faults as wherein themselues haue made them faultie I say not but our Church and state and Ministerie are to censure such men and it were good they did it more but it is against all reason the people should do so wheras themselues are the cause of it For alas if this holy Prophet was a man of polluted lippes because hee dwelt with a people of polluted lippes what maruell then though ordinary Ministers be polluted with the common and vniuersall pollutions of their people People therefore are first of all to see that themselues bee well ordered and godly and then iustly may they complaine if the liues of their Ministers be not agreeable but otherwise it is not possible without very special grace of God but that a minister shal be more or lesse touched with those crimes which are the coÌ„mon faults of his people And lamentable experience daily lets vs see that where a people in a town is giuen to drunkennesse there the Minister is either so for company or at least too good a fellow where a people are giuen to contention there the Minister hath too many fuites where the people be Popish there the Minister is too superstitious where the people bee ignorant there the Minister is no great clarke where the people are giuen to any great sinne there the Minister generally is not cleare from the same pollution and it is seene that the best ministers most carefull of all doe complaine bitterly of the pollutions of their people for that how soeuer it may bee they escape partaking with their sins yet they alwayes finde at the least a dulling decaying of Gods graces in themselues where the people are vntoward and disobedient If therefore a Minister liues with such a people his case is pittifull and daungerous for he walkes in the midst of nets and snares which are layd for him on euery side and if he escape them I meane if hee keepe himselfe vnspotted in the midst of a spotted polluted people his care and his conscience is worthy both admiration and imitation and himselfe is worthy double honour as being both a zealous minister and a holy man But he whoÌ„ God hath blessed with a good and tractable people and wel affected to the worde and yet himselfe liueth loosely scandalously amongst them a heauy burden and a hard account lyeth on that minister and no rebuke is too rough no punishment too great no censure too sharpe for him And if this holy Prophet feare so much the presence of God for his small pollutions and yet liued amongst so wicked and polluted a people then what heauinesse and horror shall bee heaped on his soule who cares not with how foule pollutions his life be stained and yet liueth amongst a godly wel disposed people And thus wee haue
encouragement for all Pastors and Ministers of Gods Church to labour painfully faithfully in their places for the goodnesse of the Lord will neuer faile them nor shall they want comfort when euer they stand in neede thereof Yea rather shall Angels from heauen be their helpes and comforters then faithfull Ministers shall be left destitute Hitherto of the second generall points namely of the Prophets consolation The third and last generall point is the renouatiou of the Prophets commission in the eight part of the ninth verses and it containeth 3. parts 1. A question or inquirie made by God When shall I send and who shall goe for vs 2 The answere of the Prophet Here am I send me 3 The commission renued vnto him The Lord said Goe and speake vnto this people The first part is a question made by God by way of proclamation wherein he enquireth who shall goe preach vnto this people Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying whom shall I send and who shall gae for vs In which Proclamation and inquirie of the Lord we are not to imagine that the Lord was either vnprouided of such as should execute his will or knewe not who were able or who were willing to goe preach his word For as the Apostle saith in the matter of Election The Lord knoweth whr are his so much more in particular vocations The Lord knoweth who are his and neede not to aske whom shall I send or who shall goe But then it may be demanded why the Lorde saith so I answere not for his owne sake but for ours whom hereby he would instruct in diuers points of holy doctrine First hereby he would giue vs to vnderstand how hard a thing it is to finde an able and godly Minister for if there were not a great scarcitie of such men the Lorde needed not aske this question But some will obiect against this that there are in many Christian Churches so many Ministers as they cannot all bee maintained but some goe vp and downe vndisposed and vnprouided for I answere this is too true in all ages there were Wandering Leuits in the Olde Testament which went vp and downe and offered their seruice and serued for 10. shekels of siluer and a sute of apparell and meate and drinke but this calamitie was vpon the Church of the Iewes neuer but then when there was no King in Israel and euery one did that which was good in his owne eyes If therefore there bee any in our Church and in christian nations which goe vp and downe and offer their seruice at such rates it is much more miserable seeing now there are kings in Israel and therefore it is no reason that euerie man rob the Church as it shal please his couetous minde But ceasing to enquire whether this be so or no and if it bee so leauing the reformation thereof to those Churches and States whom it may concerne I answere for the matter in hand that this may be so and yet the Lorde may complaine as heere hee doth Whom shall I send for the Lord meaneâ—h not such as beare the name of Leuits or Priestes in the olde or of Ministers in the new Testament for there were alwaies inow of them who some for preferment sake some for their ease and some for a refuge how to liue are willing to enter that function and accordingly in that calling seee not the Lord but themselues and their owne ends But heere the Lorde enquireth for such men as first purely doe seeke and vndertake that function therein to honour God and to gather his Church and then in all their labours and ministeriall duties truly and faithfully endeuour to the same ends Preaching Gods word and as Gods word diligently reprouing exhorting and admonishing and shining before their people in good workes for such men it is no maruell though the Lorde light a Candle at No one day and make open Proclamation to seeke for them saying Whom shall I send for such a man is as Iob saith One of a thousand for some wat ability to discharge their duties as S. Paul saith Who are sufficient for those things And some want willingnesse to vndertake the labour as God here complaineth Who shall goe for vs Now to make vse of this doctrine to our Church It were to be wished that in these daies for our christian Churches the Lord had not as great cause to cry out in the want of able faithfull and godly Ministers Whom shall I send and who shall goe for vs But alas this want is too apparant and this blemish is too notorious and it is a worke worthy the labour of kings and princes to reforme it and is a kings euil not to be healed but by the power of a King for as long as there are so fewe and meane preferments for painefull Ministers there will neuer want abundance of such Ministers as doe want either conscience or abilitie to discharge their duties In the meane time till God put into the hearts of Parliaments and Princes to locke to this great and needfull worke let vs Ministers learne our duties and first wee who are in the Vniuersities are here admonished to look to our selues By Gods blessing we are many and daily growe more and more let vs therefore so furnish our selues as that when God or his Church shall say Who shall goe for vs and whom shall I send then he may find many amongst vs whoÌ„ he may send to that great worke of the Minisierie let vs feare to be such as thar God may affirme of vs as in the daies of Iob that he cannot finde one of a thousand Secondly all Ministers learne here not to content themselues with the name and title of Ministers but labour for the substantiall ornaments thereof nor to be willing to take the honour and liuings and to refuse the burden and duties of the Ministerie For else let them knowe God hath no neede of them for had the Lorde pleased or contented himself with such kinde of men as seeke to bee Ministers for themselues and not for his sake or beeing Ministers doe feede themselues and not their flocke or Preach themselues and not Christ then had he not needed to haue made this Proclamation for Ages haue yeelded store of such But contrariwise hee that is painfull and faithfull in this function let him knowe that God and his Church hath neede of him Lastly heere the Romish Cleargie are iustly to bee taxed whose number is infinite but it is lamentable to see howe fewe among them be such as the Lord heere seeketh for Their Orders of Regulars are exceeding many beside all their Secular Priests and it is almost incredible how many thousands there bee of Dominicans or Franciscans or in some one of their orders and yet amongst the many millions of their Monkes there is scarce to
pouerty contempt basenesse vppon it It were a worke worth the labour of the wisest heads to put downe the true meane betwixt both extreames worth the labour of our Noble King to take order that that meane be kept without rising to the right hand or falling to the left This short Treatse may hap to giue some light directions therein or at least may encourage stir vp their hearts in whose hands it is to doe it Vnder your woorthy names would I haue it see the world not so much for that I am bound to you both in many priuate and particular respects though that be much as for that know you both to be o◠so right and reformed a iudgement in this case as you would haue none Ministers but of sufficient gifts and vnblameable liues nor those Ministers put to their Pensions or vncertaine salailes but to haue certaine sufficient maintenance proportionable to their charge and beseeming the honour of a Christian Church God continue you still in that minde and make many more of the same with you so should we haue as florishing a Church as any Christendome hath seene Goe forward in that and other your religious resolutions it is the true way to honour both heere and in a better world stand firmly for the truth and boldly against the Popish enemies thereof as hitherto you haue done Religion had neuer more cause to thanke you and all that doe so then now it hath for her enemies were neuer so insolent since they were our enemies but if you and others holde on as in your seuerall places you haue wel begun and others take the like course there is hope their insolencies will bee easily if timely repressed and themselues neerest the fall when they imagine they are in the full The Lorde blesse and assist you in your painfull places and make you on earth Instruments of his glorie to the good of his Church so shall you bee vessels of glory in the kingdome of Heauen And thus commending this little treatise to your reading and my selfe to your fauour I take leaue and wil euer rest 1605. Your Worships in the Lord VV. Crashawe A Treatise of the duties and dignitie of the Ministerie Iob. 33. 23. 24. If there bee with him a Messenger An Interpreter one of a thousand to declare vnto man his righteousnesse Then will be haue mercie on him and will say deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation IN this Chapter and the former Elihu a holy learned noble wise young man had conference with Iob in matters of high and excellent Diuinitie the points of his conference are these From the first verse of this chap. to the 7. verse is a Praeface to his speach From thence to the 13. he repeateth certaine propositions of Iob and reproueth them frō thence to these wordes hee instructeth Iob in certaine points touching Gods dealing with sinners and those are two 1 How God preserueth a sinner from falling 2 How God restoreth a sinner being falne 1 The meanes whereby God preserueth a sinner are set downe to bee two principall 1 By Admonitions in dreames and visions 2 By scourges and chastisments when the first will not preuaile And these are layde downe from the thirteene verse vnto these words 2 Then followeth the 2. point namely the restoring of a sinner when both the meanes formerly spoken of haue not preuailed with him but that through his corruption he is fallen and concerning this point he handleth these particulers 1 The remedie and meanes of his restoring 2 The effect that followeth thereupon 1 The remedie is layde downe in these wordes now red vnto vs then followeth the effect which is that when a sinner is restored by repentance then the graces of God are plentifully powred vpon him both for soule body from these words to the end of the Chapter The intent then of this Scripture is that God vseth meanes in his mercie to preserue sinners from falling into sinne but if they doe then hee in much greater mercie afordeth them meanes and helpes to rise againe And this is the summe and substance of the words Now that means and remedie is the matter I purpose to speake of out of these wordes The meanes then to restore a sinner after a fall is to raise him by repentance to a better estate then hee was in before and that is inclusiuely and by implication taught in this Text But the instrument by whom that great worke is to be wrought is here in plaine termes layd downe to bee a Minister of God lawfully called and sent by God appointed by his Church to that great dutie So that these wordes containe a worthy description of a true Minister and he is here described 1 By his titles which are two An Angell An Interpreter 2 By his rarnesse One of a thousand 3 By his office which is to declare vnto man his righteousnes 4 By the blessing that God giueth vpon the labours of this true Minister which is then God will haue mercie vpon the sinner 5 By his Commission and authoritie in the last wordes God will say Deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation Let vs speake of them in order as they lie in the text and first of his titles 1 The first title of a Minister of God is he is called a Messenger or an Angel and not here alone but elswhere in the Scripture Malachy 2. 7. He is the Messenger of the Lord of hostes And in the Reuelation the Ministers of the 7. Churches are called the Angels of those Churches So that it is apparant a true Minister is an Angel of God in one place and in the other place the Angel of the Church Hee is an Angell or Messenger sent from God to his Church This consideration affords matter of much vse And first for Ministers themselues The most of vs in this place are eyther Prophets or sonnes of the Prophets If thou be a Prophet thou art Gods Angel If a sonne of the prophets thou intendest to bee then marke thy dutie prophets and Ministers are Angels in the very institution of their calling Therefore thou must preach Gods word as GODS word and deliuer it as thou receiuest it for Angels Embassadors and Messengers carry not their owne message but the message of their Lords and Maisters who sent them and Ministers carry the message of the Lord of Hostes therefore they are bound to deliuer it as the Lords and not their owne In the first Epistle of Peter 4. 11. wee are bid If any man speake let him speake not onely the word of God but as the word of God Gods word must bee spoken and as Gods word then shew thy faithfulnesse to the Lord in discharging thy hands sincerely of that message which he hath honoured thee to
temple of God and strong pilstrong pillers in the Church but they are like tender plants and must be cherished Princes and great men by allowing maintenance and the Gouernours by establishing good orders and looking carefully to their execution must see that these plants haue sufficient moisture to grow speedily to perfect ripenesse and that then they be transplanted in due time into the Church and common wealth these be the trees spokē of in Ezechiel which growe by the sides of the riuer which floweth out of the sanctuarie Waters out of the Sanctuary must norish them and so they growe vnto their perfection but take away these waters take away the liberalitie of princes and good discipline from the Vniuersities and these trees must needes decay and wither which if they do then the smal number of good Ministers will be fewer fewer of one of a 1000. ther wil not be one of 2000 In the next place Ministers themselues are here taught First if good Ministers bee so scarce then let euery man feare to make them fewer then they bee euery man therefore for himselfe labour first for abilitie then for conscience to discharge his dutie namely to bee an Angel to deliuer faithfully Gods Embassage and a true Interpreter betwixt God and his people thus if thou doest then howsoeuer the number of good Ministers is small yet it shall bee nothing smaller for thee 2 If they bee so fewe labour to increase them for the more they are the lesse burden lyeth vpon each particular man therefore let euery Minister by his teaching and by his conuersation labour so to honour his calling that hee may thereby allure and drawe others to a loue and liking thereof 3 Are good Ministers so thinne sowne are there so few of them then let all good and godly Ministers giue the right hand of fellowship one to another and ioyne together in loue by that meanes arme thēselues against the scorne and contempt of the world we see they that are of a kinred or a brotherhood or any kind of societie the fewer they are the more closelie doe they combine the more firmely doe they holde together against all forraine force so ought Gods Ministers to doe because their number is so small if they were many lesse danger in their disvnion But seeing they are so fewe the more it concerneth them to cut off contentions and all occasions of debate and to ioyne hand in hand against these common aduersaries In the third place young Students are heere taught seeing a true Minister is but one of a thousand that therfore they bend their studies and their thoughts to the Ministerie for they well know it is an old prouerbe the best things are hard to come by certainly there are so few good Ministers because the holy Ministerie in it selfe is so high excellent a calling as it is a shame to the men that there are so few good Ministers so it is a commendation to the calling whose honour excellency is such that as wee see heere scarce one of a thousand attaines vnto it therefore men of the most excellent giftes are here inuited to dedicate themselues vnto the most excellent vocation yea very reason it selfe would vrge a man to be one of a thousand 2 And further as they are to intend this calling as the most rare and excellent so this must teach them like wise to hasten to furnish themselues with all good helpes and meanes that they may become true Ministers and able Interpreters and not too long to sticke in those studies which keep a man from the practise of this high function for it is not to liue in the Vniuersitie or in the Colledge and to studie though a man neuer so fast deuoure vp learning but to be a good Minister is that that makes a man one of a thousand In the last place Hearers are heere taught their dutie first to respect with reuerence the person and to receiue with reuerence the Message of euery true Messenger seeing it is so rare a thing to finde a true Minister for as nothing is more vile or base then an euil lewd Minister whom Christ compares to salt which hath lost his sauour which is good for nothing but to bee cast out troden downe of men so is there none worthy of more loue and reuerence then a holy Minister for as Esay saith their very feete are beautifull which bring glad tydings and we should kisse their feete which bring newes of peace therefore all good Christians are to receiue and vse a good Minister as S. Paul saith the Galathians did him euen as an Angel of God Hast thou then a godly pastor run to him for conference for comfort for counsell vse his company frequent his fermons account him worthy of double honour thinke it no small or ordinary blessing for thou hast one of a thousand and blesse God for bestowing his mercy on thee which hee had denyed to so many others for some haue no Minister some haue a Minister but yet 〈◊〉 he is not one of a thousand And further all men that are Fathers may heere learne to consecrate their children to God in the seruice of the Ministerie considering that it is so rare and excellent a thing to be a good Minister nay that man should thinke himselfe happie and honoured of God who may be father to such a sonne as shal proue one of a thousand In a word to conclude this point all men must heere learne seeing good Ministers are so scarce to pray the Lorde of the haruest to thrust out more labourers into his haruest and for those that are called already that God would make them faithfull in that high function And as Elisha craueth of Elias that the good spirit may be doubled and trebled vpon them so that the number may be encreased And thus wee haue the truth the reason and the vse of this that a good Minister is one of a thousand It followeth To declare vnto man his righteousnesse Heere is the third part of the description of a Minister that is by his office to declare vnto man his righteousnesse that is when a poore sinner by his sinnes the foulnes whereof he seeth and the burden whereof he feeleth is brought downe as it were to the very gates of hell when this sinner by the preaching of the Lawe is brought to a true sight of this miserie and again by preaching the gospel is brought to lay hold on Iesus Christ then it is the proper office of a Minister to declare vnto that man his righteousnes Namely that though in himselfe he be as ill and as foule as sinne can make him as the law can discouer him to be yet in Christ he is righteous iust and by Christ so iustified as he is no more a sinner in the presence and account of God this
followeth For I am a man of polluted lippes Now follow the causes of his feare which are two The first is his owne pollution and sinfulnesse and the sinfulnesse of his people his own he freely confesseth in these words I am a man of polluted lippes that is I am a miserable and sinfull man and therefore I feare and tremble to stand in Gods presence nay I dare not looke vpon the Lorde for my sinnes But it may be demaunded how could the Prophet say thus truely for he was a holy man and iustified in Gods prefence by his true faith in the Messias and sanctified by repentance can a man iustified and sanctified say he is a man polluted I answere It is doubtlesse he was so he therefore complaineth here not of any great and enormous sinnes which hee had committed to the publike scandall of the Church but first of the corruptiō of his nature which in him as in all men is a very sea of iniquity which alwaies appeares the more the neerer a man comes to God and therefore did now most apparantly discouer it selfe in the prophet when he was in the presence of the Lord himself Secondly he complaineth of some actual sins of his life and it is more likely of some sins of omission then of cōmission for we find not that the prophet was euer touched with any great sin where we know it not we are in charitie not to imagine it So that it is most probable hee complaineth of some smaller faults or negligences in his Ministery as not preaching to the people at some time when he ought or not preaching so willingly or cheerfully as he should or desire to leaue preaching because the people were stubborne disobedient or some impatience in his Ministery when the people were rebellious and resisted his doctrine which passion might the rather vexe him as we read it did Ieremy the Iewes were so stubborne stifnecked a people or it may be some want of zeale or forwardnes these or some such were the cause of his feare And the cōscience of these makes him here cry out that he cannot stand in the sight of God Where we learn first what a tender conscience godly Ministers must haue aboue all men namely that they must make conscience not of the great and grosse sins onely but euen of the lowest least sins and he must endeuour in his calling not only to be cleere of great crimes but as far as may be to bee free from the least appearance of euill and from the least negligences in his place for a small faultin other men is great in them and that which may be some waies pardonable in other men is no way in them they must therefore watch ouer themselues most carefully and take heede to all their waies for this ende is it that a Minister in godly wisedome must often depriue himselfe euen of many things which it may be lawfully hee might vse least his liberty be an occasion of euill to others and must abstaine from the least sins least euen they be blemishes to his calling and burthens to his conscience And hence is it that a minister cannot be too carefull in his calling in his words diet company recreation apparel gestures and in his whole carriage because little sins are so great in thē Especially ministers must here learne the Apostles lesson to bee instant in season and out of season to preach and exhort to comfort and rebuke publikely and priuately to good to bad when it is wel taken when it is ill taken when they willingly receiue it and when they stubbornly resist it when they commend him and reward him and when they raile at him and persecute him for it thus must he be diligent in season and out of season for the least negligence in his dutie or omitting the least opportunity of doing good will when God visits his conscience bee a burthen and vexation to him as it was heere to the Prophet And furthermore if these smal sinnes thus afflicted the Prophet then alas what is to be thought of those ministers who make no conscience of foule and scandalous sinnes how shall Symonie Incontinencie Vsury inhospitality couetousnesse Ignorance Idlenesse carelesse Nonresidencie how shall these I say and other like grieuous crimes oppresse burthen the soule when as the smallest sins doe so affright this holy man Surely whē God shal visite them their states will bee most fearefull nor shall any mans case be so miserable as an vncōscionable ministers And thogh nowe such loose and licentious Ministers seeme to liue in Iolitie without any feare yet when God shall appeare vnto their conscience then will they cry out in fearefull anguish Woe is me I am vndone And againe if these smal faults so affrighted this holy prophet burdened his conscience then what pittifull consciences haue those ministers whose daily negligence and vnconscionable carelessenesse in their places is such as all men speake of and yet they are not touched surely these men are not of so tender cōsciences as the prophet was either the prophet here was much more nice then needed or else these men will proue to be in a miserable estate Lastly let Ministers of care and conscience be here comforted in the example of the Prophet who is there but may find imperfections and blemishes in himselfe which will often make him cry out Woe is me but let not that discomfort them but rather reioyce that they can see their owne weaknes as the Prophet did here If they haue cause to exclaime against themselues they are not alone it was this and all other holy prophets case before them In hauing imperfections in themselues they are no more miserable then the Prophet was but let them labour to be as blessed in seeing complaining of themselues as hee was And let euery minister assure himselfe that the more hee makes conscience euen of the least sinnes of all the more he resembleth the ancient holy Prophets the more likely is he to worke effectually in his ministery For his duty is to worke in his people a conscience not of great sinnes onely but euen of all but how can he doe that in them if he haue not first of all done it in himselfe hence it is therefore that godly ministers finde fault with themselues when other men cannot and cry out against themselues for their pollutions with the prophet here when no other man can accuse them of the least crime nay when other doe magnifie God for his graces on them and praise their giftes and commend their good liues euen then doe they condemne themselues and exclaime against their owne corruptions and their owne smallest negligences or omissions are great wounds to their consciences and their least sinnes and their most pardonable infirmities are sore burthens vnto them for of all men in the worlde a godly minister
is a man of the most tender conscience Hitherto hath the prophet complained generally of his pollution Particularly hee exclaimeth against the pollution of his lippes But why will some say complaines hee of the pollution of his lippes rather then of his heart or his hands or any other part of him were they not all polluted yes all in some measure and was not he grieued at them all yes assuredly wee must grant that also But the reason is he was a prophet his dutie was to vse his tongue the practise of his calling consisted in the vse of his tongue for a minister is an interpeter as he is called Iob 33. 23. that is the peoples to God by prayer and Gods to the people by preaching he is Gods mouth and the peoples mouth so that the tongue of a Minister is that part of his body which is to be vsed as a principall instrument of Gods glory and more to the setting foorth of his honour then any other Now euery man is to be tryed what he is by his calling rather then by any other accidentall or collaterall courses therefore the honour or dishonour of a minister is the vse or the abuse of his tongue and his comfort or discomfort is the well vsing or not vsing of it The prophet therefore here affrighted at Gods prefence and therefore retyring into himselfe presently his conscience checkes him for his most proper sins namly for some fault or negligence in his Ministerie which is the proper sinne of that calling and therfore is it that he exclaimeth against the pollutions of his lippes out of which practise of his we may learne First the vanitie of the Papists who magnifie the merites of holy mens workes for if this holy prophet a man truly iustified extraordinarily sanctified yet durst not stand before God in this little apparance of his glory notwithstanding all his zeale and courage and conscience and paines and sufferings in his function but was cast downe so farre from a conceit of his owne worth that hee cryed out Woe is mee I am vndone How then can wee who are no better but much worse then hee stand before GOD in the day of Iudgement in the great appearing of his infinite iustice and glorie Rather doubtlesse as here the smallest pollution of his lippes and negligence in his calling droue him out of all conceit of merit when once hee came into the presence of GOD so the due consideration of our so many and foule pollutions aboue his should beate downe all proude conceites of our owne goodnesse when wee appeare before GOD. It is therefore to bee feared that the Papists who thus magnifie their owne merits doe seldome or neuer enter into earnest consideration of their owne infirmities doe seldome persent themselues in the presence of Gods maiestie For if they did then doubtlesse the least sight of their least pollutioÌ„ would make them farre from euer thinking of their own merits They also tell vs of workes of superrogation but it seemes heere this holy Prophet had none of them And they teach a man may in this life perfectly fulfill the Lawe but who can doe it iâ— not ministers And what ministers if not extraordinary prophets And yet Isaiah the first and chiefe of them exclaimeth here in pittiful manner against his pollutions Doubtlesse if the papists would cease flattering themselues and not examine their consciences by their own pleasing corruption but present themselues in the face and presence of GODS Maiestie they would bee farre from these conceits In the next place whereas the prophet complaineth of the pollution of his lippes As of the peculiar sinne of his place Ministers are heere taught to auoide that sinne aboue all other and to labour in that dutie aboue any other for the dooing of it is his most comfort the want of it is his most vexation his tongue is the Instrument giuen him to honour God if hee vse it well it yeeldes him comfort more then any other duties But if he vse not or abuse his tongue the pollution of his lippes will bee the heauiest burthen of all they therefore are greatly deceiued who thinke a Minister to discharge sufficiently his duetie though hee preach not if he keepe good Hospitalitie and make peace amongst his Neighbours and performe other workes of charatie and good life for if a Minister haue not this vertue hee hath none If hee preach not If hee abuse his lippes or if hee open them not hee hath no conscience nor can haue any comfort for that is the principall dutie of a Minister though all the other bee required to make him compleate the want of them may condemne him before men but it is the pollution of his lippes which presently checkes him before GOD as we see here in this holy Prophet the conclusion then is to euery Minister that if hee had all the vertues and good properties that can commend a man in the world yet if his lippes be polluted either by not preaching or by negligeÌ„t idle or carelesse preaching this pollution will so staine his conscience and so burthen him in the presence of God that the time will come notwithstanding al his other good qualities he will cry out in farre more pittifull maner theÌ„ here the Prophet dothâ— Woe is 〈◊〉 I am vndoâ—â— because I am a â—an of polluted lippes It followeth And I dwell in the midst of a people of polluted lippes The Prophet not onely complaines of his own pollution but of his peoples also amongst whom he liued and this he doth for these causes First to teach vs that it is the Ministers duty to confesse not onely his owne sinnes but the sinnes of his people to complaine of them to God for as he is the peoples Interpretar to God he must not thinke it enough to put vp their petitions to vnfolde their wants craue reliefe for them at Gods hand but hee must further take knowledge of the sins of his people and make both publique and priuate confession of them to God and the more particularly he can doe this the better and this hee is to doe both for the peoples good and for his owne also because it cannot be but the sinnes of his people are in some sort his for this is the peculiar danger of the Magistrates and Ministers â—â—â—ling that generally the sinnes of their people are theirs I meane that they are accessarie to the sinnes of their people either by prouoking them by their euil example or by not reprouing or not hindring or suffering or winking or couering concealing or not punishing them or not carefully enough vsing meanes to preuent them by all which meanes and many more it comes to passe that the peoples sinnes are the Ministers by communication so that as well for his owne sake as theirs hee is to confesse to GOD their sinnes as well as his owne Now if a Minister must
confesse his peoples sinnes then it followeth confequently that he must know them and take notice of them for else hee cannot confesse them And this is one cause why the holy Ghost commands a Pastor to know his flocke He must not onely haue a flocke and knowe which is his flocke or haue a generall â—ye ouer it out hee must haue a particular and 〈◊〉 knowledge of the state of it â—nd the more particular the better And if the Minister ought to know and confesse his peoples sinnes then if followeth first that it is best for a Minister to bee present with his people that so hee may the better know them and their state and certainly if it be a Ministers dutie to confesse to God the pollutions of his people then wilfull and carelesse Nonresidency and all absence without iust and conscionable causes must needs be a foule fearefull sin For how could Isayah haue coÌ„fessed that his people were a people of polluted lips but that he dwelt amongst them Nay saith the Prophet he dwelt in the midst among them indeede well may hee know and confesse his peoples pollutions that dwelles in the midst amongst them Againe if the Minister be to confesse his peoples sinnes and therefore must needs knowe them then it followeth also that they must discouer confesse them vnto him or else 〈◊〉 not possible he should perfectly knoâ—e their estate the want of this is a great fault in our Churches for how euer we condemne Auricular confession as a very pollicie in the deuisers and as a rack to the consciences of poore Christians yet we not onely allowe but call and 〈◊〉 for that confession wherby a Christian voluntarily at all times may resort to his Pastor and open his estate and disburden his conscience of such sins as disquiet him and craue his godly assistance and holy prayers great blessing and comfort doth doubtlesse followe them that vse this godly practise and the want of it is cause that a minister canot discerne the state euen of his own flock nor can complaine to God of their pollutions and confesse their sinnes so particularly as would be good both for him and them Secondly the Prophet couples together his own pollution and the pollutions of his people as the adjuvant or helping cause the effect For the pollution of a people helpes forward the pollution of a Minister and the worse people they are the worse doe they make him though he be otherwise neuer so good For euen the Prophet though called of God himself iustified and sanctified a man of extraordinary grace yet dwelling in the midst of a people so stubborne disobedient as the Iewes were was something touched with their pollutions Ministers euen the best are men and this comes to passe by reason of the corruption of their nature as they are meÌ„ the nature of which corruption is to apprehend any euill where euer it findes it and to partake with it regeneration qualifieth abates this corruption but takes it not away perfectly in this life whereby it comes to passe that a Minister liuing amongst euill people cannot but be somwhat stained with their pollution of what sort soeuer they be insomuch as it is often seene that one knowne to be otherwise disposed of himselfe is found to bee disposed to this or that euill by liuing amongst a people so disposed And againe that a minister in such a place and amongst such people free from such and such sinnes remoued to another place is there found more or lesse tainted with them because they abound amongst the people and yet further that a minister knowne to bee faithfull painfull and zealous comming to a disobedient stubborne froward or prophane dissolute people his faith is weakened his zeale courage abated Gods graces in him dulled much decayed godly Ministers doe daily complaine hereof and experience euery where shewes it too true Out of this we may learne something both for our instruction and for our conuersation For our instruction it here appeares how wicked and wretched the corruption of our nature is which cannot but receiue some contagion from the pollution of those with whom we liue for this is so not onely in them who carry a loose hand ouer themselues but euen in such as looke most narrowly vnto their steps as wee see here in this holy Prophet who was a man of more then ordinary sanctification how litle cause therfore hath any man to extoll nature and how much lesse cause the schoolemen and some other papists to giue the least commendation to our pure naturals for if nature rectified by grace be so hardly kept within compasse alas how outragious peruerse is it when it raignes without controlment And for our further instruction heere wee may see of what a creeping and incroaching nature sinne is which like a secret venome in the naturall bodie so it in the pollitique body restes not in the place or partie poisoned but closely creepes diffuseth it selfe into euery part and member of the whole it creepes from man to man yea from an euil man to a good from the worst man to the best from prophane men to godly Ministers and as from publique persons as Magistrates and Ministers it descendeth visibly and the example of their euil life is palpably scandalous so from the people to the Magistrate or Minister it creepeth closely ascendeth in more secret and insensible manner yet in the effect it is too sensible for it is alwayes seene that they are something touched with their peoples pollutions sinne is not onely as a poison spreading from the heart to all parts from the minister to the people but as a gangreue if it begin in the foot wil without speedy preuention spred priuily to the hart so sinne shewes it selfe euen from the people to the Ministers So great cause is there for all men to stop sinne in the beginning to breake it in the egge to giue water no passage no not a little for let this gangreue beginne at the feete it will not rest till it be in the heart For our conuersation wee are heere taught first if a Minister by reason of the corruption of his owne nature and the creeping nature of sinne is in such danger to be stained with the peoples pollutions then let all Ministers desire and vse all good meanes to dwell with a people as litle polluted as may be otherwise let him assure himselfe to be polluted with them which is both a great discoÌ„fort to his owne conscience as here it was to the Prophet and disgrace to his profession for if it be a dutie of euery good professor of religion to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world then how much more is it the Ministers duetie so to doe and how foule a staine is it to the honour of his calling to be polluted in the
those that are their fellowes are vnfaithfull And it should further teach them to adorne their Calling with a holy life for as sinne is that that grieues the angels driues them away so it is grace and holinesse which makes them delight in the fellowship of men And it may also encourage any man to take paines in that holy Calling wherein hee is sure to haue Gods angels in a speciall manner to attende him to assist him to protect him and to bee a witnesse of his faithfulnesse and who would not worke cheerefully in that labour wherein hee hath the Angels to bee in a sort fellow-workers with him To doe these three duties is to honour good angels and that Minister that conscionably performeth them the angels will take themselues sufficiently honoured of that man And if beside this honour we would reioyce Gods angels and minister matter of ioy vnto them then in the fourth place let all Ministers propounde to themselues aboue al things the conversion of soules rather then their own praise or liuing or pleasing of men and so endeuour it both in teaching and all their other courses that the angels may see it and bee witnesse of it for if they reioyce at the conversion of a sinner as Christ saith they doe then those men make them oftest reioyce which doe most seriously aime at the conversion of sinners And thus we see both the seruice of angels to Gods Ministers and the duties they are to performe to them in that regard The due consideration of this point may raise the world to a better conceit of this Calling and perswade fathers to dedicate their sonnes to it and stirre vp young students to consecrate themseluest hereto turne their studies to that ende for no man in no calling hath so speciall attendance and assistance of Gods angels as godly Ministers haue At least if it worke not this in the world yet it may yeeld comfort contentment to all faithfull Ministers in their painfull calling But let vs see how the angel performed his seruice to the Prophet not vnwillingly not lingeringly but speedily so saith the Text. He flewe Which is not so to bee vnderstood as though the angels had wings for they haue no corporall nor sensible bodyes but spirituall and insensible substances the actions whereof are performed with such nimblenesse and agilitie as can not fall within the compasse of outward sense But the Phrase is vsed for our capacities to shew how readily and speedily the angel went about to minister comfort to the Prophet For as nothing moueth so quickly to our sense as doth the creature that flyeth and as wee say that man doth flye about his businesse which doth it quickly and diligently so here the holy Ghost sets downe the willingnesse and quicknesse of the angel to comfort this holy Prophet and to doe the will of God Where we learne First what excellent seruants of God the holy angels bee which so readily willingly and speedily execute the will of their Lord. This must teach all gods seruants to doe the like and to imitate thē in this excellent obedience And the rather because wee pray dayly to God Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen In earth of vs as it is in heauen of the holy angels But they doe it most cheerfully and without all lingring therefore so ought we Magistrates in their places and Ministers in theirs and euery man in his function is to apply this to himselfe and to bee stirred vp thereby to a cheerfulnesse quicknesse in their duties for therein they resemble the blessed angels then their deodes accord wity their prayer but contrariwise he that doth his dutie vnwillingly and vnreadly is like the Diuel which indeed doth Gods will yet against his will and surely vnto such obedience there belongeth no reward But as God loueth a cheerfull giuer so doubtlesse loues hee a cheerfull worker Secondly we see here how great loue angels beare vnto Gods children especially vnto godly Ministers how willingly they are imployed to doe them good Willingnesse and readines to doe good to any man must needes come from loue and yet alas all men euen the best and all Ministers euen the best are creatures farre inferior to the angels Here Magistrates Ministers must learne to be farre from contempt of their inferiours and to doe their duties of ruling and teaching carefully though the people bee farre their infriors it is the nature of loue to make any man doe seruice most willingly to him that hee loues though he be farre meaner then himselfe If therefore Princes loue their subiects they will not spare any care cost nor paines nay they will reioyce to doe them good and they will labour to bee like the angels who are farre greater then men as they are then their subiects And if Ministers loue their people they will forget their owne dignitie which oft-times they might stand vpon and will make themselues euen seruants to all that they may winne some And seeing angels doe flie so fast to giue helpe and comfort to good Ministers this must teach them further First euery one to labour to bee a good Minister for then are they sure of the loue of angels and then most willingly doe the angels any seruice to them Againe let it teach them to flye as fast to the discharge of their duties to Gods Church as the angels flye to doe them seruice so shal God angels thinke their diligence and carefull seruice well bestowed vpon them Lastly this diligence of the angels their willingnesse proceeding from loue must stirre vp al Christians to performe all duties of godlinesse to God of loue vnto his Church with alacritie and cheerfulnesse So doe Gods angels we looke to be like the angels in glory in the world to come then bee like the angels in diligence loue and faithfulnes in this world The Wise man saith Hee that is slothfull in his businesse is good for nothing but the diligent man shall stand before the King And surely hee that is willing diligent in the duties of Christianitie shall stand before the King of kings in heauen And let this suffice for the Angels seruice and his diligence in his seruice Now let vs see what instrument the Angel vsed A coale from the Altar The fourth Circumstance of this consolation is the Instrument which it pleased God the angel should vse to minister comfort to the Prophet a strange instrument for so great a work A coale of fire Here let humane reason hide it selfe and wordly wisedome bee confounded to see the wonderfull works of the Lord God could haue healed the Prophets infirmities and giuen him comfort against his feare courage in his calling without meanes but hee will vse meanes and what a weake meanes nay a meanes that seemes contrary A coale of fire
curse vnder which euery man is borne is the second death the death of soule and bodie which is the eternall want of Gods presence and the accomplishment of his wrath and an apprehension and feeling of that wrath seazing on body soule and conscience The first curse was a spirituall death the death of the soule The second a temporarie death the death of the body The third is an eternall death a death both of soule and bodie together and for euer This eternall death is the curse of all curses the miserie of all miseries and torment of all torments and I shewe it thus Often when thy tooth acheth and sometime when thy head acheth or in the paine of the stone or collicke thou wouldest giue all that thou hast in the world to bee eased of that paine Nay in the exstremitie of some fitts many will wish them-selues euen out of the world Now if the paine of one tooth can so farre distemper minde and body that it cannot bee releiued with all the pleasures of this life O then what a torment shall that bee when not one kinde of paine but the whole viole of Gods wrath shall bee powred not on one member but on the whole soule body and conscience and that not for a time vnder hope of better but eternally without hope of release and that not in this world where there are comforts helpes and remedies but in that vgly and darksome place of torments and that not amongst liuing men which might mittigate thy paine or else bemone thee and beway leit with thee but with the Diuels and damned spirits which will now laugh at thy destruction and solace themselues in this thy misery and will reioyce as thou didest serue them in earth so now in hel to be thy tormēters It may be therfore by the way good warning and wisedome to vs all when we feele the extremity of some bodily paine to consider with our selues and say O then what shall be my misery and torment if I repent not when not one member but soule bodie and conscience shall be racked and tormented in the feeling and apprehension of the anger of the Lord of Hostes In these three points stands that curse and wrath of God vnder which euery man is borne And these doe answer to the three degrees of sinne which are in vs for as the two first Rules taught vs there is in euery man by nature till hee repent a three-fold guiltinesse First a guiltinesse of Adams sinne Secondly the taint of originall and vniuersal corruption Thirdly a pollution by many outragious actuall sinnes In the first of these euery man is equally guiltie In the second euery man is equally corrupt But in the third euery one keepes that compasse within which the Lord wil keepe them by his limitting power Now as in our guiltinesse of Adams sinne sin hath his beginning In originall sinne his continuance in actuall sin his perfection So answerable herevnto the wrath of God which alwaies standeth opposite to sinne is begun in leauing vs by nature to the slauerie of Sathan is continued by death and is accomplished in damnation And now these three Rules I commend to the carefull Christian consideration of you all certifying you from God that as you can neuer bee saued vnlesse you repent nor repent vnlesse you Search your selues as here the Prophet bid deth So that you can neuer search your selues aright til you bee perswaded and resolued of these three Rules and of the truth of them all euen in your hearts and consciences namely First that thou art guiltie of Adams sin Secondly that thou art prone by nature to al euil in the world Thirdly that for these thou art subiect to the wrath of God and to all the curses of his wrath but when thou art in heart conscience resolued that these are true then thou art a fit Scholler for this Lesson of the Prophet Search thy selfe For when thou goest thus prepared vnto this Search and esteemest of thy selfe as these three Rules haue described thee then if thou Search into thy selfe thou wilt finde thy selfe and thy estate to be such as will cause thee to repent returne and take a new course therefore what the Prophet sayd to those Iewes I say vnto you also my brethren of this Realme of England who are here now gathered together out of so many countries quarters of this Realme yea in the name of the same God I cry vnto you Search O Search your selues and thinke it not a matter indifferent to do or not to doe it but know it that God commandes you as euer you will come to saluation Search your selues And the rather because by these three Rules you see how much chaffe of corruption is in your nature and what neede therefore it hath to bee searched into and fanned by Repentance Bee well assured thou man whatsoeuer thou art there is so much Chaffe in thee that if thou search not and fanne it not out thou wilt proue nothing but Chaffe at the last day and so be blown away with the winde of Gods iustice into Hell Take hold therefore of this exhortation and deferre it not Thou wilt not suffer thy Wheate to lye too long in the chaffe for feare of hurting it Is it then safe to suffer the chaffe of thy sinnes and corruptions to lie cankering and rotting in thy heart Bee sure that that little portion of grace which thou attainest vnto by liuing in the Church and vnder the Ministrie of the Word of GOD will bee putrifyed and cleane corrupted with the Chaffe of thy sinnes therefore againe and againe I exhort you to make conscience of this dutie Search into your selues fanne out this Chaffe this presumption of ours and high esteeming of our owne nature and conceits of Gods fauour before wee haue it that so this Chaffe being blowne away the Lord may then bestow vpon vs foundnesse of grace the foundation of al goodnes which is a holy humbled heart Salnation is such a building as the foundation thereof had need to be sure and strong Ignorance blindnesse and presumption are not sufficient foundations for such a building therefore as no man wil build a strong house vpon any earth but will first search it least it prooue Sandie so ouerthrow all So a wise Christian will not build his saluation vpon fancies conceits and naturall presumptions but will Search and looke into his heart and finding these to be sandie and rotten and therefore too weake for the foundation of so glorious a building wil refuse them all and labour to furnish his heart with such sound grace as whervpon he may trust so weighty a work as is the Saluation of his soule Againe if thou wilt stand in the day of triall then Search thy heart betime and discerne betwixt Chaffe Wheat thou seest that chaffe flyeth away before the wind but good corne indures the Fan and the furie of the wind so in
the day of triall temptation sicknesse or open persecution the chaffe of natural presumption and outward formalitie in Religion wil flye away and it must be the penitent humbled and beleeuing heart which must then abide it out and endure the fanne of temptations and persecutions And to conclude Let not the Diuell deceiue thee in making thee imagine or hope to please God and yet to let thy corruptions lie vnseene and thy sins vnsearched out least thereby thou marre all for thou vsest not to lay vp-wheat in thy garners vntil it be purged from the Chaffe so thinke not to store vp any sauing knowledge or any other grace of God in thy heart vntill the chaffe of vanitie be first blowne away that so the holy graces of God may be layd vp in the garners of thy soule And therefore questionlesse to speake one word to touch our common professors in the very sore of their soule al knowledge that is stored vp in these impure and vnsearched hearts is euen as Wheat layd vp in the Chaffe which is a thousand to one sure to bee eaten vp by the chaffe so that when the winnowing time of tryall and persecution comes I feare that such men will for al their knowledge shrinke aside and betray the truth there knowledge then prouing no better then chaffe because it was layde vp in an vnholy heart If therefore thou wouldest stand and endure when Poperie or persecution or temptations come if thou wouldest abide the furie of the fanne of temptations now then exercise thy heart with the fanne of GODS law Search and ransacke it purge out the chaffe of corruption and store vp knowledge in an holy heart and a good conscience and that will abide the violence of all temptations yea when God suffers the Diuell to doe with vs as he did with Peter to winnow vs like Wheate to sift and trie vs as he did Iob with the furious winde of all his mallice this knowledge will proue Wheate that will abide the winde and gold that will abide the fire thus glorious will it be in the ende if we follow this holy Prophets councel and Search our hearts And thus much for the first point namely the dutie of Searching heere commanded in which wee haue stayed the longer because it is the foundation of all the rest and this being wel laid the whole building wilt goe vp the faster Now we come to the second general point here laid down that is whom must we Search the Prophet aunswereth your selues not other mē but your selues This search so vrged and inforced by the Prophet must not be of other mens hearts and liues but of our owne our owne are our charge and not other mens and therein is the saying true which else is most false Euery man for himselfe for as euery soule must bee saued by it selfe so must it beleeue Repent and search it selfe The dutie therefore here commanded is for euery man that would haue his soule to be saued to Search it and reforme it and leaue others to bee searched by themselucs Here the holy Ghost meetes with the common corruption of this world and that is that men are Eagle eyed to see into the liues of other men but to looke into their owne hearts and liues they are blinder then Moles they can see moates in other mens liues but discerne not beames in their owne wherby it comes to passe that they stumble and fall fowly for the eies of most men are set vpon others not vpon them selues and thereupon it is that an euil man seeing other men not himselfe thinkes best of himselfe worst of other men but contrariwise a good man seeing himselfe not other men thinkes worst of himselfe and better of other men an euil man lookes outward and iudgeth other men but a good mā lookes homeward iudgeth himselfe and in iudging condemnes himselfe farre aboue other men and that because by searching into his own heart and wayes hee knowes that by himselfe which he knowes not by any man in the world besides So then we must search not other men but our selues our owne hearts and our owne liues are our charge and burthen the liues of other men concerne vs not being priuate mē further thē either to follow them being good or take heede of them being euil but to search or to bee inquisitiue into them is no dutie commaunded vs but rather a foule a base vice forbidden of God Indeede Magistrates in their people Pastours in their congregations and house-holders in their families are to search but they can search onely for criminall causes or open actuall sinnes but this searching must bee of our hearts which no man can search but our selues onely Few men haue a calling to enquire into other mens liues but euery man hath a calling to search into himselfe but alas men doe farre otherwise they suffer themselues to rotte in their owne sinnes and erect an Inquisition ouer other mens liues it is to be seene in dayly experience that those men who are the great Searchers and priers into other men are the neglecters and forgetters of themselues And contrariwise they who doe narrowly search themselues and their owne wayes and looke into the corners of their owne hearts doe finde so much worke to do with themselues that they little busie themselues with other men And thus much may suffice for that point It followeth O Nation not worthy to be beloued The third point Who must search the Iewes who are here termed a Nation not worthy to be beloued yet for al that they are bid to search themselues that so vpon their Repentance they might bee beloued Where wee may see the vnspeakable loue of God and his wonderfull mercie offering grace vnto such men as are altogether vnworthy of it Gods children are by nature like other men and God findes nothing in them why to respect them aboue others but euen of his owne mercie makes them worthy who of themselues are not therefore how worthy is that God to haue all the loue of our hearts who loued vs when wee were not worthy to be beloued But let vs examine more particularly why GOD doth call the Iewes a Nation not worthy to bee beloued I answere God had blessed them aboue other Nations He gaue them his Couenant of grace and thereby made them his people commited to their trust his holy word and Oracles but he delt not so with other Nations neither had the Heathē knowledge of his lawes Besides all this they had a better land then others about them it flowed with Milke and Honie that is with all commodities delights and though their Countrie was but little yet themselues so populous and so powrefull that whilest they pleased GOD no enemie durst set vppon them Thus for soule and bodie they were euery way a Nation blessed of God a people beloued of God aboue all others Now how did this people thus
and searching our hearts and turning to the Lord wee may turne away his imminent iudgemeÌ„ts and that when his wrath doth burne out indeed we may then bee counted worthie in Christ to escape those things which must needes come vpon the worlde Amen WILLIAM PERKINS Lament 3. Let vs Search and try our waies and turne againe to the Lord. Trin. vni Deo gloria FINIS TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull Sir Edward Cooke Knight his Maiesties Atturney General Sir Thomas Heskith Knight Atturney of his Highnesse Court of Wardes and Liueries and one of his Maiesties Honourable Counsell in the North Grace and peace from Iesus Christ RIght Worshipfull giue mee leaue to put you both in one Epistle whoÌ„ one seruice one place one profession one order and one Religion haue so neerely combined As you are Brethren many waies and especially in the profession practise of one Religion to vouchsafe to be ioynt Patrons of this little after-birth this faetus posthumus of that worthy man Ma. Perkins now deceased I send you heere one of the shortest and one of the sweetest of his Treatises had it bene as well brought foorth by me as it was begot by him it had beene a child not vnworthy of so great a father but seeing it is now as a fatherles child be you the Tutors to this Orphane at whose hands Orphanes and Wards haue euer bene well vsed The father whilst he liued was a shining light in this our Church and beeing dead is a shining starre in heauen for he turned manie to righteousnesse and his doctrine wil shine in Christian Churches whilst the Sunne shineth vpon the earth The subject of this Treatise is the Ministerie whereof are layde downe the duties and dignities And well dooth he couple these two together for some can challenge the dignities of the Ministerie and cunningly cast the duties from their shoulders others performe the duties but are kept from the dignities duly belonging to that calling but as hee that will doe the duties may iustly challenge the dignities so he that will expect the dignities must doe the duties of a Minister therefore in this building these two beames are in great wisedome well set together by this wise Maister builder and so closely coupled as the idle or ambitious man cannot looke at the dignities but hee must withal behold the duties nor the painful laborious man see his dutie but withal shaâ— see the dignitie thereto belonging And surely Right Worshipfull none might better haue written of this subiect then he for who may more worthily describe the dignities of the Ministerie then he who neither by doctrine nor conuersation was euer the least disgrace vnto his Ministerie or who may better challenge the honour of his calling then he who was euer an honour to his calling And who might better teach the duties of the Ministerie then hee who so discharged them as Enâ—ie it selfe cannot iustly reproue and the enemies theÌ„selues cannot but commend and who may better teach them to others then he that carefully practised theÌ„ in his owne person And as none could be a fitter Author of this discourse then hee so not many fiâ—ter Patrons then your selues not many in your profession better schollers nor any that better loue schollers then your selues you are some of those few in this wicked age who willingly yeld all dignities and due reuerence to such Ministers as you see willingly to discharge the duties of good Ministers Well would it be with the Ministerie of England and the better with it the better with England if all as great as you were as good friends to it as you And if the Papists except and say how can this be for that you haue beene persecuters of their Priests let me answere once for you who often answere for many distressed men they persecute you with slander that say you persecuted theÌ„ but be content to beare your part in popish slanders with our Prince and state our Counsellers Cleargy our Parliaments and Lawes for none of these haue escaped these viperous tongues for though you haue executed the Lawes vpon some of them in your seuerall places yet not with sharpenesse nor seueritie but with mercifull iustice and that also not as they were Priests but Plotters Practisers subuerters and seducers and as they were Priests you sought their reformation not their ruine And if they who can hardly discharge themselues from beeing Priests of Baal haue had but iustice and that also tempered with mercy it shewes how good regard you haue and howe much you esteeme all good and faithfull Ministers which are God Interpreters In a word if all our Ministers were such as this Treatise describeth or came but as neere it as the Author hereof did and if all our great ones did vse and esteeme good ministers as you do we should then soone pull the Ministerie froÌ„ vnder that foote of contempt with which this prophane age doth daily tread vpon it The Church of Rome who are farre wiser in their kinde then the children of light haue taken other strange courses to magnifie the Cleargie They teach that the state Ecclesiasticall is so far more excellent then the Ciuile as the Sunne is then the Moone that not in spirituall onely for that we deny not but in temporall power pompe and estate and that therefore the Chiefe of their Clergie is as farre aboue the mightiest Emperour as the Sunne is aboue the Moone and as the Moone borroweth her light from the Sunne so doth the Emperour is state and power from the Pope They teach that the Cleargie is a state so distinct so absolute of it selfe as it hath not to do with the Ciuile statâ— yea they exempt their Cleargie from beeing any way subiect to the temporall Magistrate And though their crimes be neuer so many or monstrous yet the Prince or ciuill authoritie hath nothing to do to take notice thereof much lesse to punish them and herevpon great volumes are written and many Acts and decrees are made in their Cannon Lawe De exemptione Clericorum They extoll their Cleargy aboue the Temporaltie allowing the Priests both Bread and Wine in the Sacrament but leauing the Laitie bread alone They make them in their masse mediators betwixt Christ God the Father Creators of their Creator and Redeemer when and as often as themselues list And finally they send for the most part all their Clergie immediatly to heauen without let wheras all the Temporaltie except Martyrs must passe by Purgatorie Here are great buildings but on a sandy foundation goodly Castles but built in the ayre if these deuises were of God they would certainly stand but their long tottering threatens a suddaine fall Contrariwise our Church or rather the corruption of our Church by auoyding this Scilla haue falne into Charibdis by auoyding one extremitie haue falne into the other by taking too much dignitie and authority froÌ„ our Ministerie by laying too much
manifest by the experience of all ages wherein it is strange to obserue how fewe men of any sort especially of the better sort affect the calling of a Minister and which is more strange howe fewe of those that are Ministers in name and title doe deserue these honourable names of an Angel and an Interpreter and the truth is too manifest in common practise to insist much vpon it rather therefore let vs see the reasons of it and they be these principally First the Contempt that lyeth on that calling it being alwayes hated by wicked and prophane men because it discouers their filthines and vnmaskes their hypocrisie and their doctrine oftimes is a fretting corrasiue to their conscience that they cannot welter and wallowe so quietly and secretly in their sinnes as otherwise they would therefore is it that they spurne both against the calling and the men and watch them narrowly and take holde of their least infirmities thereby to disgrace them iudging that to cast contempt on that calling is to remoue shame from their owne shamefull courses nor is it possible but that they should thus hate this calling inasmuch as they hate so deadly both that lawe and Embassage which they bring and that GOD whose Embassadors they are This hatred and disgrace in the wicked world was that that caused Ieremie to cry woe is me made him in the seeming of his natural reason curse the time that euer he was a prophet for saith he I am a man of cōtention euery man is at strife and at enmitie with me The next reason is The difficultie of discharging the duties of his calling to stand in Gods presence to enter into the holy of holiest to goe betwixt God his people to be Gods mouth to the people and the peoples to God to be the Interpreter of the eternall lawe of the olde Testament and the euerlasting Gospell of the New to stand in the roume and to beare the office of Christ himselfe to take the care and charge of soules these considerations are so many amazements to the consciences of such men who doe with reuerence approch not with rashnes rush vnto this sacred seate this made Saint Paul cry out who is sufficient for these things And if Paul said Who is no marnell though many a man say I am not sufficient and doe therefore draw their neckes from this yoke and their hands from this plough vntill God himselfe or his Church doe presse them to it The last reason is more peculiar to this age of the newe Testament namely want of maintenance and preferment for them that labour in this calling men are flesh and blood and in that respect must be allured and wonne to embrace this vocation by some arguments which may perswade flesh and blood the world hath in all ages beene negligent herein and therefore God in his law tooke such strict orders for the maintenance of the Leuites but especially now vnder the Gospel this calling is vnprouided for when it deserues best of all to be rewarded certainly it were a worthy Christian pollicie to propound good preferments to this calling that thereby men of the worthiest giftes might be won vnto it and the want thereof is cause why so many young men of speciall partes and greatest hope turne to other vocations and especially to the Lawe wherein at this day the greatest partes of the finest wits of our kingdome are imployed why But because they haue al the meanes to rise wheras the Ministerie for the most part yeeldeth nothing but a plaine way to beggery this is a great blemish in our Church and surely I wish the Papists those children of this world were not wiser in their kinde in this point then the Church of God the reformation hereof is a worke worth the labour of prince and people speciall care is to bee had in it else it will not be reformed for doubtlesse had not God himselfe in the olde testament taken such straight orders for the liuings of the Leuites they had beene put to no lesse extremities then is the Ministrie of this age And this reason added to the other makes them perfect and all put together make a reason infallible for who will vndergo so vile contempt and vndertake so great a charge for no reward and where there is so great contempt so heauie a burthen and so meane a reward what maruell if a good Minister be one of a thousand Now let vs make vse of this doctrine The vse is manifold and yeelds instructions to many sorts of people First Rulers and Magistrates are heere taught if good Ministers be so scarce therefore to mainetaine and increase and doe all good they can to the schooles of the Prophets to Vniuersities Colledges Schooles of good learning which are the Seminaries of the Ministerie herein the example of Samuel is very worthy to bee followed in whose dayes the schooles of the Prophets florished and euen Saul himselfe though hee did much hurt in Israel yet when he came to the schooles of the Prophets his hard heart relented he could doe them no hurt nay he put off his robes prophecied amongst them So should all Christian princes and magistrates aduaunce their schooles and see them both well maintained and well stored the reason is euident forcible A good Minister is one of 1000. If therfore they would haue the number increased let them maintaine the Seminaries And againe if Antichrist to vphold his kingdome the Kingdome of Sathan bee so carefull herein to erect Colledges and indowe them with liuing to bee Seminaries for his Synagogue and vse so great meanes to sowe his tares in the hearts of young men that so they may sowe them in the hearts of the people abroad shall not Christian princes bee as carefull or rather much more zealous for the increasing of the number of godly Ministers shall Baal haue his 4. hundred prophets and God haue his Elias alone great shame must it bee to Ahab or to any king whose kingdome is in that estate The Iesuites diligence is such in teaching and the readinesse of some of their nouices such in learning the diuell himselfe doubtlesse putting to his helpe withall that in three yeares as some of them say of themselues they proceede in humane learning and in the fourth in Diuinitie which if it be so then it may bee a good Lesson for these our schooles of learning and an inducement to moue all that haue the gouernment thereof to labour to aduance learning by all good meanes and to giue it more speedie passage And it may shame some that spend so many yeares in the Vniuersitie and yet alas for all that proue not one of a 1000. In these our schooles are by Gods mercy many young trees planted by the riuer side of this goodly Orchard which by good ordring and dressing may prooue goodly trees in the
to any creature Man or Angel for it is a plaine Commission to go and deliuer such a man from the power of hell to redeeme him into the state of Gods children and to make him heire of heauen Angels neuer had this Commission they are Messengers set out for the good of those whom Ministers haue redeemed and they haue brought many comfortable messages vnto them but it was neuer said to any Angel Deliuer that man that he goe not downe into the pit as it heere is saide vnto a Minister nor any man but Ministers haue this Commission To some callings GOD saith worke thou for man build him houses prouide him sustenance to the Phisition heale that man to the Lawyer doe that man iustice to the souldier fight for him to the Magistrate defend him to the King gouerne him see that euery one doe his dutie to none but to the Minister doth he say Deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit If this be so then for the vse first Ministers must learne heere that if they will haue the honour of Redeemers then must they doe the dutie of Redeemers they must pray earnestly for the people for that is one meanes whereby they redeeme men They must say with Samuel God forbid that I should cease to pray for you They must mourne for the impenitent when they will not turne to God So did Dauid his eyes gushed out with riuers of waters because men kept not Gods law And Ieremie who wished a fountaine of water in his eyes that he might weepe for the sinnes of the people They must priuarly conferre visite admonish and rebuke and principally they must preach and that in such good manner and in so diligent measure as that they may redeeme and winne soules and the end that they must ayme at must bee to winne soules Some preach for feare of the law to auoyd censure or punishment some for fashion sake that they may bee like to others some for ostentation sake to win credite and praise some for ambition to rise in the world all these forget their Commission which is Deliuer a man from hell This should bee the end of their preaching to deliuer a soule from hell what should Commissioners doe but execute their Commission High Commissioners are worthy to be low Commissioners or rather no Commissioners if they wil not put it in execution It is therefore lamentable to see that some by not preaching some by vaine preaching shew that they intend any thing rather then the winning of soules to God Let then all good Ministers so preach as they may say with Esay Behold Lord heere am I and the children whom thou hast giuen me And that they may returne their Commission thus Whereas thou O Lord gauest mee this people and badst mee deliuer them that they goe not downe into hell Lord I haue done it it is the thing my soule aymed at with all my desire and endeuour and by thy mercy I haue effected it accordingly And the rather must all Christian Ministers seriously intēd the sauing of soules inasmuch as Antichrist doth so earnestly seeke the destruction of soules by winning them to his Synagogue The Turke spares no labour no cost to infect young children of Christians with his impure and blasphemous superstition The Pope and his vassals especially Iesuits vse al means deuise many stratagems spare no cost nor labor to seduce inueagle young men and the best wits Surely their care and policie herein is admirable and yet alas when like the Pharisies they haue compassed Sea and land to make a Proselite they make him like themselues the childe of hel And they are so farre from hauing any Commission from God to doe this or any blessing promised as contrariwise GOD forbids them and his curse lyeth vppon them for so doing Shall they be so diligent to destroy soules without a commission and incurre Gods curse for their labour and shall not Christian Ministers be much more diligent to winne and redeeme soules hauing so large a commission for the purpose and so great a blessing promised thereunto In the next place this doctrine hath vse to the hearers First to let them see the excellencie of this calling which hath a Commssion and power to redeeme them from hell and damnation what honour is due vnto it and to let the wicked man see which any way abuseth either the persons or the function how base vnthankefull men they are to recompence euill for good and therefore no maruell though euil do neuer depart from the houses and families of such men and further to encourage all men to giue thēselues to God in this calling for see here what they are euen the high Commissioners of God Wee haue in our estate a power deligated to certaine men of worth and it is called the high Commission because they haue power to doe great things and that man thinkes himselfe happy who can bring his sonne to this to be thought fit to bee one of this Commission but behold heere a higher Commission a Commission from God to redeeme soules from the power of hell and the diuels clawes this is in deed a high Commission and so high as this was neuer granted out of the Court of heauen to any creature but to Ministers they therefore are the High Commissioners of the high God Is it not then an honour and happinesse vnto thee to bring thy sonne to this estate And lastly this must teach all hearers their dutie to Gods word namely to submit themselues vnto it for if the Minister haue a Commission to redeeme thy soule it must be by the word holy discipline Therefore thy dutie is to heare Gods word patiently to submit thy selfe vnto it to be taught and instructed nay to be checked and rebuked and to haue thy sinnes discouered thy corruptions ript vp If thou wouldst haue thy cause succeed wel thy Lawyer must discouer the weaknesses of it If thy body to be cured thy Physition must purge the corruption of it So if thy soule bee to be redeemed thy Minister must see the weaknes purge the corruptions of it and though his doctrine be harsh hard vnto thy nature and the discipline of the Gospel seeme rough vnto thee yet must not thou rage and rebel against it nor hate him nor raile at his persō but submit thy selfe vnto it for it is the message and Ministerie of thy saluation if otherwise thou doest indeede a great wrong to the Minister for thou frustratest his commission but alas a farre greater to thy selfe for thou furstratest thine owne saluation THE SECOND Treatise of the Duties and Dignities of Ministerie by Maister Perkins TO THE RIGHT worshipfull and Reuerend Iudges Sir Iohn Sauile Knight one of the Barons of his Maiesties Exchequer and Sir Christopher Yeluerion Knight one of the Iudges of his Majesties Court of Kings
but grieue their christian harts to see the maintenance so miserable This Treatise I first of all send to you vnder your names to the world to you first for as I am sure you loued the Author and honoured those excellent gifts of God in him so you cānot but accept this after birth of his as a fatherles child for the fathers sake And for my self to cōceale al personal priuat respects in the name of many thousands in the Northeren countries I praise God for the good done in those parts by your painful courses religious care not doubting but if your selues or the like bee imployed there to asist our honourable and Religie us Lord President that the multitude of Popish Priestes there lurking will bee dayly lessened the number of preachers augmented Poperie put downe and the Gospell maintained more and more Which blessing GOD graunt to that and all other Counteries of this Kingdome for his mercies sake and giue vnto you all others in your place the spirit of courage and constancie in these declining dayes that being faithfull in your great charges vnto the end you may receiue the Crowne of life for which he hartily prayeth who will euer rest VV. Crashawe The second Treatise of the Duties and Dignities of the Ministerie Esay 6. 5. Then I said woe is me I am vndone for I am a man of polluted lips and dwell in the midst of a people of polluted lips for my eyes haue seene the king and Lord of hostes 6. Then flewe one of the Seraphins vnto me with a hote coale in his hand 7. Which he tooke from the Altar with the tonges and touched my mouth and said Loe this hath touched thy lips and thy iniquitie shall be taken away and thy sin shall be purged 8. Also I heard the voyce of the Lorde saying whom shall I send and who shall goe for vs then said I here am I send me and he said goe IN the fiue former Chapters are cōtained such Sermons as the Prophet had made vnder Vzziah king of Iuda At this Chapter begin such as he preached in the raigne of Iotham and so forward But before hee either preach or prophecie of any thing in King Iothams dayes or his successors the Lord in this Chapter giues a newe commission to the Prophet a newe confirmation to this Calling the olde king in whose dayes Esayah was first called being now dead another succeeding him God with the new king reneweth the calling commission of the Prophet wherein God doth not giue him another calling for one calling to the office of the ministery is sufficient but hee confirmeth the calling formerly giuen by repeating ratifying it And this God did to Esay not as he was an ordinarie but an extraordinary prophet for ordinary Ministers need no renouation of their calling nor any new signes of cōfirmation but extraordinary prophets who come in extraordinary maner to doe many extraordinary workes God in his wisdom wil haue their calling confirmed again againe that by very extraordinary meanes Out of which practise of the Lord we learne how great cause wee haue to doubt these men to bee either fantasticall or worse who pretend extraordinary callings in these dayes and yet scarce can shew vs any good signes of an ordinary much lesse of an extraordinatie motion for if in those dayes when such courses were more cōmon God will haue his extraordinary Prophets calling to be renued cōfirmed again againe then certainly in these dayes we may iustly require more more wonderfull signes of an extraordinary calling afore we belieue it and if God himselfe was so carefull to satisfie his Church in those dayes of the vocation of his prophet surely the church in these daies hath much more cause to doubt in such cases and to require many and extraordinary signes afore it acknowledge any such extraordinary calling These men therefore offer much wrong to the Church deserue both the censure thereof and the sword of the Magistrate who dare so boldly offer and obtrude to the Church their owne fancies and dreames as extraordinary motions of Gods spirit This is the occasion and coherence This Chapter hath two partes first the meanes of his confirmation from the beginning to these words secondly the confirmation it selfe from these words to the end the meanes of his confirmation is a vision he saw from heauen of certaine holy Angels appearing and speaking to him in the first 4. verses In the confirmation which followeth in these words are three points◠1 The effect of the vision which i wrought in the Prophet it caused him feare it astonisht him and cast him downe in the fifth verse 2 His Consolation raising vp again after his feare in the 6. and 7. verses 3 The renuing of his Commission againe from thence to the end The feare and astonishment of the Prophet is described 1 By the signes of which are two 1 A note of exclamation woe is me 2 By a note of extreame deiection in himselfe I am vndone 2 By the causes of it which are also set downe to be two 1 He was a man polluted and dwelt amongst people polluted 2 He had seene the Lord. Then said I woe is me I am vndone The first point in order is the feare extasie into which the Lord droue his holy Prophet which the Lord did not in his anger but in his loue vnto him not for a punishment of sinne but as an euidence of his further loue for the intent and purpose of God in striking this feare into him was to inable him to be a true prophet a fit messenger for himself It may seeme a strange course which God taketh to confirme raise vp his seruant in zeale and courage to strike him into an extreame feare euen to astonish and amaze him and yet we see it is the course which the Lord taketh out of which practise of the Lord we learne this doctrine That all true Ministers especially such as are deputed to the greatest works in his church must be first of all striken into a great feare in consideration of the greatnes of their function yea into an amazement and astonishment in the admiration of Gods glory greatnes whose roome they occupy whose message they bring the more they are afraid and shrinke so it be vnder the contemplation of Gods Maiestie and their owne weaknes the more likelier it is that they are truly cald of God appointed for worthy purposes in his Church but he that steps to this function without feare he may thrust in himselfe but its doubtfull whether hee bee cald of God as here the Prophet was Nor is it so here alone but euery where when God called any of his seruants to any great worke be first droue thē into these feares and a mazements as is euident in Moses in Ieremie in
so farre from being driuen from their duty because they being sinfull men dare not come into Gods presence without much feare as let them contrariwise be assured that the more they tremble at Gods presence here the lesse shall they feare it at the last day and when prophane and vngodly men who in this world feared not to stand in Gods presence in their horrible sins shall cry to the Mountaines fall vpon vs and hilles couer vs and hide vs from the presence of God then such ministers as in this world in feare and trembling and alwaies in repentance did approach into Gods presence shall then looke vp and lift vp their heads shall say to the holy Angels all the powers of heauen helpe vs and hasten vs to come into the glorious presence of our God and Sauiour And thus we see the manisold vse of this doctrine to our Church and ministerie Secondly In asmuch as here the prophet in a conscience of his corruptions feareth and cryeth out at the least apparition of Gods glory The vanitie and false dealing of the Church of Rome is here discoured in whose LegeÌ„ds stories of their Saints nothing is more common then apparitions from heauen of Saints depaâ—ted of glorious Angels of the virgin Mary and that so familiarly as sometime she sang with theÌ„ in their Cell kissed some of them and let them sucke her brests Nay of God himselfe and especially of our Sauiour Christ Iesus who they say appeared I knowe not how oft to one man namely to Saint Francis and appeared as he was crucified with his woundes and imprinted those woundes of his in Francis his body which they say he bare all his life and that they bled whensoeuer hee would suffer them which he alwayes did on Good Fryday that hee might be like to Christ Thus c many more such may yousee in that fabulous blasphemous book of the conformities of S. Francis But for the matter Are apparitions from heauen so ordinary in the popish Church how then came it to passe that the greatest and holiest men in the olde Testament were so amezed at the very apparition but of an Angell as wee may see in the whole course of the Storie Some ranne away and hidde themselues some couered their faces some fell flat on the grounde and the Prophets heere cryed out Woe is mee I am vndone my eyes haue seene the King and Lorde of Hostes But in the Church of Rome looke the stories that Saint or Monke is no body that hath not had some apparition either of the Virgin Marie or some of the Apostles or an Angel or Christ Iesus appearing and talking with them and yet alas Peter lames and Iohn those three great pillars they were as good as beside themselues at the appearing of a little part of the glorie of Christ in his transfiguration Either therefore must it followe that these men haue no sinne in them which dare and can behold Gods glory so easily and so ordinarily which is impossible or rather which indeed is truth it appeares that these are but deceitfull fancies and forgeries of their owne deuise to deceiue the world and to magnifie themselues before the eyes of the common people for it is first of all most false that apparitions are so common as they make them for if they were then are they more ordinary in the newe Testament then in the Olde For whereas the Scripture hath one their Legions haue twenty whereas one namely Saint Paul was once rapt into heauen they haue 20. that were rapt thither And as that is false so is it impossible that any man cloathed with flesh can endure an extraordinary apparition of Gods glorie without extreame amazement as is plaine herd in the Prophet who I hope was as holy a man as the holiest monke that euer was I haue noted this that young Diuines may be occasioned to looke a litle into their fabulous legends that so they may discouer the false trickes and iugling castes of that religion which euill shiftes it needed not if it were of God Thirdly the people may here learne First in that Gods presence is so glorious and fearefull to mans nature how mercifully God hath delt with them in teaching them not by himself or by his Angels from heaueÌ„ which they could neuer endure but by men who are like themselues and how vaine and fond these men are who would bee taught from heauen not by men who are so full of wants In the olde Testament when the people receiued the law from Gods owne mouth it is saide they ran away and cryed out Why should we die if we heare the voyce of God any more wee shall dye for what flesh euer heard the voice of the liuing God liued therefore they said to Moses Goe thou neare and heare al that the Lord shal say declare thou vnto vs what God saith to thee we wilheare it doe it And then saith the text the Lord said I heard the words of this people they haue said well in al that they haue spoken And so from that day forward God ordinarily taught his church by men like themselues we see that the beginning of it was not in iudgement but in mercie vnto them It is therefore the dutie of all men both to acknowledge this mercy of God in due thankfulnesse and withall to remember when they see infirmities in Ministers that they are but men and that if they had not the Ministery of men howe hard it would goe with them considering that the least measure of Gods owne presence cannot be endured by any man 2. Inasmuch as gods presence is so glorious in it self and fearefull to our nature al men are taught to prepare themselues by holy prayer by humisiation and confession of their sinnes and vnworthinesse afore they come to Gods word or sacraments for they come at that time into Gods presence they therefore are not to come in their securitie nor in their ordinarie sinnes vnrepented of least God strike their consciences with a sence of his fearefull displeasure make them cry out vpon farre greater cause then here the Propet did Thirdly and lastly wee learne here the different natures and properties of sinne and holinesse Sinne euen the least sinne nay a very sinfulnes of nature makes a man afraid of Gods presence That sinne vnrepented of doth so appeares in Adam who as in his integrity he spoke conuersed euen in a familiar sort with God so no sooner had he finned but he ranne from God and hid himselfe that euen the least sinnes not repented of doe so also appeares in this Prophet who beeing a holy man yet his conscience being priuie to it self of some small omissions or negligeÌ„ces in his calling he crieth out he is vndone because he seeth the Lord of hosts But contrariwise the state of perfect holinesse the want
to liue there and send out other men and giue testimonies and Letters of commendations to other men but themselues stirre not when question is made Who shall goe to such a place or who shall be sent to such a parish they say not Here am I but either it is too little a liuing or too great a charge or ill seated or some fault it hath that they will not be sent to it but will answere God and his Church there is such a man and giue him Letters of testimonie or commendation and so all is well but for themslues they liue too sweete and easie liues willingly to vndertake the contempt and burthen of the Ministerie Let such men therefore learne when God his Church giue them a calling to answere with the Prophet Here am I send me And let all such as are Students of Diuinitie in the Vniuersities marke here the Prophets answere not I will bee ready but here I am why takes hee no longer time because hee was now sufficiently qualified Where let them learne not to linger and lye rotting too long in their specidatiue courses but when they are competently furnished with learning and other qualities befitting that calling let them shew themselues willing and ready to yeeld their seruice to the Church when they shall be called For as an Apple may as well hang too long on the tree as bee puld too soone and both make it vnfit for vse so many men as well stay too long as goe out too soone and both wayes are made vnprofitable or at least lesse profitable in the Church And to conclude this second point It is not vnworthy to be noted that the Prophet saith not Here I am and I runne on my owne head but Send me Hee willes the Lord to send him then where are they who dare bragge of their priuate motions and will runne when they are not sent The Prophet might haue said Oh now I feele a motion from the Spirit therefore I will goe and preach but he stayeth til he be sent in expresse termes Let no man therfore presume to presse into this function till hee bee fully resolued in his conscience that God and his Church hath said vnto him Goe And though a man be neuer so well qualified with all maner of sufficiency yet let him sit still and stay Gods leisure and let him say Heere I am send me and so rest contented vntill hee bee sent If any man say it is vnfit that a man should say so of himselfe I answere let him not say so in words but in deeds let him therfore make proofe of himselfe and giue the Church tryall of his gifts Vpon which experience of his gifts if he be found sufficient that practise of his is all one and much more then if hee had saide Here I am send me Thus wee see the Prophet would not stirre til he were sent and therefore in the next word he is bid to goe And he said Goe and speake vnto this people Here is the third and last point Namely the essentiall words of his Commission Wherin after God had sought for one to goe and the Prophet had presented himselfe and offered his seruice God both giues him leaue to goe and further doth furnish him with authoritie both to goe and speake Wherein the principall point is that the authoritie of the Prophets calling is 〈◊〉 from God himâ—else in plaine and eâ—ide at words Goe and speake and till then the Prophet went not So in the new Testament the Apostles went not into the world to preach till they had their Commission Goe and teach all Nations And after them Saint Paul 〈◊〉 hot till it was said vnto him Arâ—se and goe In all which is discouered and condemned the pride and presumption of those who dare run on their own heads and will not stay till the Lord say vnto them Goe and speake These men are bolder then either the extraordinarie Prophets of the olde Testament or the Apostles which are the extraordinary Ministers of the new who alwaies had their warrant with the when they went And if any man aske why is it necessarie they should haue so I answere the reasons are many First all Prophets and Ministers are Gods Deputies and Commissioners it is therfore reason that they haue authoritie from their Lord and Maister Secondly their wordes nor deedes beare no credit nor haue any power in them vnlesse they be spoken by vertue of a Commission nor haue their labours any blessing vnlesse God giue it Thirdly these persons haue no protection nor safetie vnlesse they bee Gods Embassadors and how are they so vnlesse they be called and sent by God and haue authoritie giuen of God For these causes no man is to thrust himselfe into the Ministerie without a calling from God and therefore no maruell though those men who will bee Chusers and Callers of themselues and run when they are not sent bee in their persons subiect to all daungers because they are out of Gods protection their labours without profit because no blessing nor promise of God was giueÌ„ vnto them for GOD may iustly say vnto them Let him that sent you protect your persons let him that sent you blesse your labours But it will then be demaunded how may I know if God bid me goe for God speakes not now from heauen as in old time and as to this Prophet I answere It is true we are to looke for no such visiions nor apparitions from heauen for ordinarily there are none such and the Popish Church doth but deceiue themselues and cozen the world who tell vs of so many apparitions that happen to their Monkes and Fryers for now ordinarily God speaketh in another maner to his Church for in Generall duties God speaketh to vs out of his word and holy Scriptures and in particular and personall duties where the word in plaine termes serueth not hee speaketh to a man by his owne conscience and by the voice of his Church Out of his word God sheweth thee the dignitie and excellencie of this calling to be a Minister of the word Namely they are his Messengers and Embassadors c. that so hee may winne them to loue and affect it And againe the necessicitie of it that it teacheth the way to saluation that without it ordinarily Gods Church is not gathered nor mens soules saued that this may stirre thee vp to vndertake the burthen this is generall But now particularly for thy selfe wouldest thou knowe whether GOD would haue thee to goe or no then thou must aske thy owne conscience and aske the Church for if thou be hartily willing and be fully and worthity qualified then God bids thee goe Now thy conscience must iudge of thy willingnesse and the Church of thy abilitie and as thou maiâ—â— not trust other men to iudge of thy inclination or affection so thou maist not